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deef8a  No.14385792[Last 50 Posts]

Welcome To Q Research AUSTRALIA

In anticipation of FISA DECLAS and SPYGATE revelations, a new thread for research and discussion of Australia's role in The Great Awakening.

Previous threads

>>14019901 Q Research AUSTRALIA #17

Q's Posts made on Q Research AUSTRALIA threads

Wednesday 11.20.19

>>7358352 ————————————–——– These people are stupid.

>>7358338 ————————————–——– All assets [F + D] being deployed.

>>7358318 ————————————–——– What happens when the PUBLIC discovers the TRUTH [magnitude] re: [D] party corruption?

Tuesday 11.19.19

>>7357790 ————————————–——– FISA goes both ways.

Saturday 11.16.2019

>>7356270 ————————————–——– There is no escaping God.

>>7356265 ————————————–——– The Harvest [crop] has been prepared and soon will be delivered to the public for consumption.

Friday 11.15.2019

>>7356017 ————————————–——– "Whistle Blower Traps" [Mar 4 2018] 'Trap' keyword select provided…..

Thursday 03.28.2019

>>5945210 ————————————–——– Sometimes our 'sniffer' picks and pulls w/o applying credit file

>>5945074 ————————————–——– We LOVE you!

>>5944970 ————————————–——– USA v. LifeLog?

>>5944908 ————————————–——– It is an embarrassment to our Nation!

>>5944859 ————————————–——– 'Knowingly'

Q's Posts referencing Australia

https://qanon.pub/?q=AUS

https://qanon.pub/?q=australia

https://qanon.pub/?q=koala

https://qanon.pub/?q=HouseOfCards

https://qanon.pub/?q=boomerang

https://qanon.pub/?q=45HarisonHarold

https://qanon.pub/?q=RAT%20BAIT

https://qanon.pub/?q=VERY%20important

Q's Posts referencing Australian citizens

Malcolm Turnbull (X/AUS)

Former Prime Minister of Australia

https://qanon.pub/?q=X%2FAUS

https://qanon.pub/?q=call%20details

https://qanon.pub/?q=Threat%20to%20AUS

Alexander Downer

Former Australian Liberal Party politician and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom

https://qanon.pub/?q=Downer

Cardinal George Pell

Australian Cardinal of the Catholic Church and former Prefect of the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy

https://qanon.pub/?q=Pell

https://qanon.pub/?q=cardinal-george-pell

https://qanon.pub/?q=pecking

Julian Assange

Australian activist, founder, editor and publisher of WikiLeaks

https://qanon.pub/?q=assange

https://qanon.pub/?q=JA

https://qanon.pub/?q=Under%20protection

https://qanon.pub/?q=WL

https://qanon.pub/?q=wikileaks

https://qanon.pub/?q=server

https://qanon.pub/?q=Seth

https://qanon.pub/?q=SR

Virginia Roberts Giuffre

American-Australian survivor of the sex trafficking ring operated by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell

https://qanon.pub/#4568

https://qanon.pub/#4728

https://qanon.pub/#1054

https://qanon.pub/?q=chandler

https://qanon.pub/?q=epstein

https://qanon.pub/?q=island

https://qanon.pub/#1001

https://qanon.pub/#1861

https://qanon.pub/#4578

https://qanon.pub/#3497

https://qanon.pub/#4727

https://qanon.pub/?q=wexner

https://qanon.pub/#4576

https://qanon.pub/#4577

https://qanon.pub/?q=maxwell

https://qanon.pub/#4569

https://qanon.pub/?q=spacey

https://qanon.pub/#4570

https://qanon.pub/?q=normalize

https://qanon.pub/?q=Prince%20Andrew

https://qanon.pub/#4579

https://qanon.pub/#4907

https://qanon.pub/#4911

https://qanon.pub/#4921

https://qanon.pub/?q=Dearest%20Virginia

Q's Posts referencing The Five Eyes intelligence alliance (FVEY)

An anglophone intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States

https://qanon.pub/?q=FVEY

https://qanon.pub/?q=Five%20Eyes

https://qanon.pub/?q=Interesting%2C

https://qanon.pub/?q=RAT%20BAIT

"Does AUS stand w/ the US or only select divisions within the US?"

Q

Nov 25 2018

https://qanon.pub/#2501

____________________________
Disclaimer: this post and the subject matter and contents thereof - text, media, or otherwise - do not necessarily reflect the views of the 8kun administration.

deef8a  No.14385796

Notables

are not endorsements

#17 - Part 1

Australian Politics and Society - Part 1

>>14030823 Final Australian troops leave Afghanistan as 20-year mission draws to a close

>>14035759 Labor leader Anthony Albanese backs Biden's approach on China

>>14036004 Arlington National Cemetery Tweet: Earlier today, Australian Ambassador to the U.S. @A_Sinodinos viewed the Changing of the Guard and participated in a Public Wreath-Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

>>14036009 Arthur Sinodinos Tweet: Today, Elizabeth & I; and Maj. Gen Andrew Freeman and Jane Freeman had the great honour of laying a wreath on behalf of Australia in remembrance of US fallen service men & women at @ArlingtonNatl. This year (Australia) & (United States) commemorate 70 years of our unbreakable #ANZUS alliance

>>14036029 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post: Last week, U.S. Marines, Australian Army soldiers and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers conduct a rehearsal of concept before their final training event during #SouthernJackaroo. The event exercised their combined capabilities to give mounted and dismounted support to small unit ground maneuvers, while utilizing multiple weapons systems, at Mount Bundey Training Area, NT, Australia.

>>14042216 Dutch court approves alleged drug syndicate leader Tse Chi Lop for extradition to Australia

>>14042873 Chief of Navy Australia Tweet: I have just conducted my inaugural call with incoming Japanese Defence Attache, CAPT Reona Aso & his predecessor COL Shigehiro Noshita - #AusNavy's partnership w @ModJapan_en is founded on shared strategic interests & building a secure, prosperous & inclusive Indo-Pacific

>>14042879 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Tweet: #Marines Posted during #ExerciseDarrandarra - Sharpening our embassy reinforcement skills with #yourADF

>>14042885 III Marine Expeditionary Force Tweet: “It was important for us to interact with the community so we could show our appreciation for the opportunity to train in Nhulunbuy. .” -Australian Army Lt. Col. Daniel Gosling - Read about @MrfDarwin and @AustralianArmy’s training in Nhulunbym, Aus. https://dvidshub.net/r/89la9z

>>14042898 U.S. Marines in Australia complete embassy reinforcement and noncombatant evacuation operations exercise

>>14042906 Department of Defence Tweet: Exercise Southern Jackaroo. #YourADF, @USMC & @Japan_GSDF participated in the combined exercise recently, which included more than seven live-fire traces open simultaneously and the first Javelin fired in the Mount Bundey Training Area.

>>14042912 Tactical capability focus of Exercise Southern Jackaroo - Private Jacob Joseph - defence.gov.au

>>14042986 Video: 'The Alliance' | Episode 1 - How a shared sacrifice in both WW1 & WW2 established a close bond between Australia and the United States - Sky News Australia

>>14049526 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post: Here comes the guns - U.S. Marines participate in support to ground maneuvers training during Exercise #SouthernJackaroo at Mount Bundey Training Area, NT, Australia, June 23, 2021

>>14050787 Court documents shed new light on man behind moniker 'Witness K' and how he met lawyer Bernard Collaery

>>14051007 Department of Defence Tweet: Allies unite! #YourADF is taking part in the multi-national Joint Warfighting Assessment in USA, practising fighting against a notional enemy alongside the @USArmy, @canadianarmy and @BritishArmy

>>14051012 Allies unite for exercise in US - Personnel from Brisbane’s 7th Combat Brigade and supporting elements from the 6th Brigade take part in multi-national Joint Warfighting Assessment 2021 (JWA 21) at Fort Carson in the United States

>>14057971 Department of Defence Tweet: #AusNavy's HMAS Brisbane sailed into Sydney Harbour on 3 July with (Japan) @jmsdf_pao_eng destroyer JS Makinami, (South Korea) Navy destroyer ROKS Wang Geon and (United States) #USSRafaelPeralta. The contactless, COVIDSafe port visit is ahead of Exercise PACIFIC VANGUARD.

>>14057972 Talisman Sabre Tweet: Exercise Pacific Vanguard is the Air Maritime Integration Exercise workup activity, prior to Exercise #TalismanSabre!

>>14064316 PDF: Australian Security Intelligence Organisation - ASIO Corporate Plan 2021-2025 - Mike Burgess, Director-General of Security, 1 July 2021

Disclaimer: this post and the subject matter and contents thereof - text, media, or otherwise - do not necessarily reflect the views of the 8kun administration.

deef8a  No.14385800

#17 - Part 2

Australian Politics and Society - Part 2

>>14064462 Hundreds of Afghans linked to Australian-funded “hearts and minds” projects left vulnerable to advancing Taliban after being denied access to special visa program for those who supported Australia’s two-decade presence in the country

>>14071862 Talisman Sabre Tweet: VideoL A message from Air Commodore Stuart Bellingham, ADF Director for Exercise #TalismanSabre2021. Since 2005, #YourADF and the @DeptofDefense forces have been welcomed into the @QldGov communities, and we are grateful for your ongoing patience and support!

>>14071867 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Tweet: We ride at dawn during #SouthernJackaroo trilateral support by fire training with #yourADF, and @Japan_GSDF

>>14079317 Spectacular delivery of extra Chinooks, as ADF's MRH-90 Taipan helicopters remain dogged by safety issues

>>14079345 Video: Heavy-lift aviation capability bolstered with arrival of new Chinooks from US - Department of Defence Australia

>>14079371 Opinion: Olympic values will deepen Japan’s ties with Australia - Yamagami Shingo, Japanese ambassador to Australia

>>14086073 Tony Podesta turned to art dealing after becoming ensnared in the Trump-Russia scandal. With his friends running Washington, he is eying a return to lobbying

>>14086076 Q Post #1918 - https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/50428 - Nothing to see here. Q

>>14098466 National ay of commemoration to honour Australia’s Afghanistan and Iraq troops

>>14098496 Video: Three international warships docked in Sydney Harbour tonight after a week of joint missile exercises, Exercise Pacific Vanguard - 7NEWS Australia

>>14119991 Talisman Sabre Tweet: 1 more sleep until #TalismanSabre! The opening ceremony will be held tomorrow & #TS21 activities will ramp up over the coming days

>>14119998 Talisman Sabre Tweet: We are on! Australia’s largest joint exercise with the US #TalismanSabre is now underway with the opening ceremony held at #AusAirForce Base Amberley

>>14120003 Show of strength for Talisman Sabre - Major Cameron Jamieson - defence.gov.au

>>14120011 Talisman Sabre Tweet: Some shots from todays ceremony! #YourADF and @DeptofDefense marked the commencement of Exercise #TalismanSabre at #AusAirForce Base Amberley today

>>14120016 Royal Marines Tweet: Down Under… #RoyalMarines of @40commando have returned to Australia for @TalismanSabre. Commandos began their deployment acting as a 'pre-landing force' to pave the way for larger amphibious forces to land ashore

>>14120020 Royal Marines head on training raids in Australia - royalnavy.mod.uk

>>14120147 Australia ‘very wary’ of Chinese spy ship sitting off Queensland coast

>>14126998 Video: Talisman Sabre 2021 Opening Ceremony - Department of Defence Australia

>>14127001 Video: We are ready - Talisman Sabre 2021 - Department of Defence Australia

>>14127057 Japanese Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: Attended opening ceremony of Exercise @TalismanSabre 2021. Japanese warship and 2nd Amphibious Rapid Deployment Regiment of #JGSDF @ModJapan_en are participating. Looking forward to many more exercises with Australia to maintain and strengthen a #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific

Disclaimer: this post and the subject matter and contents thereof - text, media, or otherwise - do not necessarily reflect the views of the 8kun administration.

deef8a  No.14385803

#17 - Part 3

Australian Politics and Society - Part 3

>>14127067 Department of Defence Tweet: The Talisman 'Sabre' has been drawn in Townsville, Queensland! #AusArmy troops have hit the ground running, ready to train alongside their United States counterparts.

>>14127077 Sabre drawn, troops ready for action - Flight Lieutenant Chloe Stevenson - defence.gov.au

>>14127084 Talisman Sabre Tweet: A #TS21 first - The @USArmy will fire a Patriot missile for first time in Australia during #TalismanSabre.

>>14127095 US Army to fire Patriot missile for first time in Australia during Talisman Sabre - Seth Robson - stripes.com

>>14127263 Defence Minister Peter Dutton wary of Taliban turncoats in considering Afghanistan visa applications

>>14134744 Video: ‘Why I Spy’: ASIO’s new social media campaign to attract a more diverse group of recruits

>>14134789 Talisman Sabre Tweet: Here's a sneak peek of the US military rehearsing the first ever Patriot surface-to-air missile firing in Australia yesterday, with the actual firing taking place this morning at Shoalwater Bay. Stay tuned for the real footage

>>14134793 Patriot missile firing will be a first - Private Jacob Joseph - defence.gov.au

>>14141586 Talisman Sabre Tweet: An Australian first! The @USArmy MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile has been successfully fired on Australian soil for the first time during Exercise #TalismanSabre2021. Great job to all involved

>>14141592 Talisman Sabre Tweet: Video: HERE IT IS - Check out the footage from the first Patriot surface-to-air missile firing on Australian soil yesterday, improving the combat readiness of Australian and US forces

>>14141604 Video: First Patriot Missile launch in Australia - Department of Defence Australia

>>14141624 U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Tweet: U.S. @PacificMarines with @3dMarineDivision train during #TalismanSabre 2021; a large-scale, bilateral military exercise that enhances the (United States-Australia) alliance & provides peace and stability in the #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific.

>>14141653 Department of Defence Tweet: Working in partnership - #AusArmy Private Louii Hornibrook will be taking part in Exercise Sea Raider, the amphibious element of Exercise #TalismanSabre. Standing with Private Hornibrook is (Japan) Seargent Kotaro Tsuda, (United States) Lance Corporal Christopher Hren & (United Kingdom) Lieutenant Jones

>>14141676 United States Pacific Fleet - Expeditionary Strike Group 7 arrives for exercise Talisman Sabre - Lt. Cmdr. Sherrie A. Flippin - cpf.navy.mil

>>14145027 Video: Second Chinese spy ship en route to Australia ahead of US military exercises - Sky News Australia

>>14153505 Defence Minister Peter Dutton Facebook Post: Talisman Sabre is Australia's largest military exercise with the United States. Some 17,000 personnel, including 8,000 from the ADF are engaging in multiple warfighting training scenarios…They are working hard together, strengthening the Australian-US Alliance, and improving combat readiness.

>>14153524 Talisman Sabre Tweet: Shots of yesterday's #LiveFire - Australian and American have fired on Shoalwater Bay in a combined strike during #TalismanSabre2021. Stay tuned for the footage!

>>14153531 Weapons unleashed in powerful demonstration - Warrant Officer Class 2 Max Bree - defence.gov.au

>>14153541 Talisman Sabre Tweet: Thank you, Townsville! The city and people of Townsville received a show of gratitude on behalf of #TS21 with a special flypast from @AusAirForce.

>>14153560 United States Department of Defense Tweet: During exercise #TalismanSabre, @3d_Marine_Div and @AustralianArmy are training together to support a peaceful, stable and #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific.

Disclaimer: this post and the subject matter and contents thereof - text, media, or otherwise - do not necessarily reflect the views of the 8kun administration.

deef8a  No.14385805

#17 - Part 4

Australian Politics and Society - Part 4

>>14153573 United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Tweet: Deterrence through partnerships and alliances is critical to America's defense. The @TalismanSabre exercise in the @INDOPACOM theater is a perfect example of that–with 17,000 personnel from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the ROK, and the U.K. participating.

>>14155417 Video: Talisman Sabre 21, Queensland, Australia, 07/19/2021 #KnowYourMil - GEORGEnews

>>14159692 Video: Talisman Sabre 21 live fire mission - Department of Defence Australia

>>14159708 Talisman Sabre Tweet: An Australian and US first - #TS21 jump training combined @USAirForce, @USArmy & #YourADF parachutists to conduct military free-fall operations from a U.S. aircraft using Australian parachutes for the first time.

>>14159731 Talisman Sabre Tweet: Building sea combat power - #HMASBallarat, #HMASBrisbane & #HMASParramatta are building navy-to-navy skills by conducting maritime manoeuvres with Republic of Korea Ship Wang Geon, USS Rafael Peralta & @jmsdf_pao_eng Japanese Ship Makinami during #TS21.

>>14159754 U.S. Marines Tweet: HIMARS w/ @3d_Marine_Div fire missiles during exercise @TalismanSabre at Shoalwater Bay Training Area, #Australia. #TS21 allows US, AUS and other partners to enhance interoperability by training in complex scenarios that address the full range of Indo-Pacific security concerns.

>>14159794 General James C. McConville Tweet: Soldiers assigned to @38thADA, @94thArmyAMDC fire a patriot missile during bilateral Exercise Talisman Sabre 21 at Camp Growl located in Queensland, Australia.

>>14166108 Australia and the US in talks to deepen military co­operation, plans for new exercises on Australian soil including joint training with American army soldiers

>>14166302 Video: Brisbane announced as 2032 Olympic Games host city at IOC meeting in Tokyo

>>14172466 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post: So long, farewell, to you my friends - U.S. Marines with Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, Australian Army soldiers and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers commemorated the completion of Exercise Southern Jackaroo with a closing ceremony at Mount Bundey Training Area, NT, Australia

>>14172485 Talisman Sabre Tweet: That #TS21 partnership - Troops from #AusArmy's 16th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery & the @USArmy's @38thADA, at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland, during Exercise #TalismanSabre2021.

>>14172502 Video: Gunfire exercise on board HMAS Ballarat - Talisman Sabre 2021 - Department of Defence Australia

>>14172510 Video: RBS 70 anti-aircraft missile live fire - Talisman Sabre 2021 - Department of Defence Australia

>>14172637 Repatriation flights considered for Afghan translators who worked with Australian troops

>>14180668 Japanese Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: Delighted to welcome to my Residence Mr Matt Anderson PSM, Director of @AWMemorial. Very much enjoyed our conversation on a wide range of topics as we both have diplomatic backgrounds. (Japan) and (Australia) fought alongside one another in WWI and the Cold War, followed by cooperation in Iraq

>>14180741 Video: Artillery joint-coalition live fire - Talisman Sabre 2021 - Department of Defence Australia

>>14185225 U.S. Navy Tweet: Taking a (photo) with friends! Partner nations sail in formation as part of @TalismanSabre. The exercise consists of a series of training events that reinforce the strong U.S./Australian alliance and demonstrate the U.S. Military’s unwavering commitment to a #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific.

>>14185244 Talisman Sabre Tweet: 11 ships, 5 nations - #USNSRappahannock, #ROKSWang Geon, #HMASParramatta, #USSAmerica, #USSRafaelPeralta, #JSMakinami, #USNSAlanShepard, #HMCSCalgary, #USSNewOrleans, #HMASBrisbane, and #USSGermantown sail in formation during #TalismanSabre2021.

>>14187021 President Joe Biden poised to nominate Caroline Kennedy as US ambassador to Australia

>>14187077 United States military invites Australia to join development of top secret missile strike program - Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2)

Disclaimer: this post and the subject matter and contents thereof - text, media, or otherwise - do not necessarily reflect the views of the 8kun administration.

deef8a  No.14385807

#17 - Part 5

Australian Politics and Society - Part 5

>>14187200 Huawei hiring former Democratic super lobbyist Tony Podesta - Back in business after a Mueller-induced hiatus

>>14187418 The Mehdi Hasan Show Tweet: Do Fox and the Murdochs have blood on their hands for all the disinformation they’ve propagated? @TurnbullMalcolm: “They certainly have contributed to blood being shed.”

>>14187427 Video: Former Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull Slams Rupert Murdoch Over Fox’s Involvement in 1/6 Insurrection and Vaccine Hesitancy Push

>>14187430 Video: Rupert Murdoch’s Disinformation Media Empire | The Mehdi Hasan Show - The Choice

>>14187446 Talisman Sabre Tweet: Getting to the mission - #Marines with @MrfDarwin departed Townsville in several MV-22B Osprey aircraft last night to conduct night operations during #TS21.

>>14201082 Talisman Sabre Tweet: Our nations training together - Troops from #TS21 have descended on the town of Bowen in Queensland, as part of military drills to enhance their war fighting skills in an urban environment

>>14201083 War games begin in Bowen - Private Jacob Joseph - defence.gov.au

>>14206825 Video: 3rd Brigade's Battle Group Eagle conducts a firepower demonstration of the capabilities it can provide to the joint force during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2021 - Department of Defence Australia

>>14206828 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Tweet: Today marks 68 years since the cessation of hostilities in the Korean War. On this day, we pause to remember those Marines who served in legendary battles from the breakout at Chosin Reservoir to the amphibious landings at Inchon.

>>14206840 Pacific Marines Tweet: @USMC with 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, @MrfDarwin, execute airfield assault training as part of Exercise @TalismanSabre 21 (TS21) in Bowen, Queensland, Australia

>>14206859 Talisman Sabre Tweet: Video: Check it out - @usairforce defenders are flying in! The Deployed Aircraft Ground Response Element team complete training after exiting from an MC-130J during #TS21 at #AusAirForce Base Tindal

>>14213706 Video: Trilateral activity Exercise Southern Jackaroo involved soldiers from the ADF's 1st Brigade - Darwin, Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force, and United States Marine Rotational Force - Darwin - Department of Defence Australia

>>14213739 Japanese Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: Magnificent to see (Japan, Australia) and partners with shared strategic interests gathering in our region. @Japan_GSDF troops participating in Exercise @TalismanSabre had the honour of meeting with the Commander of 1st Division, MAJGEN Jake Ellwood

>>14213787 Japan Ground Self-Defense Force - Ground Component Command Tweet: [ #Talisman Saber 21 ] Photo: #Ground Component Command #Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade and Australian Army Combat Training (Urban Warfare ) Bowen City Alert

>>14213840 Video: Rosa Maria Maione, the so-called carer of Annie Smith, pleads guilty to her manslaughter in the disability neglect case that horrified Australia

>>14220773 Worldwide hacking warning issued on how businesses are being compromised during COVID-19

>>14220789 U.S., U.K., and Australia Issue Joint Cybersecurity Advisory - Australian Cyber Security Centre - July 2021

>>14220833 Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw says AFP has ‘another ingenious plan’ to further dismantle organised crime networks after pulling off Operation Ironside sting

>>14220859 Australian Bar Association calls for Attorney-General Michaelia Cash to reconsider controversial prosecution of Canberra lawyer Bernard Collaery

>>14220897 ADF, U.S. and Japanese joint amphibious assault - Talisman Sabre 2021 - Department of Defence Australia

Disclaimer: this post and the subject matter and contents thereof - text, media, or otherwise - do not necessarily reflect the views of the 8kun administration.

deef8a  No.14385809

#17 - Part 6

Australian Politics and Society - Part 6

>>14220927 Defence Minister Peter Dutton Tweets: Earlier this week I visited some of our Australian and multinational troops participating in Talisman Sabre…Our troops are doing great work; we all should be so incredibly proud

>>14228351 Department of Defence Tweet: Yesterday, @USArmyAlaska #paratroopers jumped out of an #AusAirForce C-17A Globemaster III onto the Kangaroo Drop Zone as part of a simulated Joint Forcible Entry Operation during Exercise #TalismanSabre

>>14228354 Paratroopers in the skies over Queensland - Flight Lieutenant Chloe Stevenson - defence.gov.au

>>14228362 U.S. Army Pacific Tweet: Video: 'Spartan Brigade’ paratroopers jump over Queensland, Australia - 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) paratroopers with the jump onto the Kangaroo Drop Zone as part of a simulated Joint Forcible Entry Operation during Exercise Talisman Sabre 21 in Australia

>>14228622 Talisman Sabre Tweet: Strengthening our alliances - Check it out - #YourADF's integration with international partners is on show at #TS21 in the form of a multi-domain strike

>>14228626 Striking in a new way: Multi-domain strike - Synchronisation of traditional operating domains of Maritime, Land and Air with newer domains of Space and Information/Cyberspace - Petty Officer Jake Badior - defence.gov.au

>>14228786 Video: Prime Minister Scott Morrison says lockdowns to end once 80 per cent of the Australian population is vaccinated against COVID-19

>>14228864 Australian Defence Force and anti-abortion organisations banned from Australian National University Induction Day by ANU Student Association - Education Minister Alan Tudge considers cutting off funding to student organisations that attempt to stop the airing of views they oppose on campus

>>14233997 ‘Freedom’ activists aim to harness anger for new political party - Monica Smit and Reignite Democracy Australia

>>14235604 Video: Talisman Sabre 21: US Marines, British Royal Marines, ADF & JGSDF Conducting Amphibious Landing - GEORGEnews

>>14235614 Video: A Multi-National Amphibious Assault was conducted as part of Talisman Sabre 2021. Coalition forces consisting of Royal Marine Commandos, United States Army, United States Marine Corps, the Japanese Ground Self Defence Force, and the Australian Defence Force landed at Forrest Beach near Ingham, Queensland - Department of Defence Australia

>>14235682 Video: Joint amphibious landing and air assault - Talisman Sabre 2021 - The troops took to the beaches and streets of Bowen, Queensland as part of simulated battles between two opposing forces. Scenarios included a beach landing, securing of airfields and strategic areas and storming of positions at various locations - Department of Defence Australia

>>14235711 Troops come ashore on quiet beach in final push - Private Jacob Joseph - defence.gov.au

>>14235784 Talisman Sabre Tweet: A picture can tell a thousand words - The calm before the storm is the perfect epitome for the @USArmyAlaska #paratroopers onboard an @AusAirForce C-17A Globemaster III, patiently waiting to step out into the open Queensland sky.

>>14235784 https://qanon.pub/?q=calm

>>14235790 Video: From Alaska to Queensland - U.S. paratroopers drop in on Talisman Sabre 2021 - United States Army troops from the 3rd Batallion, 509th Infantry Airbourne conducted an airborne assault dropping into 'Kangaroo Dropzone' near Charters Towers, Queensland for Exercise Talisman Sabre 2021 - Department of Defence Australia

>>14236056 U.S. Navy Tweet: Teamwork makes the dream work for a #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific - @31stMeu and Sailors aboard USS America (LHA 6) conduct an underway replenishment with the Australian Navy's HMAS Ballarat (FFH 155) in the Coral Sea, July 27, 2021, as part of @TalismanSabre

>>14236063 Talisman Sabre Tweet: Hidden beneath the deep blue sea lurks an unseen threat, keeping sailors alert during #TS21 - @Australian_Navy & @USNavy submarines are disrupting operations during a series of sub-surface training scenarios

>>14236071 Submarines add extra layer of realism on Talisman Sabre - Warrant Officer Class Two Max Bree - defence.gov.au

>>14236107 Talisman Sabre Tweet: How fitting that today is the #InternationalDayOfFriendship?! We celebrate all the new mates we have made on #TS21

Disclaimer: this post and the subject matter and contents thereof - text, media, or otherwise - do not necessarily reflect the views of the 8kun administration.

deef8a  No.14385811

#17 - Part 7

Australian Politics and Society - Part 7

>>14236111 Making new mates on exercise Talisman Sabre: Australian-Japanese soldier Private Louii Hornibrook, 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment - Captain Dan Mazurek - defence.gov.au

>>14236173 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Tweet: Come out, come out, wherever you are #SouthernJackaroo #YourADF #MRFD #ADF #australianarmy #Australia #Darwin #IIIMEF #Marines #MarineCorps #freeandopenindopacific #JGSDF

>>14236208 Department of Defence Tweet: Ready for action - Preparations are underway for high-end warfighting Exercise #Koolendong, which is set to take place during August and September between elements of #AusArmy's 1 Brigade and the @MrfDarwin

>>14236219 Communications ready for Koolendong - The live-fire exercise will be held during August and September at the Bradshaw Field Training Area, NT - Captain Peter March - defence.gov.au

>>14243180 YouTube restricts Sky News Australia channel over ‘COVID misinformation’

>>14245420 Vaccination the gold medal we aspire to - Prime Minister Scott Morrison - theaustralian.com.au

>>14248043 "Thought my Aussie's might enjoy this…. - QClock August 1, 2021 - Australia 5:5" - U.S. Marines Tweet - G'day, mates! @Australian_Navy

>>14249439 U.S. Marines Tweet: G'day, mates! @Australian_Navy - #Marines and Sailors of the America Expeditionary Strike Group greet the crew of HMAS Ballarat (FFH 155) during an underway replenishment of the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) in the Coral Sea

>>14249699 Fake video purports to show Australian Federal Police boss Reece Kershaw plotting to overthrow government

>>14249700 Plot to oust government, replace AFP thwarted by counter-terrorism police

>>14249732 Man charged with impersonating Commonwealth official as search warrants executed in three states - Australian Federal Police - 2 August 2021

>>14249774 Man charged over fake video of AFP chief Kershaw ‘plotting coup’

>>14249933 Talisman Sabre Tweet: Video - What's it like training with your Australian comrades? Hear from U.S. Special Operations personnel as they complete jump training with #YourADF from an MC-130J Air Commando II during #TS21

>>14249965 Talisman Sabre Tweet: - The end of #TS21 - #YourADF and International Military personnel who participated in #TalismanSabre this year marked the end of the exercise during a closing ceremony yesterday. But it's not the end of us! We still have lots to show you so stay tuned

>>14249989 U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Australia - Chargé d’Affaires Doug Sonnek Speech: Talisman Sabre Closing Ceremony - August 01, 2021

>>14250019 Defence Minister Peter Dutton flags participation of India in Australia’s biggest wargames with the US, saying he’d like to see the nation’s Quad partner at Exercise Talisman Sabre in two years’ time

>>14257419 Talisman Sabre’s theatre of war - Australia’s biggest defence exercise with the US has grown into a significant multinational training event

>>14257474 Local, national and calls to mobiles will now be free from Telstra payphones

>>14257486 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet: (Australia) is working with our closest partners on global health security, equitable vaccine access & promoting shared values of democracy & human rights. Today I met with Five Eyes counterparts…on Indo-Pacific priorities & challenges

>>14265858 Video: SkyNews Australia anchor slams YouTube for 'most extreme cancelation of free speech imaginable' - Fox News / Tucker Carlson Tonight

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deef8a  No.14385812

#17 - Part 8

Australian Politics and Society - Part 8

>>14265940 PDF: Diggers to fight on digital front - Australian Defence Force adopts new digital battle space strategy and modern warfare posture

>>14265963 Japanese Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: Exercise @TalismanSabre 21 has concluded, but (Japan and Australia's) journey to maintain and strengthen a #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific steadily and resolutely continues

>>14265971 Israeli Minister of Defense Benny Gantz Tweet: I had an excellent call with my Australian counterpart @peterdutton_MP, emphasizing the strong bond between our countries based on shared values

>>14274251, >>14274255 Academic papers from the 1960s reveal how a CIA-funded 'mind control' program came to Australia - MK-Ultra and Operation Midnight Climax

>>14274481 Talisman Sabre Tweet: Video - And that's a wrap! Seven nations worked, trained & fought side by side in some of the most realistic & challenging training activities yet. Thank you to all involved in #TalismanSabre2021 & thank you Australia. See you in 2023

>>14274492 Talisman Sabre wraps up - Nearly 17,000 personnel from Australia, the United States, Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand and the United Kingdom worked, trained and fought side by side

>>14282328 Proposed AFP dark web powers get cautious tick - Australian Federal Police and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission would be given powers to hunt paedophile rings, terrorists and drug traffickers operating on the “dark web” under planned laws

>>14282642 Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: Delighted to welcome to my Residence AFP @AusFedPolice Commissioner Reece Kershaw APM

>>14289308 US Consulate Perth Tweets: A new memorial has been unveiled at WA Maritime Museum in Fremantle in honor of American World War II submarine USS Bullhead - departed Fremantle on July 31, 1945…sunk in an attack by a Japanese army aircraft on August 6 in the Java Sea

>>14289327 U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Australia - New U.S. Submarine Memorial Unveiled in Perth - 6 August, 2021

>>14289709 Department of Defence Tweet: HMA Ships Canberra and Ballarat have arrived in the Western Pacific Ocean for the opening phase of the US-led Large Scale Global Exercise 21

>>14289712 Australian ships join US-led Large Scale Global Exercise 21 - defence.gov.au

>>14289723 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Tweet: Today we honor those wounded in action, understanding that some gave their last full measure of devotion. We thank those at @WWRUSMC for taking care of Marines on the road to recovery. Semper Fidelis

>>14303677 Video: Rationalist Society of Australia President Meredith Doig, leading voice behind 2021 Census ‘No Religion’ campaign praises Satanism

>>14303690 RSA Webinar: Michael Dove on ‘The census and religion–Giving more Australians the freedom to choose’ - Rationalists Australia

>>14303709 Q Post #1646 - NEVER IN OUR HISTORY HAVE THEY BEEN THIS EXPOSED. NEVER IN OUR HISTORY HAVE THEY COME OUT FROM THE SHADOWS TO FIGHT.

>>14303709 Q Post #4461 - Only when evil is forced into the light can we defeat it. Only when they can no longer operate in the [shadows] can people see the truth for themselves.

>>14303709 Q Post #4396 - God wins.

>>14304238 Japanese Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: Solemnly attended the bell ringing ceremony to remember the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki hosted by Rotary Club of Canberra Burley Griffin. Expressed my sincere condolences and renewed my determination to work hard with (Australia) for peace and stability of this region.

>>14304266 III Marine Expeditionary Force Tweet: Marines with @MrfDarwin and @AustralianArmy soldiers reviewed a terrain model during a concept rehearsal. Leaders review schemes of maneuver during rehearsals to seamlessly complete the mission.

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deef8a  No.14385815

#17 - Part 9

Australian Politics and Society - Part 9

>>14311676 Video: The Final Assault - The best of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2021 - We’ll continue to train together, and look forward to seeing you again for Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023 - Department of Defence Australia

>>14311723 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post: .S. Marines with MRF-D and Australian soldiers reviewed the scheme of maneuver and training events during the rehearsal of concept for Exercises #Loobye and #Koolendong 2021

>>14322373 Marise Payne, Peter Dutton planning diplomatic visits to US, India and Indonesia

>>14342881 Australia will work with allied forces to extract citizens and visa holders from Afghanistan - Taliban making rapid battlefield gains

>>14346911 Special Counsel John Durham considering prosecutions and scrutinizing Trump-Russia tipsters: Report

>>14346925 https://qanon.pub/?q=Durham

>>14356371 Scott Morrison flags rescue mission for Afghan angels - locals who helped Australian troops during the two-decade conflict

>>14366085 OPINION: Joe Biden’s defeat will echo for eternity - Miranda Devine - nypost.com

>>14366141 Threat of white-power race war ‘grave concern’ to ASIO, says chief

>>14375620 Scott Morrison delivers heartfelt message to diggers who fought in Afghanistan and asks them to do 'one more thing for us' - as he admits not all locals who fought alongside them will be evacuated

>>14375704 Marcus Jensen faces Perth Magistrates Court charged with impersonating Federal Police officer as part of an alleged operation to bring down the government

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deef8a  No.14385817

#17 - Part 10

Australian Government Sexual Assault Allegations

>>14079305 Australian Federal Police decision on Brittany Higgins charges will be made in coming weeks

>>14282340 26-year-old man summonsed to appear in court over Brittany Higgins rape allegation

#17 - Part 11

Australian and Regional Resignations

>>14050847 Tasmanian Labor leader David O'Byrne resigns amid sexual harassment allegations investigation

>>14079271 Family Law judge Joe Harman resigns after independent investigation found he had engaged in behaviour that was “sexualised in nature and otherwise inappropriate” towards two women

#17 - Part 12

Malka Leifer Extradition and Prosecution

>>14234802 Malka Leifer wants to watch key court hearing via video link rather than attend court in person, lawyer says

>>14273984 Malka Leifer asks to be physically absent from key hearing - faces 74 charges relating to child sexual abuse at the Adass Israel school between 2004-08

>>14304044 Dassi Erlich - Alleged Malka Leifer victim’s medical records released

>>14342642 Media suppression order in Leifer case granted - nationwide media suppression order on medical information relating to Dassi Erlich

#17 - Part 13

George Papadopoulos Tweets, Alexander Downer and SPYGATE Revelations

>>14098427 Glenn Ray @GlennInTassie Tweet: I hope you hate George Papadopoulos as much as I do for lying about our Country

>>14098427 Alexander Downer Tweet: Honestly, I never give him a thought!

>>14134725 George Papadopoulos Tweet: Alexander Downer accused of spying by US Republicans in Mueller probe | 7NEWS

>>14134725 (2019) Alexander Downer accused of spying by US Republicans in Mueller probe

>>14296485 JVP @jv_payne Tweet: How much money did (Alexander Downer) give to the Clinton’s?

>>14296485 Alexander Downer Tweet: Billions!! Are you sober??

>>14296485 TDS_Sufferer @SuffererTds Tweet: Who tasked (Alexander Downer) with eliciting from Papadopoulos what mifsud had said to him?

>>14296485 Alexander Downer Tweet: No one. I’d never heard of Mifsud!

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deef8a  No.14385818

#17 - Part 14

Australian Defence Force Afghanistan Inquiry and Ben Roberts-Smith Defamation Trial

>>14035776 Allegations of serious criminal conduct exposed in Ben Roberts-Smith defamation case

>>14050829 Ben Roberts-Smith's long wait to face accusers - landmark trial adjourned for at least a month after Sydney's COVID-19 outbreak

>>14071758 Ben Roberts-Smith secures hospital records after claim ‘mistress’ faked pregnancy

>>14079290 Taliban circle as Afghan witnesses in Ben Roberts-Smith case wait in a safe house

>>14092203 The Untouchables: Top detectives to investigate ‘disgraceful’ Afghanistan kill squad

>>14120285 Media seeks urgent hearing for Afghan witnesses in Roberts-Smith case

>>14153436 Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial to resume to hear from four Afghan witnesses

>>14159595 ‘Anguished’ Ben Roberts-Smith calls for trial to resume

>>14166231 No medical record of Roberts-Smith ‘mistress’ abortion, court told

>>14200983 Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial told radio device was planted on body of dead Afghan farmer

>>14206696 Afghan farmer tells Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial Australian soldiers who raided villages are 'infidels'

>>14206700 ‘Wrong morally’: Official photo of Ben Roberts-Smith was altered to hide Crusader’s cross

>>14213699 Afghan villager tells Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial he'll tell truth even if it gets him killed

>>14220805 Foreign soldiers killed ‘innocent’ Afghans, Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial told

>>14228975 Ben Roberts-Smith trial hears from Afghan witness who says 'big soldier' kicked man into creek

>>14249826 Ben Roberts-Smith defamation case adjourned due to Sydney COVID outbreak

>>14257322 Barrister acting for Ben Roberts-Smith urges Federal Court to admit into evidence WhatsApp messages that allegedly show key witness for Nine newspapers, Afghan villager Mohammed Hanifa, gave “inconsistent statement” while under cross-examination

>>14257358 PDF: ‘Serious failings’: Defence quietly releases war crimes inquiry response plan

>>14347185 Ben Roberts-Smith’s alleged USB backyard burial revealed in pictures taken by his ex wife

>>14347246 ‘Not that f*cking stupid’: How ‘threats’ ruined Roberts-Smith’s friendship with private investigator John McLeod

>>14375655 Why we lost Afghanistan: War hero BEN ROBERTS-SMITH says the West never understood the Taliban were more than a 'rag-tag group of bogey men'

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deef8a  No.14385821

#17 - Part 15

Cardinal George Pell and Vatican Financial Scandal Allegations

>>14041638 George Pell’s $3m legal bill to battle the sex crime charges and convictions that were eventually thrown out by the High Court

>>14041647 Video: EWTN Bookmark with George Cardinal Pell - Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN)

>>14050764 Vatican indicts Cardinal Giovanni Becciu, nine other people in London realestate deal

>>14050768 PDF: Holy See Press Office Communiqué - Saturday 03.07.2021 - Ddefendants in the case related to the financial investments of the Secretariat of State in London

>>14206683 Landmark Vatican fraud trial of 10 including Cardinal Angelo Becciu set to start

>>14213619 Accused Cardinal Angelo Becciu in court as Vatican fraud trial opens and is adjourned

>>14228943 Cardinal George Pell - Prison Journal, Volume 2 Book Review: Televangelists, Christ’s Passion and solitary confinement - Michael E Daniel - catholicweekly.com.au

#17 - Part 16

Julian Assange Indictment and Extradition

>>14028446 Australian MPs call on US President Biden to drop charges against Assange

>>14028447 Video: Message to President Biden from Australian Parliamentarians - Consortium News

>>14042069 Julian Assange’s 50th birthday marked with Parliament Square picnic - 3 July 2021

>>14042069 Q Post #3341 - Q What can you tell us about Assange?? Under protection. Threat is real. Key to DNC 'source' 'hack' '187'. Q

>>14078813 US granted permission to appeal UK court's Assange extradition decision

>>14078818 Video: US wins bid to appeal Assange extradition ruling - ABC News Australia

>>14085626 U.S. offers that Assange could serve sentence in Australia in extradition appeal

>>14090614 US pledge that Julian Assange could serve any jail sentence in Australia is ‘grossly misleading’, partner says

>>14112163 Saving Julian Assange: Meet the people closest to the Wikileaks founder

>>14213207 Julian Assange's Ecuadorian citizenship revoked

>>14322225 Julian Assange’s partner Stella Moris pleads for Biden to drop espionage case

>>14332215 US government wins first appeal battle in fight to extradite Julian Assange

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deef8a  No.14385826

#17 - Part 17

Australia / China Tensions - Part 1

>>14020059 Human Rights Watch reveals harassment, surveillance of Chinese students studying in Australia

>>14020145 Environment Minister Sussan Ley invites China-chaired UNESCO World Heri­tage Committee to inspect Great Barrier Reef

>>14020149 Australia shouldn’t be poster boy for climate change perils: Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley

>>14020238 Chinese rail firm refutes 'forced labor' claims in Australia - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>14035922 Exclusive: Planting 'consultants,' blocking vaccine approval, threatening officials – Australia sabotages China-PNG cooperation by all means - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>14042279 50 years after Whitlam’s China visit, it’s imperative for Canberra politicians to learn his political sagacity - Chen Hong - globaltimes.cn

>>14053439 Japan boosts military links with Australia to fend off China - Japanese ambassador Yamagami Shingo says Australia will not resist Chinese economic coercion alone

>>14064520 Australia backed by 11 countries after calling foul play over China’s reef ‘in danger’ push

>>14064525 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on July 5, 2021

>>14064545 Chinese ties ‘vital’ to trade survival, say resource states Queensland and Western Australia

>>14064583 China accuses Australia of COVID-19 vaccine sabotage in the Pacific

>>14064590 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on July 5, 2021

>>14064624 Exclusive: Western scientists face government probe, death threats for opposing COVID-19 lab-leak theory: source - GT staff reporters - globaltimes.cn

>>14064631 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on July 2, 2021

>>14071638 Video: ‘Settle in for the long haul’: White House’s Indo-Pacific co-ordinator Kurt Campbell's China warning for Australia

>>14071644 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on July 6, 2021

>>14089200 China criticises Australia's human rights record at the United Nations

>>14089209 Video: United Nations Human Rights Council - Adoption of reports by the Universal Periodic Review Working Group of Australia, 8 July 2021 - Mr. Jiang Duan, China

>>14089243 China urges Australia to face up to severe human rights violations at UN body - Liu Xin - globaltimes.cn

>>14089310 China is the ‘big international bully at the moment’: Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Peter Jennings - Sky News Australia

>>14089317 Australia browbeating China as a ‘bully’ only reveals the true oppressors - Li Haidong - globaltimes.cn

>>14092455 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on July 9, 2021

>>14092493 Australia has shown great resilience in the face of China’s aggression - Paul Kelly - theaustralian.com.au

>>14098440 Time to abandon One China policy, says Independent senator Rex Patrick

>>14105608 Assertive China has misunderstood Australia’s toughness - Alexander Downer - afr.com

>>14112475 China-Australia tensions flare over South China Sea

>>14112479 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Statement - Marking the 5th Anniversary of the South China Sea Arbitral Award

>>14112485 Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Commonwealth of Australia - Spokesperson's Remarks - We deplore the recent statement by the Australian side on the South China Sea issue

>>14112489 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on July 12, 2021

>>14112492 Video: Australia needs to do some soul-searching and put its own house in order - SpokespersonCHN

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deef8a  No.14385828

#17 - Part 18

Australia / China Tensions - Part 2

>>14119986 Chinese spy ship returns to waters off Queensland ahead of Defence's largest war-fighting exercise

>>14120147 Australia ‘very wary’ of Chinese spy ship sitting off Queensland coast

>>14120179 Murdoch and his press empire fuel anti-China feelings using media as a political weapon - GT staff reporters - globaltimes.cn

>>14120210 Chinese Consulate General in Sydney Tweet: Papua New Guinea(#PNG) is the third pacific island country to administer Chinese #vaccines across the country

>>14120228 Australian exports to China surge to new high

>>14120237 GT Voice: Surging iron ore prices fuel China’s diversification efforts - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>14120266 US vows to work with Australia to oppose China’s ‘unfair’ trade practices

>>14127248 Western Australian government's venue policy and China link an arts-breaker in Western Australia - Event linked to Taiwan or Tibet prohibited from hiring most of Perth’s major performance venues

>>14141341 Australian scientists, environment groups urge UN to put Great Barrier Reef on ‘in danger’ list, criticize govt’s short-sightedness, incompetence - Huang Lanlan and Zhao Juecheng - globaltimes.cn

>>14145027 Video: Second Chinese spy ship en route to Australia ahead of US military exercises - Sky News Australia

>>14147666 Peter Dutton 'surprised' China has sent a second spy ship to monitor Australian operations - China has "obviously made a decision to have a greater presence"

>>14153450 WA Minister for Culture and the Arts David Templeman announces review into Perth Theatre Trust’s contentious pro-China venue-hire policy

>>14153456 Coral repair raises hopes for Great Barrier Reef as UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee vote looms

>>14153576 Magnifying legal Chinese ship presence near US-Australian military drill unreasonable: experts - Liu Xuanzun - globaltimes.cn

>>14159509 Video: Australia prepares for China retaliation after blaming Beijing for Microsoft hack

>>14159551 Video: China accuses Australia of hypocrisy over Microsoft server hack accusation

>>14159554 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Statement - Australia joins international partners in attribution of malicious cyber activity to China

>>14159568 Chinese Embassy Spokesperson's Responding to the Australian Side's Remarks on Cyber Issues - 2021/07/20 - China firmly rejects the groundless accusations made by the Australian government on cyber issues, following the steps and parroting the rhetoric of the US.

>>14159586 GT Voice: Australia’s role to the Chinese economy should not be overestimated - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>14166016 ‘Active threat’: China’s cyber-intrusion on British MPs exposed

>>14166025 The US and its allies may not stop China's 'web of hackers', but it can 'deeply embarrass' Beijing

>>14166032 Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on July 20, 2021

>>14166041 US enlisting allies to smear China only exposes diffidence: Global Times editorial - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>14166079 US and Australia move to block China buying Digicel mobile phone networks in the Pacific and Caribbean

>>14166089 GT Voice: Will Australia meet Pacific nations’ need for telecom upgrade? - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>14166101 Japanese Ambassador to Australia Shingo Yamagami says Tokyo ‘struggles every day’ with China

>>14180628 Liberal Party Senator Jim Molan friendly fire over China military threat - warns the Australian Defence Force would be defeated within days in the event of a Chinese attack

>>14180641 US Trade Representative Katherine Tai backs Australia in trade disputes with China

>>14180648 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on July 22, 2021

>>14180656 Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying Tweet: It’s high time the Australian government stepped up efforts to protect & promote the human rights of #AustralianMuslims

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deef8a  No.14385829

#17 - Part 19

Australia / China Tensions - Part 3

>>14187052 Australia avoids Great Barrier Reef global embarrassment, but the dangers of climate change remain for the reef

>>14187200 Huawei hiring former Democratic super lobbyist Tony Podesta - Back in business after a Mueller-induced hiatus

>>14200948 World Heritage Committee Great Barrier Reef 'in-danger' vote - Bigger agenda in play to reduce Paris Agreement warming target

>>14213610 Tony Abbott: I wouldn’t sign a China trade deal now

>>14213613 NZ trade growth with China should give Australia pause for thought - Yu Lei - globaltimes.cn

>>14220869 China Discovers the Limits of Its Power: Beijing’s confrontation with Australia should have been an unequal contest - That’s not how it worked out in practice

>>14220962 Video: TikTok: Data mining, discrimination and dangerous content on the wildly popular app - Four Corners / ABC News In-depth

>>14229018 The US is the super spreader of coronavirus and political virus - Xin Ping - globaltimes.cn

>>14229033 UK shouldn’t tempt own fate in South China Sea: Global Times editorial - "We should also give such advice to Australia and Japan" - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>14235081 Defence Minister Peter Dutton's warning: China’s rise means Australia cannot afford further delays in construction of navy's new frigates and submarines

>>14235136 Samoa's new leader Fiame Naomi Mataafa confirms scrapping of China-funded port

>>14243226 How foreign spies are infiltrating Australia - Intelligence experts say a “dormant presence” is lurking in Australia’s critical networks amid a rise in espionage efforts by foreign governments

>>14243230 Victorian Liberal Senator James Paterson lifts lid on China’s "wolf-warrior diplomacy" and the “shocking” level of Chinese subterfuge in Australia

>>14257305 Military lockdown gambit exposes Canberra's double standards - Lu Xue - globaltimes.cn

>>14265795 Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Commonwealth of Australia - Chinese Embassy Spokesperson's Remarks, 2021/07/22 - "Recently, the Japanese ambassador to Australia has made some nasty remarks regarding China."

>>14265799 Chinese embassy in Canberra accuses Japanese ambassador of 'nasty remarks'

>>14265811 Australia all alone on anti-China path despite Japan envoy's empty talks - Chen Hong - globaltimes.cn

>>14276698 Marise Payne dismisses China talk terms - Australia will not be cowered into accepting Beijing’s preconditions for the recommencement of high-level dialogue with China

>>14282357 Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Commonwealth of Australia: Chinese Embassy Spokesperson's Remarks, 2021/08/06 - "The recent remarks by Foreign Minister Payne at the Australia China Business Council, as reported by The Australian, mischaracterized the current problem in China-Australia relations."

>>14282364 GT Voice: Enhanced response to Delta variant may affect China-Australia trade - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>14289530 Why the Quad Alarms China - Its Success Poses a Major Threat to Beijing’s Ambitions - Kevin Rudd - August 2021

>>14303931 India the foil to China threat: Australia’s special envoy to India, Tony Abbott

>>14303953 India the sensible substitute for belligerent Beijing - Tony Abbott - theaustralian.com.au

>>14311486 Source refutes Aussie journalist’s rumor that researcher at Beijing lab infected with coronavirus at work - Xie Wenting and Bai Yunyi - globaltimes.cn

>>14322440 Scott Morrison urges for ‘upgrade’ to US-Australian alliance as China’s tariffs hit hard

>>14332362 New weapons deal between US and Australia confirmed as tensions with China continue to rise

>>14332404 Upgrading Quad and Malabar exercise shows US anxiety about China - Zuo Xiying - globaltimes.cn

>>14332463 Video: Australian journalist fans flames of conspiracy theory - China Daily

>>14332475 Japan calls on Australia to lead resistance to China’s regional sway

>>14342413 `How China ‘disappeared’ Australian journalist Cheng Lei - nabbed by secret police in Beijing, August 13 2020

>>14342787 Will criticism of Turnbull, Rudd make a difference on Morrison's China policy? - Chen Hong - globaltimes.cn

>>14342961 Peter Ben Embarek, Head of World Health Organisation Team Investigating Origins of Covid-19 Calls For Closer Look at China Lab

>>14343347 Wuhan lab door slammed on Covid inquiry by China - China refusing to allow international scientists access to a laboratory in Wuhan

>>14364688, >>14364704, >>14364721 "China insurgency" Bun

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deef8a  No.14385831

#17 - Part 20

Coronavirus / COVID-19 Pandemic, Australia and Worldwide - Part 1

>>14020199 Lockdown measures extended in Australia amid COVID-19 outbreak - June 2021

>>14020312 Video: Queensland's Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young rejects Prime Minister's comments on AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine for under-40s

>>14020328 ‘A personal choice’: NSW clinics will not give AstraZeneca to under-40s

>>14021844 Video: "Lone woman on train harassed by police who then absconded with her property."

>>14035752 Australia to slash traveller intake, PM announces four-phase pathway out of COVID-19

>>14041172 Covid-19 vaccine targets to unlock the path to freedom - National cabinet agrees to four-step blueprint for phased easing of restrictions once Australians have met new vaccine thresholds

>>14041436 Lockdowns ‘can stop in two months’ when Covid-19 vaccines hit 30pc: Deakin University chair in epidemiology Catherine Bennett

>>14050812 ‘Eat a bat and die’: Vile threats against Wuhan lab conspiracy-buster, Australian virologist Danielle Anderson

>>14050829 Ben Roberts-Smith's long wait to face accusers - landmark trial adjourned for at least a month after Sydney's COVID-19 outbreak

>>14057811 OPINION: Greg Hunt has failed to vaccinate the nation and must go - Kevin Rudd - brisbanetimes.com.au

>>14085663 Covid-19: Australia ‘talks softly and carries a big ­vaccine’ in Pacific

>>14098337 Australia reports first 2021 COVID-19 death, highest case number

>>14105467 Senior business figures turned to former PM Kevin Rudd to intervene in bringing forward Australia's Pfizer vaccine supply

>>14105480 Malcolm Turnbull Tweet: Thank you @MrKRudd for speaking to the Chairman of Pfizer to secure an earlier delivery of vaccines. Staggered the vaccination of Australians was apparently not important enough to warrant a call from @ScottMorrisonMP or @GregHuntMP to the Pfizer boss.

>>14105482 Pfizer denies Kevin Rudd helped Australia gain earlier access to COVID-19 vaccines

>>14105484 Defence Minister Peter Dutton tears into Rudd's talks with Pfizer

>>14105492 Peter Dutton Tweet: @MrKRudd - Pfizer statement: Recent media reports suggesting that any third party or individual has had any role in contractual agreements reached between Pfizer and the Australian government are inaccurate. The only two parties involved in these agreements are Pfizer and the Australian government.

>>14110865 Australian Vax push isn't supported by the data

>>14127170 Melbourne joins Sydney in lockdown as COVID-19 spreads in Australia

>>14141277 Sydney tightens lockdown as Australia's COVID-19 cases rise

>>14141315 Scott Morrison demands answers over COVID origins after WHO Wuhan lab leak concession

>>14141320 Video: Premature to rule out lab leak: World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom - Sky News Australia

>>14141323 Video: PM says world 'deserves answers' over COVID origins - Sky News Australia

>>14159491 Australia's COVID-19 lockdowns cover more than half the 25 million population

>>14172626 Video: Prime Minister says 'sorry' for problems with COVID-19 vaccine rollout program

>>14174776 SA-Best Party MP Frank Pangallo Says Unvaccinated People "Need To Be Controlled And Restricted"

>>14180599 Sydney's COVID-19 outbreak throws harsh spotlight on Australia vaccine rollout

>>14180610 Australia's TGA finds Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is safe for children aged 12 to 15

>>14194970 Australians may face longer lockdown after "reckless" mass protests

>>14200877 Lockdown protesters plotted on social media - Anthony Khallouf and "Australians vs The Agenda" - Rhiannon Down - theaustralian.com.au

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deef8a  No.14385834

#17 - Part 21

Coronavirus / COVID-19 Pandemic, Australia and Worldwide - Part 2

>>14200915 Anti-lockdown protests a coalition of the alienated and the far-right: Nationalists, so-called “sovereign citizens”, anti-vaccination groups, QAnon and Trump followers - Miki Perkins - brisbanetimes.com.au

>>14200931 Revealed: the fringe groups where Sydney’s lockdown protest began - Fergus Hunter and Laura Chung - smh.com.au

>>14200941 Inside Telegram fringe groups behind protests where conspiracy theories spread - Rohan Smith - news.com.au

>>14206587 George Christensen appears at anti-lockdown rally alongside QAnon supporters - Tobi Loftus - abc.net.au

>>14206651 Who’s behind Australia’s anti-lockdown protests? The German conspiracy group "Worldwide Demonstration" driving marches - Christopher Knaus and Michael McGowan - theguardian.com

>>14206760 Hotel quarantine raid for child abuse material; Border Force seize childlike sex dolls

>>14213333 PM: Lockdowns a 'thing of the past' by Christmas as vaccine rollout ramps up - Sky News Australia

>>14213379 Australian Federal Police investigators offer help to state counterparts dealing with online organisers of violent anti-lockdown protests

>>14213414 Coronavirus Australia: Protests show we may be in for a rude shock - Jack The Insider (Peter Hoysted) - theaustralian.com.au

>>14213655 Suicidal, stressed Aussie kids flood emergency wards - Lockdowns and online learning fuelling anxiety, some too scared to breathe outdoors due to virus fears

>>14220726 Australia's Sydney posts record daily rise in COVID-19 cases, seeks military help

>>14220773 Worldwide hacking warning issued on how businesses are being compromised during COVID-19

>>14220789 U.S., U.K., and Australia Issue Joint Cybersecurity Advisory - Australian Cyber Security Centre - July 2021

>>14228786 Video: Prime Minister Scott Morrison says lockdowns to end once 80 per cent of the Australian population is vaccinated against COVID-19

>>14228831 Covid case linked to Sydney’s anti-lockdown protest investigated for breaching self-isolation rules

>>14228845 Intelligence officials looking at the role of foreign actors in stirring up Australian anti-lockdown rallies

>>14243099 Australia's east coast battles rising COVID-19 cases

>>14243113 Sydney anti-lockdown protest never arrived, but the movement is just getting started

>>14243136 Covid cocktail given to Trump now recommended for Aussies - casirivimab plus imdevimab, or REGEN-COV, made by US company Regeneron

>>14243180 YouTube restricts Sky News Australia channel over ‘COVID misinformation’

>>14245410 Our resilience has silenced Covid prophets of doom - "You are more resilient than you think…The Covid pandemic has done its worst and humanity has survived"

>>14245420 Vaccination the gold medal we aspire to - Prime Minister Scott Morrison - theaustralian.com.au

>>14245938 "Forcing qr checkin is illegal. - PRIVACY ACT 1988 - SECT 94H - Requiring the use of COVIDSafe"

>>14249450 Video: YouTube’s Murdoch ban over COVID lies - Kevin Rudd

>>14249826 Ben Roberts-Smith defamation case adjourned due to Sydney COVID outbreak

>>14257276 Australia can 'realistically' reach COVID-19 vaccine targets by end of year, infectious disease experts say

>>14265549 Covid-19 returns to Wuhan, China - Wuhan is in a “wartime state”, local officials say

>>14273935 Sydney suffers worst day of pandemic, Victoria state to enter sixth lockdown

>>14282319 Delta spreads in Sydney as Australia widens COVID-19 restrictions

>>14282778 Video: Bill gates praises Australia’s Covid response, plays down relevance of virus origins investigations

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deef8a  No.14385836

#17 - Part 22

Coronavirus / COVID-19 Pandemic, Australia and Worldwide - Part 3

>>14286727 Morrison government plea to US for excess Covid-19 vaccine doses going to waste

>>14286750 PM asks Biden to share vaccine supply - Sky News Australia

>>14287270 Beijing laboratory director infected with Covid-19 in lab accident in early 2020, explosive emails have revealed - inadvertent leak of the highly contagious coronavirus is far from a conspiracy theory

>>14287286 PDF: Senior Chinese scientist acquired SARS-CoV-2 in lab infection accident, virologist says

>>14288823 Australia daily COVID-19 at 2021 record high with millions in lockdown

>>14289377 Greg Norman blasts Joe Biden for failing to provide Australia with excess vaccine doses

>>14295282 Video: Dr Anthony Fauci discusses how the US is dealing with the Delta variant differently - 7.30 / ABC News (Australia)

>>14296273 In an avalanche of misinformation, who decides what’s too dangerous to hear? - Sky News Australia returns to YouTube

>>14296407 Moderna vaccine to be approved by Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration within a fortnight, doses rolling out in mid-September

>>14304027 Video: Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine approved with first million doses arriving next month

>>14304081 Vaccination is now a race to the federal election - Alexander Downer - afr.com

>>14311655 George Christensen condemned by Parliament for spreading COVID-19 misinformation

>>14322190 Melbourne extends COVID lockdown; 'no jab, no job' in Sydney

>>14322311 How the Covid pandemic saw the rise of QAnon in Australia - Perry Duffin - dailytelegraph.com.au

>>14322314 How QAnon became a Covid conspiracy cult in Australia - Perry Duffin - dailytelegraph.com.au

>>14322318 Encrypted chats offer final refuge for QAnon-Covid conspiracy in Australia - Perry Duffin - dailytelegraph.com.au

>>14322319 Experts reveal how to spot QAnon, anti-vaxxer fake news - Perry Duffin - dailytelegraph.com.au

>>14332246 Scott Morrison criticises 'crazy' COVID-19 conspiracy theories, George Christensen defends comments on restrictions - Jade Macmillan - abc.net.au

>>14332326 Scott Morrison vows to snuff out QAnon ‘rubbish’, Covid conspiracies - Perry Duffin - dailytelegraph.com.au

>>14342555 Sydney readies for more military support as COVID-19 Delta variant sweeps city

>>14356359 Video: Australian government secures 1 million extra Covid-19 Pfizer doses - Sky News Australia

>>14356560 US President Joe Biden’s refusal on Oz Pfizer plea shows gulf between him and Donald Trump - Miranda Devine - dailytelegraph.com.au

>>14366022 Sydney records deadliest day of COVID-19 pandemic, Melbourne lockdown extended

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deef8a  No.14385837

#17 - Part 23

Virginia Roberts Giuffre, Prince Andrew, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell

>>14020221 Video: Prince Andrew’s ex, Lady Victoria Hervey, believes Ghislaine Maxwell was ‘brainwashed’ by Jeffrey Epstein

>>14035867 Judge rules to unseal dozens of documents about Ghislaine Maxwell's personal affairs, including those that reveal her and Jeffrey Epstein's relationship with the Clintons

>>14035892 Bill Cosby is free; Ghislaine Maxwell should be, too - David Oscar Markus, Ghislaine Maxwell’s appellate counsel

>>14092368 Video: The venomous Epstein tapes: When VICKY WARD investigated Jeffrey Epstein, he tried to charm her… then threatened to get her sacked and put a curse on her unborn children. But she recorded it all - and what she reveals about Ghislaine Maxwell is shocking

>>14141506 Ghislaine Maxwell accused of having ‘near-total amnesia’ over alleged abuse - could not recall a single flight with victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre on Jeffrey Epstein's jet, despite logs showing they made 23 trips

>>14141528 Virginia Roberts Giuffre Tweet: Judge Orders Ghislaine Maxwell's Private Documents To Be Unsealed. Finally we are getting some transparency.There is hope.We must maintain vigilant in order for the truth to see the light of day

>>14141528 Judge Orders Ghislaine Maxwell's Private Documents To Be Unsealed, Set To Expose Juicy Details About Jeffrey Epstein & Bill Clinton

>>14147712 Accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre says Maxwell was in love with Epstein and could be a 'tyrant' with his victims: new book, "Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story" by Miami Herald investigative reporter Julie K. Brown

>>14147749 Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story - Book excerpt: Herald reporter Julie Brown’s excavation of Jeffrey Epstein’s sordid past

>>14147756 (2019) Video: How Miami Herald's investigation & Jeffrey Epstein survivors helped blow up a sweetheart deal - Miami Herald

>>14166262 Virginia Roberts Giuffre Tweet: Jean Luc Brunel- Epstein’s right hand man for sex trafficking is appealing to be released from jail in Paris. Let’s make some noise & help the Parisians keep this dangerous man off the streets

>>14201006 Julie K. Brown, reporter who broke Epstein case isn’t convinced the accused sex trafficker took his own life, says a rumored Mossad link is worth digging into

>>14229001 Epstein’s Shadow: How Ghislaine Maxwell went from socialite to inmate

>>14235240 PDF: U.S. judge tells lawyers in Ghislaine Maxwell case to watch what they say - "extrajudicial statements" could taint the jury pool

>>14235322 Jeffrey Epstein stalks his shadowy network of plutocrats from the grave - Why did so many rich and powerful men seek out his advice?

>>14235380 Sarah Ferguson’s Own History With Jeffrey Epstein May Explain Why She’s So Quick to Defend Prince Andrew

>>14296376 Virginia Roberts is set to sue Prince Andrew in a New York court over her claims that Jeffrey Epstein forced her to have sex with the Duke aged 17

>>14304166 A Tight Spot: What Prince Andrew Faces If Virginia Roberts Guiffre Files Her Civil Suit Against Him This Week

>>14311596 PDF: Virginia Giuffre: Epstein accuser sues Prince Andrew for alleged sexual abuse - lawsuit accuses Andrew of sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress

>>14311736 Video: Prince Andrew sued by Virginia Roberts Giuffre for an alleged sexual assault - 9 News Australia

>>14332513 ‘Additional evidence’: Another women, Johanna Sjoberg, to testify against Prince Andrew, says Virginia Roberts Giuffre's lawyer David Boies

>>14342833 ROYAL RAGE: Furious dad of Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Roberts tells Royal ‘you should be ashamed of yourself’ over rape lawsuit

>>14342860 UK Scotland Yard Police review Prince Andrew claims - Dame Cressida Dick, Commissioner of Metropolitan Police: ‘No one is above the law’

>>14349090 PDF: Ghislaine Maxwell loses bid to dismiss sex trafficking indictment, despite Cosby claim

>>14356386 ‘Inconsistencies’, ‘Doubts’ about Prince Andrew’s account of his dealings with Virginia Giuffre as it’s revealed his legal bills are being underwritten by the Queen

>>14357216 Ghislaine Maxwell sells mews house in Belgravia - for £1.75m - where Prince Andrew allegedly had sex with his then 17-year-old accuser Virginia Roberts

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deef8a  No.14385838

#17 - Part 24

Child Exploitation, Pedophilia, Sexual Abuse and Human Trafficking Investigations - Part 1

>>14020172 South Australian DPP drops two charges in case against HIV+ pedophile Jadd William Brooker but says he is guilty of two more sex crimes

>>14020337 Tasmanian Labor leader David O'Byrne to stand aside during investigation into allegations of sexual harassment

>>14042244 Top South Australian arts identity Timothy Sexton’s spectacular fall from grace revealed after sentencing for teen sex offending in the 1980s

>>14050941 Heather Wynands was sexually assaulted by her chiropractor when she was a teenager, but took decades to report it - pressures of living in a small community meant she did not feel safe or supported reporting her abuse

>>14057769 At 27, Claire's husband forced her to join a cult. They were preparing for the world's end - The Order of St Charbel led by convicted pedophile William Kamm

>>14064810 Queensland Police’s Task Force Argos has compiled the largest database of child exploitation images in the southern hemisphere - a horrid collection that has helped rescue children and take abusers off the streets

>>14064818 Queensland Police's Taskforce Argos - Crack Aussie unit joins international hunt for pedophiles and victims

>>14064827 Video: THE CHILDREN IN THE PICTURES - 2021 DOCUMENTARY TRAILER - Inside Task Force Argos, the world’s best investigative team dedicated to rescuing the children being sexually abused by highly organised dark web networks.

>>14064827 The Children In the Pictures will carry the message of hope and promote citizen activism. Audiences will learn how we can all make a profound contribution to keeping our children safe.

>>14071715 New South Wales man charged with sexually abusing children overseas and possessing child abuse material

>>14071789 South Australian James David Ryan Sharp imported a child-like sex doll, Mount Gambier court hears

>>14071821 From fresh produce to seafood, supermarkets are under pressure to stamp out modern slavery

>>14071884 Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation Tweet: Thank you for all of your support helping spread the word of the #TraceAnObjectAUS initiative, but the fight continues! Can you identify any of these objects that have been taken from the background of child sexual abuse images and videos? Report at http://accce.gov.au/trace

>>14079124 South Australia’s Court of Appeal almost doubles sentence handed to pedophile Christopher Stain and calls for better education for judges about the long-term effects of sex crimes on children

>>14085854 Pedophile tradie Bryan Michael Grange jailed for 30 years over ‘depraved’ child sexual abuse

>>14085857 Q Post #925 - This is not about religions or party affiliation. EVIL is everywhere. There are no drawn lines. No boundaries. Good vs Evil. Q

>>14085909 Victims of serial rapist Daniel Hanson tell court of 'monstrous impact' on them

>>14086036 The Queensland government paid child-sex predator Bob Montgomery to help 'protect' children

>>14089665 The net is closing on child sexual abuse images - UK's Internet Watch Foundation and Intelligrade metadata software helping Five Eyes countries and tech companies prioritise the most serious images and videos of abuse

>>14090039 Australian Centre To Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) - CLOSING THE NET: A podcast about online child sexual exploitation

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deef8a  No.14385839

#17 - Part 25

Child Exploitation, Pedophilia, Sexual Abuse and Human Trafficking Investigations - Part 2

>>14090048 Video: Closing The Net - Official Podcast Trailer - Australian Centre To Counter Child Exploitation

>>14090918 Incest survivor Tanya Lee on how shame is hiding cries for help

>>14090954 GoFundMe campaign - No Laughing Matter needs your help to ensure the very important podcast project of incest awareness can continue - Hayley Blease, victim/survivor of child sexual abuse from a family member

>>14090954 NO LAUGHING MATTER - Raising public awareness on intra-familial child sexual abuse

>>14090973 NO LAUGHING MATTER - Meet Our Podcast Narrators - Series One

>>14105569 Former SA Labor political adviser Ben Waters pleads guilty to child abuse crimes

>>14120280 Pedophile NSW priest Anthony William Peter Caruana found guilty of 26 sexual abuse charges, awaits sentencing behind bars

>>14127190 Daniel “Jimmy” Hanson sentenced to 28 years’ prison for child rape and sexual assault of girls as young as 12 that he lured using his status as a band front man

>>14127207 HIV-positive SA pedophile Jadd William Brooker admits to 38 crimes against children

>>14127230 Video: Andrew William Richards pleads guilty to paying child abusers $65,000 to watch kids get victimised

>>14134711 Commonwealth prosecutors drop charge against Geraldton man relating to importing child-like sex doll

>>14141365 Web of depravity: How a South Australian pedophile ring was busted - a fast-spreading child abuse probe that toppled a political spin doctor

>>14153439 Changi POW hero, Army chaplain Kenley Saunders named as serial child abuser in Supreme Court case against the Anglican Church

>>14159631 Leon Ronald Scarffe faces court accused of child abuse and blackmail arising from investigation into Jadd William Brooker

>>14159654 Joe and Alan were childhood mates — they never realised they shared a secret - Children sexually assaulted during bushwalks in Tasmania

>>14166280 Kandasamy and Kumuthini Kannan - Melbourne couple who kept a grandmother as slave for eight years jailed for 'crime against humanity'

>>14172675 Paedophile Justin Kenneth Radford: NSW Central Coast who man filmed himself sexually abusing a young boy before he was caught with thousands of “horrific and depraved” child abuse images sentenced to 18 years jail

>>14172682 Q Post #1735 - There is nothing more precious than our children. Evil has no boundaries…The choice to know will ultimately be yours…These people are SICK! To those who are courageous enough to speak out - we stand with you! You are not alone in this fight. God bless. Q

>>14180674 Operation Tango Rosetta: Townsville Child Protection and Investigation Unit arrest three people over child sex ring allegedly operated by Kelso man Stephen Lane

>>14180678 Operation Tango Rosetta: Lawyer claims woman with mild intellectual disability manipulated into committing child sex crimes by Stephen Lane

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deef8a  No.14385843

#17 - Part 26

Child Exploitation, Pedophilia, Sexual Abuse and Human Trafficking Investigations - Part 3

>>14187041 Scores of pedophiles across Australia caught using chat app Kik over the past five years, authorities warn the service’s anonymous nature makes children easy prey

>>14200962 $1.375 million legal payout brings hope for other victims of paedophile priest Kevin O’Donnell

>>14200974 Sexual abuse victim Jesse Elmer - One man’s endless crusade to keep Launceston paedophile from other kids

>>14206760 Hotel quarantine raid for child abuse material; Border Force seize childlike sex dolls

>>14213684 Video: Moreton Bay man charged by AFP for allegedly using Twitter to watch child exploitation material

>>14213689 Tasmanian eBay vendor Xinzhe Lin receives 11-month suspended sentence, avoids jail for importing "vile" childlike sex doll parts from China

>>14233531 PDF: ABF & AFP stand with victims for World Day Against Trafficking In Persons - Australian Border Force - July 2021

>>14233549 Video: Victims’ voices lead the way on World Day against Trafficking in Persons - Australian Federal Police - July 2021

>>14233633 Queensland mayor issues historic apology over blackbirding slavery of Pacific Islanders

>>14233699 Video: Bundaberg's Mayor Jack Dempsey makes historic apology to South Sea Islanders for their mistreatment in the early 1900s - 7NEWS Facebook

>>14234951 Former monk Denis Alexander to be deported to Australia after pleading guilty to child sexual abuse in Scotland

>>14249467 Former NSW MP Michael Johnsen not charged over alleged rape of Blue Mountains sex worker

>>14257458 Chrissie Foster and families of tragic sex assault victims no longer silenced after Victorian state government backflip

>>14265541 Olivia Simmons, sister of Australian basketballer Ben Simmons, claims she was victim of child sex-trafficking ring

>>14266051 Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation Tweet: Can you help @Europol Stop Child Abuse and #TraceAnObject? #ChildProtection

>>14266051 Europol Tweet: Did you know that you can help us to trace an object and stop child abuse? Yes, it is as simple as checking this object and letting us know if you recognise it - Remember that every clue can assist in solving a case

>>14266051 STOP CHILD ABUSE – TRACE AN OBJECT - EUROPOL - You can help us to trace an object and stop child abuse - The most innocent clues can sometimes help crack a case

>>14273956 Hillsong founder Brian Houston to face court over allegedly concealing child sex abuse

>>14282402 Video: ‘God is in control’: Hillsong comforts the flock after founder Brian Houston charged by police

>>14311519 Taskforce Argos : How Australian detectives spent years on the trail of darknet paedophile suspect

>>14322129 ‘I don’t want to do this’: Forced into marriage to an older man she didn’t know for $15,000, taken to live thousands of kilometres away from home - Two months later Ruqia Haidari was brutally murdered by the man she was forced to marry

>>14347502 Slavery still exists in Australia today - These are the people fighting back - Issara Saeyim and Cloverdale Community Centre

>>14366215 Queensland Police - Child exploitation investigation, Brisbane - Operation Tango Thread - Appeal for information - social media usernames list

>>14366217 Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation Tweet: Victim Identification is one of the most important elements of #ChildProtection. It takes a special person to dedicate their career to this field, and we are eternally proud of these specialists and the work they do in the @AusFedPolice and ACCCE.

>>14366217 10 News First Tweet: Video: A small team of women make up the Victim Identification Unit in the Australian Federal Police. They identify and save children from exploitation material

>>14366220 10 News First Person Podcast: Australian Federal Police Victim Identification Unit - We Persevere - The Australian Federal Police's Victim Identification Team is worthy of a lot of praise, but not a lot of people know about it or consider the fact that the work they do is extremely traumatic work done by real people.

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deef8a  No.14385844

#17 - Part 27

Qanon / Conspiracy Theory Hit Pieces, Australia and Worldwide

>>14180690 Aaron Rupar Tweet: Video - Biden highlights the absurdity of QAnon: "The idea that the Democrats or Biden, [are] hiding people and sucking the blood of children … we've got to get beyond this … this is not who we are."

>>14185017 Mike Lindell set August 13 as the date in his bonkers theory that Trump will be reinstated as president - Mia Jankowicz - businessinsider.com.au

>>14185017 PatriotTakes Tweet: Video - Mike Lindell says by August 13, the talk of the world will be to overturn the election and get the communists out. He also said there will be many down ticket senators that will have different election results.

>>14200877 Lockdown protesters plotted on social media - Anthony Khallouf and "Australians vs The Agenda" - Rhiannon Down - theaustralian.com.au

>>14200915 Anti-lockdown protests a coalition of the alienated and the far-right: Nationalists, so-called “sovereign citizens”, anti-vaccination groups, QAnon and Trump followers - Miki Perkins - brisbanetimes.com.au

>>14200931 Revealed: the fringe groups where Sydney’s lockdown protest began - Fergus Hunter and Laura Chung - smh.com.au

>>14200941 Inside Telegram fringe groups behind protests where conspiracy theories spread - Rohan Smith - news.com.au

>>14206587 George Christensen appears at anti-lockdown rally alongside QAnon supporters - Tobi Loftus - abc.net.au

>>14206651 Who’s behind Australia’s anti-lockdown protests? The German conspiracy group "Worldwide Demonstration" driving marches - Christopher Knaus and Michael McGowan - theguardian.com

>>14213414 Coronavirus Australia: Protests show we may be in for a rude shock - Jack The Insider (Peter Hoysted) - theaustralian.com.au

>>14233997 ‘Freedom’ activists aim to harness anger for new political party - Monica Smit and Reignite Democracy Australia

>>14235474 Foreign powers amplified QAnon content to sow discord that led to Jan. 6 Capitol riots, extremism expert Mia Bloom says

>>14235501 Excerpt - Pastels and Pedophiles: Inside the Mind of QAnon - Mia Bloom and Sophia Moskalenko

>>14265919 What’s Become of QAnon Since Trump’s Defeat? - Laurence Arnold and Daniel Zuidijk -

>>14296462 Homeland Security warns of 'increasing but modest' threat of violence from Trump conspiracy - Luke Barr - abcnews.go.com

>>14322311 How the Covid pandemic saw the rise of QAnon in Australia - Perry Duffin - dailytelegraph.com.au

>>14322314 How QAnon became a Covid conspiracy cult in Australia - Perry Duffin - dailytelegraph.com.au

>>14322318 Encrypted chats offer final refuge for QAnon conspiracy in Australia - Perry Duffin - dailytelegraph.com.au

>>14322319 Experts reveal how to spot QAnon, anti-vaxxer fake news - Perry Duffin - dailytelegraph.com.au

>>14332246 Scott Morrison criticises 'crazy' COVID-19 conspiracy theories, George Christensen defends comments on restrictions - Jade Macmillan - abc.net.au

>>14375751 Social media startup Linktree battles anti-vaccine misinformation, conspiracy theorists - Cara Waters - theage.com.au

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deef8a  No.14385851

File: be56f4ab657c907⋯.jpg (70.28 KB, 400x400, 1:1, OZ_Pepe.jpg)

File: 49c9e47c7fb3569⋯.jpg (232.75 KB, 841x514, 841:514, Q_479.jpg)

File: ccb3ea3d2932b3c⋯.jpg (300.17 KB, 842x828, 421:414, Q_908.jpg)

File: a6f1a731b3eccc9⋯.jpg (136.57 KB, 842x302, 421:151, Q_910.jpg)

PREVIOUSLY COLLECTED NOTABLES

Q Research AUSTRALIA #17 ————————————–——– https://controlc.com/1df91700

Q Research AUSTRALIA #16 ————————————–——– https://controlc.com/805b4829

Q Research AUSTRALIA #15 ————————————–——– https://controlc.com/f975dc35

Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 ————————————–——– https://controlc.com/62cdd4fd

Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 ————————————–——– https://controlc.com/d2399cda

Q Research AUSTRALIA #12 ————————————–——– https://controlc.com/558b72b8

Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 ————————————–——– https://controlc.com/c17ab97f

Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 ————————————–——– https://controlc.com/bb780c9d

Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 ————————————––——– https://controlc.com/6a61bec5

Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 ————————————––——– https://controlc.com/7ee89fce

Q Research AUSTRALIA #7 ————————————––——– https://controlc.com/239e467c

Q Research AUSTRALIA #6 ————————————––——– https://controlc.com/c4932ea1

Q Research AUSTRALIA #5 ————————————––——– https://controlc.com/5941506b

Q Research AUSTRALIA #4 ————————————––——– https://controlc.com/acf74c16

Q Research AUSTRALIA #3 ————————————––——– https://controlc.com/2021ac89

Q Research AUSTRALIA #2 ————————————––——– https://controlc.com/b8855384

Q Research AUSTRALIA #1 ————————————––——– https://controlc.com/1e0dcd6e

THREAD ARCHIVES

Q Research AUSTRALIA #17 ————————————–——– https://archive.vn/4mkgH

Q Research AUSTRALIA #16 ————————————–——– https://archive.vn/PFwgE

Q Research AUSTRALIA #15 ————————————–——– https://archive.vn/5hP7I

Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 ————————————–——– https://archive.vn/A85E8

Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 ————————————–——– https://archive.vn/rdbq6

Q Research AUSTRALIA #12 ————————————–——– https://archive.vn/PahoV

Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 ————————————–——– https://archive.vn/VoY1C

Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 ————————————–——– https://archive.vn/lmbJh

Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 ————————————––——– https://archive.vn/gOsSc

Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 ————————————––——– https://archive.vn/xYtqT

Q Research AUSTRALIA #7 ————————————––——– https://archive.vn/YT76p

Q Research AUSTRALIA #6 ————————————––——– https://archive.vn/DGknZ

Q Research AUSTRALIA #5 ————————————––——– https://archive.vn/vlHWs

Q Research AUSTRALIA #4 ————————————––——– https://archive.vn/B0Z4l

Q Research AUSTRALIA #3 ————————————––——– https://archive.vn/xznbY

Q Research AUSTRALIA #2 ————————————––——– https://archive.vn/hlJ0W

Q Research AUSTRALIA #1 ————————————––——– https://archive.vn/vJ8oH

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deef8a  No.14385856

File: fc03f2897a3cf42⋯.jpg (3.11 MB, 2800x2000, 7:5, Chairman_of_the_Joint_Chie….jpg)

CURRENT DOUGH

https://controlc.com/4c170ffa

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deef8a  No.14385947

File: 6a375c5f312343e⋯.webm (3.74 MB, 640x360, 16:9, Peter_Dutton_has_warned_t….webm)

Peter Dutton has warned the Taliban the world is watching Afghanistan

Peter Dutton has delivered an extremely blunt of assessment of who is to blame in Afghanistan and put the Taliban on notice.

Courtney Gould - AUGUST 17, 2021

1/2

Peter Dutton has warned the Taliban “the world is watching” and Australia stands ready to act if terror takes hold in Afghanistan.

Mr Dutton challenged the Taliban to abandon its “barbaric” treatment of women and girls after regaining control of the war-torn country.

“The test is now on them and they need to perform,” he told the ABC on Tuesday night.

The defence minister also demanded allied forces be allowed to safely leave Afghanistan.

Experts have warned the situation in Afghanistan will be a “massive morale boost” for every jihadist on the planet.

Asked whether that suggested a new level of threat for Australia, Mr Dutton urged people to heed the words of US President Joe Biden.

“He was very clear that if another threat similar to al-Qaeda or to Osama bin Laden and the 9-11 attacks, if that manifests itself in Afghanistan … then the United States will strike,” Mr Dutton said.

“And so they should, and we would be supportive of them in disrupting any major terrorist attack, whether it was in the West or elsewhere.

“The United States has the ability in the air, on the ground, to conduct such an attack and people should be hearing that message loud and clear.”

Mr Dutton was extremely blunt while pressed on what the Taliban had achieved.

“What we need to reflect on is the failure of the ability of the Afghans themselves to take up the arms they were given, to use the training that was imparted on them,” he said.

“Many of those from the president down have abandoned their country and in that circumstance, either today, next year or in 20 years’ time, that makes for a very difficult exit.

“And a huge win for the Taliban or whoever it might be if the Afghans themselves aren’t prepared to fight for their own territory.”

Earlier, Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned Australia’s rescue mission in Afghanistan would not reach “all that it should”.

Mr Morrison confirmed work was underway to evacuate Australian and Afghan workers from Kabul amid the ongoing crisis.

The Taliban reached Kabul on Sunday morning after the militant Islamic group quickly took hold of the final government-controlled provinces last week.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14385951

File: 3f920d5173ba403⋯.jpg (80.18 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Scott_Morrison_snapped_bac….jpg)

File: e60d2e14a2a4222⋯.jpg (253.12 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Thousands_rushed_to_Kabul_….jpg)

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The lightning speed of the Taliban’s advance has left Australia scrambling, as the government is now at the mercy of the US to remain in control of Kabul’s airport and traffic control to get their people out.

The Prime Minister declined to go into details about the rescue, instead issuing a stark concession that the government may not be able to get everyone home.

“The scenes from Kabul have been absolutely heartbreaking. It's a sobering day for everyone and particularly those who have given so much over the past 20 years and most notably those 41 who were lost,” he told reporters in Canberra.

“I want you to know that we will continue to do everything we can for those who have stood with us, as we have to this day. But I want to talk openly to veterans that despite our best efforts, I know that support won‘t reach all that it should.

“We wish it were different.”

But several journalists at the briefing took issue with Mr Morrison’s comments and pressed the Prime Minister as to why he didn’t act sooner.

“You said that ‘you wish it were different’. Couldn‘t the situation be different? We’ve had former soldiers warning for weeks that military evacuation was needed. Why weren’t those calls heeded back then when we were getting those warnings?” one reporter asked.

Mr Morrison said the government had settled 430 Afghan workers since April, insisting the process couldn’t happen overnight.

“I would say that our government has been moving readily now over quite a period of time to bring as many people out as we possibly can, and the job is not yet done,” he said.

“Now, in any circumstance, it's impossible to give 100 per cent guarantees. That’s all I was referring to.”

The Prime Minister was pressed further.

“You were saying you were aware of the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan since May, closed the embassy at that time,” one reporter said.

“Why did it take until now, mid-August, to send these 250 personnel and can you rule out that any of them that have been sent are in any way connected to the Brereton inquiry?”

The Prime Minister, visibly frustrated at the line of questioning, snapped back at the reporter for “casting slurs”.

“These are 250 Australians answering the call of their government to go and help Australians in need, and you're questioning their integrity,” he responded.

“They're going to do their service in our uniform and in our name. I respect it and I would ask others to respect it also and not to cast slurs against their integrity.”

https://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/scott-morrison-concedes-afghanistan-rescue-mission-will-not-reach-all-that-it-should/news-story/b0837c65529901101aadb6994cb47c1f

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deef8a  No.14386058

File: ab66951fec48041⋯.webm (15.14 MB, 640x360, 16:9, Scott_Morrison_says_an_ev….webm)

Afghanistan rescue flight carrying Australians lands in UAE, with more Kabul evacuation missions planned

Andrew Greene and Georgia Hitch - 18 August 2021

The first Australian Defence Force evacuation flight from Afghanistan has landed back at a military base in the United Arab Emirates after collecting 26 passengers from Kabul airport.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said more flights would be organised into the Taliban-held Afghan capital in the coming days.

"This is not a simple process," he said. "This was the first of what will be many flights, subject to clearance and weather."

"We will bring out as many people as we can, as quickly and safely as we can."

Earlier, the ABC revealed the flight had made it into, and out of, Kabul, touching down in the UAE.

Mr Morrison said the flight landed at 10:45am AEST.

"That included Australian citizens, Afghan nationals with visas and one foreign official working in an international agency," he said.

"The transfers are done to our base in the Emirates, where capacity has already been established with medical support available, to provide that medical support and to process their further onward transfer to Australia."

Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne said government officials were on the ground in Kabul, but that people heading to the airport were having to negotiate Taliban checkpoints.

"[It] is obviously a very complex and fluid environment, with a whole range of security issues," she said.

"We are working closely with the US particularly, the UK, others, Germans included, to try to improve or address those security challenges."

Seven people were killed as crowds descended on Hamid Karzai airport after the Taliban seized control of the capital on Sunday.

A number of people were filmed clinging on to an American military jet as it took off, with the US Air Force later confirming it found human remains in the wheel well of one of its aircraft that left Kabul.

Refugee visas for Afghans

Mr Morrison said he believed the government would be able to provide at least 3,000 visas under the humanitarian visa program to Afghans this year.

But he said he wanted to make it clear the government would only resettle Afghans through official and "legitimate" channels.

The current cap on humanitarian visa places is 13,750 after the government reduced the program by 5,000 places last year.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said the 3,000 places would focus on family members of Australians, persecuted minorities including women, girls, children, the Hazara — an ethnic minority group — and other vulnerable groups.

Mr Hawke said visa applications from people fleeing Afghanistan would be given priority, and reiterated the Prime Minister's suggestion that the initial allocation would likely increase in the future.

Flight tracking websites showed the RAAF Hercules flying in and out of Afghanistan this morning, as part of an urgent mission to rescue Australians and Afghans from the city.

A Hercules can carry around 120 passengers, while a C-17 Globemaster, which will also fly into Kabul, can officially carry 134 people.

However, an American C-17 which left Kabul earlier this week was pictured carrying hundreds of people who had crammed into the aircraft's hold as they fled the city.

A federal government spokesperson said the number of evacuees on each RAAF flight was expected to "ramp up" with subsequent flights.

Sources in Kabul said Australians were told to head to the airport last night, and another rescue flight could be launched as early as today.

This week Australia committed 250 troops and several military aircraft to the region with the hope of extracting around 600 people from Kabul.

That will include 100 Australian permanent residents and citizens and around 100 of their family members, plus 300 to 400 local employees.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton also confirmed yesterday that Australia would help get New Zealand citizens out of Kabul as well.

The airport in Kabul has been secured by US troops, something Mr Morrison said was crucial to facilitating Australian flights into the capital.

The PM said a number of states and territories had agreed to quarantine people brought back from Afghanistan above the current international passenger caps.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-18/afghanistan-kabul-rescue-mission-carrying-australians-lands/100386652

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deef8a  No.14386067

File: 5533d24064481f0⋯.jpg (74.54 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Anthony_Caruana_faces_sent….jpg)

Father Anthony Caruana’s abuse of children destroyed lives and tore families apart, court told

The men who were abused as children by a priest at a NSW school have laid bare how their lives were destroyed by his evil acts.

Heath Parkes-Hupton - AUGUST 18, 2021

A pedophile priest who abused 12 boys at a NSW boarding school has been described as a “disgusting, filthy human” whose evil acts left permanent emotional scars on his victims and tore families apart.

For years Father Anthony Caruana got away with his crimes while the boys dealt with their pain without the support of loved ones who did not believe them.

Caruana sexually and indecently assaulted students, then aged between 11 and 15, during the 1980s while working at Catholic school Chevalier College in Burradoo, near Bowral.

In July, a jury found him guilty of 26 charges, including 22 counts of indecent assault and four counts of sexual intercourse with a student.

On Wednesday the Downing Centre District Court heard statements penned by his victims, who spoke of how the predator priest robbed them of their innocence and destroyed their lives.

As Caruana, 79, watched the proceedings via video link from prison, the court was told how the boys’ trauma at the abuse was worsened by their families’ refusal to believe their stories.

Many of them had suffered lifelong anxiety, depression and PTSD, and some had tried to take their own lives as they struggled to cope with the impact of Caruana’s heinous crimes, the court was told.

One man, who cannot be named, said prison was exactly where Caruana deserved to be and he “should have been there 30 years ago”.

The man recalled telling his devout Catholic family he had been abused by the priest as he sat across the table from Caruana, who had attended his home for a party to celebrate the man graduating college.

It was the last time the man spoke to his family as they kicked him out of home after siding with Caruana, the court was told.

“You are the most disgusting, filthy human being I have ever met,” he told Caruana in a victim impact statement.

“And if there is a God in that sky, he wouldn’t tolerate a man like you.

“You are where you deserve to be and should have been there 30 years ago. You can’t hide behind your collar anymore.”

A common theme of the victim impact statements was how the abuse the men suffered as kids made them feel abandoned by their families and prevented them from trusting people as they grew.

They said Chevalier College was meant to be a safe haven for them but Caruana, who they once saw as a role model, took that away.

One man said he had always wanted to be a dad but his low self-esteem, emotional anguish and trust issues meant he had never had an intimate relationship.

He imagines taking his children to play at the park but knows “this will never be a reality”.

“This is something I think about and grieve for every day of my life,” he said.

Another man remembered how Caruana groomed him by helping the boy read letters sent to him at the school by his mother.

“I looked up to Father Caruana but I now know this is how get got me to trust him,” the man wrote.

“When the abuse started I felt confused and scared. The things he did to me physically caused me pain and it felt wrong somehow.”

Although Caruana faces a lengthy jail sentence for his actions, another of his victims told the court he believed only God could truly impart justice for the deep hurt caused by the predator.

Following a lengthy trial, a jury of 10 women and two men convicted the priest of 26 out of 29 charges.

Caruana will return to court for a sentence hearing in September.

https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/courts-law/father-anthony-caruanas-abuse-of-children-destroyed-lives-and-tore-families-apart-court-told/news-story/039992f3169879960bd44174c13ba0da

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deef8a  No.14386072

File: 46bbea9ff9dc8b5⋯.jpg (75.5 KB, 634x610, 317:305, Virginia_Roberts_now_Virgi….jpg)

File: 5703e4a4d4a3963⋯.jpg (96.75 KB, 634x408, 317:204, Virginia_Giuffre_centre_in….jpg)

File: 1d16d478531a7c9⋯.jpg (93.23 KB, 634x477, 634:477, The_Queen_with_her_son_Pri….jpg)

Prince Andrew is 'person of interest' in Epstein investigation: US prosecutors probing Ghislaine Maxwell's activities want to quiz Duke over friendship with paedophile billionaire - as he faces civil lawsuit from Virginia Roberts

MARK DUELL - 17 August 2021

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Prosecutors in the US investigating people linked to Jeffrey Epstein consider Prince Andrew to be a 'person of interest' in the inquiry, a source claimed last night.

Investigators probing Ghislaine Maxwell and other Epstein associates are said to want to speak to the Duke of York about his friendship with the paedophile financier.

As a person of interest, the Queen's son is viewed at least as a potential witness - and questioning him would form part of the investigation into possible co-conspirators.

Prosecutors last week said Andrew, 61, had 'sought to falsely portray himself to the public as eager and willing to cooperate' but had given no interview to federal authorities and had repeatedly declined requests to talk with investigators.

Andrew remains a person of interest to prosecutors in the office of the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, according to the source - but they do not expect to be able to interview him in the foreseeable future, if ever.

'He doesn't seem to want to talk to us,' said the source, who is familiar with the US inquiry. Representatives of the Prince declined to comment, but have previously denied any wrongdoing of failure to assist.

Earlier this month, Virginia Giuffre, who has said she was abused by Epstein, filed a civil complaint against Andrew in Manhattan federal court.

Ms Giuffre, who used to be known as Virginia Roberts, alleges Andrew forced her to have unwanted sexual intercourse at Maxwell's London home.

Andrew has denied the allegation. Epstein died in an apparent suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of trafficking minors.

Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to charges that she procured teenage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse between 1994 and 2004. She is expected to go on trial in November.

Prosecutors last year sent the British government a formal request, known as a mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) submission, asking for access to the prince so they could talk to him.

The MLAT is a procedure used in criminal investigations to gather material from foreign countries which cannot readily be obtained on a cooperative basis.

Ms Giuffre's lawyer had no immediate comment.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14386075

File: afbaa54cd49fe85⋯.jpg (28.72 KB, 305x490, 61:98, Prince_Andrew.jpg)

File: 0f55e82668f5ab7⋯.jpg (45.86 KB, 306x490, 153:245, Jeffrey_Epstein.jpg)

>>14386072

2/2

It comes as pressure mounted on Andrew this week to respond to sex abuse claims as an alleged witness said he was prepared to swear under oath that he saw the duke groping his accuser.

As royal aides were said to believe there were 'inconsistencies' in Andrew's account of his dealings with Ms Giuffre, a former employee of Epstein said he was prepared to testify about what he claims to have seen.

Steve Scully, who was Epstein's telecoms specialist, says he spotted the duke kissing and grinding against a bikini-clad blonde by a pool on the tycoon's Caribbean island hideaway 'between 2001 and 2004', the Sun on Sunday reported.

Mr Scully insisted to the paper that the woman was Mrs Giuffre –then 17 and called Virginia Roberts.

'If Virginia's lawyers call, I will definitely speak to them and I would give a deposition under oath,' the 71-year-old told the paper.

'The nice thing about the truth is that it doesn't change. There's no question in my mind that I saw Prince Andrew and Virginia together and no question he would remember the incident either.'

The existence of a witness who could support Mrs Giuffre's claims in a bombshell US lawsuit last week that Andrew sexually assaulted her in New York, London and the Caribbean in 2001 when she was just 17 comes as he faces mounting questions over his lawyers' continued silence.

Last week the UK's most senior police officer Dame Cressida Dick revealed she had told Met detectives to review the claims against the prince, warning: 'No one is above the law.'

Mrs Giuffre, now 38, is suing the prince for 'punitive damages' which could amount to millions of pounds if she wins her case.

The 61-year-old prince has strenuously denied her claims that she was forced to have sex with him on Epstein's orders.

He said he categorically did not have any sexual contact with her and does not even recall meeting her.

But the failure of his lawyers to formally respond to Mrs Giuffre's lawsuit has been met with incredulity, with palace insiders telling the Mail last week they were 'extremely unhappy with the strategy of stonewalling'.

The duke's lawyers may apply to have the case thrown out on the basis that the New York court has no jurisdiction in the UK, according to the Sunday Times.

While the prince vehemently denies her claims, with palace insiders pointing out that her account has changed over the past decade, they acknowledge there are question marks over his version of events too.

However a source told the Mail this week that Mr Scully's account was also 'questionable'.

The source pointed out that by his own recollection, the alleged sighting of Andrew with Mrs Giuffre might have taken place as late as 2004 – by which time she was married and no longer working for Epstein.

Epstein died in his jail cell in 2019 after being charged with sex trafficking.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9901295/Prince-Andrew-person-Jeffrey-Epstein-investigation.html

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deef8a  No.14389239

File: 1e9d2f5a7f35cbf⋯.jpg (63.43 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Alan_Tudge_criticised_the_….jpg)

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority must rewrite draft curriculum: Alan Tudge

REBECCA URBAN - AUGUST 18, 2021

Education Minister Alan Tudge says the board of the country’s schooling authority must substantially rewrite its draft national curriculum, warning he will not endorse the proposed document amid concern student outcomes would be harmed.

Writing to the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority’s acting chairman Norm Hart, Mr Tudge criticised the proposal for supporting “ideology over evidence” and presenting an “overly negative view” of the nation in the study of history and civics.

In the letter, seen by The Australian, Mr Tudge urged the board to seriously consider recent feedback from education experts, who have flagged concerns that the proposed changes amounted to a weakening of learning standards.

“Some of these groups, such as Australia’s peak mathematics association, believe that the current draft will take Australian kids backwards,” he wrote. “If the current draft is simply tweaked, it will not be supported. It needs fundamental changes.”

The warning comes as the ACARA board meets on Thursday and Friday to discuss feedback to the highly anticipated update of the Australian Curriculum – an important document laying out what students are expected to learn across the mandated subject areas of English, maths, science, the arts, humanities, health and physical education and languages.

The curriculum also seeks to cover general capabilities, or skills, such as critical and creative thinking, as well as ensure young people develop an understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. Its release in April, however, sparked a torrent of criticism, including from high-profile historians, academics and reading specialists.

Among the most scathing criticism was from the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute, whose membership spans leading universities, government agencies and industry, which called for any ongoing review of the maths curriculum to be halted pending further consultation.

The institute was particularly critical of a proposed push towards having students learn maths by engaging in open-ended problem-solving activities, noting that “mastery of mathematical approaches is needed before student problem-solving can be effective”.

Under way for more than a year, ACARA’s curriculum review was launched in the wake of Australia’s declining performance on the OECD’s PISA, which has shown that Australian students have gone backwards in reading, maths and science over the past 20 years.

According to Mr Tudge, the curriculum should seek to be ambitious on students’ learning outcomes and should prioritise evidence-based practices, particularly in reading and maths.

“However, to my great frustration, evidence-based practices have not been consistently embedded in your current draft,” he said. “There is still too much emphasis on whole-language learning of reading and insufficient emphasis on phonics.

“Thirty years ago, determining the best way to teach reading may have been a legitimate debate, but it is not now. The evidence is crystal clear … that the teaching of phonics is vital.”

The minister also urged the ACARA board to re-examine the draft history and civics curriculum to ensure that it provided a balanced teaching of Australia’s liberal democracy that has made the nation attractive to millions of migrants.

“Your draft, however, diminishes Australia’s western, liberal, and democratic values,” Mr Tudge said. “The overarching impression from the curriculum is that the main feature of western civilisation is slavery, imperialism and colonisation.

“Important historical events are removed or reframed, such as the emphasis on invasion theory over Australia Day. Even Anzac Day is presented as a contested idea, rather than the most sacred of all days where we honour the millions of men and women who have served in war, and the 100,000 who gave their lives for our freedom.”

Referencing the coronavirus pandemic, Mr Tudge said the education system had “been shaken in the last 18 months … in ways we had never imagined”.

“I believe that the best way to serve the interests of our young people now is to seize every opportunity to lift educational standards,” he said.

“The draft of the Australian Curriculum is such an opportunity.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/australian-curriculum-assessment-and-reporting-authority-must-rewrite-draft-curriculum-alan-tudge/news-story/d2e0c0e1a824b3f1ce8652c0c0d18806

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deef8a  No.14395372

File: af0d52d24f3d2cd⋯.jpg (552.62 KB, 825x1128, 275:376, MRF_D_23.jpg)

File: 18926b236e4e41e⋯.jpg (820.25 KB, 2925x1950, 3:2, E85ooOsVoAABc0m.jpg)

Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Tweet

Here Comes the Boom!

#USMC High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems with 3d Battalion, 12th Marines, 3d Marine Division fire rockets during Exercise Talisman Sabre 21 on Shoalwater Bay Training Area, #Australia.

(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Alyssa Chuluda)

https://twitter.com/MrfDarwin/status/1427767193400348676

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deef8a  No.14395401

File: 9e1e7c86d71e897⋯.jpg (528.98 KB, 825x1048, 825:1048, DOD_11.jpg)

File: cfb77296111330b⋯.jpg (1.09 MB, 3600x2025, 16:9, E8_N6S8XoAIuRwk.jpg)

Department of Defence Tweet

#YourADF & @USMC & sailors of @MrfDarwin will enter a fictitious contested area of operations under a combined command throughout August.

Exercise Koolendong is the most integrated, realistic, high-end activity conducted in MRF-D’s 10-year history.

bit. ly/3AF9LcK

https://twitter.com/DeptDefence/status/1427586013224964097

https://news.defence.gov.au/international/soldiers-and-marines-prepare-training

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deef8a  No.14395405

File: 06e9e6a66823ead⋯.jpg (193.75 KB, 1200x800, 3:2, ex_koolengong_21_us.jpg)

>>14395401

Soldiers and marines prepare for training

Captain Carla Armenti - 12 August 2021

Throughout this month, Australian soldiers, with the US Marines and sailors of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D), will enter a fictitious contested area of operations under a combined command construct during Exercise Koolendong.

The contested area, Bradshaw Field Training Area, has been renamed Bradshaw Island for the purpose of the exercise.

Commander of the combined task force (CTF) Brigadier Ash Collingburn regards the training as the most integrated, realistic, high-end warfighting activity conducted in MRF-D’s 10-year history.

“This year, we will operate as a CTF, combining our significant combat and logistic capabilities to deploy to Bradshaw Island, destroy the fictitious enemy, handover security responsibility to local forces and then redeploy to Darwin Island,” he said.

Planning for the activity has been ongoing for about 12 months, with the final rehearsal of concept conducted and deployment orders issued in late July for the CTF’s subsequent move to the field.

“Conducting this exercise at Bradshaw allows us to increase the complexity of our training, to incorporate US Marine aviation assets, challenge our logistic systems, and extend our medical support while integrating combined Australian and US assets at every level, including within the CTF Headquarters,” Brigadier Collingburn said.

About 1500 Australian soldiers will train with a similar number of US Marines ahead of their final activity during this year’s rotation – a combined live-fire manoeuvre activity aimed at defeating the enemy on Bradshaw Island.

MRF-D Commanding Officer Colonel David Banning said he was satisfied with the comprehensive planning and rehearsals before US Marines departed into the field.

“The planning phase is complete and we look forward to putting the plan into action as part of a combined force,” he said.

Soldiers and US Marines will have the opportunity to rehearse expeditionary bilateral, joint warfighting in a simulated archipelagic region laid over the 6600 sqkm Bradshaw Field Training Area.

“Operating from Bradshaw allows us to integrate the full range of US Marine Air-Ground Task Force capabilities as part of a CTF,” Colonel Banning said.

“For MRF-D, this exercise is the culminating event of a tangible demonstration of our ability to respond to any type of crisis or contingency in conjunction with our Australian partners.”

The CTF will complete its training in the field next month before MRF-D depart Australia, wrapping up the April to October rotation.

https://news.defence.gov.au/international/soldiers-and-marines-prepare-training?linkId=127932507

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deef8a  No.14395486

File: 1ed310fde66bbb1⋯.jpg (52.82 KB, 850x478, 425:239, Minister_for_Defence_Peter….jpg)

>>14385947

Peter Dutton suggests some Afghans who worked with Australia have 'shifted allegiances'

Mr Dutton suggested some Afghans who assisted Australia's military have gone on to work for the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

CLAUDIA FARHART - 19 August 2021

Defence Minister Peter Dutton has suggested some Afghans who worked alongside Australian forces may have "shifted" their allegiances, as the government faces pressure to take in more who are fleeing the Taliban.

Mr Dutton told the ABC on Wednesday "we need to deal with the reality on the ground, not how we want it to be".

"The reality is that people for their own survival instincts move allegiances around," he said.

"There are some wonderful people who have supported us at a point in time 10 years ago and they have gone on to work for the Taliban, they're working for al-Qaeda, they're acting out against our allies and their allegiances have shifted.

"We're not bringing them to our country. And those that provided us with support, wherever is possible, they will come to our country.”

During Australia's 20 years in Afghanistan, hundreds of Afghan nationals worked alongside the military as interpreters and embassy guards.

As the Taliban tightened their grip on the country over recent months, some guards and interpreters have spoken out, saying they feared they would be the targets of revenge attacks because of their close work with western forces.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday said the government expects to provide around 3,000 visas for Afghan applicants this financial year.

Visas granted to fleeing Afghans will come from the existing intake of 13,750, rather than a special allocation, though Afghans will be given priority processing.

Mr Dutton said some visa applicants had been subject to adverse security assessments but would not confirm how many.

"It's not insignificant," he said, when pressed to provide a number.

"They're coming from a very difficult part of the world. There are people that that that have helped us at a point in time who have since acted out either against our interests or those of our allies which includes passing on intelligence to ISIL and others," he said.

"In some cases, it's impossible to ascertain information or interviews have been conducted and the interviewers aren't satisfied with the authenticity of the responses that have been made."

Mr Morrison also confirmed on Wednesday 26 people - which included Australian citizens, Afghan visa holders, and a foreign official - flew out of Kabul.

Photographs of the flight drew critical comparisons to a United States flight earlier in the week, which saw 640 Afghans crammed onto a military plane that usually carries 134 passengers.

Mr Dutton defended the comparatively small flight and said there would be more evacuation flights to follow.

"We had limitations on how people can get to the airport and it's a very difficult situation on the ground," he said.

"It's not like turning up to a normal airport where people can come and go freely. It's clearly a difficult situation for people to make their way to the airport and I think that's the reality of the circumstances on the ground."

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/peter-dutton-suggests-some-afghans-who-worked-with-australia-have-shifted-allegiances

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deef8a  No.14395498

File: 2264a59a2e7e644⋯.jpg (118.22 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Former_Prime_Minister_John….jpg)

>>14385947

Howard: Donald Trump cannot escape blame for Afghanistan crisis

ADESHOLA ORE - AUGUST 19, 2021

Former prime minister John Howard says Donald Trump must accept some blame for the United States’ swift retreat from Afghanistan as the country faces a dire humanitarian crisis.

Mr Howard, who deployed Australian troops to Afghanistan in 2001 following the 9/11 terror attacks, has condemned the US withdrawal from Afghanistan under Joe Biden’s leadership. On Wednesday he described the exit as “too hasty” and argued the collapse of the opposition to the Taliban should “never have been allowed to occur.” Mr Howard has also defended his decision to send troops into the conflict, declaring “nobody who wears the Australian uniform ever dies in vain.”

Speaking to 2GB radio on Thursday, Mr Howard said the US withdrawal had “left a lot to be desired.”

The US president has faced criticism from his predecessor, who claims the nation’s exit from Afghanistan had “humiliated” the United States.

But Mr Howard said Donald Trump could not “escape blame.”

“He made the terrible mistake of saying that America was going before he secured any kind of understanding or deal with the Taliban,” he said.

“That’s a pretty ordinary way of negotiating with a ruthless mob such as that.”

But Mr Howard acknowledged that the “United States could not have stayed there forever.”

He said he feared for the future of Afghanistan, noting that gains made for women and girls would likely be lost.

“The human dimension of this is terrible,” he said.

A fraught security situation in Kabul is hampering Australia’s ability to evacuate citizens and Afghan locals who supported the nations’ troops during the two-decade conflict. Mr Howard previously said Australia had a moral obligation to help local staff who supported Australia. But he said it was “far too early” to tell if the government had left its evacuation operations too late.

“It should be said in defence of the government they have already settled about 400-500 of these people in Australia,” he said.

“I don’t think anybody a few months ago expected there to be such a rapid collapse as happened in the last two or three weeks.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/howard-donald-trump-cannot-escape-blame-for-afghanistan-crisis/news-story/e39f7643f936d226c934ac3127f91240

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deef8a  No.14395525

File: faf355a50a91343⋯.jpg (82.66 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Empty_vials_of_the_AstraZe….jpg)

AstraZeneca to change vaccine name to Vaxzevria in Australia

JESS MALCOLM - AUGUST 19, 2021

AstraZeneca has changed the brand name of its Covid-19 vaccine to Vaxzevria after it was granted approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

The pharmaceutical giant hopes the name change will help to smooth the pathway for Australians vaccinated with the domestically produced Vaxzevria to travel internationally.

Vaxzevria is the brand name already in use in Europe and the UK, approved by both the European Medicines Agency and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK.

The use of its previous name (Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca) had triggered concerns that some European countries or the UK may not recognise the Australian-produced AstraZeneca vaccine, or that it would be seen differently to the same vaccine made overseas.

In a statement released on Thursday, the company said its vaccine will now be known as Vaxzevria to bring it in line with other regulatory bodies.

“The brand name Vaxzevria has now been registered for use in Australia for AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine,” it read.

“Use of the Vaxzevria brand name should help simplify international travel for people vaccinated with AstraZeneca’s vaccine.

“The vaccine has previously received emergency authorisation from the World Health Organisation. As such Vaxzevria, including Vaxzevria produced at CSL in Australia, is a valid vaccination for travel in Europe.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/astrazeneca-to-change-vaccine-name-to-vaxzevria-in-australia/news-story/018bc25e12b4eed5160328517de722b1

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deef8a  No.14404403

File: a1fdfdeef664398⋯.jpg (97.05 KB, 800x534, 400:267, Police_officers_patrol_the….jpg)

Sydney imposes nightly curfew as Australia battles Delta outbreak

Renju Jose and Colin Packham - AUGUST 20, 2021

SYDNEY/CANBERRA (Reuters) - Two million residents of Sydney will be under nightly curfew from next week to slow the highly infectious Delta variant of coronavirus that is spreading across New South Wales state, authorities said on Friday as they extended lockdown orders.

Australia's third wave of COVID-19 infections, centred on Sydney, has forced more than half the population of nearly 26 million into lockdown and pushed the world's 13th-largest economy to the brink of its second recession here in as many years.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian extended Sydney’s lockdown until the end of September and imposed new restrictions including the curfew, a requirement to wear a mask when outside and limits on exercise.

“I asked health and police to work together, to give me a final list of what we can throw at this, to leave no shadow of a doubt as to how serious we are about getting the rate of growth down, the case numbers down,” Berejiklian told a media conference.

A curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. would take effect from Monday in the 12 worst-affected council areas, covering about 40% of Sydney’s population of 5 million. Anyone caught entering those areas would be fined and required to self-isolate for 14 days.

With a similar curfew already in place in Melbourne, more than a quarter of Australia’s population will be confined to their homes at night from Monday, with the exception of essential workers.

NSW state reported 644 new infections on Friday, most of them in Sydney. Daily cases across NSW have topped 400 for the past seven days despite eight weeks of lockdown in Sydney, Australia’s biggest city.

With only about 28% of people above 16 years of age fully vaccinated, Australia has failed to contain the Sydney outbreak which has now seeded cases in other towns and cities across Australia as well as New Zealand here.

Australia’s Victoria state recorded 55 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases and warned it was at risk of being swamped by infections.

“We are right on the edge of this getting away from us and it’s not because contact tracing aren’t doing everything they can. They are. It’s not because we didn’t lock down fast enough. We did,” Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters in Melbourne.

Australia’s capital Canberra is also in lockdown, with 16 cases recorded in the past 24 hours out of a population of around 430,000, authorities said.

ON THE EDGE

Suicide prevention helpline Lifeline Australia said there had been a 40% rise in calls in recent days compared with pre-pandemic times.

“What that demonstrates is the level of anxiety, increasing levels of anger in the community, and of course stress and pressure,” Lifeline Australia Chair John Brogden told broadcaster ABC on Friday.

Australia has recorded just shy of 12,000 infections since the first Delta case was reported in Sydney on June 16. Four new deaths were confirmed in NSW on Friday, taking the total to 65 in the latest outbreak.

Even so, high vaccination levels among Australia’s most vulnerable mean the mortality rate is 0.54%, official data shows, below previous outbreaks.

Despite a third wave of infections from the Delta variant, Australia’s COVID-19 numbers are relatively low, with some 42,100 cases and 975 deaths.

($1 = 1.4025 Australian dollars)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-australia/sydney-extends-covid-19-lockdown-imposes-curfew-on-worst-hit-areas-idUSKBN2FL03M

Lifeline

13 11 14 - 24 Hours

https://www.lifeline.org.au

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610d24  No.14404481

File: 60c26fd3d8d4734⋯.jpeg (389.1 KB, 750x1252, 375:626, 72EE3345_E5CD_40B6_9183_6….jpeg)

Graphene… Australia… Health Minister & his Family

https://cairnsnews.org/2021/08/19/health-minister-hunts-family-involvement-in-graphene-and-vaccines/?fbclid=IwAR1NQX_MKLXYvTrtvaB1LRPoBxY6H5ZzcPZ4zfS2cPSEJm7yUZ6puixeivw

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deef8a  No.14404558

File: 89d9ff29b49435a⋯.jpg (68.03 KB, 634x431, 634:431, Special_forces_soldiers_wh….jpg)

File: b72d052a6eb81e9⋯.jpg (49.83 KB, 634x428, 317:214, Following_the_withdrawal_o….jpg)

File: fd458052aaa7bf9⋯.jpg (21.61 KB, 634x476, 317:238, At_least_13_soldiers_from_….jpg)

EXCLUSIVE: SAS soldiers who faced the sack after extraordinary press conference accusing them of war crimes will FINALLY keep their jobs - and at least one is already back in Kabul saving Aussies from the Taliban

STEPHEN GIBBS - 19 August 2021

1/3

Special forces soldiers who faced the sack following the Brereton inquiry into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan have been told they can stay in their jobs.

Thirteen soldiers from the Special Air Service Regiment were sent show cause notices late last year asking why they should not have their employment terminated.

The notices were based solely on supposedly 'credible information' of war crimes contained within the multi-million dollar Brereton report.

All the soldiers were long-serving SAS members - some of them decorated for bravery - and the unproven allegations against them included taking part in unlawful killings.

In another backdown on the response to the Brereton inquiry, those soldiers still in the regiment threatened with termination have now been told no further action will be taken against them.

The move means soldiers recently considered potentially unsuitable for the Australian Defence Force - and according to the Brereton report, possible war criminals - are once again recognised as fit to serve their country.

One of those whose termination was withdrawn is understood to have been deployed this week to help evacuate Australians from Kabul as it falls to the Taliban.

A source close to some of the SAS members who were informed they no longer had to justify their continued employment said the show cause notices had been another 'knee-jerk' response by Defence.

A decision to revoke a unit citation awarded to 3,000 special forces members, including those killed in action, has already been reversed by the federal government.

'The reality is our defence force can't possibly consider these people to be war criminals because otherwise you wouldn't arm them with a weapon and send them back in,' the SAS source said.

The decision comes as questions are being raised about the military hierarchy's handling of Australia's withdrawal of Afghanistan and a royal commission into shockingly high rates of veteran suicides has been announced.

The show cause notices threatened imminent 'administrative action' and were issued in November after the release earlier that month of the Brereton report.

'Usually, once you've been issued with a notice to show cause it doesn't really matter what you say in response, you just get terminated,' the SAS source said.

NSW Supreme Court judge Paul Brereton conducted a four-year inquiry into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan for the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force.

No one has been charged with any war crimes, prosecutions are unlikely for years and much of the evidence given before Justice Brereton would not be admissible in court.

Retired major Heston Russell, who served in Afghanistan with the 2nd Commando Regiment, has warned former colleagues were struggling with ongoing uncertainty in the wake of the Brereton report.

'Some of the families have been involved with this inquiry since it started four years ago and still haven't had any resolution,' he told Network Seven in February.

More than 500 Afghanistan war veterans have taken their lives and 25 reportedly committed suicide in only two months after the release of the Brereton report.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14404561

File: ed8de29a0178406⋯.jpg (79.21 KB, 634x421, 634:421, Members_of_the_SAS_Regimen….jpg)

File: 857ced60175e0b7⋯.jpg (84.46 KB, 634x356, 317:178, The_ABC_Four_Corners_progr….jpg)

File: 734e51231157d00⋯.jpg (76.15 KB, 634x423, 634:423, The_465_page_heavily_redac….jpg)

>>14404558

2/3

Justice Brereton found 'credible information' that 25 Australian special forces personnel had been responsible for 39 unlawful killings in Afghanistan, along with cover-ups and other misconduct.

Those killings including cases where new SAS patrol members were allegedly told to shoot a prisoner to achieve their first kill in an 'appalling practice' known as 'blooding'.

There was also evidence of 'body count competitions' and troops covering up unlawful killings by staging skirmishes, planting weapons and retrospectively adding names to lists of Taliban targets, Justice Brereton found.

The heavily-redacted 465-page Brereton report blamed the alleged killings in part on a 'warrior' culture among special forces soldiers.

Australian Defence Force chief Angus Campbell said some SAS patrols had 'taken the law into their own hands', adding that 'rules were broken, stories concocted, lies told and prisoners killed'.

General Campbell said 'none of the alleged unlawful killings were described as being in the heat of battle.'

One of the killings was labelled in the report as 'possibly the most disgraceful episode in Australia's military history' but details were completely redacted.

General Campbell apologised for any unlawful killings of prisoners, farmers and other civilians, adding the troops allegedly involved had left a 'stain' on Australia.

'To the people of Afghanistan on behalf of the Australian Defence Force I sincerely and unreservedly apologise for any wrongdoing by Australian soldiers,' he said.

'And to the people of Australia, I am sincerely sorry for any wrongdoing by members of the Australian Defence Force.'

General Campbell went on to outline how the 'self-centred warrior culture' had led to 'cutting corners, ignoring and bending rules'.

The Brereton report suggested 19 serving or former soldiers could face prosecution for war crimes and the findings were being reviewed by a special investigator for the Australian Federal Police.

It is understood most of those 13 soldiers were among the 19 who Justice Brereton recommended for prosecution.

The soldiers issued show cause notices were mostly from the SAS Regiment's 2 Squadron, with a smaller number from 3 Squadron.

Some were identified by Justice Brereton as being 'trigger pullers' in unlawful killings, or accessories in alleged murders carried out by other SAS members.

Some were accused of giving false evidence to the Brereton inquiry investigators.

Despite all the claims of war crimes against the soldiers, their versions of events have ultimately been preferred over what was found in the Brereton report.

Witnesses who appeared before the inquiry were compelled to answer questions, even if they incriminated themselves, and were forbidden from discussing their evidence with their comrades.

Information obtained by the inquiry under compulsion and any evidence derived from it will be inadmissible in any criminal proceedings against those individuals.

Billionaire Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes offered to bankroll the legal costs of all special forces soldiers accused of war crimes and misconduct.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14404565

File: a262440219d90fc⋯.jpg (131.64 KB, 634x885, 634:885, One_of_the_SAS_soldiers_wh….jpg)

File: 9f5fd9e472c1410⋯.jpg (30.82 KB, 634x435, 634:435, More_than_500_Afghanistan_….jpg)

File: 9f60741e685c87e⋯.jpg (168.63 KB, 634x461, 634:461, More_than_26_000_Australia….jpg)

>>14404561

3/3

In January, the SAS members who were subject to adverse findings by Justice Brereton provided written responses to the show cause notices through their lawyers.

In March, some of the soldiers were told they would have medical discharges approved rather than have their employment terminated.

Others heard nothing more until several weeks ago when they were told no further action would be taken against them.

The SAS source said soldiers had been condemned without proper evidence and Defence was now backtracking on their decision to sack them.

'They were so quick to announce their action against these "potential war criminals" but they haven't been quick to announce their inaction.'

Serving and former SAS members feel the entire regiment is being punished for unproven allegations against a few of their number.

They complain that non-commissioned officers such as sergeants and corporals are being singled out for blame rather than those further up the chain of the command.

No action has been taken against any of the senior members of the ADF responsible for overseeing the work of the Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan.

A number of those whose show cause notices were revoked were leaving the regiment anyway after becoming disgruntled by their treatment, the source said.

General Campbell announced in November that 2 Squadron would be disbanded but Daily Mail Australia understands that in the interim rather than taking formal action all its members have been moved out to other squadrons.

General Campbell had also said the Meritorious Unit Citation awarded to about 3,000 members of the Special Operations Task Group who served in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2013 would be revoked.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton overturned that decision in April, saying only those soldiers who had a formal finding of inappropriate behaviour made against them would lose their citation.

More than 26,000 Australian personnel served in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2014 and 41 were killed.

Following the withdrawal of United States troops after 20 years of war, the Taliban has in recent weeks re-taken most of Afghanistan, including the capital Kabul.

Defence has been contacted for comment.

Any serving or former member of the Australian Defence Force or their families in distress can contact the Defence All-Hours Support Line on 1800 628 036.

https://www1.defence.gov.au/adf-members-families/health-well-being/services-support-fighting-fit/need-help-now/all-hours-support-line

Defence Family Helpline: 1800 624 608.

https://www1.defence.gov.au/adf-members-families/health-well-being/services-support-fighting-fit/need-help-now/family-helpline

Open Arms - Veterans & Families Counselling: 1800 011 046.

https://www.openarms.gov.au

A list of welfare support services is available here.

https://afghanistaninquiry.defence.gov.au/welfare-support

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9808447/SAS-soldiers-named-Afghanistan-war-crimes-inquiry-jobs.html

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deef8a  No.14404614

File: 1e0c88310941987⋯.jpg (452.14 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0001.jpg)

File: 39c9928182295de⋯.jpg (541.74 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0002.jpg)

File: 908a101088f19b1⋯.jpg (528.34 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0003.jpg)

File: 583af977941210f⋯.jpg (428.64 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0004.jpg)

File: 90545ba4efd6ecf⋯.pdf (210.34 KB, gov_uscourts_nysd_539612_3….pdf)

Prosecutors Ask Judge to Withhold the Names of Ghislaine Maxwell’s ‘Uncharged Co-Conspirators’ from Her

ADAM KLASFELD - Aug 19th, 2021

1/2

Federal prosecutors urged a judge not to force them to provide Ghislaine Maxwell a complete list of her “uncharged co-conspirators,” arguing that those disclosure risks “harm to the Government from restricting its proof at trial.”

“Although it is not required to do so, the Government can state that—as of the date of this letter, and although the Government may change its view as it prepares for trial—it currently intends to introduce co-conspirator statements at trial from only two individuals,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Moe wrote in a four-page letter on Wednesday.

Maxwell asked to learn their identities earlier, as one of the categories of information her defense team requested to avoid a trial-by-ambush.

“The Government Regrets Any Confusion”

Last week, U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan rejected Maxwell’s request for a bill of particulars, but that ruling pointed out that the government had not specifically responded to Maxwell’s request for co-conspirator names. Prosecutors urged the judge not to mistake their silence on the issue for consent.

“The Government regrets any confusion on this point,” prosecutors wrote in a footnote.

Prosecutor indicate that Maxwell’s upcoming trial in November will not shine a spotlight on many other people accused of aiding and abetting Epstein. Their letter states that they currently only plan to introduce “co-conspirator statements” by “only two individuals”: Epstein himself and an employee who scheduled his “massage” appointments around 2004.

“There is accordingly no significant risk that the defense will be surprised at trial by a profusion of co-conspirators and their statements, even if the government identifies statements for use at trial from additional co-conspirators,” the letter states. “This Court has twice concluded that no bill of particulars is warranted because the defendant has adequate information to prepare for trial and avoid unfair surprise.”

In a recent interview with Law&Crime’s podcast “Objections,” the Miami Herald’s Julie K. Brown—whose reporting has been widely credited with sparking Epstein and Maxwell’s prosecutions—opined that transparency has been getting worse on the dockets. Her public records battles in court led to the release of thousands of pages, which included the names of prominent men allegedly implicated in Epstein’s conspiracy.

Despite that flood of documents, courts remain “under pressure” to keep more files “under wraps and heavily redacted,” Brown said.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14404619

File: 3fc54d9c81e6f94⋯.jpg (670.49 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0005.jpg)

File: 0f1955f92ba5864⋯.jpg (659.84 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0006.jpg)

File: 28171cedc250d19⋯.jpg (426.59 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0007.jpg)

File: a26288047a8bdea⋯.pdf (201.39 KB, gov_uscourts_nysd_539612_3….pdf)

>>14404614

2/2

“No One Seemed Surprised”

Also on Wednesday, Maxwell’s lawyer Bobbi Sternheim raised a separate concern about her attorney-client communications. She claimed that third parties may have breached their video conference calls from the Metropolitan Detention Center, the federal lockup in Brooklyn, N.Y., where Maxwell is being held before trial.

Earlier this month, Maxwell says, the jail switched the video conferencing program from WebEx to Zoom after the accused sex-trafficker claimed to spot an unidentified party on the line: “NER/BRO.”

“When Ms. Maxwell raised these concerns to various staff members, no one seemed surprised,” Sternheim’s letter states. “The fact that MDC immediately provided a ‘more secure’ link (in their words) suggests there was some type of breach or interference with the attorney-client VTC which impinged upon confidentiality of privileged attorney-client communication and is placing an on-going chill on communication between Ms. Maxwell and her defense team.”

On Aug. 12, Maxwell’s team alleged a separate breach during a Zoom call, but the jail denied it.

“There was a miscommunication on our end internally,” the jail responded a day later, according to Maxwell’s letter. “There was no breach. The address provided was a very secure line, however, it was already one being used.”

Sternheim wants the jail to provide a sworn statement about the incidents.

https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/prosecutors-ask-judge-to-withhold-the-names-of-ghislaine-maxwells-uncharged-co-conspirators-from-her/

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17318376/united-states-v-maxwell/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612.320.0.pdf

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612.319.0.pdf

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deef8a  No.14404893

File: 003a0fb58f6954d⋯.jpg (985.28 KB, 825x2510, 165:502, ABC_MW_1.jpg)

File: dbf25f4aadda4e3⋯.webm (2.01 MB, 640x360, 16:9, mi_fnt9fTSoacw8T.webm)

File: b2a9fe0996f46da⋯.webm (11.99 MB, 480x480, 1:1, ZelT6my7OLsocPPH.webm)

File: eeca7be68ae7fe6⋯.jpg (761.94 KB, 853x856, 853:856, Q_1432.jpg)

ABC Media Watch Tweets

ABC's satanic slip-up. What was going on here? @abcnews

https://twitter.com/ABCmediawatch/status/1428495793363636227

From this week's #MediaBites:

https://twitter.com/ABCmediawatch/status/1428495914121920517

It appears the footage came from this Noosa Temple of Satan livestream (8.00 mark):

Noosa Temple of Satan

Everyone Welcome to our Satanic Black Mass at Noosa - 30 October 2020

https://www.facebook.com/105765934246791/videos/388798948829049

They've been in the media recently:

Devil in the detail as satanists’ fight with Education Dept hits Supreme Court

Toby Crockford - August 12, 2021

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/devil-in-the-detail-as-satanists-fight-with-education-dept-hits-supreme-court-20210812-p58i81.html

https://twitter.com/ABCmediawatch/status/1428606219082625025

https://qanon.pub/#1432

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25e04f  No.14411454

File: 898e94a83ae6ce7⋯.png (728.96 KB, 805x686, 115:98, ClipboardImage.png)

Ahoy, Ausanons. reposting >>14411392 (OB, QR Gen) for your viewing pleasure.

* * *

Shocking new TV investigation shows why Australia should be on red alert for the next neo-Nazi mass slaughter

[Damian Wilson is a UK journalist, ex-Fleet Street editor, financial industry consultant and political communications special advisor in the UK and EU. kekekekek] 19 Aug, 2021

An undercover investigation has revealed Australia’s right-wing extremists hide behind suburban normality to hoard guns and raise money while planning a new ‘ethno-state’, and even exposed links to theChristchurch mosque killer.

There used to be a time when right-wing nutters were treated as a bit of a joke. After all, things didn’t end so well for their idolAdolf Hitler,and ever since his death in a German bunker his corrupt national socialist ideology has not exactly enjoyed any mainstream endorsement.

Anyway, Western governments have had more on their minds than neo-Nazis and their ilk. There was a new bunch of bad guys on the block, and those radical Islamists proved they were capable of large-scale atrocities, as demonstrated by dozens of attacks on Western targets around the world and the unforgettable events of9/11,now 20 years ago.

In focusing attention on overthrowingdespots like Iraq’s Saddam Hussein, Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi or, more recently, Syria’s Bashar Assad,in what we were all led to believe were successive attempts to deprive Islamist terrorists of shelter, support and finances, Western nations have taken their eye off the ball. They should have been paying more attention to the growth of the extreme right-wing movements from which evil killers likeNew Zealand mosque murderer Brenton Tarrant and Norwegian crazy Anders Breivik have emerged.

The fact they didn’t has proven to be a serious mistake. Because while everyone’s been distracted with fighting Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) and their offshoots in dusty, far-off hellholes, an Australian investigation broadcast this week shows domestic, right-wing extremists have been organising in suburban homes, just like the ones you or I might live next door to, and are far more sophisticated than most folk would ever believe…

According toAustralia’s top spook, Mike Burgess,the head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), although some of these online neo-Nazis “are just talking a good game, it could unfortunately spur someone on who’s on the fringe of that group.”

Of course, he’s right. Both Tarrant and Breivik inhabited the online netherworld of right-wing extremism before their murderous endeavours. And there are surely others out there just like them, but who are able to keep whatever drives them in check and under wraps before they do something catastrophic.

Judging by the extent of organisation the investigators uncovered, widespreadgun ownership,the exhortations to raise funds, calls to buy up rural property as the first steps in forming a new, racist state and the encouragement to network domestically and internationally with fellow travellers, then don’t be surprised if that next extremist attack occurs in Oz.[FALSE FLAG, AUS Ed?]

While that might be the cause of much bloodshed, knowing what we know now, it should not be unexpected. One meeting caught on undercover camera finds a group of neo-Nazis swearing their oath: “It is my duty to be a warrior, to be strong and defend my people. It is my duty to speak the truth no matter the consequences. I may die, but my blood lives forever, until my end, this is my oath. Blood and honour.”

If that doesn’t ring alarm bells across Australia and beyond, then heaven knows what will.

https://www.rt.com/op-ed/532427-investigation-right-wing-extremists-australia/

kek. tavistock types getting desperate to legitimize the tyranny in down under bolt hole.

* * *

heading back to QR Gen. love you fags (no homo)

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deef8a  No.14411862

File: 128f09183688026⋯.jpg (167.35 KB, 1200x801, 400:267, Masked_police_officers_pat….jpg)

>>14404403

Sydney police crack down on planned anti-lockdown protest

Lidia Kelly - August 21, 2021

MELBOURNE, Aug 21 (Reuters) - More than 1,500 police were deployed to the streets of Sydney on Saturday and rideshares and some public transport routes to the city's downtown were blocked to prevent a planned anti-lockdown protest.

"Public safety is our first priority and you will be fined or arrested if you turn up," the New South Wales police said in a statement on its Twitter account, adding that the protest was unauthorised and risked further spreading COVID-19.

Sydney, a city of more than 5 million people, has been in a strict lockdown for weeks now, struggling to contain an outbreak of the highly transmissible coronavirus Delta variant, which has now caused cases in other towns and cities across Australia as well as in New Zealand.

Australian media reported that a similar protest was planned in Melbourne, also a city of more than 5 million people, which is in its sixth lockdown since the start of the pandemic. On Saturday there were 61 new locally acquired cases reported in Melbourne and throughout the state of Victoria.

Compliance with public health rules had been one of the key cited reasons behind Australia's success in managing the pandemic before the third wave of infections from the Delta variant.

A July poll by the NSW-based market research firm Utting Research showed that only 7% of the people support the demonstrations. Australia's COVID-19 numbers are still relatively low with just over 42,200 cases and 975 deaths.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/sydney-police-crack-down-planned-anti-lockdown-protest-2021-08-21/

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deef8a  No.14412079

File: b690c431bf172a2⋯.jpg (129.69 KB, 862x485, 862:485, Graham_Lyons_opposes_COVID….jpg)

File: cea7c56ca97e1d7⋯.jpg (214.82 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Australia_s_Red_Ensign_has….jpg)

File: cfecf6df77712fb⋯.jpg (79.84 KB, 840x560, 3:2, The_Australian_Federal_Pol….jpg)

COVID-19 is accelerating the rise of conspiracy and sovereign citizen movements in Australia

Eric Tlozek - 21 August 2021

1/3

Graham Lyons does not think the COVID-19 pandemic is real, and he is willing to go to jail to prove it.

The experienced agricultural scientist, whose career includes a PhD in the field of micronutrients, is facing potential prosecution for failing to take COVID-19 tests.

He has also refused to wear a mask and will not sign-in to businesses he visits.

"The government has no right to track the citizenry like that," he told the ABC.

"I stand up against it, I don't acquiesce to that and if it gets me into jail, so be it.

"I am putting everything I've got into this because I don't want my little granddaughter growing up in a techno-fascist dystopia."

Dr Lyons's work relates to agriculture in public health — he is not a medical specialist — but he said he had nevertheless concluded that vaccination was ineffective and, like many others opposed to COVID-19 controls, believed the pandemic was a front for organisations and individuals advancing a "globalist agenda to institute a world government".

"The whole thing is fraudulent," he said.

"You've got a global cabal behind this.

"I call them 'global parasites' who think they own the world and everyone else should pay obeisance to them."

Dr Lyons believes the same group has previously made major attempts to control and change society, but that COVID-19 is their biggest challenge to his way of life, one that must be resisted.

"This is the big one. We've got to win this, otherwise we're f****d," he said.

Dr Lyons has a job, pays tax, and said he was opposed to violence.

He said he was not part of any organised group.

But other people with similar beliefs have been prepared to go much further and have been organising via the internet.

Last month, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) executed six search warrants in three states to disrupt a group that was meeting to discuss overthrowing the government and arresting politicians and bureaucrats.

The AFP said there was no evidence they had the capacity to carry out violent acts, but it told the ABC such groups had the potential to cause significant problems.

"Police are concerned when these beliefs manifest into criminal or violent acts," the AFP said.

"In relation to ideologically motivated violent extremism, we are witnessing the number of individuals who adhere to this ideology continue to increase and spread across the country.

"We are always concerned about groups that seek to undertake activities that would endanger the safety of the community. We work with our intelligence partners to identify criminality or threats to public safety, and act accordingly."

The group identified by the AFP was part of a loose movement of people claiming the government is corrupt and illegitimate, using a range of legal-sounding arguments, like "common law" or calling themselves "sovereign citizens", to justify their views.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14412085

File: 0c30da9b5a4b451⋯.jpg (128.77 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Mr_Holt_said_COVID_19_rest….jpg)

File: e45db63f0f1315b⋯.jpg (181.25 KB, 862x1149, 862:1149, Mark_Balnaves_is_an_expert….jpg)

>>14412079

2/3

'Pushing people into our open arms'

Some people have formed organised groups to discuss alternative governments.

Mike Holt is the convenor and "elected sheriff" of one "common law" group on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

"This is a spiritual movement more than anything else," he told the ABC.

"Common law is the law of man, of God, of the universe, so it's a natural law."

The Vietnam veteran, a retired businessman, said the movement was non-violent and described the people raided by the AFP as "power-hungry nutcases".

"They had nothing to do with us," he said.

"We are not trying to remove the government, we are making them inconsequential.

"We are not doing anything illegal, we are certainly not going out there to start an insurrection."

Mr Holt said he had become interested in "common law" theories after Julia Gillard replaced Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister in 2010.

He said the basis for the movement was the meeting of like-minded people to form assemblies that sign charters and elect sheriffs, pass by-laws and convene common law courts.

"We have the same powers as any other government but we're a local government, so people like this idea because it empowers them to take back control of their lives," he said.

Mr Holt said COVID-19 restrictions have increased interest in the group's activities.

"There's been a lot of people getting in touch asking how they can start an assembly, what they can do to empower themselves and how do we stop the attacks on their rights and freedoms by the government," he said.

"They're pushing people into our open arms and we're quite happy to help them."

Alternative legal movements have existed for a long time in the United States, but researchers have recently noticed a sharp growth in activity in Australia.

"The people who were arrested recently are a signal of big things coming up — that is, undermining legitimate liberal democracy and its authority, a rejection of what we count as government," said Mark Balnaves, an adjunct research fellow at Notre Dame University.

Dr Balnaves investigates the role of social media in spreading anti-government ideology, like the "sovereign citizen" movement in which people claim to be exempt from laws they disagree with.

"Two, three years ago in Australia there was no conversation on this," he said.

"[On] sovereign citizens you might have 10-20 posts, now you'll have something like 40,000 interactions in Australia online about the topic.

"It's entered the lexicon, it's part of the language and that's a problem.

"People are taking the core element of rejection of authority and using it in their lives."

The online ecosystem for anti-COVID, "sovereign citizen" and alternative legal groups regularly includes anti-vaccination groups, "wellness" enthusiasts and religious objectors, along with white nationalists, people opposed to progressive social change, and believers in the US-based QAnon conspiracy.

"A couple of years ago the NSW Police Force picked it up and they estimated it was a few hundred people as sovereign citizens," Dr Balnaves said.

"Now you've got a range of people deploying the same tactics, whether they're from anti-vaccination [groups] – and COVID makes a big difference here – and more recently you've got sovereign citizen-allied people clogging up courts, from lower courts to appeals courts."

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14412093

File: 563c581c3c7597c⋯.jpg (236.76 KB, 862x575, 862:575, A_heavy_police_presence_bl….jpg)

File: 4653dbf3bdc2813⋯.jpg (151.59 KB, 862x575, 862:575, A_large_crowd_participates….jpg)

>>14412085

3/3

While the movement has been associated with violence in the United States, in Australia the only conflict seen so far has been protesters clashing with police at anti-lockdown rallies.

But Dr Balnaves said the potential existed for such groups to become dangerous.

"I think that is the ultimate worry," he said.

"Violence is always the hard edge of it, but combine that with simple rejection of authority and you've got a toxic mix.

"If it was simply a narrow band of people who are violent, that's normally under counter-terrorism [measures and] you can control it … but what if it's your mum, or your dad or things like that?

"It becomes more difficult."

Legal experts and courts have continuously rejected the many arguments put forward by alternative legal movements, saying they are "legal fictions".

Dramatic increase in activity and interest

Robert Sudy, a former "sovereign citizen" who has become a researcher into the movement, said it greatly affected some followers' personal lives.

"What I've seen over the years [is that] different adherents of the ideology — they end up having a lot of problems in the home with family and relationships because it encourages that sort of narcissistic mindset, so it's pretty damaging for mental health," he said.

Mr Sudy has tracked the various methods and groups propagating these ideologies for close to a decade and said he has noticed a dramatic increase in activity and interest.

"It's grown from what it used to be when these concepts were first introduced … [when] it was basically tax evasion strategies and how to get out of different fines, whereas today it's grown into more of a social phenomena and it's growing as more people are exposed to it online," he said.

"Definitely the last couple of years people are looking for solutions and this is offered as a false hope."

Mr Sudy said the push for sovereign citizenship "provably has no basis in law".

But he said many people ignored the comprehensive rejection of their legal-sounding arguments by courts — which have ruled that people do not have the right to opt out or disregard the law — because those individuals had often developed a religious-like devotion to the ideology.

"I've watched people become radicalised just from very simple needs or legitimate matters they had in their own lives, whether it be paying rates on their property, paying a speeding fine," he said.

"It's gone from something so simple into [something] like a cult.

"Anyone who had a difference of opinion or tried to doubt the ideology in any way was shunned – they were called 'sheeple' [or] government agents.

"The paranoia was perpetuated."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-21/covid-19-accelerating-rise-of-conspiracy-movements-in-australia/100393666

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b77130  No.14412378

>>14412079

Goes to show how many Aussie people are still asleep if you have to tell them the So Called virus is not real. Wake TWU Australia

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b77130  No.14412395

>>14404893

I don't think it was a slip up. It was done to wake the Aussies up. If they still think Biden is Biden what hope has Australia got.

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b77130  No.14412409

Thanks for your service Ladies and Gentlemen. Stay Safe

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b77130  No.14412510

Make a spot for this Weasle. Jack Boot Johnny. Make my day, as your's is coming. Can't wait!!

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b77130  No.14412519

Obviously this clown does not know the difference in the to factions. Obviously a friend of John McCann

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deef8a  No.14412582

File: 6d8767e19c818d4⋯.jpg (84.06 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Matthew_Golos_known_by_his….jpg)

File: a9993d1ac96f5f7⋯.webm (576.48 KB, 640x362, 320:181, JG_1.webm)

Unmasking an international neo-Nazi group’s Australian recruiter

Nick McKenzie, Joel Tozer and Heather McNeill - August 21, 2021

1/2

Counter-terrorism investigators raided an Australian neo-Nazi cell late last year whose members include a 23-year-old tradesman acting on behalf of a violent international organisation to recruit young men to their cause.

The federal police and ASIO have been investigating allegations that tradesman Matthew Golos was encouraging others to join the racist extremist group. Among them is a Perth-based neo-Nazi who later purchased materials that could be used to make an improvised explosive device.

A major investigation by The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes has also revealed that Mr Golos used the online alias Volkskrieger – German for “people’s warrior” – and encrypted communications platforms to lure Australians as young as 16 to join dangerous US-based neo-Nazi organisation The Base.

The identity of Volkskrieger has been one of the mysteries on Australia’s extremist scene after it emerged he was appointed The Base’s key Australian recruiter in late 2019.

In an exclusive interview, ASIO’s director-general Mike Burgess declined to identify specific targets of his agency but said he was alarmed to uncover connections between Australians and “material from The Base offshore”.

“That connection disturbs us because obviously it may well lead to people going down a path of radicalisation, and that’s our principal concern,” Mr Burgess said.

The Base has been banned as a terror organisation in Canada and the UK and has been investigated in the US by the FBI, which has charged several of its members in connection to violent crimes. Formed in the US in 2018 and with membership cells in North America, South Africa and the United Kingdom, The Base supports “accelerationist” theory, which involves neo-Nazis attempting to bring about a race war or societal collapse through violence.

The Australian Federal Police said in a statement in response to questions about Mr Golos that its counter-terror teams had launched “disruptive” raids in Perth late last year. The raids targeted Mr Golos and a local extremist group he is a member of, the Society of Western Australian Nationalists. Police say they launched the raids because “some individuals were agitating for the group to transition to a more aggressive posture”.

The raids had “disrupted” the police suspects and there was no imminent threat of a terror attack, police said, although no further details could be made public.

Mr Golos lives with his parents in the working-class Perth suburb of Ballajura, where he played football for the local team and attended a nearby high school. Repeated efforts to contact him and his relatives have been ignored.

This masthead’s investigation can also reveal that one of the Australians Mr Golos sought to recruit purchased materials that could be used to make a bomb.

James Greig, a Perth-based neo-Nazi, purchased two dozen cold packs of ammonia nitrate along with other materials that could be used to make an improvised explosive device in April 2020, according to multiple sources speaking on condition of anonymity. Months earlier, he had boasted on leaked recordings from vetting sessions for The Base about his access to weapons.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14412589

File: fc40f824b9a31fd⋯.jpg (66.59 KB, 960x640, 3:2, A_photo_included_in_an_FBI….jpg)

>>14412582

2/2

Mr Greig used two online aliases, AdvocateCannabilism and James Jameson, to disguise his identity in his discussions with Mr Golos in November 2019, but multiple sources and open source intelligence confirmed his identity.

During a vetting call with Mr Golos and The Base’s American leaders in November 2019, the 38-year-old Greig said he got “enjoyment watching … [terrorist Brenton] Tarrant do his thing”. Mr Greig also told Mr Golos he wanted to help build a group of networked survivalists across the country with access to firearms, legal access to firearms, so there’s no questions asked by the alphabets [the AFP and ASIO]”.

Mr Golos agreed to meet Mr Greig in person after hearing him espouse these views. There is no suggestion Mr Golos or Mr Greig plotted an actual terrorist attack. Mr Greig was charged last year with weapons and drugs offences and is still an active extremist. ASIO and the AFP have warned a key danger of neo-Nazi language and rhetoric is that it could inspire political violence by a lone wolf or small cell.

Western Australian court records show his case was referred from Joondalup Magistrates Court to the Perth Magistrates Start Court, which is a program for offenders with mental health issues. To be eligible for this program, a person has to admit their offences. He took part in that program between October 2020 and July 2021.

Mr Greig is one of at least five Australians who Mr Golos helped The Base recruit in 2019 and 2020, according to a trove of leaked communications leaked from The Base’s US leadership cell and which contain the voices and online aliases of aspiring neo-Nazis across the globe.

In March, The Age and Herald revealed how the documents and tape recordings leaked from The Base’s inner sanctum had captured the group’s leader, Rinaldo “The Wolf” Nazarro, appointing an Australian using the handle “Volkskrieger” to run The Base’s nascent Australian operation.

But despite extensive reporting and media investigations – in March the ABC asked members of the public to help identify Volkskrieger – his identity remained hidden until multiple sources identified Golos to this masthead.

The leaked Base recordings were first obtained by US investigative journalist Jason Wilson for the Southern Poverty Law Centre, which then provided them to The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

The recordings show the organisation was open to recruiting Australian teenagers and that Brenton Tarrant’s murderous mosque rampage in New Zealand in March 2019 was admired by some.

In his recorded vetting interview in late 2019, a 21-year-old Brisbane applicant told The Base leadership: I “fully wholeheartedly agree with what he [Tarrant] did.”

Another applicant, a 16-year-old boy from Canberra, told The Base’s leaders that his father was a government security official who did not support his views and that the teen had been kicked out of a local nationalist group for “promoting violent tactics” and supporting Tarrant.

Other Australians who have attempted to join The Base include former federal One Nation candidate Dean Smith.

Mr Smith, who unsuccessfully contested the 2019 federal election, told The Base during his vetting interview that “I have come to realise that there really is no political solution” and that, “if I want to leave a legacy for my children, then I’m going to have to do something about it”.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/unmasking-an-international-neo-nazi-group-s-australian-recruiter-20210820-p58kef.html

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deef8a  No.14412603

File: f470521a8df12c2⋯.jpg (85.91 KB, 1440x810, 16:9, From_kickboxing_to_Adolf_H….jpg)

File: 750efe178779419⋯.jpg (95.26 KB, 945x585, 21:13, _Jaz_Searby.jpg)

>>14412582

From kickboxing to Adolf Hitler: the neo-Nazi plan to recruit angry young men

An unprecedented look inside Australia’s radical fringe shows their deep links to violent international groups, and what they’ll do if they are banned.

Nick McKenzie and Joel Tozer - AUGUST 21, 2021

1/4

Sitting on the back deck of his home on the Victorian border town of Barnawartha, his outline blurred by bong smoke, a petty criminal and martial arts instructor is discussing the idea of taking over Australia’s largest neo-Nazi group.

Jarrad “Jaz” Searby, a convicted criminal and gym owner, was until May the head of an Australian chapter of the right-wing extremist group Proud Boys.

The group, which became infamous for bolstering Donald Trump and provoking confrontations in Black Lives Matter protests and the Capitol invasion, and which has been designated a terrorist organisation in Canada, has always stopped short of identifying itself as neo-Nazi. It has publicly disavowed anti-Semitism and its founder described it as “Western chauvinist”, “anti-political correctness” and “anti-white guilt”.

Now Searby is explaining how things really work.

Talking to an infiltrator working deep inside the neo-Nazi National Socialist Network, Searby said his now-defunct chapter of the Proud Boys had been set up as a front, funnelling young men from the suburbs and towns of Australia through martial arts training, through “anti-white guilt”, then on to full-fledged neo-Nazism.

Once in, those recruits become part of a linked network of domestic and international groups considered by counter-terrorism authorities to be far more dangerous than the Proud Boys. Secret recordings revealed last week by The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes show that inside that network operated a cult-like breeding ground for extremism, with groups ready to split off, splinter and form new cells if one was banned or a key leader jailed.

The investigations have also, for the first time, revealed the identity of the secretive leaders involved in a wave of extremist recruiting across Australia.

Dangerous liaisons

In August this year, in a report for the US military’s Combating Terrorism Centre, extremist researchers Mathew Kriner and John Lewis describe how some factions of the US Proud Boys “acted as a ‘gateway’ for even more extreme groups”, including international neo-Nazi terror group The Base.

The report also observed how the “tactics” used by some Proud Boys to “evade detection and maintain plausible deniability” about their support for political violence and neo-Nazism would “outlive” the group and be adopted by offshoots and splinter groups. Missing, though, was direct evidence.

Enter “Jaz” Searby.

The resident of a small red brick house in the border town of Barnawartha near the Murray River, Searby is opening up to an undercover agent assisting The Age, the Herald and 60 Minutes. Months earlier, the agent successfully infiltrated the National Socialist Network’s Racism HQ in Melbourne. Now, as his last assignment, the mole has peeled off from the group for several meetings with Searby, whose importance, he feels, is growing.

“You know they ban any, like, they ban Nazis from the [Proud Boys] club … you know if you start to ask Jewish questions or something like that in the Proud Boys they will basically just try to kick you out,” Searby explained, unaware he was being recorded.

Searby, 37, has been introduced to the mole by Tom Sewell as one of the NSN’s key allies. He was one of four of the Proud Boys’ Victorian leaders but, growing angry at the group’s public disavowal of neo-Nazism and white supremacy, he’d decided to leave after using its brand to gain a band of several dozen followers.

His unkempt appearance and face tattoos are a stark contrast to Sewell’s army haircut and anti-drugs persona, but it was clear the two had struck an accord.

“Tom’s obviously, he was at the f-ckin far end of the scale [of racism], and you know me being more central was you know, I was with the Proud Boys, I had planned to be a gateway to Tom,” Searby explains. “I was going to funnel people in that direction, you know basically funnel people to do their own research, but we would generally lead them in that direction anyway.”

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14412613

File: a89d8c53c45035b⋯.jpg (78.15 KB, 945x585, 21:13, Enrique_Tarrio.jpg)

File: 114170bde82eb40⋯.jpg (86.53 KB, 945x585, 21:13, Denis_Nikitin.jpg)

File: fc454354e3b882e⋯.jpg (154.65 KB, 1024x683, 1024:683, Jarrad_Jaz_Searby_at_fight….jpg)

>>14412603

2/4

Searby was in touch with the then US leader of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, who praised Searby for a video posted online.

But it was his talent as a martial arts instructor that reminded Sewell’s right-hand man, Jacob Hersant, of one of the most dangerous neo-Nazis in Europe, Russia’s Denis Nikitin.

The founder of extremist clothing and MMA brand White Rex, Nikitin has been banned from entering several European countries. In a 2018 interview, he explained White Rex was a tool to promote his white supremacist ideology: “If we kill one immigrant every day, that’s 365 immigrants in a year. But tens of thousands more will come anyway … So now we fight for minds, not on the street, but on social media.”

Nikitin was already an inspiration to the National Socialist Network (NSN) and Hersant disclosed on a hidden camera that the NSN had introduced Searby to him.

“He is a really good dude,” Hersant said of the Russian. “I got him into contact with Jaz and they just see eye to eye coz they are both interested in the MMA stuff,” Hersant told the mole.

Another senior NSN member explained that if Searby replicated Nikitin’s MMA neo-Nazi network, it could give the NSN an offshoot operation that counter-terror authorities could not easily ban.

“It is just a good way of sort of like protecting ourselves as well. If our organisation gets proscribed as a terror group, you know Jaz can still operate, because he is not affiliated, he can still operate as a gym, just an MMA gym.”

Proscription is no idle fear. The leaders of the joint parliamentary security committee this week agreed, across the political aisle, that the National Socialist Network should be considered for banning.

After Searby’s introduction to Nikitin, the Australian hosted the Russian on a video podcast, praising him for starting “white boy fight clubs”.

“There is [sic] not many men left in the West willing to fight for what they believe,” Searby told Nikitin. “I’m a big fan … The people here in Australia will be inspired to see you standing up.”

Leadership spill

By April this year, Searby’s role inside the National Socialist Network was growing. Sewell revealed in the secret recordings that he had directed Searby to offer the group’s financial support to an Albury-Wodonga teenager and alleged neo-Nazi facing terrorism charges.

“Jaz and his mate have been knocking on the [alleged terrorist’s mother’s] door every day. I found his address, but she hasn’t been home,” Sewell was recorded saying. Sewell had explained it was the NSN’s duty to contribute to his bail fund. “He is one of our boys …. We spread and share the risk. That’s how it works.”

By late April, Searby had agreed to start training neo-Nazis, travelling to Melbourne to teach MMA to National Socialist Network recruits. When Sewell was remanded in custody on May 13 over an alleged assault – a charge which he is contesting – Hersant, the group’s interim leader, asked Searby to lead the fight training sessions that Sewell usually oversaw.

He agreed, but Searby also spied an opportunity.

While Searby had publicly called for authorities to “free Tom Sewell”, he was privately scathing of the NSN’s unquestioning support for its leader.

“Everyone is saying Tom is a political prisoner – I’m saying you can’t f-cking say that because once it comes out that Tom’s done something wrong, if he has, we are all going to look like f-cking idiots.”

Hersant, Searby said, was also too weak to lead the NSN.

“That’s my only problem with Jacob … he is definitely very smart, but he’s a very soft kid … I’m not going to follow a 22-year-old … And I know, I coached them, I watched them fight.”

Away from the NSN base, Searby confided in the undercover agent that, with Sewell in jail and the membership splintering, Searby could make his own play at becoming leader.

“I know all eyes are on me at the moment and I need to make the right decision.”

In early August, Hersant was still promoting himself as NSN leader, but he too is now facing assault charges. Sources say Searby is now a core member of the NSN’s leadership cell and increasingly looking to take control of the white supremacist movement in Australia’s south-east.

If Searby and Sewell had developed their own recruiting model, they were not alone. Sewell’s NSN was partnering with group’s other than the Proud Boys. And Searby was not the only committed extremist with overseas links and big ambitions.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14412617

File: 30f44a46d0efda7⋯.png (675.96 KB, 1024x683, 1024:683, ASIO_director_general_Mike….png)

File: ec72295ef5a042a⋯.jpg (70.22 KB, 1024x683, 1024:683, Danny_Newman_filmed_at_Rac….jpg)

>>14412613

3/4

The recruiters

Among Australia’s top national security figures, the director-general of ASIO, Mike Burgess, keeps a closer eye than anyone else on the neo-Nazi movement. What he sees disturbs him.

“This is spread across every state and territory and it’s regional and rural, as well as capital cities. So it’s truly national and they communicate effectively through their messaging apps,” Burgess says. They are organised as “a coalition of small groups,” they talk about “splitting themselves to hide”, and they are furiously networking with international extremists.

“It’s the online community that allows them to connect with other like-minded people, have access to hateful ideologies, and go into forums, very dark places, where they can encourage acts of violence, or be encouraged for acts of violence,” Burgess says.

Before he was remanded, Sewell had strong contacts with senior Australian figures in the violent, UK-founded extremist group Combat 18. The members of the group (whose number, 18, is an alphanumeric code for Adolf Hitler’s initials: 1=A and 8=H) are spread across Europe and have been charged with multiple murders and serious acts of political violence. In 2019, the group was designated a terror organisation in Canada.

Senior Victorian Combat 18 member Daniel Newman is the liaison between the NSN and a violent skinhead prison gang that has vowed to protect group members in Victorian jails.

One of Combat 18’s former UK regional leaders, Nigel Bromage, who now works to deradicalise neo-Nazis, says word of the NSN’s networking success has spread to Britain. He’s spoken to British extremists in awe of their “brothers” in Australia.

Bromage, who years after fleeing the group carries the shame of the violence he inflicted on its behalf, warns that the allegiance between the NSN and Combat 18 is disturbing.

“They’ve (UK neo-Nazis) spoken about the growing Australian far right. And they are … passing [on] good-practice rules for each organisation,” says Bromage.

An Australian Combat 18 encrypted chat room accessed by this masthead with the help of researchers in the White Rose Society, shows that shortly after Sewell was sent to prison to await his court case, Combat 18 was working to lure the NSN’s recruits, as well as those from another NSN feeder group, Antipodean Resistance (AR), over to the international group.

“He was in the AR/ NSN till we woke him up,” a Combat 18 member says in one thread obtained, describing a budding neo-Nazi he claims to have recruited.

Combat 18 is not the only violent overseas group expanding into Australia. In late 2019, American terror organisation The Base appointed its first Australian leader to oversee a recruitment drive. This Australian goes by the online alias “Volkskrieger” and his identity has been one of the best-kept secrets in Australia’s far right.

Unmasking Volkskrieger

The Base gained global notoriety in December 2019 when the FBI arrested several of its members for plotting violent hate crimes. In Canada and Britain the white supremacist group has been banned as a terror organisation for inspiring members to train with weapons and bring about a race war.

In Australia, it has also caused national headlines after revelations in March that it sought to recruit young men, including teenagers, who claimed to have been inspired or impressed by Brenton Tarrant’s massacre of Muslims at prayer in Christchurch, New Zealand.

A data leak from The Base in 2020 revealed its most important Australian leader was Volkskrieger – “people’s warrior” in German – who was putting up propaganda posters in Perth. The posters announced that The Base had set up shop in Australia: “We are here.”

By mid-2020, Volkskrieger had recruited at least five Australians. One of them was a Perth man using the alias “James Jameson” who boasted of his access to weapons and fondness for the Christchurch terrorist. But Jameson was also sloppy online, leaving a trail of clues confirming his identity as a 38-year-old Combat 18 member called James Greig who has previously faced weapons and drugs charges. Greig is of intense interest to national security agencies, including for purchasing equipment that could be used to make a bomb, although official sources have said there is no evidence suggesting he poses any imminent threat.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14412626

File: 42b1eacf29f636f⋯.png (753.59 KB, 1024x683, 1024:683, Matthew_Golos_known_by_his….png)

File: 546440eef1f9649⋯.webm (924.51 KB, 640x392, 80:49, BR_1.webm)

>>14412617

4/4

Volkskrieger was much more careful. Recordings of his voice made and leaked by a Base insider reveal a thick Australian accent belonging to a young man unperturbed that he’s drawing teenagers into a life of violence and racism.

“Sometimes that’s a good thing because young people are more motivated and ready to make changes,” he tells fellow Base leaders in the US on one recording.

The recordings also suggest Volkskrieger is extremely security-conscious, giving away no biographical details and questioning how the group deals with informers and police.

But he still let slip a critical detail. He had joined a Perth group, the Society of Western Australian Nationalists (SWAN), a spin-off of one of the extremist organisations founded by Sewell. Volkskrieger told The Base’s US cell he was using his membership of this group to identify other young men to recruit.

If some Australian neo-Nazis are recruiting and expanding their movement by linking up extremist cells across the nation and overseas, not everyone approves. Members of Perth’s neo-Nazi sceneangry at Volkskrieger’s perceived betrayal, as well as other confidential sources who requested anonymity, identified Volkskrieger as Matthew Golos, a 23-year-old tradesman from the working-class Perth suburb of Ballajura.

Golos lives in a nondescript home with his parents and younger brother, who is still in high school. He didn’t respond to multiple attempts to contact him. Friends and relatives declined to comment.

In response to questions about Golos and SWAN, the federal police said in a statement that its counter-terror teams “are aware of this matter” and late last year raided “individuals connected to the Society of Western Australia Nationalists (SWAN)” seeking to disrupt the group. The AFP said the raids were sparked by concerns “some individuals were agitating for the group to transition to a more aggressive posture”, there was no immediate threat to public safety and no further details could be made public.

Photos of Golos in his high school years reveal a handsome teen, smiling at parties alongside friends and playing local football. There is no hint of his dark side in these images. But Jason Wilson from the US Southern Poverty Law Centre, who is the global expert on The Base, says recruiters such as Volkskrieger were intent on “trying to recruit and radicalise young men, and guide them towards acts of violence”.

“Some of the members have joined when they’re 15 or 16. And by the time they hit 19 or 20, they’re at the point of no return.”

There is nothing about Golos in the public domain that suggests he was The Base’s Australian point man, no hint of the man running between neo-Nazi cells and fielding calls from senior American hate merchants while holding down a job as a Perth tradesman.

The AFP says its raids in Perth last year had a “disruptive” effect. But given Golos is not answering questions, it’s hard to know whether he’s still on his journey of hate.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/from-kickboxing-to-adolf-hitler-the-neo-nazi-plan-to-recruit-angry-young-men-20210817-p58jfq.html

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deef8a  No.14412752

File: 5be0b1717c6fc69⋯.jpg (91.75 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Home_Affairs_Minister_Kare….jpg)

Crackdown on slavery after ‘evil crime’ soars

CAMERON STEWART - AUGUST 21, 2021

A sharp jump in the number of people trapped in slave-like conditions in Australia has led the Morrison government to step up efforts to combat what it describes as an “evil and pernicious crime”.

The move comes after the country’s worst case of domestic slavery in which a Sri Lankan ­couple were sentenced to jail last month for keeping an Indian slave in their Melbourne home until she almost died of illness.

The woman was enslaved and mistreated inside the Mt Waverley house for eight years without a passport, language skills or money to return to her native India, and her plight was hidden from neighbours and state and federal agencies.

That incident, told in The Weekend Australian Magazine, follows a doubling of the number of cases of so-called “domestic servitude” in the past 12 months where slaves, often housemaids, have been forced to live and work against their will in people’s homes. The number of reported cases of modern slavery – which also covers sexual servitude, forced labour, human trafficking and forced marriage – jumped to 223 in 2019-20, a 38 per cent rise since 2017-18.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said the government had intensified its efforts to detect and prosecute those who kept slaves.

“While it may come as a surprise to many, slavery practices like forced labour or human trafficking pose a very real threat today – including here in Australia,” Ms Andrews said.

“It is an evil and pernicious crime and sadly, it is young women and children that are particularly vulnerable to being trafficked.

“Domestic servitude, sexual ­exploitation and forced marriage cannot be allowed to stand in our society.”

Jennifer Burn of Anti-Slavery Australia said there had been only 31 convictions in Australia for slavery since 2004, with the majority being for sexual exploitation.

Professor Burn said a recent survey in Sydney by her group found two out of three Australians were unaware that slavery existed in the country.

The Morrison government ­announced a national plan last year to address modern slavery but the hidden nature of the crime makes it difficult to obtain convictions.

Detective superintendent Jayne Crossling, the head of the Australian Federal Police’s Victorian Human Exploitation team, said: “It is really challenging to be able to meet all the individual thresholds (in the law) to put a really good quality brief of evidence for a prosecution (for slavery offences).”

She said one of the problems was that victims were vulnerable, often wary of law enforcement and unwilling to give evidence.

In 2020-21 the AFP received 224 reports of modern slavery, including 79 reports of forced marriage, 42 reports of sexual servitude, 35 reports of forced ­labour, 12 reports of trafficking in children and 15 reports of domestic servitude.

In March, the AFP obtained ­restraining orders over two properties in Sydney worth more than $3.8m, where an Indonesian national had been held against her will and subjected to forced labour for nearly six years. A Sydney couple were jailed in June for keeping a woman in forced labour at their home and business for three years.

Last month Victorian Supreme Court judge John Champion sentenced Sri Lankan immigrants Kandasamy and Kumuthini Kannan to six years and eight years’ jail respectively for keeping their live-in maid in slave-like conditions from 2007 to 2015.

He described the Kannans as “compulsive liars and deceptive individuals” who had exploited “a massive power imbalance” between themselves and the woman.

“To understand the concept of slavery, we must rid ourselves of ingrained images of rows of men chained together at the oars of a gallery, or man and women working in fields in bondage,” Justice Champion said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/crackdown-on-slavery-after-evil-crime-soars/news-story/60b5cc407fb0000648c806852e0087b1

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deef8a  No.14412760

File: 09565b58ece802c⋯.jpg (107.3 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, Facebook_image_of_from_lef….jpg)

>>14412752

Eight years a slave: Melbourne couple’s shocking secret

A woman is kept as a slave for eight years by a couple in a suburban Melbourne home. How could this happen?

CAMERON STEWART - August 21, 2021

1/5

When paramedics found her in the bathroom she was lying in a pool of urine, barely conscious and suffering from extreme hypothermia. Her body temperature was just 28.5C and her weight had shrivelled to 40kg. She had crusted sores on her feet and hands, multiple pressure sores and no teeth, along with septicaemia and bladder failure. In the words of a doctor at ­Melbourne’s Box Hill ­Hospital, the 61-year-old Indian woman who arrived by ambulance that day, July 30, 2015, was “fading away”.

Moments earlier, the triple-0 emergency line had taken a call from Kumuthini Kannan, who shared her Mount Waverley home with the ill woman. “Um, um, we have an old lady, sorry old lady that’s been staying with us for a while,” she told the ­operator. “She is, um, she is sort of like she’s a guest. She went to the bathroom and then she sort of didn’t want to get up and she stayed there for about three hours… lying down and ­urinating all over the floor… she’s fairly skinny.”

“I saw the ambulance arrive and take her out,” recalls a neighbour across the road. “We knew she was in that house but we didn’t see much of her. We had no idea what their story was at that stage, they just seemed like normal, friendly neighbours.”

To everyone in this quiet, ­middle-class cul-de-sac in Melbourne’s southeast, the family life of Kumuthini ­Kannan, her husband ­Kandasamy and their three children seemed normal. Both parents would smile and wave at their neighbours, stopping to make small talk. Some had spotted the shadowy woman who appeared to live with them, but to those who had asked, the explanation was always the same. “I was told she was staying with them because she was hiding from an abusive ­husband and I just accepted that as fact,” says “John”, a neighbour, who asked that his real name not be used.

The arrival of the ambulance that day triggered the unravelling of Australia’s worst case of domestic slavery. It was, in the words of the Victorian Supreme Court Justice John Champion, a “dirty secret” that the Kannans hid from the outside world for eight years from 2007. As Justice Champion said when passing sentence on the Kannans last month, theirs was the first case relating solely to slavery by domestic servitude to be heard by an Australian court, and one that “far exceeds any other slavery case finalised in Australia”.

“This case is unique for the length of time the woman was exploited, the pattern of her exploitation and the callous disregard for her humanity. It was just a terrible, terrible case,” says Jennifer Burn, director of Anti-Slavery Australia, a legal and policy centre at the University of Technology Sydney.

So how did Australia’s worst slavery case remain hidden for so long under the noses of state and ­federal agencies – and everyone who saw and knew the Kannan family?

On paper, the Sri Lankan-born Kannans ­presented a typical Australian immigrant story. Kumuthini came to Australia on a humanitarian visa in 1984 at age 17 after her parents fled the civil war in Sri Lanka. She finished high school in Melbourne and completed an occupational health and safety degree before agreeing to an arranged marriage with Kandasamy, an IT worker from Sri Lanka. She sponsored him to come to ­Australia on a skilled migrant visa and they were married in 1994 before having three children, who have each been diagnosed with ­varying degrees of autism.

The Tamil couple wanted a Tamil woman to come to Australia and be their maid and in about 2002, while on a visit to see family in southern India, they first met the victim, whose background could hardly have been more different. Their future slave, whose real identity cannot be revealed, was illiterate with almost no formal education; from the age of six she’d worked in the fields looking after farm animals. She was married at 14 and had four ­children before her husband died. She was a ­grandmother by the age of 29. By the time she met the Kannans in India she needed money; the idea of going to Australia to work temporarily in exchange for payments to be sent home to India seemed an attractive proposition.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14412768

File: 293f5c7d4dadf61⋯.jpg (30.61 KB, 1279x721, 1279:721, Kandasamy_and_Kumuthini_Ka….jpg)

>>14412760

2/5

For the Kannans, a live-in maid would, in the words of Justice Champion, “allow you to maintain your respective employments and lifestyle, including annual overseas trips”. So the woman travelled with them to Australia in 2002 and 2004, living with them for six months at a time and returning home without incident. She was paid poorly, but at least she was paid.

When the ­Kannans sought to bring her back to Australia again in 2005 they were knocked back by immigration authorities, who were not convinced that the visit was for “work purposes”. To secure a visa, the Kannans put forward a series of lies in their applications between 2005 and 2007; in the end, the best they could secure was a 30-day visa in June 2007. So the woman volun­tarily returned to the ­Kannans’ five-bedroom, two-storey Melbourne home, although it soon became clear that the couple had no intention of allowing her to return to India after 30 days. They took her passport soon after she arrived and it has not been seen since. After over­staying her visa, she became an illegal non-citizen.

Justice Champion accepted the defence ­counsel’s arguments that there was probably no immediate slide into conditions that could be described as slavery. Rather, from 2007, the restrictions placed upon the woman, who now had no way of independently returning to India, gradually became harsher. The woman, who had recovered in hospital after her collapse in 2015, testified to the court that ­initially the family allowed her to eat at the table with them after she’d cooked their meals, but then Mrs ­Kannan banished her, forcing her to eat alone after everyone had finished. She testified that the family placed a sign on the back of the front door instructing her not to go outside. She was only allowed to go out alone to the garage to clean and to the backyard to take the bins out, or to take the children to a local reserve just metres from the front door.

“I remember her sitting just there,” neighbour John tells me, pointing towards the footpath ­outside his house. “She would walk the kids over and they would play on our swingset in the yard while she watched them. I would wave to her and she would wave back.”

Inside the house, the woman said, Mrs Kannan started yelling at her and treating her badly, and her living conditions gradually worsened. She said she arose at 5.30am each day and was constantly harassed, working around the clock cooking, cleaning and doing other domestic chores until past midnight each day. She was also ordered to cook food for community gatherings and social events. “Getting the clothes, folding, doing something, wiping something, no rest, no rest at all,” she told the court through a translator. She would wash the clothes by hand because she didn’t know how to use the washing machine, and slept in a bunk bed in the same room where she folded and ironed the clothes. She was allowed to have a shower just once a week, to avoid “wasting water”.

Each weekday morning Mr Kannan would leave early for his Southbank office, dropping his children off at school on the way; he would return home around 7pm and have a late meal with his wife. In her testimony, the victim distinguished clearly between Mr ­Kannan, who she said would sometimes treat her nicely, and his wife, whom she portrayed as being increasingly hostile towards her.

When the Kannans went on their annual trips to India they left the woman at home alone for a full month with strict instructions not to leave the house. “I must not open the door – even if anybody came, I must not open the door,” she recalled. While they were away she was given a phone that she did not know how to operate; it was to be used only to receive calls from the Kannans.

Because of her status as an illegal non-citizen, for the entire eight years that she was effectively held captive the woman had completely fallen off the grid. With no knowledge of English, no money, no concept of where she was beyond her own suburban street and with no recourse to government health services, help or protection, she found herself relying entirely on the Kannans for everything. “What can I do, helpless,” the woman testified.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14412772

File: c69a015e5329235⋯.jpg (102.72 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, The_Kannans_back_yard.jpg)

>>14412768

3/5

“In my opinion it is not possible to precisely determine when the condition of slavery first existed,” Justice Champion said. “It matters little that [she] may have been ‘happy’ for some or even a significant period defined by the condition of slavery. Whatever happiness to her may have meant, such a state, if it existed, must be evaluated in the context of her overall life experience and the circumstances in which she had previously been living. What matters is the fact of the powers being exercised over her. She was a largely uneducated, illiterate and vulnerable woman who you both took advantage of, irrespective of whether she ever comprehended that she was in a condition of slavery.”

The Kannans initially made three payments to the woman’s family in India in 2007 but these soon stopped without explanation. They made no direct payments to the woman herself. During the trial the prosecution estimated that in the eight years she was held captive between 2007 and 2015, she earned the equivalent of $3.39 per day “to be on call 24/7, 365 days a year, and performing, ready to perform, her household duties and childcare duties”.

While the Kannans were progressively enslaving their maid, to those outside their home they appeared to be upstanding citizens. “I worked with [Mr Kannan] as well as lived in the same street with him,” neighbour John says. “He was a really nice guy, very calm, reasonable and decent. I had no idea he was really an arsehole.”

Community references for Mr Kannan praised his “contribution to homeless orphans and disabled people in Melbourne and overseas” and for his “honesty, generosity, assistance to others within [the] community, charity work and fundraising”. Mrs Kannan threw herself into social causes and charity fundraising, teaching Sri Lankan culture and helping out at school. References written by community members describe her as having given “selfless acts of service” to her community, being “always respectful, being gentle and polite towards people of all walks of life and kind and compassionate towards elders in need of help”. Her eldest daughter described her as being a “very loving, thoughtful and caring mother”.

As Justice Champion remarked in court: “That really makes it all the more confounding that there is this raft of material from members of the community that [suggests they are] well respected, yet on the other hand at no point has there been a sense of humanity towards [the victim].”

Despite the qualities people saw in Mrs Kannan outside the home, inside it she became ever more abusive towards her captive. Doctors would later testify that Mrs Kannan was suffering from depression and anxiety and that she showed “obsessive personality traits manifested by longstanding ­perfectionism, high standards, the need to be in control, rigidity and difficulty adapting to change”.

The victim testified that Mrs Kannan largely controlled her husband and that she was the one who mistreated her the most. “You could hear her [Mrs Kannan] screaming quite often,” says neighbour John. “We were like, ‘My God, she screams all the time’ … we always thought she was screaming at [Mr Kannan] but it was probably the woman.”

Throughout this time, the woman said she was only able to communicate with her family back in India on the phone when the Kannans were listening in, and so she felt she could not complain or ask to be rescued. But her family became increasingly suspicious. In 2014, her daughter demanded that the Kannans return her mother to India. Mrs Kannan’s response was: “F.ck you.”

The Kannans’ secret was only revealed when the health of the woman, who had type 2 diabetes, started to deteriorate rapidly in 2015 and they refused to seek medical attention. Even on the day she finally collapsed in their bathroom, the court heard that Mrs Kannan called triple-0 only after taking her children to a school concert, leaving the woman on the bathroom floor.

At the hospital, Mrs Kannan admitted her slave under a false name, and claimed she had relatives in NSW but that she did not know their contact details. In the days that ­followed the Kannans gave vague and often ­contradictory information to officials about their links to the woman and her identity. It would be three months before the woman’s health recovered sufficiently for her to be released from ­hospital. By that stage, the authorities were finally piecing together the extraordinary truth of what had happened.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14412776

File: 10d0e1880b7e8d3⋯.jpg (131.64 KB, 960x540, 16:9, Kandasamy_and_Kumuthini_Ka….jpg)

>>14412772

4/5

Detective Sergeant David MacGregor, then head of the Australian Federal Police’s Victorian human trafficking team, was one of the first to walk into the Kannans’ house and recalls how ordinary it appeared. “It was a middle-class ­suburban house that was a bit ­cluttered but there was a married ­couple with ­children living there,” he says. He says he was struck by the couple’s apparent lack of remorse. “My sense was that they didn’t feel they had anything to answer to. I didn’t get any sense of contrition.” By contrast, there was a steely determination on the part of the victim to testify in the case. “She was stoic and determined to give ­evidence to make sure that her voice was heard,” he says. “I think she was determined to see that ­justice was done.”

Yet despite what appeared to be solid evidence against the Kannans, the prosecution had a fight on its hands to gain convictions for the rarely used charges of intentionally possessing a slave and intentionally exercising the right of ownership over a slave. Each charge carries a maximum ­penalty of 25 years’ jail and the Kannans were both charged with one count of each. “There have been only 31 convictions in Australia [for slavery] since 2004 and the majority have been for sexual exploitation,” says Jennifer Burn of Anti-Slavery Australia.

Modern slavery covers a range of offences including sexual servitude, forced labour, human trafficking and forced marriage. In 2020-21 the AFP received 224 reports of modern slavery including 79 reports of forced marriage, 42 of sexual servitude, 35 of forced labour, 12 of trafficking in children and 15 of domestic servitude.

“It is really challenging to be able to meet all the individual thresholds [in the law] to put a really good quality brief of evidence for a prosecution [for slavery offences],” says detective superintendent Jayne Crossling, head of the AFP’s Victorian Human Exploitation team. She says one of the problems is that victims are vulnerable, often wary of law enforcement and unwilling to give evidence. Even though the victim agreed to give evidence in this case, the Kannans chose to plead not guilty. The defence argued that while the Kannans clearly mistreated the woman and broke the law, their conduct fell short of the crime of slavery.

The defence pointed to apparent anomalies, including the fact that the family referred to the woman as Ammachi, an affectionate term in Tamil for a grandmother, and that they would take her to Phillip Island each summer holiday where they would share a house with another family. They ­tendered family photos and videos of the woman accompanying the family on trips to Mornington Peninsula and to Sydney.

The prosecution also struggled with the fact that the uneducated and illiterate woman was a poor witness. Speaking through a translator, she frequently gave contradictory evidence about her ­circumstances and her treatment. She made and then retracted claims that at various times the front doors of the house were sealed to prevent her ­leaving the house. She gave confused testimony over her allegations of abuse, including inconsistent claims about how Mrs Kannan cut her hand with a knife and pushed her down the stairs. The woman also made the bizarre claim that she was forced to stay awake for 23 hours a day every day. “The tea, the boiling water, pushing down the stairs, stabbing or cutting, hitting her over the head with a frozen chicken, all of the ­allegations of mistreatment by Mrs Kannan that were the subject of evidence given by [the woman] are matters that in our submission, Your Honour, cannot find beyond reasonable doubt to have occurred,” defence counsel said.

At one stage Justice Champion pondered openly whether the language and cultural factors in this case undercut the woman’s ability to give clear ­evidence. “How should I evaluate her evidence in the prism of coming from a different ­culture?” he asked in court, wondering whether her claim to be awake for 23 hours a day was really just her way of saying she worked hard.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14412787

File: 6fbdd885fcc422d⋯.jpg (92.26 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, The_woman_slept_in_the_sam….jpg)

>>14412776

5/5

In the end, the prosecution also accepted that parts of her evidence were unreliable and it therefore did not rely on her claims of physical mistreatment to make its case. Instead it argued that it was the Kannans’ total control of all aspects of her life that created the condition of slavery. In April, a jury agreed, finding both the Kannans guilty as charged after a 10-week trial. The former slave, now 67, is currently living in care in ­Australia. Her identity remains suppressed.

Justice Champion said the Kannans had exploited “a massive power imbalance” between themselves and the woman, describing them as “compulsive liars and deceptive individuals” as he handed down his sentence of eight years’ jail for Mrs Kannan, now 53, and six years for her husband, 57, with a minimum term of four and three years respectively. The discrepancy between their sentences reflected the fact that Mrs Kannan was in charge of the household and was therefore more morally culpable. “[The woman’s] lack of education and the poverty-stricken circumstances starkly contrast against your own higher levels of education, continuing employment, financial position and apparent status you both enjoyed in your community,” the judge said. “You have grossly exploited a vulnerable ­person, of which you should be ashamed… you ­controlled almost all aspects of her life and her ­freedom [and] I am quite convinced that you both believe you have done nothing wrong.”

Justice Champion expressed astonishment that the woman was able to live in Australia for eight years “entirely outside the view” of institutions such as the health system and the Department of Immigration. As Crossling puts it, this was a case of someone “hiding in plain sight” from the rest of the country. She says the AFP is trying to lift awareness of all forms of modern slavery in Australia, including a public outreach campaign called “Look a Little Deeper” to educate people on how to recognise the signs of slavery.

“To understand the concept of slavery, we must rid ourselves of ingrained images of rows of men chained together… or men and women working in fields in bondage,” Justice Champion said. “Slavery can be much more subtle than that and may not involve physical restraint.”

Crossling says: “What this story has shown us is that the average member of the public really doesn’t know that this type of thing is ­happening in Australia. [Yet] we have every reason to think it is happening throughout Australia.”

Neighbour John wonders how he could ever have guessed that there was a slave living in his street. He says he talked it over afterwards with other neighbours and questioned whether they had missed a sign, a hint, a clue that something was amiss inside the Kannan home. “There was nothing that seemed particularly strange,” he says with a shrug. “I mean, how do you tell if someone is a psychopath?”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/weekend-australian-magazine/eight-years-a-slave-melbourne-couples-shocking-secret/news-story/33d060b74f0368cc1b56560f4a99ddd4

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8bb8ba  No.14413555

File: 2b9148b0f06606a⋯.jpg (184.75 KB, 640x480, 4:3, 5kbe2r.jpg)

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deef8a  No.14413607

File: 87106a7c41d8fd1⋯.webm (5.04 MB, 640x360, 16:9, Multiple_arrested_during_….webm)

File: 94778e49da3bf9d⋯.jpg (126.44 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Hundreds_of_protesters_des….jpg)

File: 56b55e02760b179⋯.jpg (164.45 KB, 862x575, 862:575, More_than_1_000_police_off….jpg)

>>14411862

Police overwhelm modest Sydney anti-lockdown protest

Josh Bavas and Kevin Nguyen - 21 August 2021

Police officers have extinguished an anti-lockdown demonstration in Sydney, where several people have been arrested while attempting to gather in the city centre.

Officers created a ring around the CBD ahead of a planned gathering spearheaded by anti-vaccine and anti-lockdown protesters.

It was supposed to start at Victoria Park, on Broadway, at midday.

Officers had been positioned on foot, horseback, bicycles and motorcycles since the morning.

Authorities also issued a prohibition on taxis, rideshares and other transport services from taking people to the city in response to a the unauthorised protest, which police said "seriously comprised the public's safety".

Roadblocks heading into the CBD were also established at main arteries, such as on the Warringah Freeway in North Sydney.

Despite the enormous law enforcement response, hundreds of demonstrators streamed into the city — many maskless and holding protest signs.

More than 1,000 police officers were deployed in central areas and began making arrests after splitting the crowd into smaller groups.

The ABC understands at least one police officer was injured.

After arrests, users inside encrypted messaging apps where the protests were being organised in real-time began to panic.

"Where are our leaders?!" one Sydney user wrote into the group.

"Where the f*ck are people who promised to lead it?"

One member of the channel said they were forced to turn around after running into the police blockade another called the event an "epic fail".

The Sydney protest lost momentum after one of its key organisers, Anthony Khallouf, was jailed yesterday for breaching public health orders.

Police said the Victorian man had travelled from Queensland to NSW without a reasonable excuse, in breach of COVID-19 public health orders.

Khallouf was yesterday sentenced to eight months prison, with a non-parole period of three months, after pleading guilty to four counts of not complying with a direction and one count each of encouraging the commission of a crime and making false representations resulting in a police investigation.

The 29-year-old was a key figure behind a July rally in Sydney that attracted thousands of anti-lockdown demonstrators.

He encouraged his thousands of followers on social media and on encrypted messaging apps to attend today's protest.

In Melbourne, however, anti-lockdown marches turned violent today after protesters lit flares and clashed with officers who used batons and pepper spray.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-21/sydney-anti-lockdown-protests-dispersed-by-nsw-police/100396384

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deef8a  No.14413620

File: 9a06156dd058afb⋯.webm (14.09 MB, 640x360, 16:9, Melbourne_anti_lockdown_p….webm)

File: 656ebcb8c3cbc9a⋯.jpg (222.99 KB, 862x575, 862:575, The_protesters_were_met_wi….jpg)

File: 4676fa015bb0d7d⋯.jpg (180.22 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Under_Victoria_s_restricti….jpg)

File: 4a24f80c4210299⋯.jpg (177.91 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Police_arrest_a_man_in_cen….jpg)

File: b919a7360ea087f⋯.jpg (277.81 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Around_2_000_people_gather….jpg)

>>14413607

Anti-lockdown protesters clash with police in Melbourne

abc.net.au - 21 August 2021

Thousands of anti-lockdown protesters have clashed with police in Melbourne, as a demonstration in the city's CBD turned violent.

Demonstrators were seen breaking police lines near Parliament House in Spring Street.

Police made a number of arrests at the scene and used pepper spray on a number of people.

Earlier, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton urged people not to attend the protest.

"It is tagged as it is a 'freedom demonstration'. It's anything but," he said.

Many of the attendees were without masks as they marched through Melbourne CBD from Parliament to Flinders Street Station, with a heavy police presence lining the streets.

Some demonstrators blasted music and many yelled anti-lockdown slogans, while others held up placards alluding to unrelated conspiracy theories.

Flares were let off as the march unfolded.

A statewide lockdown came into force from 1:00pm in response to a growing cluster in Shepparton in the state's north-east and a rising number of mystery cases in Melbourne.

Chief Commissioner Patton said police had been unable to gauge how many people would attend the protest, as all communications had been via encrypted apps.

"I have over 700 police, on top of the police you're already seeing in the community, another 700 who are specifically tasked with this demonstration," he said.

Police in riot gear and mounted police joined uniformed officers.

Chief Commissioner Patton said five people had already been issued with infringements before the protest even started and warned all protesters who were apprehended would be given a $5,500 fine.

Anti-lockdown protests held in Sydney, Brisbane

Police have also arrested people attending a similar protest at Victoria Park in Sydney's inner-west.

There had been a heavy police presence around Sydney's CBD in anticipation of the demonstration.

More than 2,000 anti-lockdown protesters gathered in Brisbane's Botanic Gardens before a planned march through the city.

The event was largely peaceful, compared to the clashes in Sydney and Melbourne.

There were smaller gatherings in other cities such as Darwin.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-21/anti-covid-lockdown-protesters-clash-with-police-in-melbourne/100396458

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ae1501  No.14413886

>>14413620

How courageous are these Australian. I know there a a few good coppers but these assholes are part of the Cabal and going down.The Alliance is watching. Complicity. Boys, You are Done.

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ae1501  No.14413895

Absolute Bulls. Satanic at that. What are they going to tell their kids when they get home from work? What did you do at work today daddy, Just beat up a few innocent people who want to be free. Heroic Bulls, NOT

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ae1501  No.14413911

Graham Lyons does not think the COVID-19 pandemic is real. From day one most people knew. When SM (Can' t even say the pigs name) grunted the words "Lockdown" I knew the war had started

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deef8a  No.14414104

File: 762194f33fd31d1⋯.jpg (457.11 KB, 825x1047, 275:349, AITUS_6.jpg)

File: adcab78b801e160⋯.jpg (1.23 MB, 4096x2731, 4096:2731, E9QfgxAWYAY5Cr3.jpg)

Australia in the US Tweet

Ambassador @A_Sinodinos & Embassy Defence personnel visited @LockheedMartin's Huntsville, Alabama facility yesterday. They had productive discussions on space & Lockheed's plans to support Australia’s sovereign guided weapons establishment. #USwithAus

https://twitter.com/AusintheUS/status/1428804382464876555

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968937  No.14414211

>>14413620

More heroic "Police" And what do you do for a job Daddy, I beat up people that want their freedom. Fascists. don't get me wrong, there are good police, but these guys will be in a Nuremberg Trial 2

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deef8a  No.14414434

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14412582

>>14412603

MAJOR INVESTIGATION: Targeting Australia’s largest neo-Nazi group

60 Minutes Australia

Aug 15, 2021

A joint investigation by 60 MINUTES, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald to infiltrate and expose a toxic and rotting world of hate. Reporter Nick McKenzie has been working on this clandestine operation for the past eight months. The threat is so significant Australia’s top spy, the director-general of ASIO has agreed to his first major television interview. “This is of grave concern to ASIO, and should be of grave concern to all Australians,” Mike Burgess tells McKenzie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=804CxkmnxLY

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deef8a  No.14421203

File: 4bf6269d3a2ca23⋯.jpg (51.08 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Australian_citizens_and_vi….jpg)

File: d55c805f0ed442a⋯.jpg (244.31 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Evacuees_are_made_comforta….jpg)

File: 99bea33dae930ec⋯.jpg (263.4 KB, 698x888, 349:444, RAAF_1.jpg)

File: c73ffcc613448dc⋯.jpg (100.51 KB, 1200x746, 600:373, E9SNfv1VoAMgwGg.jpg)

>>14385947

>>14386058

More than 300 people evacuated from Kabul airport on four RAAF flights

'RICHARD FERGUSON - AUGUST 22, 2021

More than 300 people have been evacuated from Kabul Airport overnight by Australians, as Scott Morrison calls on Australians and visa holders to continue heading to the airport.

At least four Australian flights ran in and out of Afghanistan on Saturday night to rescue Australian citizens, Afghans with visas, and people from the United States, Britain and New Zealand.

As Americans are told by the Biden Administration to stay where they are due to the dangerous situation in Kabul, the Prime Minister said his government was still calling on people to get through the airport.

“We will continue to run those flights, working together with our partners and our allies. We are uplifting not just Australians and Afghan visa holders for Australia, but those from the United Kingdom, the United States and New Zealand,” he told ABC News.

“So as best as we can communicate in what is a very chaotic environment, with comms under constant pressure and very chaotic scenes outside the airport, then we continue to make that communication (to get to the airport) and get as many people through as we possibly can in the time we have available, as safely as we can.”

Mr Morrison refused on Sunday to say whether he agreed or disagreed with the US decision to withdraw, and if he had communicated any concerns to Mr Biden or his predecessor Donald Trump.

But Mr Morrison did say the Australian presence in Afghanistan was conditional on the US, and questioned how long Australian and American troops would have had to stay to maintain the now-fallen Afghan government.

“At the end of the day as the Taliban forces rolled in, it was very clear that that state was not able to defend itself and the question there goes: How long do the coalition forces remain in a place where you’ve sought to make it a success over 20 years? How many American, Australian and other lives are going to be committed to that end?” he told ABC News.

“Australia, the United States, so many of us, we have many interests around the world and we have to keep Australians safe as well, and that’s what we’ve been working to do.”

US warns Americans in Kabul: don’t go to the airport

Meanwhile, the US embassy in Kabul has told American citizens desperate to get out of Afghanistan not to go to the airport because of “potential security threats,” as senior Taliban leaders including feared militant met for talks over a new government.

“We are advising US citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and to avoid airport gates at this time unless you receive individual instructions from a US government representative to do so,”the embassy said in a statement on its website.

The advice was issued “because of potential security threats,” the statement said although it didn’t elaborate on what those threats were. “We will contact registered U.S. citizens as the security situation changes to provide further instructions.”

The statement came as a representative from the Haqqani network, the country’s most feared militants, joined the Taliban’s top leaders in Kabul for talks on establishing a new “inclusive” government in Kabul.

Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar arrived in Kabul on Saturday for talks on establishing a new “inclusive” government in Afghanistan.

Other senior Taliban leaders seen in the capital in recent days include Khalil Haqqani — one of America’s most wanted terrorists with a $5 million bounty on his head.

Pro-Taliban social media feeds showed Haqqani meeting Gulbuddin Hekmatyar — a former bitter rival during the brutal civil war of the early 1990s, but still influential in Afghan politics.

Haqqani, the uncle of Taliban deputy leader Sirajuddin Haqqani is a leading figure in the Haqqani network, one of the most powerful groups behind the Taliban’s rise to power. On Friday he was seen leading prayers at a mosque in Kabul; he is seen as integral in the Islamists’ moves to set up a government.

Another key leader of the so-called Haqqani network - Anas Haqqani - was also in the capital and had met former president Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, who led the overall peace process for the previous administration.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/more-than-300-people-evacuated-from-kabul-airport-on-four-raaf-flights/news-story/ae8513cd0458615ad89b9539c0307dd8

https://twitter.com/AusAirForce/status/1428922804234194947

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deef8a  No.14422510

File: ec5c889108cb736⋯.jpg (127.87 KB, 1200x800, 3:2, Australian_Prime_Minister_….jpg)

>>14404403

Australia's PM Morrison defends lockdown strategy until majority vaccinated

Lidia Kelly - August 22, 2021

MELBOURNE, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday defended the country's lockdown strategy to combat coronavirus outbreaks until at least 70% of population is fully vaccinated.

On Saturday, Australian police arrested hundreds of people during anti-lockdown demonstrations in Sydney and Melbourne, capitals of the country's two most populous states, New South Wales and Victoria, that are under a strict lockdown.

The federal government announced late last month a plan that envisaged lockdowns as a key strategy to quell outbreaks until 70% percent of population gets vaccinated and a gradual re-opening of Australia's borders when that number reaches 80%.

"You can't live with lockdowns forever and at some point you need to make that gear change and that is done at 70%," Morrison said in a television interview on the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Victoria, in its sixth lockdown since the start of the pandemic, on Sunday recorded 65 locally acquired cases. On Saturday Australia saw its worst number of COVID-19 infections ever, with NSW and Victoria battling a growing outbreak of the highly transmissible Delta variant.

Only about 30% of people aged over 16 have been fully vaccinated so far, according to health ministry data released on Saturday, mainly due to scarce supply of Pfizer shots and public unease about the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The pace has picked up recently, as supplies increase and the Delta outbreak continues to spread. A Newspoll conducted for The Australian newspaper earlier this month suggests that 11% of Australians said they will flatly refuse to get vaccinated.

Despite a third wave of infections from the Delta variant, Australia's COVID-19 numbers are relatively low, with just over 43,000 cases and 978 deaths.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australias-pm-morrison-defends-lockdown-strategy-until-majority-vaccinated-2021-08-21/

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deef8a  No.14422559

File: 0e6d41597d6d7c6⋯.jpg (134.61 KB, 1024x576, 16:9, The_police_officer_who_kil….jpg)

Cop who killed US Capitol rioter cleared

Brian Niemietz - 21 August 2021

The Capitol Hill police officer who fatally shot pro-Trump extremist Ashli Babbitt while defending the US Capitol on January 6 has been cleared.

Citing a police memo, NBC News reports the unidentified officer was fully exonerated by an internal investigation, months after the Justice Department said in April it would not press charges.

Video shows Babbitt, wearing a Donald Trump flag as a cape, attempting to crash through the broken window of a door where elected officials were being led away from a far right mob attempting to stop the certification of the 2020 election.

"As members of the mob continued to strike the glass doors, Ms. Babbitt attempted to climb through one of the doors where glass was broken out," the Department of Justice (DOJ) reported.

"An officer inside the Speaker's Lobby fired one round from his service pistol, striking Ms. Babbitt in the left shoulder, causing her to fall back from the doorway and onto the floor."

Thousands of protesters had gathered on Capitol Hill, many calling for the capture or execution of Vice President Mike Pence, whom they thought could stop Joe Biden from becoming the 46th president.

Babbitt was an Air Force veteran who had become a supporter of the cultish QAnon conspiracy collective that believes Trump will be reinstated as president, despite having lost the election by more than 7 million votes.

The uprising at the Capitol began with a "Stop the Steal" rally, where Trump further pushed false claims of election fraud.

Babbitt's death has become a rallying cry for far-right extremists who have come to see her as a martyr and demand the name of the officer responsible for shooting her. Trump, who campaigned as a "law and order" candidate, indicated last month that officer should be singled out.

"Who shot Ashli Babbitt?" Trump asked.

"People want to know and why."

The 35-year-old San Diego woman's husband filed a lawsuit requesting the identity of the cop who killed Babbitt.

A lawyer representing the officer called his client's actions "nothing short of heroic".

Arizona Republican Representative Paul Gosar has referred to the shooting as an execution.

https://thewest.com.au/news/world/cop-who-killed-us-capitol-rioter-cleared-c-3742029

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e755d0  No.14427271

File: 50c76a616282913⋯.png (1.19 MB, 1175x624, 1175:624, hongkong.png)

Hang in there Aussies.

Maybe take some hints from our brothers in HK

https://www.bitchute.com/video/KNyJns31mSr9/?fbclid=IwAR391Jw9s1rTOU_whZWAV5JKdk2ZuBy86TZqWG2-c04sSgZcwslb68RSP8A

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9ccfae  No.14431994

File: 45d34b129a12bec⋯.jpg (103.73 KB, 415x549, 415:549, GIVE_EM_HELL_2.jpg)

File: 987dc8d7d48683a⋯.jpg (58.65 KB, 377x376, 377:376, SIX.jpg)

GO TRUCKIES!

AMERICA WATCHING/ PRAYING

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3f28de  No.14433434

The three states with the most lockdowns all have Prem's that are in bed with CHY-NA !!!

https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/gladys-berejiklians-lover-daryl-maguire-urged-her-to-meet-with-criminals-as-china-security-fears-emerge/news-story/c19f5a5c667e6c0b1096b858392cb56e

https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/mp-george-christensen-slams-annastacia-palaszczuk-over-leasing-of-keswick-island-to-china-company/news-story/b195f538ef8a35f4dd55eff5ad0fd7f4

https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/new-information-from-chairman-dans-meetings-with-china-show-how-obsequious-he/video/845f47134e4d7cd547146b626c24115e

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3f28de  No.14433462

File: b93509bf1bae333⋯.png (903.32 KB, 965x956, 965:956, Dan_Ped_1.png)

File: ecff43cdfba46d8⋯.png (910.32 KB, 571x624, 571:624, Dan_Ped_2.png)

File: 904ce9c6be044b2⋯.png (403.18 KB, 562x415, 562:415, Dan_Ped_3.png)

>>14433434

oh… and Dan's a massive satanic POS P3d0 !!!

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deef8a  No.14433814

File: 73c59bac286eb10⋯.jpg (104.34 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Joe_Biden_promised_to_give….jpg)

US gives Australia a cold shoulder on vaccines

RICHARD FERGUSON and JOE KELLY - AUGUST 22, 2021

The US has not given the Morrison government any vaccines throughout the course of the coronavirus pandemic, as tension points between the Biden White House and Canberra build.

Despite President Joe Biden promising to give Covid-19 vaccine doses to needy nations, the Health Department this weekend confirmed Australia had neither bought or received any shots from the US.

The vaccine confirmation comes weeks after The Australian revealed Scott Morrison’s government made as-yet-unanswered requests to the Biden administration for extra Pfizer doses, despite substantial support from US congress leaders.

The Morrison government was attacked last week by the US’s deputy envoy on climate change over its emission reductions policies, and the Prime Minister is yet to speak to Mr Biden about the Afghanistan withdrawal.

Foreign policy experts are warning the Australia cannot expect the US to be the same ally it has been in previous years and must become more self-reliant.

ANU defence and strategic studies analyst Hugh White said on Sunday Mr Biden was “unsentimental” about Australia and Washington was not prepared to help Mr Morrison on vaccines over developing countries.

“The Biden administration, like the Trump administration before it, is demonstrating that it is wholly unsentimental about Australia … We think we’re their little mates, but US policy ­towards Australia has always been determined by how much we help their strategic interests,” Professor White said.

“Biden’s pandemic policy has been pretty coherent in that he wants to send vaccines to developing countries with high Covid-19 rates. Washington is not interested in doing Morrison a political favour because he screwed up early acquisition of jabs.”

Mr Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal has been criticised by four former PMs – Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull, Kevin Rudd and John Howard – and there are concerns about the US’s ­reliability in the Asia-Pacific.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/us-gives-australia-a-cold-shoulder-on-vaccines/news-story/e9223d86091b95eed88e9a98cabe4535

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deef8a  No.14433953

File: 7c399f8cc7633c0⋯.jpg (76.1 KB, 1024x682, 512:341, A_staff_member_stands_at_t….jpg)

>>14404403

Australia PM says pandemic focus must shift to reopening

Renju Jose - AUGUST 23, 2021

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia must start to learn to live with COVID-19 when higher vaccination targets are reached, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday, despite concerns in some states about the impact of a surge in cases in Sydney.

With over half of all Australians stuck in weeks-long lockdowns to curb the highly infectious Delta strain, Morrison said the country had to move forward and start reducing restrictions as more people became vaccinated.

“(Lockdowns) cannot go on forever. This is not a sustainable way to live in this country,” he said during a televised media conference in Canberra.

“Because if not at 70% and 80% (vaccination rates), then when? Then when? We must make that move and we must prepare to make that move and we must prepare the country to make that move.”

Morrison’s comments come after differences have emerged between states that want to maintain a focus on suppressing the virus and the largest state of New South Wales, which is seeking a path out of lockdowns through vaccinations following a large Delta outbreak.

The federal government last month unveiled a four-stage plan to relax restrictions once 70% of its 25 million people aged over 16 are vaccinated, with stringent lockdowns “unlikely” to be required.

When vaccination coverage reaches 80% only “highly targeted lockdowns” would be necessary and vaccinated Australians would be free to travel interstate.

Western Australia and Queensland states, which are largely coronavirus-free, have flagged they may still maintain some restrictions even when vaccination targets are reached.

They say the national plan, which was agreed before the NSW outbreak, was based on having only small outbreaks present in the community.

On Monday, NSW reported 818 cases, most of them in Sydney, slightly down from the record 830 a day earlier.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged people to focus less on cases and more on the immunisation rollout.

“Once you get to 80% double dose, every state will have to live with COVID. You cannot keep Delta out forever,” she said.

In Victoria, home to Melbourne, 71 new cases were detected with 55 having spent time in the community while infectious, which state Premier Daniel Andrews said could derail plans to exit lockdown on Sept. 2.

While Australia has managed the pandemic better than many other developed countries, a slow vaccine rollout has taken the gloss off its early success.

Nationally, 30% of people above 16 are fully vaccinated, while 52% have had a least one dose. Vaccinations are running at a record pace but the target of 80% fully vaccinated will not be reached until December at the current rate.

Australia has reported just over 44,600 cases in total. There have been 984 deaths, although the death rate has declined since last year.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-australia/australia-pm-says-pandemic-focus-must-shift-to-reopening-idUSKBN2FO06I

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deef8a  No.14433988

File: 03fa1b953eccf82⋯.webm (15.19 MB, 640x360, 16:9, ALI_VELSHI_When_QAnon_lie….webm)

Why QAnon followers are like opioid addicts, and why that matters

Recognizing the similarities is helpful in both accurately diagnosing the QAnon phenomenon and trying to treat it.

Sophia Moskalenko and Mia Bloom, co-authors, "Pastels and Pedophiles: Inside the Mind of QAnon," - Aug. 22, 2021

1/2

A few years ago, QAnon had an obscure internet following organized around a baseless conspiracy theory. It has now become ubiquitous, with regular and disturbing news stories reminding us of its reach.

Last week, we learned of a QAnon-related data leak of Colorado voting machine logins. The week before, people around the country struggled to comprehend a gruesome homicide allegedly committed by a QAnon-following father who, according to authorities, told the FBI he killed his two small children because he believed they’d inherited from their mother lizard DNA that would turn them into monsters. Last spring, a mother admitted to killing her three children, saying she wanted to protect them from becoming victims of a sadistic cabal of pedophiles whose existence is widely believed among QAnon adherents.

Why would such outlandish conspiracy theories hold sway over these parents and others around the country? One way to comprehend the incomprehensible is to recognize the parallels between QAnon and addictive drugs like opioids — which are also manipulated by malicious actors to trap vulnerable people in increasingly unhealthy spirals that ultimately result in the destruction of families and even death. Recognizing these similarities is helpful in both accurately diagnosing the QAnon phenomenon and trying to treat it.

For starters, QAnon, like the painkiller abuse epidemic driven by the drug oxycodone, engulfs people who are most vulnerable to its content. An overwhelming proportion of QAnon followers arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection, for instance, have mental health problems, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a University of Maryland analysis. If you believe the world is out to get you, you are probably more likely to embrace QAnon narratives that explain exactly how the world is out to get you.

Their psychological pain may make these people especially vulnerable to QAnon’s content, which often speaks to fears, anxieties and anger. People who worry about contamination, for example, are probably more susceptible to lies about the Covid-19 vaccine carrying a contaminating agent that makes their children gay or transgender.

It is also likely that prolonged exposure to QAnon content exacerbates or even triggers mental illness, as watching video after video about horrific devastation can have a detrimental effect on anyone’s mental health. This then increases the appeal of the remedies QAnon prescribes, such as refusing Covid vaccines, protesting mask mandates or even storming the Capitol in Washington. Though to be sure, most people with mental health problems do not believe in QAnon conspiracy theories, just as a sizable proportion of QAnon followers are not mentally ill.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14433990

File: f086bdc382b8d47⋯.jpg (57.97 KB, 760x428, 190:107, Why_QAnon_followers_are_li….jpg)

>>14433988

2/2

Moreover, the internet platforms through which most QAnon followers consume content are deliberately structured to sustain user engagement and foster a kind of addiction. In fact, these online QAnon experiences seem to engage the same brain structures responsible for addiction, as solving the “puzzles” revealed by conspiracy theories may prompt pleasure-driving dopamine hits.

After mainstream platforms booted many QAnon followers, other even more addictive platforms filled the void. These channels are echo chambers, so hooked people only see information that confirms what they already believe, pulling them further down the proverbial rabbit hole of conspiracy theories.

Crucially, just like drug hits, QAnon offers a quick “fix” for feelings of loneliness, fear and anger that those in pain want to alleviate. Individuals who seek out online communities often do so because they feel isolated and lonely. It’s no surprise that QAnon’s following grew immensely during Covid-19 lockdowns, when people were limited to socializing online, and QAnon chatrooms in particular offered a chance to vent frustration and outrage. Yet research shows the more time people spend on social media, the more isolated and lonely they feel, repeating an endless loop of trying — and failing — to fulfill social needs.

Because, like a drug of addiction, QAnon content doesn’t actually take the underlying pain away, bigger “highs” are needed to distract from the root causes of despair. Consumers of QAnon content thus experience cravings­­ for new and exciting conspiracies, such as former President Donald Trump’s prophesied return to the White House.

QAnon shares one last parallel with addictive drugs: There is a small but powerful group of individuals who benefit financially and politically from amplifying, spreading and legitimizing QAnon’s conspiracy theories. In the case of drugs, there are also powerful groups with vested interests — the major pharmaceutical companies that presided over a crushing opioid epidemic among some of the very same communities addicted to QAnon now and dealers pushing illicit drugs on the streets.

It is crucial that we curb QAnon’s damage before it reaches the staggering proportions of the opioid drug crisis, and to do so we need a variety of tools to attack the infodemic. These include increased transparency and responsibility from social media platforms, access to mental health assessment and treatment for vulnerable individuals, and critical thinking and media literacy education in our schools.

While it’s easy to see QAnon followers as crazy or evil, the example of the opioid epidemic offers a broader perspective that indicates pain, vulnerability and powerlessness are part of what brought them to their way of thinking. The best approach to help people out of QAnon is to do so with kindness and empathy. As with opioid users, QAnon followers are suffering and in some ways may feel powerless to their addiction.

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/why-qanon-followers-are-opioid-addicts-why-matters-ncna1277323

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deef8a  No.14434031

File: 63d672177e1de07⋯.jpg (180.8 KB, 2000x1485, 400:297, Terrible_events_moments_of….jpg)

>>14385947

Shameful Afghanistan retreat has shaken my faith in America

Alexander Downer - Aug 22, 2021

1/2

It’s said the Taliban used to say to the Americans: “You’ve got the watches, we have the time.” I thought about that watching President Joe Biden’s press conference last Monday when he defiantly justified his decision to pull all American troops out of Afghanistan.

It followed harrowing pictures of desperate Afghans clinging to a US Air Force C17 as it spirited the lucky few to a faraway airbase. Those scenes will be forever with us, along with the helicopter leaving the American embassy in Saigon on April 30, 1975.

These were terrible events: moments of great humiliation and defeat for a great nation which has been the bastion of liberalism and freedom throughout modern history.

America recovered from Vietnam and went on to win the Cold War. But this time we must ask ourselves whether Afghanistan is the bookend of a great and inspiring story going back at least to World War II.

Since 1941, Americans have led the world through turbulent and dangerous times, driven by a passionate belief in their core values of freedom, democracy and the civil liberties of every man and woman. They have shown generosity, patience and resilience.

America has vanquished one evil regime after another in the cause of freedom and democracy. They destroyed the Nazis, they defeated Hideki Tojo’s Japan, they saved South Korea, and they broke the Soviet Union. It is a remarkable record, and to do this they have shown – and I repeat the phrase – patience and resilience.

But now there is an awful question hanging over America. Has it lost its unifying national values, which were the foundation of its very existence, and has it lost it will to lead the world? I passionately hope not, but I fear they may have.

Once we looked to America for inspiration. Today we look upon the internal politics of America with despair. The country has salami-sliced itself into warring racial, gender and sexual groups, and partisan politics has made America as fissiparous as it has been at any time since 1865.

America has gone from being the beacon of freedom, democracy and opportunity to a country which doubts the legitimacy of its own history and throws up leaders who are minnows when compared with the inspirational leadership of Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Reagan.

Just think of the great Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who ended American isolationism to free the world from dictatorship. Just think of Harry Truman, who shaped America’s postwar alliances and saved South Korea; just think of Dwight Eisenhower who built on Truman’s achievements and consolidated America’s leadership through the Cold War; and then think of the great Ronald Reagan who destroyed the evil empire and made Mr Gorbachev tear down that wall.

And now America presents us with Joe Biden, the successor to the erratic and uninformed Donald Trump.

The decision initially made by Trump but implemented by Biden to leave Afghanistan without a serious negotiated political settlement has sent two messages to the world about the new America. America has no patience and resilience, which was such a feature of its earlier global leadership.

Leaving just 3000 troops in Afghanistan and air power would have been crucial to the morale and cohesion of Afghanistan’s army and government. And secondly, we are entitled to doubt the determination of an American administration to support its allies through thick and thin. Once it did, but would they now? I don’t know.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14434035

File: 6e5f57e75d51ad2⋯.jpg (245.03 KB, 1440x857, 1440:857, Taliban_propaganda_photo.jpg)

>>14434031

2/2

The American political class these days has been consumed with the idea the US should end the so-called never-ending wars. Yet America has been prepared to leave 30,000 troops on the Korean peninsula and 50,000 in Japan to underwrite the stability of the Indo-Pacific region. But can we be sure that Biden won’t withdraw if circumstances change?

Let us think about the issues the world needs to confront. The rise of China needs to be balanced by America and its allies.

So far, the Americans have shown a strong commitment to the Indo-Pacific region. But what would happen if China attacked Taiwan? What would Biden do in such tragic circumstances? Would he be prepared to save Taiwan with American forces? I don’t know.

I do know that Biden abandoned the government and people of Afghanistan because it suited his domestic political agenda. He didn’t try to change public opinion, to educate them about geopolitics and America’s role in the world. He just went with the opinion polls. Would he do the same elsewhere? We don’t know.

Dictators no longer fear the US

With Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, and Reagan, you never had to ask. Even Barack Obama, for all his failings over Syria, sent troops back to Iraq once Islamic State established itself there, and kept his commitment to Afghanistan. As his vice-president, Biden opposed that mission.

And that’s the problem. Where once dictators, the intolerant, grotesque human rights abusers and other evildoers lived in fear of America, Joe Biden has taken away that fear. He has sent a very different message.

He’s sent a message that America has other things to think about at home and isn’t so fussed any longer about what happens in the rest of the world. Oh yes, I remember the phrase: America first!

So where does all this leave Australia? We need our alliance with America and we should remain unshakable in our commitment to it. We should double down in supporting America’s continuing role.

But now we must accept that America has changed and the types of leaders it is throwing up are very different from the ones we knew so well in the past.

We’ll have to be prepared to build our own coalitions and alliances, and it’s a good thing we’ve made a start. We negotiated a security treaty with the Indonesians in 2006 and we are now an active member of the diplomatic architecture of the Indo-Pacific. We also have our own very capable defence force.

Last weekend was one of the saddest weekends I’ve experienced in my adult life. For me, who has been so inspired by America, so reassured by America’s values and the many good people who have governed that country, the shameful withdrawal from Afghanistan and the manner of that withdrawal has left my faith badly shaken.

Alexander Downer was Australia's longest serving foreign minister, from 1996 to 2007, and most recently Australian High Commissioner to the UK.

https://www.afr.com/policy/foreign-affairs/shameful-afghanistan-retreat-has-shaken-my-faith-in-america-20210819-p58k2h

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deef8a  No.14434058

File: ddcdc721e1d0e27⋯.jpg (95.11 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, MP_Craig_Kelly_will_run_as….jpg)

Rogue crossbencher Craig Kelly to run with Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party at the next election

RICHARD FERGUSON - AUGUST 23, 2021

Rogue crossbench MP Craig Kelly will run as billionaire Clive Palmer’s lead candidate at the next election, promising to push an “alternative narrative” about lockdowns and lead the charge in all 150 federal seats.

Mr Kelly – who left the Liberal Party in February over his support for unorthodox coronavirus treatments like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine – will stay on to fight his NSW seat of Hughes under Mr Palmer’s United Australia Party banner.

But in a major shake-up, Mr Kelly will become leader of the UAP and Mr Palmer will act in a behind-the-scenes role as party chairman, as the billionaire promises to fight both Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese over lockdowns and Covid-19 vaccinations.

Mr Kelly said on Monday that he will lead the UAP into the next election and run candidates in all 150 seats, and Mr Palmer will not run himself.

“With endless authoritarian lockdowns … I no longer recognise the country grew up in,” Mr Kelly said in a statement.

“And this is all happening on my watch. Someone must lead a fightback. I have therefore decided to accept the offer, to lead the United Australia Party into the next election.

“The United Australia Party will be fighting to end the lockdowns and offer an alternate approach to the current mayhem and destruction that the Labor and Liberal parties have jointly created.”

Mr Kelly told The Australian before his announcement that the UAP campaign will be “very well-financed”, and Mr Palmer will act as the UAP’s party chairman.

With Mr Kelly now representing the UAP in parliament, the Palmer-backed outfit will now be free to run any candidates without having to meet strict new membership numbers set out in new Morrison government electoral reform laws now in front of the House and senate.

The Hughes MP had to have his preselection secured by both the Prime Minister and Malcolm Turnbull in previous preselections, but ultimately abandoned the government over its refusal to support unsupported treatments for Covid-19.

The Australian revealed Mr Kelly and Mr Palmer were in talks to join forces last May after the billionaire was seen walking the halls of parliament with the Hughes MP, and Mr Palmer said he stood ready to bankroll his campaign to keep his seat.

The Queensland tycoon has promised legal action against any federal policies which further push Covid-19 vaccinations and he failed in a High Court bid to bring down Western Australia’s hard Covid-19 border.

Mr Palmer is readying to repeat his advertising blitz against Labor in the 2019 election, credited with damaging Bill Shorten’s hopes of winning power, with a cashed-up campaign against both major parties.

Multiple sources have told The Australian Mr Palmer intended to specifically target Mr Dutton, who played a key role in overhauling the LNP’s hierarchy at the weekend’s LNP state convention.

Close ties between Mr Palmer and former high-ranking members of the LNP’s organisational wing were at the centre of internal debate ahead of the purge led by Mr Dutton and state Opposition Leader David Crisafulli.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/rogue-crossbencher-craig-kelly-to-run-with-clive-palmers-united-australia-party-at-the-next-election/news-story/8f5d80211ca22ca2f9b3670b67b990e1

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deef8a  No.14434139

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14421203

ADF supports Afghanistan evacuees

Department of Defence Australia

Aug 23, 2021

The Australian Defence Force, together with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade established a temporary camp at Australia's main operating base in the Middle East to provide shelter and support to Australian citizens and approved foreign nationals evacuated from the Afghan capital of Kabul. The evacuees were housed prior to their transportation to Australia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp0tTaBQFXY

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fb5547  No.14437099

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison's sudden attitude change toward lockdowns.

"(Lockdowns) can't last forever."

"That is our goal - to live with this virus, not to live in fear of it."

Scott Morrison challenges state leaders over ending COVID-19 lockdowns | SBS News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGxPr0rHd6c

Scott Morrison persists with national reopening plan | Coronavirus | 9 News Australia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JcQWnuLMC4

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says COVID lockdowns can't last forever | 7NEWS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1vYUHAk4_w

And TY Aus Baker!

o7

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9ccfae  No.14439816

File: 5c2e5b334014737⋯.jpg (155.86 KB, 758x540, 379:270, THAT_WILL_DO_MR_PIG.jpg)

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e62c7d  No.14442947

AUS BROS

What is the deal here? There are only about 10 UID's in this bread. Your country is falling. Where the fuck is everyone???

I normally don't call for violence but you must attack these brutal police forces with every prejudice you can muster. You are being SET UP to be a Chinese territory my brothers.

DON'T GO DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT

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deef8a  No.14442992

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

How Murdoch’s Fox News allowed Trump's propaganda to destabilise democracy | Four Corners

ABC News In-depth

Aug 23, 2021

How Fox News promoted Donald Trump’s propaganda and helped destabilise democracy in the United States of America: the first of our two-part special on Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News.

Fox News is the brash cable TV network that has dominated both the ratings and the headlines in America, delivering revenue and power to the Murdoch family empire.

For decades its catch cry was “fair and balanced.” Then along came Donald Trump.

Four Corners investigates how Fox News went from a conservative voice to a 'propaganda organ' for Donald Trump that some former reporters say they're 'ashamed' to be associated with.

Read more:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-23/fox-news-trump-four-corners-investigation-gretchen-carlson/100387632

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsBqU1RzV7o

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deef8a  No.14442999

File: b3cfccb9f0aa712⋯.jpg (66.4 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, ABC_journalist_Sarah_Fergu….jpg)

File: 08cb48dc410c690⋯.jpg (306.96 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, FOX_NEWS_ON_TRUMP.jpg)

>>14442992

The ABC’s big lie and the madness of Four Corners

JAMES MADDEN and ADAM CREIGHTON - AUGUST 24, 2021

1/2

The ABC has used its flagship current affairs program to run a conspiracy-laden and error-ridden “expose” into Fox News, blaming Rupert Murdoch for Donald Trump’s refusal to accept electoral defeat, ignoring News Corporation’s prominent role in demanding the former president hand over to Joe Biden.

The two-part Four Corners series and accompanying reports on radio and online includes interviews with several disgruntled former employees of Fox News in an attempt to smear the Murdoch-controlled broadcaster with the baseless claim it had a “role in amplifying Trump’s lies that the election was stolen from him”.

ABC journalist Sarah Ferguson, on assignment in the US since late last year, anchored Monday night’s episode, titled The Big Lie — but the program was more notable for its glaring omissions than any groundbreaking revelations. In the second episode, Four Corners will try to link Fox News with the insurrection at the Capitol by Mr Trump’s supporters on January 6.

Despite being immediately sacked by the Murdoch family after being exposed as a serial sexual predator, Fox News’s founding chief executive Roger Ailes — a lifelong conservative Republican — was bizarrely praised by the ABC as a voice of moderation. The program attempted to make the case that Fox News was more moderate under the notoriously hardline Ailes, who was forced out of the network in 2016.

Four Corners also made much of Fox News host Sean Hannity’s impromptu appearance with Mr Trump at a political rally in 2018, but failed to note that the network censured the on-air star for his decision to appear onstage with the president.

The ABC argued that Fox and Mr Trump were on a unity ticket but failed to mention the 400-plus tweets by the then president in which he heavily criticised Fox News’s coverage of the November election, including attacking the network’s marquee presenter Chris Wallace for his tough questions during the presidential debates.

Despite its thesis, the ABC showed how Fox News was the first major broadcaster to call the crucial state of Arizona for Mr Biden, a decision that enraged Mr Trump. The broadcaster’s political editor at the time, Chris Stirewalt, told Four Corners that while there was anger in the Trump camp, there had been no pressure from the company for him to overturn that call. “I received no instruction to reverse the call,” Stirewalt said.

The ABC’s contention that Fox News set the scene for the January 6 riot ignores the high-profile Fox News presenters who repeatedly blasted Mr Trump’s claims of election fraud. The ABC also does not acknowledge the role of Mr Murdoch’s other US media outlets, such as The Wall Street Journal and its critical coverage of the “inexcusable” behaviour of Mr Trump or The New York Post’s front page demanding the defeated president “Stop The Insanity” and move on from the White House.

Instead, the national broadcaster declared the program would expose Fox News for its “slavish support of Trump” and make the unfounded claim it “split the Murdoch family and spoiled Rupert Murdoch’s succession plans”. In doing so it ignored the plethora of evidence showing the network catered for a range of opinions on Mr Trump, from harsh critics to those more supportive.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14443003

File: a43e900e1a4e50d⋯.jpg (87.06 KB, 600x650, 12:13, STOP_THE_INSANITY.jpg)

>>14442999

2/2

For example, after the January 6 riots, top-rating broadcaster Tucker Carlson said Mr Trump had “recklessly encouraged” the insurrection. The ABC also ignored evidence that a social media and Facebook-inspired frenzy had driven many rioters to the Capitol. Despite this, the ABC program accused Fox News of helping to “destabilise democracy” and put “US democracy in peril”.

“Fox News didn’t send the mob, but its worst outrage generators certainly fed their anger,” Ferguson reported on Monday.

The ABC spoke to former Fox News anchors, including Gretchen Carlson and Carl Cameron, all of whom had left the network before the 2020 presidential election and the public falling out between Mr Trump and Fox News. “The use of five former deeply disgruntled employees, only one of whom was part of the company during our coverage of the 2020 US presidential election and its aftermath, single-handedly discredits all credibility of the program,” a Fox spokeswoman said.

In a statement to The Australian, (published by Mr Murdoch’s News Corp), Fox News said the taxpayer-funded program “clearly violated the basic tenets of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s published standards by exhibiting bias and a failure to maintain any level of impartiality in the presentation of news and information”.

In the second of the two-part Four Corners report next Monday, the ABC attempts to link Fox News directly to the January 6 riots and claims this hurt democracy.

Mr Biden was sworn in as President without incident weeks later in a perfect display of US democracy at work.

The handover was handled by Fox broadcasters as expected. And Mr Trump’s claims of electoral fraud condemned. On one occasion, Fox News anchor Bret Baier told Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel in the days after the election: “We are not seeing any evidence of widespread fraud … we just haven’t seen it. You know, it hasn’t been presented. There’s all kinds of stuff flying on the internet. But when we look into it, it doesn’t pan out.”

Similarly, Fox News host Tucker Carlson called out Mr Trump’s lawyer Sidney Powell for making claims about electronic vote-switching with no evidence to back it up.

“She never sent us any evidence, despite a lot of requests, polite requests, not a page. When we kept pressing, she got angry and told us to stop contacting her,” he said on his program.

Another Fox News anchor, Eric Shawn, scrutinised virtually every election fraud conspiracy spread by the former president’s supporters.

“Election officials across the country insist, as of today, there is no evidence of any widespread fraud affecting the outcome the presidential election, that our precious democracy was not tampered with and that such baseless and false claims are an insult to the thousands of election officials and workers across the country who we have seen dedicating themselves 24/7 to ensure a fair and free election for all of us,” he said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/the-abcs-big-lie-and-the-madness-of-four-corners/news-story/fc5850eef518445b1dd46b742e62959c

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deef8a  No.14443100

File: a4b0f76c2e8d92e⋯.jpg (314.5 KB, 998x668, 499:334, LW_1.jpg)

Lin Wood Telegram Post

Keep a close eye on events in Australia. The enemy plans to bring those events to a city near you in the foreseeable future.

But while you should keep alert and look around at events in other parts of the world, STAY FOCUSED on demanding and obtaining full forensic audits of the 2020 election in every state!!!

www.FightBack.law

https://strikebackforfreedom.com/

https://t.me/linwoodspeakstruth/5041

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deef8a  No.14443157

File: af14e053473ae6c⋯.jpg (82.81 KB, 1279x720, 1279:720, Scott_Morrison_says_this_g….jpg)

File: a2a9f7353a1d5c4⋯.jpg (126.07 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, An_ibis_crosses_a_quiet_st….jpg)

File: 2630ef68de0a2a6⋯.jpg (195.22 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, FIRST_AND_SECOND_DOSES.jpg)

Scott Morrison’s blast for slow states as vaccine rates lag

GEOFF CHAMBERS and RICHARD FERGUSON - AUGUST 23, 2021

1/2

Low vaccination rates in Queensland and Western Australia threaten to delay the easing of Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns as Scott Morrison says Australia must adjust its mindset to living with the virus.

The Prime Minister on Monday stared down state leaders wavering on the four-phase ­reopening strategy agreed by ­national cabinet, warning that Australians would remain stuck “in the cave forever” if the plan to progressively ease restrictions at 70 per cent and 80 per cent full vaccination rates was abandoned.

With Queensland and WA ­indicating they may not stick to the plan because of high case numbers in NSW and a growing outbreak in Victoria, Mr Morrison said: “If not at 70 per cent and 80 per cent, then when? We must make that move and we must prepare to make that move and we must prepare the country to make that move.

“We have to break this cycle. The national plan is the way to cut through and for us to emerge from that. This groundhog day has to end, and it will end when we start getting to 70 per cent and 80 per cent.”

The Prime Minister’s intervention came as S&P Global Ratings said states and territories would put their credit ratings at risk if they failed to end lockdowns once 80 per cent vaccine coverage was achieved and business leaders called on WA and Queensland to ramp up their vaccination rates.

WA and Queensland continue to lag behind other states. NSW has delivered more than 59 per cent of first doses, but WA and Queensland are sitting at about 46 per cent.

On current vaccination projections, NSW will meet its 70 per cent double jab target around ­October 29 and 80 per cent around ­November 16, while Victoria will reach the 70 per cent full vaccination threshold around November 3 and 80 per cent around November 21.

However, Queensland is not expected to reach a 70 per cent full vaccination rate until about ­December 4 and 80 per cent around December 28, while WA is not projected to reach 70 per cent until around November 11 and 80 per cent around November 29.

The slower vaccination rates in holdout states will delay the whole country as thresholds are linked to national vaccination rates and could lead to borders being closed longer.

Under the four-step strategy, lockdowns and restrictions will be eased when the country moves to phases two and three after state and national averages reach 70 and 80 per cent of double doses. Queensland at the weekend threatened to walk away from the national plan, arguing it had signed the agreement before infections in NSW reached the current levels of more than 800 a day. Federal officials insist more cases will not radically alter virus caseloads once states open up.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14443159

File: a1d22f7c10ca042⋯.jpg (146.86 KB, 768x1024, 3:4, Mark_McGowan.jpg)

File: b71f2bb88ff297a⋯.jpg (115.48 KB, 768x1024, 3:4, Annastacia_Palaszczuk.jpg)

File: bd72e6a0cfbdbf1⋯.jpg (158.92 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, PROJECTED_DATE_TO_REACH_70….jpg)

>>14443157

2/2

Ahead of a national cabinet meeting on Friday that will consider higher Covid-19 caseloads in the Doherty Institute’s updated analysis, which underpins the reopening plan, Mr Morrison said states must commit to “living with this virus”.

“We must adjust our mindset,” he said. “Cases will not be the issue once we get above 70 per cent. Dealing with serious illness, hospitalisation, ICU capabilities, our ability to respond in those circumstances – that will be our goal. And we will live with this virus as we live with other infectious diseases.”

Mr Morrison, who spoke with Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce on Monday after the airline ­announced it would mandate vaccines for workers and offer incentives for vaccinated Australians, faces increasing internal pressure to pushback against states and territories undermining the national reopening plan.

But WA Premier Mark McGowan fired back at Mr Morrison and argued the national cabinet had agreed that targeted lockdowns would remain even at 80 per cent vaccination rates.

“Just because the NSW government has made a mess of it doesn’t mean the rest of us should suffer,” he said. “My view is we should do everything we can to stay in the state we are currently in, and at the same time vaccinate like hell.”

The federal government has shifted to a combination of vaccines, targeted lockdowns, testing, tracing and treatments to help move Australia out of the suppression phase.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said she feared jabs could go to waste unless more people joined the state’s vaccination waitlist. Only 79,599 people were in the jab queue as of Monday, compared with 112,000 people vaccinated last week.

A senior Queensland government source said no consideration would be given to removing border restrictions with NSW until the infection rate fell below 1 and case numbers fell to the “early hundreds”.

Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox warned that the nation could not wait for the “last person in the last state” to be vaccinated.

“I’m confident that the slower-to-vaccinate states will soon see that the cost of isolation is much higher than the cost of striving for the future, obviously unrealistic dream of maintaining Covid zero,” Mr Willox said. “If not, those states will be left behind economically and socially and they will make our national Covid recovery harder to achieve.”

Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Andrew McKellar said vaccinations must be the primary tool to control Covid-19. Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott urged state leaders to stick with the Doherty plan.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said when NSW reached 70 and 80 per cent double dose coverage, residents would be able to “live more freely”.

Victorian Premier Daniel ­Andrews said while he was ­“highly unlikely” to impose a statewide lockdown on Victorians once 80 per cent were vaccinated, he could not rule it out.

As Europe, the US, Singapore, Israel and others shift their focus to lowering hospitalisation and death rates, Mr Morrison said lockdowns were “taking an ­extremely heavy toll both on the mental and physical health of Australians and on the economic success of Australia”.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/scott-morrisons-blast-for-slow-states-as-vaccine-rates-lag/news-story/8bffb81e5528c07786f5697dc6537c42

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deef8a  No.14443331

File: dd9bb6902d8630e⋯.jpg (209.77 KB, 862x485, 862:485, The_urgent_evacuation_of_A….jpg)

File: bd90a112b93b63c⋯.jpg (200.9 KB, 862x575, 862:575, The_Taliban_have_control_o….jpg)

>>14421203

RAAF flights ferry another 650 out of Afghanistan in mass Kabul airlift as Taliban's 'red line' for withdrawal approaches

Jake Evans - 24 August 2021

Another 650 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan overnight as part of Australia's rescue operation, as the Taliban threatens the window to get people out is closing.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said four RAAF flights and one New Zealand Air Force flight managed to land at Kabul Airport and rescue hundreds more people in recent hours.

Mr Morrison said it was the biggest night of Australia's operation so far.

"The people who are doing this job on the ground … they are real heroes, compassionate heroes," Mr Morrison told Channel 9.

"They are going through what is an extraordinarily tense time and they are getting people out."

PM warns every rescue flight may be the last

Mr Morrison said the situation at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport remained highly unpredictable.

He said knowing "the form" of the Taliban, the country was operating under the assumption every flight it could get into and out of Kabul airport may be the last.

"We've been going like we won't be able to get another flight in the next day, so we've been trying to make every flight as successful as possible," Mr Morrison said.

"We'll keep doing that for as long as we can. If that deadline is able to be pushed out, we've made it clear to the United States we support that."

The Taliban have warned the United States that holding Kabul airport beyond the end of August would be a "violation" of the withdrawal agreement first struck under former president Donald Trump.

A spokesperson for the Taliban told international media August 31 was a "red line" for withdrawal that should not be crossed.

The White House has responded that US President Joe Biden would decide what date American forces withdrew.

More than 1,600 people, including Australians, Afghan nationals and other foreign citizens, have been evacuated by Australia and New Zealand in the past week.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-24/650-more-rescued-from-kabul-by-australia/100401324

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deef8a  No.14443431

File: 4b839135d171026⋯.jpg (232.39 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Ron_Brierley_scrubbed_out_….jpg)

File: 292c13e93cbc23b⋯.jpg (109.97 KB, 768x1024, 3:4, Ron_Brierley_leaves_the_Do….jpg)

Ron Brierley ‘scrubbed out’ after being caught with child abuse images

Perry Duffin - August 20, 2021

As millionaire businessman Ron Brierley basked in the glow of public success he was hiding a dark secret - a taste for pre-pubescent girls.

Now the corporate icon’s lawyers want him spared prison - but police prosecutors reject his claims he didn’t know confronting child abuse images were illegal.

Brierley, 84, pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing child abuse material after he was found with thousands of images on computer hard drives.

Australian Border Force officers had uncovered the images, mostly of children aged around 11-years-old, in his carry-on luggage as he prepared to board a holiday flight to Fiji.

Some of the girls were much younger, the NSW District Court heard on Friday, and “there are many” victims in Brierley’s files.

Brierley’s success brought fame and power, but his success has also made his fall from grace an extremely public affair, the court heard.

The New Zealand-born Brierley lost his knightship, has had his name “scrubbed” from cricket pavilions, and has become a social pariah, his barrister Tim Game SC said.

“Public recognition was a terribly important part of his own life and his image of himself,” Mr Game said.

“The downfall has been complete to the point donations are not accepted or returned if given.”

Mr Game said Brierley had dealt with his attraction to pre-pubescent girls for many years and it was a “significant affliction” and “disorder” for the businessman.

“He has kept this to himself and has been troubled by it for a long period of time,” Mr Game said.

“Maybe because he’s been forced to - he does appreciate the seriousness of the wrong done.”

The court has previously heard Brierley believed the images were “perfectly okay”, available online and he looked at them for “recreation”.

Crown Prosecutor Sean Hughes urged Judge Sarah Huggett to reject any claim Brierley thought the images were legal.

“(The court should reject) the high-functioning Mr Brierley did not know that, at the very least, the image of the pubescent girl exposing her anus and genitals in a sexualised pose was other than illegal,” he said.

Brierley is asking the judge to allow him to serve his time in the community on a release order.

Prosecutors acknowledge there won’t be a lengthy time in prison but said these were “real girls” in the images collected by Birerley and punishment would be needed to send a message to others.

“A message has to be sent to those in the community who sit in a darkened room with little fear of being caught that, if they are caught, they will be properly denounced,” Mr Hughes said.

“Not by being stripped of their knighthood - but properly denounced by way of a meaningful, substantial penalty.”

“They should expect a jail sentence, a heavy jail sentence.”

Brierley’s lawyers say he has suffered significant cognitive decline since the arrest in 2019 and he requires his vast resources to keep himself functioning.

He has the beginnings of dementia and vascular disease, Mr Game said, and has moved away from positions of responsibility.

Brierley did not appear in the Sydney court in person - neither did any of the lawyers - because the city’s coronavirus pandemic has forced all hearings to be conducted remotely.

Brierley will be sentenced in October and will remain on bail until then.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-nsw/ron-brierley-scrubbed-out-after-being-caught-with-child-abuse-images/news-story/a058db306ec03cfe58f6b86a99e3f4e1

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deef8a  No.14443440

File: 94a4b0756da9676⋯.jpg (119.62 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, QAnon_followers_deranged_b….jpg)

Australian data reveals thousands of Covid QAnon conspiracies spreading online

New data shows there are thousands of Covid conspiracies spreading online, including QAnon quackery.

Perry Duffin - August 24, 2021

The Federal government is working to uproot thousands of “harmful” pandemic conspiracy theories including QAnon quackery - but the tech companies have often refused to act, exclusive data shows.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the Department of Home Affairs has identified 2002 instances of misinformation since March 2020 and the end of July this year.

The government says the misinformation is “harmful” because it “undermines” government messaging on the virus, vaccines, restrictions and quarantine.

Last week frontline health responders told The Daily Telegraph their own loved ones were turning on them after being convinced of the online cult of QAnon and related conspiracies.

QAnon followers have signed on to a deranged series of beliefs including that a paedophile cabal is running the world and the pandemic is a hoax.

Since then more people from across NSW have come forward with stories of siblings, parents and friends lost to the unfounded conspiracy.

One person told The Daily Telegraph their father refused to complete the census because the “corrupt government was keeping tabs on him” but continues to collect unemployment benefits on the Central Coast.

Another said not a single person in her family or group of friends would get the vaccine because misinformation had spread through the Shire, where they live.

“Disinformation about COVID-19 should be rejected by everyone, as it puts our families and communities at risk,” Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said.

“Unfortunately social media can be a particularly effective tool in the manipulation of information.”

The department referred the misinformation to social media giants including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Google and Tik Tok.

Of the 2002 reported instances of misinformation 1,221 were removed or the accounts banned.

Another 117 resulted in a warning while 664 resulted in no action.

Social media companies have been notoriously slow to act on the spread of misinformation.

It was only last year that QAnon was formally purged from Facebook and Twitter.

By then it had helped foment the insurrection in the US Capitol and spread across the world.

Last week an American QAnon believer allegedly spear gunned his children to death believing they would destroy the world.

In Australia the conspiracy movement remains quietly active on Twitter and flourishes loudly on Facebook groups and in encrypted chats where followers cast doubt on the very existence of Covid.

Minister Andrews said the government would continue to actively counter their efforts by ensuring accurate and authoritative information is available and accessible in many languages.

“I encourage everyone to get their information about COVID-19 from official, reputable sources, and be sceptical of what they may see or hear online,” she said.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/coronavirus/australian-data-reveals-thousands-of-covid-qanon-conspiracies-spreading-online/news-story/993067792d17d8160559a092eb9fe5d3

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3f28de  No.14448979

File: 377fa1b37b28591⋯.png (758.32 KB, 1112x862, 556:431, ABC_Satanic_Slip_Up.png)

>>14443440

… and yet, the ABC airs a Satanic Ritual in prime time and barely a whisper…

https://www.rt.com/news/532575-australia-satan-worship-tv/

They want to start teaching it in schools for F's sake…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwowxkJIjgg

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deef8a  No.14452019

File: 6cd47501cbfda08⋯.jpg (123.22 KB, 960x641, 960:641, People_sit_with_social_dis….jpg)

File: af371414b82615d⋯.jpg (161.5 KB, 960x640, 3:2, A_masked_man_walks_a_dog_t….jpg)

File: f5a7edd196fef85⋯.jpg (148.16 KB, 960x641, 960:641, A_masked_man_rides_a_scoot….jpg)

>>14404403

Australia pandemic panel backs reopening targets despite Sydney outbreak

Renju Jose - August 24, 2021

SYDNEY, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Australia can proceed with its reopening plans when the country reaches 70%-80% vaccination levels, the government's pandemic modelling adviser said, even as some states hinted they may not ease border curbs if Sydney fails to control its Delta outbreak.

The Melbourne-based Doherty Institute said the country's focus must shift to limiting the number of COVID-19 deaths and hospitalisations, from its current zero-cases strategy, when at least 70% of the country's population above age 16 is fully vaccinated.

"This level of vaccination will make it easier to live with the virus, as we do with other viruses such as the flu," it said in a statement late on Monday. "Once we reach 70% vaccine coverage, opening up at tens or hundreds of cases nationally per day is possible."

Currently, 30% of Australia's adult population has been fully vaccinated while 53% have had at least one dose.

Australia in July unveiled a four-stage plan back to greater freedoms with higher vaccination rates. But Queensland and Western Australia states flagged they may not stick with the agreement as it was framed when case numbers in Sydney were much lower.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison acknowledged the concerns of some states from the Sydney outbreak but said "forever lockdowns" will do more harm than good to the country.

"It doesn't matter whether it's 30 cases or 800 cases, the conclusions are the same, and that's what the Doherty Institute said … we can do this safely and we do need to do it," Morrison told Nine News on Tuesday.

VACCINE PIVOT

Australia has suffered less from the coronavirus pandemic than many other developed countries with about 44,600 cases and 984 deaths. But a third wave of infections from the Delta variant has plunged Sydney and Melbourne, its largest cities, and capital Canberra into a weeks-long lockdown.

Sydney, the worst-affected, has reported rapid growth in new case numbers as state officials pivot to a faster vaccine rollout strategy as more than two months of stay-at-home orders have failed to stop the spread of Delta.

"Let us focus on the vaccine rates because that is what will determine how we can live moving forward," New South Wales (NSW) state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

Berejiklian, who had promised more freedoms for the fully-vaccinated once total doses topped 6 million, said the state has crossed that milestone and changes will be announced later this week. Some 59% of people in NSW have had at least one dose, while 31% are fully vaccinated, slightly above the national numbers.

A total of 753 cases were reported in NSW, down from 818 on Monday, although daily infections continue to linger near record levels. Seventy-four deaths have been reported from the latest outbreak, although the rate of deaths has slowed from last year.

Neighbouring Victoria, struggling to contain its outbreak, expanded access to the Pfizer shots from Wednesday to anyone over the age of 16 to help reach a goal of a million doses over five weeks. Fifty new locally acquired cases were detected in the state on Tuesday, down from 71 a day earlier.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-pandemic-panel-backs-reopening-plans-amid-delta-surge-2021-08-23/

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deef8a  No.14452221

File: d7bd4417fe7dfda⋯.jpg (860.65 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, An_aerial_view_of_the_P4_l….jpg)

File: 99ea3105823b148⋯.jpg (1.33 MB, 2000x3741, 2000:3741, Rumor_COVID_19_was_created….jpg)

US-led campaign targets Wuhan Institute of Virology with 'vague, misleading, mysterious' rumors

GT staff reporters - Aug 24, 2021

1/3

Editor's Note:

On tracing COVID-19 origins, the US government has been making groundless accusations targeting China based on speculation and disinformation, but never on science and facts. The virus origins tracing mission in the US has been led by intelligence departments, which have a notorious record of creating disinformation for politicization purposes, and most of the rumors concocted by the US surround the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).

Focusing on the rumors and those who are behind the defamation campaign, the Global Times shall publish two in-depth reports on Wednesday and Thursday to expose the lowdown tricks employed in the West' COVID-19 origins campaign.

The groundless claims by Western politicians and media surrounding the Wuhan Institute of Virology have frequently been disproved by scientists from across the world. In a recent critical review published in the peer-reviewed journal Cell on August 18, 21 renowned international experts once again presented evidence that the scenario of SARS-CoV-2 having been first passed from an animal to a human is much more probable than the disease originating from the Wuhan lab.

The discussion over the origins of the pandemic has become politicized and heated, said Stephen Goldstein, author of the Cell article and evolutionary virologist at University of Utah. "We felt the time was right to take a critical look at all of the available evidence," Goldstein noted, according to a press release published on the university's website on August 19.

It's a pity that some Western countries led by the US remain busy politicizing the pandemic and slandering China with the "lab-leak theory," while ignoring their severe domestic situation, said Yang Zhanqiu, a virologist from Wuhan University. The COVID-19 origins tracing is a rational scientific issue, which "should be decided by scientists instead of politicians," Yang told the Global Times.

Rumors from the US targeting the WIV labs have been circulating since the beginning of the pandemic, trying to portray this Chinese research institution as "the root of all evil."

What are the main rumors spread about the WIV? Who are behind the conspiracy theories? The Global Times listed the following typical COVID-19-related misinformatio in chronological order, which have all been disproved by international authoritative scientists and the Chinese government.

Rumor: 'COVID-19 was created by WIV'

The claim that "SARS-CoV-2 was made or artificially synthesized by the WIV" first emerged in early 2020.

In an article published on January 26, 2020, three days after Wuhan announced a city-wide lockdown, American conservative newspaper the Washington Times quoted Dany Shoham, "a former Israeli military intelligence officer who has studied Chinese biological warfare," as saying that COVID-19 was probably leaked from the WIV, and was possibly "included in China's biological weapons program."

Following the Washington Times' groundless article, the US started a conspiracy theory war against WIV, with an increasing number of anti-China politicians and media, who might have neither known about the COVID-19 nor WIV, pointing fingers at China for "making the virus."

Republican Senator Tom Cotton echoed the engineered-bioweapon hypothesis in the same month. "I would note that Wuhan has China's only biosafety level-four super laboratory that works with the world's most deadly pathogens to include, yes, coronavirus," Cotton hinted at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on January 30, 2020.

Then Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai criticized Cotton's remark as "absolutely crazy." Cotton's ridiculous bioweapon assertion was soon refuted by 27 leading medical experts from eight different countries, who published a joint statement in The Lancet on February 29 and indicated that scientists from multiple countries have published and analyzed the genomes of SARS-CoV-2, and they overwhelmingly conclude that this coronavirus disease originated in wildlife, as have so many other emerging pathogens.

The Wuhan P4 Laboratory is a government cooperation program between China and France, with its design, construction, and management all following international standards, and operations are protected by special facilities and strict protocols. "There is… no factual evidence corroborating recent reports in the US press linking the origins of COVID-19 and the work of the P4 laboratory of Wuhan," an official at French President Emmanuel Macron's office said in April 2020, France24 reported.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14452232

File: 122d53f88ffda22⋯.jpg (485.29 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, Members_of_the_World_Healt….jpg)

File: eb4efc2bcc8a012⋯.jpg (1.36 MB, 2000x3741, 2000:3741, Rumor_WIV_lab_has_lax_bios….jpg)

File: 168167b0d36de1e⋯.jpg (1.33 MB, 2000x2976, 125:186, Rumor_WIV_deliberately_des….jpg)

>>14452221

2/3

Rumor: 'WIV lab has lax biosecurity standards'

British tabloid The Sun said in an April 2020 article that the WIV lab "lied about taking safety precautions when collecting bat samples," attacking the WIV for having lax bio-security standards.

In an "exclusively revelation" report on April 29, 2020, The Sun showed a few photos and video screenshots of "WIV researchers" "catching bats in the wild," in support of its claim that "incredibly some [Chinese] scientists didn't even wear gloves as they entered caves to collect fecal bat swab samples, beaming for the camera, and oblivious to the dangers."

In the article, The Sun interviewed Matthew Henderson, director of the Asia Studies Centre at the Henry Jackson Society, which firstly published the photos and video online. "There is ample evidence of such a cavalier approach to biosecurity by Chinese scientists based in Wuhan laboratories," Henderson said.

The accusation was soon proven laughably false. The video clip and photos hyped by a few British organizations and media had little to do with the WIV. They had actually come from the fourth episode of a popular science documentary named Wild Youth, "and the people involved are not from the Wuhan lab," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying at a press conference in May 2020.

The video clip does not involve any staff member from the Wuhan lab nor their scientific research activities, Hua stressed.

Some of the photos British media published turned out to have been taken in the summer of 2007 in South China's Hainan Province, Hua added.

"We're not new to this kind of graft. We have seen it on issues related to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Do we have more effective ways to deal with these kinds of lies? Can we sue them?" asked Hua.

In an interview with Reuters, Yuan Zhimin, director of the Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory, rejected theories that the lab had accidentally released the coronavirus disease it had harvested from bats for research purposes, saying the lab's bio-security procedures were strictly enforced.

"High-level bio-safety labs have sophisticated protective facilities and strict measures to ensure the safety of laboratory staff and protect the environment from contamination," Yuan said.

Rumor: 'WIV deliberately destroyed evidence of early COVID-19 outbreak'

In May 2020, right-wing Australian tabloid the Daily Telegraph published an article, in which the author, Sharri Markson, claimed that she had exclusive access to a 15-page "China dossier" showing "China deliberately covered up evidence of the virus [COVID-19] early on in a pure case of negligence."

In the article, Markson depicted the source in a vague, misleading, and mysterious way, saying it was compiled by the so-called "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance. But the so-called dossier was found by several news outlets as just a research report based on publicly available information, including news reports.

The "dossier" was actually a summary of publicly available material authored by the US State Department, no more than a "reading list" or "reference paper," The Guardian reported on May 26, 2020. Markson's unprofessional conduct "should be utterly humiliating to the Murdoch media, except that the Murdoch media has zero shame," it quoted the former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd as saying.

However, Markson dismissed the mainstream media's criticism of her work on the origin of the virus and claimed to have been savaged by the left-wing Australian media.

Markson is infamous for her lack of credibility. During the pandemic she has co-signed lots of fake news attacking the WIV with hearsay and fake "experts" or "insiders."

Markson has two close partners; Robert Potter, a so-called "network security specialist," and Christopher Balding, "a China observer." Both of them appeared regularly on Markson's show, accepting her interviews, endorsing the so-called "intelligence" documents, and becoming the "exclusive sources" of her reports.

From May to September 2020, Potter and Balding relentlessly told the same story in the media, including in The Australian, on Sky News Australia, and in The Sun in the UK, to spread the rumor. But they failed to provide any evidence about "data obtained from the database," so even Western media themselves were reluctant to hype this topic further.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14452238

File: 98e163db65146ea⋯.jpg (90.61 KB, 333x500, 333:500, The_P2_laboratory_at_the_W….jpg)

File: c072d955dc9b5d1⋯.jpg (1.36 MB, 2000x3059, 2000:3059, Rumor_WIV_researchers_beca….jpg)

>>14452232

3/3

Rumor: 'WIV researchers became sick in November 2019'

In an article published on May 23, 2021, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) said it had heard from "a previously undisclosed US intelligence report" that three researchers from the WIV "became sick enough in November 2019 that they sought hospital care." The three had symptoms consistent with "both COVID-19 and common seasonal illnesses," it said.

Three days later, President Biden said he had directed the US intelligence community to further investigate the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and "report back to him in 90 days," according to CNN.

The WSJ article on "sick staff at the WIV" is an outright lie that came from nowhere, Yuan later refuted. "I've read it. It's a complete lie," Yuan told the Global Times on May 24. "Those claims are groundless. The lab has never been aware of this situation [sick researchers in autumn 2019], and I don't even know where such information came from."

Earlier, Chinese health authorities said on March 31 that the WIV had found three adult COVID-19 cases during its retrospective screening of flu samples collected in Wuhan between January 2019 and January 2020. The three cases were not WIV staffers, but patients being treated at a local hospital that the WIV worked with. Moreover, the three patients had symptoms in January 2020 rather than "November 2019" as some US media claimed.

Nonetheless, audiences may not be surprised to find that the first author of the WSJ fake news report is Michael R. Gordon, who is notorious for co-authoring an article in September 2002, falsely asserting that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was seeking to build a nuclear weapon.

Gordon's article became an excuse for the-then US administration to attack Iraq. Over the subsequent decade and a half, Gordon continued to "serve as a conduit for fabricated 'intelligence' emanating from the White House, the Pentagon, and the CIA," organization World Socialist Web Site said in an article published in June.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202108/1232336.shtml

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deef8a  No.14452283

File: 7d2c860e4c2a6e5⋯.jpg (186.32 KB, 905x569, 905:569, Police_arrested_290_people….jpg)

Police powers to hack and disrupt dark web pass Parliament

Katina Curtis and Anthony Galloway - August 25, 2021

Federal police and organised crime investigators will be able to take over the online “dark web” accounts of criminals and terrorists and hack into their networks under new powers that passed Parliament on Wednesday.

But legal and human rights groups are concerned the government didn’t adopt all the recommendations from a cross-party committee, particularly a call for judicial oversight, and the laws were debated and passed in less than 24 hours.

The Australian Federal Police and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission will now have unprecedented powers to penetrate the networks of criminals using domestic servers to operate on the dark web. They’re also able to modify or delete harmful content such as child exploitation material under the laws.

These powers will now be reviewed independently after three years, by Parliament after four years and end after five, and there are stronger protections for journalists and third parties under changes the government made in response to concerns raised by Parliament’s powerful intelligence and security committee.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said she had worked through the committee’s recommendations in good faith and amendments would ensure it was more likely warrants would be issued for more serious types of crime.

But she did not adopt a recommendation that warrants should be approved by either a Federal or Supreme Court judge, rather than a member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. The Greens attempted to insert this higher bar for warrants but were unsuccessful.

The Greens also argued the government had not properly made it clear why the new powers were needed, and that their scope was “disproportionately broad” compared to the threats they were directed at.

Ms Andrews said the changes would give law enforcement agencies tools that kept pace with technology.

She pointed to the arrests of 290 people in Operation Ironside, which involved Australian and American law enforcement cooperating to offer an encrypted messaging service to criminal networks.

“This bill is just one more step the government is taking to ensure our agencies maintain that edge,” she said.

“Under our changes the AFP will have more tools to pursue organised crime gangs to keep drugs off our street and out of our community, and those who commit the most heinous crimes against children.”

The Human Rights Law Centre accused the government of rushing the bill through Parliament, after it was debated and passed in the lower house on Tuesday then the Senate on Wednesday morning.

Kieran Pender, a senior lawyer at the centre, said the law created sweeping surveillance powers that would have a chilling effect on journalists and whistleblowers.

“Given the powers are unprecedented and extraordinarily intrusive, they should have been narrowed to what is strictly necessary and subject to robust safeguards,” he said.

“It is alarming that, instead of accepting [all of] the committee’s recommendations and allowing time for scrutiny of subsequent amendments, the Morrison government rushed these laws through Parliament in less than 24 hours.”

The Law Council of Australia said the failure to adopt the recommendation for judges to issue the warrants was disappointing.

“These warrants have the potential to cause significant loss, damage or disruption to lawful computer users who are not suspected of any wrongdoing,” president Jacob Brasch said.

He noted the government intended to consider these matters in other legislation, but said the committee’s recommendations were specific to the “novel, extraordinary and intrusive” warrant-based powers in this legislation.

Security officials and law enforcement have been pushing for similar powers for years. They became the subject of controversy after police raided the home of then-News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst after she was leaked an earlier proposal for the laws.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/police-powers-to-hack-and-disrupt-dark-web-pass-parliament-20210825-p58lsr.html

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deef8a  No.14452329

File: 23ddf7a8639f776⋯.jpg (332.91 KB, 1094x419, 1094:419, MRF_D_24.jpg)

File: 7bfd67b6880db47⋯.jpg (369.49 KB, 1977x1319, 1977:1319, 240462226_199945268834631_….jpg)

File: ae02b73bb8f35bb⋯.jpg (275.04 KB, 2048x1335, 2048:1335, 240464434_199945135501311_….jpg)

File: 8efb08ac42bd1fd⋯.jpg (212.92 KB, 1784x1190, 892:595, 240492761_199945408834617_….jpg)

>>14395401

Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post

24 August 2021

Australian Soldiers and U.S. Marines train together.

#Soldiers with the Australian #Army showed U.S. #Marines with Marine Rotational Force Darwin how to use the Australian Service Light Armored Vehicle and the F88 Austeyr Assault Rifle during Exercise Koolendong 21. Training with the Australian Defence Force enhances our abilities to work together and demonstrates the strength of the U.S.-Australian alliance.

https://www.facebook.com/MRFDarwin/posts/199950102167481

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23f190  No.14452344

File: ce9d3e1f89bcb9d⋯.jpg (191.7 KB, 828x466, 414:233, Stailiatimezone.jpg)

File: e323c4e8c9e9a35⋯.jpg (192.54 KB, 828x466, 414:233, Underdownlandwpi.jpg)

File: 8a05ff116c53a15⋯.jpg (195.55 KB, 828x466, 414:233, NewZealandWPI.jpg)

File: 4c29d06fbf2f2ff⋯.jpg (153.9 KB, 823x466, 823:466, wpii.jpg)

File: aedd74a66201012⋯.jpg (131.51 KB, 825x550, 3:2, wpiiiiiii.jpg)

Dear Aussie Anons:

Take some time out this Saturday, August 28, 2021.

We need you!

Help us pray to God and Jesus for justice and liberty! For courage and honesty! For God, family, and country, Aussie Patriots!

11:11 AM Central Daylight Time (CDT) is the "Anchor Time". So, please based your own location/time from 11:11AM CDT so we can pray together in unison collectively with our minds!

I believe I got your times right, but by chance if I did the conversion incorrectly, please change them. (Note, you are almost a day ahead of the USA in time).

I included one for the Zlanders too!

Please forward these memes out on social media!

Help us take back the Spiritual Front!

May God bless you all!

Kek

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deef8a  No.14452362

File: 0b08a667e6a09a4⋯.jpg (281.98 KB, 825x886, 825:886, ACCCE_7.jpg)

File: f559db68311cbcf⋯.png (37.4 KB, 1000x550, 20:11, E9nZJQOUYAEXgWX.png)

Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation Tweet

Only 21% of parents think there is a likelihood that online child sexual exploitation can happen to their child. Please help us raise this number and increase awareness of online child sexual exploitation. #ChildProtection

https://twitter.com/ACCCE_AUS/status/1430413148620607499

http://www.accce.gov.au

http://www.accce.gov.au/help-and-support/what-is-online-child-exploitation

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deef8a  No.14461699

File: f79d82aac74d186⋯.jpg (118.88 KB, 1024x682, 512:341, People_wait_in_line_outsid….jpg)

File: b39ca14d2488823⋯.jpg (51.61 KB, 1024x683, 1024:683, A_motivational_sign_is_see….jpg)

>>14404403

Sydney hospitals erect emergency tents as COVID-19 cases hit record

Renju Jose - AUGUST 26, 2021

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia’s new daily cases of COVID-19 topped 1,000 on Thursday for the first time since the global pandemic began, as two major hospitals in Sydney set up emergency outdoor tents to help deal with a rise in patients.

Sydney, the country’s largest city and the epicentre of the current outbreak, is struggling to stamp out a surge in the fast-spreading Delta variant, with daily infections hitting record levels even after two months under lockdown.

New South Wales (NSW) state, where Sydney is the capital, reported 1,029 new locally acquired cases, exceeding the previous record of 919 a day earlier. Of the new cases, 969 were detected in greater Sydney, up from 838.

The rapid rise in COVID-19 patients has forced Sydney’s Westmead and Blacktown hospitals, which service the city’s sprawling western suburbs, to erect tents to screen and swab patients to help manage capacity.

The makeshift unit in the emergency department for COVID-19 patients will help “to offload delays”, a Western Sydney Local Health District spokesperson told Reuters.

State Premier Gladys Berejiklian said authorities had quadrupled the number of the state’s intensive care ventilators to 2,000 early last year. Although the system is “under pressure”, it can withstand the current crisis once vaccination rates rise, she said.

“It might be different to the help you got before because of the situation, but please know the system is kicking in,” Berejiklian said at a televised media conference.

Of 116 people in intensive care in NSW, 102 are not vaccinated. Three new deaths were reported, including a man in his 30s who died at home, taking deaths from the latest outbreak to 79, although the death rate has slowed since last year.

In a video posted on Twitter Wednesday night, the Australian Paramedic Association said paramedics were given a choice to wait in their vehicles with infected people or “wait outside in the freezing rain” due to the rise in patients.

The fast-moving Delta strain has taken the gloss off Australia’s early success against the virus that kept its coronavirus numbers relatively low, with some 47,700 cases and 989 deaths. About 32% of people above 16 have been fully vaccinated while just over 54% have had at least one dose.

Besides Sydney, the country’s second-largest city, Melbourne, and capital, Canberra, are also in hard lockdowns, putting more than half of the country’s 25 million population under strict stay-at-home orders.

Cases in Victoria, home to Melbourne, surged to 80 on Thursday, up from 45 a day earlier.

The federal government is pushing ahead with the country's reopening plans here once vaccination rates reach 70%-80%, but some states have hinted they may delay given the rapid growth of cases in Sydney.

Berejiklian said NSW may reach 70% fully vaccinated by mid-October, and airline Qantas said it was preparing for international travel to resume here in December.

Also on Thursday, grocer Woolworths Group reported a surge in annual profit here as lockdowns sparked demand for household essentials.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-australia/sydney-hospitals-erect-emergency-tents-as-covid-19-cases-hit-record-idUSKBN2FR000

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deef8a  No.14461788

File: caeef4948aadd50⋯.jpg (47.24 KB, 1280x721, 1280:721, Malcolm_Turnbull_with_Bara….jpg)

File: ca59d7e8c339263⋯.jpg (79.23 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Donald_Trump_and_Malcolm_T….jpg)

Barack Obama asked Malcolm Turnbull for help with Donald Trump

TROY BRAMSTON - AUGUST 26, 2021

Barack Obama recruited Malcolm Turnbull to persuade Donald Trump to respect traditional alliances and adhere to international agreements that maintained America’s pre-eminent global leadership position during a secret meeting in Sydney after he left the White House.

In March 2018, Mr Obama met with Mr Turnbull, then prime minister, in a suite on the 29th floor of the InterContinental Hotel in Sydney. Mr Obama was visiting Australia for several well-paid speaking engagements.

Mr Obama expressed his deep concern about Mr Trump’s chaotic presidency and the battering of America’s prestige and influence around the world. He said it was like watching “a good friend drink himself to death and being powerless to do anything about it.”

Weathering the US president was proving harder than he had expected, Mr Turnbull replied. He said China was “asserting itself” and “playing into” domestic Australian politics at a time when the US seemed adrift from global affairs and reverting to isolationism, nativism and protectionism.

Mr Turnbull, then in the final months of his prime ministership, echoed Mr Obama’s fears and said he did not know how long the world could “hold the line” and where “the international order” would be after Mr Trump’s presidency.

The private conversation is revealed in a new book, Battle for the Soul: Inside the Democrats’ Campaigns to Defeat Trump, by journalist Edward-Isaac Dovere. It is published in Australia by Penguin Random House this month.

“Obama and I were absolutely of the same mind that the international system could not stand eight years of Trump,” Mr Turnbull recalled, “the damage would be irretrievable.” The former president and the then prime minister feared the cost of Mr Trump’s presidency.

Mr Obama was rounding up world leaders, especially from the centre-right, who could stand up to Mr Trump and influence his policies. The former president said German chancellor Angela Merkel would need to “stay in power as long as possible to be bulwark against Trump and the forces of protectionism.”

When Mr Turnbull asked who could defeat Mr Trump at the next election, in November 2020, he replied that he was not optimistic that he could be ejected from the White House. Mr Obama said there was no “obvious candidate” who could challenge Mr Trump. He did not mention Joe Biden.

Speaking to the Rekindling Hope podcast, hosted by Labor frontbencher Chris Bowen and former McKell Institute CEO, Sam Crosby, Mr Dovere revealed the meeting had a big impact.

When Mr Obama returned to the US, he began repeating Mr Turnbull’s assessment that America could withstand four years of Trump, but not eight.

“That meeting was an important moment,” Mr Dovere said. “After that trip and after that conversation with Turnbull, Obama starts saying something which then becomes part of the larger political conversation. Biden starts talking about it too.”

Mr Obama first appealed to Mr Turnbull to stand up to Mr Trump at the APEC meeting in Peru, held in November 2016. He argued that because Mr Turnbull was “an Australian conservative” this would have some weight with Mr Trump.

“(Obama) says, ‘Look, you can appeal to him because Trump thinks in these very black and white terms,” Mr Dovere says in the podcast. “When he hears the word conservative, he thinks you are like a hard-line conservative by American standards.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/barack-obama-asked-malcolm-turnbull-for-help-with-donald-trump/news-story/c58179aa3fa355b74cc4fcfe62b7471f

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deef8a  No.14461797

File: d0b5e0c23d317bd⋯.jpg (57.47 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, University_of_Sydney_micro….jpg)

Race on for new Wuhan inquiry

TIM DODD - AUGUST 26, 2021

Scientists who were tasked by the World Health Organisation to probe the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic are calling for an urgent start to the inquiry’s second phase lest crucial evidence about the origin of the virus be lost.

The call from the WHO team comes ahead of the expected release in coming days of the review commissioned by US President Joe Biden of whether the virus leaked from a top secret research laboratory in Wuhan.

China has already rejected a WHO call for a second phase of the inquiry into the origin of the virus, with deputy health minister Zeng Yixin last month labelling it “political interference”.

The 11 independent members of the WHO team warn in an article in the latest edition of science journal Nature that “the window of opportunity for conducting this crucial inquiry is closing fast”.

“Any delay will render some of the studies biologically impossible,” write the group of 11 scientists on the WHO team, which includes University of Sydney ­microbiologist Dominic Dwyer.

In the Nature article they also say the team of Chinese scientists working on the inquiry “was and still is reluctant to share raw data, citing reasons of patient confidentiality”.

They have ignored demands from the WHO to access the information, the article states.

The withheld data includes details of 174 Covid cases identified in December 2019 before the new infectious disease had been reported to the world.

The 11 scientists also say it was agreed that the second phase of the inquiry – which was recommended in the WHO report published in March this year – would include a review of these cases.

In the article, the scientists call for the inquiry’s second phase to focus on several key priorities including further traceback studies and antibody surveys to search for early evidence of Covid circulating, traceback and community surveys at wildlife farms which supplied the Wuhan markets, surveys of animals to locate possible Covid hosts, and detailed risk factor analysis. They said the surveys and traceback studies should be conducted both inside and outside China.

Speaking to The Australian, Professor Dwyer said that the process to identify Covid’s origins had “dragged on”.

“That delay is going to make doing some of the investigation in those recommendations more difficult. The longer that takes the harder it is to do certain parts of the work,” he said.

Asked about the theory the virus leaked from the Wuhan lab, Professor Dwyer said the WHO report didn’t rule out the possibility, “it just didn’t find evidence to find it a likely cause”. And he said the team’s call to anyone with data supporting the lab leak theory to bring it forward had not led to new evidence appearing.

Professor Dwyer said the team of 11 scientists was not able to work independently to seek data to test the lab leak theory.

“You can’t waltz in and demand to see the books. It (China) is a sovereign country. There are international agencies which have to take the lead,” he said.

In the Nature article, the 11 scientists are at pains to say that investigating the possibility that the virus originated in a lab was not part of the original terms of reference given to them by the WHO.

But they say that because the laboratory origin hypothesis was “too important to ignore” they discussed it with Chinese counterparts and included it as a possibility in the March report.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/science/race-on-for-new-wuhan-inquiry/news-story/52a2510f14617e20d550ab2d6f2276e9

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deef8a  No.14461827

File: b099667d9b9826a⋯.jpg (936.03 KB, 1200x4641, 400:1547, What_steps_did_the_US_take….jpg)

Revealing four-step US misinformation campaign against China on virus origins tracing

The rumor-mongering loop

GT staff reporters - Aug 25, 2021

1/3

Editor's Note:

On tracing COVID-19 origins, the US government has been making groundless accusations targeting China based on speculation and disinformation, but never on science and facts. The virus origins tracing mission in the US has been led by intelligence departments, which have a notorious record of creating disinformation for politicization purposes, and most of the rumors concocted by the US surround the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).

Focusing on the rumors and those who are behind the defamation campaign, the Global Times shall publish two in-depth reports on Wednesday and Thursday to expose the lowdown tricks employed in the West' COVID-19 origins campaign.

The US-waged conspiracy theories warfare against China on virus origins tracing has clearly witnessed two stages. Former president Donald Trump jumped on the virus origins issue to blatantly blame China for the virus but social media platforms were reluctant to cooperate with him. The Biden administration followed Trump's strategy to drill on the "lab leak theory" to politicize the pandemic and stigmatize China.

How did the US' rumor campaign manifest itself? The typical process has been: The media first cites unfounded sources to propose conspiracy theories, and influential politicians hype up the theories with web trolls widely spreading it on social media platforms. Scientists then come out with hedged explanations to give room for conspiracy theory growth, and finally the top administrators pressure intelligence agencies to launch so called investigations against China.

Experts have said it is a sustained blow by the US political elites, media, and intelligence agencies.

Trump's virus rumor offensive

The US started vigorously carrying forward misleading assertions against China as early as January 2020, when the US-based newspaper the Washington Times published a report with a sensational headline meant to link the coronavirus disease origin with "China's biowarfare program."

The report attracted global attention soon after and triggered the first wave of the US' campaign to claim China's culpability by introducing the conspiracy that the coronavirus disease had originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).

Republican Senator Tom Cotton became the first in a batch of high-profile US politicians to fuel the fringe theories across the media starting in February 2020.

He introduced various potential scenarios of the virus origin on his Twitter account, from a manmade possibility to a lab accident, despite a group of 27 senior international scientists having publicly condemned the conspiracy of a manmade virus while overwhelmingly supporting the natural spread theory in The Lancet on February 18.

On April 18, 2020, then US president Donald Trump said at a White House briefing that the US government had probed the "Wuhan lab-leak" claim, but failed to provide any evidence to substantiate the unproven theory.

The claim then gathered momentum among many senior US politicians who wrote op-eds calling for a response from the Chinese government and a so-called "serious investigations" into it. Mike Pompeo, then US secretary of state and former CIA director, a well-known hard-liner against China, took the lead in pushing the US intelligence circle to launch investigation.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14461828

File: 9c499efd63c79e1⋯.jpg (584.3 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, US_President_Joe_Biden_is_….jpg)

>>14461827

2/3

With mounting pressure from top politicians, the campaign next compelled US intelligence into the campaign to launch a so-called serious investigation, though there remained skepticism about there being any possible evidence to support it.

The Inspector General of the Intelligence Community released a statement declaring that the intelligence community "concurs with the scientific consensus that the COVID-19 virus was not manmade or genetically modified," but stressed that they would continue to "rigorously examine emerging information" to determine the conclusion's accuracy.

US media has reported that senior Trump administration officials then pushed American spy agencies to hunt for evidence to support an unsubstantiated theory that a government laboratory in Wuhan was the origin of the coronavirus disease outbreak, The New York Times reported.

Meanwhile, powerful voices in the US were ramping up efforts to rebrand COVID-19 as "the China virus," amplifying the conspiracies.

Twitter accounts of Trump supporters and US conspiracy-mongers endorsing the QAnon movement have been at the center of a coordinated blatant campaign to spread rumors about the coronavirus disease, particularly the conspiracy theory that China created the virus as a bioweapon. This unverified accusation repeatedly embraced by the US president and his administration led many to suspect the far-right's motivations behind the coordinated Twitter campaign.

Although the rumor war was successfully waged by a combination of politicians, the media, and right-wing internet users, worldwide mainstream scientists remained skeptical about it. They argued its negligible probability, emphasizing the higher likelihood of the virus having transmitted naturally to humans from animals as other types of challenging viruses including Ebola and SARS.

Mainstream social media platforms such as Facebook have also since banned relevant posts containing rumors like "coronavirus is manmade."

Lab leak theory campaign 2.0

As Joe Biden won US presidency, the "lab leak theory" was quickly reignited, with a new round of mudslinging among US politicians and media. This time, it was again geared up to become a well-prepared and closely coordinated one-two punch against China by the US media and the US political establishment.

The second round of "lab leak" conspiracy war against China was triggered by the Wall Street Journal's report on May 23. The story cited an unpublished report coming from the final days of the Trump administration, alleging several researchers at the Wuhan lab had fallen ill in the autumn of 2019 and displayed symptoms consistent with both COVID-19 and common seasonal illnesses.

WIV lab director Yuan Guoyong in an interview with the Global Times clearly refuted the WSJ's report on sick staff, calling the US intelligence document "a complete lie." The institute, as early as on March 23, publically clarified that it had no contact with the SARS-CoV-2 before December 30, 2019, and as of that date, the staff and researchers at the lab had revealed no COVID-19 infection. Chinese health authorities also clarified on March 31 that the three patients were not WIV staffers, but patients being treated at a local hospital that WIV worked with.

The WSJ's report was published on the eve of the World Health Assembly, which was expected to discuss the next phase of the research into COVID-19's origins, with speculation that such media hypes had aimed to redirect the trajectory of the next phase of investigations.

Soon CNN also followed suit and set up a special "Wuhan Lab" column on the upper right corner of its homepage on May 26 during the WHA.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14461830

File: aa0b8a9afb62ae7⋯.jpg (294.65 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, How_virus_origins_tracing_….jpg)

>>14461828

3/3

Concurrently, social media platforms started "unblocking" conspiracy theories. Facebook on May 28 claimed that it would no longer be removing posts that claim the coronavirus disease was manmade amid renewed debate over its origins. The policy change came as Biden announced he had ordered aides to find answers to the origin of the virus.

The academic arena stepped in to collaborate as well. Even Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the US, had shifted his long-held position that the COVID-19 virus developed naturally, and he then changed course to claim that relevant authorities "should continue to investigate what went on in China until we continue to find out to the best of our ability what happened."

Fauci's shifting stand on the virus origins issue, though perplexing, diminished doubts about US elites betraying their conscience due to political pressure.

As many international scientists loath the US' politicization of the issue, they oppose the US' stance and refuse to support the US government. However, the US government still continued its onslaught of threats, including doxing of scientists and their families, censoring of papers, and forcing employers to apply pressure on targeted scientists, a source close to the matter told the Global Times.

Under the attack of the US media and US academia, the US government quickly stoked up and demanded an investigation into the alleged truth.

On the day before Biden ordered an expedited investigation into the novel coronavirus disease source, US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra on May 25 urged the WHO to follow a "transparent" probe in the origins issues, pressing Biden for further investigation.

Biden then doubled down on his request that intelligence community redouble their efforts in investigating and report back to him within 90 days.

At the same time, countries attending WHOs annual meeting of member states including European Union member states, Australia and Japan on May 25 called for a need to solve the mystery of how COVID-19 first began spreading among humans.

China rejected WHO's phase-2 COVID-19 origins study plan that was proposed as the US-led West intensified the politically driven conspiracy about a "lab leak" theory, due to the plan's "lack of respect for common sense and arrogance toward science."

Experts point out that the current US government, while criticizing Trump for spreading conspiracy theories about the virus, is continuing Trump's strategy of politicizing the epidemic.

"This campaign against China connected the basic components of the American mainstream political establishment - the government, the media, and members of Congress. The media created those claims citing alleged 'exclusive sources' which are most likely confidential leaks of presumed conclusions by senior politicians. This is a typical American political operation - power overtops the truth," Li Haidong, professor at the Institute of International Relations at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times.

The US intelligence arena itself has been highly politicized since the 1970s. Far from being an institution that provides balanced and objective analysis to decision makers, it offers conclusions that cater to the mainstream political atmosphere, Li said. The virus origins probe campaign by the US reflects a typical politically manipulated American decisionmaking process, which is bound to be a tragedy in the end.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202108/1232445.shtml

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deef8a  No.14461837

File: f01905883af80f1⋯.jpg (41.07 KB, 828x466, 414:233, Peter_Dutton_has_apologise….jpg)

>>14404558

Dutton apologises to cleared SAS troops

Matt Coughlan - August 26, 2021

Defence Minister Peter Dutton has apologised to any special forces troops wrongly accused of war crimes in Afghanistan.

A group of 13 soldiers has been told there is insufficient evidence for their cases to be referred to investigators after being told last year to prove why they shouldn't be sacked.

Mr Dutton said he wanted to send a clear message when he took over the portfolio that he would have soldiers' backs.

"If people have been wrongly accused and they've now been cleared of that then I do apologise for what they've been through, what their families have been through," he told Sydney radio 2GB on Thursday.

The Brereton inquiry found credible evidence Australian troops murdered 39 Afghans and uncovered allegations of torture and other war crimes.

A special investigator was established to examine the claims.

"If people have got criminal charges to answer then that's a matter for the courts but for the rest, we move on from that chapter now," Mr Dutton said.

The defence minister said the allegations had reverberated across the Australian Defence Force and the Special Air Service.

"I know that it's had a big impact on the partners, the families of their mates that weren't there or haven't been accused of anything," he said.

"They've obviously got a tight-knit group where the wives are friends. They obviously feel the pain of what that particular family is going through."

Mr Dutton in April overturned Chief of Defence Angus Campbell's decision to strip meritorious unit citations from more than 3000 special forces soldiers.

One of the 13 soldiers, who was told there was not enough evidence to refer the allegations to investigators, is in Afghanistan assisting with rescue operations.

The minister said he wanted the focus to be on the work of the SAS in Kabul, given there were anxious families awaiting the troops' return.

https://www.perthnow.com.au/politics/dutton-apologises-to-cleared-sas-troops-c-3784102

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deef8a  No.14461993

File: 04854e2bd68c97c⋯.jpg (253.88 KB, 938x348, 469:174, MRF_D_25.jpg)

File: dcfe5507255900d⋯.jpg (722.96 KB, 2048x1365, 2048:1365, 240688658_200640085431816_….jpg)

File: d7deaede2235b2d⋯.jpg (586.58 KB, 2048x1366, 1024:683, 239055647_200640312098460_….jpg)

>>14395401

Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post

U.S. Marines and Australian Army forces hosted leaders from Forces Command to observe units training during Exercise Koolendong. Exercise Koolendong validates MRF-D’s and the ADF’s ability to conduct expeditionary command and control operations, demonstrating the shared commitment to being ready to respond to a crisis or contingency in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Micha Pierce)

https://www.facebook.com/MRFDarwin/posts/200640652098426

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deef8a  No.14462339

File: 4ca75628e71dcc5⋯.jpg (239.49 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Anti_lockdown_protesters_c….jpg)

File: 7c37e216e1dff36⋯.jpg (139.67 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Anne_Webster_Karen_Brewer.jpg)

>>14413620

Extremists hunt cops online as anti-lockdown violence surges

STEPHEN RICE - AUGUST 26, 2021

As police hunt down protesters photographed at anti-lockdown rallies, activists are posting the names and images of police online, threatening retribution and even death against individual officers.

Photographs of the senior Victorian police officer alleged to have ordered pepper ball rounds fired into crowds in Melbourne CBD on Saturday are being circulated on social media, with calls for him to be tried and executed.

A superintendent from the Special Operations Group, a sergeant pictured holding a weapon and other officers – whom The Australian has elected not to name – are identified in multiple ­accounts on encrypted platforms like Telegram.

“Put police like this in front of a firing squad,” says one.

“Hang them,” urge others.

Victoria Police said it was aware of threats made to police ­officers following Saturday’s rally and they were being investigated.

“This behaviour is not on – it’s criminal and Victoria Police will hold people to account for their ­actions” a spokesman said.

Counter-terrorism police fear pent-up anger and frustration evident in clashes around the country at the weekend will foster lone-wolf acts of terror, particularly as public protests are shut down by overwhelming shows of force.

The Australian Federal Police said it was witnessing the number of individuals who adhered to ideo­logically motivated violent extremism continuing to increase and spread across the country, with more people in forced isolation communicating with like-minded individuals on social media.

“Increased time spent online has seen extremist narratives ­influencing a broad mainstream audience,” an AFP spokesman said. “Where we see commentary cross into potential for a commitment to violent acts, we will act.

“If people commit a crime, they will be charged.”

State-based fixated persons units are paying attention to known individuals organising protest actions next week that include plans to blockade government buildings. A call to rally at federal and state parliament houses next Tuesday is causing concern among security agencies after the organiser, Karen Brewer, posted thinly veiled death threats against a NSW minister The Australian has elected not to identify.

“You … will be swinging from a rope and your carcass will be dumped in the sea,” she told her 13,000 followers on social media, attaching a photograph of the politician with a spider superimposed on his face.

Brewer is a conspiracy theorist who believes “child-raping Freemasons” occupy all positions of power in Australia, from parliament to the judiciary and police, and they must be arrested and put on trial. Like many previously ­single-interest conspiracy theorists, she has adopted violent anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown rhetoric.

Brewer warned that “any politician shredding anything, just so you know, those ropes will be swing regardless”. She also posted photographs of the Governor-General and the state governors, along with their addresses. Several followers responded by calling for the death of named politicians, government officials and journalists.

Brewer is in hiding in New Zealand after an $875,000 damages award against her for falsely accusing Nationals MP Anne Webster of being a member of a secretive pedophile network.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/extremists-hunt-cops-online-as-antilockdown-violence-surges/news-story/fae8cf9751f1fbc605922434419ea8a8

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deef8a  No.14471808

File: 4c1ea37075c7bd9⋯.jpg (66.69 KB, 862x485, 862:485, Peter_Dutton_says_Australi….jpg)

File: 0de3be3fc4a46a9⋯.jpg (100.68 KB, 862x575, 862:575, At_least_60_people_were_ki….jpg)

>>14385947

Australia's Afghanistan evacuation mission ends amid Kabul airport suicide bombing

Jake Evans - 27 August 2021

Australian troops had left Afghanistan before a deadly suicide bombing attack that killed soldiers and civilians at Kabul's international airport, Defence Minister Peter Dutton says.

At least 60 people including 13 US troops were killed in two bomb blasts orchestrated by Islamic State group (IS) offshoot ISIS-K.

Mr Dutton said the blasts occurred at the Baron Hotel and Abbey Gate airport entrance, where Australians were being brought through, but that Australian soldiers were safe.

"I can confirm that not too long before the attack Australian troops and the rest of our personnel were wheels up and out of Kabul," Mr Dutton said.

"I'm just so grateful they are safe."

The Defence Minister confirmed Australia's military evacuation mission has ended.

'Impossible' decision to leave Australians still seeking escape

Australians and visa holders who remain have been told to keep away from Kabul airport.

Mr Dutton said intelligence suggested more terrorist attacks were planned.

"There was very clear intelligence that [ISIS-K] intended to strike and strike hard, they've done that," he told Channel 9.

"People should avoid gatherings, they should avoid public places, and they should be very careful of their own safety and security in what is a war-like condition."

The Defence Minister said some people had received advice to travel to other borders following the attack.

The government had been preparing for some time for a situation in which it was not be able to get everyone it wanted out of Kabul.

But Mr Dutton said it was still a difficult decision to leave Kabul airport.

"It's an impossible situation, because the intelligence was clear to us that if we allowed our soldiers to stay on with the near certainty of terrorist attacks, then we would lose … Australian lives," he said.

"That wasn't a risk we were prepared to take.

"We hope that the Taliban is true to their word and provides a reinstatement of a situation where [commercial] flights can come in and out."

He said Australian forces had rescued more than 4,000 people from Kabul airport since the beginning of the evacuation mission, and they would be grieving the attack.

"It's a horrible, horrible day, and I just grieve like every decent person would at the loss of life, and in particular for us the loss of American lives."

"These are people who have helped literally thousands of Australian citizens and visa holders, permanent residents through those gates, through Abbey Gate into the airport."

In a tweet, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was "deeply saddened" by the deaths of US military personnel and Afghans.

"We mourn your tragic loss. Australia condemns these heinous and barbaric attacks," he wrote.

US President Joe Biden has vowed revenge on ISIS-K.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-27/kabul-airport-suicide-bombing-australian-soldiers-depart/100411880

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deef8a  No.14471822

File: 8cf7b812164b413⋯.webm (10.1 MB, 640x360, 16:9, Scott_Morrison_says_all_A….webm)

File: a8d03abcb9f7625⋯.jpg (202.18 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Australian_soldiers_were_p….jpg)

File: 3c73944c1847c5d⋯.jpg (103.69 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Afghanistan_evacuees_are_b….jpg)

>>14385947

>>14471808

Prime Minister Scott Morrison mourns deaths of 'American and Afghan friends' in Kabul airport attack

Jake Evans - 27 August 2021

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he grieves with "American and Afghan friends" over the deaths of dozens in a terror attack outside Kabul airport.

"Australia condemns the evil, the calculated and inhuman attacks that were undertaken in Kabul overnight on the innocent and on the brave," Mr Morrison said.

"We join with our American and Afghan friends in mourning their terrible and awful loss."

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the government had been unable to confirm whether or not any Australians or visa holders were injured or killed in the attack.

At least 60 people were killed in twin suicide bombing attacks at the gates of Kabul's international airport.

Mr Morrison said Australian troops had been helping citizens through Kabul airport's Abbey Gate just hours before the attack.

"We are mindful of the reported 13 US military personnel who were murdered at the Abbey Gate at Kabul, a gate at which Australian personnel stood just hours before," he said.

"And like Australians who have been at that same airport and at that same gate and many others like it, over the course of these operations, these brave young Americans stood at that gate to protect lives, to save lives, but lost their own in providing a pathway to freedom for others."

The last Australian troops were pulled out of Kabul airport just before the attack.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton confirmed the Australian evacuation mission out of Afghanistan has ended.

Australian forces evacuated 4,100 people in the nine days between when the Taliban first entered Kabul and the terror attack.

Mr Morrison said the opportunity for remaining Australians to leave with allied forces was "restricted".

Senator Payne said those remaining should keep away from the airport.

"We know that this is a very distressing situation for Australians still in Kabul, for people with visas and for families and friends who are here in Australia," she said.

No plans for Australia to return as US vows revenge

Mr Morrison said he conveyed his condolences to United States President Joe Biden this morning.

Mr Biden has vowed revenge on the attackers, Islamic State Khorasan, a branch of Islamic State group in Afghanistan.

The government decided to airlift its last troops out of Kabul on Thursday, despite some Australians remaining in the city still seeking to flee, on "credible" intelligence a terror attack was being planned.

Mr Dutton said intelligence suggested it was highly likely there would be further attacks.

Mr Morrison said there were no plans for Australian forces to return to the chaos of Afghanistan.

"We have been there for 20 years seeking to turn a failed state into a successful state, and sadly that hasn't proved possible," he said.

"It remains an extremely dangerous place."

'Post-evacuation' plan to bring Afghan refugees begins

Mr Morrison said Australia would now move into a "post-evacuation stage" where the government would seek to resettle people through humanitarian channels.

3,000 places within the national annual intake of refugees have been reserved for Afghans fleeing the Taliban.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said priority for those places would be given to minority groups, women and children and people with family members already in Australia.

"This work is well underway and in the coming weeks and months we will be in a position to welcome more people to Australia to either return home or to call Australia home," Ms Andrews said.

Mr Morrison said Australia will continue to support its allies who remain in Kabul.

"We will continue to stand every single day with our partners, the United States and the United Kingdom. As they stand in the cause of freedom, so will we also," he said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-27/scott-morrison-kabul-airport-attack-afghans-us-soldiers/100412192

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deef8a  No.14472074

File: 88d6bbb6f576ffe⋯.jpg (61.05 KB, 1200x675, 16:9, Ghislaine_Maxwell_has_been….jpg)

File: 322e71ce2c700b6⋯.jpg (426.92 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0001.jpg)

File: bfa199bcc65f660⋯.jpg (531.77 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0002.jpg)

File: 2bea814df75ed03⋯.jpg (379.3 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0003.jpg)

File: cd28aa272686974⋯.pdf (218.58 KB, gov_uscourts_nysd_539612_3….pdf)

Maxwell ‘blocked conference room door with trolley of legal papers’

Sam Tobin - August 27 2021

1/2

Ghislaine Maxwell used a cart of legal documents to barricade herself inside a video conference room in prison, prosecutors have alleged.

Maxwell, 59, has been held at a jail in New York since July last year, awaiting trial on charges of helping to recruit and groom underage girls for sex with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in prison in 2019.

Her lawyers have complained about her cell at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, saying that raw sewage has leaked in, there are rodent droppings on the floor and that guards have carried out “hyper-surveillance”.

Maxwell’s legal team have also raised concerns about her ability to help prepare her defence. In the latest pre-trial dispute, they said third parties had dialled into her Zoom calls with her legal team, and that their discussions may have been recorded by prison staff.

They also said they had been prevented from passing documents to their client during a visit, and that Maxwell had been limited in the number of legal papers she could take to the jail’s video teleconference room.

Maxwell’s lawyer, Bobbi Sternheim, wrote last week to Judge Alison Nathan, who is presiding over the case, to say that the restrictions “severely hamper [Maxwell’s] ability to prepare her defence for trial”.

Prosecutors said that Maxwell had been allowed “to bring a cart full of legal materials into the VTC room for meetings” but that she had “used that cart to barricade the door to the room, thereby preventing prison staff from being able to access the room”.

Audrey Strauss added: “Because of the security threat posed by the use of the cart to barricade the door to the VTC room, the defendant is no longer permitted to bring the cart into the room.” She said that Maxwell could take “whatever materials she can carry into the room”, and could make multiple trips to collect more documents.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14472079

File: 038f3e05278d2fa⋯.jpg (472.43 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0004.jpg)

File: 47ce0d9f0e6ea93⋯.pdf (122.51 KB, gov_uscourts_nysd_539612_3….pdf)

>>14472074

2/2

Sternheim said that the government “cannot resist the opportunity to gratuitously cast Ghislaine Maxwell in a negative light while it defends the Metropolitan Detention Center at all costs, regardless of the facts”.

“The cart was never used to barricade,” she added. “The government has chosen to make this an issue — when it never was — to justify the restriction placed on the amount of legal materials Ms Maxwell can bring into the VTC room on any given day.”

In a ruling on Wednesday, Nathan said: “The court remains confident that Ms Maxwell is fully able to communicate with her defence counsel and to prepare for trial.” The judge also said Maxwell’s difficulties in talking to her lawyers had been “resolved”, but that her legal team should speak to prosecutors and the prison if there were any more issues.

Maxwell, a former socialite and the daughter of the British press baron Robert Maxwell, has been denied bail three times by Nathan, who considers her a flight risk.

She was charged last summer with aiding Epstein, who killed himself in a New York prison in 2019, in his abuse of three minors between 1994 and 1997. In March, prosecutors added two charges of sex trafficking relating to allegations from a fourth alleged victim between 2001 and 2004.

Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is due to stand trial in November.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ghislaine-maxwell-blocked-conference-room-door-with-trolley-of-legal-papers-h5xlfjfbp

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17318376/united-states-v-maxwell/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612.326.0.pdf

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612.327.0.pdf

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deef8a  No.14477262

File: 886b2ebf7c8b32b⋯.jpg (110.5 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, West_Australian_Premier_Ma….jpg)

Rebel WA splits from national cabinet amid health system fears

GEOFF CHAMBERS, SIMON BENSON and PAUL GARVEY - AUGUST 27, 2021

1/2

National cabinet has moved to bolster state and territory health systems when Australia hits 80 per cent vaccine coverage, as West Australian Premier Mark McGowan broke away from the four-stage reopening plan and ­declared he would not “deliberately infect our citizens”.

With the NSW hospital system struggling to cope with surging ­Covid-19 infections and increasing hospitalisations, there are rising fears that public health systems could be stretched if the national cabinet plan was rushed.

A new taskforce, led by senior health officials from all jurisdictions, will report to national cabinet next Friday on public hospital and health system capacity, the support role of private hospitals and workforce management when frontline staff are forced to isolate.

Updated modelling presented by Doherty Institute professor Jodie McVernon, showed that under the three case scenarios modelled, as revealed by The Australian, there would be no need to change the national plan to end lockdowns at 80 per cent vaccination rate, even if Covid-19 cases were in the thousands.

It did, however, say that, at 70 per cent vaccination, some level of public health orders would be appropriate but would be favoured toward localised and targeted restriction as opposed to statewide lockdowns. But from that point, a gradual easing of restrictions would begin before a complete opening at 80 per cent.

Scott Morrison said that when Australia achieved 70 and 80 per cent vaccine coverage and moved out of the suppression phase, ongoing Covid-19 measures would be needed as the nation transitioned from harsh restrictions and lockdowns. The Prime Minister – who held a pre-national cabinet briefing in his office with senior advisers including chief medical officer Paul Kelly, Health Department secretary Brendan Murphy and vaccine co-ordinator John Frewen – said the reopening plan must support a cautious return to normal life.

“It’s about opening safely. It’s about opening smartly. It’s about opening in a way that is phased,” Mr Morrison said. “It all doesn’t happen on one day. It happens in Phase B, which is what I’d call a very soft, careful opening. And our task now is to ensure we get those careful settings, because I agree with the Doherty ­Institute that we have to be careful in 70 to 80 per cent. It’s a soft opening period, not a big opening period.”

The Doherty Institute will continue updating its scenarios and finalise new modelling on “optimisation of the public health measures and managing outbreak responses and scenarios to support vulnerable cohorts and areas with low vaccination uptake”.

Health data presented to ­national cabinet revealed that Western Australia and South Australia were the most vulnerable to virus outbreaks because their vaccination rates remained low.

Modelling presented to state and territory leaders analysed the ­effective reproduction rate of the virus, taking into account Covid-19 restrictions and levels of vaccination. It showed the ACT and NSW, which have lockdowns in place and high vaccine take-up, had rates of 0.86 and 1.03 respectively. WA had a rate of 3.09, followed by South Australia on 2.45.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14477270

File: 4e7bd3e24b51737⋯.jpg (128.21 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, NOT_SO_SEVERE.jpg)

>>14477262

2/2

After announcing that two NSW truck drivers had entered WA and then learned they had tested positive to Covid-19 before crossing the border, Mr McGowan said the state wouldn’t open up to the country even if it remained Covid-free when it reached the 70 per cent vaccination threshold.

Following heated exchanges in the national cabinet meeting, Mr McGowan said there would still be one million unvaccinated West Australians at that stage and he would not risk their health.

“That’s the problem that jurisdictions that have no Covid face, and I raised that point today,” he said. “The idea that we just ­deliberately infect our citizens, if we have no Covid when we get to 70 per cent two-dose vaccination, I just can’t do.

“People would die and we would have huge dislocation. It’s different for other states that have Covid-positive people.”

Mr McGowan’s recommitment to keeping WA’s borders closed even when vaccination milestones are reached is a setback to Mr Morrison’s plans to reconnect the country.

The Premier defended vaccination rates in WA, which lag those of other states, noting that the state had agreed for additional doses to be prioritised for NSW.

“We haven’t had the additional supply,” he said. “I know we are getting attacked by people, the federal treasurer (Josh Frydenberg) has launched a bit of a spray today, but we didn’t get the additional supply that NSW got.

“Frankly it’s pretty unfair to be attacking a state that didn’t get additional supply for not being vaccinated at the same rate as a state that did. Once we get additional supply, we will roll it out.”

Mr McGowan also announced that WA would send 260,000 N95 masks to support the NSW Delta outbreak crisis.

“It’s clear we need a national plan to assist if and when things get worse in NSW,” he said. “I raised that again at national cabinet today. It’s the compassionate, sensible thing to do.”

The national cabinet endorsed a plan to begin administering vaccines to children aged 12 to 15 from September 13 after the Australian Technical Advisory Group on ­Immunisation rubber-stamped jabs for teenagers on Friday.

Some states and territories argued that younger children should be included in the overall vaccination pool, which is currently 16 and over. Vaccination data for high school students will be included in public reporting.

Mr Morrison said that, under the second and third stages of the plan, baseline restrictions and “common sense” were required to protect Australians from the virus.

“But that doesn’t mean lockdowns,” he said. “I’ve already said on many occasions that where you have discrete communities or particularly vulnerable communities that may have very low levels of vaccination and so on, then of course, there is the actions that are available to states in those circumstances. But once you get particularly into Phase C, then you’re in a position to use those common sense measures.”

Mr Morrison said he expected the Qantas announcement that it planned to resume international flights in mid-December when vaccine rates hit 80 per cent would be an incentive for Australians to get jabbed. “Phase C of the plan enables Australians who are vaccinated to be able to leave Australia and return,” he said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/rebel-wa-splits-from-national-cabinet-amid-health-system-fears/news-story/94557c9a5bd78419e9aa7afcf3f36fa2

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deef8a  No.14477305

File: 98894feaab7b4a0⋯.jpg (193.4 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Workers_are_seen_in_the_P4….jpg)

File: 08073ef17882729⋯.png (1.12 MB, 1280x720, 16:9, A_World_Health_Organisatio….png)

Wuhan lab leak plausible, Biden probe into Covid-19 origins finds

SHARRI MARKSON - AUGUST 28, 2021

Joe Biden’s intelligence probe into the origins of Covid-19 has found a laboratory leak and human exposure to an infected animal are both “plausible” explanations for how the virus started.

But the intensive 90-day investigation by the United States’ intelligence community failed to reach a definitive conclusion about how Covid-19, which has now claimed 4 million lives globally, first occurred.

The Intelligence Community’s findings include that the virus had emerged in Wuhan by November 2019, with the first cluster occurring in December 2019, and that the virus was not developed as a biological weapon.

Most of the intelligence agencies, but not all, “assess with low confidence” that SARS-CoV-2 “probably was not genetically engineered; however two agencies believe there was not sufficient evidence to make an assessment either way”.

This finding will be strongly disputed by dozens of international scientists who have demanded an investigation into the possibility of a laboratory leak and say it is highly possible SARS-CoV-2 was subject to laboratory research, pointing to the unusual features of the virus that have never been seen before in other beta-coronaviruses.

The statement released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said that “after examining all available intelligence reporting and other information, though, the IC remains divided on the most likely origin of Covid-19”.

“All agencies assess that two hypotheses are plausible: natural exposure to an infected animal and a laboratory-associated incident,” it stated.

“The IC judges they will be unable to provide a more definitive explanation for the origin of Covid-19 unless new information allows them to determine the specific pathway for initial natural contact with an animal or to determine that a laboratory in Wuhan was handling SARSCoV-2 or a close progenitor virus before COVID-19 emerged.”

There are 17 intelligence agencies that report to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The unclassified summary of the intelligence report provided to President Biden explained that four elements of the intelligence community and the National Intelligence Council assessed “with low confidence that the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection was most likely caused by natural exposure to an animal infected with it or a close progenitor virus – a virus that probably would be more than 99 per cent similar to SARS-CoV-2.”

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14477309

File: bf685241f55ac94⋯.jpg (104.13 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, US_President_Joe_Biden.jpg)

>>14477305

2/2

These intelligence agencies gave weight to the evidence that suggested Chinese officials did not know about the outbreak in advance and “the numerous vectors for natural exposure”.

One Intelligence Community element had moderate confidence that the first human infection with Covid-19 was the result of a laboratory incident, probably involving the experimentation of the virus, animal handling or sampling by the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

“These analysts give weight to the inherently risky nature of work on coronaviruses,” the ODNI statement said.

But a large part of the intelligence community was unable to reach a view around either hypothesis with any level of confidence.

“Analysts at three IC elements remain unable to coalesce around either explanation without additional information, with some analysts favouring natural origin, others a laboratory origin, and some seeing the hypotheses as equally likely,” the statement said.

“Variations in analytic views largely stem from differences in how agencies weigh intelligence reporting and scientific publications, and intelligence and scientific gaps.”

The intelligence agencies did agree that Covid-19 likely “emerged and infected humans through an initial small-scale exposure that occurred no later than November 2019 with the first known cluster of Covid-19 cases arising in Wuhan, China in December 2019”.

“We judge the virus was not developed as a biological weapon,” the ODNI statement said.

The agencies found that Chinese officials “did not have foreknowledge of the virus before the initial outbreak of Covid-19 emerged”.

The ODNI concluded that China’s co-operation was needed to reach a conclusive assessment on the origins of Covid-19.

Clinical samples and epidemiological data from the earliest Covid-19 cases could alter their evaluation of hypotheses, along with definitive information on a location of interest or “occupational exposure”.

“Beijing, however, continues to hinder the global investigation, resist sharing information and blame other countries, including the United States,” the statement reads.

“These actions reflect, in part, China’s government’s own uncertainty about where an investigation could lead as well as its frustration the international community is using the issue to exert political pressure on China.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/science/wuhan-lab-leak-plausible-biden-probe-into-covid19-origins-finds/news-story/42fb218df645788cb2eb8b2465422bf4

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deef8a  No.14478140

File: 03c89266b6cfe29⋯.jpg (471.22 KB, 2000x1333, 2000:1333, A_firm_date_has_been_set_f….jpg)

File: 4543f383ec39fc2⋯.jpg (695.5 KB, 1535x1023, 1535:1023, A_courtroom_sketch_shows_G….jpg)

File: 0d43094557e1b29⋯.jpg (410.89 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0001.jpg)

File: 28b06326a1c4683⋯.jpg (286.19 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0002.jpg)

File: cf2b9f5d6c05468⋯.pdf (157.5 KB, gov_uscourts_nysd_539612_3….pdf)

‘Firm trial date’ set for Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex crimes case

Ben Feuerherd - August 27, 2021

Accused Jeffrey Epstein madam Ghislaine Maxwell will stand trial in Manhattan federal court in a few months, a judge ordered Friday.

Judge Alison Nathan scheduled a “firm trial date” for Maxwell on Nov. 29, 2021 in a letter filed in her case on Friday afternoon.

Judge Nathan had previously set that as a tentative date for the trial to begin — and cemented it with the Friday letter.

“The Clerk’s Office has now confirmed that a jury trial in this case has been scheduled to commence on November 29, 2021. This is a firm trial date,” she wrote.

Jury selection will be done in the weeks leading up to the trial, Nathan wrote.

Maxwell, who has been held without bail since her arrest in July of last year, is accused of procuring underage girls for multi-millionaire Epstein to abuse in the 1990s and early 2000s.

She’s pleaded not guilty to the charges and requested five times that she be let out on bail pending trial. She was denied each time.

Her trial was originally scheduled for July, but Nathan agreed to a postponement after prosecutors charged her in a superseding indictment, which included new counts of sex trafficking.

Epstein was previously arrested and charged with sex crimes by the same prosecutor’s office as Maxwell, but killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell before he stood trial.

Maxwell is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn while she awaits trial, and has repeatedly complained about horrendous conditions in the lockup.

https://nypost.com/2021/08/27/firm-trial-date-set-for-november-in-ghislaine-maxwell-case/

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17318376/united-states-v-maxwell/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612.330.0.pdf

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deef8a  No.14478728

File: ba21ae7b24c8b70⋯.jpg (665.55 KB, 938x1749, 938:1749, MRF_D_26.jpg)

File: 8023558e156f737⋯.jpg (58.18 KB, 600x600, 1:1, 238210209_1015786185628019….jpg)

Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post

27 August 2021

U.S. Marine Corps

26 August 2021

Statement from the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General David H. Berger:

"It is with extremely heavy hearts that we learned several Marines and other service members were killed and wounded in the Kabul attacks today. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families as they are notified of this devastating loss.

These fallen heroes answered the call to go into harm’s way to do the honorable work of helping others. We are proud of their service and deeply saddened by their loss. As we mourn, we also keep those who are still over there protecting Americans and our Afghan partners at the forefront of our thoughts. Our Marines will continue the mission, carrying on our Corps’ legacy of always standing ready to meet the challenges of every extraordinary task our Nation requires of her Marines.

I am continually humbled by the courage and warrior spirit exhibited every day by Marines across the globe. The sacrifices Marines make on behalf of freedom must never go unnoticed or unappreciated. I ask that you keep these Marines and service members, and especially their families, in your thoughts and prayers."

https://www.facebook.com/marines/posts/10157861856265194/

https://www.facebook.com/MRFDarwin/posts/201952541967237

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4c3254  No.14479328

File: 4c40396f89490df⋯.jpg (186.04 KB, 822x466, 411:233, wpii.jpg)

File: dce821298d77ae5⋯.jpg (51.91 KB, 518x256, 259:128, wpiiiii.jpg)

11:11 AM Centrall Daylight time is the Anchor Time, Aussie Anons! We have exactly 3 hours and 58 minutes to go Aussie Anons!

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deef8a  No.14482024

File: 5bef80b3096f993⋯.jpg (81.38 KB, 800x533, 800:533, In_this_April_17_2008_file….jpg)

Pope replaces Australian bishop in alleged misconduct probe

28 August 2021

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Saturday replaced an Australian bishop who stepped down amid a Vatican investigation into what Australian media have described as allegations of sexual misconduct.

The Vatican said Francis accepted Bishop Christopher Alan Saunders’ resignation as head of the Broome diocese in western Australia. Francis appointed another prelate, Bishop Michael Henry Morrissey of the Geraldton diocese, to temporarily administer the sprawling Catholic diocese in Broome.

The Vatican, in keeping with its custom for announcing bishop resignations, did not cite a reason for replacing Saunders. At 71, he is four years younger than the age when the Vatican requires bishops to offer their resignations to the pontiff.

Australian media have quoted Saunders as strongly denying any wrongdoing and voluntarily offering to step aside. The Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported earlier this year that police and prosecutors decided against filing criminal charges.

Parishioners in the diocese were informed in May that the Vatican investigation was ongoing, according to Australian media reports.

Details of the case weren’t immediately available. Saunders has reportedly been on sabbatical.

After decades of sexual abuse scandals in many nations, Pope Francis has vowed to root out predator clergy. Cases involving bishops who systematically covered up for such priests also led Francis to try to rebuild the collapsed trust of many faithful by pledging to bring accountability to the church hierarchy.

https://apnews.com/article/europe-business-religion-australia-d2501cbdb5f9343e9cfe8c8b0c9827da

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deef8a  No.14482027

File: fffa636863af2ee⋯.jpg (289.1 KB, 900x600, 3:2, Our_Lady_Queen_of_Peace_Ca….jpg)

>>14482024

Pope Francis accepts resignation of Australian bishop investigated for sexual abuse

Hannah Brockhaus, Vatican City, Aug 28, 2021

Pope Francis on Saturday accepted the resignation of Australian Bishop Christopher Alan Saunders, who had been on administrative leave from the Diocese of Broome while under investigation for allegations of sexual misconduct.

Australia’s ABC News reported in June that the 71-year-old Saunders had been under investigation by both police and the Vatican.

Police said in late May they would not be pressing charges against Saunders, who has strongly denied any wrongdoing.

Saunders was first accused of historical sexual abuse in 2018. The bishop told a reporter for Australia's Channel Seven TV in March 2020 that, “Without any reservation, without any doubt whatsoever, that has never happened, and it never would happen.”

Saunders was also subjected in early 2020 to a Vatican-ordered internal review for management of staff and finances.

Pope Francis on Aug. 28 accepted Saunders’ resignation of the pastoral government of the Diocese of Broome, which Saunders had led since February 1996.

The pope also appointed Bishop Michael Henry Morrissey of Australia’s Diocese of Geraldton apostolic administrator “sede vacante” of the Diocese of Broome.

Saunders has been living outside the Diocese of Broome since November 2020, when he was asked to take a leave of six months.

The bishop had already voluntarily stood aside from the leadership of his diocese beginning in March 2020 after the police investigation into him first emerged.

The Vatican had appointed Bishop Peter Ingham of Wollongong to lead an apostolic visitation to the Diocese of Broome in 2020.

Saunders was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Broome in 1976. He was born in Melbourne. In 1989, he became the diocesan administrator, and was consecrated as the bishop of Broome in 1996.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248805/pope-francis-accepts-resignation-of-australian-bishop-christopher-saunders-investigated-for-sexual-abuse

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deef8a  No.14482035

File: 40ce3daf3c4914b⋯.jpg (576.55 KB, 1142x944, 571:472, HOLY_SEE_PRESS_OFFICE_Resi….jpg)

File: ca498661986c262⋯.jpg (446.1 KB, 1241x1755, 1241:1755, 0001.jpg)

File: 40ab8a3db90cf25⋯.pdf (430.71 KB, WEBSITE_release_CAS.pdf)

>>14482024

HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE

Resignations and Appointments, 28.08.2021

Resignation of bishop of Broome, Australia, and appointment of apostolic administrator sede vacante

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Broome, Australia, presented by Bishop Christopher Alan Saunders, and has appointed Bishop Michael Henry Morrissey, bishop of Geraldton, as apostolic administrator sede vacante of the same diocese.

https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2021/08/28/210828b.html

Diocese of Broome - Current Diocesan Communications

RESIGNATION OF BISHOP SAUNDERS

Saturday 28th August 2021

Today on 28 August 2021, on the feast of Saint Augustine, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, has accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Christopher Saunders as the Bishop of the Diocese of Broome.

Bishop Saunders was ordained as a priest of the Diocese of Broome on 28 August 1976. The Bishop was consecrated as the second Bishop of the Diocese of Broome on 8 February 1996. This year he has completed 45 years as a priest of the Kimberley mission and 25 years as the Bishop of the Diocese of Broome.

During his time in office Bishop Christopher initiated many pastoral and spiritual initiatives for the growth and betterment of the People of God in the Kimberley region. He has long established an active presence throughout the vast region and is well known to many people, Catholic and non-Catholic alike.

We wish Bishop Saunders an enjoyable and fruitful retirement. When the opportunity becomes available people will have the chance to farewell the Bishop.

On this same day, 28th August 2021, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, has appointed the Most Reverend Michael Morrissey, Bishop of Geraldton, as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Broome, as an interim measure until such time as a new Bishop for Broome is appointed.

We welcome Bishop Michael and look forward to working with him for the wellbeing of the Broome Diocese.

Monsignor Paul Boyers

Apostolic Administrator

Diocese of Broome

http://broomediocese.org/current-communications

http://broomediocese.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/WEBSITE-release-CAS.pdf

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deef8a  No.14482045

File: 089ec28a122bcc2⋯.png (647.24 KB, 847x876, 847:876, Q_2894.png)

>>14482024

Q Post #2894

Feb 25 2019 20:08:29 (EST)

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/25/australia/cardinal-george-pell-vatican-conviction-intl/index.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-47366113

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-abuse-pell/vatican-treasurer-pell-found-guilty-of-abusing-two-choir-boys-22-years-ago-idUSKCN1QF009

Many more to come?

Dark to LIGHT.

Q

https://qanon.pub/#2894

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deef8a  No.14483209

File: aebb8255af21f62⋯.jpg (127.55 KB, 1200x800, 3:2, A_lone_passenger_wearing_a….jpg)

>>14404403

Australia logs record COVID-19 cases, driven by New South Wales

Lidia Kelly - August 28, 2021

Aug 28 (Reuters) - Australia reported a record 1,126 coronavirus infectious on Saturday, the vast majority in New South Wales, the epicentre of the Delta-fuelled outbreak.

More than half of Australians have been in weeks-long lockdowns as officials in Sydney and Melbourne, the country's largest cities, and the capital Canberra struggle to quell the outbreak.

New South Wales, the most populous state and home to Sydney, reported 1,035 locally acquired COVID-19 infections, breaking Thursday's record of 1,029 as the outbreak that started in mid-June continues to grow.

Victoria reported 64 cases, mostly in its capital Melbourne, and Australian Capital Territory that includes Canberra had 26 infections. Queensland had one, Australia's Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd told a briefing.

Despite the record in New South Wales, the state's conservative Liberal Party government said it would ease some restrictions next week, allowing for five-guest weddings.

The state's management of the outbreak - which has nearly 14,700 active cases - has been criticised by officials in neighbouring Victoria, who have imposed stricter restrictions, believing the outbreak there can be suppressed.

"I'm not sure 1,000 cases a day is a sign of hope," Victoria's Health Minister Martin Foley said of the New South Wales infections. "I'm pretty sure that if you ask those intensive care nurses in Sydney hospitals at the moment how they saw the situation, it wouldn't be a hugely rosy picture."

After months of supply delays with the Pfizer shots and public unease about the AstraZeneca vaccine, Australia has been racing in recent weeks to inoculate its population. At current rates, 80% could be vaccinated by mid-November.

The federal government announced a plan last month that envisaged lockdowns as a key to quelling outbreaks until 70% percent of the population gets vaccinated and a gradual re-opening of Australia's borders when the number reaches 80%.

Just 33.7% of people above age 16 have been fully vaccinated, but with some 49,800 cases and 993 deaths, Australia has kept its COVID-19 numbers relatively low.

Neighbouring New Zealand, which had been largely virus-free this year, is also fighting a Delta outbreak, reporting 82 new locally acquired cases on Saturday, all in the epicentre Auckland, as the nation remains under a strict lockdown.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australias-victoria-reports-64-local-covid-19-cases-2021-08-27/

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8b47c2  No.14483267

It would be funny if twitter nuked everyone but Joe Biden and he was left just tweeting gibberish to himself.

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3e9421  No.14483268

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14483209

anon, anon

i'll do this here then

Remember Dan Scavinos post last night ?

They're saving israel for last

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8b47c2  No.14483288

>>14477305

>assess with low confidence

>Most of

>but not all

>unable to provide a more definitive explanation for

>unusual features

>that have never been seen before

>was most likely

>probably would

lol

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deef8a  No.14483313

File: 15b88307cdd3d72⋯.webm (4.24 MB, 640x360, 16:9, Police_on_hunt_for_suspec….webm)

Police on hunt for suspects after COVID-19 testing clinic set on fire in Sydney's west

Joe Attanasio - Aug 29, 2021

A COVID-19 testing clinic in Sydney's west has been badly damaged by fire overnight in a suspected deliberate arson attack.

The clinic, located on Forrester Road, North St Mary's, was "well alight" when officers responded to calls just before 11pm last night.

When police arrived on the scene, they found a demountable building had been set on fire, causing large flames and plumes of spoke to surround the area.

Firefighters managed to extinguish the flame, however, the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Following a search of the the area, anti-COVID and anti-government sentiment was also found graffitied on a separate building.

Among the graffiti were phrases like "COVID=lies" and "fight the government refuse control".

A crime scene has been established and an investigation into the circumstances are underway.

The fire is being treated as suspicious.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers - 1800 333 000.

https://crimestoppers.com.au

https://www.9news.com.au/national/police-on-hunt-for-suspects-after-covid19-testing-clinic-set-on-fire-in-western-sydney-overnight/8950b6b9-e693-4602-b168-f84fc71235f3

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deef8a  No.14483713

File: 3cd906f665aec0b⋯.jpg (246.37 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, Chinese_countermeasures_su….jpg)

Chinese countermeasures surely await Australia in case of import ban

Global Times - Aug 24, 2021

In yet another defiant move that might end up threatening its own interests, the Australian Senate on Monday passed a China-targeted bill to ban imports made with what it deems to be "forced labor."

If the bill, presented by independent senator Rex Patrick, were to clear the government-controlled House of Representatives and consequently come into force, Canberra, whose economy is heavily reliant on exports to China, would certainly bear the brunt of countermeasures from China.

The Australian Senate's consideration of such a proposal is another instance of Australia acting in concert with the US to mount a political smear campaign against China. The bill, should it become law, would empower Canberra to crack down on Chinese imports, which is tantamount to single-handedly waging a trade war with China.

A possible scenario could be that garments using cotton from Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region may become subject to the import ban and some solar panel projects in Australia with the involvement of Chinese businesses may also be hit.

If that is the case, Beijing will unequivocally respond with necessary countermeasures on terms of equality. The price Canberra has to pay would be unaffordable for an economy increasingly vulnerable to a prolonged disruption in trade with China.

The Australian economy has over the years benefited substantially from its trade surplus with China, Australia's largest two-way trading partner both in goods and services terms that accounts for nearly one-third of Australia's total trade.

Australia's two-way trade with China edged down 3 percent last year to A$245 billion ($176.97 billion), outperforming a 13 percent decline in Australia's global two-way trade. Its goods and services exports to China were down 6 percent year-on-year to A$159 billion in 2020, according to data from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The undeniably hefty reliance on the Chinese export market is actually behind mounting concerns over the impact on the Australian economy from disputed Australian exports to China.

Australia's increasing vulnerability to trade measures by China, in any normal setting, should focus the energy of political leaders on maintaining, if not boosting, trade ties with China.

Regrettably and confusingly, the Australian Senate opted to pass a bill that is based entirely on a widely debunked claim of forced labor and that is of no benefit to the country at all.

At the end of the day, a ban on certain Chinese imports on grounds of fictitious forced labor claims would not inflict extra material losses on the target of its most recent attack, while Australian consumers and those trying to accelerate a push toward renewable energy will have to settle for products with higher costs. The Australian economy faces the real risk of being strangled by China's trade countermeasures.

Another bitter consequence of the rash and ill-judged action of political actors in Canberra is the long-term damage being done to the reputation of Australian products and services throughout China's massive consumer economy.

Already, Australia's continued hostility over the past few years toward China has cost its fame as one of the top sources of premium goods for Chinese consumers, an enviable reputation that has built after decades of hard work and good-will within the Chinese market.

If Australia continues to move toward turning its back on its trade ties with China, the country runs the real risk of backing itself right off an economic cliff.

The article was compiled based on an interview with Chen Hong, a professor and director of the Australian Studies Centre, East China Normal University. bizopinion@globaltimes.com.cn

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202108/1232337.shtml

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032ba2  No.14483955

File: 715cc13d325aca6⋯.jpg (746.3 KB, 1200x1600, 3:4, Vaccine_Status_Badge.jpg)

Okay MAGA… It’s time for us to face the realities of our future, by revisiting our past! After the last seven years of Nazi rule in a concentration camp, a German Lutheran pastor, named Martin Niemöller, wrote this poem.

“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

So now MAGA, I now wear my Un-Vaccinated Identification Card where ever I go. You can make your own up by copying this one. This will make it easier for your fellow man to identify you. This will help the Socialist-Communist-Fascist-Marxist Pedophiles, JUSTIFY their inhuman abuse of ridicule, distain, isolation and violence; they are about to rain down on us. I asked my 90 year old elderly mother-in-law, what did you do when it started over there in Europe? She replied, “We left the country as quickly as we could, and came to the USA!” I said to her, “But Mom, it’s happening now in the USA, and there is no place on Earth to escape too!” She then replied, “Then you must fight! Never give up your rights of freedom of speech and especially the right to bear ARMS! That’s how the NAZI’s got us; they disbanded our police, took our guns and left us defenseless.” She’s right; just look at Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand…NO GUN’S!!!!

And now it’s our turn…

First they came for those that had Influenza or the common cold, and I did speak out—because I knew it was just Influenza, or the common cold, that they just renamed it to Covid-19.

Then they came for the small business owners, and employees by closing their businesses down, vandalizing them, burning them out or killing their owners, and I did speak out— because I saw how they were treating large businesses that never closed!

Then they came for the Police, and I did speak out– because they are our only, front line of defense.

Then they came for the anti-maskers, and I did speak out— because I was not an idiot to believe that a mask, like a chain link fence, would keep flies and mosquitoes out.

Then they came for the anti-Vaxxers, and I did speak out—because I am not a Guinea Pig or Lab Rat!

Then they came for me; AND THEY ALL DIED!

WWG1WGA

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4c3254  No.14483976

File: a4b06a1477435ca⋯.jpg (90.5 KB, 540x358, 270:179, wpity.jpg)

Fellow Kraut Anons:

Thank you so much for participating!

We have made our first move in taking back the Spiritual World!

May God bless you all!

More to come!

Kek

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deef8a  No.14484206

File: b5467a0b02b4366⋯.jpg (516.32 KB, 825x1049, 825:1049, DOD_12.jpg)

File: b8d33eefd979e1d⋯.jpg (2.64 MB, 4000x2667, 4000:2667, E97ulpdX0AET5fF.jpg)

File: 0cff05f3b56d866⋯.jpg (2.15 MB, 4000x2667, 4000:2667, E97umZwXsAYT3wQ.jpg)

File: e8cdb245f96ee21⋯.jpg (1.99 MB, 4000x2667, 4000:2667, E97um76WYAAliQc.jpg)

Department of Defence Tweet

#HMASWarramunga has departed Fleet Base West and is en route to participate in #ExMalabar alongside key regional partners India, Japan and the United States.

bit. ly/3kporWU

#AusNavy #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific #ExerciseMalabar

https://twitter.com/DeptDefence/status/1431844091457949697

https://news.defence.gov.au/media/media-releases/australia-back-indo-pacific-maritime-exercise-malabar

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deef8a  No.14484210

File: 58cfdb61751e068⋯.jpg (130.64 KB, 1200x688, 75:43, Indo_Pacific_Maritime_Exer….jpg)

File: b26b0358ce86dc8⋯.jpg (229.21 KB, 1200x801, 400:267, HMAS_Warramunga_is_the_thi….jpg)

>>14484206

Australia back for Indo-Pacific maritime Exercise MALABAR

23 August 2021'

The Royal Australian Navy will join key regional partners India, Japan and the United States for Exercise MALABAR 2021.

Anzac class frigate HMAS Warramunga will join ships and aircraft from participating nations for the high-end military exercise off the coast of Guam in the Indo-Pacific.

Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Michael Noonan, said Australia’s participation in the multilateral Exercise MALABAR 2021 would strengthen our collective ability to contribute to regional security.

“Australia is committed to working closely with our partners to address shared regional challenges, including in the maritime domain,” Vice Admiral Noonan said.

“Our forces’ participation in Exercise MALABAR 2021 will enhance the region’s maritime interoperability and is a key cooperative activity between us.

“We regularly work with India, Japan and the United States to build our professional relationships and strengthen the foundations for an open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific,” he said.

This year’s Exercise MALABAR will see the four nations’ forces conduct a range of maritime operations involving live firings and anti-submarine warfare operations.

This is the second consecutive year that Australia has been invited to participate in Exercise MALABAR.

https://news.defence.gov.au/media/media-releases/australia-back-indo-pacific-maritime-exercise-malabar?linkId=129327856

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deef8a  No.14486968

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

Special investigation into the origins of COVID-19 to premiere on Sky News Australia

Sky News Australia

Aug 29, 2021

In an upcoming special television investigation by Sharri Markson and Sky News Australia, new information and shocking claims are set to be uncovered on how the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The global pandemic - which has now claimed the lives of more than 4 million people worldwide – and its origins, have been hotly contested and much-discussed issues for over a year and a half.

In the special television investigation entitled ‘What Really Happened in Wuhan’, which will premiere on Sky News Australia on Monday September 20 at 8pm AEST, Ms Markson sits down with a range of Chinese whistle-blowers, scientists and high-ranking intelligence officials to bring us closer to discovering the truth of what happened in Wuhan.

Ms Markson also has the first sit-down interview for an Australian broadcast media outlet with Donald Trump since he was elected US president in 2016 – with the two discussing several claims relating to the evidence of a lab-leak in Wuhan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gent85E8ZME

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6298ff  No.14487322

File: ac5f6380a6e2bb4⋯.jpg (170.22 KB, 805x555, 161:111, SPINELESS_MAGGOT.jpg)

File: 13f103248936304⋯.jpg (112.72 KB, 589x534, 589:534, MURDERED_WITH_KNOWN_LETHAL….jpg)

File: 360e1b08174b0ff⋯.jpg (109.16 KB, 589x534, 589:534, your_papers_or_die.jpg)

File: f490cbb5cbfe051⋯.jpg (151.92 KB, 861x574, 3:2, no_life_until_vaccine.jpg)

File: 3260cc90493c3cd⋯.jpg (197.08 KB, 1090x552, 545:276, HCQ_MURDER_FOR_VACCINE.jpg)

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6298ff  No.14487373

File: 56526f86e3bb221⋯.jpg (165.95 KB, 1280x608, 40:19, Brett_Sutton_FUCK_SCIENCE.jpg)

File: 7c98b973b558fcf⋯.jpg (231.61 KB, 1127x634, 1127:634, DICTATER_DAN_CURFEWS.jpg)

File: 3cb69510b7a5dab⋯.png (467.35 KB, 537x540, 179:180, DICTATOR_DAN_IS_A_FUCKWIT.png)

File: 568a26b3deb0fa9⋯.png (369.65 KB, 800x451, 800:451, DICTATOR_DAN_WANTS_LOCKDOW….png)

File: 40f158482c5e86e⋯.jpg (256.34 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, dictator_dan_want_submissi….jpg)

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6298ff  No.14487401

File: 6dcfe4230799492⋯.jpg (200.85 KB, 1302x714, 31:17, work_confined.jpg)

File: d9560f605787e92⋯.jpg (82.93 KB, 640x360, 16:9, mmmmoney.jpg)

File: 4da5d1669faed62⋯.jpg (201.56 KB, 1198x818, 599:409, DICTATOR_DAN_MAKING_MONEY_….jpg)

File: 62daaf30673fd90⋯.jpg (172.21 KB, 585x731, 585:731, PASSIVE_PROTEST_SEPT_11.jpg)

File: c23f20824711f4a⋯.jpg (50.05 KB, 337x314, 337:314, SEPT_11_STRIKE.jpg)

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6298ff  No.14487426

File: b57658bf9921e73⋯.jpg (93.1 KB, 488x648, 61:81, Ned_not_happy.jpg)

File: 34608c0cf331aa0⋯.jpg (88.73 KB, 486x416, 243:208, CROSSING_THAT_LINE.jpg)

File: c4757a0802fd930⋯.jpg (161.44 KB, 552x710, 276:355, NEDS_ARMOUR.jpg)

File: fbbf0bcd73812b0⋯.jpg (135.54 KB, 728x485, 728:485, waiting_on_Dan.jpg)

File: 88854bcd5214b8d⋯.jpg (95.21 KB, 686x484, 343:242, Thomas_Borody_knows_it_wor….jpg)

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6298ff  No.14487455

File: 619997fb7d7c935⋯.jpg (130.92 KB, 727x484, 727:484, IT_WORKS_SO_GET_ON_WITH_IT.jpg)

File: 5239373c4b8a338⋯.jpg (125.03 KB, 726x483, 242:161, SIGN_IT_corrupt_assholes.jpg)

File: c0e5ae49c381f5a⋯.jpg (234.42 KB, 900x900, 1:1, YOU_MADE_YOUR_BED.jpg)

File: a0d3dbaadb0ce42⋯.jpg (202.75 KB, 1000x562, 500:281, greedy_little_prick.jpg)

File: e88f47237f2badf⋯.jpg (173.54 KB, 1000x546, 500:273, PLAYING_STUPID_is_stupid.jpg)

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6298ff  No.14487469

File: 8ed7b251c14529c⋯.jpg (236.43 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, HIDING_TRUTH.jpg)

File: 5755382437c3b02⋯.jpg (181.6 KB, 1196x594, 598:297, VESTED_INTERESTS.jpg)

File: cd988ace313c980⋯.jpg (126.27 KB, 788x528, 197:132, cow_still_has_milk.jpg)

File: 77fe4b3de4d885e⋯.jpg (139.73 KB, 600x600, 1:1, FUCK_YOU_DAN.jpg)

File: 0623c041041a051⋯.jpg (108.46 KB, 600x600, 1:1, lockdown_fines.jpg)

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6298ff  No.14487487

File: c1c1849563795d4⋯.jpg (92.51 KB, 725x482, 725:482, WAITING_FUCKWITS.jpg)

File: 0596a397567599d⋯.jpg (128.01 KB, 725x482, 725:482, SIGN_IT_AND_SAVE_AUSTRALIA….jpg)

File: c0c71515c8f8adf⋯.jpg (132.2 KB, 768x558, 128:93, ODDS_ARE_WORSE.jpg)

File: 43b516db20efc3d⋯.jpg (179.52 KB, 1280x530, 128:53, this_hunt_is_fucked.jpg)

File: c4a1cb6b4752f1a⋯.jpg (83.28 KB, 561x536, 561:536, AUSSIE_TRUCK_STRIKE.jpg)

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6298ff  No.14487521

File: ba666969999bf02⋯.png (533.66 KB, 1038x509, 1038:509, IVERMECTIN_WORKS.png)

File: ab59827b54e1aa5⋯.jpg (495.15 KB, 1308x1088, 327:272, PICS_LOUDER_THAN_WORDS.jpg)

File: 77d3cb692fcfd04⋯.jpg (238.6 KB, 1248x702, 16:9, masks_are_bullshit.jpg)

File: b13fd23af562654⋯.jpg (59.86 KB, 474x315, 158:105, DOESN_T_ADD_UP.jpg)

File: 38cfb600bee767b⋯.jpg (54.08 KB, 474x320, 237:160, WTF.jpg)

WHO:

Mass treatment with ivermectin: an underutilized public health strategy

https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/82/8/editorial30804html/en/

ResearchSquare:

A Randomized Trial of Ivermectin-Doxycycline and Hydroxychloroquine-Azithromycin therapy on COVID19 patients

https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-38896/v1

MedRxiv:

Effectiveness of Ivermectin as add-on Therapy in COVID-19 Management (Pilot Trial)

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.07.20145979v1

Journal of Antibiotics:

Ivermectin: a systematic review from antiviral effects to COVID-19 complementary regimen

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41429-020-0336-z

ResearchGate:

A Case Series of 100 COVID-19 Positive Patients Treated with Combination of Ivermectin and Doxycycline

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343305357 _A_Case_Series_of_100_COVID-19_Positive_Patients_Treated_with_Combination_of_Ivermectin_and_Doxycycline

Journal of Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons:

A Case Series of 100 COVID-19 Positive Patients Treated with Combination of Ivermectin and Doxycycline

https://www.banglajol.info/index.php/JBCPS/article/view/47512

Journal of Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons:

Comparison of Viral Clearance between Ivermectin with Doxycycline and Hydroxychloroquine with Azithromycin in COVID-19 Patients

https://www.banglajol.info/index.php/JBCPS/article/view/47514

MedRxiv:

ICON (Ivermectin in COvid Nineteen) study: Use of Ivermectin is Associated with Lower Mortality in Hospitalized Patients with COVID19

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.06.20124461v2

ChemRxiv:

Has Ivermectin Virus-Directed Effects against SARS-CoV-2? Rationalizing the Action of a Potential Multitarget Antiviral Agent

https://chemrxiv.org/articles/preprint/12782258 Has_Ivermectin_Virus-Directed_Effects_against_SARS-CoV-2_Rationalizing_the_Action_of_a_Potential_Multitarget_Antiviral_Agent/12782258

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6298ff  No.14487615

File: b925d038e2a08d3⋯.jpg (1.09 MB, 2004x1420, 501:355, Chloroquine_for_cancer_dru….jpg)

File: 2c05eedbcdb993d⋯.jpg (918.15 KB, 2380x1044, 595:261, CQ_AND_HCQ_for_cancer.jpg)

File: 90130307c8cab35⋯.jpg (235.58 KB, 2006x414, 1003:207, Chloroquine_for_cancer.jpg)

File: edf3a2060c09b2e⋯.png (69.23 KB, 1800x1208, 225:151, HCQ_RESOURCES.png)

File: 21632555e8b1476⋯.jpg (803.59 KB, 1828x1440, 457:360, Modified_cold.jpg)

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6298ff  No.14487675

File: 844f8cc0f42323b⋯.jpg (55.03 KB, 598x351, 46:27, stupid.jpg)

File: d22ae5981d8369e⋯.jpg (41.38 KB, 474x474, 1:1, spock_logic.jpg)

File: 5f3de7957e22e3b⋯.jpg (68.49 KB, 446x437, 446:437, jayne_s_a_hunter.jpg)

THE PORT ARTHUR MASSACRE CONSPIRACY by Joe Vialls

http://www.whale.to/b/viallspam.html

I urge all Australians to read this… it's a short read jam packed with facts about our 911.

After reading it, you will be in no doubt, that an innocent man was framed and Martin Bryant should be released from prison immediately.

There are a lot of other books etc about it… there's one that just focuses on the "co-incidences"…

For instance, Tasmania has never needed a morgue truck before or since Port Arthur….buttttttttttt….. they ordered one and had it ready for the massacre.

It was a ruthless false flag that disarmed Australia.

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3b0317  No.14487935

File: 0f19d492b419625⋯.jpeg (46.19 KB, 439x363, 439:363, D1E9AEBF_B836_4FEA_AFA6_9….jpeg)

WRWY

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79c07e  No.14489015

Expat anon here

I have a theory that the Australian slide toward totalitarianism is actually a slow takeover by China.

Can AUS anons confirm or deny?

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deef8a  No.14490267

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

New Zealand needs to ‘lift’ in Five Eyes: Joe Hockey

Sky News Australia

Aug 29, 2021

Former Australian Ambassador to the US Joe Hockey says New Zealand needs to “lift” in the Five Eyes alliance, as the agreement can’t be “four and a half eyes”.

“New Zealand needs to be very careful, because the relationship can’t be based on overwhelmingly just one party taking from everyone else,” Mr Hockey told Sky News Australia.

“You need to give, in order to maintain a relationship.

“We can’t be four eyes, or four and a half eyes.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prt1XXiqiTE

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deef8a  No.14490294

File: 7d12642c2abc882⋯.jpg (133.35 KB, 1024x682, 512:341, People_walk_past_a_public_….jpg)

>>14404403

A weary Australia plans reopening as COVID-19 death toll hits 1,000

Jonathan Barrett - AUGUST 30, 2021

SYDNEY (Reuters) - As Australia’s COVID-19 deaths exceed 1,000, a grim toll but modest by global standards, a country that has used relentless lockdowns now faces perhaps its biggest health policy challenge of the pandemic - how to reopen.

The highly infectious Delta variant has breached the country’s fortress-style controls and entrenched itself deep enough in Sydney, Australia’s biggest city, and with a foothold in Melbourne, that authorities have dispensed with plans to eliminate it.

Instead, they plan to ramp up Australia’s lagging vaccination effort and live with COVID-19, an approach that would help struggling businesses but which is opposed by states determined to crush the disease.

Australia reported four fatalities on Monday, taking the total death toll from COVID-19 to 1,003, according to government data. It has logged an average of two to three deaths a day recently, the data shows.

But while deaths are creeping higher, infections are surging to successive record highs above 1,200 a day. With more than half the population in lockdown, even those areas with little or no infections are affected.

The exuberance that accompanied Australia's early suppression success has since been replaced with community frustration here at a delayed vaccine programme that has only recently picked up pace.

Just over 33% of those aged 16 and older have received two vaccine doses, well below most comparable nations, according to a Reuters tracker here.

As the weary nation reopens, authorities hope to avoid the soaring infections and rising death experienced in countries such as Britain here and the United States - which recently posted more than 1,000 deaths here in a single day.

The lesson for Australia is that mask-wearing should not be discarded as restrictions ease and that classrooms should be better ventilated to protect students from the airborne virus, said epidemiologist Raina MacIntyre.

“Wearing a mask is a small price to pay to get that additional layer of control,” said MacIntyre, head of the Biosecurity Research Program at the Kirby Institute, UNSW Medicine. “We’ll need a vaccines-plus strategy as well as ventilation.”

PUSHBACK AGAINST LIVE-WITH-IT PLAN

Australia plans to start easing restrictions once 70% of those aged 16 and over are fully vaccinated, expected late in the year. After 80% comes a gradual reopening of international travel, according to the government-backed plan modelled by the Melbourne-based Doherty Institute.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants Australia to treat COVID-19 like the flu as vaccination rates rise. “That is our goal, to live with this virus, not to live in fear of it,” he said last week.

But some largely infection-free states, including Queensland and Western Australia, are pushing back as they watch health services at the centre of the Delta outbreak in the Sydney area come under stress.

There are 840 people in hospital being treated for COVID-19 in the epicentre, with 137 in intensive care and 48 requiring ventilation.

Mark McGowan, premier of Western Australia, said his iron ore-exporting state wanted to continue to “crush and kill” the virus, with lockdowns when necessary.

The outbreaks and lockdowns are devastating tourism operators, said Daniel Gschwind, chief executive of the Queensland Tourism Industry Council.

“We are not in lockdown and that’s great, but tourism is like a pipeline,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where that pipeline is broken. If you sit at the end of the pipeline nothing is coming through.”

The Australian economy, which rebounded swiftly in the pandemic's early stages, is set to contract sharply this quarter, threatening to push the country back into recession here if the decline persists for the rest of the year.

In the Group of 20 big economies, Australia is the last to mark 1,000 COVID-19 deaths. Among major Asia-Pacific economies, four – New Zealand, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore – have well below 1,000 fatalities, with New Zealand having the lowest at just 26.

Australia’s rising case count means it will try to reopen under a cloud of infections when, up until the Delta strain, it was largely virus-free.

Delta’s high infectiousness, short incubation, and asymptomatic spread, meant it spread quickly after being first detected in Sydney in June. Caseloads are higher for younger people, who have had limited or no access to vaccines.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-australia-politics/a-weary-australia-plans-reopening-as-covid-19-death-toll-hits-1000-idUSKBN2FV03J

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deef8a  No.14490309

File: 941412198eb9f0b⋯.jpg (154.59 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, The_Biden_probe_the_verdic….jpg)

>>14477305

>>14486968

US Republicans push for Wuhan report evidence

SHARRI MARKSON - AUGUST 30, 2021

Leading US Republicans will pressure President Joe Biden to declassify the evidence uncovered by the intelligence agencies during their 90-day probe into the ­origins of Covid-19.

It comes as a high-level Five Eyes intelligence source revealed to The Australian that while the intelligence community was divided on the source of the coronavirus, the agencies had uncovered little to no evidence to support the theory Covid-19 emerged from an infected animal.

Instead the intelligence source said there was ample evidence the virus leaked from the Wuhan ­Institute of Virology in China, but it was all circumstantial in nature.

The Biden probe – the verdict of the 18 intelligence agencies – found a laboratory leak and human exposure to an infected animal are both “plausible”.

The statement released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said that “after examining all available ­intelligence reporting and other information, though, the IC ­remains divided on the most likely origin of Covid-19”.

“All agencies assess that two hypotheses are plausible: natural exposure to an infected animal and a laboratory-associated incident,” it said.

The top Republican on the house foreign affairs committee, Michael McCaul, the former chair of the homeland security committee, said he would now push the Biden administration to declassify the intelligence uncovered as part of the probe.

Mr McCaul revealed to The Australian “the more prominent” intelligence agencies supported the laboratory leak scenario.

“They (the agencies) didn’t come to a unified conclusion but many of them, and I can’t go into detail about which ones, but some of the more credible ones came out stating they did think there was genetic manipulation, that it did not come from animals and that it was leaked accidentally from the lab,” he said.

“We’ve asked the administration for that report, we’ve also asked for it to be declassified.”

Four intelligence elements and the National Intelligence Council assessed with “low confidence” that the initial SARS-CoV-2 ­infection was most likely caused by contact with an infected ­animal. One intelligence community element had “moderate confidence” Covid-19 was the ­result of a laboratory incident, probably involving the Wuhan Institute of Virology either experimenting, handling or sampling the virus. Three elements of the intelligence community were unable to “coalesce around either explanation without additional ­information, with some analysts favouring natural origin, others a laboratory origin, and some seeing the hypotheses as equally ­likely,” the ODNI statement said.

Mr McCaul said the intelligence needed to be made public “so that we can counter the propaganda being spewed out of the Chinese Communist Party”.

“We may never have the smoking gun until the Chinese Communist Party opens up their lab, which you and I know will never happen,” he said.

“But when you look at all the circumstantial evidence and all the cover-up which took place … I think the truth hurts. I think they know what happened and that’s why they went to such great lengths to cover it up.”

Mr McCaul spearheaded a ­report into the origins of Covid-19, concluding the virus was most likely the result of an accidental lab leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/us-republicans-push-for-wuhan-report-evidence/news-story/effe0c8a75a9fb267a65882bf21ddec4

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deef8a  No.14490378

File: 27fd7d3ff07ec3b⋯.jpg (43.15 KB, 650x366, 325:183, _What_Really_Happened_in_W….jpg)

>>14486968

‘What Really Happened in Wuhan’: Donald Trump among the insiders interviewed in new COVID-19 investigation

Sharri Markson uncovers explosive claims and new details about how the deadly COVID-19 pandemic began in an exclusive documentary coming to Sky News Australia in September.

Tyrone Clarke - August 29, 2021

1/2

In an exclusive special report including interviews with then-President Donald Trump, top-ranking US and British officials and Chinese whistleblowers, Sky News Australia explores the truth behind what really happened in Wuhan when the deadly COVID-19 virus began its trail of devastation.

Award-winning journalist Sharri Markson uncovers explosive claims and new details about how the deadly COVID-19 pandemic began after spending more than a year investigating the potential leak of the virus from a top-secret laboratory in Wuhan.

COVID-19 has taken over four million lives worldwide and has inflicted worldwide economic destruction, but after more than 18 months the virus’ origins are still unknown.

Former US President Donald Trump first raised the possibility that the prevailing theory around the origins of COVID-19 may be false – that it naturally occurred and spread between animals before reaching humans – in April last year.

Mr Trump was swiftly shut down by media organisations across the globe including the ABC and the Guardian who were among those accusing him of peddling “unsubstantiated theories”.

The former President came under fire from all corners of mainstream and social media outlets around the world.

In the early stages of the pandemic, tech giant Facebook instituted a broad-scale unprecedented ban on any posts with “false claims or conspiracy theories” including any mention of the virus leaking from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

While unprecedented, the move had the implicit backing of the World Health Organisation who called on the world not to spread “fear and panic” by enforcing travel bans on China at the outset of the pandemic.

The WHO consistently praised China for its efforts in the aftermath of the initial outbreak of the coronavirus thanking the Asian superpower for a supposed speedy response.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom said Beijing’s transparency around the virus was “very impressive and beyond words”.

Early this year, the WHO publicly declared COVID-19 was derived from animal sources following a highly anticipated and subsequently criticised joint investigation with Chinese researchers.

But both Facebook and the WHO changed their tune when reports emerged that lab workers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology presented with COVID-like symptoms back in November 2019.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14490383

File: bdb583a245bd89b⋯.jpg (204.26 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Document_released_in_Trump….jpg)

>>14490378

2/2

Sharri Markson has been at the forefront of this investigation, consistently breaking stories and challenging the public status quo around the origins of the coronavirus.

In March 2021, Sharri broke the world-exclusive that Wuhan Institute of Virology employees had been hospitalised with Covid-like symptoms in November 2019.

This classified intelligence was part of the reason US President Joe Biden ordered a new probe into the origins of the virus.

In the explosive new documentary ‘What Really Happened in Wuhan’, Sharri speaks to the key players on the global stage including then-President Donald Trump, Chinese whistleblowers, former head of British intelligence service, Mi6, Sir Richard Dearlove and then-U.S. Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe.

Mr Ratcliffe oversaw 17 intelligence agencies and spearheaded the investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

The Sky News Australia documentary has secured the first sit-down interview for an Australian broadcast media outlet with Donald Trump since he was elected president in 2016.

As US President, Trump was privy to the top-secret intelligence on Wuhan and in the Sky News exclusive interview, Sharri questions Trump about his knowledge of when and how COVID-19 emerged and his claims surrounding the evidence for a lab leak.

Sky News anchor, Sharri Markson said: “Even though four million people have now lost their lives, there has been no credible investigation into the origins of COVID-19. It's outrageous. People deserve better from our world health authorities. That's why we wanted to delve into this important topic."

Paul Whittaker, Chief Executive Officer, Sky News Australia said: “The interviews and revelations presented in What Really Happened in Wuhan are testament to Sharri’s tenacity as an investigative news breaking journalist and her pursuit of the truth. While other media have pretended away crucial information, ignored the debates, or have been incurious about the possibility the virus may have been caused by a lab leak, Sharri has been relentless in her search of the facts, in questioning the right sources and asking the difficult questions.

“The impact of COVID-19 on the lives and livelihoods of so many Australians and people worldwide will be felt for decades to come. We are committed to covering all angles of this evolving global public health and policy debate.”

Sharri Markson’s debut book of the same title, published by HarperCollins, ‘What Really Happened in Wuhan’ is the first international book to investigate the COVID-19 laboratory leak theory. It is available pre-order from Booktopia and will be available from bookstores and online from 29 September.

Don’t miss the Australian television exclusive ‘What Really Happened in Wuhan’ on Monday September 20 at 8pm AEST on Sky News on Foxtel and Sky News Regional.

https://www.skynews.com.au/world-news/global-affairs/what-really-happened-in-wuhan-donald-trump-among-the-insiders-interviewed-in-new-covid19-investigation/news-story/a22f82dd530026a70958144f3f510974

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deef8a  No.14490409

File: a6cec5c1086dc2f⋯.jpg (165.67 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, The_Second_Special_Air_Ser….jpg)

File: 9347b0d89fa2eaf⋯.jpg (72.96 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, ADF_chief_General_Angus_Ca….jpg)

File: ece55f8c085ce70⋯.jpg (138.27 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, The_SAS_squadron_on_a_trai….jpg)

File: 6489d904937ccb6⋯.jpg (141.09 KB, 768x1025, 768:1025, The_disband_order_was_made….jpg)

‘Insensitive insult’: Fury over move to disband Aussie SAS unit

The Special Air Service is rallying troops to fight moves by the Australian Defence Force to symbolically disband a squadron over flawed evidence.

Charles Miranda - August 30, 2021

The Special Air Service is rallying past and current Special Forces troops to fight plans by the Australian Defence Force to this week symbolically disband the once proud 2 Squadron, in the fallout from the Brereton war crimes inquiry.

A “flag folding” ceremony will be held on Friday for the 2nd ‘Sabre’ Squadron, which is expected to be officiated by Chief of Army General Rick Burr, to symbolically disband the unit and pass the flag to the Historical Foundation.

It is understood the squadron was last year already quietly dishonourably struck off the Army’s ‘Order of Battle’ although the move was delayed amid threats of mass ADF Special Forces resignations.

The disband order was made by ADF Chief Angus Campbell last year after the four-year Brereton inquiry into war crimes in Afghanistan found up to 19 members had committed murder or mistreatment of Afghan civilians.

But angry current and former members of SAS Regiment members squad said the move was a disgrace, particularly in light of the cases against 13 members having now either been dismissed or stalled.

They have set up an online petition calling for a boycott of the ceremony as the ADF Special Operations Command (SOCOMD) rallies veterans to attend the event at Campbell Barracks in Swanbourne WA.

Retired Warrant Officer Kerry Danes, an ex-2Sqn member prior to Brereton, said many saw the planned flag folding as a “slap in the face” to all those who gave impeccable service to the unit during its 57 years service.

He called on members to petition Defence Minister Peter Dutton to reverse the order and reinstate 2Sqn.

It was Mr Dutton who earlier this year reversed ADF plans that would have seen up to 3000 former and serving elite forces who served in the Afghan conflict stripped of their Meritorious Unit Citation.

“The idea of a ‘Flag Folding’ ceremony is insensitive, traumatising and a disgraceful act of leadership,” Danes and his wife Dr Kay Danes wrote in an open post.

“It is also an insult to the families of those 13 SASR members who were victimised and have since been exonerated from the flawed Brereton Inquiry.”

Veterans groups have for a week protested the move.

Another SAS member who asked to not be identified as he was still serving, said the Brereton inquiry had a disgraceful outcome for many.

“There was obviously issues here and a couple of rotten apples but they threw the lot of us under the bus for it,” they said.

“We served with distinction in (2 Sqn) but we were all tarnished by this.”

Last November the Brereton report recommended 19 individuals be investigated for war crimes but at least 13 cases have since been found to be well below the burden of proof required for prosecution with insufficient information to even proceed with an AFP-led probe.

Eleven of those initially cited in reports have either been discharged on medical grounds or quit after receiving notice to show cause for dismissal, although some of these were later rescinded.

Defence was contacted for comment.

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/national/insensitive-insult-fury-over-move-to-disband-aussie-sas-unit/news-story/285a3f8debb09622e07880da4e3f7c80

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deef8a  No.14490430

File: e6050b0d37b61a6⋯.jpg (155.29 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, HMAS_Warramunga_conducts_a….jpg)

File: 3ab1933a238bc22⋯.jpg (105.72 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, HMAS_Warramunga_conducts_a….jpg)

File: c01039970324243⋯.jpg (68.75 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, US_Vice_President_Kamala_H….jpg)

File: 777d1583489892a⋯.jpg (112.67 KB, 1279x719, 1279:719, China_has_modernised_its_m….jpg)

>>14484206

China launches live-fire drills as Australia joins The Quad allies for Malabar war games

Australia has joined The Quad for military war games but refusing to be outdone, China launched its own show of strength.

Jamie Seidel - August 30, 2021

1/2

Australia is there. So are Japan and India. It’s the latest in a rapid-fire stream of military exercises involving the West in the Pacific. But China refuses to be outdone, launching yet more live-fire drills in the East and South China Seas.

The Malabar 2021 Naval Exercise began in waters off Guam in the mid-Pacific on Thursday. Australia is its latest regular participant. That makes it a de facto expression of the military strength behind the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, which includes Japan, India and the United States.

At the same time, a strike group centred on the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth and the Dutch frigate HNLMS Evertsen met up with the Japanese helicopter carrier Ise and the US assault ship USS America. They were busy near Okinawa and the Miyako Strait linking the East China Sea with the Pacific.

Beijing, however, refused to be outdone.

It launched the latest of its seemingly never-ending chain of combat exercises. One group passed close to allied forces.

“The Chinese military is responding to US moves to team up with its allies – including when the UK and Germany carry out freedom of navigation operations in the region,” former People’s Liberation Army Colonel Yue Gang told the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post. “When the US steps up its presence in the region, China has to respond and show its muscle.”

GAME OF THRONES

US Vice President Kamala Harris earlier this week began a tour of South-East Asia. On a visit to Vietnam, she told President Nguyen Xuan Phuc: “We need to find ways to pressure and raise the pressure, frankly, on Beijing to abide by the UNCLOS, and to challenge its bullying and excessive maritime claims.”

That pressure is already soaring at sea.

China claims almost all of the 2 million square kilometre South China Sea as its sovereign territory. However, nations that actually border the waterway, including Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Borneo, Taiwan and Indonesia, disagree.

But Beijing blames Washington for the international tension and unrest in the region.

China also claims the whole East China Sea, including islands between Taiwan and mainland Japan. South Korea claims some. Tokyo both claims, and occupies, most.

Buoyed by the exploding size of its navy and air force, China has been elbowing its way into these contested waters in recent years.

While many of its closest neighbours are reluctant to defy Beijing because of its economic and military might, a growing international presence is beginning to make itself felt.

And that’s angered China.

US ‘ANXIETY’

“With the advancement of China’s military modernisation over the past two decades, China has fully caught up with the US in terms of conventional military forces,” says Renmin University of China strategic analyst Zuo Xiying. “However, the US’ conventional deterrence capability in the Western Pacific has relatively declined.”

His Communist Party approved editorial states the expanded scope of the Malabar exercise exposes the United States’ “anxiety” about China’s rise.

Now Washington is seeking new ways to exert pressure on Beijing.

“To achieve this goal, the US has no other choice but to unite and rope in its allies and strategic partners, as well as to strengthen security co-operation among key allies and strategic partners,” Zuo writes. “Washington aims to strengthen maritime co-operation with allies and strategic partners, flexing muscles against China and demonstrating its deterrence capabilities and determination.”

Zuo stressed the potential for internal dissent within the Quad.

“Washington has taken aggressive defensive measures to counterbalance Beijing. On the other hand, India, Australia and Japan have their own interests in security issues. Washington cannot have a monopoly on the Quad mechanism, even though it is led by the US.”

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14490432

File: 94cc2ce55c006d5⋯.jpg (209.43 KB, 1300x2561, 100:197, Guam_the_key_to_the_pacifi….jpg)

>>14490430

2/2

MALABAR MIND GAMES

Coming hot on the heels of Australia’s Talisman Sabre and the United States’ Large Scale Global Exercise, this year’s Malabar war game represents a shift in emphasis.

Where Australian and US exercises focused on large-scale amphibious assault operations, the focus is now on a high-seas clash.

Warships, submarines and aircraft are being pitted against each other off Guam in the Western Pacific. Their manoeuvres include live-fire weapons drills.

Australia’s multipurpose frigate HMAS Warramunga is showing the flag. The Indian frigate INS Shivalik and corvette INS Kadmatt have travelled to Guam “as part of their ongoing deployment to nations in South-East Asia and the Pacific Ocean”.

Japan has sent three warships, including a helicopter carrier, and a submarine along with surveillance and anti-submarine aircraft. The United States is contributing three warships, P-8 anti-submarine aircraft, anti-submarine helicopters and special forces units.

While not formally taking part in the operation, Britain has its new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth and support ships operating off Okinawa with US and Japanese vessels.

Malabar 2020 was the first time all four nations of the Quad participated in the war games at the same time. The move has attracted Beijing’s ire as an “attempt to contain” its territorial ambitions. But it was China’s attempt to push back its border with India in the Himalayan Ladakh region last year that prompted a strengthening of Quad ties.

BEIJING BITES BACK

“The strengthening of the Quad mechanism reflects the fact that China’s military growth is for sure putting enormous external pressure on the US in the Indo-Pacific region,” boasts the Communist Party’s Global Times news outlet.

But it also warns of continued escalation and a new arms race.

“As for China, there is definitely a need for it to counter the US’ strengthening of the security co-operation among the Quad countries.”

Beijing has been eager to be seen to be standing up to Washington.

Live-fire drills in the East and South China Seas ended on Thursday – the same day Malabar kicked off. The full extent of these exercises is uncertain. However, open-source intelligence analysis of satellite imagery reveals a new helicopter assault ship put to sea off Hainan Island.

One unit entered the Miyako Strait, a gap between the disputed Senkaku Islands and Japan’s Ryukyu Islands. Another flotilla, led by a new Type 055 guided-missile cruiser Nanchang, entered the Sea of Japan in a move touted as “a warning to Japanese right-wing forces and militarists”.

State-controlled media boasted the 12,000-tonne warship was “the most powerful” in the world.

“With advanced weapons and equipment like the Type 055 large destroyer, the PLA is fully capable of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, no matter if it comes to the island of Taiwan or the Diaoyu Islands, or if foreign forces interfere,” it said.

https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/technology/innovation/china-launches-livefire-drills-as-australia-joins-the-quad-allies-for-malabar-war-games/news-story/083117e7d4d7f210e5527bc1a6258e9b

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deef8a  No.14490463

File: 26cf1f1d146a0de⋯.jpg (196.48 KB, 960x640, 3:2, A_special_forces_soldier_i….jpg)

File: df32fac5960d527⋯.jpg (102.54 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Army_Reserve_Major_General….jpg)

>>14404558

>>14461837

As Australia’s war crimes investigations drag on, misinformation is catching up

Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters - August 30, 2021

1/5

On February 19, 2013, a Mormon elder in regional Victoria was called by a Commando who had recently returned from Afghanistan. The young special forces soldier wished to confess to a murder.

This man, known for legal reasons as Soldier X, is described by fellow Commandos as a man of deep faith and integrity. In his Mormon faith, it’s not enough to simply admit to a sin to attain forgiveness – this can only be achieved through what the Mormons call “repentance sincere and complete”.

What he told the elder that day was how he had been part of a Commando mission that had taken several Afghan prisoners.

“When he entered the room where the prisoners were being held, his [senior soldier] told him to take the prisoners out the back and get rid of them,” says the confession, as noted by the elder.

So he helped take the three prisoners away and “executed” one by shooting him in the head.

“As he shot the third, the way in which the man looked at him caused him to know that he was executing an innocent man,” the elder’s typed two-page statement says.

The moral injury Soldier X was carrying bleeds through the file note recording his 2013 confession to the Mormon elder, who refers to him as “Brother”.

“Brother [X] … knew within himself that the third prisoner was an innocent non-combatant who had just been caught up in the skirmish … The incident has troubled Brother [X] since it happened.”

This powerful confession stayed hidden for five years until it was passed to the Brereton inquiry into war crimes. An investigation was launched and the man interviewed. What he said is unknown, but multiple Defence sources have confirmed that in 2019, Soldier X confessed again to supporters about executing an Afghan prisoner.

His was just one of at least five confessions by special forces soldiers who admitted executing Afghan prisoners between 2009 and 2013. Many more Special Air Service Regiment soldiers have admitted witnessing war crimes. At least half-a-dozen have since made signed statements to the Australian Federal Police.

These witness statements and confessions are compelling, first-hand evidence, often driven by the consciences of former soldiers, that murders happened in Afghanistan. They are at the heart of an uncomfortable truth about a small number of those who served in Australia’s special forces during their long Afghan deployments.

But now, well-connected figures in politics, the veterans’ community and, most significantly, some of those accused of war crimes, appear eager to undermine the witnesses and those who have confessed. These people have launched an increasingly active misinformation campaign. Its premise appears to be that war crimes never occurred.

Australian Defence Association chief executive Neil James describes their contentions as “bullshit” and guided by powerful individuals who have an interest in eroding public and political will for ongoing war crimes probes.

If recent events are a guide, the misinformation appears to be gaining traction, thanks to a friendly ear in some influential corners of the media. This week, it prompted a response at the highest levels of Australian politics.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14490465

File: c2b8c563742bd4b⋯.jpg (28.5 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Defence_Minister_Peter_Dut….jpg)

>>14490463

2/5

‘I do apologise’

For four years, Justice Paul Brereton investigated allegations of war crimes and, last November, he released his report. Based on significant evidence from witnesses, including confessions, his report concluded there was “credible information” that up to 39 Afghan prisoners and civilians had been executed unlawfully. Defence force chief Angus Campbell backed the findings in an extraordinary televised press conference and confirmed that 19 serving and former special forces soldiers would be referred to the AFP and a special body set up by the federal government, the Office of the Special Investigator, for further investigation and possible prosecution.

Nine months later, a series of stories has been published apparently designed to undermine these findings. This week, several media outlets released stories whose central thrust was that the defence force’s case against 13 accused soldiers had collapsed because it had withdrawn “show cause” notices asking them to explain why they should not be sacked.

Much of this reporting contended that Defence had this month re-deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan, an SAS soldier whom Justice Brereton had identified eight months ago as an alleged war criminal.

In The West Australian, Perth’s daily newspaper, the headline said: “At least one inquiry-linked SAS soldier accused of Afghan war crimes sent back to Kabul”. The story gained traction with the support of Heston Russell, a former commando who has become the go-to veteran for journalists willing to run stories criticising the Brereton inquiry and questioning the war crimes allegations.

Russell fiercely attacked the Brereton inquiry and General Campbell, including on radio station 2GB (owned by Nine Entertainment, the publisher of this masthead).

“People’s lives have literally been ruined only for them to receive a letter saying ‘no case to answer for’,” Russell told 2GB’s Ray Hadley, who agreed enthusiastically. Russell demanded General Campbell apologise: “He would send an amazing example through the defence force if he simply stood up and said, ‘Hey, I got it wrong’.”

Hadley echoed the call, then turned his attention to politicians. On Thursday, Defence Minister Peter Dutton obliged. Invited onto 2GB, he said: “If people have been wrongly accused and they’ve now been cleared of that, then I do apologise for what they’ve been through, what their families have been through.” Hadley pronounced himself satisfied.

But there was a major problem with this reporting. One of the key allegations was not true. Despite the headlines, Defence had not deployed to Kabul a soldier accused by Justice Brereton of war crimes. Nor has Defence cleared of criminal liability any of the 19 soldiers referred to the AFP and the Office of the Special Investigator. All remain under active investigation.

And the 13 “show cause” notice cases are significantly more complex than the reporting has made out.

‘Powerful interests’

Beyond Heston Russell, identifying who is pushing misinformation, and their true motive, is difficult. Journalists from some of the outlets who reported that a war crimes accused was in Afghanistan have now privately conceded they got it wrong. One said their newspaper had been directed to run the story even though the crucial “fact” had not been verified.

The notion that war crimes accused might want to undermine allegations that could land them in jail makes sense, but it’s less clear why some in the media, other veterans and certain politicians might be willing to give them a platform.

Australian Defence Association chief executive Neil James says vested interests are at play, and “party politics” – the view there is political mileage to be gained by supporting a populist campaign.

“There are powerful interests who don’t want to see war crimes pursued,” he says.

Soldier X is not alone in having put his hand up to wrongdoing. Justice Brereton describes at least eight such cases, albeit in a highly redacted form.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14490469

File: d3b6f7c6dea35dc⋯.jpg (123.38 KB, 960x640, 3:2, SAS_combat_medic_Dusty_Mil….jpg)

>>14490465

3/5

But even without these confidential reports to the inquiry, there is plenty of evidence. Whistleblowers have provided significant public statements. Three Afghan war veterans, ex-SAS medic Dusty Miller, ex-SAS signals intelligence officer Braden Chapman and ex-SAS operator “Tom”, have all given extensive interviews to Mark Willacy for his book, Rogue Forces, released this month.

The book gives the most in-depth account yet of an alleged execution, captured on helmet camera, of an apparently unarmed Afghan man lying in a field. Footage of this incident infamously shows a now former SAS soldier asking his superior: “Do you want me to drop this c-nt?,” then shooting the man dead.

Dusty Miller, whose story was first told by this masthead in 2019, has spoken up repeatedly in defence of the Brereton Inquiry, and about how an injured unarmed Afghan, Haji Sardar, was allegedly murdered by a senior SAS soldier after he was taken from Mr Miller’s care.

“There’s lots of us that have gone, ‘This happened. That happened’,” Miller has said, describing the Brereton report as “vindication”.

Despite all this, some media are now undermining the war crimes narrative in the public mind.

The tabloid Daily Mail website has been the recent launching pad for much of this misinformation, but other outlets such as The West Australian, Sydney’s Daily Telegraph, and shock jock radio hosts are taking it up with enthusiasm.

Tracing misinformation

The first hint of a campaign appeared in December in The Guardian which ran two pictures supplied by a freelance reporter. One featured two SAS soldiers skylarking in a makeshift bar with the prosthetic leg of a Taliban fighter allegedly executed weeks earlier by ex-SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith.

Hundreds of photos exist depicting dozens of SAS soldiers and officers at the same bar also posing with the leg. The fact of the leg’s removal and use as a drinking vessel was revealed by this masthead in 2018. Why were these specific pictures released? Perhaps it’s related to the fact that both men are witnesses for the AFP because they allege they saw another SAS soldier execute a prisoner.

The freelancer has declined to answer questions about this, but has privately told colleagues at The Guardian that he was unaware of this critical fact. One of the two men also voluntarily revealed to the Brereton inquiry in 2018 that he was the one who had taken the leg from the allegedly executed Taliban prisoner. He also provided the Brereton inquiry with photos of the leg mounted on a board. He made the disclosure, which at the point was unknown to investigators, despite the likely adverse impact on his own career.

Two weeks after The Guardian’s article, the Daily Mail took the story up. It ran the same photo but also falsely asserted both men were “facing the sack”. One of the men would later be issued a show-cause notice for misconduct unrelated to the leg, but it was overturned. The second SAS soldier was, to the contrary, recommended for promotion by the Brereton inquiry for his bravery in exposing alleged war crimes. Just last week, he was deployed on an SAS mission to Kabul to help rescue stranded Australians.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14490473

File: 66e3af9c1aeda5c⋯.jpg (166.62 KB, 960x640, 3:2, A_World_War_One_Iron_Cross….jpg)

>>14490469

4/5

Earlier this month, the two police witnesses appeared again in photos leaked to the Daily Mail. This time, the pair was shown at a dress-up event to celebrate Anzac Day in Afghanistan. One was dressed in only underpants and a raincoat, and wore a World War I German military Iron Cross – an heirloom handed down by a great-uncle who had taken it from a German soldier in combat. He wore the cross, dated 1914, under his body armour on missions in Afghanistan as a talisman recognising his relative’s luck in surviving World War I and helping defeat the enemies of the Commonwealth.

In the Daily Mail’s hands, an enlarged picture purported to show the Iron Cross, but in fact it had been substituted to show a World War II version engraved with a Nazi swastika. The Nazi party did not even exist in World War I.

The story was quietly taken down by the Daily Mail, but only after the SAS soldier’s lawyer, Justin Quill, queried Daily Mail editor Lachlan Heywood and accused the website of switching the medal to smear his client as a Nazi and of breaching a suppression order over his client’s identity as an alleged war crimes witness. But just one week later, on August 19, the website ran another article again including misinformation.

“SAS soldiers who faced the sack after extraordinary press conference accusing them of war crimes will FINALLY keep their jobs – and at least one is already back in Kabul saving Aussies from the Taliban,” the headline read.

The false assertion that a war crimes accused had been cleared and then deployed to Afghanistan was promptly run by The West Australian and Rupert Murdoch’s Daily Telegraph, only to be finally dismissed as inaccurate by Murdoch’s The Australian.

One former SAS officer, who has spoken to The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald on condition of anonymity, is furious the falsehood received so much traction, saying it put the lives of Australian soldiers in Kabul at risk.

The ADF also released a formal statement, confirming “no individuals who have received administrative notices in relation to the Afghanistan inquiry have been deployed by the ADF to support the Australian government’s evacuation effort from Afghanistan”. (Official sources are equally dismissive of any suggestion, made after the Daily Mail’s error was exposed, that perhaps another government agency deployed a war crimes accused to Kabul.

It was not the only error in the Daily Mail story. It also falsely asserted that the Afghan man filmed on helmet camera being allegedly executed in 2012—the infamous “should I drop the c-nt” video – was in fact a high-value Taliban target whose execution was authorised.

ABC journalist Mark Willacy, who won a Gold Walkley for uncovering the vision, says the man “was not an authorised execution target”.

“The actual target of this operation was an insurgent commander code-named Objective Young Akira, and whose real name was Mawlawi Payendi. Typically, the Daily Mail has got it wrong. Their reporting on this issue has been skewed and inaccurate.”

The same Daily Mail report – quickly churned by 2GB’s Ray Hadley and The West Australian, who asked Prime Minister Scott Morrison about it at a press conference – also made claims that 13 soldiers issued with sacking notices by the defence force as a result of conduct uncovered by Justice Brereton’s inquiry had effectively been cleared by Defence and “their versions of events have ultimately been preferred over what was found in the Brereton report”.

In fact, two kinds of action against accused soldiers emerged from the inquiry: administrative censure and criminal investigations.

Justice Brereton’s report referred 19 men for criminal war crimes investigations. But rather than endorse their dismissal, he wrote it might be appropriate that the criminally accused not be sacked by Defence, in order for the criminal justice system to “take its course”.

For those allegedly involved in some lesser form of misconduct, Justice Brereton recommended that “administrative action” ranging from a censure letter to termination might be appropriate. That, he wrote, was a decision for Defence and not his inquiry.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14490475

File: f5054f637fded11⋯.jpg (137.51 KB, 960x640, 3:2, A_series_of_stories_appear….jpg)

>>14490473

5/5

By June this year, the army had issued 17 notices that required special forces soldiers to “show cause” as to why they should not be sacked. But 13 of these 17 had already been discharged on health or other grounds. Of the four remaining soldiers issued notices, two are reservists (one is serving with the UAE armed forces). Of the 17, this masthead confirmed only one soldier who remains on active duty with the SAS in Perth.

Defence hierarchy is refusing to provide details about why they did not force the 17 men’s sacking, but many ADF insiders point out that given most were already discharged, it was hardly the scandal some wanted it to be.

For its part, the Daily Mail’s editor is standing by its reporting, including the false claim of a war crimes accused deployed to Kabul (it reported the false claim a second time on Thursday), as well as his outlet’s role switching a World War I Iron Cross with a World War II medal engraved with a swastika in a story he later pulled from the internet.

“The stories broken by Daily Mail Australia surrounding our elite soldiers are extraordinary — but they are fair, accurate, and written by a respected journalist with more than 25 years’ reporting experience. These are stories that need to be told,” Mr Heywood said in a statement.

By far the most serious recommendation of the Brereton inquiry was the referral of serving and former soldiers for criminal investigation. All 19 soldiers referred for their alleged participation in executions remain under active investigation by the AFP and the Office of the Special Investigator.

The apparent attempt to wish away the severity of Brereton’s findings ignore that fact.

PR and spin

The most prominent war crimes accused in Australia, Ben Roberts-Smith, has issued no public statements in the past few weeks. He is the subject of three active federal police investigations, including two war crimes inquiries that have sent briefs of evidence to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions to rule on whether the police case is strong enough to charge him.

Roberts-Smith is also suing this masthead and the authors for defamation. But for almost four years, he has been paying public relations advisers Sue Cato and, more recently, Helen McCombie, to advise him how to maximise positive media coverage.

In the last month, Roberts-Smith’s employer, SevenWestMedia, published not only the false story about the war crimes accused sent to Kabul, but also the Daily Mail’s copy about the SAS soldier and the swastika-engraved Iron Cross.

Weeks before that, the Daily Telegraph published a front-page story that falsely claimed another key police witness against Roberts-Smith was party to the covert recordings of conversations involving the war hero. The recordings captured Roberts-Smith talking about destroying the reputations of journalists, politicians and soldiers who had challenged his war record.

One of Roberts-Smith’s defamation lawyers is also a lawyer for the Daily Mail.

There is no evidence or suggestion that Roberts-Smith, his lawyers or his PR agents, are tied to the latest misreporting.

Some in Defence are frustrated that General Angus Campbell and other senior officers and politicians are not seeking to counter the misinformation and remind the public that it was special forces soldiers themselves who chose to stand up against the alleged misdeeds of a very small number of their colleagues.

But talking about accountability for war crimes remains politically unpopular, says Neil James. And as the ongoing AFP and OSI investigations into 19 former soldiers are likely to take many months, if not years, to resolve, there is plenty of time for a misinformation campaign to build.

And now, even the fact that men such as Soldier X chose truth and redemption over a cover-up is at risk of being obscured by half-truths, lies and spin.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/as-australia-s-war-crimes-investigations-drag-on-misinformation-is-catching-up-20210826-p58m31.html

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deef8a  No.14490534

File: e16f9d8d5fab10d⋯.jpg (558.53 KB, 825x928, 825:928, USEC_16.jpg)

File: 47968796411da2b⋯.jpg (608.7 KB, 2048x1366, 1024:683, E_Anv5lUcAIs8xX.jpg)

File: 64a00bd4c60c9ec⋯.jpg (751.81 KB, 2048x1462, 1024:731, E_Anv5kVcAE9b_h.jpg)

File: f344cb4ec929938⋯.jpg (673.38 KB, 2048x1366, 1024:683, E_Anv5nUcAYFUnD.jpg)

>>14484206

US Embassy Canberra Tweet

#ExerciseMalibar: The (United States) and (Australia) join India and Japan for a joint naval exercise in the Philippine Sea. Malabar 2021 brings together the four #IndoPacific navies to strengthen their skills in maritime operations, fostering regional security and stability. bit. ly/3gKYG29

https://twitter.com/USAembassyinOZ/status/1432188508471377920

https://www.pacom.mil/Media/News/News-Article-View/Article/2748502/australia-india-japan-us-kick-off-exercise-malabar-2021

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deef8a  No.14490537

File: e5fae0c0a899b0b⋯.jpg (424.42 KB, 1620x1080, 3:2, In_this_file_photo_the_Arl….jpg)

File: 8847c7c753d200e⋯.jpg (459.41 KB, 1512x1080, 7:5, The_Indian_navy_frigate_IN….jpg)

>>14490534

Australia, India, Japan, U.S. Kick Off Exercise Malabar 2021

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Task Force 71 Public Affairs - Aug. 26, 2021

PHILIPPINE SEA - Maritime forces from Australia, Japan, India, and the United States begin phase 1 of cooperative maritime exercise MALABAR 2021 in the Philippine Sea, Aug. 26.

MALABAR is an annual maritime exercise that enhances planning, training, and employment of advanced warfare tactics between the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Indian Navy (IN), Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), and U.S. Navy which demonstrates the commitment between like-minded nations to upholding a rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific.

This year’s exercise is hosted by the U.S. Navy and will take part in two phases. The first phase is an opportunity for the four Indo-Pacific navies to operate together in the Philippines Sea to strengthen their skills in combined maritime operations, anti-submarine warfare operations, air warfare operations, live-fire gunnery events, replenishments-at-sea, cross-deck flight operations, and maritime interdiction operations.

This year the exercise includes Naval Special Warfare forces during phase 1 to address irregular maritime threats and enhance integration with traditional naval forces.

"MALABAR 21 is an excellent opportunity to conduct multi-national training to hone warfighting and maritime security skillsets,” said Capt. Chase Sargeant, commander, CTF 71. "U.S. destroyers closely integrating with our partners and allies builds the foundation for regional security and stability that benefits all Indo-Pacific nations."

U.S. participants for phase one include Pacific Fleet’s top sub hunter, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52), Naval Special Warfare forces, maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft from Task Force 72, and Military Sealift Command’s (MSC) Henry J. Kaiser-class underway replenishment oiler USNS Rappahannock (T-AO 204).

"MALABAR 21 provides a wonderful opportunity to bolster our international partnerships," said Cmdr. Chris Gahl, commanding officer, USS Barry. "Our team is excited to demonstrate [anti-submarine warfare] capabilities and to collaborate alongside our Indo-Pacific partners and allies. The lessons and tactics we share will enhance our strength and capabilities in supporting the common vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific."

Elements of the Royal Australian, Indian, Japanese, and American maritime forces routinely operate together in the Indo-Pacific, fostering a cooperative approach toward regional security and stability to deter malign influence.

Representing the Indian Navy is Shivalik-class multi-role stealth frigate INS Shivalik (F 47), and Kamorta-class anti-submarine warfare corvette INS Kadmatt (P 29). Representing the JMSDF is Izumo-class multi-purpose operation destroyer JS Kaga (DDH 184), Murasame-class destroyers JS Murasame (DD 101) and JS Shiranui (DD 120). Representing Australia is Anzac-class frigate HMAS Warramonga (FFH 152). Maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft are scheduled to include an IN P-8, JMSDF P-1, and U.S. P-8A.

Under Commander, U. S. Pacific Fleet, 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with 35 maritime nations in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

https://www.pacom.mil/Media/News/News-Article-View/Article/2748502/australia-india-japan-us-kick-off-exercise-malabar-2021/

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deef8a  No.14490548

File: 0643793c2e6d5e1⋯.jpg (277.92 KB, 938x395, 938:395, MRF_D_27.jpg)

File: c346c8762b7cad1⋯.jpg (167.13 KB, 1944x1296, 3:2, 240839120_203235858505572_….jpg)

File: f244d1bb7a8a8f7⋯.jpg (353.91 KB, 1811x1208, 1811:1208, 240795123_203235941838897_….jpg)

File: f99d04772ff458a⋯.jpg (415.2 KB, 1841x1228, 1841:1228, 240773024_203235971838894_….jpg)

File: 136718625b1147e⋯.jpg (407.41 KB, 1770x1181, 1770:1181, 239712592_203237208505437_….jpg)

Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post

29 August 2021

U.S.-Australian Integration

During Exercise Koolendong 21 the #Australian #Army integrated with Marine Rotational Force Darwin's #Marine Air Ground Task Force. Both services shared #military capabilities to conduct mounted, dismounted, and air assaults. Sharing military capabilities ensures both forces are prepared to rapidly and effectively respond to a crisis in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photos by Cpl. Jacob Foster and Cpl. Lydia Gordon)

https://www.facebook.com/MRFDarwin/posts/203239291838562

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deef8a  No.14490556

File: 348269fa39627f1⋯.jpg (96.03 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Conspirituality_a_blend_of….jpg)

Downward dog to anti-vax: Trendy yoga is starting to stretch the truth

ROSIE KINCHEN - AUGUST 29, 2021

1/3

In a video that has been viewed thousands of times, two women who consider themselves to be “truth-seekers” are discussing the pandemic.

“There are a lot of questions about how real the coronavirus really is,” the older woman says, while the other nods enthusiastically.

The corona, she continues, is a part of the cell that the body rejects, a toxicity that is almost certainly linked to 5G waves. Besides, she says, “viruses have never been proven”.

It is predictable stuff, coming from Kerry Cassidy, an American conspiracy theorist. But the other woman in the video is more surprising. Until her sudden death this month at the age of 41, Guru Jagat, otherwise known as Katie Griggs, was a cult figure in the world of kundalini yoga.

Conspirituality, a blend of new-age philosophy and conspiracy theory, has grown at an extraordinary rate since the beginning of the pandemic. Research published in March by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate showed that 12 influencers were responsible for nearly 70 per cent of the vaccine misinformation spreading online. Most of these influencers are associated with so-called “wellness”.

Now governments are starting to take it seriously. Last week, in France, Miviludes, an agency responsible for monitoring the spread of sectarian movements — cults, in other words — warned that the yoga and wellbeing industries are now among the most fertile breeding grounds for conspiracy theories and anti-vax information.

To understand how this has happened requires that we stop thinking of yoga as a genteel pastime for the middle classes and see it as an ideology — and one that has longstanding associations with the far right.

The first sign of what was to come appeared in March last year, when a glamorous American wellness expert, Kelly Brogan, posted a video online. Before the pandemic, Brogan, who calls herself a “holistic psychiatrist”, was a star of the wellness scene, with a reputation akin to that of the mysterious guru played by Nicole Kidman in Nine Perfect Strangers.

She has advocated a less medicalised, more soulful approach to mental health, railed against Big Pharma, had a star-studded waiting list at her Madison Avenue clinic and was a contributing editor to Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow’s wellness website and shop.

Like many of the key players in this brave new world of turmeric lattes and jade eggs, she nurtured a deep suspicion of the medical establishment. New clients were asked to fill in forms agreeing to forgo dairy and gluten and asked if they believed in pharmaceutical medication and whether or not they vaccinated their children.

But the pandemic was a turning point. Now, Brogan warned, Covid-19 deaths were “likely being accelerated by the fear” of the virus. This fear was being stoked by the “mainstream media” to erode our trust in one another. “We are all going to be OK. You’re all already OK,” Brogan said, soothingly, while comparing lockdown measures to the “dehumanising agendas that preceded the Holocaust”.

The video went viral and Brogan has not stopped posting since. Both she and her husband, Sayer Ji, a guru and health shop owner, are in the “dirty dozen”, the list of influencers producing the majority of vaccine misinformation, according to the CCDH research.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14490557

File: 84c2222188e0e16⋯.jpg (106.44 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Nicole_Kidman_in_Nine_Perf….jpg)

>>14490556

2/3

It is hard to monitor how this idea has spread through the wellness community, but this isn’t just a world of West Coast and New York woo-woo.

Annie Kelly, a researcher and the co-host of the QAnon Anonymous podcast, has been studying far-right conspiracy groups for years, but was surprised by the demographic she has seen protesting against lockdown measures on the streets of London. “I was looking up the organisers and expecting to see some familiar faces, and I didn’t,” she says. Instead, they were young women, often mothers, dressed in an “Instagram aesthetic”.

Two of the ringleaders, Laura Ward and Lucy Davis, were life coaches with an interest in meditation. “Pastel Q” content — the name given by a Canadian researcher, Marc-Andre Argentino, to this cross-section of wellness and conspiracy — is hard to detect. It is often masked in obscure spiritual language, with messages shared in private Facebook groups or short-lived clips on Instagram stories, but it has spread particularly quickly. Kelly says many of the key players sold candles or vitamins through “multi-level marketing” companies, controversial schemes that hire people to sell directly for commission, which have thrived in the wellness community.

Guru Jagat, who founded the RA MA Institute in Venice Beach, Los Angeles, was the hipster face of kundalini yoga, a form that believes a divine feminine energy resides, coiled like a snake, in the base of the spine. Her students, who included the actress Kate Hudson and the singer Alicia Keys, wore turbans. She had 80,000 followers on Instagram and nearly 30,000 on her YouTube channel.

Early last year, Jagat began posting hashtags relating to QAnon, the conspiracy theory that posits that the world is under threat from a cabal of paedophiles and that Donald Trump is leading the fight for truth. She launched diatribes against the “woke agenda”. She died suddenly on August 1 from a pulmonary embolism after ankle surgery.

Matthew Remski, a researcher and cult survivor, is not surprised that the yoga community has proved such a fertile ground for conspiratorial ideas. Since the Woodstock festival in 1969 opened with a yoga chant, he says, “the predominantly liberal media has been labouring under this naive perception that yoga itself was counter-cultural in a politically progressive way”.

In fact, the opposite has tended to be true. The Nazis were fascinated with yogic concepts of bodily purification and excellence. Between the world wars, two retired British military officers, Francis Yeats-Brown and JFC Fuller, embraced fascism and yoga. While Fuller believed that yoga could teach men to be strong and powerful leaders, Yeats-Brown celebrated yoga as a part of “Aryan” racial inheritance.

Yoga is hyper-individualistic and libertarian, Remski says. “It teaches that your body is sacred because it is whole. It doesn’t need anything else. It has purity in relation to its environment; it consumes pure foods, it has excellent immunity. You do not need to worry about collective ideas like public health — in fact, they are impositions against your bodily sovereignty.”

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14490558

File: 21285cff1e4b69d⋯.jpg (679.95 KB, 772x1521, 772:1521, GJ_1.jpg)

>>14490557

3/3

It is hard to know whether these influencers believe the conspiratorial messages they are spreading. For some, the timing seems auspicious. At the start of the pandemic, kundalini yoga and its founder, Yogi Bhajan, were engulfed in a wave of #MeToo sexual misconduct allegations. “It allowed [Guru Jagat] to distract her own membership from the fact that there had been a whole slew of #MeToo reporting showing kundalini yoga as a whole to be a damaging cult,” Remski says.

For others there is a financial incentive. The natural health market is worth billions and is largely unregulated. Imran Ahmed, the director of the CCDH, says tech companies and their opaque algorithms bear a lot of the responsibility. Their research shows that if you are posting wellness and alternative-health content, Instagram will automatically start recommending anti-vax accounts.

“Everyone thinks the platforms give you more of what you like, but they give you more of what they want you to like,” Ahmed says.

Conspiracy is controversial and controversy keeps people engaged. The QAnon Anonymous podcast has covered the rise of a New Jersey-based yoga teacher called Krystal Tini, who had about 2000 followers on Instagram — until she started posting QAnon material. Then her following exploded to more than 100,000 in a matter of weeks.

That is the quandary for influencers such as Brogan and Ji, who have not quite come out in support of the QAnon conspiracy. “It is too toxic as a brand to endorse but too lucrative to denounce,” Remski says.

Should we be worrying about any of this if vaccination rates are high? Kelly believes we should. Leaving aside that mothers will be crucial in any effort to roll out the Covid vaccine to schoolchildren, “people underestimate the damage of a healthy, thriving movement like this. Trust in medical authority is very easily lost and very hard won”.

If these attitudes are left to bubble away online, we may see that, over time, people become less likely to vaccinate their children against any disease. Even worse, there might be another pandemic. Whatever the solution, it is going to be a global fight.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/the-times/downward-dog-to-antivax-trendy-yoga-is-starting-to-stretch-the-truth/news-story/a1ffaa78646aadeb5715843b47fa82d3

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSCxBzTJuVr/

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deef8a  No.14490562

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

"It's been a slow death": Loved ones describe cutting ties with parents, siblings over QAnon conspiracy theories

This week on 60 Minutes+, Laurie Segall speaks with men and women who say they have seen their loved ones fall so far into QAnon conspiracy theories that many have had to cut off contact with them.

Aug 29 2021

Wheeler, a former Army medic who served for two years, was stationed at Fort Hood in 2014 when a gunman opened fire. Three of Wheeler's fellow soldiers were killed and 12 were injured before the shooter turned the gun on himself.

"It was frightening," Wheeler, now 28, told 60 Minutes+ correspondent Laurie Segall, "It was traumatizing, in a way."

After Wheeler was discharged in 2015, he said he didn't open up to his parents right away, and only over time gave more details about what he said he'd experienced during the shooting. But he told Segall the parents he returned home to had become more paranoid as they started being influenced by conspiracy theories. And they began to doubt his account of what he'd endured that day.

"When I told them I was there for that shooting, and I told them what I had experienced, it was whiplash to me because I was met with a distant, icy neglect," Wheeler told Segall. "So the QAnon conspiracies that he started following made him degrade into more of an angry, more abusive, more distant person who now doesn't even really believe, I don't think, anything that I've said about my military service."

"How does it feel to have your parents not believe it happened?" Segall asked Wheeler.

"A betrayal. It feels like a betrayal," Wheeler said.

Wheeler, whose last name has been withheld for the privacy of his family, connected 60 Minutes+ with his parents who firmly denied their son's account of their belief in QAnon. Wheeler's father said he doesn't have enough information to verify his son's experience at Fort Hood that day and was skeptical of what he saw as changing accounts by Wheeler. He said the two haven't talked much in the past year.

For this week's 60 Minutes+, Segall spoke with individuals, including Wheeler, who are bound by the loss of their loved ones to QAnon – the pro-Trump web of conspiracy theories that began as a fringe online movement in 2017 but has since exploded.

One woman said she hadn't talked with her father for over a year after he inundated her with messages peddling conspiracy theories. Others said the COVID-19 pandemic gave way to new rifts over conspiracy theories about the virus or the vaccine.

The different stories all had a similar theme: the devastation of families caused by QAnon.

"There's almost a lingo for what it is that you guys are experiencing," Segall told the group. "Q-siblings– a Q-spouse, Q-parents. What does it mean to have Q-family?"

"To not have them," Wheeler said. "They are lost to us. And we are clinging for the idea of them without the Q."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/qanon-60-minutes-plus-2021-08-29

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS6BHBeqdBs

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deef8a  No.14492518

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14442992

Fox and the Big Lie: Trump returns to campaign trail amid 'stolen election' lawsuits | Four Corners

ABC News In-depth

Aug 30, 2021

How Fox News promoted Donald Trump’s propaganda and helped destabilise democracy in the United States of America: the final instalment of our two-part special on Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News.

On the night of the US presidential election, Donald Trump declared the vote was a "major fraud on the American people." Rather than face defeat, he and his allies began a campaign claiming the election had been stolen.

In the aftermath, high profile Fox News presenters gave a platform to Trump's campaign pouring fuel on the already ferocious political divide.

Now, their words and actions are under scrutiny in multi-billion dollar lawsuits.

In an exclusive interview, Trump’s former lawyer and advocate of the 'stolen election' conspiracy, Sidney Powell, is asked to justify her claims.

Watch part one here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsBqU1RzV7o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWJhqOPe6rw

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deef8a  No.14495885

File: 85465bdadf475d1⋯.webm (14.66 MB, 640x360, 16:9, Mr_Morrison_has_hailed_th….webm)

Half a million Pfizer doses from Singapore secured to help Australia's COVID-19 vaccine rollout

Stephen Dziedzic - 31 August 2021

Singapore will soon send half a million Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses to Australia as part of a "vaccine swap" between the two countries, delivering a boost to the nation's vaccination program.

Under the agreement, Australia will receive 500,000 Pfizer doses that are due to expire.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the doses would arrive this week, to be rolled out across Australia from next week, and would be shared equally with all states and territories on the basis of population.

"We need to vaccinate the whole country and we need for those doses to go from one end of the country to the other and for them to be taken up," he said.

The federal government will then deliver half a million Pfizer vaccines back to Singapore in December, when Australia is expected to have ample supplies.

"This will greatly assist the national vaccination program as it brings in two important age groups into the program — the 16- to 29-year-olds, which have already begun this week — and, of course, the 12- to 15-year-olds," Mr Morrison said.

"I said I'd leave no stone unturned on this and this is further demonstration that that has been the focus of the government."

Singapore has already fully vaccinated well over 80 per cent of its population against COVID-19 — making it one of the most inoculated countries in the world — and has begun the process of easing restrictions.

In a statement, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it might use the 500,000 returned doses from Australia for booster shots later in the year.

"These returned doses would come in more useful for Singapore then, potentially as booster doses for specific segments of our population that could benefit from such boosting," the ministry said.

Mr Morrison has hailed the vaccine swap as an example of international cooperation, saying Australia and Singapore were working together to make sure vaccines were used before they expire.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said as well as working with countries to share vaccines, Australia had dedicated millions to the region.

"We are securing vaccines for the Australian community from a range of sources and, at the same time, providing access to effective vaccines for our region, to underpin that shared recovery," she said.

"We have delivered over 2.1 million vaccines in our region now, particularly focused on the Pacific."

The extra doses are expected to further speed up the vaccine rollout, already set to be boosted in September by the arrival of Pfizer doses from elsewhere, as well as the first shipment of the Moderna mRNA vaccine.

The government is expecting 1 million doses of the vaccine to arrive next month.

Earlier this month the government secured 1 million Pfizer doses from Poland, which were directed to Sydney to help vaccinate younger age groups in hotspot areas.

Mr Morrison thanked Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the country's health minister for facilitating the swap.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-31/pfizer-doses-availability-australia-singapore-covid-19/100421462

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deef8a  No.14495902

File: bef5e640c875d88⋯.webm (7.05 MB, 1280x720, 16:9, Watch_Karen_Brewer_gets_a….webm)

>>14462339

Conspiracy theorist Karen Brewer among 19 arrested in failed bid to overthrow Government

Scott Palmer - 31 August 2021

1/2

Notorious conspiracy theorist Karen Brewer has been arrested by police while protesting as part of a wider plan to overthrow the Government.

Brewer, who has thousands of followers on social media for her COVID-19 scepticism and claims about Freemasons and pedophiles in powerful positions, had been calling for mass protests on Tuesday morning to force Parliament in Australia and New Zealand to be dismissed.

"Millions of people will be mobilised both sides of the ditch at these locations," she said on Telegram ahead of the protest, which has been six months in the making.

"We stand at these locations NO MATTER WHAT."

Images posted Tuesday morning show her waiting outside the Far North District Council for 9am to start her protest while police officers approach her. It appears from footage she is the only protester there.

"You need to leave immediately or else you will be arrested," an officer warned in a video.

The latest update on Brewer's Telegram channel confirmed she had been arrested, to the shock of her followers.

"This gives us more strength. Nelson Mandela was in prison for decades then he became president," one person commented.

Others thought planning a protest of millions of people on a public social media platform might have tipped off authorities.

"This whole silent gathering op, was waaay too telegraphed, in my humble opinion," one person noted.

"The satanic powers not to be will brand Karen and all other so-called leaders of resistance as terrorists. It's all part of the overall covert-19 psyop agenda."

Police say Brewer was one of 19 arrested for breaching alert level 4 restrictions during small anti-lockdown protests outside government and local council buildings around the country this morning.

Two were arrested in Northland, four arrested in Auckland, three in Hamiton, and six in the Bay of Plenty following a gathering outside the Tauranga City Council building.

Another small gathering was reported in Taupo, with one arrest made, while Central District Police responded to small groups of protestors outside council buildings in New Plymouth, Whanganui and Manawatu. Two people were arrested at the Whanganui protest.

A demonstration also took place outside the council building in Nelson. No arrests were made.

In Christchurch, one person was arrested following a protest outside a council building.

"While these protests were small, the actions of those involved are very disappointing," says Police Commissioner Andrew Coster.

"While protest is a normal feature of a well-functioning democracy, Police have a low tolerance for anyone who deliberately ignores the restrictions in the current situation. Today's arrests reflect that.

"The alert level is in place to protect us all and we need everyone to do their part."

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14495903

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14495902

2/2

Brewer has previously said being arrested would give "really valuable intel" as it would allow you to scope out the police station.

"I need to do what I need to do to get inside the police station so you can map out the ins and outs, the entrances, the exits, how it's layed-out inside. Really important intel," she explained in a YouTube video posted earlier this year.

Leading up to the protest, Brewer ordered her followers to stand in silence outside local Government buildings, the Beehive and the Governor-General’s residences in Auckland and Wellington.

Not a single person turned up at the Beehive or Government House in Wellington, according to Newshub cameras at the scene.

One person who claims to have turned up to Government House in Auckland turned on fellow members of the group.

"Kiwis are GUTLESS. I was one of only 2 cars that showed up at government house in Auckland before a van full of cops showed up," they wrote on social media.

Another member said they were disgusted their leader was by herself at the protest.

"Y’all just keep typing your way to slavery ! Karen stood alone because you couldn’t be bothered to stand with her disgusting! OMG I give up on man kind bunch of lazy sheep."

Police have previously said they are pleased with the public’s overall response to alert level 4 restrictions - but warn they will step up enforcement.

"Now is not the time to throw caution to the wind or take unnecessary risks," Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said in a statement on Monday.

"Police will not tolerate behaviour that deliberately jeopardises everyone’s efforts to date.

"We all know the rules by now so the public can expect police to move from education through to enforcement more quickly in these circumstances."

Brewer has previously been ordered to pay almost $1 million in damages to an Australian MP over a slew of defamatory social media posts accusing her of being "a member of a secretive paedophile network".

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2021/08/conspiracy-theorist-karen-brewer-among-19-arrested-in-failed-bid-to-overthrow-government.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO-QMJ6V2do

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deef8a  No.14495997

File: 0f2b7960d9ef823⋯.jpg (117.56 KB, 862x485, 862:485, Christopher_Saunders_resig….jpg)

File: 3c8019d5d46b218⋯.jpg (177.95 KB, 862x862, 1:1, Matt_Digges_says_he_felt_e….jpg)

>>14482024

Questions cloud resignation of Bishop of Broome Christopher Saunders

Erin Parke - 31 August 2021

1/2

The resignation of Bishop of Broome Christopher Saunders has been met with relief, sadness and anger by those embroiled in the three-year saga.

Some parishioners walked out of Sunday Mass in disgust at praise being lavished on the departing cleric.

Over the weekend, the Vatican issued a statement accepting the resignation of the 71-year-old, who has been a priest and bishop in the remote Kimberley region for almost 50 years.

He was subject to a lengthy police investigation into reports of inappropriate behaviour with young men before prosecutors in May decided not to lay charges.

In his first public statement in almost two years, Bishop Saunders confirmed his resignation was accepted by Pope Francis last Thursday.

"My decision to resign was made after a great deal of thought and prayer," he wrote in the communique to priests and parishioners.

"While I have never been one to walk away from a commitment, the fact is that I must now consider the status of my health and well-being.

"With the help of medical professionals, I have concluded that I am no longer able to adequately serve the needs of a vast and diverse diocese such as the Kimberley."

Question marks remain

But many are questioning the official narrative, with one former priest describing it as the bishop putting a positive spin on a deliberate dismantling of the diocese administration by the Vatican.

Those with knowledge of the Church response have told the ABC that church officials were strongly advising Bishop Saunders to step aside for months prior to the decision.

They have pointed out it is unusual for the Pope to accept the resignation of a bishop before the age of 75, and are linking it to the resignation of several other bishops in trouble-plagued dioceses globally in recent months.

Matt Digges, who worked under Bishop Saunders for more than a decade before resigning the ministry, says the church needs to be honest about the reasons for the departure.

"Unfortunately, the statements that have been released fail to mention the elephant in the room," he said.

"They have missed the controversy that has surrounded Bishop Saunders for the last few years, and missed the reason why he actually is not an active bishop at the moment."

Mr Digges says he expects the Church's investigation into the sexual misconduct allegations will continue, despite Bishop Saunders' retirement.

"Any complaint made against a member of the clergy is not abrogated because they retire or resign a position," he said.

"If that person is still on the books of the church, for want of a better phrase, then there's an active process that would still need to be fulfilled."

There is also the potential for the allegations to be subject to civil litigation, with at least one of the men who made a complaint against Bishop Saunders engaging lawyers to look at legal options.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14495999

File: f4a95564fb3b62d⋯.jpg (74.39 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Bishop_Saunders_met_with_P….jpg)

File: 642c921a3e269b3⋯.jpg (76.26 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Bishop_Michael_Morrissey_w….jpg)

>>14495997

2/2

Will a fresh Vatican investigation be launched?

The first report of sexually inappropriate behaviour was made by a young Aboriginal man from a bush community in the Kimberley in 2018.

A local nun and priest contacted police and a statement was made and signed in late October. Bishop Saunders strenuously denied the allegation when confronted by media.

In keeping with its protocols, the Church held off investigating the matter while the WA Police investigation was live.

But the decision in May cleared the way for the Church to begin its own inquiry, drawing on the multiple reports made to its professional standards body by diocese staff concerned about Bishop Saunders' behaviour.

Those familiar with canon law expected it would trigger a Vos Estis inquiry, which is a more rigorous and internationally consistent process established by Pope Francis in 2019 to increase accountability for senior clerics.

However, Church authorities in Rome, Canberra, Perth and Broome have not answered questions from the ABC, and it remains unclear if Pope Francis will initiate a fresh investigation.

The case has drawn international attention, with the Washington Post covering the resignation with the headline "Pope replaces Australian bishop in alleged misconduct probe".

I will listen, new bishop says

The Vatican has appointed the Bishop of Geraldton, Michael Morrissey, to oversee the running of the Broome diocese until a replacement is appointed.

He told the ABC on Monday that he had spoken on the phone with Bishop Saunders.

"He indicated to me that he's very happy that I've been asked to take on this responsibility in the short term," Bishop Morrissey said.

"The first thing I will need to do is speak less and do a lot of listening and be present for the wonderful people of the Diocese of Broome.

"That is my aim, and that is what I've been asked to do by Pope Francis."

Bishop Morrissey said he had not been briefed on the findings of an internal probe into complaints of bullying and financial mismanagement within the Broome diocese, that was conducted in early 2020 after Bishop Saunders initially stood aside.

He acknowledged Bishop Saunders' decades of hard work in the Kimberley.

"Bishop Chris Saunders was committed totally to the Broome diocese. I know he was — I've known him for many, many years.

"His commitment and his love for the Kimberley has always been there, so I am hopeful that is not forgotten, as it is remembered and cherished by many people."

The appointment is expected to bring stability to the outback diocese, which is spread across half a dozen remote bush parishes including some Aboriginal mission settlements.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-31/questions-cloud-resignation-bishop-broome-christopher-saunders/100418926

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deef8a  No.14496003

File: e10826ec78987c3⋯.jpg (72.89 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, Paedophile_Phillip_James_S….jpg)

'Pathetic' child abuser jailed in Tasmania

Ethan James - 31 August 2021

A predatory and evil pedophile who abused boys and girls in Tasmania for 25 years has been chastised by a judge as a pathetic example of a man.

Phillip James Scott, 69, was on Tuesday sentenced to up to 12 years' jail after pleading guilty to two counts of persistent sexual abuse of a child, two counts of indecent assault and one of rape.

Scott was often entrusted to babysit the children, whose ages ranged from five to 12, when the abuse occurred from 1972-97.

He regularly sexually abused one girl over a three-year period at his house and hers, while in his car and once on a picnic blanket at a park.

Scott told the children no one would believe them if they came forward and the abuse was their fault.

In sentencing, Justice Gregory Geason told the Supreme Court of Tasmania Scott's crimes were "predatory, selfish and evil".

"You are a pathetic example of a man," he said, adding Scott had a "callous pattern of behaviour".

Scott initially pleaded not guilty to the charges but changed his plea in June after trial preparations had begun.

When the allegations were put to Scott by police in 2016, he denied them, telling investigators they were "made up" and some of the complainants owed him money.

He was investigated and interviewed by police in 1997 and 2002 after some of the complainants came forward but no charges were laid.

He told police in 2002 that there was "no reason" why the complainant would have seen him naked.

Justice Geason described the police investigation as "apparently inadequate".

Scott, who has suffered a major stroke and sat in the court dock in a wheelchair using a listening aide, was given a non-parole period of eight years and will be on the sex offenders' register for life.

Justice Geason noted Scott would have difficulties in prison due to his health.

Survivors previously told the court about the impact of Scott's abuse, including one woman who was molested on her birthday.

"Every birthday I went through was a reminder of what he did to me. I have never felt very good about being me," she described in a statement read by a lawyer.

Another woman said she had learning difficulties as a child and trouble concentrating in school after being abused.

"I just thought I wasn't very clever."

https://thewest.com.au/news/crime/pathetic-child-abuser-jailed-in-tasmania-c-3831426

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deef8a  No.14496009

File: d3f97c51e6ef0f7⋯.jpg (82.22 KB, 1362x766, 681:383, Prince_Andrew_s_Gilded_Cag….jpg)

Prince Andrew’s Gilded Cage Closes in as Department of Justice Reiterates Desire to Speak to Disgraced Royal

Tom Sykes - Aug. 30, 2021

Prince Andrew has abandoned public life, given up trans-Atlantic travel, and spends much of his free time sheltering behind the high walls of various properties owned by his mother, the sovereign, as he attempts to evade scrutiny from U.S. authorities over his links to Jeffrey Epstein, and specific allegations that he raped, on three occasions, the then-17-year-old sex-trafficking victim Virginia Roberts.

For a man once so addicted to leaping on private and commercial jets at the drop of a hat that he was nicknamed “Airmiles Andy,” the shrinking of his world is likely to represent a humiliating and painful reality for Andrew.

It is not, of course, as humiliating as being dragged through the U.S. courts; avoiding that fate is believed to be the specific purpose of Andrew’s remarkably modest and discreet new lifestyle.

However, even on this limited front, it seems that Andrew is set for a long and drawn out war of attrition, with no sign that U.S. authorities have any intention of giving up on their battle to force him to answer questions, on the record and on their terms, as to what exactly he knew about the late financier and his retinue.

There was fresh pressure Monday on Britain to hand Prince Andrew over for questioning.

A U.S. government official told a reporter from British newspaper the Sun: “The U.S. and the U.K. have a close, productive, and resilient law-enforcement and mutual legal assistance relationship. We remain in close contact on many active cases on a daily basis and will continue to seek assistance in criminal matters as we provide similar assistance in return.”

Although the comment did not mention Andrew by name, the Sun made it clear that the response was given in the context of queries about the queen’s disgraced third child.

The comments clearly show the Department of Justice’s frustration that Andrew has refused to cooperate with them, despite pledging to do so in his notorious BBC interview in November 2019 and in various comments since then.

Andrew has repeatedly claimed that he has offered to cooperate with the inquiry, however the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has previously told The Daily Beast that they want to talk to him, but have not been able to.

That office sought to pile pressure on Andrew this month by reporting that Andrew was a “person of interest” in the Epstein probe and was considered “at least” a witness.

Last year, it was reported that the DOJ had sent a formal document known as a mutual legal assistance request to Britain’s Home Office to try to force Andrew’s cooperation.

So far, Andrew has proved able to shrug off this and other various demands for him to cooperate, including the filing of a civil suit against him by Virginia Roberts Giuffre in which she accused him of raping her three times.

A key part of his strategy in recent weeks has been to hide out at various well-defended properties owned by his mother, the queen.

While serving papers on Prince Andrew in person is not a legal necessity, Giuffre’s attorney, David Boies, is suspected to be keen to create a visual narrative of a besieged Andrew.

Having spent time at Balmoral in Scotland earlier in the summer, Andrew, the Sun reported this weekend, is now hiding himself away at Royal Lodge in Windsor to avoid being served documents in the civil case against him, which alleges he raped Roberts Giuffre when she was 17.

Security guards stopped “multiple attempts” by lawyers last week to hand the documents over, the paper said.

The Sun said: “There’s no way he will risk poking his head outside right now. He will stay out of view.”

The Daily Beast exclusively revealed that British media organizations hoping to snap a picture of a disgraced Prince Andrew at Balmoral this month were warned off by the queen’s lawyers. The report stated that the palace was “believed by some journalists to be acting out of an abundance of caution for fear that Boies could stage [a serving of papers] spectacle to humiliate Andrew.”

Andrew is considered unlikely to respond to the civil suit. This could result in a default judgment being entered against him; however legal sources say any penalties would be very hard and likely impossible to enforce.

A spokesperson for Andrew declined to comment to The Daily Beast about the report.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/prince-andrews-gilded-cage-closes-in-as-department-of-justice-reiterates-desire-to-speak-to-disgraced-royal?source=articles&via=rss

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deef8a  No.14496025

File: 15f1179d1a35052⋯.jpg (291.01 KB, 1400x931, 200:133, Parliament_House_in_Canber….jpg)

File: bde48c065fac9c4⋯.jpg (57.48 KB, 800x533, 800:533, Robert_Potter_leads_a_cybe….jpg)

How Hackers Hammered Australia After China Ties Turned Sour

Wave after wave of cyberattacks has shaken the country. Experts say even the wealthiest nations are at risk if they annoy China enough.

Jamie Tarabay - 31 August 2021

1/3

A few days after Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an independent international probe into the origins of the coronavirus, Chinese bots swarmed on to Australian government networks. It was April 2020.

The bots ran hundreds of thousands of scans, apparently looking for vulnerabilities that could later be exploited. It was a massive and noisy attack with little effort made to hide the bots’ presence, said Robert Potter, chief executive officer of Internet 2.0, an Australian cybersecurity firm that works extensively with the federal government.

“It was just a door knock, like someone walking up and ringing your doorbell,” he said.

The previously unreported network scans were followed by months of active hacks that would reverberate across the Australian economy. Victims included the parliamentary email network, the Bureau of Meteorology and the departments of defense and health, according to people familiar with the situation and reporting in the Australian media. State government departments including education and finance were also hit, as well as numerous Australian universities and businesses. While Beijing denied any involvement, cybersecurity experts traced much of the activity to systems used by China-based advanced persistent threat groups or APTs, a term often used to describe state-sponsored hackers.

“China’s cyber reach is detectable on almost every government server,” Potter said. “It isn’t subtle and it increases and decreases in a way that correlates to our overall relationship.”

Beijing’s retaliation against Australia’s repeated calls for an international probe is a clear example of what can happen to even the wealthiest nations if they annoy China enough, according to people familiar with the situation.

Around the world, cybersecurity entered everyday vernacular last year, as businesses and people working from home were phished, scammed, hacked and extorted. Evidence of Chinese hacks has been found from the United States to India to Israel — and of course, China is far from the only nation-state that carries out such activity. But what sets apart the recent campaign against Australia — the world’s most China-reliant economy — is its sheer scale.

Those bot network scans, along with cyberattacks including breaches of the government’s networks, were sufficiently critical for the prime minister to announce in June 2020 that a “state-based cyber actor” was “targeting Australian organizations across a range of sectors, including all levels of government, industry,” as well as education and critical infrastructure.

Morrison refused to attribute the malicious behavior, but said “there are not a large number of state-based actors that can engage in this type of activity.” Unofficially, three people familiar with the situation said it was clear Beijing’s cyber army was behind it.

China’s foreign ministry denied the allegations, saying the “Australian government and media have wrongly accused China of hacking many times before based on insufficient evidence.” China has “always supported and actively participated in scientific studies” on finding the origins of Covid, the ministry added.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14496026

File: 2839aba27479b34⋯.jpg (38.64 KB, 800x533, 800:533, Zhao_Lijian_at_a_media_bri….jpg)

>>14496025

2/3

Even before the calls for a Covid probe, Australia’s relationship with China was looking shaky. Over the years, the country has increasingly legislated to curb foreign interference and acquisitions of critical infrastructure — moves widely seen as an attempt to contain Chinese influence. Australia was the first country to ban Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and ZTE Corp from bidding for contracts to install everything from the national broadband network to 5G. Other governments including the U.S. and Sweden have followed suit.

“China’s treatment of Australia has been distinctive if not unique,” said Hugh White, a former intelligence official who is now an emeritus professor of strategic studies at the Australian National University. “I haven’t been able to identify another country that had pressure placed on it over such a broad range of areas.”

Australia’s position in the region and its strategic partnership with the U.S. — which continues to vie for dominance in Asia — make it difficult for China to back down, White said.

“The Chinese have been eager to look for the opportunity to show the rest of Asia what’s at stake as they make their decisions about how they position themselves in relation to the US and China,” he said. “Australia is the perfect victim for that.”

Australian officials have been loath to publicly attribute much of the nation-state cyber activity to China, and have only done so when calling out international espionage campaigns in unison with allies in Washington and London. Beijing denied China was behind any cyberattack after Morrison’s announcement in June 2020, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian describing the country as a “staunch upholder” of cybersecurity and “the biggest victim of cyberattacks.”

Australia’s director-general of security, Mike Burgess, has said attributing blame for spying is a distraction because “we all do it.”

“If I’m pointing my finger at you accusing you of espionage, I’ve got three fingers pointing back at me,” Burgess told Sky News in March. “Sometimes, though, it is right that governments do it because someone’s overstepped a line — it’s not just the theft of a military secret, it’s something else more offensive to our nation or damaging to our nation. And that’s the judgement governments are best placed to make.”

Chinese diplomats in Canberra, Australia’s capital city, have accused the government of pandering to Washington, and wondered aloud whether their country’s tourists and students — who collectively brought more than A$22 billion ($16 billion) in revenue to Australia in 2019 — might stop patronizing a nation that isn’t friendly to China.

“It is up to the people to decide. Maybe the ordinary people will say “Why should we drink Australian wine? Eat Australian beef?” Ambassador Cheng Jingye told the Australian Financial Review after Morrison’s call to establish an inquiry.

Beijing followed up with a months-long series of trade reprisals hitting Australian exports ranging from coal and grain to lobster and wine — an industry worth about A$1.2 billion in 2019 that is now subject to tariffs of more than 200%.

There was more. In November the Chinese embassy in Canberra leaked a list of 14 grievances and accused Australia of “poisoning bilateral relations,” the Sydney Morning Herald reported. The list included complaints about the Huawei ban, the call to investigate Covid’s origins, the cancellation of academic visas and the blocking of 10 Chinese investment deals, according to the Herald.

There was also criticism of “thinly veiled allegations against China on cyberattacks without any evidence,” the newspaper reported.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14496027

File: 8f0d05bede7a5cc⋯.jpg (42.1 KB, 800x533, 800:533, Malcolm_Turnbull_at_Parlia….jpg)

>>14496026

3/3

And there were the hacks. For the first time, the government was among the top five sectors with the most reportable data breaches last year, according to a government agency that tracks the activity. State government systems and email networks were attacked, at least one government entity was subject to a brute force attack, and cabinet ministers were victims of phishing scams that attempted to extort money and collect information on their connections with dissidents in Hong Kong.

Unlike ransomware or denial of service attacks — which paralyze network systems until payments are made — state actor activity often goes unnoticed by targets, who only find out they’ve been compromised from government officials or outside threat analysts, said Paul Nevin, chief technology officer at Canberra-based cybersecurity firm CyberMerc.

“Those initial discussions usually come as a shock, and it takes a while for that to sink in,” Nevin said. Sophisticated cyber criminals or state actors may well be reading the emails of executives watching for breach notifications. “So one of the first things I would do is explain over the phone or a secure messaging system: do not mention this on email, do not talk about it, take it offline. You have to literally assume the actors are in there watching, and very often they are.”

In September last year, as the government’s cybersecurity agency released its first annual report, Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said there was a “new normal” of cyberattacks on Australia that blurred the line between “peace and war.”

While cyber criminals were taking advantage of the vulnerabilities laid bare by Covid, there were also “sophisticated and very well-resourced state-based actors who are seeking to interfere in our nation in this grey zone in any opportunistic way they can,” she said.

The business community has also been affected, said Michelle Price, chief executive officer of AustCyber, a government-funded company focused on building the domestic cybersecurity industry. “Industry threat analysts in Australia and elsewhere were telling me that as lobster shipments and barley were being rejected, they were seeing a commensurate level of activity happening in the cyber domain coming from China,” she said.

“We are going through the experience that other nations have before us, where it’s not just retaliation aimed at the government, it spills out over into the broader economy and to the community,” she said. “We become collateral damage in those kinds of government-to-government machinations.”

Australian universities, which collect about A$10 billion a year from Chinese students, are reluctant to discuss the country’s online behavior in any aspect. The cybersecurity research department at Monash University in Melbourne does not “get involved in any political stories relating to China” as their researchers “are not comfortable commenting on this issue,” Hande Cater, the media advisor at Monash’s Information Technology Faculty, wrote in an email.

Australia’s circumstances may be unique. Nevertheless its situation shows the range of tactics experts say China can deploy against any country that falls foul of Beijing.

For now, Australia is in the freezer, says former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, and it’s unlikely either side will blink anytime soon.

“We have boundaries of trust with China, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but what we’ve got to do is focus on the areas where we do have a level of trust,” said Turnbull, who as prime minister banned Huawei from bidding to install Australia’s 5G network.

“If I say I don’t trust you enough to not misuse a capability that you would have if you built our 5G network, you are not going to persuade me by then beating me up in a whole lot of other areas.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-08-30/covid-origin-probe-calls-australian-government-businesses-universities-hacked

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deef8a  No.14496037

File: 9908160d0ddb2b4⋯.jpg (158.63 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, A_protester_holds_a_sign_a….jpg)

To land of the free, we’re a weirdly authoritarian mob

ADAM CREIGHTON - AUGUST 31, 2021

1/2

“What the hell is wrong with your country?” I’m asked almost every day in the US of late. At dinner on Saturday night in New York three Democrat friends demanded I explain why police were shooting rubber bullets and pepper spray to enforce public health.

At my hotel a doorman, Danny, came up to me. “Man, I heard your accent yesterday and I just wanted to say, holy shit, the stuff I’m seeing in Australia I can’t believe,” he said, asking if police helicopters really had hov­ered over suburbs, barking mask­ing orders over loudspeakers.

Australians are rapidly losing their reputation as tough, irreverent larrikins. The nation has gone viral for hunting down “Covid fugitives” (people with a positive test), building remote quarantine facilities, shooting dogs, denying babies treatment in the closest hospitals and preventing families from seeing dying loved ones.

Forget Mick Dundee and Steve Irwin; Kerry Chant and Daniel Andrews are the new, hectoring faces of modern, safety-obsessed Australia. “That’s not a mask, this is a mask,” Americans would expect to hear in 2021. We’re seen as weak, naive and hopelessly parochial, an image reinforced by Western Australia’s zero-Covid policy to divorce itself from the rest of the country.

Millions of people in the US have watched, stupefied, the normalisation of behaviour and attitudes that two years ago would have been seen as the hallmark of a cruel, authoritarian society.

Columnist Josh Barro, son of Harvard economist Robert Barro, called Australia dystopian.

“I’m surprised there isn’t more debate about whether what they’re doing is OK as opposed to a human rights infringement,” statistician Nate Silver replied. Indeed, our $25m a year Human Rights Commission has been missing in action on fundamental liberties for 17 months, per­haps engrossed in a forthcoming trans rights discussion paper.

“I’m not sure why Australia is an example of any sort of success that the US would want to emulate,” Silver told his 3.5 million Twitter followers.

Australia has become the butt of jokes on late-night TV, Andrews’ prohibition of drinking alcohol without a mask being a favourite. “There’s some crazy shit going on right now where the army is trying to keep people inside in Australia,” US comedian Joe Rogan, with 7.4 million Twitter followers, said this month.

The idea Australians and Americans are cultural brothers in arms has been shattered. Australians copied their old colonial masters on Covid, but more zealously. Americans, true to the legacy of the Declaration of Indep­endence, have eschewed, even in liberal California, the police heavy-handedness that became the norm in Britain and Australia. State borders never shut.

“It’s because they took your guns away, isn’t it?” Danny said. “They would never get away with that shit here.” America’s gun problem makes it difficult to boss people around excessively.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14496040

File: ce14982d6490abd⋯.jpg (126.58 KB, 768x1024, 3:4, Paul_Hogan_with_his_alter_….jpg)

File: 5c42b41a7d2a53c⋯.jpg (172.36 KB, 768x1025, 768:1025, The_original_Wildlife_Warr….jpg)

File: 9677225000a9848⋯.jpg (90.14 KB, 768x1024, 3:4, _That_s_not_a_mask_Victori….jpg)

File: e3d26ecda2e437e⋯.jpg (79.43 KB, 768x1024, 3:4, _This_is_a_mask_NSW_Chief_….jpg)

>>14496037

2/2

Two weeks ago the US Department of Homeland Security issued a terror threat warning, not only because of the approaching September 11 anniversary but also because of “grievances over public health safety measures and perceived government restrictions”. “Extremists may seek to exploit … re-establishment of public health restrictions across the United States as a rationale to conduct attacks,” it said.

Every US state is flashing red on the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s Covid map, reflecting high transmission, defined as more than 100 cases per 100,000 people in the past seven days – a higher level than in NSW.

The health advice is no longer gospel. At least 40 US states have ignored the CDC’s demand for indoor mask mandates, supposedly necessary for such high levels of transmission. No state governor, not even House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, queen of liberal piety, would dare publicly link curtailing basic freedoms to compliance with arbitrary health advice.

Australians living in the US are shocked, too, regularly filling my inbox with tales of despair.

“My wife and I and eight-month-old son have been here for 10-plus years and we’re reconsidering our pre-pandemic plan to move back due to concerns about Covid handling, the prospect of continued lockdowns and the overall desirability of Australia,” wrote John and his wife, directors at big four accounting firms in Los Angeles, understandably too fearful to reveal their full names.

“The Covid mania in Australia this year is unbelievable, particularly when viewed from abroad,” said Alex, an Australian businessman in Chicago. “No country ever prospered by being so cynical and risk averse. Hopefully sanity prevails one day so we can all see our families again.”

I struggled to explain to Danny why Australia’s response was so extreme: being a remote island fuel­led a perception the virus could be eliminated, lockdowns did seem to work at first, individuals have few if any constitutional rights and Australia began as a subsidised government project, entrenching a widespread faith in bureaucracy. And in smaller nations Covid stories crowd out other news more easily, ensuring a steady diet of 24/7 fear porn.

In Iowa recently I searched in vain on local TV for a daily chief health officer update on Covid-19, let alone an intricate parsing of the cases into linked, in the community and overseas.

None of these explanations is adequate, though. Switzerland’s Covid restrictions paled in comparison with Australia’s, Japan never locked down and Alberta, Canada, with about the same population as Victoria, practically abolished all restrictions on July 1.

I walked off to a cafe after chatting with Danny, asking the manager why he hadn’t checked my vaccination status – a legal requirement in New York since August 16. “I asked the previous customer and he yelled and walked out so I couldn’t be stuffed asking you,” he said. In Australia everyone has to check in, I explained. He just laughed at me.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/to-land-of-the-free-were-a-weirdly-authoritarian-mob/news-story/caf8ab6bcc1eda9f1bea379ae2a12805

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deef8a  No.14496084

File: ec88df166f3e6e2⋯.jpg (246.76 KB, 825x466, 825:466, USSSAB_2.jpg)

File: 5d5d2c148d9c41f⋯.jpg (506.08 KB, 825x1014, 275:338, FMMP_22.jpg)

File: 776c5b2ab534c3c⋯.jpg (193.09 KB, 1600x1066, 800:533, E_GEMkiVQAAiEgp.jpg)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Tweet

Spoke this evening with @MarisePayne to discuss the situation in Afghanistan and determine ways we can continue to work together to support those in need. We deeply appreciate Australia’s support during this challenging period.

https://twitter.com/SecBlinken/status/1432566136525230084

Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet

We continue to coordinate closely with our allies & partners on Afghanistan. We are focussed on next steps, which I discussed with @SecBlinken today. We continue to call on the Taliban to allow safe freedom of movement for those wishing to leave Afghanistan at this time.

https://twitter.com/MarisePayne/status/1432571517993308174

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deef8a  No.14496109

File: 1cc40cd2be53baa⋯.jpg (491.64 KB, 938x717, 938:717, USM_5.jpg)

File: 013823784d6f7cd⋯.jpg (434.29 KB, 2048x1290, 1024:645, 239779411_1015785445444019….jpg)

File: 9d7153fd9f941aa⋯.jpg (481.06 KB, 2048x1365, 2048:1365, 240180064_1015785445447019….jpg)

File: 3ed0efc1638814d⋯.jpg (624.71 KB, 2048x1365, 2048:1365, 240047292_1015785445454019….jpg)

File: eef205e1181f714⋯.jpg (977.18 KB, 2048x1365, 2048:1365, 240162113_1015785445460019….jpg)

U.S. Marine Corps Facebook Post

22 August 2021

Bring the Rain

The sun rises over the hot, harsh outback, hundreds of miles south of Darwin. On any other day, the sight would be simply calm and quiet, but today on the notional “Bradshaw Island,” a simulated enemy target is about to meet its end in a unique demonstration of expeditionary, precision-strike operations by the United States Marine Corps and Australian Defence Force together.

The simulation, known as “Exercise Loobye,” sees a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System conduct a rapid infiltration demonstration, or “HIRAIN.” This quick and complex operation enables friendly forces to land the long range, precision strike capability on the ground and expediently destroy a threat, allowing follow-on forces to conduct landing operations.

To read the full story, click the link: https://go.usa.gov/xFsuc

Marine Rotational Force Darwin

https://www.facebook.com/MRFDarwin

#Austrailia #HIMARS #Marines #USMC

https://www.facebook.com/marines/posts/10157854454655194

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deef8a  No.14496113

File: 50d08c211d4af52⋯.jpg (236.48 KB, 1000x667, 1000:667, U_S_Marines_with_Company_B….jpg)

>>14496109

MRF-D BRINGS THE HIRAIN TO EXERCISE LOOBYE

Capt. Thomas deVries, Marine Rotational Force - Darwin - 16 AUG 2021

1/2

NORTHERN TERRITORY, Australia - The sun rises over the hot, harsh outback, hundreds of miles south of Darwin. On any other day, the sight would be simply calm and quiet, but today on the notional “Bradshaw Island,” a simulated enemy target is about to meet its end in a unique demonstration of expeditionary, precision-strike operations by the United States Marine Corps and Australian Defence Force together.

The simulation, known as “Exercise Loobye,” sees a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System conduct a rapid infiltration demonstration, or “HIRAIN.” This quick and complex operation enables friendly forces to land the long range, precision strike capability on the ground and expediently destroy a threat, allowing follow-on forces to conduct landing operations.

This is the first time a HIRAIN mission has ever been executed by Marine Rotational Force – Darwin in its ten-year history, and a first HIRAIN for both MRF-D and the ADF in Bradshaw Field Training Area.

During the course of its deployment in 2021, MRF-D has progressed through a training scenario in which it battled simulated enemy forces throughout the Northern Territory.

Beginning with Exercise Crocodile Response, a notional natural disaster affected a simulated friendly nation, initiating a disaster response effort by both MRF-D, ADF , and other governmental agencies. Following that, in June, Exercise Darrandarra demonstrated embassy reinforcement and noncombatant evacuation operations in the same nation, while tensions between the friendly and enemy elements in the scenario continued to rise.

Later in the month, MRF-D participated in the execution of the trilateral Exercise Southern Jackaroo, where Australian, Japanese, and U.S. militaries cleared an enemy threat with combined fires, maneuver, and command & control.

Now, the enemy has set up defensive positions on “Bradshaw Island.” By seizing key terrain and establishing anti-access/aerial denial systems on the island, the enemy has effectively prevented allied forces from safely mobilizing, landing, and operating in the area.

“It’s important to exercise in a simulated contested littoral environment reflective of an expeditionary advance based operations campaign because it aligns with the planning guidance set forth by our Marine Corps leadership.” - Capt. Owen Tucker, MRF-D intelligence officer.

“It allows us to be more capable and dynamic in our pursuits of a free and open Indo-Pacific by practicing to respond to scenarios in which we may actually find ourselves.”

After significant intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance efforts to determine the enemy’s position and capabilities, an RQ-21 Blackjack from Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3 (VMU 3) spots an anti-ship missile positon in the heart of “Bradshaw Island,” and simulcasts that feed to an Australian, partnered network, viewed in a MRF-D and ADF joint operations center. This threat poses a significant risk to an assault force embarked at sea—one that MRF-D must neutralize before any hope of an amphibious assault.

Upon finding the target, MRF-D inserts a small team from its Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company detachment to get an in-person visual and confirm what was seen in the sUAS video feed.

“Due to the priority of this target, we need to ensure redundant methods of observation,” explains 1st Lt. Holly Sandler, the ANGLICO detachment officer-in-charge for MRF-D.

“A video feed from the RQ-21 Blackjack, reinforced by actual eyes-on, ensures that no matter what, when the time comes to strike, the combined task force operations center will be able to observe its effects and we can confirm its destruction.”

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14496117

File: bb34da34c5a72fa⋯.jpg (134.69 KB, 1000x667, 1000:667, U_S_Marine_Corps_Sgt_Josep….jpg)

>>14496113

2/2

The issue remains how to neutralize the anti-ship missile. With several offensive methods at its disposal, MRF-D chooses one of its most expeditionary and intense options: HIRAIN.

The High Mobility Rocket Artillery System is well-suited to destroy surface targets from the deck of a ship. However, an anti-ship missile presents a significant risk to an amphibious force if it is within the weapon threat range.

But to land a plane and conduct a HIRAIN mission, that requires an airfield. Enter the Royal Australian Air Force.

On Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, a RAAF C-17 Globemaster sits ready to load a U.S. Marine HIMARS in the back of its cargo hold. When given the call to launch, it will fly the HIMARS to an airfield, which is to be secured by the MRF-D Ground Combat and Aviation Combat Elements.

“Loading and carrying other services’ or other militaries’ equipment is a well-practiced thing that we do. We are always looking at how we do it safely as number one, but on top of that, we are looking to provide the customer with what they need,” mentions Flight Lt. Thomas Breaden, the RAAF C-17 pilot from 36 Squadron.

While the C-17 is loading, a company of Marines from 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment (Reinforced) loads a division of MV-22B Ospreys, ready to seize the enemy airfield and set conditions for the C-17 to land. A section of AH-1Z Vipers spins up as well, ready to escort and protect the assault force.

The mission commander, Col. David Banning, commanding officer of MRF-D, gives the order to launch. Exercise Loobye has officially begun.

Less than an hour after departing RAAF Base Darwin, the Vipers arrive to Nackeroo Airfield at Bradshaw Field Training Area and begin to simulate destroying targets from the enemy oppositional force; this force—a combined team of Australian soldiers and U.S. Marines—have had days to dig in defensive positions to make the MRF-D assault as realistic as possible.

In the orchestrated chaos of notional gun runs and rocket fire, the Ospreys land their company of infantry Marines, who quickly sweep up the runway and clear it of the enemy meter-by-meter.

Ultimately, the enemy is overcome by overwhelming firepower, rendering them destroyed. The infantry company sets security and notifies the mission commander, who calls in the HIRAIN.

Less than an hour after seizure of the airfield, the RAAF C-17 lands on Nackeroo. Its ramp lowers and out drives a HIMARS, ready to move to the firing position, with some targeting assistance from the aircraft.

“We directly linked up the advanced navigation system on the C-17 to the HIMARS trucks onboard. They were constantly updating their position and orienting themselves throughout the entire flight, so that once we arrived, they could go off and fire,” says Flight Lt. Breaden.

Once VMU and ANGLICO detachments confirm visual on the target, the mission commander gives the approval to fire. The HIMARS launches a single rocket in its direction; the rocket—that contains 200lbs of explosive and guided by GPS—soars over 40 kilometers above Bradshaw until it lands exactly on its mark.

Then, as quickly as it arrived, the HIMARS speeds back to the airfield to avoid detection from other enemy in the area who may have identified their position from the shot. There, they load the C-17, the ramp raises, and the C-17 prepares to takeoff.

HIRIAN complete. Mission accomplished.

Exercises like Loobye demonstrate MRF-D’s ability to conduct operations as a combined-joint force with the Australian Defence Force, execute expeditionary operations like HIRAIN, and exemplify their mutual dedication to being postured and ready to respond to a crisis or contingency in the Indo-Pacific region.

https://www.marines.mil/News/News-Display/Article/2732808/mrf-d-brings-the-hirain-to-exercise-loobye/linkId/100000062497560/

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577230  No.14497375

File: 9e55b28bdefc9f3⋯.jpeg (133.4 KB, 1341x281, 1341:281, 68600319_3F11_4514_8CBC_2….jpeg)

File: dd0808ca5f31f0c⋯.jpeg (173.69 KB, 1097x612, 1097:612, 51359A6E_C9AE_4407_8B09_9….jpeg)

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577230  No.14497401

File: ed13217cb382f7a⋯.png (117.2 KB, 1341x281, 1341:281, CFC170CD_CD0E_46C0_9C28_1B….png)

File: 375baabe7c14dd2⋯.png (871.55 KB, 1097x612, 1097:612, 37B08506_CA5C_4873_8BE5_61….png)

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a73d64  No.14499824

The best solutions are usually the most simple ones. Great Idea. Pass this along!

US TRUCKER TO AUSSIE TRUCKIES….KEEP THEM (GOVERNMENT) FROM MOVING YOUR TRUCK. SIMPLE AND EASY!

https://www.bitchute.com/video/9rLdDj3vrbnZ/

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deef8a  No.14501858

File: e2b0355d5bb6209⋯.jpg (61.44 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, Australian_Prime_Minister_….jpg)

File: 6d2c2bce7e2a880⋯.jpg (55.24 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, Defence_Minister_Peter_Dut….jpg)

Australia and US pay tribute to 70 years of ‘mateship’

Australia and the US have celebrated the anniversary of their ‘unbreakable alliance’ during the most ‘challenging environment in decades’.

Courtney Gould - September 1, 2021

Australia and the United States have reaffirmed its commitment to the “unbreakable alliance”, marking 70 years since the signing of the ANZUS treaty.

Plans to celebrate the milestone in person, either in the US or in Australia, were scrapped due to the pandemic.

Instead, Prime Minister Scott Morrison marked the occasion by laying a wreath at the Australian-American Memorial in Canberra with Defence Minister Peter Dutton and the US Charge d‘Affaires Mike Goldman on Wednesday morning.

Both Mr Morrison and US President Joe Biden paid tribute to the two nation’s long-enduring “mateship”, the efforts in Afghanistan, and spoke indirectly about the challenge the region faces due to the rise of China.

“The ANZUS treaty breathes and adapts with each passing generation, stewarded by 14 Presidents and 14 Prime Ministers since Menzies,” Mr Morrison said in speech to parliament.

“Australia is confronting the most challenging strategic environment in decades.

“This strategic environment will challenge us, as it will challenge the United States and our region.

“Our alliance will stand resilient in the face of these challenges as we nurture and refresh our commitment one to another.”

In a video posted to social media, the US President said the relationship was as essential today as 70 years ago.

“On this anniversary we reaffirm our commitment to our shared values, democratic norms, global security and the prosperity for the next 70 years and beyond,” Mr Biden said.

Both leaders noted Australia’s response to the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

“Our Australian friends stood with us in that darkest hour just as our two nations stood shoulder to shoulder in every major conflict since World War I,” the US President said.

“As we bring to an end 20 years of military conflict in Afghanistan, Australia is still standing with the United States contributing to efforts to evacuate our people and those Afghans who stood by our side.”

The two leaders have yet to speak since the Kabul fell to the Taliban last month.

Mr Morrison said on Tuesday he hoped to speak to the US President in the near future.

“No, I haven’t as yet. I anticipate doing that not too far away,” he told 4BC.

In a statement the US Defence Secretary said the Pentagon would play host to Defence Minister Peter Dutton “in a few short days”.

“In a few short days, I look forward to hosting Australian Minister Defence Dutton at the Pentagon, followed by this year’s Australia – United States Ministerial (AUSMIN) consultations here in Washington, D.C.,” he said.

Meanwhile, Opposition leader Anthony Albanese announced if Labor were elected, it would initiate a new defence posture review to ensure current arrangement are fit for purpose.

“With the US again engaged in a Global Force Posture Review, it is time for Australia too to have a closer look at our own posture to ensure that it fully meets the times,” he said.

Mr Albanese also made reference to the difficulties experienced throughout the Trump administration, and called for Australia to accept the US’s climate action criticism.

“Even when the United States stepped back from its longstanding leadership on trade and other forms of multilateralism during the Trump administration, Australia held the line, and importantly, held the door open for the United States,” he told the house.

“The US military has acknowledged that climate change is not a future defence problem, but an immediate challenge. It is time that the Australia-US Alliance reflected this reality.”

https://www.news.com.au/world/north-america/us-politics/australia-and-us-pay-tribute-to-70-years-of-mateship/news-story/5797cc03d35af65615986f24a2f60d03

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deef8a  No.14501878

File: 7ef99b3923e8aa6⋯.jpg (395.93 KB, 825x883, 825:883, USDOS_1.jpg)

File: 09d8169558db5da⋯.webm (9.03 MB, 640x360, 16:9, PkuN3DpdKMOWVWWT.webm)

>>14501858

U.S. Department of State Tweet

.@POTUS Biden on the 70th anniversary of the ANZUS Treaty, highlighting the U.S.-Australia relationship: An enduring partnership to “strengthen the fabric of peace.”

https://twitter.com/StateDept/status/1432867252504829953

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deef8a  No.14501879

File: a6faa4c6834b88e⋯.jpg (270.02 KB, 825x504, 275:168, USSSAB_3.jpg)

>>14501858

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Tweet

Today marks 70 years since the signing of the Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty. We’re proud to celebrate this significant milestone and keystone of our relationship with Australia, which represents an enduring force for stability in the wider region.

https://twitter.com/SecBlinken/status/1432863775150026758

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deef8a  No.14501898

File: a7348fcbd9779cb⋯.jpg (521.14 KB, 825x975, 11:13, LJA_3.jpg)

File: a88f8d0d076be40⋯.jpg (917.62 KB, 1173x1696, 1173:1696, Statement_by_Secretary_of_….jpg)

>>14501858

United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Tweet

Today we celebrate 70 years of #ANZUS and the U.S.-Australian #UnbreakableAlliance. Together, the United States and Australia are committed to the Alliance’s next 70 years and beyond.

https://twitter.com/SecDef/status/1432862409585274885

Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on the 70th Anniversary of the ANZUS Treaty

AUG. 31, 2021

Today marks a special milestone for the U.S. - Australian Alliance. Seventy years ago, we formally established the “Unbreakable Alliance” that continues to provide stability and security for the Indo-Pacific and beyond. While the Alliance itself is 70 years old, Australia and the United States have fought side by side in every major conflict since World War I.

The United States will never forget that twenty years ago, on September 11, Australia invoked, for the first time in its history, the collective defense article of the ANZUS Treaty. Once again, Australia sent troops to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with the United States and other allies and partners through nearly 20 years of combat. It is a testament to the enduring nature of “Mateship.” Our Australian allies stood by with us to the very end of our presence in Afghanistan and the United States will be forever grateful.

As we celebrate the signing of the ANZUS Treaty and the U.S. - Australian Alliance, we are also setting our sights on the future. Our shared interests and values ensure that our Alliance will continue to advance our shared vision for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.

In a few short days, I look forward to hosting Australian Minister for Defence Dutton at the Pentagon, followed by this year’s Australia - United States Ministerial (AUSMIN) consultations here in Washington, D.C. Together, we will work to ensure that our Alliance continues to move forward with strength and purpose for decades to come.

https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2760703/statement-by-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iii-on-the-70th-anniversary-of/

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deef8a  No.14501919

File: ca6dbe772d7190c⋯.jpg (471.35 KB, 825x1251, 275:417, USEC_17.jpg)

File: 4a4cbfc3978ba6f⋯.mp4 (3.67 MB, 720x720, 1:1, SgFjb3jxtcl_49Xv.mp4)

>>14501858

US Embassy Canberra Tweet

Our #ANZUS partnership is as essential today as it was 70 years ago, for the security and prosperity of both our countries, the #IndoPacific region, and the world.

https://twitter.com/USAembassyinOZ/status/1432878451594174470

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deef8a  No.14501931

File: ea96580dea0915b⋯.jpg (549.05 KB, 825x966, 275:322, USEC_18.jpg)

File: 61d918eea1866b8⋯.jpg (1.64 MB, 3330x2128, 1665:1064, E_LCEb_VQAwymZM.jpg)

File: dd01d5dbe9f05dc⋯.jpg (1.05 MB, 4096x2729, 4096:2729, E_LCIWSVcAEuyHF.jpg)

File: 27b6d36468e74cf⋯.jpg (718.33 KB, 1242x764, 621:382, E_LCIXSVcAEg7eF.jpg)

>>14501858

US Embassy Canberra Tweet

Chargé d’Affaires Goldman joined Prime Minister @ScottMorrisonMP and Defense Min. @PeterDutton_MP today in a wreath laying ceremony to mark 70th anniversary of #ANZUS, and honor those men and women who have served our two nations, and fought for our ongoing freedom and prosperity

https://twitter.com/USAembassyinOZ/status/1432921473107193865

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deef8a  No.14501946

File: 0995cb56fbe56ff⋯.jpg (463.84 KB, 825x974, 825:974, PD_9.jpg)

File: 2c2a48729b1c6d7⋯.jpg (855.48 KB, 4096x2520, 512:315, E_KxC_3VUAIReA_.jpg)

>>14501858

Defence Minister Peter Dutton Tweet

Today we mark the 70th anniversary of Australia’s most important strategic and military partnership, the US Alliance.

This is a partnership based on our shared values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law and the right of all people and all nations to choose their own destiny.

https://twitter.com/PeterDutton_MP/status/1432903373854961670

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deef8a  No.14501956

File: c88006b1219fbec⋯.jpg (519.22 KB, 825x1009, 825:1009, FMMP_23.jpg)

File: 607323909d49a01⋯.jpg (101.7 KB, 1024x682, 512:341, E_K1hk3VcAEXE1V.jpg)

>>14501858

Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet

Today, the 70th anniversary of the #ANZUSTreaty, is a reminder that, as we continue to face new & emerging (global) challenges, our two nations do not stand alone. There are no greater allies & friends than Australia & the United States.

https://twitter.com/MarisePayne/status/1432907228973985795

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deef8a  No.14501959

File: aeb1fa23fa2cc46⋯.jpg (186.08 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Anti_vaxx_protest_organise….jpg)

File: 20929ed7419e044⋯.jpg (85.93 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Anti_lockdown_and_Covid_19….jpg)

File: 72fac4474d6ccbb⋯.jpg (280.33 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, An_anti_vax_protest_outsid….jpg)

File: f6626dec53a351c⋯.jpg (171.13 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, A_woman_is_arrested_in_Syd….jpg)

File: f2c113757cd2f45⋯.jpg (339.76 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Police_officers_patrol_the….jpg)

>>14462339

>>14495902

Coronavirus: Shadow puppet-mistress pulling protest strings

STEPHEN RICE - SEPTEMBER 1, 2021

In one of the greatest con-jobs of the pandemic, hundreds of Australians delivered themselves up for arrest and $5000 fines on Tuesday at the behest of a delusional conspiracy theorist hiding out on a farm in New Zealand.

Such is the growing lunacy of the anti-vax protest movement that it is now hostage even to the petulant demands of Karen Brewer – a woman whose sole mission is to imprison “filthy Freemason scum” and throw away the key.

Many of those who turned up to vent their fury at various State Parliaments and council offices around the country must have known that the puppet-mistress behind the event was deeply disturbed.

After all, Brewer has at least 20,000 disciples on social media avidly following her death threats against politicians.

A recent hit was her message to a senior NSW politician: “You f..king C..t you will be swinging from a rope and your carcass will be dumped in the sea.”

The mob loved it.

Some of the pitchfork and noose brigade were at the protests on Tuesday, breathless with excitement at confronting “the costumed thugs” – Brewer’s term for the cops.

But plenty of the others just turned up for the show. It seems to be what happens when boredom meets stupid in locked down Australia.

Not that Brewer herself is an idiot. She’s always miles away by the time the proverbial hits the fan.

Only a couple of years ago she was living in Australia spewing out diatribes against anyone she deemed to be a member of the Masonic paedophile cabal she believes rules the country.

One of those was Nationals MP Anne Webster, who was entirely innocent but found herself the subject of vile accusations she was part of a child sex abuse network.

Webster sued for defamation and was awarded $875,000 in damages. The judge labelled the claims “disgraceful and inexplicable,” and Brewer as “delusional”.

But Webster hasn’t seen a cent of the money.

Brewer fled to New Zealand to avoid the claim and began tuning her message to the growing anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown movement.

A dozen wannabe leaders of the anti-lockdown movement are jostling for power and influence over a highly suggestible audience.

Brewer has trumped them all.

Over recent months her denunciations have grown increasingly shrill, warning politicians she believes are hiding evidence of their alleged crimes: “Just so you know, those ropes swing regardless.”

On Tuesday, no one got lynched.

But thousands of Australians showed up for the “silent protest”, many of them screaming obscenities at police.

In Brisbane they shut down Parliament over fears the building would be breached.

In Murwillumbah a man riding a white horse went on a rant about “childless” female leaders and was cheered by the crowd.

Elsewhere around NSW, 160 people were arrested, some for assaulting police, and 600 fines issued ranging from $500 to $5000.

Final score: Idiots 0; Taxman $500,000+

So far most of the violence at the ongoing protests has been contained.

No one believes that will last.

The online rhetoric of treason and genocide is fuelling a level of anger we haven’t seen before in this country.

The protest movement needs to take a deep breath – and look at who’s pulling the strings.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/coronavirus-shadow-puppetmistress-pulling-protest-strings/news-story/202ae9f067f0c53e45b5e25c8f2377bf

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deef8a  No.14501972

File: 68d66eb57da4833⋯.jpg (119.4 KB, 1024x682, 512:341, COVID_19_social_distancing….jpg)

>>14404403

Australia aims to 'live with virus' instead of eliminating it

Renju Jose and Jonathan Barrett - SEPTEMBER 1, 2021

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian authorities on Wednesday extended the COVID-19 lockdown in Melbourne for another three weeks, as they shift their focus to rapid vaccination drives and move away from a suppression strategy to bring cases down to zero.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews flagged a staggered easing of the tough restrictions once 70% of the state’s adult residents receive at least one dose, a milestone he hopes to reach at least by Sept. 23, based on current vaccination rates.

“We have thrown everything at this, but it is now clear to us that we are not going to drive these numbers down, they are instead going to increase,” Andrews told reporters in Melbourne, the state capital, after a lockdown for nearly a month failed to quell the outbreak. The lockdown was due to end on Thursday.

“We got to buy time to allow vaccinations to be undertaken all the while doing this very hard work, this very painful and difficult work, to keep a lid as much as we can on cases.”

New local cases jumped to 120 in Victoria from 76 a day earlier. Of the new cases, 100 have spent time in the community while infectious.

Neighbouring New South Wales state, home to Sydney, on Wednesday brought forward its target date to fully vaccinate 70% of people above 16 to the middle of next month from the initial target of the end of October, as outbreaks spurred a surge in inoculation.

“No matter where you live, life will be much, much better, much freer, as long as you’re vaccinated at 70%,” Berejiklian told reporters. So far 37% are fully vaccinated in the state, while 67% have had at least one dose, slightly higher than the national numbers but well below most comparable nations.

A total of 1,116 new cases were detected in New South Wales, down from 1,164 a day earlier. NSW reported four new deaths, taking the total number of deaths in the latest outbreak to 100.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison told parliament on Wednesday Australians ultimately needed to be released from lockdowns.

“Australia can live with this virus,” he said in Canberra.

LIVING WITH COVID

Australia is trying to get a handle on the third wave of infections that has locked down more than half of its 25 million population. Sydney and Melbourne, its largest cities, and capital Canberra are in weeks-long strict stay-at-home orders.

Despite the recent flare-ups, it has managed to keep its coronavirus numbers relatively low, with just over 55,000 cases and 1,012 deaths.

Among the Group of 20 big economies, Australia was the last to record here 1,000 COVID-19 deaths, a grim but modest marker by global standards reached this week.

Several major Asia-Pacific economies have fewer COVID-19 deaths, with New Zealand recording just 26.

While Australian authorities had been able to douse past outbreaks through lockdowns, the highly infectious Delta variant has forced the country’s two biggest states to plan for a reopening even as infections rise.

Australian Medical Association vice president Chris Moy told Reuters that Delta’s high infectivity, short incubation and asymptomatic spread had meant the “old playbook did not work”.

“Your window of opportunity at the start to eliminate it is so much smaller and basically once you’re passed that, Delta decides its destiny,” Moy said.

The federal government is pressing the states and territories to stick to a national reopening plan once vaccination rates reach 70%-80% although some virus-free states said they may delay given the rapidly rising Sydney cases.

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg urged the state leaders to follow the national reopening plans.

“Stick to the plan … a plan that allows businesses to reopen and plan for their own future … a plan that takes Australia forward to living safely with the virus,” Frydenberg said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-australia/australia-aims-to-live-with-virus-instead-of-eliminating-it-idUSKBN2FX29P

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deef8a  No.14502065

File: da9055849cd7421⋯.jpg (1.89 MB, 5760x3840, 3:2, Australian_ambassador_Arth….jpg)

>>14501858

China’s coercion is a bigger threat than another 9/11: Sinodinos

Matthew Cranston - Sep 1, 2021

1/2

Washington | Australia’s ambassador to the United States, Arthur Sinodinos, says China’s coercion in the Pacific is now a bigger threat than September 11-style terrorism and that the strategic ANZUS alliance will be stronger in coming months as both countries hasten military and economic tie-ups to counter intimidation from Beijing.

Mr Sinodinos said he expects he will meet the incoming Chinese ambassador to the US, Qin Gang, soon and that he is confident America’s exit from Afghanistan means more than just a symbolic pivot to the Pacific.

He said he was a keen supporter of a thorough investigation into the Afghan war and the chaotic final withdrawal, saying Australia had lost “blood and treasure” and had “earned its seat at the table” when shaping future policy around military conflicts where it stands alongside the US.

“The geostrategic challenge in the Indo-Pacific, with the rise of China, is pre-eminent in US minds. It’s pre-eminent in all of our minds – it’s our neighbourhood,” he said.

“But to the extent that there’s a terror threat, we’re in a much stronger, more sophisticated position to deal with that threat than we were 20 years ago. We’ve learnt a lot, we’ve deployed assets in new ways to deal with that.”

There was now a much greater need to counter threats of “digital authoritarianism in the region” and other coercive actions, Mr Sinodinos said.

Australia and the US both wanted to be part of “surgically identifying and pushing back on what are clearly coercive actions which are being taken by a state to enforce a particular outcome on another state”.

“Our quarrel is not with Chinese people. Our quarrel is foreign interference in the way we run our domestic economy. There’s a point at which you just have to stand up for your values.”

Following remarks by US President Joe Biden on the significance of the 70th anniversary of the ANZUS treaty on September 1, Mr Sinodinos said the treaty milestone and America’s pivot to the Indo-Pacific region after Afghanistan would deliver new momentum in the way both nations positioned themselves in the light of China’s coercion.

“The US is very determined that the major geostrategic challenge is the Indo-Pacific and they want to play their role in that region,” he said. “The trips to the region by senior officials Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin and more recently, the Vice-President [Kamala Harris], all put clothes on the rhetoric about further pivoting to the Indo-Pacific.

“The feedback we get from officials within the administration is that leaving Afghanistan is part of their strategy of further concentrating their efforts in the Indo-Pacific, and you can expect that there’ll be more US engagement, on both defence and security, trade and economy in the region.

“It will be ANZUS-plus.”

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14502069

File: 1b87fc3b0edd8ed⋯.jpg (117.12 KB, 1200x901, 1200:901, China_United_States_tensio….jpg)

>>14502065

2/2

One of many areas where ANZUS ties will be extended is in military capability. The US provides 60 per cent of Australia’s military capability, but Australia is planning to lift its production of missiles for itself and the US.

“We are co-operating with the US on new weapons technologies such as hypersonics. We’re also talking with them about precision-guided munitions; we want to stand up the sovereign capability.”

Mr Sinodinos has just returned from the military hub of Huntsville, Alabama.

“We visited defence facilities and defence companies to talk about what a guided weapon and explosive ordnance enterprise will look like and how that would be done. That’ll feed into consideration by the government in the run-up to the end of the year about how we stand up such an enterprise.”

He noted the US had also increased its Marine rotational force in the Pacific and in northern Australia.

“We’ve got an ANZUS alliance, which is now 70 years old. It’s continuing to develop, it’s continuing to become more and more complex as we become more and more interrelated.”

Mr Sinodinos said he wanted to make sure Australia took part in shaping policy on the involvement in wars and their exit strategies in the future and that an investigation into the Afghan war was essential.

“Here in the US, there will be quite a bit of post-mortem and investigation. The Congress has already made it clear that will be the case. This is part of the normal political argy-bargy. But I think there’s genuinely a view here. What happened? How did it happen? And what lessons do we learn?

“As a country that was there for 20 years alongside the Americans, I think Australia will be doing its part to help shape those policies, views, visions and outlines.

“I think we’ll be active in that process because you know we expended quite a bit of blood and treasure. And we more than earned our seat at the table.”

https://www.afr.com/world/north-america/china-s-coercion-is-a-bigger-threat-than-another-9-11-sinodinos-20210831-p58ncn

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deef8a  No.14502104

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14484206

Capability put to the test in Exercise Malabar

Department of Defence Australia

Sep 1, 2021

HMAS Warramunga had her recently upgraded capability put to the test during Exercise Malabar 2021. Joined by ships from partner nations, it was the Warramunga's first major deployment since the completion of her Anzac Mid-life Capability Assurance Program upgrade.

Exercise Malabar, held near Guam saw the Anzac class frigate build interoperability with the US Navy Destroyer USS Barry, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Ships Kaga, Murasame, and Shiranui, and Indian Navy ships Kadmatt and Shivalik. The four navies conducted a range of maritime operations involving live firings, and anti-submarine warfare operations.

This is the second consecutive year that Australia has been invited to participate in Exercise Malabar and the third time since 2007.

More here: https://news.defence.gov.au/international/multinational-exercise-tests-ships-upgrade

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_kupINkQRM

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deef8a  No.14502114

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14490548

United States Marines & ADF join forces in Exercise Koolendong 2021

Department of Defence Australia

Sep 1, 2021

Australian Defence Force and United States Marines conduct Exercise Koolendong 2021 at Bradshaw Field Training Area, Northern Territory.

Exercise Koolendong 2021 is the largest combined exercise in the 10-year history of Marine Rotational Force - Darwin, with capabilities and personnel from the Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force linking with the United States Marine Corps in the Northern Territory’s Bradshaw Field Training Area.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLpkkA1N3NA

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deef8a  No.14507595

File: d9eb04f7718adc0⋯.jpg (91.56 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Defence_Minister_Peter_Dut….jpg)

China on agenda in Payne, Dutton talks with US counterparts

Anthony Galloway - September 2, 2021

Measures to counter China’s trade strikes and other “grey zone” attacks will top the agenda when Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Peter Dutton travel to the United States later this month for talks with the Biden administration.

Senator Payne and Mr Dutton will meet US Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin for the annual Australia-US Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) in Washington DC.

The trip, which comes against the backdrop of the hurried withdrawal from Afghanistan and China’s growing presence in the Indo-Pacific, will also include stop-offs in other countries in the region. The meetings are scheduled to take place somewhere between September 13 and 17 and will be Mr Dutton’s first face-to-face encounter with his US counterpart.

Australian officials are also hoping Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s first one-on-one, in-person discussion with US President Joe Biden will go ahead later this month after a planned meeting of the Quad grouping – Australia, the US, India and Japan – was thrown into doubt by the upcoming Japanese election.

Mr Morrison met Mr Biden for the first time on the sidelines of the G7 summit in June but the encounter was not one-on-one as originally planned, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson joining in. Australian officials viewed Mr Johnson’s inclusion as part of a broader plan to get Britain more engaged in the Indo-Pacific region and expect more concrete policies to flow from that meeting in the coming months.

It was Australia’s turn to host the AUSMIN talks but the requirement for Mr Blinken and Mr Austin to quarantine for 14 days made it unworkable. A “reverse travel bubble” whereby Senator Payne and Mr Dutton would quarantine after meeting their US counterparts was also ruled out.

The two sides discussed holding the talks virtually but decided it would be preferable to meet in person. Senator Payne and Mr Dutton will enter quarantine on their return to Australia.

Senior government sources confirmed they were expecting measures to combat Chinese economic coercion would be discussed at the meeting. The Biden administration has been forthright in its rhetoric against China’s more than $20 billion in trade strikes against Australia over the past 18 months.

A report by the United States Studies Centre, released on Thursday, urged Australia and the US to diversify their economic partners and reduce dependence on any single source to deal with the risk of China’s trade strikes.

USSC chief executive Simon Jackman said AUSMIN needed to be reformed to deal with challenges including the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, infrastructure spending, cyber security and “grey zone” attacks from countries such as China. The “grey zone” refers to attacks such as cyber hacks, economic coercion, disinformation campaigns and intellectual property theft, calibrated so they fall short of requiring a military response.

Professor Jackman said Australia would want the US to do something “meaningful” on China’s economic coercion.

“We are coming all the way to Washington. The expectation will be there will be a significant statement on that,” he said. “Reassuring tweets are great, you would prefer to have them than not have them. But the trick for Australian foreign policy is to convert that goodwill from the Americans to policy facts on the ground … practical measures that flow from that.”

While Australia would be looking for more practical measures on China’s trade strikes, Professor Jackman said the Americans would be pushing Canberra for more commitments on combatting climate change.

Sam Roggeveen, director of the Lowy Institute’s international security program, said there were many questions surfacing over American credibility after the withdrawal from Afghanistan but “the wrong lessons are being taken from that”. He said the fact Mr Biden had withdrawn from a part of the world that did not align with American interests was a “good thing” and meant it could be more focused on the Indo-Pacific.

“Previously, the US’s military commitments were not being aligned with its national interests. Biden has realigned its military commitments with its national interests,” he said.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/payne-dutton-to-travel-to-us-for-face-to-face-talks-with-american-counterparts-20210902-p58o4e.html

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deef8a  No.14507606

File: efe9adc6e662444⋯.jpg (60.19 KB, 800x600, 4:3, Victoria_is_working_on_law….jpg)

Victoria to be the first state to ban public display of Nazi symbols

Benita Kolovos - SEPTEMBER 2 2021

Victoria is set to become the first state or territory in Australia to ban the public display of Nazi symbols.

The state government on Thursday confirmed it was working on new laws to ban Nazi symbols, such as the swastika, though exceptions will be made for educational or historical purposes, and for other uses.

It comes after ASIO has highlighted the rise of far-right and neo-nazi groups, including many taking their gatherings and activities to places such as the Grampians.

The legislation will be presented to parliament during the first half of next year.

It comes after a parliamentary inquiry earlier this year recommended the ban, citing a recent rise in neo-Nazi activity.

The government will also take up another recommendation of the inquiry to extend the state's anti-vilification protections beyond race and religion to cover areas such as sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability and HIV/AIDS status.

The government is also looking to make civil and criminal vilification easier to prove.

The inquiry was set up by the Legislative Assembly's legal and social issues committee in 2019, just months after the government was powerless to stop a neo- Nazi music festival from taking place.

In January 2020, the police and local council were also unable to stop a family from flying a Nazi flag above their home in the small town of Beulah.

Opposition police spokesman David Southwick welcomed the government's commitment.

"For too long, frontline police and local communities have been powerless to stop the Nazi swastika being used as a tool to spread hate," he said in a statement.

"More recently we have seen a rise extremist nationalist and racist individuals and groups and this ban will go a long way to take away the symbol that they hide behind."

Dvir Abramovich, the chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission, said he had been campaigning for four years to outlaw the public displays of the swastika.

"I will be lying if I didn't admit to shedding tears of joy," he said.

"This announcement is a resounding triumph for the victims of the Holocaust, the survivors and our brave diggers who died to vanquish the evil Third Reich regime, and a defeat of homegrown neo-Nazis who seek to keep Hitler's legacy alive."

The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, Victorian Pride Lobby, Human Rights Law Centre and the Asian Australian Alliance are also among groups that support the proposed reforms

https://www.thecourier.com.au/story/7413508/victoria-to-be-the-first-state-to-ban-public-display-of-nazi-symbols/

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deef8a  No.14507674

File: dc6fc4a24897f03⋯.jpg (136.45 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Suncorp_Stadium_General_Ma….jpg)

File: ecd9e6d50415a99⋯.jpg (84.46 KB, 1279x720, 1279:720, One_of_the_new_images_rele….jpg)

File: 900f258ba7fdbc6⋯.png (509.15 KB, 1580x1050, 158:105, Trace_an_Object_2102002_We….png)

File: 4f1b64fceb8aa98⋯.png (2.07 MB, 1580x1050, 158:105, Trace_an_Object_2102003_We….png)

File: 61ce8239c915f1a⋯.jpg (57.77 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, New_images_released_as_par….jpg)

Suncorp Stadium partners with AFP to help solve child sex abuse crimes

Never has the big screen at a footy match been more important as crowds at forthcoming footy finals will be asked to help crack child sex abuse cases as part of an Australian-first campaign between the AFP and Suncorp Stadium.

Danielle Buckley - September 1, 2021

Footy fans will be called on to help solve child sex abuse crimes, with the big screens at Suncorp Stadium to be used to promote an Australian first cold-case campaign.

Crowds at football finals this month will be shown a QR code on the stadium’s video screens linking spectators to non-explicit images taken from child abuse videos.

It is hoped that by showing the unique items, such as a distinctive rug or bed sheets, that someone may recognise the object, leading detectives to save a child or arrest an offender.

Australian Federal Police Commander Hilda Sirec said the images were from child abuse cases where detectives had exhausted all other leads.

She said in some cases investigators had been trying to find a child victim or offender for more than a decade.

“There are children out there right now that need saving,” she said.

“We’ve got hardworking investigators waiting for these tips so please play a part in helping police can find these children and arrest these perpetrators.”

The video is part of the AFP’s Trace an Object campaign that was launched in March and has helped generate almost 600 tip-offs.

Investigators believe it is the first time a sporting venue has been used to promote child abuse investigations and if successful, the AFP will engage with other venues across the country.

Suncorp Stadium general manager Alan Graham said he was “pleased to be working with the AFP and the NRL” to support police in their efforts.

“We all have a role to play in protecting children,” he said.

In the past 20 years, the production of child sexual abuse has increased dramatically.

“In the early to mid 2000s an offender may have had about 1000 images,” Commander Sirec said.

“Now our investigators unfortunately are seeing images up to 80,000-100,000 images.”

In the past financial year, the AFP have charged 235 people with 2700 child abuse image offences.

Commander Sirec said predators were using the increased online activity during the pandemic to their advantage.

“Child sex predators have used Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns as an advantage to be able to target children who are spending more time online,” she said.

Federal Member for Ryan Julian Simmonds said “every tip is valuable” and may spark a memory that will help save a child or put an offender behind bars.

“These AFP officers are wading through some of the most vile child exploitation material that you can imagine,” he said.

“They are talking to the worst predators form the darkest parts of the dark web to try and protect kids in Australia and around the world from exploitation.

“It’s an incredibly value service they do for Australian families.”

To view the objects visit the ACCCE Trace an Object website.

http://www.accce.gov.au/what-we-do/trace-an-object

https://www.couriermail.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-qld/suncorp-stadium-partners-with-afp-to-help-solve-child-sex-abuse-crimes/news-story/9354f92af070ff734cb52d71c57139ac

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deef8a  No.14507679

File: e4d7c742a2089da⋯.jpg (1.89 MB, 1178x6012, 589:3006, Australian_Centre_to_Count….jpg)

>>14507674

Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation

Stop child abuse - Trace An Object

We need your help in the fight against online child sexual exploitation.

The smallest clue can often help solve a case.

Can you help us recognise these objects?

The below objects have been taken from the background of sexual abuse material involving children. If you recognise any of these objects, click on the item and provide the ACCCE with the information you have. We specifically want to trace their origin (location/country). Reports can be made anonymously.

We are convinced that more eyes will provide more leads and ultimately help to remove children from harm.

Find out more about how your reports help us free a child from exploitation.

http://www.accce.gov.au/what-we-do/stop-child-abuse-trace-object/about-trace-object

If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000) or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 to report anonymously.

https://crimestoppers.com.au

TRIGGER WARNING: The following content may be distressing to some people. Out of respect for the victims, we urge you not to share any personal information (recognisable pictures, names, etc.) on social media or anywhere online.Your useful tips can be shared with us in a secure way by clicking the 'Make a report' link underneath an image. Thank you for your support.

http://www.accce.gov.au/what-we-do/trace-an-object

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deef8a  No.14507713

File: 82b6f98e7036a81⋯.jpg (508.24 KB, 825x858, 25:26, MRF_D_28.jpg)

File: 529531f7e50a898⋯.jpg (167.47 KB, 800x533, 800:533, E_MmhIsVcAc1Xrh.jpg)

File: 5d9af12361cc64b⋯.jpg (124.19 KB, 800x534, 400:267, E_MmiLNUUAEKg8o.jpg)

File: 802365f0a328de6⋯.jpg (122.6 KB, 800x533, 800:533, E_Mmjd2UUAAtMOo.jpg)

File: 934ae0f92c1b627⋯.jpg (154.81 KB, 800x534, 400:267, E_MmlNvVQAQ_KK7.jpg)

>>14501858

Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Tweet

Happy 70th anniversary of the ANZUS treaty #ANZUS #70years #mateship #australia #newzealand #unitedstates #alliesandpartners #FreeandopenIndoPacific

https://twitter.com/MrfDarwin/status/1433031560681320451

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deef8a  No.14507733

File: b21ea2faceb0141⋯.webm (10.09 MB, 640x360, 16:9, 10000000_1285842691833252….webm)

>>14490548

Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post

1 September 2021

U.S. Marine Corps and Defence Australia, stronger than ever

9 News Darwin

1 September 2021

Australia and the U.S. have put on a spectacular display of their military might to mark the 10th anniversary of the Marine Rototional Force in Darwin.

The unique partnership training our soldiers to be ready to respond to any crisis in the Pacfic region.

https://www.facebook.com/MRFDarwin/posts/205168148312343

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fb5547  No.14509726

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

Who set the Terror Police on Friendly Jordies?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk4XR6lsQ3o

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deef8a  No.14513048

File: 31de7a8e4e933f1⋯.jpg (45.55 KB, 1024x663, 1024:663, A_vial_labelled_with_the_P….jpg)

>>14404403

Australian PM flags quicker reopening after COVID-19 vaccine swap with Britain

Renju Jose - SEPTEMBER 3, 2021

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia has secured 4 million doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines in a swap deal with Britain, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday, as he looks to convince states and territories to stick to a national COVID-19 reopening plan.

The extra doses should reach Australia this month doubling the available Pfizer supply for September, Morrison said, speeding up the country’s efforts to come out of economically-damaging coronavirus lockdowns.

“The plane is on the tarmac now. It will be leaving tomorrow … this will enable us to bring forward significantly the opportunity for Australia to open up again,” Morrison told reporters in Canberra on Friday, days after announcing a smaller vaccine swap agreement with Singapore.

Morrison has been criticised for failing to initially secure an adequate supply of vaccines and for a slow roll out which has seen initial vaccination targets delayed by months.

State governments say their vaccination programmes are being hindered by a lack of supply of the Pfizer vaccine needed to innoculate the younger population.

The vaccine deal comes ahead of a meeting of federal and state leaders later on Friday with virus-free Queensland and Western Australia states flagging they may delay their reopening plans due to the escalating Delta outbreaks in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia’s largest cities.

More than half the country’s 25 million people are under stay at home orders, with Sydney, Melbourne and the national capital Canberra in prolonged lockdowns. The rest of the country enjoys a mostly COVID-free life, but those states have closed borders to stop the Delta variant entering their jurisdiction.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Friday said a modelling on how COVID-19 affects children has to be prepared before she can make any decisions to relax border rules.

“Rather than picking fights and attacks, let us have a decent, educated conversation,” she said after her comments drew criticism from the federal government.

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham told Nine News that Palaszczuk was “focusing on the fear side rather than on the factual, calm analysis that needs to be undertaken on educating the population”.

Australia in July unveiled a four-stage roadmap here to more freedoms once vaccination rates reach 70%-80%. Currently only 36% of Australians above 16 are fully vaccinated.

RAPID DELTA SPREAD

The tussle between states and federal government comes as Morrison wants an end to lockdowns and an economic turnaround ahead of an election next year.

Queensland and Western Australia have said they had agreed to the national reopening targets when cases in New South Wales were low. It reported its worst day of the pandemic on Friday fuelled by the highly transmissible Delta variant, with a record 1,431 cases and 12 new deaths.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned residents to brace for a spike in numbers as the next two weeks will “likely to be our worst in terms of the number of cases”.

The Australian Medical Association, which represents the country's doctors, on Thursday warned hospitals were not ready here to cope with a rapid reopening and called for higher vaccination rates before lockdowns were eased.

Victoria, home to Melbourne, reported 208 new cases, up from 176 a day earlier. One new death was recorded in the state.

A total of nearly 58,200 cases and 1,032 deaths have been recorded in Australia since the pandemic began, far lower than many comparable countries, but the Delta outbreak has cast doubt on whether it is wise to pursue elimination strategies.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-australia/australian-pm-flags-quicker-reopening-after-covid-19-vaccine-swap-with-britain-idUSKBN2FZ007

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deef8a  No.14513060

File: 21f7e2bfb539e90⋯.jpg (124.84 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Scott_Morrison_and_Joe_Bid….jpg)

Morrison to travel to US for Quad talks after ‘warm conversation’ with Biden

Anthony Galloway - September 3, 2021

United States President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison have reaffirmed plans for an in-person meeting of the “Quad” alliance within the next three months in their first phone call since the hurried withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Plans to hold the summit – which involves Australia, the US, Japan and India – in late September were thrown into doubt by the upcoming Japanese election and the resignation of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

In his conversation with the Australian Prime Minister on Friday morning Australian time, Mr Biden affirmed plans to hold the meeting “later this [autumn]” in Washington, meaning the meeting would now likely take place in October or November.

It is unclear whether Mr Morrison will be granted his first one-on-one meeting with Mr Biden when he travels to the US. Mr Morrison met Mr Biden for the first time on the sidelines of the G7 summit in June, but the encounter was not one-on-one as originally planned, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson joining in.

The Australian Prime Minister said he had a “warm conversation” with the President and was “looking forward to travelling to Washington when the Quad meeting will take place”.

“We have some working dates around it but still some confirmations around that need to occur,” he said.

The re-emergence of the Quad in recent years had angered Beijing, which has labelled the group an “Asian NATO” designed to contain China.

The four leaders of the Quad countries held their first virtual meeting in March where they pledged to distribute one billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to developing countries in the Indo-Pacific.

Mr Morrison said support for the equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and economic development initiatives in countries in the Mekong River region downstream from China would be on the Quad agenda when the leaders meet.

The two leaders also discussed the evacuation of thousands of people from Kabul in recent weeks, which saw Australia alone airlift more than 4100 Australian citizens, Afghan nationals and foreign officials.

Mr Morrison also told Biden he was sorry for the 13 American soldiers who were killed in a terror attack on the airport by Islamic State’s local affiliate. The Prime Minister said he and the US President also discussed the “next stage” of the Afghanistan exit, which involved creating a safe pathway for the hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees out of the country.

Rory Medcalf, head of the National Security College at the Australian National University, said the Quad was maintaining momentum as the “new core for security cooperation in our Indo-Pacific region”.

“The tragedy of Afghanistan does not alter the long-term strategic focus of the Quad on preventing coercion and conflict through balancing Chinese power,” he said. “Quad cooperation is rapidly being normalised, right up to leaders’ level.”

Professor Medcalf said it remained to be seen if Suga’s departure will affect the timing of the next Quad summit but “the pace and direction of the Quad won’t fundamentally change as Suga goes”.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/morrison-to-travel-to-us-for-quad-talks-after-warm-conversation-with-biden-20210903-p58ohr.html

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deef8a  No.14513194

File: a3d400f4ada451b⋯.jpg (95.97 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Detective_Brevet_Sergeant_….jpg)

RAAF Sergeant Jacob Donald Walsh abandons bid for bail, on child abuse charges, thanks to Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team

An RAAF officer accused of child abuse crimes has given up on his bid for bail – thanks to the SA police officers who brought down Australia’s worst pedophile.

Sean Fewster - September 3, 2021

A Royal Australian Air Force sergeant charged with child abuse crimes has abandoned his bid for bail due to investigations by a police officer who brought down the nation’s worst sex offender.

On Friday, the Supreme Court heard Sergeant Jacob Donald Walsh has also agreed to surrender all of his online passwords to SA’s Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET).

John Lyons, for Sgt Walsh, said his client was “agreeable” to remaining in jail, having read an affidavit from SA Police Detective Brevet Sergeant Stephen Hegarty.

“The new information from Detective Sergeant Hegarty puts a whole new complexion on things,” he said.

“We would be boxing with shadows in relation to trying to continue this application for bail, as far as our client is concerned.

“He’s agreeable to staying in custody, to co-operating with police and to providing all passwords in relation to the accounts mentioned in the affidavit.”

In 2017, Detective Sergeant Hegarty was part of a JACET operation that brought down Ruecha Tokputza, who had abused children in Australia and overseas.

Known as “the child collector”, Tokputza amassed almost 900,000 images of abuse before he was arrested, and is serving a record 40-year prison term.

Sgt Walsh, 35, of Blakeview, has yet to plead to 18 aggravated counts and 19 basic counts of producing child exploitation material.

He is further charged with two counts of making a child amenable to sex and one count of causing a child to expose themselves.

Sgt Walsh is also accused of two counts of dishonestly communicating with a child, and one count of doing so to make them amenable to sex.

Finally, he is charged with one count of disseminating child exploitation material online.

Upon his arrest last month, JACET alleged Sgt Walsh’s offending took place over an eight-month period.

After he was granted bail by the Elizabeth Magistrates Court, prosecutors appealed that decision to the Supreme Court.

On Friday, Mr Lyons asked the court to let Sgt Walsh formally withdraw his bail application, rather than grant the prosecution’s appeal.

“It’s going to take a long time to get to the bottom of things, in relation to all of the accounts mentioned by Detective Sergeant Hegarty,” he said.

“I’d much rather there not be a Supreme Court ruling against my client that precludes him from seeking bail in the future”

Justice Tim Stanley agreed, remanding Sgt Walsh in custody to face the Adelaide Magistrates Court in November.

The RAAF has yet to respond to inquiries, from The Advertiser, as to whether Sgt Walsh has been suspended from his post or is continuing to receive his full salary.

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-sa/raaf-sergeant-jacob-donald-walsh-abandons-bid-for-bail-on-child-abuse-charges-thanks-to-joint-anti-child-exploitation-team/news-story/b923e6f3a3902e3fc9208d000419d054

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deef8a  No.14513211

File: 7098bc1fb96d93a⋯.jpg (130.59 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, The_man_is_alleged_to_have….jpg)

Man charged after allegedly uploading child sex abuse images to Instagram

A Brisbane man has been charged after allegedly using Instagram to upload child sex abuse images.

Darren Cartwright - September 3, 2021

A US child protection agency tip-off has led to a middle-aged Brisbane man facing court on child abuse charges, including using a social media account to upload material.

Australian Federal Police investigated the Moreton Bay region man in July following reports from US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.

A subsequent AFP raid at a Deception Bay home on Thursday allegedly uncovered four mobile phones that were forensically examined and allegedly found to contain child abuse material.

An Instagram account was also allegedly used to upload the child abuse material, the AFP said.

AFP Acting Superintendent Tim Puchala said accessing and distributing child abuse material fuels an industry profiting off the trauma inflicted on the most innocent and vulnerable in our society.

“There is a real child behind every photo or video distributed online. That child has been placed in the most horrific situation and is not just an image on a screen,” Superintendent Puchala said.

“Child protection investigators will look into every report of child sexual abuse to stop the exploitation of children and bring to justice the people contributing to this abhorrent industry.”

The 55-year-old has been charged with possessing child abuse material, obtained or accessed using a carriage service, using a carriage service to access child abuse material and using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material.

He faces a maximum 15 years in jail if convicted.

The man faced Caboolture Magistrates Court on Friday, and his case was adjourned until November 24

https://www.ntnews.com.au/breaking-news/us-agency-tipoff-leads-to-afp-charging-a-man-over-child-abuse-material/news-story/1f63616da5debe205e7dcd92c32c7818

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404084  No.14513265

>>14513060

One Moron talking to a bigger Moron!! Both of them combined have an IQ of Biden's Shoe size

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deef8a  No.14513448

File: b272bc14e1be556⋯.jpg (415.61 KB, 825x934, 825:934, AITUS_7.jpg)

File: a946ab994d051dc⋯.mp4 (1.73 MB, 640x360, 16:9, 4AsAeCWxQVHOElha.mp4)

Australia in the US Tweet

Yesterday @nypd officers incl. Det. Patrick McGee (who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery during 9/11) placed the (Flag of Australia) found at Ground Zero on public display at our Consulate-General in NYC. The (Flag of Australia) was found in the rubble of the north tower of the World Trade Centre.

https://twitter.com/AusintheUS/status/1433569488562233344

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deef8a  No.14516333

File: b291c9633d88c88⋯.jpg (42.87 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, Former_director_of_the_Nat….jpg)

Covid-19: US suspicious of Wuhan lab for years

SHARRI MARKSON - SEPTEMBER 3, 2021

1/2

America’s top-secret intelligence agency had been concerned about the chemical and biological activities at the Wuhan Institute of Virology since five years before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Former director of the National Security Agency Mike Rogers, appointed under president Barack Obama, has revealed there were concerns about the Wuhan Institute of Virology during his time at the helm of the agency from 2014 to 2018.

His remarks, featured in the soon-to-be-released book, What Really Happened in Wuhan, are supported by former secretary of state and CIA director Mike Pompeo, who said the US government was familiar with the Wuhan laboratories, and their biological risks and safety concerns, when the pandemic hit.

“Of course we knew the history of the lab because there had been Western connections to it,” Mr Pompeo says in the book. “We knew a great deal about the laboratory. The French built it, designed it, we had provided scientists there that had partnered with them on research so we knew a good deal about what was taking place.

“And so it didn’t take us long after January (2020) before we had as a working hypothesis this possibility (of a lab leak).”

Mr Rogers, a highly decorated former US Navy admiral, served as director of the NSA, which specialises in signals intelligence, from 2014, when Obama was president, through to 2018, under president Donald Trump.

He was also a member of the military’s Joint Staff, the most senior uniformed leaders within the ­Department of Defence, during the first stage of the Iraq War.

“There’s always a concern about biological and chemical activities,” Mr Rogers said. “This is an area, from an intelligence perspective and a national security perspective, we pay attention to and we put resources together to try to understand. It’s one reason why you saw the cables coming out of the embassy in Beijing. It’s an area we very much publicly acknowledge we’re concerned about and pay attention to.”

What Really Happened in Wuhan also details how senior Morrison government officials were puzzled over the Trump ­administration’s early dismissal of the coronavirus as a hoax or akin to the flu, appearing to ignore intelligence that a global pandemic could unfold.

Former Australian ambassador to the US Joe Hockey advised Trump’s then chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, and deputy chief of staff Chris Liddell in March 2020 that Americans should start to wear masks, as the virus began to spread within the US.

He gave the advice at a private Washington dinner party, detailed in the first extract of the book in The Weekend Australian’s Inquirer section. But he was shouted down and told masks were “useless” and Covid-19 was nothing more than a “mild flu”.

Mr Hockey reveals the senior officials were also concerned about the virus “potentially undermining Mr Trump’s re-election strategy”.

He wondered whether the same intelligence that warned Australia about the potential global pandemic was reaching the president’s top advisers.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14516335

File: 81b258761202a3e⋯.jpg (150.9 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Laboratory_technicians_wor….jpg)

>>14516333

2/2

Defence Minister Peter Dutton, who visited the US in early March 2020, was similarly perplexed. “There was a belief that this wasn’t going to hit their shores at that point in time,” he said. “Australia had seen the intelligence. The predictions for us at that point were fairly dire. The initial advice to us was quite confronting, that we were going to run out of capacity within ICUs [intensive care units].”

Other senior White House officials were highly concerned about the dismissive attitude the president and his team were taking in order to avoid an economic collapse sparked by panic.

The book reveals that health secretary Alex Azar implored the president and his advisers to stop downplaying the virus.

Mr Azar was furious after Mr Trump assured Americans on January 22, 2020 in a television interview: “We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s going to be just fine.”

The book describes how Mr Azar begged the president ­directly not to send a tweet praising Chinese President Xi Jinping for his co-operation and transparency, when in fact Beijing was blocking American and World Health Organisation officials from visiting Wuhan.

When his pleas to Mr Trump were ignored, Mr Azar stormed out of the Oval Office and appealed to national security adviser Robert O’Brien to intervene.

The investigative book also features interviews with Chinese whistleblowers and first-hand accounts of doctors in Wuhan, and delves into the unusual and suspicious activity inside the Wuhan Institute of Virology in late 2019.

Mr Pompeo reveals in the book he first questioned whether the virus leaked from a laboratory when Beijing blocked access to early virus samples and other ­epidemiological data that could help develop a vaccine and therapeutics.

“We began to look for alternative ways [it started] and everybody heard the wet market bat story, the pangolin story and you saw scientists saying this couldn’t have been man-made because we’ve looked at this thing, which was a bit of a straw man,” he says.

If you take the laboratory leak as a premise, Mr Rogers says, it is likely a worker was infected.

“If you accept the origin was the lab, the most common scenario I’ve heard speculated, and we don’t have definitive proof, is an employee in the lab inadvertently becomes infected, who then in the course of interaction with the market comes into contact and the disease ends up shifting from the individual,” he says.

“I don’t think we definitely know who patient zero is. The key to this always is finding patient zero. You’re always trying to get to the point of origin. I don’t think there’s agreement that we’ve identified patient zero yet.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/us-long-suspected-wuhan-laboratory/news-story/838d2045039a8964d54ce00f8246772e

https://qanon.pub/?q=rogers

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deef8a  No.14516341

File: 378d0c6644c5d80⋯.jpg (82.89 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Then_US_secretary_of_state….jpg)

>>14516333

What really happened in Wuhan: how China covered up the crisis

SHARRI MARKSON - SEPTEMBER 4, 2021

1/4

“Did you ever watch the movie The Sting?” former secretary of state Mike Pompeo boomed down the phone from Washington to me. “It’s an old movie. It’s a Robert Redford classic and he (and Paul Newman) run a scam and they have a section called the shut-out where they refuse to take this money from this guy in a bag. Anyway. We were getting the shut-out (from China).

“You could see it in the formal channels where there were formal requests for our medical team to provide support to the Chinese as they needed it and they said, ‘We’ve got this, no problem’. Then we’d ask for data and we’d be told, ‘We don’t have it, we’re working on it’.

“In the informal channels too (it was the same story). Then there was the public issues with the doctors, all the things they were shutting down. It was pretty clear by the end of January we were going to get the shut-out.”

It’s an insightful analogy. In the 1973 film, nominated for 10 Oscars and starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford, the con succeeds if the mob boss doesn’t realise he’s been cheated until the conmen are gone.

It’s not unlike China’s play on the US. America and – you could argue, although perhaps Pompeo wouldn’t – some in the Trump administration were thoroughly conned by China. By the time they realised the con, the pandemic had spread around the world.

For Pompeo, China’s refusal to accept help at this early stage rang immediate alarm bells and made him question whether the virus had come from the wet market at all. It was this lack of transparency as early as January that sparked the seed of doubt for Pompeo about a natural origin of Covid-19.

What was China hiding?

“The reason I start my answer to your question about when did we first suspect the Wuhan Institute of Virology as the potential place that could have got a leak, we started thinking about what the possibilities were as soon as we realised they were going to have none of us (in America) figuring this out,” Pompeo says.

“It puts you on alert. It says goodness gracious, you would think that the global response as required by the WHO, they’d want everyone in to come help them. But they wanted the antithesis of that.”

After spending a weekend at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump flew to Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum. On this trip, he spoke about the virus publicly for the first time when he sat down for a one-on-one interview with CNBC journalist Joe Kernen on January 22.

Kernen asked him at the start of the 20-minute sit-down about the case of coronavirus identified by the CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) in the US. “Are there any worries about a pandemic at this point?” Kernen wanted to know.

Trump replied: “No. Not at all. And we have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s going to be just fine.”

Kernen followed up with a question about the transparency of Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying: “Do you trust that we’re going to know everything we need to know?”

Trump said he completely trusted the Chinese President to be transparent. “I do, I do, I have a great relationship with President Xi,” he said. “We’ve just signed probably the biggest deal ever made. I do, I think the relationship is very good.”

Alex Azar was pissed off at how the president downplayed the threat and praised China during the media interview. On Air Force One on the flight home from Davos, national security adviser Robert O’Brien took a call from the health secretary, who was in Washington. “Robert, this is serious, he can’t say it’s under control. That’s a term of art in public health and it isn’t accurate,” Azar said.

“The president can’t keep saying what he said on CNBC.”

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14516346

File: 7d1991286478773⋯.jpg (150.76 KB, 768x1026, 128:171, What_Really_Happened_in_Wu….jpg)

>>14516341

2/4

When he got off the phone, O’Brien went to see the president during the flight. He told him they were monitoring the situation but were not getting any co-operation from the Chinese government. O’Brien says no one had a “good feel for it” at that point.

Back at the White House, on January 24, Azar briefed the president in the Oval Office on the escalating situation.

“How is China doing?” Trump asked.

“It seems pretty bad over there,” Azar replied.

“Are they being transparent?” the president wanted to know.

“Well, they’re being more transparent than they were with SARS, but that’s a very low bar, and with China you just don’t know what you don’t know,” Azar said. “I need to get the CDC in there on the ground to help them.”

Azar went on: “I’ve offered that. I need samples from China because we’ve got to do the infectious-disease tracing to figure out how this came about – what the origin is – and we need to get the original generation-one samples that they aren’t sharing.”

Trump said, “Well I’m going to tweet a statement that praises them for being transparent” as he called in his aid, Dan Scavino Jr, who wrote the first drafts of many of his official tweets.

Azar said, “Please don’t do that”, to no avail as Trump began to dictate to Scavino.

For some official tweets during the day, Trump would have Scavino write the tweet down and bring it back into the Oval Office printed and blown up in gigantic letters so the president could see any errors clearly. He’d make edits with a black sharpie and then say to Dan, “Let it rip”.

Azar implored Trump not to send the tweet. “If you give any praise to President Xi that’s a big win for him domestically,” the health minister said.

“He’s in trouble domestically because he’s clearly mismanaged this. There’s turmoil in China and if you pat him on the back and praise him, that’s validation, so please don’t do that.”

Azar felt Trump was quite set in what he wanted to do and continued on with Scavino. Frustrated, Azar walked out of the Oval Office in the middle of their meeting and strode across the lobby to O’Brien’s office.

“Robert, the president is about to send this tweet … We really can’t have him giving praise to China. We have got to stop him,” Azar said.

O’Brien went into the Oval ­Office and Pompeo was due to ­arrive in the West Wing shortly. Azar hoped the pair would be able to talk Trump down from praising China publicly, assuming that if Trump didn’t value advice on China from his health secretary, he might listen to his national ­security adviser and the secretary of state.

But Trump went on to send the tweet on January 24, assuring the public that China was co-operating with the US: “China has been working very hard to contain the coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!”

Dire warnings

The decision to play nice with Xi Jinping wouldn’t last long, and within a month the US–China ­relationship would deteriorate to new lows. Despite Trump dismissing the gravity of the virus publicly, sources close to the president say that he was acutely aware of the danger of the virus. He sat in the security briefings and heard the dire warnings. They were impossible to ignore.

But there was one thing Trump was even more concerned about than the spread of the virus through the US – and that was creating panic in the population, sparking an economic collapse.

“We worried about a panic, no question, 100 per cent. We were absolutely worried about a panic,” Trump’s then chief of staff Mick Mulvaney says.

“The president was very concerned about creating a panic, and the president believes in the power of positive thinking. And I think that came across in how he handled the Covid crisis. It was very difficult for him to go out there and give a worst-case scenario.

“When he goes out and says the disease will be gone by springtime, that was not entirely baseless. But it was certainly against the overwhelming evidence that was presented to him. Was there a chance that the disease would have gone away as the temperatures went up and the days got longer? Yes.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14516355

File: d9bed2672418fe6⋯.jpg (93.97 KB, 768x1024, 3:4, Then_US_health_secretary_A….jpg)

>>14516346

3/4

He would take little kernels, and magnify them in order to put the best face forward. In hindsight, obviously, it turns out to be something that hamstrung the administration’s response to the crisis.”

On March 1, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, Chris Liddell, threw a small dinner party at his home in Washington DC. It was a Sunday evening and still chilly in the nation’s capital. Gathered around the elegant dinner table were the upper echelons of the Trump administration: Mulvaney and his wife, Pamela West, and national economic council chair director Larry Kudlow and his wife, Judith.

To get the conversation rolling as they ate, Liddell posed a question to his guests, for each to answer around the table. “What is the big issue of 2020?” he asked. And one by one, the guests ticked off various topics. The soaring economy, Liddell himself nominated. The election that Trump was going to romp home, said Mulvaney. And so it went, around the table. Extraordinarily, not one of the six Americans nominated Covid-19 as the defining issue of 2020. None of them.

The four Australians present – one of them, a doctor – were astounded. They all said the coronavirus would be the defining issue of the year. Australian ambassador Joe Hockey suggested to the group that perhaps it would be a good idea to tell the American public to wear masks. “Maybe everyone should be wearing masks, because you remember SARS in Asia, that’s how they managed it. With masks,” he said to the men who had become his friends since he moved to Washington four years earlier. But he was shouted down, told that masks were “useless”. “You’d never get Americans to wear masks,” Mulvaney said.

Hockey, who remains close friends with Mulvaney and Liddell, couldn’t believe what he was hearing. They all thought it would pass, it was like a bad flu season. “None of them had ever managed a crisis because none of them had ever been in government before – at least not a crisis they didn’t manufacture themselves,” he said. “They were in denial, total denial. They thought it would be like Singapore, come the summer, it’ll pass. They were saying, ‘We’ve got it under control. It’s a mild flu.’ They had all the excuses. I don’t blame them. They were receiving confusing advice and they were following confusing leadership. They could see it potentially undermining Trump’s re-election strategy.”

Trump made the comparison with the flu himself days later on March 9. In a tweet he said, “So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that!”

The next day he said, “And it hit the world. And we’re prepared, and we’re doing a great job with it. And it will go away. Just stay calm. It will go away.”

Puzzled, Hockey wondered whether the same intelligence that was warning Australia about the impending gravity of the situation was reaching the president and his most senior advisers. The Americans were so relaxed about the situation, Hockey questioned if maybe Australia was heading into lockdown unnecessarily. “At times I thought Australia was overreacting because I was in an environment where everyone was saying ‘Don’t overreact’,” he recalls.

“Washington is the centre of the universe and if something is happening on the other side of the world, it doesn’t seem real.”

Australia’s Defence Minister Peter Dutton, who at the time was minister for home affairs, says that in the US “there was a belief that this wasn’t going to hit their shores at that point in time. Australia had seen the intelligence. The predictions for us at that point were fairly dire. The initial advice to us was quite confronting, that we were going to run out of capacity within ICUs (intensive care units). Fortunately, that didn’t transpire.”

The White House’s dismissive approach to the coronavirus also alarmed Fox News’s top-rating host Tucker Carlson. He made his first-ever trip to Mar-a-Lago on March 7, 2020, to warn the president the situation could get really serious. He was particularly concerned the US may not have the medical capacity to deal with a pandemic.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14516359

File: c9f966124e2a90c⋯.jpg (131.1 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Security_personnel_stand_g….jpg)

>>14516355

4/4

Carlson had intended to keep his trip a secret, and even asked the Secret Service to help him sneak in undetected, but unbeknown to him, former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle was holding her birthday party there. He was spotted instantly and news of his mission quickly leaked.

Carlson told Trump “this could be really bad” and expressed his view the United States had “missed the point where we can control it”.

“My concern was that we may not have the capacity to take all these patients and that we may not have the drugs to treat them,” Carlson said in an interview with Vanity Fair 10 days later. Carlson said he felt embarrassed about giving advice to the president of the United States, but trying to ensure the Trump administration took Covid-19 more seriously was what drove him to make the visit.

Strategic threat

It might have seemed as though President Xi was pulling the wool over Trump’s eyes, but this certainly wasn’t the case with Pompeo. He already intimately understood the serious strategic threat China posed from his time as CIA director.

And so it was that while Trump praised Xi Jinping for his transparency, Pompeo was alive to the reality of China’s cover-up of the virus. On a weekly, and sometimes daily, basis, he kept abreast of the conversations of Chinese whistleblowers and activists on WeChat. Many posts vanished just minutes after they were published. Pompeo understood there would be a cover-up only if there was something nefarious to keep quiet. It’s why he started to seriously examine the possibility that the virus did not have a natural origin.

“We began to look for alternative ways (it started) and everybody heard the wet market bat story, the pangolin story and you saw scientists saying this couldn’t have been man-made because we’ve looked at this thing, which was a bit of a straw man,” Pompeo tells me.

“Man-made belies the ­reality of what could have been done in a laboratory even if it was a natural source. In any event, you saw the Chinese begin to push that story (of the wet market and pangolins).

“Of course we knew the history of the lab because there had been Western connections to it. We knew a great deal about the laboratory. The French built it, ­designed it, we had provided ­scientists there that had partnered with them on research so we knew a good deal about what was taking place. And so it didn’t take us long after January before we had as a working hypothesis this possibility.”

While he was careful to never disagree with the president in ­public, it’s understood that Pompeo made his views known to Trump about China’s cover-up and responsibility for the global outbreak. The question remained: When was it time to tell the American public and the world about China’s activities at the Wuhan laboratories?

This is an edited extract of What Really Happened in Wuhan by Sharri Markson, published worldwide on September 29. Available by pre-order from Booktopia

What Really Happened in Wuhan, the documentary featuring Sharri Markson’s interview with Donald Trump, premieres on Sky News Australia on Monday September 20 at 8pm AEST.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/what-really-happened-in-wuhan-how-china-covered-up-the-crisis/news-story/17735b1a31c4cd33dc97bf406959ab05

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deef8a  No.14517112

File: 94b2c1aa0e19252⋯.jpg (54.52 KB, 800x450, 16:9, _QAnon_Shaman_Jacob_Chansl….jpg)

QAnon Shaman Capitol rioter pleads guilty

Mark Hosenball - 4 September 2021

The US Capitol rioter nicknamed the "QAnon Shaman" is disappointed former president Donald Trump did not pardon him, his defence lawyer says, after the man pleaded guilty to taking part in the January unrest.

Jacob Chansley, of Phoenix, Arizona, was photographed inside the Capitol shirtless, wearing a horned headdress and heavily tattooed.

He has been held without bond since his arrest shortly after the riot, and on Friday entered a guilty plea to obstructing an official proceeding.

While in detention, Chansley underwent mental examinations and was diagnosed by prison officials with transient schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety.

Nearly 600 people have been arrested over the attack on the Capitol where Congress was meeting to certify Joe Biden's November victory over Trump. Earlier Trump had given a fiery speech falsely claiming his defeat was the result of fraud.

While the felony charge Chansley pleaded guilty to carries both a maximum 20-year prison term and a fine of up to $US250,000 ($A335,552), prosecutor Kimberly Paschall indicated the maximum sentence the government was likely to request would be much shorter.

Chansley had been a supporter of the QAnon conspiracy theory that casts Trump as a saviour figure and elite Democrats as a cabal of Satanist pedophiles and cannibals.

Although he did not get a pardon from Trump, Chansley's defence lawyer Albert Watkins said "there will always be a soft spot" for Trump in Chansley's heart.

At Friday's plea hearing, Watkins asked Judge Royce Lamberth to allow Chansley to be released from prison pending a sentencing hearing, scheduled for November 17. The judge said he would consider this request.

Watkins noted that prosecutors had acknowledged Chansley was "not a planner or organiser" of the riot.

Watkins later told reporters that Chansley had cooperated with January investigations and informed on a group he saw stealing classified materials from a Senate office.

https://thewest.com.au/news/crime/qanon-shaman-capitol-rioter-pleads-guilty-c-3868841

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deef8a  No.14517184

File: 609bcb08faaf71f⋯.jpg (501.64 KB, 1488x992, 3:2, Audrey_Strauss_acting_US_A….jpg)

File: 62815a582fbd5c2⋯.jpg (429.24 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0001.jpg)

File: ef89ac988f39035⋯.jpg (440.95 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0002.jpg)

File: 7e2d22e442b0111⋯.jpg (354.48 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0003.jpg)

File: 7fdd0fa2552f756⋯.pdf (157.98 KB, gov_uscourts_nysd_539612_3….pdf)

Feds ordered to reveal names of Ghislaine Maxwell’s alleged co-conspirators

Jesse O’Neill - September 3, 2021

Federal prosecutors must divulge the “identities of any unnamed co-conspirators” that they plan on referencing at Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking trial in Manhattan, a judge ruled Friday.

The order was to ensure Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged madam is able to “adequately prepare her defenses,” Judge Allison Nathan wrote.

Prosecutors must also “disclose all co-conspirator statements it intends to offer at trial,” Nathan ruled, arguing the government’s claim that the revelation would cause ‘potential danger to co-conspirators’ or risk ‘compromising continuing investigations,’” was bogus.

“The Government provides no explanation for this purported harm and none is apparent to the Court,” Nathan wrote. “Thus, the Court finds that this concern alone does not outweigh the risk of surprise to the Defendant in this case or the need for the parties to litigate co-conspirator issues in advance of trial to ensure the absence of delay.”

Maxwell, 59, had requested that prosecutors name the two co-conspirators described in their indictment to avoid being ambushed at her trial, which is set to begin on Nov. 29.

The British socialite, who has been held without bail since her arrest in July of last year, is accused of procuring underage girls for multi-millionaire Epstein to abuse in the 1990s and early 2000s. She’s pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Maxwell is also facing separate perjury charges related to allegedly lying in a deposition in a civil case filed by Virginia Giuffre, who has accused Epstein pal Prince Andrew of sexual abuse.

Epstein was previously arrested and charged with sex crimes by the same prosecutor’s office as Maxwell, but killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell before he stood trial.

https://nypost.com/2021/09/03/feds-ordered-to-reveal-names-of-ghislaine-maxwells-alleged-co-conspirators/

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17318376/united-states-v-maxwell/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612.335.0.pdf

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deef8a  No.14517606

File: 17e0c124df5a00d⋯.jpg (439.29 KB, 825x819, 275:273, III_MEF_3.jpg)

File: c43ce317a1d27cc⋯.jpg (127.58 KB, 1000x667, 1000:667, E_BRnOFVQAINdDe.jpg)

File: 40259e752d3c5c4⋯.jpg (72.19 KB, 1000x667, 1000:667, E_BRnN7UcAIbOlk.jpg)

File: 494d048bb2c55b0⋯.jpg (99.93 KB, 1000x667, 1000:667, E_BRnORVgAktJAM.jpg)

File: 26abaa43e0da14f⋯.jpg (75.74 KB, 1000x667, 1000:667, E_BRnOEVEAEAsto.jpg)

>>14490548

III MEF Marines Tweet

Marines with @MrfDarwin and @AustralianArmy Soldiers conducted an air raid rehearsal during Exercise Koolendong.

https://twitter.com/IIIMEF/status/1433235978609700865

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deef8a  No.14517617

File: c635d5da33fb772⋯.jpg (541.3 KB, 825x857, 825:857, USI_PC_2.jpg)

File: 8fe24ca11c2fad5⋯.jpg (271.82 KB, 1000x667, 1000:667, E_Jl3feUUAMyGC4.jpg)

File: cf5fb595cef5016⋯.jpg (289.26 KB, 1000x667, 1000:667, E_Jl3fiVIAIPrZc.jpg)

File: d9640052fefad4b⋯.jpg (234.35 KB, 1000x665, 200:133, E_Jl3fkVgAMa2Vc.jpg)

File: ebed05c282156b2⋯.jpg (269.36 KB, 1000x667, 1000:667, E_Jl3fiUcAAs0_k.jpg)

>>14490548

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Tweet

.@PacificMarines with Company B., 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment (Reinforced), @MRFDarwin conduct exercise #Koolendong in Australia, demonstrating a shared commitment for a #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific

https://twitter.com/INDOPACOM/status/1433459705960038401

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deef8a  No.14517697

File: 784357e8becbd27⋯.jpg (276.25 KB, 938x442, 469:221, MRF_D_29.jpg)

File: 89a96285c2508d4⋯.jpg (469.57 KB, 1887x1415, 1887:1415, 238490165_206005184895306_….jpg)

File: 3d1448d125fd531⋯.jpg (492.27 KB, 1923x1358, 1923:1358, 241049912_206005281561963_….jpg)

Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post

3 September 2021

Touch and Go

U.S. Marine Corps with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 363 (Reinforced), Marine Rotational Force – Darwin conducted aircraft carrier qualifications on Her Majesty's Australian Ship Canberra off the coast of Darwin, NT, Australia, Aug. 14, 2021. MV-22B Ospreys utilized two different landing zones on the HMAS Canberra to execute their aircraft carrier qualifications during the day and night.

(Courtesy (photo) from Royal Australian Navy)

https://www.facebook.com/MRFDarwin/posts/206010934894731

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deef8a  No.14517702

File: bbcc86564788873⋯.jpg (271.92 KB, 938x406, 67:29, MRF_D_30.jpg)

File: 60d703f40d04cac⋯.jpg (195.95 KB, 2048x1365, 2048:1365, 241120941_206064618222696_….jpg)

File: 1371e90fbc11d77⋯.jpg (591.74 KB, 2048x1365, 2048:1365, 237752963_206064748222683_….jpg)

File: 8e1b1f3a15f8052⋯.jpg (802.54 KB, 2048x1365, 2048:1365, 239412933_206064688222689_….jpg)

Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post

''3 September 2021"

Can’t you hear the thunder?

Australian Army soldiers with 1st Armoured Regiment - Australian Army conducted a live fire range using weapons mounted to and part of their Australian Service Light Armored Vehicles during Exercise Koolendong 2021 at Bradshaw Field Training Area, NT, Australia. 1st ARMD Regt. prepared for the exercise by zeroing their weaponry.

(U.S. Marine Corps (photo) by Sgt. Micha Pierce and Cpl. Lydia Gordon)

https://www.facebook.com/MRFDarwin/posts/206074684888356

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13d4c5  No.14521443

File: 6ff270ab1b8d3fd⋯.jpeg (410.67 KB, 1800x1023, 600:341, 6ff270ab1b8d3fd5e9bfa1f88….jpeg)

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13d4c5  No.14521447

File: 20daf08518622d2⋯.jpg (445.94 KB, 1356x838, 678:419, 20daf08518622d22c34fc345a5….jpg)

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deef8a  No.14523376

File: 2309083c5b3b76b⋯.jpg (1.78 MB, 1806x1204, 3:2, The_beach_at_Lundu_in_sout….jpg)

File: a50ca203de4fea3⋯.jpg (409.9 KB, 1115x836, 1115:836, Alladin_Lanim_is_escorted_….jpg)

How Australian police tracked one of world’s most wanted paedophiles to Borneo

Chris Barrett - September 5, 2021

1/2

Singapore: For more than a decade Lundu has harboured a sinister secret.

The small district in Sarawak, the Malaysian state on the north-west side of Borneo, is described by the tourism body there as a “sleepy up-country town”.

Beneath the laidback veneer is a shocking reality. Dozens of children have been abused there by a local man who, by posting about his exploits on the dark web, became one of global law enforcement’s most wanted child sex offenders.

For at least 14 years he operated without detection, abusing children between the ages of two and 16 and boasting on messaging forums about recording his crimes.

After a lengthy international investigation, the man has finally been apprehended and jailed while four children aged nine to 14 have been rescued.

The capture of Alladin Lanim, 40, might never have happened, however, if not for the sleuthing of Australian police – specialist investigators from the Australian Federal Police, Queensland Police and the Australian Transactions Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC).

He had been on their radar for two years, ever since a multi-national internal police report in 2019 listed his online alias as one of the top 10 offenders in the world in exploitation of children on the internet.

Lanim had been sharing child abuse material on the web since 2007 and been linked to more than 1000 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors.

“He was so prolific with so many victims, that’s why he became a high priority,” Detective Sergeant Daniel Burnicle, the acting senior officer for the AFP in Kuala Lumpur, told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

At that stage, police had nothing more on the man they were pursuing than his anonymous online profile. Discovering his name and then finding him was the hard part.

In August 2020, though, experts at the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation’s victim identification unit made a breakthrough.

The AFP-led operation, which includes members of Queensland Police’s Argus taskforce for child victim identification, came across a social media image of the man they suspected they were looking for.

After sending the picture off to Malaysia, AFP officers in Kuala Lumpur and Royal Malaysia Police and United States Homeland Security investigators then raced to put a name to it, knowing all the while that more children could be in danger of abuse the longer the search went on.

“It’s just a slow, methodical burn,” said Burnicle. “They’re going through images trying to work out where that location may be so they can follow up. It’s all very difficult with the dark web to track people.”

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14523380

File: bc890a29d16b4c5⋯.jpg (1.4 MB, 1806x1204, 3:2, Lundu_is_a_quiet_town_abou….jpg)

>>14523376

2/2

Eventually, a team at AUSTRAC, the Australian government’s financial intelligence agency, was this year able to put together another key piece in the puzzle in concert with their counterparts.

Crucially, as they trawled through financial and other records, they came across the same image as the one that had been forwarded to Kuala Lumpur from Australia months earlier, this time with identifying information attached.

With Lanim’s identity blown, his ghastly game was almost up, but police still had to actually catch him.

In July, the Australian investigators assisted in tracking him to a state COVID-19 quarantine facility, where he was serving a mandatory period in isolation after arriving back in Sarawak following a trip to peninsula Malaysia.

When Lanim was allowed out of isolation on July 5, Malaysian officers were there waiting for him.

Six weeks later, in court in the state capital Kuching, he pleaded guilty to 18 charges and was sentenced to 48 years in prison and 15 strokes of the cane.

Local media said Lanim had molested children at a plantation and on the verandah of a house in Lundu and induced them to view pornographic material by letting them play a game on his phone.

Australian investigators, who provided a package of material to prosecutors in Kuching, identified 34 victims he had abused but believe there may have been more.

“This [investigation] was all, of course, done during COVID, which made it all more difficult in terms of being able to get around the country and just conduct those basic field inquiries that you would do,” Burnicle said.

“We hope this case will be like a learning experience that we use over here and say ‘this is what’s happened, how can we do it better for next time?’ You need a police force to be able to counter this type of offending”.

Australia and Malaysia have a deep history in co-operation on security and policing, with the AFP office in Kuala Lumpur the agency’s oldest and approaching its 50th anniversary.

It’s an association that has paid off in unmasking a predator and Assistant Commissioner Siti Kamsiah Hassan of the Royal Malaysia Police’s Sexual, Women and child Investigation Division is thankful for the help. She said Malaysian police would continue to protect minors “in spite of COVID”.

After the horrific crimes committed in Lundu, the children there are now at least a little safer.

https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/how-australian-police-tracked-one-of-world-s-most-wanted-paedophiles-to-borneo-20210831-p58nfe.html

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deef8a  No.14523513

File: 6b37e143a6efb85⋯.jpg (26.74 KB, 620x413, 620:413, Former_PM_Paul_Keating_say….jpg)

>>14502065

Morrison leading Australia into a dead end on China: Keating

Andrew Tillett - Sep 3, 2021

1/2

Former prime minister Paul Keating has accused the Morrison government of “wantonly leading Australia into a strategic dead end” by needlessly provoking China and abandoning foreign policy independence to become a “fawning acolyte” of the US.

As Australia and the US mark the 70th anniversary of the ANZUS alliance, Mr Keating told The Australian Financial Review that “warmongering” directed at Beijing was motivated by American anxiety over China’s rise.

“Australia is a continent sharing a border with no other state. It has no territorial disputes with China. Indeed, China is 12 flying hours away from the Australian coast, yet the government, both through its foreign policy incompetence and fawning compulsion to please America, effectively has us in a cold war with China,” Mr Keating said.

His intervention follows comments by the Australian ambassador to the US Arthur Sinodinos that China’s rise and coercion was the geostrategic challenge “pre-eminent in US minds”, outstripping the threat of terrorism.

“Our quarrel is not with Chinese people. Our quarrel is foreign interference in the way we run our domestic economy,” Mr Sinodinos said in an interview with the Financial Review.

Mr Keating said Mr Sinodinos was “usurping the role of the foreign minister” by suggesting China now was a bigger risk than terrorism and had “invented a Chinese challenge to ‘the way we run our domestic economy’”.

“Would any sane person suggest these various Chinese trade bans are a cause for war – anything like a cause for war? But Sinodinos does,” Mr Keating said.

He also took umbrage at comments by Defence Minister Peter Dutton that Australia needed to be in a position to defend its waters in the north and south, saying the minister had implied without any basis that China may be a military aggressor.

“The Morrison government is wantonly leading Australia into a strategic dead end by its needless provocations against China,” Mr Keating said.

“The Morrison government is needlessly and irresponsibly pushing Australia towards a headlong confrontation with China and doing it, in the main, to be seen in Washington as America’s fawning acolyte.”

Australia China Business Council president David Olsson said while China’s actions and behaviour were cause for concern, they were not an existential threat to global peace and security.

“In years to come, China may indeed emerge as a more serious threat than 9/11-style terrorism. But I think that judgment is premature at this stage,” he said.

“I’d much prefer language that guards against the risk of self-fulfilling prophecy.

“I am concerned that if America frames its partnership with Australia in terms of an adversarial competition with China, it not only makes it harder for Australia to craft its own independent relationship with China, but could disrupt Australia’s co-operation with our regional neighbours that have managed their China relationships in a less confrontational manner.

“Washington describes the relationship with Beijing as being characterised by competition and collaboration. The comments attributed to ambassador Sinodinos focus on competition – the ACBC would like to see similar emphasis placed on the importance of collaboration.”

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14523519

File: 58658609a18f6c3⋯.jpg (132.66 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Keating_says_China_conflic….jpg)

>>14523513

2/2

Following the publication of Mr Sinodinos’ comments by the Financial Review, the Department of Foreign and Affairs and Trade issued a clarification arguing the article’s headline and first paragraph “do not accurately reflect the comments made by the ambassador”.

Mr Keating said China was in its “foreign policy adolescence” and like all big states had become “ruder” as it got bigger.

But he argued China was not the old Soviet Union forcibly incorporating countries into a “grand union” or exporting a universal ideology. Nor did China threaten nuclear Armageddon on a daily basis.

“Save for its front porch, the South China Sea, it broadly keeps to itself,” Mr Keating said.

“Its great problem is that it is now a state as large as the United States, and with the potential of being much larger – an unforgivable sin for American triumphalists.

“This is what all this warmongering is about – China’s presence and scale.

“China’s rise is simply not in the American playbook – its very existence and at this scale is an affront to America’s notion of itself as the exceptional state – the proselytiser of divine providence.”

Former prime minister John Howard told a US Studies Centre forum celebrating the 70th anniversary of ANZUS on Wednesday night that China had become more belligerent internationally, making the American alliance crucial.

He said Australia could not abandon its democratic values and alliances in its approach to China and avoid being “mesmerised” by China, which faces unfavourable demographics and calls for more freedoms for a population born into affluence.

“In dealing with China we should not lose sight of two things: how valuable she is as an economic partner, as an export destination,” he said.

“But equally we have to understand it’s not an occasion for schoolboy-type point-scoring. It’s a delicate relationship.”

The Lowy Institute’s international security program director, Sam Roggeveen, said Mr Sinodinos had drawn a distinction between the “challenge” posed by China and the “threat” of terrorism.

“I do think the China challenge is more significant for Australia than terrorism,” he said.

“The terrorism threat is one we’ve learnt painfully is a serious but containable threat. By contrast, China represents a once-in-a-century shift in economic and strategic power from the West to the East.

“With that inevitably comes a shift from American predominance in Asia to a balance of power at least and maybe even Chinese dominance.”

https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/morrison-leading-australia-into-a-dead-end-on-china-keating-20210902-p58o78

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deef8a  No.14523526

File: dd760e1bc60de72⋯.jpg (231.69 KB, 800x480, 5:3, People_take_photos_near_Sy….jpg)

>>14502065

>>14523513

Australia needs to heed rational voices and maintain independent foreign policy to fully realize strategic autonomy

Ning Tuanhui - Sep 04, 2021

1/2

"The Morrison government is wantonly leading Australia into a strategic dead end with its needless provocations against China," former Australian prime minister Paul Keating wrote in an article entitled, "The Morrison government is provoking China to please America." The article was published in the Financial Review on Friday.

Keating's criticism of the Morrison government hits the nail on the head, and very incisively points out the problems in the root causes of Australia's China policy. Since incumbent prime minister Scott Morrison took office, Australia has repeatedly provoked China, resulting in a slump in bilateral relations. It has completely tied itself to the US' anti-China chariot.

Some officials of the Morrison government have been relentlessly aggressive toward China in recent month. For example, Australian Ambassador to the US Arthur Sinodinos recently said the so-called China's coercion in the Indo-Pacific is now a bigger threat than September 11-style terrorism, the Financial Review reported.

Sinodinos and Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton are prominent China hawks in the Australian political community. Their hard-line rhetoric toward China is based on a cold war mentality and zero-sum game, which has a negative impact in Australia and on the international community.

Hold important positions, these China hawks are among the vital right hands of Morrison in terms of diplomacy and national defense. They directly impact Australia's policies, including its China policy. Against this backdrop, Australia's China policy has evidently changed, and the country tends to view China as a threat rather than an opportunity. Canberra is seeing China in the manner of a zero-sum game rather than cooperation.

To these China hawks such as Sinodinos and Dutton, their hard-line rhetoric can help them gain more influence, so that they gain the support of domestic political forces and voters. Meanwhile, by provoking China, they can draw increasing attention from the US and cultivate themselves as "close friends of the US."

Apart from Keating, there are many other former political leaders expressing their dissatisfaction toward the Morrison government. For example, former Australian prime ministers Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd on August 10 urged the Austrilian federal government not to ramp up rhetoric against China for domestic political purposes, arguing it could harm social cohesion, according to the Guardian.

The conservatives have a strong voice in the Morrison government and can affect policies on many issues. Many Australian elites including Keating and Rudd have questioned the current government's strategy on China and provided rational advice. However, these voices are restricted to influencing media and public opinion, and have not exerted much practical impact on the China policies of the Morrison government.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14523532

File: 3ffb51b97a2716d⋯.jpg (149.66 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, Australia_risks_backslidin….jpg)

>>14523526

2/2

However, it at least shows that Australian political elites do not remain on the same end of the spectrum regarding Morrison's hard-line China policy. There are still many rational voices. This is the hope for the possible improvement of China-Australia relations in the future.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Australia, New Zealand, US Security Treaty. Australia sees its alliance with the US as a cornerstone of its diplomatic and military defense policies and this is a consensus across the country.

But being an ally of the US and supporting the latter's strategic deployment does not necessarily mean that Australia has to follow the US' lead on all issues. Australia should have its own autonomy. However, the country has discarded its independence regarding its China policy. It closely follows the US and has even gone further than the US on some issues.

But how has the US responded to Australia's loyalty? Statistics show that the market share lost by Australian agricultural products in China provides an opportunity for US products to fill the gap.

Closely following the US' China policy can help Australia win the US' approval but it will eventually hurt Australia's own interests. Top Australian leaders should have a clear picture of this.

As Keating wrote in the article, "In the 1930s and 1940s, the conservatives put all their strategic faith in Britain. Now… they are placing their faith in the US." Australia seems to have "no faith" in its own ability.

It is not surprising to see Canberra lack confidence. Australia has a vast territory but a small population. In this context, it is not capable of defending its remote borders. Furthermore, it regards itself as a Western country but it is far from the US or Europe. It is close to Asia but holds a deep sense of mistrust toward its Asian neighbors. The above-mentioned factors push Australia to seek to an alliance with Western powers to defend itself.

Strategic autonomy is a goal of Australia's national strategy, but in terms of its national power, it would be hard to truly achieve it. But strategic autonomy is based not only on strength, but on the leaders' wisdom and capacity to deal with foreign relations. Unfortunately, the Australian leaders lack the will and determination to truly realize the country's strategic autonomy as they have become accustomed to the US' shield.

The author is an assistant research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1233312.shtml

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deef8a  No.14523559

File: f9564b90644f706⋯.jpg (56.42 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, The_Prime_Minister_says_no….jpg)

Interstate travel back for Christmas, PM says

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has hinted at when Victorians can reunite with loved ones across the country.

James Campbell and Mitch Clarke - September 5, 2021

1/2

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has held out the prospect of life returning to normal by the end of the year with people able to enjoy a large family Christmas meal, nights out with friends, a New Year’s Eve party and proper summer holidays.

The PM told the Sunday Herald Sun the national plan to reopen states with 80 per cent vaccination will bring families back together.

He said the plan, which will see restrictions eased when between 70 per cent and 80 per cent of people over the age of 16 are vaccinated, would give every Australian a safe pathway to be together again.

“We don’t have to fear the virus, but we do have to live with it,” he said.

“Holding onto Covid zero will only hold Australians back as the world moves forward.”

Mr Morrison said the plan means Australians “can be together again, safely and soon”.

“Grandparents in the east can hold their new grandchild in the west for the first time,” he said.

“Kids in the south can be excited for holidays up north, long days on the beach and roller-coasters.

“Friends can make plans for New Year’s Eve where they can hug and kiss at midnight.

“And everyone can make plans for a family Christmas, with all our loved ones at the dinner table, cracking bonbons and bad jokes together.

“Nobody wants Covid to be the virus that stole Christmas, and we have a plan and the vaccinations available to ensure that’s not the case.”

Nationally more than 1.9 million people have been vaccinated in the past seven days meaning the country was “closing in on freedom,” the PM said.

“This means that in coming months, lockdown states can look forward to a return to backyard barbecues, kids’ birthday parties with all of their friends, gathering with the whole family for the important moments like christenings, weddings and funerals,” he said.

His optimism has been echoed by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg who said Victoria’s economy has proved remarkably resilient in the face of lockdowns.

The government estimates the current lockdown is costing the state’s economy at least $700 million a week.

“Time and again, the Victorian economy has bounced back when restrictions have eased, with 5,500 workers everyday in Victoria, either finding a job or getting back to work in the month following the lifting of lockdowns,” he said.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14523561

File: 30ec7ee0607699e⋯.jpg (155.82 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Scott_Morrison_says_the_re….jpg)

>>14523559

2/2

It comes as regional Victoria is on track to be released from lockdown this week, despite Victoria’s chief health officer warning the state’s case numbers could end up like Sydney’s.

Authorities have flagged clamping down on supermarket visits as fears grow that “many thousands” of Victorians will be unknowingly shopping alongside people not yet diagnosed with Covid-19.

Victoria recorded 190 new local cases on Saturday, including 87 with no known acquisition source.

Chief health officer Professor Brett Sutton warned the slight drop in case numbers didn’t represent a downward trend, adding there was “every possibility” that Victoria would follow Sydney’s infection trajectory.

“I think a lot of people are a bit concerned now that we’re on the same trajectory as Sydney and we’re maybe three or four weeks behind Sydney,” he said.

There are 1301 active cases across the state, with 843 cases recorded in the past week.

Authorities have been forced to admit it’s become increasingly difficult to provide a breakdown on the number of cases that had been in isolation for their full infectious period.

Despite the soaring figures, Professor Sutton said he was confident the regions would be given a reprieve in coming days, but talks are still underway as to which restrictions would ease.

“The regions are on track for some level of easing,” he said.

Of Saturday’s cases, just four were detected in regional Victoria (in Shepparton).

Ninety-six were linked to Melbourne’s northern suburbs, while 55 were found in the west, 14 in the southeast, 11 in the inner south, three in the east, six in the city and one on the Mornington Peninsula.

A growing outbreak at a Box Hill housing construction site has reached 58 cases, but the index case remains a mystery.

Meanwhile, around 175,000 Victorian businesses will become eligible for a new $2.34bn financial joint support package from the federal and state governments.

Business Costs Assistance Program payments of 2800, $5600 and $8400 will be paid each week over September, depending on payroll size.

Eligible cafes, restaurants and bars will continue to receive Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund payments of between $5000 and $20,000 per week.

And the small business Covid Hardship Fund will also increase the grant amount to $20,000 for around 35,000 businesses.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/coronavirus/interstate-travel-back-for-christmas-pm-says/news-story/a65732a851e3334a5f766d65802e5d2d

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deef8a  No.14523729

File: 292c672c5c30a85⋯.jpg (382.5 KB, 825x857, 825:857, CH_1.jpg)

File: abd18bda18c1444⋯.jpg (181.8 KB, 828x1792, 207:448, E_a2i5UX0AEnTzt.jpg)

File: fd69890ee5df323⋯.jpg (183.67 KB, 828x1792, 207:448, E_a2i5VWYAAd_Vg.jpg)

File: 66616029f591d96⋯.jpg (228.89 KB, 828x1792, 207:448, E_a2i52WYAQiv16.jpg)

File: 13ccfeadc0c9339⋯.jpg (223.76 KB, 828x1792, 207:448, E_a2i5VXMAEWqu5.jpg)

Cullen Hoback Tweet

Anyone who still doubts Ron Watkins controlled Q hasn’t been following his Telegram. His range of topics, approach and knowledge base just reinforce that conclusion.

https://twitter.com/CullenHoback/status/1434034255441629185

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deef8a  No.14523734

File: 8a60d00b49101ad⋯.jpg (229.62 KB, 825x484, 75:44, SS3.jpg)

>>14523729

Shayan Sardarizadeh Tweet

Replying to @CullenHoback

Still cannot believe he let Q die. He had an army of millions around the world ready to do whatever he asked of them. The amount of power and influence he had amassed as Q he will never be able to achieve as just Ron Watkins, unless he's got other ideas still…

https://twitter.com/Shayan86/status/1434222795018362891

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a73d64  No.14525540

Aus Flag of Australia There is a News.garbage Covid19 poll running as we speak. It's turning big time, over 70k have now voted and even with them rigging it, it would seem Aussies have had enough of Covid Collision symbolFisted hand the Vac pass one was 65-35 a day ago. Go smash it some more

https://www.news.com.au/world/coronavirus/australia/poll-how-australia-should-treat-antivaxxers-as-we-exit-lockdown/news-story/e67f508b1e054ec9fd42efa95deafe19

https://twitter.com/ATLEASTDIETRYN/status/1434392809188954120

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deef8a  No.14526132

File: 2fcd4750d131ee1⋯.jpg (72.49 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Anthony_Fauci_s_organisati….jpg)

File: c2b7280e3c0610f⋯.jpg (180.7 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, The_P4_laboratory_at_the_W….jpg)

File: eb95184814ac05e⋯.jpg (295.08 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Students_at_the_opening_ce….jpg)

>>14516333

Fauci led push for research at Wuhan Institute of Virology

SHARRI MARKSON and LIAM MENDES - SEPTEMBER 5, 2021

Anthony Fauci’s National Institute of Health and other US agencies funded 65 scientific projects at the Wuhan Institute of Virology over the past decade, many involving risky research on bat coronaviruses, an investigation has revealed.

The analysis of the Wuhan institute’s research has shown that the scale of US support for scientific experiments is more extensive than Dr Fauci has indicated to congress.

The American funding was flowing through to the Wuhan lab, which houses the world’s largest collection of coronavirus samples, even when “gain-of-function” research was banned in the US. (Gain-of-function research genetically alters an organism in a way that may enhance the biological functions of gene products.)

The revelations are contained in a soon-to-be-released book, What Really Happened in Wuhan, which also reveals that senior White House officials including former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, ex-health secretary Alex Azar and former national security adviser Robert O’Brien were unaware the Obama-era ban on gain-of-function research had been lifted by Dr Fauci, the White House’s chief medical adviser.

On December 19, 2017, the NIH announced it would resume funding gain-of-function research involving MERS, SARS, coronaviruses and influenza after a new “framework” had been developed by the Department of Health and Human Services.

“I was in meeting after meeting with Dr Fauci, and that never came up,” Mr O’Brien says in the book. “I don’t know if he alerted anyone. I never heard about it until I was out of office.”

Mr Pompeo, who was director of the CIA from 2017-18, said he did not know if Dr Fauci sought permission from anyone to re-start the dangerous research, particularly with regard to contributing funding via sub-grants to the Wuhan ­institute.

Dr Fauci did not inform his boss, Mr Azar, who only found out the US restriction on gain-of-function research had been lifted from media reports this year.

Dr Fauci’s organisation was very familiar with the work undertaken at the Wuhan lab, with the NIH and the National ­Science Foundation visiting the centre in the year before April 2018.

In total, the NIH has funded at least 60 scientific projects at the Wuhan institute over the past decade, according to the analysis of scientific papers done by The Australian in conjunction with US bipartisan taxpayer watchdog group White Coat Waste Project.

USAID, the federal aid agency, funded at least 16 projects (10 of which were jointly funded with the NIH), the Department of Health and Human Services funded three, the Department of ­Defence, Department of Energy, and the China-US Collaborative Program on Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases each funded one project in conjunction with the Wuhan institute.

Other institutions that frequently collaborate with the institute include the New York Blood Centre, the University of North Carolina and University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

White Coat Waste Project president Anthony Bellotti said the NIH and other agencies should never have funded these experiments in China.

“Shipping millions of US tax dollars to the dangerous Wuhan animal lab and dozens of other ­facilities in China where there’s no real transparency and accountability about how the money is spent is a recipe for disaster,” he said.

“Taxpayers should not be forced to bankroll this reckless spending and new polls show that a majority of Democrat and ­Republican voters in the US want to cut funding for animal labs in China and other foreign countries.”

The Wuhan Institute of ­Virology is the laboratory under ­investigation by intelligence agencies for potentially leaking SARS-CoV-2 and causing the global pandemic.

The concern about gain-of-function research causing a pandemic or being used for bio-terrorism led to its ban under the Obama administration in 2014.

Dr Fauci has fronted congress denying America funded gain-of-function research in Wuhan and has described the research as a “a very minor collaboration, as part of a subcontract of a grant, we had a collaboration with some Chinese scientists”.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/fauci-led-push-for-research-at-wuhan-institute-of-virology/news-story/31024790d0a83bb6398f40b9dc712b18

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deef8a  No.14526161

File: ee13707d69b6686⋯.jpg (191.27 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, ABC_Four_Corners_journalis….jpg)

File: e32714ae39f68e4⋯.jpg (186.72 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, ABC_managing_director_Davi….jpg)

>>14442992

>>14492518

Fox News wants external inquiry into ABC’s Four Corners’ two-part series Fox and the Big Lie

SOPHIE ELSWORTH - SEPTEMBER 5, 2021

Fox News has called for an independent external review of the ABC’s airing of a two-part series on Four Corners, labelling the program “indefensible” and “a gross distortion of the truth” for falsely blaming Rupert Murdoch for Donald Trump’s refusal to ­accept his electoral defeat.

Fox News’s general counsel Bernard Gugar has written a second legal letter in as many weeks to ABC chairwoman Ita Buttrose and managing director David Anderson, outlining the many errors in the two episodes that aired on the public broadcaster’s flagship investigative program.

It’s understood the letter, which was also sent to the media watchdog, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, highlighted critical information given to the ABC ­before the airing of the episodes that Fox claims the ABC ignored.

An external review of the two-part series would be similar to what occurred with the ABC’s ­recent independent inquiry into Exposed: The Ghost Train Fire, which was ordered by the ABC board and conducted by investigative journalist Chris Masters and University of Sydney professor Rod Tiffen.

The Four Corners series titled Fox and the Big Lie was led by ABC journalist Sarah Ferguson and attempted to smear the Murdoch-controlled broadcaster with false claims that tilted the debate against Fox News.

The 27-page letter argues the series was an attack on the US broadcaster that breached the ABC’s Code of Practice, which states it must “ensure that the gathering and presentation by the corporation of news and information is accurate and impartial according to the recognised standards of objective journalism”.

Gugar stated in the letter the ABC’s attack on Fox News was “indefensible and cannot stand”.

“The episodes flout the letter and the spirit of the Australian Broadcasting Code of Practice and run afoul of the federal parliament’s primary standards for the ABC,” he said.

“Those authorities make it clear that the ABC has a duty to gather and present accurate information in an impartial manner.”

This latest letter comes 12 days after Gugar’s first legal letter the day before the first 45-minute episode of the series aired.

It warned the ABC that Fox was considering all its options.

In the second episode, which ran for 48 minutes, Ferguson described Fox News as “the Trump network”, an “echo chamber” and also a “propaganda vehicle”.

The second letter, which was sent to Ms Buttrose and Mr ­Anderson on Friday, said the “the vast majority of them (the interviewees on the Four Corners program) shared the same anti-Fox News bias”.

This included electronic voting company Smartmatic’s lawyer Erik Connolly, who outlined his vested interest in vilifying Fox News amid an ongoing litigation in the US to sue Fox for billions of dollars.

His arguments have been widely contested and viewers were not given any opposing arguments, instead Ferguson just made a brief reference on air that Fox News had rejected the cases.

The ABC aired a small snippet of a lengthy statement provided by Fox that said: “Fox News covered the election in the highest tradition of the First Amendment”.

Fox has demanded “an answer and a correction” within 14 days of the ABC receiving the second letter on Friday.

During the series it interviewed six former employees of Fox News and all but one of them had departed Fox News at least three years ago.

Despite this, in the second episode Ferguson stated: “That the Murdoch’s Fox News joined the effort to spread lies and propaganda for Donald Trump was no surprise to the insiders who spoke to us.”

Gugar said: “The end result is television programming that violates fundamental tenets of the ABC’s charter and is not worthy of the trust that the people of Australia have placed on the ABC.”

The ABC was approached for comment.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/fox-news-wants-external-inquiry-into-abcs-four-corners-twopart-series-fox-and-the-big-lie/news-story/4c0fdc7dad1c479e05bca451c5fbc579

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deef8a  No.14526196

File: 755c5992237e0c2⋯.jpg (58.73 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Josh_Frydenberg_says_China….jpg)

No retreat in face of China threat: Josh Frydenberg

PATRICK COMMINS - SEPTEMBER 5, 2021

1/2

Josh Frydenberg says a more ­aggressive Beijing means Australia must embrace a new national strategy to make the economy and business more resilient to Chinese economic coercion in a new era of strategic competition.

The new approach, dubbed “China-plus”, is aimed at securing a long-term adjustment in which businesses diversify their markets, buttress their supply chains and reduce any over-reliance on the nation’s largest trading partner.

In a speech to the ANU Crawford Leadership Forum on Monday, the Treasurer will say the world has been convulsed by “the return of strategic competition” that he describes as a “defining feature of the economic and security landscape”.

In a draft version of his address, Mr Frydenberg said the rise of China as an economic superpower had “helped to lift more than 800 million people out of poverty” and was “a major contributor to global economic growth and prosperity”.

“But more recently, it has also been defined by another feature,” he said. “A more confident and ­assertive China. A China that is willing to use its economic weight as a source of political pressure. It offers economic ‘carrots’ through initiatives such as the Belt and Road. And it threatens economic consequences for perceived misdeeds.”

Drawing a parallel with the strategic competition during the Cold War, Mr Frydenberg said there were “important differences this time around” because of how deeply China was integrated within the global economy and trading system.

“During the Cold War, the ­Soviet Union was largely cut off from the rest of the world,” he said. “It did not trade or invest much outside of its sphere of influence.

“Contrast this to the present day. The IMF estimates that China’s share of global GDP will increase to 18.8 per cent in 2021, up from just 7.7 per cent in 2001.

“Almost 130 countries now have China as their largest trading partner. This combination of economic weight, global integration and assertiveness poses new and significant challenges for many countries around the world.”

Mr Frydenberg’s new “China-plus” strategy would see business leaders working harder to diversify away from the Chinese market, investing in cyber security and developing more secure supply chains.

While he said China had “recently sought to target Australia’s economy”, he provided an assurance the nation would always remain “steadfast in defending our sovereignty and our core values”.

“We have faced increasing pressure to compromise on our core values. And when we have stood firm, as we always will, we have been subjected to economic coercion,” Mr Frydenberg said.

“Our task is to prepare for and manage this competition. And in this new world, economic resilience is key. Key to our strategic interests and key to our economic interests … our economic and security interests increasingly overlap.”

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14526202

File: 231e14c6e14ae9f⋯.jpg (88.82 KB, 1600x900, 16:9, Australia_wants_its_mutual….jpg)

>>14526196

2/2

Local exporters of wine, seafood, barley and coal have already suffered the partial or complete loss of their major international markets after China cited a list of 14 “so-called” grievances with Australia to justify trade sanctions.

The complaints ranged from Australia’s call for an international inquiry into the origins of the Covid-19 virus to the tightening of the foreign investment regime that Beijing believes unfairly targeted Chinese companies.

But Mr Frydenberg said that exporters had proved “remarkably resilient” and that, “despite China’s wide-ranging actions, our economy has continued to perform very strongly”.

“Many of the firms and industries targeted by China’s trade ­restrictions have also been successful in re-directing goods to other export destinations,” Mr Frydenberg said.

Australia’s trade surplus hit a record $28.9bn in the June quarter, boosted by record commodity prices including iron ore, for which China remains the No. 1 customer.

Mr Frydenberg also pointed to Australia’s unemployment rate, which dropped to 4.6 per cent in July – the lowest level in about 13 years – albeit ahead of the devastating impact of the Delta lockdowns in NSW and Victoria.

“A strong economy is the foundation of a country’s resilience and strategic weight. And our strong and flexibly economy has served us well,” he said.

Of the goods targeted by trade actions, Australia’s exports to China are estimated to have fallen about $5.4bn over the year to the June quarter. Over the same ­period, however, exports of those goods to the rest of the world have increased $4.4bn.

The Treasurer said he was “not downplaying the impact of China’s actions”, arguing that ­Beijing’s trade actions did “carry a cost” to both nations.

“They have hurt specific industries and regions, significantly in some cases. Nevertheless, the overall impact on our economy has, to date, been relatively modest. This is perhaps surprising to many,” he said.

But Mr Frydenberg said the trade measures also “rob Chinese consumers of premium Australian wine, seafood and other goods”.

“We would both be better off if markets were allowed to operate freely,” he said.

Mr Frydenberg said Australian businesses would “need to ­enhance their own resilience”.

“Many have worked hard to access the lucrative Chinese market. This has brought great benefits to them and to Australia overall. And they should continue to pursue these opportunities where they can,” he said.

“But going forward, businesses also need to be aware that the world has changed. And that this creates greater uncertainty and risk.”

“In this respect, they should ­always be looking to diversify their markets, and not overly rely on any one country. Essentially adopting a ‘China plus’ strategy.

“And in the same way that governments are investing in economic resilience. So too, should Australian businesses – from cyber risks to supply chains and everything in between.”

Mr Frydenberg said the government was taking steps to bolster economic resilience and business needed to develop their own long-term plans.

“This is a responsibility we all need to take very seriously,” he said.

The Treasurer also said that Australia would “always choose partnerships ahead of conflict, wherever we can”.

“However, heightened strategic competition is the new ­reality we face, now and likely into the future,” he said.

“Our task is to prepare for and manage this competition. And in this new world, economic resilience is key – key to our strategic interests and key to our economic interests.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/no-retreat-in-face-of-china-threat-josh-frydenberg/news-story/4323dbef1e022e6bd78525a7a1fe333e

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83c3ef  No.14526484

File: f8144a4c9fe55a9⋯.pdf (11.03 MB, Aust_Gov_Corruption_Eviden….pdf)

Aust.Gov_Corruption_Evidence_C_01

Romans 11:4

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83c3ef  No.14526540

>>14526484

Due to board issues the evidence can be accessed here for the next 10 days

https://filepost.io/d/TV38WYgtci

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deef8a  No.14529102

File: 653a3f4f0ab996c⋯.jpg (69.46 KB, 960x640, 3:2, People_in_protective_face_….jpg)

>>14404403

Sydney COVID-19 cases seen topping 2,000 a day as Australia ramps up vaccinations

Renju Jose - September 6, 2021

SYDNEY, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Sydney, the epicentre of Australia's biggest coronavirus outbreak, is expected to see daily infections peak next week, authorities said on Monday, as they look to speed up immunisations before easing lockdown rules.

Australia is trying to contain a third wave of infections that has hit its two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, and its capital Canberra, forcing more than half the country's 25 million people into strict stay-at-home restrictions.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the government's modelling revealed the state would require its highest number of intensive care beds in early October, with "additional pressure on the system" in the next few weeks.

Daily cases in Sydney's worst-affected suburbs are expected to rise to as high as 2,000 until the middle of this month, the modelling showed.

"If too many of us do the wrong thing, (if) there are too many super-spreading events, we could see those numbers higher," Berejiklian said during a media briefing in Sydney, the state capital.

A total of 1,071 COVID-19 cases are currently in New South Wales hospitals, with 177 people in intensive care (ICU), 67 of whom require ventilation. Officials have said they had quadrupled ICU beds to about 2,000 in the state early last year to handle the pandemic.

The state reported 1,281 new cases on Monday, most of them in Sydney, down from 1,485 a day earlier. Five new deaths were recorded. Victoria state, which includes Melbourne, reported 246 new cases on Monday, its biggest daily rise of the year.

Despite the recent outbreaks, Australia's coronavirus numbers have remained relatively low at around 63,000 cases and 1,044 deaths helped by hard lockdowns and border restrictions.

But businesses have had to bear the brunt, with Australia on the brink of a second recession in as many years.

Melbourne's giant observation wheel, part of the city's skyline for more than 15 years, will close permanently due to COVID-related "travel restrictions and sustained shutdowns", its operator said on Monday.

Australian Industry Group, meanwhile, has warned the country could face power blackouts in summer if quarantine-weary workers refuse to cross state borders for repairs and maintenance.

VACCINE RUSH

Authorities have pledged more freedom of movement, including opening of state borders, once 70% to 80% of the population aged over 16 is vaccinated, although some virus-free states may delay their reopening plans due to the Delta outbreak in Sydney.

Just over 38% of Australia's adult population has been fully vaccinated, with the country expected to reach 70% by early November based on current rates.

The federal government has doubled the available Pfizer doses for September after last week entering into vaccine swap deals with Britain and Singapore for a total of around 4.5 million doses, with nearly half a million arriving overnight.

"There will be another set of flights in a couple of days, but we'll pretty much be getting a million of the four million every week over the next four weeks," Lieutenant General John Frewen, head of the vaccination taskforce, told broadcaster ABC.

Frewen said one million doses of Moderna will also reach Australia in "a week or so", becoming the third vaccine to join the rollout along with Pfizer and AstraZeneca shots.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-takes-delivery-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-britain-2021-09-06/

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deef8a  No.14529131

File: 9d3ca7c7552206a⋯.jpg (95.34 KB, 1088x725, 1088:725, Flags_of_Five_Eyes_members.jpg)

Five Eyes invitation may come with costs

South Korea will have greater access to classified intelligence from the US but Chinese backlash seems inevitable

Lee Ji-yoon - Sept 6, 2021

South Korea has received a fresh invitation from the world’s most exclusive intelligence-sharing alliance, the so-called Five Eyes, but experts warn there is no such thing as free lunch in diplomacy.

Last week, the US House of Representatives submitted a draft bill to the National Defense Authorization for the 2022 fiscal year, asking the US administration to consider expanding the Five Eyes program that currently consists of five English-speaking democracies: the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Along with Korea, three other nations, including Japan, India and Germany, were proposed as possible new members.

“The Five Eyes is an extremely exclusive intelligence alliance. The joining of three Asian nations would mean the alliance’s bigger presence in the Indo-Pacific region where the US is uniting allies to counter China’s growing power,” said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University.

“For Korea, it is absolutely an opportunity to have access to high-quality intelligence. But that would come with sizeable costs, especially in its relations with China.”

The US-led Five Eyes started in 1946 during the Cold War as a mechanism for monitoring the Soviet Union and sharing classified intelligence. Then, it has evolved into a more extensive alliance that transcends security and business spheres, with a majority of intelligence coming from Washington.

Korea and the US have also long shared classified intelligence but mostly on North Korea’s military and nuclear activities. Under the Five Eyes program, Korea is expected to have greater access to a much wider scope of intelligence on international affairs.

The issue is that now the unstated priority of the decades-old alliance is countering China’s influence and Korea is likely to face renewed pressure to choose between its biggest ally, the US, and its biggest trading partner, China.

In May 2020, the Five Eyes alliance agreed to expand its role in presenting a unified voice on human rights and democracy as well, voicing out concerns on issues like China’s territorial claims over the South China Sea and suppression of democracy in Hong Kong. China has vehemently protested against the allegations.

Even the current arrangement has struggled with members’ varying interests depending on their ties with the Chinese economy. At the time, New Zealand opted out of countering China, while Australia was slapped with a series of trade sanctions from China.

“It remains to be seen whether Korea will join the Five Eyes considering multiple factors like consensus among member nations and the willingness of the Korean government,” Park said.

“What’s clear is the Biden administration’s foreign policy is pivoting to the Indo-Pacific following its exit from Afghanistan. More invitations that require Korea’s tough decisions are likely to come in the future.”

The US draft bill will be reviewed at House and Senate subcommittees to be included in the final bill, with the deadline set for May 22 next year. The US government will make its final decision after consultations with current and future member nations.

The Korean government has not yet expressed its official stance on the issue, citing the still nascent phase of discussions in the US.

Early this year, there was speculation that Korea was mulling its entry to the Quad, an informal regional grouping of the US, Japan, India and Australia that discusses economic and security partnership and aims to bolster their ties against a more assertive China.

In the summit talks with President Joe Biden in May, President Moon Jae-in said the nation was willing to join any “open and inclusive” regional alliances, including the Quad, if necessary.

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210906000823

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deef8a  No.14529186

File: f9375cc58427cef⋯.jpg (47.77 KB, 620x413, 620:413, Australia_as_a_close_and_f….jpg)

US alliance gives Australia prestige in Asia

Some argue that a close relationship with the United States limits our capacity to engage in our region. From experience, the opposite is true.

Alexander Downer - Sep 5, 2021

1/2

A friend sent me a video clip of president Ronald Reagan’s valedictory address to the American people. It was moving stuff.

He talked about the United States as a shining city on a hill “where people of all kinds could live in harmony and peace”. He called America “a beacon and a magnet for all who must have freedom”.

It’s a truism that recent presidents have failed to live up to those ideals. They have allowed the US to become increasingly divided, and not just politically.

The deeper tragedy is the intensity of the divisions in the US driven by critical theory: opinion leaders in politics, the media, academia and even business these days aren’t drawing Americans together but driving them apart according to their races, their genders and their sexuality.

And rather than expressing pride in American achievements, the elites trash their country’s history. It’s tragic to watch.

Gone is the soaring rhetoric about freedom and the equal value of all individuals in the eyes of God. That’s been replaced with nothing but divisive bitterness from presidents downwards.

It’s not surprising, then, that the US is struggling to provide global leadership to liberal democracies. It allowed the Russians to deliver victory for President Bashar al-Assad in Syria; allowed China to seize, illegally, territory in the South China Sea and militarise it; and now Afghanistan. There has been a decade of decline.

Well, there’s no point in whingeing about it. We need to ask ourselves, what are we going to do?

In Europe, there is much discussion following the Afghanistan debacle about whether Britain and France should now come together and at least partially fill the geopolitical vacuum left by the US.

It’s not a serious proposition. Both of those countries have substantial military forces with force projection capability, and they have a great deal of soft power. But they have nothing like the power of the US. They simply don’t have the weight to take over the leadership role from the Americans.

But it is interesting that there should be debate of this kind. It is a reflection of the depth of concern about the failure of American leadership in recent times.

What the liberal democracies need to do is rally to the US, not run, and give the Biden administration encouragement to remain engaged globally and to provide more coherent leadership.

There are three things that could be done, and Australia, as a close and faithful ally of the US should be able to influence American thinking on these issues.

First, the US needs to be encouraged to lead the liberal democratic world. It will find that easier to do if Americans can reunite around the country’s traditional values. That requires leadership from the President downwards.

There’s not much we can do about that, but Biden should know that the extent to which the president can unite his people around a guiding set of principles does have an impact on America’s standing in the world.

(continued)

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deef8a  No.14529188

File: 695c055bc776280⋯.jpg (123.1 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, As_Joe_Biden_says_this_gre….jpg)

>>14529186

2/2

Second, after the Afghanistan debacle, Biden needs to rally the major liberal democracies.

In particular, he needs to build on the work of the Atlantic Council and other thinkers to strengthen what is known as the D10. This is the proposal that the G7 countries, plus Australia, South Korea and India, should sign up to a modern-day version of the Atlantic Charter and develop a collaborative structure designed to underwrite and strengthen the Western alliance.

Only the Americans can make this work, and already Biden has alluded to developing this model. Now would be the perfect time for him to climb back on his horse and work out ways of rebuilding the unity of the liberal democratic world.

That unity is urgently needed because the post-World War II, rules-based international order underwritten by the US and its allies is being challenged by China, Iran and Russia, as well as their client states.

Just as we have seen off other challenges to that order, so this too must be contained if the international order is to survive. If it doesn’t survive, we all face a dystopian future.

Third the US needs to reaffirm its commitment to its alliances. At a difficult time like this, it has to be careful not to look as though it is either taking those alliances for granted or downgrading the importance that it attaches to them.

The key alliances that it needs to nurture are NATO, the alliances with Japan and South Korea, and the ANZUS alliance. For their part, the allies need to keep the faith with the US.

Australia has appropriately celebrated the 70th anniversary of ANZUS. It’s been important to do that, and we show the Americans how highly we value that alliance.

I’ve often explained to Australians that there is much more to ANZUS than mutual defence. It gives us extraordinary access to American military technology and equipment, to intelligence, and - not to be underestimated - personal access to the leadership of the US.

I must have attended more AUSMIN meetings than almost any other Australian. That doesn’t mean much, of course, but I can speak from experience: very few other countries have the same access year after year to the US Secretary of State and Secretary of Defence, as well as people such as the National Security Adviser, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the head of the CIA.

I came to know these people well, and in some cases they became my friends. I still keep in touch with the likes of Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice.

It gives us an enormous advantage in terms of promoting our national interests given the huge power of the US.

Some have argued that a close relationship with the Americans limits our capacity to engage in our neighbourhood. I say, from experience, the opposite is true. We gain huge prestige in the Indo-Pacific region from a particularly close relationship with the US.

Whether we take that advantage or not depends very much on the Australian government of the day. Some of our ministers have, and some haven’t. It just depends.

Finally, a word of caution. Biden may not be up to the standards of a Roosevelt, Eisenhower or a Reagan, but he is in office, and he’s the one we have to deal with. There’s no point in the Australian government criticising him. They just have to get along with him and his administration as best they can.

I may be wrong, but I doubt Biden will last more than one term as president. It may be that an inspiring successor will burst through the pack and the US will once more resume its unqualified and admired leadership role of the world’s liberal democracies.

Let’s pray for that.

Alexander Downer was Australia's longest serving foreign minister, from 1996 to 2007, and most recently Australian High Commissioner to the UK.

https://www.afr.com/policy/foreign-affairs/us-alliance-gives-australia-prestige-in-asia-20210901-p58nyk

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deef8a  No.14529254

File: 1c2fba90744e388⋯.jpg (123.89 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Parents_are_being_urged_to….jpg)

File: acc7075162da856⋯.jpg (75.13 KB, 1200x600, 2:1, Closing_The_Net.jpg)

Police call on community to help as online child abuse grows

Fergus Hunter - September 5, 2021

Police have called on the community to face up to difficult conversations about the growing danger of online child exploitation, warning that offenders are being charged almost every second day and do not conform to a stereotype of a creepy man in a hat and trench coat.

Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Lesa Gale said child exploitation is more common in Australia than many appreciate and is “becoming more violent and more sadistic” as predators take advantage of young people’s online habits.

To mark National Child Protection Week, the AFP is highlighting the growing phenomenon of offenders grooming children and soliciting sexual images from them on a range of social media, messaging and gaming platforms.

There can be as few as three sentences exchanged between a predator and child online before sexual content is provided, an AFP officer said, and victims often end up being blackmailed into providing more material.

“We need to do more, not just in our arrest rate and in our interventions, but in the prevention, education and awareness to make sure we keep our children safe online,” AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said in a new episode of Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation podcast Closing the Net.

He warned “predators have adapted and … used quite sophisticated techniques to groom and harm our children”.

As touchscreens make internet use more accessible to young children, an emerging category of risk has seen children as young as four years old uploading naked images when left unsupervised.

One parent, identified as Lizzie, told the podcast her teenage daughter sent a nude image over Snapchat to someone she thought was 14. When she subsequently refused to send any more, the man blackmailed her and threatened to distribute the photo.

“She didn’t believe he would do it. And he did. He sent it to … not just school friends, but school kids that are around her,” Lizzie said.

The photo was subsequently shared among children at the school and used to bully Lizzie’s daughter.

Assistant Commissioner Gale urged parents and carers to pay attention to child protection advice, understand what their children are doing online and have open conversations with them about the dangers.

“The biggest misconception is that parents think it won’t happen to them, and it won’t be their kids. But let me tell you … it can happen to you and your children,” she said.

Between July 2020 and June 2021, the child exploitation centre received more than 22,000 reports of online sexual exploitation in Australia.

In an open letter to Australian parents, Assistant Commissioner Gale said investigators were constantly working to protect children and arrest predators and wanted tip-offs from the community.

“Almost every second day, the AFP reveals another offender has been charged with online child sexual abuse-related charges,” she said.

“But parents also need to give their children the confidence to speak up if they have been targeted or abused.”

One AFP officer said the stereotype of offenders does not always conform to a stereotype depicted in movies or media coverage.

“The reality is that online offenders can be any age, any gender, from any background and from all walks of life. So, they’re not always the creepy older male lurking in their parents’ basement that we often see portrayed,” the officer said.

Those arrested by police are male and female, employed and unemployed, partnered and single.

One AFP officer urged parents to understand what content children see online, how they interact with others, and the platforms and applications they use.

The approach is “pro-technology” and aims to help families have trusting relationships to avoid online dangers and respond to any incidents.

The ThinkUKnow education program is provided in languages other than English to help migrant parents strengthen their understanding of risks in the online environment and how child grooming can happen.

Advice on reporting abuse can be found at the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation website. If this article has raised concerns for you, support is available by phoning Lifeline on 13 11 14.

http://www.accce.gov.au/

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

https://www.thinkuknow.org.au/

https://www.smh.com.au/national/police-call-on-community-to-help-as-online-child-abuse-grows-20210905-p58oxd.html

Closing The Net

A podcast series that explores the world of the ACCCE - men and women policing the ‘borderless crime’ of online child sexual exploitation, their commitment to preventing abuse, and their dedication to seeking justice for the victims.

https://omny.fm/shows/closing-the-net

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2e5617  No.14530937

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14529254

Closing The Net, Season 2 - Official Podcast Trailer

Australian Centre To Counter Child Exploitation

Sep 6, 2021

Following the success of the 10-part podcast series Closing The Net, we have released two new episodes.

Coinciding with National Child Protection Week these episodes focus on the importance of education and awareness, as well as exploring the ACCCE market research around why parents find online child sexual exploitation and online safety hard topics to discuss.

Narrated by Australian actress and mother, Caroline Craig, Season Two highlights that only with knowledge and information can Australian families act to prevent these crimes and be empowered to report inappropriate behaviour towards children online.

We encourage all Australian’s to listen and start the conversation.

Learn more about the #ACCCEpodcast and listen to #ClosingTheNet by visiting accce.gov.au/closingthenet or on any popular podcast streaming platform.

Thank you to our inspiring partners for their contribution to Season Two! ThinkUKnow Australia, Australian Federal Police, Office of the eSafety Commissioner, Play Your Part NAPCAN, Child Wise, Neighbourhood Watch Australasia, Microsoft, and Yourtown Australia. #NCPW21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKdny6abAzY

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2e5617  No.14533934

File: a02dd16ff5d6e19⋯.jpg (126.25 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Di_Sanh_Duong_has_been_on_….jpg)

Former Liberal candidate will contest foreign interference charges

Tammy Mills and Erin Pearson - September 7, 2021

The first person to be prosecuted in Australia under the country’s foreign interference laws has signalled he will be contesting the charges.

Di Sanh Duong, a former Liberal Party candidate, was charged last November with preparing an act of foreign interference after an investigation by the country’s spy agency ASIO and federal police.

Mr Duong, 65, appeared before an online Melbourne Magistrates Court hearing on Tuesday morning where his barrister, Charles Morgan, said multiple facts were in issue in the “novel offence”.

“It’s not been litigated yet in Australia, is that what you’re saying?” magistrate Susan Wakeling asked.

“That’s right,” Mr Morgan confirmed.

The foreign interference offence, which carries a maximum jail term of 10 years, was introduced in 2018.

Ms Wakeling extended Mr Duong’s bail ahead of a three-day committal hearing from March 15 that will test the strength of the evidence against him.

The court heard the police investigator will be the main witness to be cross-examined.

The Age previously revealed Mr Duong, 65, ran for the Liberal Party in the state seat of Richmond in 1996.

He has also previously been named as on the board of the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification.

Mr Duong, who also uses the name Sunny Duong, is also the president of Oceania Federation of Chinese Associations, a global group for people of Chinese descent who come from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/former-liberal-candidate-will-contest-foreign-interference-charges-20210907-p58ph2.html

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2e5617  No.14533959

File: bb3008f1b6898b5⋯.jpg (67.75 KB, 959x639, 959:639, Foreign_Minister_Marise_Pa….jpg)

Free trade deal with India on the agenda as Payne, Dutton take Indo-Pacific trip

Anthony Galloway - September 7, 2021

Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Peter Dutton will explore new trade opportunities with India and Indonesia on a whirlwind visit to four different countries through the Indo-Pacific region over the next week.

China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea, including its new law forcing foreign vessels to submit to Chinese supervision in its “territorial waters”, will also be on the agenda.

Senator Payne and Mr Dutton will travel to Jakarta on Thursday for talks with their two Indonesian counterparts before talks in India on Saturday. After stopping off in one other country, they will then travel to Washington for the annual Australia–US Ministerial talks with Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The prospect of a free trade deal with India will be discussed at the meeting in New Delhi after the country’s top diplomat this week said there was a “tailwind” behind the negotiations.

The two countries have tried to ink a trade deal in the past but India’s comparatively high tariffs, especially on agricultural products, have always proved to be a sticking point.

Trade Minister Dan Tehan last month revealed India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal had agreed to resume negotiations and he had dispatched Tony Abbott to New Delhi to kickstart the discussions. During his time as prime minister, Mr Abbott had a close relationship with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

Mr Tehan said on Tuesday his government was “working to further enhance and strengthen Australia’s relationship with India” and there was “significant opportunity to increase trade between our nations, including Australia’s export of resources and other commodities, such as wool”.

“In July, I provided a proposal to Minister Goyal on strengthening the economic relationship and I asked former prime minister the Hon Tony Abbott AC to travel to India to reinforce and follow up on this proposal.

“Both countries are committing additional resources towards progressing our trade relationship and Australia welcomes the positive comments from India about this process. While it is very welcome that both countries want to progress the CECA this year, it will require a serious commitment from both sides to get this done in this timeframe.”

Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told the Australian National University’s JG Crawford Oration on Monday night that he had a “real sense that we are progressing this time”.

“There is a tailwind, which we hope will get us past the post.”

He said there was “a sense at our end that this is a very underperforming relationship”, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi was always telling him to “do more with Australia. Find a way of improving this relationship.”

Senator Payne and Mr Dutton will talk with their two Indonesian counterparts about how to get more out of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed between the two countries last year. The agreement signed the two nations up to advancing trade and economic opportunities and cooperating to counter security threats in the region.

They will also talk about how to boost the presence of the “Quad” grouping of countries which includes Australia, the US, India and Japan, the re-emergence of which has angered Beijing.

The meetings come on the backdrop of China announcing a new law requiring foreign shipping to give notice before entering any waters it claims as its own, including in the South China Sea.

Senator Payne and Mr Dutton will also look to talk with the US about how to better counter Beijing’s “grey zone” attacks including the more than $20 billion in trade strikes against Australia over the past 18 months. China has also refused to return the calls of Australian ministers over Canberra’s call for an inquiry into COVID-19 and other national security decisions.

One of Australia’s most senior diplomats on Tuesday said Australia would only restart dialogue with China if there were “no preconditions”.

“Slowly we have to work through these challenges and I think the government of Australia, as you’ve seen, isn’t going to lurch from one policy position to the other,” said Justin Hayhurst, a deputy secretary with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/free-trade-deal-with-india-on-the-agenda-as-payne-dutton-take-indo-pacific-trip-20210907-p58phe.html

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2e5617  No.14533972

File: 973448679ea9fb2⋯.jpg (360.21 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, Bottles_of_Australian_wine….jpg)

>>14526196

Australia seeks competition with China

Finding alternative markets is unrealistic: experts

GT staff reporters - Sep 06, 2021

1/2

Instead of improving trade ties with China, Australia's Morrison administration is advocating a return to "strategic competition" and proposed a "China-plus" strategy to diversify Australia's export destinations. Experts called the move economically unwise and strategically erratic to the detriment of the wellbeing of the Australian economy.

"Australia is on the frontline of the new strategic competition… Our task is to prepare for and manage this competition. And in this new world, economic resilience is key," Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said on Monday in a speech in Canberra.

He said businesses should redirect their products to new markets in order to reduce reliance on Chinese market, which is "essentially adopting a 'China-plus' strategy."

"Frydenberg's speech is fraught with misidentifications and miscalculations. It parrots [US Secretary of State] Blinken by positioning Australia in a self-perceived engagement in strategic competition with China.

"It claims Australia's economy has performed not badly, even though trade relations with China are in unprecedented disarray," Chen Hong, director of the Australian Studies Center at East China Normal University in Shanghai, told the Global Times on Monday.

There have been no new trade disputes between China and Australia lately. "The treasurer's unprovoked war-cry of a trade severance with China is odd, economically unwise and strategically erratic," Chen said.

Australian relations with China soured after Canberra, following the US blindly, banned Chinese tech giant Huawei from its 5G network rollout in 2018, citing so-called national security concerns. Ties have deteriorated further since the middle of last year after Canberra called for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

Australian barley and wine exports to China have encountered higher duties since last year, after they were found to have dumped in the Chinese market.

In March, China started to impose anti-dumping duties ranging from 116.2-218.4 percent on Australian wine. According to the ruling, dumping and subsidies have occurred in imported Australian wine, which caused substantial damage to the Chinese wine industry. Since May last year, China began imposing an anti-dumping duty of 73.6 percent and an anti-subsidy duty of 6.9 percent on Australian barley.

"Frydenberg's 'China-plus' strategy is in essence 'China-minus'. He tries to deceive the Australian business community into believing that Australia's economy could sustain [growth] without China. His misleading design to decouple from China is bound to backfire, hurting Australia's own interests," Chen noted.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14533973

File: dfb4bb3d39502ef⋯.jpg (122.32 KB, 892x501, 892:501, Social_Media_Strikes_Back_….jpg)

>>14533972

2/2

The Australian economy has benefited substantially from its trade surplus with China over the years, with the latter accounting for over 30 percent of Australia's total trade.

Australia's two-way trade with China edged down 3 percent last year to A$245 billion ($176.97 billion), outperforming a 13 percent decline in Australia's global two-way trade. Its goods and services exports to China fell 6 percent year-on-year to A$159 billion in 2020, data from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade showed.

"The Morrison government has picked an unsuitable moment to champion the return of 'strategic competition' when China's trade with other countries is booming. Even China-US trade has shown signs of recovery and sizable growth," said Zhou Fangyin, a professor at the Guangdong Research Institute for International Strategies.

Zhou told the Global Times on Monday that Australia is unable to detect trends in a timely manner.

He added that it is tricky and time-consuming process to diversify export markets, and it is "technically unrealistic to hold hopes that other export destinations will make up for the losses that Australia has suffered in the China market."

Frydenberg stressed the belief that Australian trade and businesses will rebound resiliently without interacting with China, and he intentionally avoided the huge impact and losses at the moment and in future, as China's massive consumer market still has huge room to grow, according to Zhou.

Australia is facing strong economic headwinds resulting from recent Delta variant outbreak across the country. In addition, a huge proportion of Australian exports to China have been going downhill, with tourism and education stalled due to the international travel restrictions. If iron ore is discounted, Australia's trade with China actually has fallen by more than 27 percent.

There has been an increase of government and other public expenditures, and stimulus packages have been made available to sectors of the economy. However, the new short-term economic incentives are not conducive to sustainable development.

Although Australia's June quarter GDP beat expectations, growing by 9.6 percent year-on-year as announced last week, severe lockdowns in the states of Victoria and New South Wales due to the Delta variant are expected to lead to a contraction in the third quarter, observers said.

Chen said that the third and fourth quarters are unquestionably going to be tougher, as iron ore exports to China will be lower, which has not necessarily been reflected in the second-quarter statistics, but will be evident in the coming two quarters.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1233488.shtml

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2e5617  No.14533979

File: 3182501831354b6⋯.jpg (118.38 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Australian_Federal_Police_….jpg)

>>14529254

>>14530937

Covid-19 lockdown ‘hiding sexual predators’, says AFP

ADESHOLA ORE - SEPTEMBER 6, 2021

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw has warned that Covid-19 lockdowns are hiding the reality of forced marriages and instances of sexual servitude and slavery.

Mr Kershaw will tell the ­National Women’s Safety Summit on Tuesday that it is vital for the nation to have an honest conversation about perpetrators of violence without being constrained by a politically correct agenda.

In a draft version of his ­address, Mr Kershaw said the contributing factors to family and domestic ­violence could be “hard to hear” but that it was imperative to bring the discussion into the open.

“Some perpetrators may think they are not doing anything wrong and we need to call that out, no matter their background or ethnicity,” Mr Kershaw said. “Perpetrators want to keep discussions about child sexual abuse taboo. That, coupled with secrets and the perception of shame, enables predators to keep offending.”

Mr Kershaw also said the pandemic had fuelled the prevalence of online child abuse, with predators more easily able to find ­victims who were spending increased amounts of time online because of stay-at-home orders.

During the past financial year, the federal police and its partners have charged 235 people with more than 2700 child abuse-­related offences, with the AFP chief arguing the best form of ­protection and prevention was education.

“We must talk to our children about how to stay safe, not only in the real world, but the online world too,” he said. “We know that these conversations we have about child sexual abuse – and the ones we will have on domestic and family violence during this summit – will be confronting and uncomfortable.”

The speech comes after the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation last week launched a nationwide campaign to dismantle stigma about child sexual abuse and ­encourage kids to speak out.

The campaign, which features abuse survivor and Australian of the Year Grace Tame, follows ­research that found parents were often so sickened by the thought of abuse they would shy away from speaking to their child about it.

Mr Kershaw will also point to findings from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse that it took, on average, almost 24 years for victims to speak about their abuse.

“That is not uncommon. We know there are too many victims who are not yet survivors because they are still within reach of their abusers,” he said. “That means if victims of abuse are brave enough to speak up, then as a community we need to be brave enough to ­listen and act.

“If it used to take a village to raise a child, today, because of ­advances in technology, it now takes a country to keep them safe.”

Addressing the issue of forced marriage, Mr Kershaw outlined how school closures and disconnection from community services had made it harder for people to report alleged offences.

He believed that lockdowns have contributed to an under-reporting of forced marriage and sexual slavery in Australia. He ­revealed the AFP reported a 62 per cent fall in reports of forced marriage in the first six months of the pandemic compared to the same period the previous year.

“Borders do not have to be open for forced marriage to happen in Australia,” he said. “The AFP is very alive to how the pandemic is either fuelling or hiding crimes.”

Mr Kershaw drew on several examples of modern slavery including a woman from The Philippines who, after travelling to Australia on a tourist visa to support a family after the birth of their child, was prevented from leaving and coerced into forced labour.

“In some cases, women vulnerable to these crimes are also the victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence,” he said. “And this is often where state and commonwealth offences intersect.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/covid19-lockdown-hiding-sexual-predators-says-afp/news-story/4ff29c2548474709a684109820f6b48e

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2e5617  No.14534007

File: 1b303d5892fe7cc⋯.jpg (395.57 KB, 1280x853, 1280:853, U_S_Marine_Corps_Staff_Sgt….jpg)

File: 48d7d94ddd48ded⋯.jpg (158.86 KB, 1024x1280, 4:5, Royal_Australian_Air_Force….jpg)

File: a20aa31b338de16⋯.jpg (171.46 KB, 1280x853, 1280:853, The_Ticonderoga_class_guid….jpg)

>>14501858

U.S. Department of Defense

Anniversary Marks 70 Years of Australia, New Zealand, U.S. Treaty

AUG. 31, 2021 - JIM GARAMONE, DOD NEWS

The U.S. military is marking the 70th anniversary of its alliance with America's closest Pacific allies — Australia and New Zealand.

The Australia, New Zealand and United States Security Treaty was signed in San Francisco on Sept. 1, 1951. The pact formally committed the nations to protect the security of the Pacific together, but its roots go much deeper.

In 1907, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt sent the Great White Fleet of U.S. warships around the world. The voyage of American battleships and other vessels marked the emergence of the U.S. Navy as a worldwide force to be reckoned with. The fleet visited New Zealand and Australia as part of its swing through the Pacific. Fully 10 percent of the population of the nation of New Zealand turned out to see the ships when they arrived in Auckland in August 1908. In Sydney Harbor later that month, around 500,000 Australians cheered the fleet as it arrived. Sydney, Australia, had a population of 600,000 at the time.

Fast-forward to July 4, 1918, and the muddy Hell of the Western Front in France. Australian and American soldiers went into battle against the Germans side-by-side in one of the first battles involving Americans.

In World War II, American, Australian and New Zealand forces fought alongside each other around the world. From the coast of Java to the sands of North Africa and from the jungles of New Guinea to the mountains of Italy, the nations cooperated. Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands; Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; the Coral Sea; Okinawa, Japan; Monte Cassino, Italy; Tunis, Tunisia; the Po Valley, Italy; and more were places hallowed by the shared sacrifices of the Kiwis, Aussies and Yanks.

The three nations signed the pact in 1951 at a time when they were fighting alongside each other in Korea. Australian and Kiwis fought in Vietnam and were again operating together during Desert Storm.

When America was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001, Australian Prime Minister John Howard invoked the mutual defense portion of the treaty in support of the United States. Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria became places where the "mates" stood together once again.

The three nations share intelligence, plan together, exercise together, and operate together. It would be hard to find a peacekeeping or humanitarian operation where they don't cooperate.

Today, Australian and New Zealand officers work as integral members of the Joint Staff in the Pentagon and at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii. American officers man positions with Australian forces in the capital of Canberra.

And the partnership continues to grow. U.S. Air Force personnel work closely with their Royal Australian Air Force counterparts. U.S. Marines — who rotate through the northern Australian city of Darwin — train constantly with their counterparts. U.S. Navy ships operate with New Zealand and Australian ships ensuring freedom of navigation throughout the Pacific. American, New Zealand and Australian special operators train together for a variety of missions.

The ANZUS Pact was important in 1951 when the world faced the threat of the Soviet Union. It remains important in 2021 when the international situation is becoming more and more complex.

https://www.defense.gov/Explore/News/Article/Article/2760211/anniversary-marks-70-years-of-australia-new-zealand-us-treaty/

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2e5617  No.14534027

File: a8b4fe737c946ec⋯.jpg (544.95 KB, 825x1013, 825:1013, JMOD_1.jpg)

File: 59666689078607d⋯.jpg (49.37 KB, 538x358, 269:179, E_lFj3xVIAoarL6.jpg)

>>14484206

Japan Ministry of Defense/Self-Defense Forces Tweet

From August 23, #JMSDF @USNavy @IndianNavy & @Australian_Navy are conducting #Malabar2021 in the waters and airspace of Guam and Philippine Sea. Collaboration of (Japan, United States of America, India and Australia), who share fundamental values, is essential for upholding and reinforcing #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific.

https://twitter.com/ModJapan_en/status/1434754443405193223

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2e5617  No.14534035

File: 732f98a53864884⋯.jpg (550.74 KB, 938x753, 938:753, MRF_D_31.jpg)

File: 75a948b2250cf08⋯.jpg (815.33 KB, 2048x1365, 2048:1365, 239480890_207883181374173_….jpg)

File: 69cbeeb79ac2e9c⋯.jpg (254.07 KB, 2048x1365, 2048:1365, 240465376_207883008040857_….jpg)

File: a3b7da7bfc68a76⋯.jpg (545.21 KB, 2048x1365, 2048:1365, 239767849_207885141373977_….jpg)

File: 8de933a5871bb0f⋯.jpg (353.39 KB, 2048x1244, 512:311, 239936230_207882918040866_….jpg)

Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post

5 September 2021

Join us on September 10 from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Robertson Barracks as 1st Brigade - Australian Army hosts a free display of military equipment and personnel at the parade field. Come see trucks, cannons, aircraft, gadgets, weapons, and all the cool things the U.S. Marine Corps and Australian Army Soldiers have used during this 10th iteration of MRF-D. Stay until the end for a late-afternoon ceremony where the leaders of MRF-D and 1st Brigade will give their thanks to the Darwin community and commemorate 10 years of Marines in Darwin.

Attendance for this event will be limited, in accordance with our COVID-Safe plan and NT Health guidelines. QR codes will be present upon arrival.

RSVP for more details at:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/marine-rotational-force-darwin-closing-ceremony-and-community-day-tickets-169541835193

For media contacts, please reach out to the NT Regional Manager for Public Affairs at todd.fitzgerald@defence.gov.au.

Stay tuned to our MRF-D social media for updates and more announcements

https://www.facebook.com/MRFDarwin/posts/207887274707097

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2e5617  No.14534232

File: 0fd87d4f861a4dc⋯.jpg (69.38 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, A_health_worker_prepares_a….jpg)

Covid-19: Anti-vax doctor loses fight to practice medicine

RHIANNON DOWN - SEPTEMBER 6, 2021

A Sydney doctor who promoted anti-vaccination views and spruiked unproven Covid treatments has had his registration suspended, as medical authorities seek to clamp down on the spread of misinformation.

Anaesthetist Paul Oosterhuis fronted the NSW Medical Board over social media posts he shared promoting ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine and warning against “gene therapy” vaccines, in a case he argues was about the right to free speech.

Dr Oosterhuis, who worked as a “good soldier” in the public hospital system for 30 years, has vowed to appeal the decision, claiming he was stripped of his ­license because he refused to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

“I was deeply disappointed they didn’t look at my evidence,” he said. “They didn’t discuss the posts, all they seemed to care about was if I was getting the vaccine.

“I explained the evidence that I was seeing, and they appeared not to want to look at it basically.”

In a marathon five-hour hearing, Dr Oosterhuis said he presented scientific evidence that supported his view that vaccinations contained a “non sterilising agent”, which posed a serious risk, and that Covid-19 could be treated with vitamin D and zinc in combination with ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine.

“Actions like this by the medical council have a chilling effect on the ability of practitioners to speak freely, and exchange ideas,” he said.

However, the medical board said it made the decision on the basis that Dr Oosterhuis’s actions imperilled public trust in the medical system.

“The Medical Council has taken this action in order to protect the health and safety of the public and to maintain confidence in the medical profession,” a spokesperson said.

University of NSW immunologist John Dwyer backed the ­decision, saying doctors had a professional ­responsibility to promote evidence-based medical information, especially when the country was facing a major health crisis.

“Misleading the public at the time where we need genuine ­expertise to give people confidence in how we handle this pandemic is very troubling,” he said.

“The public are confused and feel the medical information hasn’t been clear, and who is an expert and who isn’t.”

Professor Dwyer said by ­nature, anti-vaccination views conflicted with the principals of medicine, and no doctor should harbour them or voice them in public. “I don‘t believe you can be a doctor, and pretend you are ­offering the public evidence-based care, if you hold such a ­belief that vaccination doesn’t work or is dangerous, as the evidence doesn’t support that.”

Dr Oosterhuis had already ­decided not to practise medicine as he once did, instead claiming the fight ahead to overturn the suspension as a matter of scientific principle. “I don’t plan to practice in a system that I don’t think honours basic ethics,” he said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/covid19-antivax-doctor-loses-fight-to-practice-medicine/news-story/e7d8a32a4965008239a21b9028f72901

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0001ba  No.14538166

CodeMonkeyZ [Ron Watkins], [07.09.21 22:13]

[Forwarded from Teora's Truth to Power!]

[ Video ]

NJ calls out Joe Biden for abandoning Americans in Afghanistan. What would a true leader do to fix the situation?

Follow -> @teoratruth

CodeMonkeyZ [Ron Watkins], [07.09.21 22:35]

Medical workers in Australia take note:

https://t.me/CodeMonkeyZ/1522

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0001ba  No.14538169

CodeMonkeyZ [Ron Watkins], [07.09.21 22:13]

[Forwarded from Teora's Truth to Power!]

[ Video ]

NJ calls out Joe Biden for abandoning Americans in Afghanistan. What would a true leader do to fix the situation?

Follow -> @teoratruth

https://t.me/CodeMonkeyZ/1522

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0001ba  No.14538171

CodeMonkeyZ [Ron Watkins], [07.09.21 22:35]

Medical workers in Australia take note:

The mandatory vaccine is now upon you.

You will be de-registered and potentially face prosecution if you don't fall into line.

Will you take a stand? Or do you submit?

https://t.me/CodeMonkeyZ/1523

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2e5617  No.14538978

File: ff1f03f302e22d7⋯.jpg (50.94 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, NSW_Customer_Service_Minis….jpg)

File: d965a2a2111d569⋯.jpg (99.76 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Sydneysiders_could_be_back….jpg)

File: f796e017a9ea2f2⋯.jpg (113.34 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, A_mural_of_former_Prime_Mi….jpg)

Details of vaccine passport trial revealed amid plan to get Sydneysiders back into pubs

Sydney residents in certain suburbs could be the first allowed back to the pub, but they will need to show one crucial document.

Catie McLeod and Erin Lyons - September 8, 2021

Sydneysiders could be allowed back at pubs and restaurants next month as fresh details about vaccine passports have been revealed.

A two-week trial will likely take place before the technology is rolled out.

Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello said the rollout relied on the availability of federal data but once NSW had that information, the trial could start early next month.

“We can then start doing a two-week pilot, we haven’t worked out where they will be yet, for the first two weeks of October,” he told 2GB host Jim Wilson.

“Around that time, we should be hitting the 70 per cent (vaccination) mark.”

The passport would be available inside the Service NSW app, and Mr Dominello said it was essential authorities made it simple to access.

“It’s basically what the industry is calling for,” he said.

“Imagine if you’re 18 or 19 and you go a pub and you need to show your ID, and then you have to check-in, and then you have to show them your vaccine certificate, by the time you actually get your first beer you’ve been waiting 20 minutes.

“That’s why pubs, clubs, major venues or airlines are saying, ‘make it simple’. If you make it easy for the people using it, they will use it.”

He said the idea would be for people to get their vaccine certificate from the federal government and pull it across to the Service NSW app.

Fully vaccinated residents in some parts of Sydney will soon be able to have a drink at a pub as part of the trial.

The scheme will be trialled early next month before it is rolled out across the state once vaccine targets are met.

It’s understood the trial will take place in a part of Sydney with low virus case numbers and a high vaccination rate, which at this stage is much of the northern beaches.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has promised to restore freedoms to fully vaccinated residents once the state hits its 70 per cent double dose target, which is forecast for about October 18.

More than 40 per cent of NSW residents are now fully vaccinated and more than 70 per cent have received their first dose of a vaccine.

Australian Hotels Association NSW director John Green said it made sense for the trial to be in an area that was “manageable”.

“It’s reasonable in the circumstances to assume that a system like this should be tested. We’ve previously worked with Service NSW n terms of checking the QR codes but also digital drivers licences,” he said.

“We’ve been in constant contact with the NSW government since March last year. In relation to the trial that will be a matter that will hopefully be resolved in the next few days.”

The AHA has been campaigning for people to get vaccinated against Covid-19 in a push to reopen the hospitality industry as soon as possible.

“If we’re talking about reopening venues for vaccinated patrons using vaccinated staff in mid October, then people need to get vaccinated now,” Mr Green said.

Ms Berejiklian is forging ahead with plans to begin reopening the state when vaccine targets are reached and has told businesses to be “dusting off your Covid safety plans, making sure your employees are vaccinated” ahead of mid-October.

“That is certainly the date we’re working towards. Initially it was the end of October, but because everybody is coming forward at the rates we’re seeing people come forward, that could be as early as the middle of October,” she said last week.

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/plan-to-get-sydneysiders-back-to-pubs-with-vaccine-passport-trial/news-story/cc659bb9892e337a55e342884de92f15

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2e5617  No.14538984

File: 8cfe9e58784264c⋯.jpg (82.86 KB, 1279x719, 1279:719, Jadd_William_Brooker_has_p….jpg)

File: 8dc9444164d12f9⋯.jpg (111.68 KB, 1279x719, 1279:719, Brooker_s_arrest_sparked_i….jpg)

Notorious HIV-positive pedophile Jadd Brooker charged with 142 more child sex crimes

A predator with HIV has been accused of a further 142 crimes – the highest number of child sex charges filed against a single defendant in Australian legal history.

Sean Fewster - September 8, 2021

HIV-positive sex predator Jadd William Brooker has been charged with a further 142 offences against children following investigations by SA’s anti child abuse task force.

The Advertiser can reveal Brooker was rearrested in his prison cell on Tuesday by detectives from SA Police and the AFP’s Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team.

He appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

Brooker now faces a total of 180 charges – understood to be the highest number of child sex charges filed against a single defendant in Australian legal history.

The nation’s highest sentence for child abuse crimes was set by another South Australian pedophile – Ruecha Tokputza, known as “the child collector”, who was jailed in 2019 for 40 years with a non-parole period of 28 years after pleading guilty to 51 charges.

The majority of the new charges – almost 100 counts – are allegations Brooker used the internet to groom children for sex.

The next-largest category of charges are allegations he disseminated child exploitation material online.

Brooker has also been charged with new counts of obtaining and possessing child exploitation material, including of children under the age of 14 years.

The most serious allegations are four counts of having maintained an unlawful sexual relationship with a child.

JACET alleges Brooker pursued four SA children online, having “prolonged conversations” with some physical contact with others.

In total, JACET alleges Brooker has offended against six “contact victims” within Australia.

He has previously pleaded guilty to offences against two children – a boy in NSW and a teenager who subsequently took his own life.

Brooker, 38, of Glenelg East, has already pleaded guilty in the Magistrates Court to having committed 38 child abuse and child sex crimes over a six-year period.

They arise from the same investigation, and he has yet to be sentenced for those offences.

He confessed to those crimes in three stages, earning substantial sentencing discounts for his pleas each time.

Previously, the court has heard Brooker expressed his intention to infect adults and children with HIV and filmed himself attempting to do so, meaning a victim had to be tested.

Prosecutors alleged he had committed “category five” crimes – involving acts such as coerced bondage, sadism, torture or bestiality – against six children and teenagers.

They also alleged the 4.5 million files of child abuse material on Brooker’s electronic devices could link him to pedophiles in Australia and around the world.

That data led to charges being filed against several other men.

Ex-Labor staffer Ben Waters has pleaded guilty to downloading and transmitting child exploitation material and will face the District Court on Friday.

Former barista Michael Drennan is already serving a prison term for his role in the alleged network.

He was remanded in custody to face court again in November.

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-sa/notorious-hivpositive-pedophile-jadd-brooker-charged-with-142-more-child-sex-crimes/news-story/b592edcd7905b6192e92bfacdc7d386f

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2e5617  No.14538995

File: ea5a59ea08181e4⋯.jpg (241.38 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Defence_Minister_Peter_Dut….jpg)

Peter Dutton’s US missile memo: share your know-how

BEN PACKHAM - SEPTEMBER 8, 2021

1/2

Peter Dutton has signalled greater access to US missile technology will be a key test of the ANZUS ­alliance, ahead of an Australian push for unprecedented defence industry co-operation at high-level talks in Washington.

The Defence Minister, who will travel to the US with Foreign Minister Marise Payne next week for the discussions, said the allies needed to “pool our know-how and resources” to develop new long-range strike weapons, ­offensive cyber and unmanned capabilities – including autonomous and “swarming” drones.

But Mr Dutton, speaking at a closed American Chamber of Commerce in Australia session, said doing so would require the US to deliver on its commitment to ­integrate its closest allies’ defence industries into its congressionally mandated National Technology and Industrial Base.

The NTIB was expanded in 2017 to include Australia and Britain, after the inclusion of Canada in 1993. Despite promising a ­“defence free-trade area” for America’s closest allies, it has so far achieved only limited success in breaking down US export ­control barriers.

Mr Dutton, ahead of the Australia – US Ministerial Consultations, said Washington’s support for Australia’s proposed sovereign guided weapons enterprise would strengthen the nations’ military interoperability. “Bilateral industry support for the enterprise will be a practical demonstration of the strength of our inclusion in the US National Technology and ­Industrial Base,” he said.

Mr Dutton and Senator Payne will arrive in the US on September 16 for the “2+2” AUSMIN talks, after meeting counterparts in South Korea, Indonesia and India.

The Defence Minister said he was confident his first face-to-face meeting with Biden administration counterparts Lloyd Austin and Antony Blinken would “see our alliance level-up”.

Speaking at the same event, US charge d‘affaires Michael Goldman said he expected the AUSMIN talks to deliver “ambitious announcements on force posture, joint exercises and deployments”.

“Exercise Talisman Sabre and (the US marine deployment in Darwin) are excellent initiatives and I expect them to be built upon,” Mr Goldman said.

“On the civilian side I think you will see a renewed focus on Covid, but we will also see clear-eyed recognition of the challenges posed by our strategic competitors and a reinvigorated commitment to dealing with those challenges ­together.”

Scott Morrison will seek to progress the meeting’s outcomes during an expected trip to Washington in October or November.

Growing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea and Beijing’s trade bans against $20bn worth of Australian exports will be key AUSMIN agenda items.

Mr Dutton said the Australia-US alliance had become more ­important in combating Beijing’s “increasingly coercive” behaviour.

“(China’s) activities undermine the sovereignty of other nations and grate against the rules-based international order – an order from which they have happily benefited for decades,” he said. “We must invigorate new energy into defence thinking and preparedness, so we are poised and ready for any eventuality.”

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14538999

File: 366eea9ba0fedd6⋯.jpg (95.48 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, Marise_Payne.jpg)

>>14538995

2/2

The year’s AUSMIN talks will occur against the backdrop of the US global force posture review, which is expected to position China and the Indo Pacific as America’s top strategic priorities.

Mr Dutton said Australia and the US needed to work more closely together “to achieve our force posture and defence capability objectives”.

“That must include giving greater practical effect to Australia’s inclusion in the US National Technology and Industrial Base. It means both our governments and defence industry sectors working to reduce barriers to collaboration and integration.

“Our respective national industries and small businesses have unique skills. They are at the forefront of innovation in certain fields; they lead technological ­developments in distinct areas.

“Through co-operation, we can surge ahead, creating a whole that is far greater than the sum of our parts,” he told the event, organised and hosted by former Australian ambassador to the US Joe Hockey, now president of Bondi Partners.

Mr Dutton said it was vital for Australia to continue to invest in its core military capabilities, ­including submarines, frigates and fighter jets. But, in a reference to the government’s push to rapidly acquire new US guided missiles, he said Australia needed the ability “to hold a potential adversary’s forces and infrastructure at risk from a greater distance”.

He said the Australian Defence Force – which does not yet have a single armed drone – also needed to acquire new and inexpensive unmanned systems, “which can undertake multifaceted missions, be used in a swarm capacity, or teamed with traditional manned capabilities”.

Australian Strategic Policy Institute chief executive Michael Shoebridge said the US NTIB had underdelivered on its sweeping ambition, and it was important to focus on specific initiatives to ­address key strategic challenges.

“If there is one specific thing right now it is missile production in Australia,” he said. “That involves tightly held commercial and government intellectual property, and making a decision to have money spent in Australia rather than in the US, buying from their local production facility.”

He said dispersing US missile production to supplies in a conflict made strategic sense, but “it makes less sense if you are a congress-person with a missile production facility in your district”.

Mr Shoebridge said the proposed initiative would also have to overcome the lingering influence of Donald Trump’s “America First” mantra in President Joe Biden’s economic platform.

The Morrison government announced a $1bn plan in March to establish a sovereign guided weapons enterprise producing US-designed missiles in Australia. The government hopes the initiative will supply hi-tech weapons for both the ADF and the US military.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/peter-duttons-us-missile-memo-share-your-knowhow/news-story/23e242f84d0ee776063ac1ec6c88915c

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2e5617  No.14539056

File: d989c3caa87a9d4⋯.jpg (341.87 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, Australian_Treasurer_Josh_….jpg)

>>14526196

Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg's war-cry of decoupling from China economically unwise, strategically erratic

Chen Hong - Sep 07, 2021

1/2

Australia's Treasurer Josh Frydenberg recently made a keynote address at Australian National University that is fraught with misidentifications and miscalculations. Frydenberg was parroting US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken by saying that Australia is engaged in a strategic competition with China. Frydenberg is very much deluded in thinking that as Washington's close ally, Australia could aspire to enjoy the same strategic weight.

Nothing is more detached from today's international geopolitical reality than such illusory overconfidence. Geopolitically, economically, and culturally, Australia has never been, and will never be, in a position to qualify as China's competitor.

There is an even more bizarre statement in the Australian Treasurer's bloviated speech. In spite of the strong economic headwinds resulting from the current Delta variant outbreaks across the country and the ensuing lockdowns that are taking place in almost all states, Frydenberg inexplicably claims Australia's economy has performed better, much to the surprise of serious minded observers. He said this in spite of the fact that a mammoth proportion of Australian exports to China has been going downhill, while tourism and education are completely stalled due to international travel restrictions.

Westpac's recent analysis lowered Australia's economic growth forecast for 2021 from 2.4 percent to 0 percent. A mid-August report released by the University of Adelaide's Institute for International Trade warned Australia to brace for a potential economic impact of A$ 23 billion ($17 billion) against the harrowing background of the deteriorating China Australia trade relations. However, turning a blind eye to such a dire situation, Australia's top cabinet minister unabashedly gloated in his speech saying that "our economy has continued to perform very strongly."

Frydenberg tried to advertise his "China plus" strategy in his speech. However, a close look into the text unambiguously unveils his true message. The so-called "China plus" strategy is in essence "China minus." Frydenberg is purposely trying to dictate Australian businesses to redesign themselves. He is deceiving the business community that Australia's economy can survive and sustain its growth without trading with China. This is an irrational war-cry for substantive decoupling. This shows Canberra's determination to position China as an adversary, not a partner.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14539058

File: bfd75befd63a48b⋯.jpg (78.44 KB, 1200x794, 600:397, Australia_s_treasurer_says….jpg)

>>14539056

2/2

The close attachment of Australia's economy to China's economic development has been beneficial to both countries. Australia's export-oriented economy mainly involves agricultural and animal husbandry products, international tourism and education, and energy and mineral products, which China always has a sustaining appetite.

With Canberra continued political hostilities toward China, we are witnessing a significant dwindling of positive impressions and opinions among Chinese businesspeople, investors, and consumers toward Australia. This is reflected in the recent setbacks in the imports from Australia to China.

Australia's media coverage of China and the negative opinions of Canberra's political figures have been deterring Chinese enthusiasm to choose Australia as a destination for business initiatives, holiday making and education when the pandemic restrictions ease in the future. What's more, the discriminatory regulations and policies on Chinese mergers and acquisitions have led to a sharp decline of investments from China.

The ongoing Delta variant outbreaks in various parts of Australia have led to an increase of the federal government and other public expenditures. Stimulus packages have been made available to sectors of the Australian economy. These have been stirring economic activities and pushing up housing prices. However, anyone with the commonsense of modern economics would point out that the short-term skin-deep economic incentives are not conducive to long-term sustainable development.

There have been no new trade disputes between China and Australia. Frydenberg's latest unprovoked war-cry of a trade severance with China is therefore logically odd, economically unwise, and strategically erratic.

Australia's reliance on the China market far outweighs Chinese consumers' fondness of Australian wines, lobsters, and so on. As a matter of fact, China is now more than ever losing serious interest in playing along with Canberra's constant immature game of megaphone diplomacy.

It seems the Morrison administration will continue to stick with its hostile approaches in handling Australia's relations with China. It takes no crystal ball to foresee that Canberra will have to pay for such madness and arrogance.

The author is president of the Chinese Association of Australian Studies, and professor and director of Australian Studies Centre, East China Normal University. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1233557.shtml

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2e5617  No.14539063

File: 0a25d0cd85c57c0⋯.jpg (125.68 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, China_won_t_buckle_to_so_c….jpg)

>>14526196

China won't buckle to so-called 'economic coercion' by Australia: Foreign Ministry

Global Times - Sep 07, 2021

China has never done anything that undermines Australia's sovereignty, and China definitely won't buckle to so-called economic coercion, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday.

On the contrary, Australia has taken measures that violate market principles and has even bullied China, and it has imposed unreasonable restrictions on normal exchanges and cooperation between the two countries, which has interfered with the sound development momentum of China-Australia pragmatic cooperation, Wang said.

His remarks came after Australia media reported that Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Australia must see off a growing strategic "threat" from China by defending its values while diversifying its economy and Australia has underlined its plan to tackle China's "economic coercion".

Frydenberg said Australia is on the frontline of the new battleground, and Australia must see off a growing strategic "threat" from China by defending its values while diversifying its economy, according to a report by www.smh.com.au on Sunday.

The difficulty in China-Australia relations was entirely caused by Australia, Wang said, adding that Australia also formed gangs to put pressure on China, violated international law and the basic norms of international relations, grossly interfered in China's internal affairs, and harmed China's core interests.

The most urgent task is for Australia to face up to the crux of the frustration of bilateral relations, discard its cold war mentality and ideological prejudice, respect basic facts, treat China and China's development objectively and routinely, and earnestly uphold it, Wang noted.

"Australia may benefit greatly from cooperation with China, and it is a beneficiary of China's development," Wang added.

Despite fraught bilateral ties, China's trade with Australia rose by 39.9 percent year-on-year to $152 billion from January to August, accelerating from the 34.2-percent growth rate recorded in the first seven months, Chinese customs statistics showed on Tuesday.

China's exports to Australia rose by 27 percent to $40 billion, compared with 26.5 percent growth in the first seven months.

China's imports from Australia rose by 45.3 percent to $112 billion, compared with 37.4 percent in the first seven months.

The rise in China's imports from Australia reflected China's increasing imports of iron ore, which surged during the first half of the year, said Zhou Fangyin, a professor at the Guangdong Research Institute for International Strategies.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1233618.shtml

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2e5617  No.14539068

File: 004519fae981734⋯.jpg (125.88 KB, 500x383, 500:383, Foreign_Ministry_Spokesper….jpg)

>>14526196

>>14539063

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on September 7, 2021

Beijing Youth Daily: Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said on September 6 that China's combination of economic power and global connection poses "new and significant challenges for many countries", and Australia is facing this pressure more sharply than most other countries. He said Australian businesses should not overly rely on one country and should always be looking to diversify their markets, essentially, adopting a "China-plus" strategy." Do you have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: In the spirit of openness, inclusiveness and mutual benefit, China is committed to building an open world economy and sharing development opportunities with other countries. Australia has benefited immensely from its cooperation with China and is a beneficiary of China's development. China has never done anything detrimental to Australia's sovereignty. The label of so-called "economic coercion" can never be pinned onto China. Instead, it is Australia that stands guilty of the following. It has taken measures against market principles and even bullying acts, and imposed restrictions on normal exchanges and cooperation between the two countries without cause, disrupting the good momentum of bilateral practical cooperation. Meanwhile, it has played the victim to put the blame on China, ganged up to pressure China, and grossly interfered in China's internal affairs and harmed China's core interests in violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations.

The current difficulties in China-Australia relations are entirely of Australia's own making. It is imperative that Australia face up to the crux of the setbacks in bilateral relations, abandon the Cold War mentality and ideological bias, respect basic facts, take an objective and rational look at China and its development, earnestly follow the principles of mutual respect and equality when handling bilateral relations. The Australian side should also stop playing up "coercive China" narrative for selfish political gain and do more to enhance mutual trust and promote practical cooperation between the two countries, rather than the opposite.

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/2511_665403/t1905278.shtml

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2e5617  No.14539073

File: 9598016a58c5802⋯.jpg (418.83 KB, 825x933, 275:311, CCGIS_4.jpg)

File: 4c1d7829104980c⋯.mp4 (4.32 MB, 1280x720, 16:9, DXtvuXUJOGvWJyGu.mp4)

>>14526196

>>14539068

Chinese Consulate General in Sydney Tweet

The root cause of the problems in China-Australia relations lies with the Australian side. Australia has reaped huge benefit from its cooperation with China and China has never undermined Australia's sovereignty. The label of “economic coercion” can never be pinned onto China.

https://twitter.com/ChinaConSydney/status/1435435471677661186

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97e35f  No.14541645

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

If there's one type of backing situation that new truck drivers dread, it's the ones where they have to back in off a busy road.

You'll feel a lot more confident if you have a solid plan of action ahead of time. In this video I show you how I approach one.

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2e5617  No.14541832

File: 9ea759630c639f9⋯.jpg (74.25 KB, 862x485, 862:485, Attorney_General_Jaclyn_Sy….jpg)

File: fcbd66eccb34c17⋯.jpg (146.45 KB, 862x1149, 862:1149, Eileen_Culleton_says_the_n….jpg)

File: 9779faab9b5657e⋯.jpg (177.99 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Victorian_Chrissie_Foster_….jpg)

Victorian bill allowing families to publicly identify dead sexual assault survivors passes Upper House

Mary Gearin - 7 September 2021

The Victorian government has passed laws allowing families of dead sexual assault victims to publicly identify their loved ones.

The new legislation amends a draft introduced last year that was condemned by advocates for effectively gagging loved ones from naming victims. They risked prosecution if they did so.

However, some family members or loved ones will still be able to apply for a temporary suppression of victims' names, known as a victim privacy order (VPO).

But an amendment passed in the Upper House limited such privacy orders to sexual assault crimes only, removing a section that would have allowed the order to be applied to victims of other crimes in the future.

Reason Party Fiona Patten and shadow Attorney-General Ed O'Donohue successfully argued the section would have been an overreach, and any expansion of privacy orders should come back to Parliament to be specifically legislated.

An amendment that would have also made it mandatory for family members to be told when someone applied for a VPO was defeated. It will now only be mandatory to alert the media.

Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes said the laws would be reviewed in two years to see if they were fit for purpose, with input from advocates.

Privacy orders still have their detractors

While the new laws do not allow offenders and people acting on their behalf to apply for a suppression order, some victims were concerned family members could apply for the orders, for instance, to conceal their own failings and silence the rest of the family.

Eileen Culleton's sister Anne-Marie was raped and murdered in 1988.

Ms Culleton said while she was relieved the gag order had been removed, she was unhappy about the new privacy order.

"I am horrified that they are introducing a new privacy order which will allow one person, a friend or family member, to have the power to erase the murdered rape victim from history and also gag the entire family from speaking their name," she said.

Ms Culleton said family members who wanted to ensure their privacy should change their own name instead.

The government said it would be left to courts to determine whether a person was deemed appropriate to seek the order.

Silence allows sexual violence, advocate says

The controversial first draft of the laws last year was aimed at allowing living sexual assault survivors to identify themselves but it also prohibited the identification of dead victims, sparking widespread outrage and condemnation from the #LetHerSpeak and #letUsSpeak campaigns.

The revision of the legislation has been welcomed by advocates for sexual assault victims, including Chrissie Foster.

Her two daughters, Emma and Katie, were both sexually abused by a priest, and the trauma led to substance abuse. At 15, Katie was tragically hit by a car and left with permanent brain damage, and Emma later suffered a fatal overdose of prescription medication.

Earlier, Ms Foster said the first draft that would have required her to apply for a court order to use her daughters' names and experiences publicly "should never have happened".

"It's a freedom that we have, and have had. And suddenly, almost overnight, it was removed, it was taken away, and suddenly we had to get a court order, which takes time and money and effort," she said.

"There's been so much change in the past 25 years — that's from victims speaking out.

"What keeps paedophilia [and other sexual assault] alive is the secrecy surrounding it. And to then silence victims about what's happened to them is just crazy.

"To just remain silent sort of equates to allowing the perpetrator to get away with it."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-07/victorian-parliament-bill-famlies-dead-sexual-assault-survivors/100441234

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2e5617  No.14545016

File: 55a99048e6a666b⋯.jpg (398.72 KB, 2000x1333, 2000:1333, Prince_Andrew_drives_near_….jpg)

File: f92f601e8fb2642⋯.jpg (378.89 KB, 1535x1023, 1535:1023, Prince_Andrew_and_his_ex_w….jpg)

File: 864f54938da545c⋯.jpg (449.64 KB, 1536x1103, 1536:1103, Virginia_Giuffre_alleges_t….jpg)

File: 6cd3ccc281aff86⋯.jpg (194.01 KB, 1535x1023, 1535:1023, Virginia_Roberts_Giuffre_c….jpg)

File: 7b075be4fa2adf7⋯.jpg (699.39 KB, 2000x1331, 2000:1331, British_sources_indicate_t….jpg)

Prince Andrew has avoided NY sex accuser’s attempts to serve him legal papers

Lee Brown - September 8, 2021

Prince Andrew has reportedly avoided “multiple attempts” to serve him legal papers on behalf of his sex-assault accuser — and has bolted 500 miles to the safety of mom Queen Elizabeth II’s Scottish getaway, just days before the first hearing.

Lawyers for Virginia Roberts Giuffre — who is suing Andrew in New York — had already conceded that it would be “difficult” to serve the 61-year-old royal in person.

The scandal-scarred royal has since been a recluse at his home in the Royal Lodge in Windsor — where security guards have turned away lawyers trying to serve the US court papers, according to the Sun.

After avoiding “multiple attempts” in the past two weeks, Andrew on Tuesday bolted for an even safer location — his mother the monarch’s Scottish estate, Balmoral, the paper noted.

He was photographed in a car with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, as the pair drove from their shared home to the Queen’s 50,000-acre (78-square-mile) estate, where they had been earlier in the summer, the outlet said.

The photographs show them arriving in the same Range Rover they left Windsor in — suggesting they were driven the more than 500-mile journey, which would typically take at least 9 hours, rather than risking catching a flight.

He fled after “going stir-crazy inside Royal Lodge for the past few weeks,” a source told the paper.

“He wasn’t going horse riding and couldn’t step outside because of attempts to serve him with the legal papers.

“He knows he is far safer up at Balmoral on the Queen’s estate,” the source said, noting Andrew has long been thought to be “the Queen’s favorite son.”

The trip comes before the first hearing is scheduled in Giuffre’s lawsuit on Monday. It is set to be a telephone conference, and it is not immediately clear if either Andrew or his accuser are expected to join.

Giuffre’s lawsuit claims she was “forced to have sexual intercourse with Prince Andrew against her will” at the behest of pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and accused madam Ghislaine Maxwell.

“Prince Andrew’s actions constitute sexual offenses” including first- and third-degree rape, the lawsuit alleges, citing New York penal code, under which rape includes with someone “by forcible compulsion.”

Giuffre claims she suffered “substantial damages” from “extreme emotional distress, humiliation, fear, psychological trauma, loss of dignity and self-esteem, and invasion of her privacy.”

Andrew has repeatedly denied Giuffre’s claims, including during a BBC interview in which he insisted he had “no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever.”

Neither he, his legal team nor Buckingham Palace has responded to the lawsuit.

Epstein hanged himself in his Manhattan lockup in August 2019 while awaiting trial on serious sex charges.

Maxwell is in custody in Brooklyn awaiting trial for allegedly recruiting underage girls for Epstein. She has pleaded not guilty.

https://nypost.com/2021/09/08/prince-andrew-avoids-legal-papers-by-fleeing-to-queen-in-balmoral/

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a06b92  No.14546230

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

FOR YOUR FREEDOM!

-Anontoasted.

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97e35f  No.14546625

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

Mirabelle Chisom Sings Like An Angel

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97e35f  No.14547634

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

If there's one type of backing situation that new truck drivers dread, it's the ones where they have to back in off a busy road.

You'll feel a lot more confident if you have a solid plan of action ahead of time. In this video I show you how I approach one.

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2e5617  No.14551723

File: af844cea1389bc0⋯.jpg (96.9 KB, 960x640, 3:2, A_sign_advertises_the_avai….jpg)

>>14404403

Australia's daily COVID-19 cases near 2,000 as Delta gains ground

Renju Jose - September 10, 2021

SYDNEY, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Australia's COVID-19 daily cases topped 1,900 for the first time in the pandemic on Friday as an outbreak fuelled by the highly infectious Delta variant continued to gain ground in locked-down Sydney and Melbourne, its largest cities.

Australia is in the grip of a third wave of infections with the Delta outbreak forcing officials to ditch their COVID-zero strategy in favour of suppressing the virus.

They now aim to begin easing tough restrictions after reaching a higher proportion of the population with double-dose vaccinations.

New South Wales (NSW), the epicentre of the country's worst outbreak, reported 1,542 new daily local cases, topping the previous high of 1,533 hit last week. Nine new deaths were registered.

"So far this trajectory is what has been predicted," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian told a media briefing in Sydney, the state capital, where cases are expected to hit a peak in the next week.

Berejiklian said the daily COVID-19 media briefing would be scrapped from Monday and updates would be detailed in an online video, an approach previously used when case numbers were low.

Rising cases in Sydney have increased the load for ambulance staff, with the number of COVID-19 patients transported doubling in the last two weeks to total almost 6,000, officials said. Some 1,156 people are hospitalised in the state, with 207 in intensive care, 89 of whom require ventilation.

Despite cases lingering near record levels, NSW authorities on Thursday said Sydney's businesses could reopen once 70% of the state's adult population is fully vaccinated, a target due to be reached around the middle of October. So far, 76% of people above 16 in the state have had received at least one dose, while 44% have been fully vaccinated.

Victoria state logged 334 new cases, its biggest rise for this year, and one death. Some restrictions in the capital Melbourne will be eased when 70% of the adult population has received at least one vaccine dose, expected around Sept. 23.

A four-stage national reopening plan unveiled by the federal government in July aims to relax several tough curbs once the country reaches a 70-80% immunisation target from 40% now. However, some virus-free states have flagged they may delay easing curbs on inter-state travel and other restrictions.

Australia's total infection numbers stand at around 70,000 cases, including 1,076 deaths. Higher vaccinations have kept the death rate at 0.41% in the Delta outbreak, data shows, below previous outbreaks.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/covid-19-cases-rise-australias-victoria-regions-exit-lockdown-2021-09-10/

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2e5617  No.14551745

File: 7461d1eb0217ca6⋯.jpg (407.99 KB, 1478x985, 1478:985, Liberal_MP_Ted_O_Brien_say….jpg)

China lobbies MPs to back its bid to join free trade pact

Andrew Tillett - Sep 10, 2021

The Chinese government has taken the rare step of writing to a parliamentary inquiry arguing why it should be allowed to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal, while emphasising Australia remained an important economic partner.

Despite Beijing targeting more than $20 billion of Australian exports with trade sanctions, the Chinese embassy in Canberra said China remained committed to trade liberalisation and tariff reductions.

For Australia, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, is worth $US23 billion ($31 billion) annually in extra exports. China’s submission claims its membership would lift this to $US36 billion.

“Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a growing concern across the world on protectionism,” the embassy’s submission said.

“The signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the expansion of the CPTPP would demonstrate Asia-Pacific countries’ confidence in supporting free trade and regional economic integration, herald stronger steps to be taken toward Free Trade Agreement Asia Pacific (FTAAP), and bring a positive impact on the multilateral trading system centred on the World Trade Organisation.”

Most of the submissions to the inquiry into expanding membership of the CPTPP come from organisations and businesses aligned with Taiwan, setting up a potential collision course with China’s ambitions. Current members are Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei, Chile, Peru and Malaysia.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott, an unpaid trade adviser to the British government, told the committee that allowing Britain to join the CPTPP would unite four of the Five Eyes members in an economic agreement and could be a “circuit breaker” for the US to rejoin the pact.

“With a deteriorating security situation, and with serious armed conflict in our region no longer merely hypothetical, anything that again brings Britain’s attention “east of Suez” is very much in Australia’s national interest,” he said.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14551747

File: cfd8bb64b63afa0⋯.jpg (65.06 KB, 940x627, 940:627, China_s_president_Xi_Jinpi….jpg)

>>14551745

2/2

Welcome overtures

China’s overtures to Australian MPs come as a working paper by the Australia-China Relations Institute finds that Beijing’s sanctions against Australian commodities such as seafood, timber, wine, barley and coal have caused only limited economic damage.

For nine of the 12 commodities targeted, the costs incurred have been less than 10 per cent of total export value.

“The findings show that many business owners were able to secure premium prices in [China] for an extended period, and when this opportunity closed, they quickly and successfully pivoted to alternative markets,” the paper said.

“Market access is revealed to be a weak coercive tool for Beijing. This means what the PRC may hope to achieve by disrupting trade is not the same as what it is likely to achieve.”

Beijing has sought to punish Australia over policy decisions, although this week claimed Australia was trying to coerce it after Treasurer Josh Frydenberg urged exporters to diversify their markets.

China’s submission to the parliamentary inquiry makes no mention of the trade disputes.

Rather, the submission highlights how the two countries’ free trade deal had been a milestone and created “favourable conditions for deepening, broadening and improving our bilateral economic relationship”.

“China and Australia have always been important trade and investment partners of each other,” the submission said.

In a shot at China’s trade sanctions, the Australia-Taiwan Business Council said Taiwan’s membership would “help to alleviate the difficult trading conditions in key established markets presently affecting Australian exporters”.

“Taiwan’s membership of the CPTPP would offer significant trade opportunities for Australia by expanding access to an established export market where Australia does not have a trade agreement,” the council said.

Inquiry chairman Ted O’Brien said foreign governments’ interest in joining the CPTPP reflected the importance of free trade agreements and a desire to be inside major trading blocs.

“Nations’ desire to join the CPTPP may be driven by geostrategic interests as much as economic ones, but what’s most important to us is maximising our own national interests,” he said.

“It’s notable that the Chinese government made a submission, especially given everything else that’s going on in the relationship, and their contribution is welcome.”

“We have received an overwhelming number of submissions in favour of Taiwan joining the agreement too, which is understandable given we don’t have an Australia-Taiwan free trade agreement despite being major trading partners.

“As always, the parliamentary committee will weigh up the evidence in a dispassionately independent fashion before making recommendations to government.”

https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/china-lobbies-mps-to-back-its-bid-to-join-free-trade-pact-20210909-p58q5b

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2e5617  No.14551767

File: a80b9939c0dca7a⋯.webm (5.12 MB, 640x360, 16:9, Australian_public_health_….webm)

‘New World Order’: Conspiracy theorists unite as Australian health chief uses term at press conference

Dr Kerry Chant appeared to use the phrase innocently, referring to the post-Covid world we live in

Sam Hancock - 9 September 2021

An Australian health official caused a stir among conspiracy theorists on Thursday when she referred to ongoing Covid restrictions as a “new world order” necessity.

Answering a journalist’s question about whether contact-tracing would be put back in place “once we reopen,” Dr Kerry Chant, New South Wales’ chief health officer, said: “We will be looking at what contract-tracing looks like in the new world order – yes it will be pubs and clubs, and other things, if we have a positive case there [but] our response may be different if we know people are fully vaccinated.”

She added: “We’re working through a number of those issues, but we will have to reflect and learn.”

Despite varying versions, the New World Order (NWO) theory generally argues that a totalitarian world government will one day emerge – with some kind of power elite set to abolish sovereign nation states and rule the world as one.

While some acknowledged that Dr Chant’s “innocent turn of phrase” signified nothing more than a clumsy choice of words, dozens of conspiracy theorists took to social media to make unfounded claims about what the incident “clearly means” in terms of the NWO debate.

One man, Dean Hanford, wrote on Twitter: “An Australian politician might have accidentally revealed the ‘New World Order’ and we could all be doomed.”

“F*CK, THE NEW WORLD ORDER CONSPIRACY IS REAL. Australian health [official] just chanted this sh*t. Omg,” another named Jack said, alongside a number of vomiting emojis.

Some well-known names joined in too. Laurence Fox, the face of Britain’s anti-woke brigade, tweeted a clip of the press conference and wrote simply: “New World Order.” Mr Fox has been a vocal advocate for ending Covid restrictions, particularly lockdown, during the pandemic – claiming, on multiple occasions, that the government was stripping people of their “personal freedoms”.

Following Dr Chant’s presser, “New World Order” became a trending topic on Twitter with thousands of people discussing what had happened.

The social media platform quickly issued a warning that “unfounded claims about the ‘New World Order’ conspiracy theory are [being] shared after an Australian governmental official used the expression during a press conference on Thursday”.

“Fact-checkers have regularly debunked claims connected to the conspiracy theory. The phrase is commonly used to describe times of change or cultural shift,” it added.

One woman, Samantha Marika, was quick to rubbish the tech giant’s statement. “I’ve never heard of New World Order being used to express ‘times of changes or cultural shifts’ but let’s use it in a sentence … No. That ain’t it,” she said.

Not everyone was as easy to convince, though. One Twitter user said he “loved the idea that there’s this massive worldwide conspiracy to bring about a new world order and they just, like, suck at keeping the secret”.

Meanwhile, Simon Brake, a London-based gamer and designer, said simply: “I’m pretty sure she’s referring to a lower-case new world order, as in this is the new world we live in, and she doesn't actually understand what the phrase means.”

He added: “But, fair enough, to people who believe in a New World Order, nothing’s going to stop them jumping to conclusions.”

During a Facebook Live he gave about Afghanistan refugees arriving in Australia today, Australian PM Scott Morrison’s comments section was bombarded with references to Dr Chant’s press conference.

“Dr Kerry Chant lets the secret slip and confirms the New World Order is Australia’s true agenda behind their Covid-19 restrictions,” a man named Tony Vertaluchi wrote.

Linda Payne added: “What’s with Dr Chant saying ‘new world order’!!!!!!!!”

NWO followers and their accusations have caused a stir in the Australian media at various points during the pandemic, with officials often suggesting the conspiracy theorists have been dragged into focus due to the rise in anti-vaxxers.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/australia-new-world-order-conspiracies-b1917082.html

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2e5617  No.14551779

File: bab1e825a2473f7⋯.jpg (33.79 KB, 890x534, 5:3, Peter_Dutton_right_has_met….jpg)

Indonesian troops may regularly join training on Australian soil as defence ties deepen

Peter Dutton meets with Jakarta counterpart, who says the two countries ‘would like to be even closer friends’

Daniel Hurst - 9 Sep 2021

1/2

Indonesian troops could join regular training exercises on Australian soil, as part of a deepening of defence ties with Australia.

While Indonesia regularly joins naval exercises with Australia, and has participated in occasional joint military exercises on Australian land, the two countries have flagged plans to “step up” their joint training in the coming years.

Australia’s defence minister, Peter Dutton, and foreign minister, Marise Payne, met with their Indonesian counterparts in Jakarta on Thursday, on the first leg of a four-country trip that will also include India, South Korea and the United States.

Indonesia’s defence minister, Prabowo Subianto, said he and Dutton had discussed “the possibility of Australia opening their training areas for the participation of Indonesian units to be training together with Australia”.

“I think this is a historical first,” Prabowo said.

Speaking after he and Dutton agreed to update the countries’ defence cooperation arrangement, Prabowo said: “We are close neighbours and we would like to be even closer friends.”

Increasing joint military training will be seen as a deepening of the relationship between Australia and its northern neighbour, which at times has been strained – including over East Timor, asylum-seeker boat turnbacks and spying revelations.

Indonesian personnel were among observers at this year’s Talisman Sabre training exercise between Australian and US military forces in Queensland, whereas Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and the United Kingdom actively participated.

Indonesian national armed forces have also “observed” and “shared their significant operational experiences” in the Northern Territory during a disaster relief exercise known as Exercise Crocodile Response, led by Australia and the US.

In 2016 the ABC reported that members of Indonesia’s armed forces had joined a comprehensive joint training exercise in Darwin.

Dutton said Australia and Indonesia were bolstering their security cooperation in “an increasingly contested region”.

“Of course our navies regularly exercise together already, but there will be more that they can do together,” Dutton said.

“Our renewed defence cooperation arrangement will see Australia and Indonesia step up our training initiatives, our joint training initiatives, and defence operational activities over the coming years.”

Dutton said Australia would provide 15 Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles to Indonesia for use in peacekeeping operations, and the two countries would also deepen their defence education programs.

“I look forward very much to hosting the cadets from the Indonesian National Armed Forces studying at Australian defence education facilities, building relationships among future leaders from both sides,” Dutton said.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14551780

File: 5fe4ac5ca5e850e⋯.jpg (47.38 KB, 890x534, 5:3, Australian_foreign_ministe….jpg)

>>14551779

2/2

Dutton and Payne met with their counterparts for a “2+2” meeting in Jakarta, resulting in a series of agreements including on countering terrorism and violent extremism, and on working together on cyber issues.

Payne said Australia and Indonesia would also work with Pacific island nations “to further support the development and economic prosperity of the region, including related to Covid-19 recovery” and women and children’s rights.

In an implicit swipe at China, Payne said Australia wanted to see an Indo-Pacific region that “embraces engagement, and cooperation, that upholds the rights and sovereignty of countries without coercion, regardless of their size and power”.

“To maintain that prosperity and security, we welcome a region that supports a level playing field based on rules and norms, to ensure healthy competition, rather than competition that risks sliding into instability or conflict,” Payne said.

Indonesia’s foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, thanked Australia for sending Covid-19 AstraZeneca vaccines and medical supplies to help the country through what she called a “difficult time”.

She said Indonesia was closely monitoring the situation in Afghanistan and continued to “underline the importance of building an inclusive government”.

“Indonesia hopes that Afghanistan is not used as the breeding and training ground for terrorist organisations and activities that threaten peace and stability in the region,” she said.

“Indonesia also hopes that human rights especially the rights of women and girls, are continuously respected and promoted.”

Amnesty International called on Payne and Dutton to “raise pressing human rights issues” during their meetings with international counterparts, including in Indonesia, where the rights group has previously accused security personnel of using “excessive force” against Papuan protesters.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/sep/09/indonesian-troops-may-join-training-on-australian-soil-for-the-first-time-as-defence-ties-deepen

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2e5617  No.14551785

File: d8974bf0348f6f4⋯.jpg (179.83 KB, 960x640, 3:2, France_is_already_active_i….jpg)

>>14551779

France could access Australian military sites as countries look to boost ties

Anthony Galloway - September 10, 2021

1/2

French warships and troops would be given guaranteed access to Australian naval bases and military sites under a proposal being discussed by both countries, as the federal government moves to lock in the next stage of its troubled $90 billion future submarine program next week.

The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age can reveal Australia and France have begun negotiations to significantly upgrade military co-operation, which would boost inter-operability between their forces.

Australia and France currently have a Status of Forces Agreement – which sets out how the forces of each country should operate together – but are exploring options to provide greater access to each other’s militaries. The talks could eventually pave the way for French naval ships to have a permanent presence at Australian naval bases or for troops to rotate through Australian training bases.

While France has been active in the region for decades with a focus on its island territories such as New Caledonia and French Polynesia, the country has been looking to ramp up its diplomatic and military presence in the Indo-Pacific amid increased Chinese assertiveness.

The negotiations could elevate France’s defence relationship with Australia to second only behind the United States, which has a rotational force of about 2500 Marines deployed in Darwin.

Australia is also set to formally agree with the French company building the government’s 12 new attack-class submarines on its plan for the next 2½ years of the program, allowing for the pressure hull for the first boat to be built as early as 2024.

France’s Naval Group originally submitted plans for the next phase of the project earlier this year but it was knocked back by the government, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Defence Minister Peter Dutton setting a September deadline for a new agreement.

Multiple senior sources within the government, who were not authorised to speak publicly, confirmed the agreement was set to be formally locked in by the end of the next week.

Peter Jennings, executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said he hoped the government and Naval Group had agreed to speed up the delivery of the submarines, which are being built in Adelaide.

“The other thing I would like to see is a stronger government and Defence intention to explain and defend the program,” Mr Jennings said. “The reality is the future submarine has become friendless because no one wants to defend it.”

Australia commissioned the new submarine fleet in 2016 amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific as China began militarising the South China Sea. But the program has been plagued by cost blowouts, schedule slippages and disagreements over commitments to use local contractors.

This masthead revealed last year Defence officials knew the submarines would cost almost $80 billion as early as 2015 – before Naval Group was chosen – despite publicly stating at the time the estimated price tag was $50 billion. The estimated cost has since increased to about $90 billion.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14551786

File: c77ddef22090c0f⋯.jpg (74.59 KB, 960x640, 3:2, The_next_two_years_of_the_….jpg)

>>14551785

2/2

Former prime minister Tony Abbott originally promised the first submarine would be operational in the mid-2020s. But it is now estimated it won’t be in the water until 2035 even though Defence officials warned last year the country no longer had a 10-year window to defend itself from an attack.

After meeting with their French counterparts last month, Mr Dutton and Foreign Minister Marise Payne agreed in a joint communiqué to begin negotiations on “enhancing and diversifying France’s military co-operation with Australia, in support of France’s force posture in the region”.

France and Australia’s relations in the region haven’t always been smooth, with Canberra uneasy about French nuclear testing in the 1990s and the bombing of Greenpeace boat Rainbow Warrior in 1985. But France has been looking to boost its alliances in the region in recent years, and in a speech at the Garden Island military base in Sydney in 2018, President Emmanuel Macron described his country as an “Indo-Pacific power” for the first time.

Mr Jennings said there was room for France to project more of a military presence throughout the Indo-Pacific and it would be ideal to do this from Australia.

“That could lead to a bigger and regular French military presence in Australia,” he said.

“The possibility of a French naval ship being based at HMAS Stirling [in Western Australia] or even in Sydney Harbour would be a powerful way for France to demonstrate its interests in Indo-Pacific security. And if they were to do that, there is no country better than Australia to host that presence.”

French fighter aircraft will next year participate in the Royal Australian Air Force’s “Pitch Black” exercises, while France will for the first time in 2023 join the Talisman Sabre naval exercises being held off the Queensland coast with the US and Australia.

A spokesperson for the French embassy in Canberra said the region was seeing “profound strategic changes and France “as a fully fledged Indo-Pacific country, seeks to maintain an area that is open and inclusive, free of all forms of coercion and founded on multilateralism and the respect of international law”.

“In this context, Australia being a major partner of France in the Indo-Pacific, we naturally look to enhance our bilateral defence relationship,” the spokesperson said. “In the coming years, the French Armed Forces will continue to look at developing their inter-operability with the Australian Defence Force in order to be able to jointly operate in the region and globally.”

There have been a number of visits by French troops to Australia this year. The Vendémiaire frigate made a port visit in Darwin and the French Foreign Legion is currently participating in joint exercises with Australian soldiers.

Canberra is also working with other European countries on boosting their military presence in the region. Australia and Germany in June signed an “enhanced strategic partnership” that committed to enhancing their “security and defence co-operation, including through training and exercises, in particular in the maritime domain and in partnership with countries in the region.”

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/france-could-access-australian-military-sites-as-countries-look-to-boost-ties-20210909-p58q7j.html

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2e5617  No.14551798

File: b2f7c50ca54c249⋯.jpg (80.45 KB, 960x640, 3:2, A_swastika_was_painted_ove….jpg)

>>14507606

Display of Nazi symbols will attract jail time under NSW Labor draft law

Fergus Hunter - September 10, 2021

A person could be jailed for six months for displaying the Nazi swastika under legislation proposed by NSW Labor to strike a blow against increasingly active far-right nationalists.

The Labor caucus and shadow cabinet this week approved draft legislation that would amend criminal laws to ban the public display of Nazi symbols, with exemptions for use of the swastika by religious communities.

The proposed law outlines a maximum penalty of six months in prison or a $5500 fine for displaying a Nazi symbol. An organisation could be fined $55,000.

“The Nazi flag is deeply offensive to all Australian and Allied veterans who fought and sacrificed to defeat fascism,” Labor’s police and counter-terrorism spokesman Walt Secord said.

“Displaying the symbols of an enemy that Australians died to defeat is an affront to them, to survivors of the Holocaust and to all of their collective descendants.”

Any public display, dissemination or wearing of the symbols, including on private property, would be captured by the prohibition.

The draft legislation, which Mr Secord said was approved unanimously by Labor MPs and is now open for consultation, follows a similar announcement by the Victorian government that it would become the first Australian jurisdiction to legislate a ban on Nazi symbols.

The proposed bill contains an exemption for Hindu, Buddhist and Jain religious communities, in which the ancient swastika is a sacred symbol. Meaning “wellbeing” in Sanskrit, the symbol was co-opted by the Nazis in the 1920s.

The proposal allows for the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board to make exemptions for legitimate uses of the swastika, including for religious, academic and artistic purposes.

In a statement, Labor said TV, film and theatre productions should be able to use the swastika in good faith.

Darren Bark, chief executive of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, said the swastika was offensive to the Jewish community and the memory of World War II veterans.

“We welcome any move to counter the surge of violent extremist ideology occurring both globally and here in Australia. Any measures should be targeted and effective, and we look forward to providing feedback on the NSW Labor Party’s draft bill,” Mr Bark said.

“The banning of the Nazi swastika should be part of a broader strategy which includes educational programs against all forms of bigotry.”

Labor’s multiculturalism spokesman Steve Kamper said the Nazi flag symbolised genocide and racism and flying it was an expression of hatred.

“The Nazi swastika represents a regime that murdered 6 million Jews, including more than a million children,” he said.

In April last year, the NSW government said it was seeking advice on how to ban the display of the symbols.

NSW Police said last week that right-wing extremism now occupies about 20 per cent of counter-terrorism investigations, adding to operations targeting the radical Islamist threats that remain of greatest concern.

Of 1000 religious and ideological extremists across four tiers attracting some level of police monitoring, about 80 on the two highest levels are being closely tracked as posing a violent threat to people in NSW.

A joint investigation by the Herald, The Age and 60 Minutes this month exposed details about the growing threat of organised neo-Nazis in Australia, with people as young as 16 being radicalised.

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller told a NSW budget estimates hearing last week that right-wing extremism had grown over the past five years – although less significantly in NSW than other parts of Australia – and had surged during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ASIO director-general Mike Burgess recently reported that ideologically motivated extremism was of “grave concern” and now accounted for about 50 per cent of priority terrorism investigations, alongside religiously motivated extremism.

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/nsw/display-of-nazi-symbols-will-attract-jail-time-under-nsw-labor-draft-law-20210910-p58ql3.html

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2e5617  No.14551801

File: d1f2ba72bea3e96⋯.jpg (30.1 KB, 556x313, 556:313, Teresa_van_Lieshout_has_be….jpg)

Peterborough woman Teresa Van Lieshout arrested over fake police badges

Eric Tlozek - 10 September 2021

Federal police have charged a South Australian woman for allegedly ordering fake police badges as part of preparations to overthrow the government.

Teresa Van Lieshout, 49, was arrested after police searched her home at Peterborough in the mid-north last month.

Police also seized 470 fake badges sent to an address in Cairns, which were dumped in a creek.

They allege Ms Van Lieshout was part of a group which discussed forming an alternative federal police force to arrest politicians and public servants, although police do not believe the group was capable of carrying out the acts.

"Queensland Joint Counter Terrorism Team investigators (JCTT) have not found an impending threat to community safety, and have yet to find any evidence the group had the ability to carry out acts they had discussed," the AFP said in a statement.

Ms Van Lieshout, a former teacher who has run as a right-wing political candidate in Western Australia, has been charged with impersonating a Commonwealth official and importing a prohibited import.

She faced court in Adelaide on Thursday and will next appear in October.

Perth man Marcus Jensen, 49, from the suburb of Tuart Hill, has already faced court charged with impersonating a Commonwealth official over his alleged involvement in the group.

Police became interested in the group after a video began circulating on social media showing a man holding a recruitment meeting for an alternative police force.

The man, who is falsely said to be AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw in the video's description, is heard discussing plans to train officers in order to arrest MPs and bureaucrats.

He calls Teresa Van Lieshout "the true governor-general" of Australia, a position Ms Van Lieshout allegedly claimed to have appointed herself to earlier this year, subsequently issuing "arrest warrants" for politicians and officials.

Ms Van Lieshout has a history of fiery and unusual political campaigns that have included posing in a bikini to launch her tilt for the West Australian seat of Vasse.

Police said more charges against other group members were possible.

"There is no evidence this group had the ability to carry out specific violent acts, but the Queensland JCTT, with other JCTTs around the country, will continue to investigate people with links to this group and will lay further charges if more criminal offences are identified," the AFP's Assistant Commissioner for Counter Terrorism, Scott Lee, said.

"Impersonating Commonwealth officials and the potential misuse of AFP badges is something we take very seriously, which is reflected in the ongoing investigation and the action taken today."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-10/peterborough-woman-arrested-over-fake-police-badges/100452416

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2e5617  No.14551809

File: fb188ba3d7f4825⋯.webm (3.8 MB, 640x360, 16:9, ABF_wraps_up_National_Chi….webm)

Man charged over alleged importation of childlike sex dolls

Laura Chung - September 10, 2021

A man in Sydney’s southwest has been charged after allegedly importing a childlike sex doll, as authorities note a 653 per cent increase in the number of these products seized in the past two years.

Australian Border Force officers intercepted a package on July 28 that was allegedly marked as containing a clothing mannequin, but upon further examination was actually found to contain a childlike sex doll.

The detection was referred to ABF investigators, who executed a search warrant at a home in Heckenberg, in Sydney’s south-west earlier this week, where they arrested a 23-year-old man.

Authorities seized a number of mobile electronic devices that will undergo further digital forensic examination. The man was arrested and charged with the alleged importation of a tier-two good, namely a child-like sex doll.

He was granted conditional bail and is scheduled to appear in Liverpool Local Court on September 29.

The man’s arrest comes at the end of National Child Protection Week, as authorities note a 653 per cent increase in detections of childlike sex dolls in the two previous financial years.

In the financial year 2020-2021, the ABF seized 226 childlike sex dolls or parts of dolls. In comparison, the ABF seized 138 childlike sex dolls and parts in 2019-2020 and only 30 in the previous year.

ABF Superintendent Investigations and Sponsor Monitoring Unit QLD and NT Amanda Coppleman said the increase could be linked to the force, along with its partner agencies, increasing its detection rates and disrupting the supply chain more effectively.

ABF Commander Enforcement East Justin Bathurst added that the importation or possession of the dolls is prohibited in Australia.

“These dolls sexualise children. They are not harmless and do not prevent people from offending in the future,” Commander Bathurst said.

The majority of consignments sent to Australia originate from mainland China, Japan and Hong Kong.

ABF NSW Investigation Acting Inspector Shaun Baker, whose team will investigate importations, said one of the most disturbing aspects was how life-like the dolls can be.

“These dolls often include instructions on how to use them, they sometimes come with children’s clothing or blankets with cartoons characters on them,” he said. “In my experience, they look like real children.

“It’s not uncommon to see that real-life likeness, the eyes, the lips, all those facial features, right down to, on some occasions, rib cages. The likeness is next to nothing: it is real.”

He added that often when a search warrant is executed, officers will locate other child sex abuse material in addition to the dolls.

Australian Federal Police commander and commander of the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation and Child Protection Operations Hilda Sirec said there had been a significant increase in reports for online child sexual exploitation.

Last year, the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation received more than 22,000 reports of online child sexual exploitation, compared to 14,000 reports the previous year. Each report contains images and videos of children being sexually assaulted or exploited for the sexual gratification of online child sex offenders.

Federal Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews said that in 2019 the government tightened laws, making the possession of a childlike sex doll punishable by up to 15 years behind bars.

“The Morrison government is serious about cracking down on this abhorrent crime,” she said. “This National Child Protection Week, I’m calling on all Australians to help us in this fight. Take the threat seriously, learn the warning signs, start a discussion, and help protect children.”

https://bit. ly/3laIkBm

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2e5617  No.14551836

File: 04ece20a1279c73⋯.jpg (387.42 KB, 825x885, 55:59, ACCCE_8.jpg)

File: a18975e9bd8e3f1⋯.jpg (63.49 KB, 1200x600, 2:1, E_pi_20UYAEWnct.jpg)

>>14507679

Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation Tweet

*Trigger Warning: contains content that may be distressing to some people.* Join the fight to #StopChildAbuse. Do you recognise this rug? We specifically want to trace its location. Review all of the objects and submit a clue at accce.gov.au/trace

#TraceAnObject

https://twitter.com/ACCCE_AUS/status/1435070635353337858

https://www.accce.gov.au/what-we-do/trace-an-object

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2e5617  No.14554461

File: f16c8cce7e39b37⋯.jpg (113.63 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, It_was_a_time_when_we_saw_….jpg)

Terrorists failed in their bid to crush us and our way of life

SCOTT MORRISON - SEPTEMBER 11, 2021

1/2

There are moments in time when things we thought were certain can change in a heartbeat and we know that nothing will ever be the same again. We recall exactly where we were, what we were doing, and the shock we felt as the foundations of our world seemed to shake.

September 11, 2001, in the United States was one of those days.

That night in Sydney, as dawn broke in America, Jen and I were at home having a quiet evening together watching television. When the news broke through, we sat and watched in numb disbelief.

Twenty years have now passed since New York and Washington were attacked. On this anniversary, we remember and honour the 2977 people who lost their lives on that day and the many more since.

Our hearts go out to the families of the 10 Australians among them, and the many other Australians affected by those terrible events.

It was a time when we saw both the worst and the best of humanity. Amid the devastation, we saw acts of love, great bravery and sacrifice. The calls being made to loved ones from burning towers as the tragedy came down around them. Messages of love and goodbye.

But also calls of brave defiance. “Let’s roll,” Todd Beamer said, as he and others on board took back United Airlines Flight 93 and crashed into the fields of Pennsylvania to thwart the terrorists’ evil plans.

And the thousands of first responders, many sacrificing themselves, as they charged into the burning towers, and those who then converged to find survivors and clear the rubble of ground zero.

We pay tribute to all their heroism and sacrifice.

First and foremost let us remember this terrible event as an awful human tragedy, causing great personal suffering and grief to so many.

When I think of September 11, my mind always casts forward to just over a year later on October 12 when the same evil terror, which blasphemes the very religion it claims to serve, was vis­ited on 88 Australians in Bali.

Each year the families and friends of those Australians killed on that day gather on the cliffs at Coogee in Sydney to remember. I have often joined them there.

Despite the passing of the years, their sorrow and mourning, their loss and grief continue. And so it will be for the families of the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks today.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14554468

File: 0234d8b28a5f313⋯.jpg (283.83 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Troy_O_Brien_from_NSW_who_….jpg)

>>14554461

2/2

So on this anniversary, let our first thoughts be with them as we send our sincere condolences for their terrible loss and to President Joe Biden and all the people of the US.

But let us also appreciate that September 11 reminds us that we can never take our peace, our freedom and our way of life for granted.

A little more than a decade before the terrible events of September 11, the Berlin Wall fell. Some thought this marked “the end of history” and that the cause of freedom had forever prevailed. September 11 reminded us that freedom is always fragile. As Ronald Reagan said, it “must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation”.

That day was an attack on free peoples everywhere. It was an attack on our way of life and the values of liberal democracy. Despite the pain inflicted on that day, the terrorists ultimately failed in their attempts to crush our resolve and change our way of life.

Our then prime minister, John Howard, was in Washington DC on that terrible day. He saw the smoke plume in Washington.

He also saw the great spirit and enduring faith of the American people.

The Howard government invoked the ANZUS Treaty for the first and only time in its 50-year history. As Howard said to parliament on his return, “if the comradeship, the friendship and the common bonds of democracy and a belief in liberty, fraternity and justice mean anything, it means that the ANZUS Treaty applies.”

So when the Taliban refused to hand over al-Qa’ida terrorists, we supported a US-led operation to hunt down Osama bin Laden and eliminate the capacity to stage more attacks against the West from Afghanistan.

Together with the international community, we also laboured long and hard to help the Afghan people secure a better future.

Sadly, the fruits from those seeds of hope are now very uncertain.

But let us never doubt that our cause was, and always will be, a just one.

So on this day of remembrance, we also honour all who served in Afghanistan, especially the 41 Australians who died in the service of our country.

And on this day we rededicate Australia to the cause of peace and freedom and to the constant vigilance required to deny the threat of terror.

Let us appreciate all those who work every day to keep us safe, our police and security agencies, our defence forces, and thank them for their service.

Let us commit ourselves to continue to stand with our partners and allies – especially the US – as we work together for a world that favours freedom.

Let us reaffirm the liberal democratic values that guide us and the truths we hold dear.

And above all, let us hold all those we love a little closer and be grateful for their blessing in our lives.

Scott Morrison is the Prime Minister of Australia.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/terrorists-failed-in-their-bid-to-crush-us-and-our-way-of-life/news-story/72db26bb26940a20db2b8393fac9de27

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449e20  No.14554564

hey Aussies.

whats goin on over there

that trucker strike really real?

yall really locked down bein told how much liquor you can consume?

did yall really give up your guns?

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2e5617  No.14554611

File: f1173b1cf27a8bd⋯.jpg (75.73 KB, 1200x627, 400:209, Prince_Served_Lawsuit_Accu….jpg)

File: c8a46483f286830⋯.jpg (552 KB, 1241x1755, 1241:1755, 0001.jpg)

File: dd09f355e58d350⋯.jpg (806.78 KB, 1241x1755, 1241:1755, 0002.jpg)

File: ee7a5919cd3a51f⋯.jpg (260.04 KB, 1241x1755, 1241:1755, 0003.jpg)

File: 2abd3148f1c10e9⋯.pdf (1.96 MB, prince_andrew_process_serv….pdf)

Prince Served: Lawsuit Accusing Andrew of Sexually Abusing Jeffrey Epstein Victim Reaches Embattled Royal

ADAM KLASFELD - Sep 10th, 2021

Prince Andrew, the embattled Duke of York, has been successfully served with a lawsuit by a woman who claims he sexually assaulted her in three locations when she was 17 years old, court documents indicated on Friday.

The prince’s alleged victim Virginia Giuffre announced the development in a court filing containing an affidavit by her process server Cesar Augusto Sepulveda, who wrote that he served the royal—whose full name is Andrew Albert Christian Edward—on Aug. 27 at 9:30 a.m.

The Metropolitan Police Office and Head of Security at The Royal Lodge accepted service, according to the affidavit.

The development comes just days before U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan scheduled an initial pretrial conference for this coming Monday, Sept. 13.

Giuffre, one of the most outspoken and prominent of now-deceased Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, claims that the prince sexually abused her in three locations: two properties of Epstein—a New York mansion and private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands—and one belonging to accused accused sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, her London home. Maxwell can be seen in the third locale in the background of a photograph showing the prince with his arm around Giuffre’s waist.

The allegations first surfaced in Giuffre’s civil litigation some six years ago accusing Maxwell of turning her into a “sex slave” for the wealthy and powerful, including the British prince.

Giuffre sued the prince under the New York Child Victims Act, and an exhibit to the affidavit shows a letter her attorney David Boies sent to the royal’s counsel preceding the filing of her lawsuit.

“We have previously sought, so far without success, to meet with Prince Andrew or his counsel to receive Prince Andrew’s information and views, and to discuss whether a negotiated resolution might be appropriate,” Boies wrote on July 19. “We continue to be interested in such an approach.”

At the time, Boies urged a quick response because the statute of limitations window was quickly closing under the statute that enabled her lawsuit, which was filed on Aug. 9.

Giuffre filed her lawsuit against the prince in the Manhattan-based federal court where she previously sued Maxwell, who is awaiting trial later this year in the same jurisdiction: the Southern District of New York. The district’s former U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman released an extraordinary public statement years ago declaring that Prince Andrew provided “zero cooperation” with his probe of the Epstein scandal.

Giuffre’s lawyers made note of that development in their lawsuit.

“Prince Andrew and his counsel have also refused to cooperate with counsel for the victims of Epstein’s sex trafficking. Counsel for the victims of Epstein’s sex trafficking, including counsel for Plaintiff, have repeatedly asked for a meeting or telephone call with Prince Andrew and/or his representatives to enable Prince Andrew to provide whatever facts, context, or explanation he might have, and to explore alternative dispute resolution approaches,” the lawsuit states. “Prince Andrew and his representatives have rejected all such requests, and responded by escalating their vile and baseless attacks on Plaintiff and others.”

The prince’s lawyer Clare Montgomery did not respond to Law&Crime’s email requesting comment.

Read the process server’s affidavit below:

https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/21060751/prince-andrew-process-servers-affidavit.pdf

https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/prince-served-lawsuit-accusing-andrew-of-sexually-abusing-jeffrey-epstein-victim-reaches-embattled-royal/

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/60119368/giuffre-v-prince-andrew/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc

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2e5617  No.14555183

File: cefaf2885b4a534⋯.jpg (173.89 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Defence_Minister_Peter_Dut….jpg)

SAS survives to fight another day as Peter Dutton reverses recruitment move

BEN PACKHAM - SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

1/2

Peter Dutton has reaffirmed the elite status of Australia’s Special Air Service Regiment, overruling a Defence plan to strip it of its ability to select its own recruits.

In a fresh intervention into ­Defence’s response to the Brereton war crimes inquiry, the ­Defence Minister blocked a move to merge the selection courses for the Perth-based SASR and the Sydney-based 2nd Commando Regiment from next year.

The proposal, aimed at ­addressing toxic rivalry between the units identified in the Brereton report, had angered many in the special forces community, particularly SASR veterans.

It is understood Mr Dutton ruled quietly in June that the ­planned joint selection course – ­developed by former special forces commander Adam Findlay with the blessing of Chief of Army Rick Burr and Chief of the Defence Force Angus Campbell – should not be implemented.

The move follows other interventions by the minister, including his reversal of General Campbell’s decision to strip meritorious unit citations from 3000 special forces soldiers as a “collective punishment” for alleged war crimes.

The four-year Brereton inquiry found “credible information” that up to 25 serving and former soldiers were involved in — and covered up — alleged war crimes in Afghanistan during the nation’s longest war. It recommended 19 face criminal investigations.

The allegations related predominantly to SASR soldiers, with no evidence of a pattern of unlawful killings by 2nd Commando Regiment soldiers.

The decision to shelve the joint selection course came after senior former military figures said the unit needed to be able to select the elite soldiers with the attributes necessary to be able to operate in small groups, in extreme conditions and under sustained pressure. Defence said on Friday the first joint selection course had been “suspended”, but declined to comment further.

Assistant Defence Minister Andrew Hastie, a former SASR captain, and Major General Duncan Lewis (retired), a former SASR commander and former ASIO ­director-general, are understood to have argued strongly for the separate selection courses to be ­retained.

Mr Hastie, who was a key proponent of recent SASR command and control reforms, said: “I want the SAS and the 2nd Commando Regiment, and the rest of the ADF, to be mission ready.”

Major General Lewis, who was the nation’s special operations commander when the SASR deployed to Afghanistan after the September 11 terrorist attacks, said it was vital that “the people coming into the unit meet the professional and personal standards that the unit demands”.

“The special forces organisations that I know best are all in control of their own selection ­processes, and I think that is very important,” Major General Lewis said.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14555189

File: 86b42f345c40cce⋯.jpg (89.14 KB, 862x485, 862:485, General_Campbell_originall….jpg)

>>14555183

2/2

Prospective recruits for both the SASR and 2nd Commando units must meet gruelling physical selection requirements during three-week courses, which only about 20 per cent pass.

The Commandos are typically trained for large-scale offensive, ­recovery and counter-terrorism operations, while SASR operators specialise in long-range “strategic reconnaissance” missions.

Major General Lewis, who now has the honorary role of SASR Colonel Commandant, said the regiment looked for ­recruits with a “suite of personal characteristics and strengths” in addition to “absolutely excellent” military skills.

“They need to have self-awareness, and have a degree of humility; they need to be clever, have an intellectual curiosity, have personal self-confidence, and the ability to work in a very small team – groups as small as five, for example,” he said.

“They need to be physically fit, they need to be committed, and they need to be willing to make extraordinary sacrifices to keep up the levels of performance required of them … in much the same way as an elite sports person would.”

Major General Lewis said the growing threat of “grey zone warfare” in the Indo-Pacific ­region below the threshold of armed conflict required an SASR that was “on top of its game”.

“We are going to need those capabilities perhaps more than we have even in the past,” he said.

He said that unlike the ­counterinsurgency role played by special forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, the SASR needed to be ready to operate in a more highly contested environment, with much greater risk of detection.

“With the enhanced technologies available on the field of battle these days, small numbers of soldiers can have much greater effect, down to and including the individual,” Major General Lewis said.

The Australian reported last year that the proposed joint ­selection course would be ­“regiment agnostic” to break down the intense tribalism between the two units. It would have combined the application, screening, fitness test, and basic special forces training, before putting recruits through more specialised courses.

Mr Hastie discussed the decision to overturn the joint selection proposal with Jack Watling, a research fellow with Britain’s Royal United Services Institute, who argued in a recent paper that modern special forces operations required an increasingly demanding skill set for the new era of great power competition.

The proliferation of battlefield sensors required covert forces that could “build an active cover and plan operations over a much longer time frame” than during the war on terror, Dr ­Watling said.

“For this reason, covert strategic reconnaissance and enablement is likely to need to increasingly be carried out by dedicated units with differentiated selection processes,” he said.

He said special forces would “need to conduct operations against strategically significant targets while fighting unplugged, from both communications and supporting echelons”.

The head of parliament’s ­intelligence and security committee, James Paterson, observed the final days of the last three-week SASR selection process in May.

“It really is an utterly gruelling process – very little sleep, very little food, and being asked to do almost mindless physical tasks day after day to test that resilience,” Senator Paterson said.

“It's all kinds of basic military exercises and tasks, but under ­really tough conditions like doing things at night without light, in the cold without heat, lifting heavy things over long distances, and then putting them under extreme pressure to simulate a battle.”

The axing of the joint selection process follows an unsuccessful campaign by some SASR veterans and their supporters to overturn the abolition of the regiment 2nd Squadron, which Lieutenant General Burr said was “a nexus of alleged serious criminal activities” uncovered in the Brereton inquiry.

Major General Lewis, who once commanded 2 Squadron, said its abolition was sad but necessary.

“The regiment is a capability that the Australian Defence Force needs, that Australia needs, and that is the price that sadly and regrettably had to be paid to ensure it continues, and continues to prosper,” he said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/defence/sas-survives-to-fight-another-day-as-peter-dutton-reverses-recruitment-move/news-story/1c2313d2b9b7288c06f5b70aed40e6f8

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2e5617  No.14557146

File: b9365d89c4ebec7⋯.jpg (191.54 KB, 960x640, 3:2, US_leader_Joe_Biden_Japan_….jpg)

Scott Morrison set for first one-on-one with Joe Biden to talk China

Matthew Knott - September 10, 2021

Washington: Prime Minister Scott Morrison is preparing to use his first one-on-one meeting with Joe Biden later this month to urge the US President to make challenging China’s growing influence in the Asia-Pacific one of his top foreign policy priorities.

Morrison is set to meet Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at the first face-to-face meeting of the “Quad” grouping at the White House on September 24.

Morrison is also expected to hold his first bilateral meeting with Biden since the President took office in January during his trip to Washington.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson joined Biden and Morrison for their first in-person meeting at the G7 summit in Cornwall in June.

Morrison’s planned meeting with Biden will offer an important opportunity to cement a personal relationship with the Democratic Party standard-bearer almost two years after his Republican predecessor Donald Trump feted Morrison at the White House with a rare state dinner.

Sources familiar with the planning of the trip said the Australian government sees an opportunity to refocus the Biden administration’s attention on the Indo-Pacific following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

There was consternation in Canberra last month at Biden’s tardiness in calling Morrison to discuss the evacuation effort from Kabul, reflecting a broader frustration among America’s closest allies at the lack of consultation about the withdrawal.

Morrison and Biden eventually spoke by phone on September 2, three days after the last US troops left Afghanistan.

In a video message last week marking the 70th anniversary of the ANZUS treaty between Australia, the US and New Zealand, Biden said the partnership between the United States and Australia remained as “essential today as it has ever been” and praised the “easy mateship” between the two nations.

Preparations for the Quad meeting came as Biden held his second phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping since he took office.

The official White House readout of the call said it was part of Biden’s “ongoing effort to responsibly manage the competition between the United States and the PRC”.

“President Biden underscored the United States’ enduring interest in peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and the world and the two leaders discussed the responsibility of both nations to ensure competition does not veer into conflict,” the summary of the call said.

Once disparaged for failing to live up to its promise, the Quad grouping of the US, Australia, India and Japan has rapidly emerged as an influential bulwark against China’s growing assertiveness in the region.

The Quad leaders held their first meeting via teleconference in March, where they pledged to distribute one billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to developing countries in the Asia-Pacific.

“It is the Indo-Pacific that will now shape the destiny of our world in the 21st Century,” Morrison said at the meeting, adding he believed the virtual summit marked “a new dawn” in the region.

Infrastructure spending is expected to be an important focus of the Washington meeting, as well as vaccine distribution which was disrupted when India was hit by the Delta strain.

Long-held plans to hold the first face-to-face leaders meeting this month appeared to be thrown into disarray when Japanese Prime Minister Suga announced he was stepping down from the prime ministership.

But the Biden administration decided it was not worth delaying the meeting given Suga’s replacement will come from the same party and pursue the same foreign policy goals as his predecessor.

On the day the last American troops left Kabul, Biden said the US was turning the page on its Middle East-focussed foreign policy over the past two decades.

“The world is changing,” Biden said. “We’re engaged in a serious competition with China. We’re dealing with the challenges on multiple fronts with Russia. We’re confronted with cyberattacks and nuclear proliferation.”

https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/scott-morrison-set-for-first-one-on-one-with-joe-biden-to-talk-china-20210910-p58qjh.html

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2e5617  No.14557219

File: fd4b2bc31bb8fe5⋯.jpg (59.94 KB, 768x1024, 3:4, Queensland_Police_Service_….jpg)

File: fda4ea1a7788c0d⋯.jpg (75.62 KB, 768x1024, 3:4, Victim_identification_spec….jpg)

File: da7e943cfdc7ab0⋯.jpg (48.25 KB, 768x1024, 3:4, Manly_Vale_man_Kurtis_Whal….jpg)

File: 8984b8a4bc87140⋯.jpg (84.4 KB, 768x1024, 3:4, Whaley_was_sentenced_for_5….jpg)

File: 9aee9aa8c31612f⋯.jpg (65.93 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, The_AFP_is_urging_parents_….jpg)

AFP warn parents about children falling victim to ‘capping’

A Queensland father has revealed the shocking way a paedophile trapped his son as perverts force children as young as eight to perform live-streamed sexual acts.

Adella Beaini - September 11, 2021

Exclusive: Australian children as young as eight are being forced into performing live-streamed sexual acts by perverts posing as teenage boys, with federal police warning parents that predators are targeting new platforms.

Specialists within the Australian Federal Police’s victim identification unit fear hundreds of thousands of children in Australia and around the world are falling victim to “capping” – one of the fastest growing trends of online child sexual abuse.

The act of “capping” (for capturing) involves abusers duping or coercing children into producing sexualised videos which are then recorded or live streamed on the dark web and among paedophile groups.

Detective Sergeant Svetlana Palmer, from the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE), said in many cases “cappers’ used fear, coercion and manipulation to keep the crime going”.

Queensland Police Service victim identification specialist Scott Anderson is on the frontline, monitoring online forums to identify victims and offenders.

He said the team was finding “cappers” posing as teenagers or modelling agents to gain the trust of their young victims, mostly aged 12 to 15.

“These offenders are highly manipulative and in extreme cases, they have tricked children into undressing and performing sexual acts on camera within 10 minutes of contacting them through a video streaming platform,” Mr Anderson said.

Dozens of children can be targeted by a single capper in a matter of hours, producing high amount of videos in what police say dispels perceptions that offenders carefully identified victims and spent months or years grooming them.

“These offenders are highly manipulative and in extreme cases, they have tricked children into undressing and performing sexual acts on camera within 10 minutes of contacting them through a video streaming platform,” Mr Anderson said.

Child victims are also often subjected to “sextortion” where they are blackmailed or threatened into forcing friends or siblings to take part.

In May last year, Sydney man Kurtis Whaley from the northern beaches, was sentenced to almost 10 years in jail for his “cruel and relentless” manipulation of 49 children and teenage boys, whom he lured online and blackmailed into sending sexually explicit content.

Posing as a 16-year-old girl named “Beth”, Whaley saved Snapchat and Instagram photos and secretly recorded Skype and Omegle live streams of naked boys, collecting 700 videos and images of 49 victims aged between eight and 15.

When raiding his house in 2019, officers from the AFP discovered sexually depraved child porn depicting a further 250 unidentified kids aged as young as four on Whaley’s external hard drives.

Speaking out for the first time, the father of one of his victims is urging parents to take precautions to protect children from online predators.

“The moment I found out my son was being groomed was when he abruptly got up to his room and wouldn’t leave his phone with me,” John, (not his real name), said.

“The mobile phone was used as an electronic chain and shackle making my son captive to the paedophile for nearly a month where he was repeatedly abused with no way to escape on his own,” the Queensland father said.

“These predators demand horrible things and it only ever gets worse. And when kids feel too scared about something, that’s the moment they need to speak up,” he said.

“My son was fortunate that he got justice, but many never do and they remain in constant fear that this abuse material will resurface again and the perpetrators are still free.”

Marking the end of National Child Protection Week, the AFP’s education program, ThinkUKnow, is on Saturday releasing a new guide to help parents and carers keep their children safe online during lockdowns.

The guide can be found at www.thinkuknow.org.au and www.accce.gov.au.

http://www.thinkuknow.org.au/

http://www.accce.gov.au/

https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/crimeinfocus/afp-warn-parents-about-children-falling-victim-to-capping/news-story/8432c6a1a6d52be139f30623432b0052

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2e5617  No.14557263

File: 40196a774c660ef⋯.jpg (105.55 KB, 862x485, 862:485, Defence_Minister_Peter_Dut….jpg)

File: bb9cc4122f77b9f⋯.jpg (125.18 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Foreign_Minister_Marise_Pa….jpg)

File: e518d81f55e3855⋯.jpg (113.47 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Australia_and_India_will_r….jpg)

Peter Dutton accuses China of aggression and is called 'extremely dangerous and irresponsible' by the Chinese Foreign Ministry

Stephen Dziedzic - 11 September 2021

China's Foreign Ministry has hit back at Peter Dutton, after the Defence Minister accused Beijing of engaging in "increasingly coercive" behaviour and harbouring a "zero-sum mentality".

It comes as Mr Dutton and Foreign Minister Marie Payne prepare to sit down with their Indian counterparts in New Delhi for a historic meeting which is expected to heavily focus on strengthening security ties and dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier this week Mr Dutton told the American Chamber of Commerce that it was important to deepen military cooperation between US and Australia in order to maintain freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific and deter "the most egregious forms of coercion and aggression".

He said the Chinese Communist Party's rhetoric had become "increasingly bellicose" and that its activities had become "increasingly coercive, driven by a zero-sum mentality".

Late on Friday China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian hit back, calling Mr Dutton's remarks "extremely dangerous and irresponsible".

"The Australian official publicly hyped the 'China threat' theory and made unwarranted accusations and an attack on China. This fully shows his Cold War mentality and ideological bias," he said.

"For those driven by zero-sum thinking and engaged in coercion, the international community has a clear answer. We urge the Australian politicians to stop hyping the 'China threat' and stop seeing China as an imaginary enemy, or they will simply shoot themselves in the foot."

On Friday Mr Dutton met his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh in New Delhi, on the second leg of a trip he is taking with Senator Payne, taking in Indonesia, India, South Korea and the United States.

"India's leadership is central to Australia's Indo-Pacific strategy. It is in the sovereign interests of us both to align our strategy, our capability and resources," Mr Dutton said.

"We share one of the world's most important oceans and we both want a stable, resilient and secure strategic neighbourhood."

Mr Dutton said both countries had agreed to "ramp up" coordination between air forces and maritime exercises, although he did not provide any details.

Later today Mr Dutton, Mr Singh, Senator Payne and India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will hold the first ever "2 + 2" meeting between the two countries.

Last night Senator Payne told New Delhi-based think tank the Observer Research Foundation that there had been a "rapid convergence" between Australia and India's strategic interests.

"We agree that the rules and norms of habits and cooperation must be at the centre of our region's strategic culture – not a might is right mentality or coercive tactics" she said.

Senator Payne also said Australia wanted to engage "constructively" with China, but said Australia wouldn't abandon its principles.

"What we have seen in recent times has certainly presented challenges for the relationship, because we have considered that some of those actions have threatened Australia's national interests," she said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-11/peter-dutton-sparks-china-anger-india-visit/100454408

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2e5617  No.14557267

File: 0d32e52ef210adf⋯.jpg (110.06 KB, 500x359, 500:359, Foreign_Ministry_Spokesper….jpg)

>>14557263

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on September 10, 2021

China News Service: Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton, when speaking to the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia, said that the world is "grappling with a regional environment far more complex and far less predictable than at any time since the Second World War"; the geopolitical climate had "echoes of the 1930s"; China has grown increasingly "coercive", driven by a "zero-sum mentality", and is undermining the sovereignty of other nations and the global rules-based order. Do you have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: The Australian government official openly hyped up the so-called China threat, and wantonly criticized and attacked China. This fully exposed his Cold War mentality and ideological bias. It runs counter to the trend of peace, development and cooperation in today's world, and is detrimental to regional peace and stability as well as Australia's interests. China firmly rejects his extremely dangerous and irresponsible remarks.

China is committed to the path of peaceful development and to developing friendly cooperative relations with other countries on the basis of the five principles of peaceful co-existence. We always contribute to world peace and development and uphold international order. We firmly uphold the UN-centered international system and basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. That being said, we oppose the imposition of rules set by a few countries on the international community.

The responsibility for the current difficulties in China-Australia relations rests solely with the Australian side. China has never infringed upon Australia's sovereignty. It is Australia that has time and again violated international law and basic norms of international relations and grossly interfered in China's domestic affairs, provoking tension and confrontation as if it wished for nothing more than trouble. The international community can see plainly who is driven by "zero-sum mentality" and being coercive. We hope Australian politicians will stop sensationalizing the so-called China threat and seeing China as the "imagined enemy", or else the stone they are lifting will end up falling on their feet.

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/2511_665403/t1906171.shtml

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2e5617  No.14557270

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14557263

The Australian side is really “bellicose and coercive”.

SpokespersonCHN发言人办公室

Sep 11, 2021

Australian government official’s trumpeting of the “China threat theory” is extremely dangerous and irresponsible. The Australian side is really “bellicose and coercive”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zwKfd3IYGE

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2e5617  No.14557275

File: 48193f549a2feb0⋯.jpg (371.02 KB, 825x899, 825:899, CCGIS_5.jpg)

File: f72fe36ea0f740e⋯.mp4 (1.51 MB, 640x368, 40:23, XFJCKQj_UTjy1hHA.mp4)

>>14557263

Chinese Consulate General in Sydney Tweet

We hope #Australian politicians will stop sensationalizing the so-called China threat theory and seeing China as the “imagined enemy”, or else the stone they are lifting will end up falling on their feet.

https://twitter.com/ChinaConSydney/status/1436524397024747523

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2e5617  No.14557296

File: 78fb8ca0a68f33e⋯.jpg (525.81 KB, 825x1019, 825:1019, OSAF_1.jpg)

File: b2dc98ec7872a7f⋯.jpg (3.35 MB, 3000x2019, 1000:673, E_ylar5WUAo9KvO.jpg)

Office of the Secretary of the Air Force Tweet

For 70 years, the U.S.-Australia alliance has been vital to Indo-Pacific prosperity. Today, SecAF Kendall met w/ @CAF_Australia Air Marshal Hupfeld to discuss deepening the robust & wide-ranging relationship between the Department of the Air Force & @AusAirForce. #OneTeamOneFight

https://twitter.com/SecAFOfficial/status/1435704617048944651

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2e5617  No.14557583

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14554611

Prince Andrew served lawsuit for alleged assault

9 News Australia

Sep 11, 2021

One of Jeffrey Epstein’s long-time accusers is suing Prince Andrew, alleging he sexually assaulted her when she was 17.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp7riVF8s4Y

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2e5617  No.14557688

File: d6ac07360b53f38⋯.jpg (712.95 KB, 938x1075, 938:1075, MRF_D_32.jpg)

File: 9e0c4a5aa22149a⋯.jpg (190.5 KB, 1080x566, 540:283, 241755056_210525234443301_….jpg)

File: 6a1563b3cc4276e⋯.jpg (101.56 KB, 2048x1947, 2048:1947, 241765246_210525267776631_….jpg)

>>14554461

Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post

11 September 2021

September 11, 2021, marks 20 years since the attacks at the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. These attacks shook the American people and many others around the world, and continue to serve as a day unforgotten by history.

Today, we remember those that we lost, those that survived, and the families of these victims. We remember the countless lives that continue to be affected in the aftermath of these horrific events. We honor the first responders around the country that ran towards the danger, and their dedication, courage and bravery that saved numerous lives. We honor the members of our DoD community that were lost on September 11th, and we will always recognize their service and sacrifice. We remember the survivors in our DoD community across the Nation. Let the heroic efforts of many on September 11th be an inspiration for the generations of today and tomorrow.

As we gather today to honor and remember those that we have lost, we reaffirm the strength of the United States as we have grieved and healed together.

Today, we remember.

#WeRemember911

.

.

.

(U.S. Marine Corps graphic and illustration by Cpl. Lydia Gordon)

#WeWillNeverForget #September11 #Memorial #Honor #Remember #PatriotDay #neverforget911 #USMC

https://www.facebook.com/MRFDarwin/posts/210526514443173

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2e5617  No.14563275

File: 7c4c578133f1eda⋯.jpg (200.32 KB, 1200x800, 3:2, A_lone_passenger_sits_at_a….jpg)

>>14404403

Australia buys additional 1 mln doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine

Colin Packham - September 12, 2021

CANBERRA, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Australia has purchased an additional 1 million doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine from the European Union, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, as the country accelerates its inoculation programme to fight record high infections.

The purchase is a boost for Australia's A$2 trillion ($1.5 trillion) economy, which is at risk of slipping into its second recession in as many years as a result of lockdowns of the country's two most populous cities, Sydney and Melbourne.

These lockdowns will remain until 70% of the country's near 26 million population are fully vaccinated, which is not expected until late October.

But Morrison said the million doses will arrive later this week. Australia has ordered 25 million vaccines from Moderna.

"Some good news today. A family sized dose of hope for our vaccination programme," Morrison told reporters in Sydney.

The purchase comes as Australia struggles to contain an outbreak of the highly transmissible Delta variant, with daily infections on Saturday topping 2,000 cases for the first time.

Australia has recorded 73,610 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic begun. The death toll rose by 7 to 1,091.

Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, reported on Sunday 1,262 locally acquired COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, down from 1,599 infections recorded a day earlier.

Neighbouring Victoria reported 392 COVID-19 infections in the past 24 hours, down slightly from the 450 cases recorded in the state the day before.

Meanwhile, Queensland, Australia's third most populous state, said on Sunday it does not need to order a lockdown after it detected zero COVID-19 infections in the past 24 hours.

The state on Saturday reported five cases of COVID-19, with state Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk warning that a lockdown could be needed to stop the spread of the virus.

However, the state said testing had yet to detect any further cases, avoiding the need for such a measure.

"We're not out of the woods yet, but this is the best result we could have hoped for at this point in the outbreak," Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles told reporters in Brisbane.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australias-victoria-state-records-small-decline-covid-19-infections-2021-09-11/

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2e5617  No.14563305

File: 3e773d67477b9a0⋯.jpg (174.6 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Foreign_Minister_Marise_Pa….jpg)

File: 1fc8494fd06517a⋯.jpg (118.72 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Defence_Minister_Peter_Dut….jpg)

>>14551779

Australia and India vow to strengthen military ties during first meeting of defence and foreign ministers

Stephen Dziedzic - 12 September 2021

Australia and India are vowing to expand their military relationship after holding their inaugural meeting between defence and foreign ministers in New Delhi.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton said he had formally invited India to take part in the massive Talisman Sabre military exercises that the United States and Australia hold every two years.

Several other nations – including Japan, Canada and the United Kingdom – took part in the most recent Operation Talisman Sabre in northern Queensland, which involved around 17,000 military personnel.

India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh did not say if India would accept the invitation to the next Talisman Sabre, which will not be held until 2023.

But drawing India into Talisman Sabre would broaden the coalition of participating nations and stir suspicion in China, which sent two spy ships to monitor the exercises earlier this year.

Mr Singh said there had been "remarkable progress" in the Australia-India relationship and both countries wanted to pursue "greater military engagements, better information sharing, and cooperation in emerging defence technology".

Australia's role in the Malabar naval exercises — with India, Japan and the United States – appears to have been cemented, with Mr Dutton saying Australia would "continue to participate" in Malabar in future years.

Australia and India have also agreed to intensify information sharing between their two navies, which have been participating in bilateral maritime exercises off the coast of the Northern Territory this week.

Both countries hailed the inaugural 2+2 meeting as a significant milestone in the relationship and analysts have said it is a sign that Australia and India's strategic interests are continuing to converge.

That is partly because both countries share unease and uncertainty about China's growing military might.

Beijing and New Delhi are still locked in a standoff in the wake of violent border clashes, while Mr Dutton intensified his criticism of China earlier this week, accusing it of engaging in "increasingly coercive" behaviour.

Both Mr Dutton and Foreign Minister Marise Payne emphasised India's growing heft in the region while visiting New Delhi, with Mr Dutton calling it a "rising Indo-Pacific great power and an increasingly significant security partner for Australia."

"We both depend on free and open access to sea lanes … and we share an unwavering commitment to upholding the rules based in international order," he said.

Senator Payne said both Australia and India wanted to see "a natural multipolarity" prevail in the region.

"Australia is confident about our role in such a region and it is obvious that India is a natural leader within the rules-based system," she said.

Mr Jaishankar said Australia and India's shared democratic values also gave them common ground.

But he pressed Senator Payne over the fate of Indian students who have been unable to travel to Australia to commence their studies because of Australia's closed borders, saying their frustrations were "completely understandable".

Senator Payne said she understood India's concerns and stressed Australia would welcome international students back in as soon as its vaccination rollout permitted borders to reopen.

Ian Hall from the Griffith Asia Institute said the 2+2 meeting was an "important moment" that "showed how far we've come in this relationship in a relatively short period of time".

But he said the recent revival of long-stalled free trade negotiations between the two nations showed there was plenty of work still to be done to develop economic ties.

"While an 'early harvest' economic deal would be good, it is obvious that we're a long way from a full agreement," Dr Hall said.

"It is also clear that Australia is still doing a lot of the lifting, as it were, bringing new things like Talisman Sabre to the table."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-12/australia-and-india-vow-to-strengthen-military-ties/100454992

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2e5617  No.14563563

File: 041d1330b86aaf8⋯.jpg (323.88 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, China_slams_Australia_s_Ch….jpg)

>>14557263

China slams Australia's 'China threat' rhetoric

Global Times - Sep 11, 2021

The blatant hyping of the "China threat theory" and baseless accusations of China fully exposes some Australian officials' cold war mentality and ideological bias, which go against the global trend of peace and undermine regional stability as well the interests of Australia, Wu Qian, the spokesperson of China's Ministry of National Defense, said on Friday.

Wu's remarks came after Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton claimed on Wednesday that "activities and rhetoric of Beijing officials had grown increasingly bellicose and coercive" and China's military development undermines global stability, the Canberra Times reported.

Wu said that the Australian defense official's groundless accusation and attack on China are extremely dangerous and irresponsible, and China expressed strong discontent and opposition.

China upholds a peaceful development pattern and its defense policy is defensive in nature. It never initiatives any wars or conflicts nor does it invade one inch of other countries' territory. It poses no threat to any country, Wu said, noting that China has always been the builder of global peace and defender of the international order.

Some people in Australia are willingly serving as the pawn of the US to contain China. Their toxic rhetoric has seriously poisoned the atmosphere for the development of relations between the two militaries and the two countries and undermined the regional efforts of Asia Pacific countries on maintaining peace and stability, Wu said.

"We urge Australian politicians to respect the facts, stop hyping up the 'China threat' and taking China as the imaginary enemy," Wu noted, adding that Australia should immediately correct its mistake and stop irresponsible remarks against China to avoid further damages to bilateral ties.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1233962.shtml

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2e5617  No.14563605

File: 0ea8b3154b6e8c3⋯.jpg (54.56 KB, 600x400, 3:2, Professor_Chen_Hong_says_h….jpg)

File: 89dd32a97f1b37c⋯.jpg (119.35 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Professor_Chen_Hong_left_a….jpg)

>>14483713

>>14539056

Chinese academic accuses Australian government of not being transparent over visa cancellation

Asia Pacific Newsroom / abc.net.au - 12 September 2021

1/2

A prominent Chinese academic who had his visa cancelled on national security grounds has accused the Australian government of not being transparent about his case by refusing to respond to a letter of complaint.

Chen Hong, a professor of Australian Studies at East China Normal University in Shanghai, told the ABC he wrote back to the Department of Home Affairs in August last year after receiving a letter from the department revoking his visa in May 2020.

"I wrote, 'I am always available for you to contact me, that is if you think there are any questions you might need clarification [on].'

"But so far, there has been no contact whatsoever. It is still unsolved, like a stone dropped into the sea.

"This is an example of being opaque. [The Australian government] is like a brick wall."

Professor Chen aired his ongoing grievance in a recent episode of Australia Live, a weekly live streaming program by ABC Chinese on Australia-China relations.

In a three-page letter addressed to the department and dated August 19, 2020, Professor Chen said he was "shocked" that ASIO deemed he was a direct or indirect security risk.

"I absolutely refuse to accept this assessment, and believe a gross mistake has been made regarding my relationship with Australia," he said in the letter, seen by the ABC.

"The cancellation of my Australia visa is incredulously stunning and very disappointing to me. In fact, [at] first I thought the email was a spam fraud letter."

The Department of Home Affairs declined to comment on the case, but a spokesperson said the Australian government "does not tolerate non-citizens who engage in conduct or behaviour of concern and will continue to act decisively to protect the community from the risk of harm posed by these individuals".

'Fair Dinkum' WeChat group ensnared Chinese professor in investigation

Professor Chen's recent comments come one year after ABC Investigations broke news of an AFP-ASIO Foreign Interference Task Force investigation into an alleged plot by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to infiltrate New South Wales Parliament through the office of Labor backbencher Shaoquett Moselmane, using his former staffer John Zhang.

The AFP is investigating whether Mr Zhang used a chat group on the Chinese social media platform WeChat to encourage Mr Moselmane to advocate for the Chinese government's interests.

Professor Chen and another leading Australian studies scholar, Li Jianjun, were drawn into the investigation over the alleged infiltration because they were members of the WeChat group.

Mr Li declined to comment for this story, saying he continued to focus on his Australian academic work in China.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14563608

File: 5d8e41a0ba32cd8⋯.jpg (54.26 KB, 505x548, 505:548, Former_NSW_Premier_Bob_Car….jpg)

>>14563605

2/2

In October last year, Professor Chen shared details of the WeChat group, called FD group — FD standing for "fair dinkum" — with the ABC's Background Briefing.

Members of the chat group said it was totally harmless.

Today, Professor Chen still maintains that he has not done anything wrong and is not a risk to Australia's national security.

"It was alleged that I was in a WeChat group and pressure was exerted for foreign interference," he said.

"Whoever in their right mind would … use [a] WeChat group chat to exert political interference?

"I am just speechless and shocked."

His comments come almost a year after ABC Investigations reported on search warrants issued against the prime suspect, John Zhang.

The warrants identified at least another nine people in connection to the investigation, including Professor Chen and Mr Li.

According to search warrants served on Mr Zhang in June 2020, the AFP suspects he was part of a group of foreign agents secretly collaborating with the United Front Workers Department and China's leading spy agency, the Ministry of State Security (MSS), to influence Mr Moselmane.

The warrants allege the group may have broken Australia's foreign interference laws by trying to influence the politician covertly in a "private social media chat group and other fora," and by concealing their alleged collaborations with the Chinese state.

The AFP declined to comment on the ongoing investigations.

Professor Chen and Mr Li are both well-known academics in their fields.

Over his career, Professor Chen has attended events with former foreign minister and NSW premier Bob Carr, and was the translator for former prime minister Bob Hawke on his 1994 trip to China.

Professor Chen is a prominent commentator on Australian relations in the Chinese state media tabloid, the Global Times.

His academic specialty is analysing the work of Nobel-prize-winning Australian author Patrick White.

His colleague Li is a Peking Opera lover and his PhD is about Australian literature from the 1950s and 1960s.

In the letter, Professor Chen outlined his academic work, including his position as director of his university's Australian Studies department, editing journals, and running an annual contest for university students to test their knowledge of Australia.

He said he made candid comments about bilateral relations between Australia and China.

He said while he was sometimes critical of some of Australia's policies, his intention was to "eliminate misunderstanding".

"I am well known in China as one of the most vocal promoters and advocators of understanding of and friendship with Australia.

"I have a deep fondness of Australia as a country, a society and a culture. I have done nothing and will do nothing to act as a risk to Australia's security."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-12/chinese-academic-hits-out-at-australian-government/100442592

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2e5617  No.14563656

File: 1ff73c3d6cdaf5d⋯.png (708.93 KB, 960x639, 320:213, Prince_Andrew_s_team_repor….png)

File: 344ccc9d77d4778⋯.png (781.88 KB, 960x639, 320:213, The_prince_has_denied_Virg….png)

>>14554611

SERVE RETURNED - Prince Andrew’s lawyers ‘claim Virginia Roberts sex assault papers NOT properly served and he’ll get case thrown out’

Laura Gesualdi-Gilmore - 11 Sep 2021

1/2

PRINCE Andrew's legal team have reportedly claimed that he hasn't been legally served by his sexual abuse accuser Virginia Roberts - and plan to get the case tossed out.

Lawyers for Roberts told The Sun on Friday that they had served the prince with papers for their sex assault lawsuit.

The Duke of York, 61, was served at his Royal Lodge mansion in Windsor last month, according to a document filed on Friday.

Roberts, 38, who is one of the most well-known Jeffrey Epstein victims, is accusing the prince of abusing her three times when she was under the age of 18.

Andrew, however, has strongly denied the claims in the past and has said he doesn't recall meeting Roberts - who also goes by her married name Giuffre.

His lawyers claim the court papers were not properly served and plan to boycott a Monday court hearing, it was reported.

Andrew's team also plans to attempt to get the case thrown out on a technicality related to a confidential settlement Roberts signed in 2009.

She reportedly reached a settlement with Epstein in Florida that could contain clauses that would prevent her from taking actions against individuals she's accusing of being the late financier's co-conspirators.

One of those people is Alan Dershowitz, who previously represented Epstein and was accused of sexual assault by Roberts in 2019.

She reportedly dropped the claim because of the Epstein settlement last month.

Dershowitz has lodged a request with the Manhattan court dealing with the case against Prince Andrew to have Roberts' settlement unsealed because he believes it'll help get the case against him tossed.

"We strongly suspect that Virginia and her lawyers may have committed fraud on the court by filing a lawsuit against Prince Andrew after dismissing the battery case against me," Dershowitz said.

"The same reasons for dismissing the case against me seem to apply to Prince Andrew.

"These documents should get the charges against Prince Andrew thrown out. It's an airtight defense for Prince Andrew and a potential fraud on the court."

Roberts' lawyer, David Boies, said he could not comment on the specifics of her settlement, but added that there is "no evidence that Prince Andrew was intended to be covered by the release."

Virginia’s team say an official process server, Cesar Augusto Sepulveda, delivered the papers at the Lodge — one of five attempts they made over the past month.

Mr Sepulveda is a private investigator and self-described “super- recogniser” who typically works for London law firms.

The document filed yesterday says he was denied entry to the Lodge on August 26 and told that staff had been “primed” not to accept any papers.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14563660

File: c8a070cc2d1d011⋯.png (1.12 MB, 891x960, 297:320, Roberts_accused_Prince_And….png)

File: cc31bee3bb2e615⋯.png (110.76 KB, 664x901, 664:901, The_Duke_of_York_has_denie….png)

File: eeadb72cbbe2d87⋯.png (283.26 KB, 656x905, 656:905, The_prince_s_lawyers_are_r….png)

>>14563656

2/2

HEARING SET FOR MONDAY

When he returned the next day, police at the main gate allowed him to leave the summons.

Virginia’s lead lawyer David Boies, 80, said: “A policeman took the court papers and said he would give them to him (Andrew). We certainly didn’t expect that!”

The legal team also emailed a copy to Andrew’s lawyers via Barbara Fontaine, Senior Master of the Queen’s Bench Division — a post appointed by Andrew’s mum.

Mr Boies said: “They responded saying they had got it.”

A third method saw the papers emailed to the Duke of York’s office. Lawyers were told: “This is an automatic acknowledgment to tell you we have received your email safely.”

A copy was posted to the Royal Lodge, by Royal Mail.

Finally, the lawsuit was emailed to Andrew’s UK lawyers, and US attorney Blair Berk who represented film producer Harvey Weinstein in his sex assault trial.

Mr Boies says at least two methods of alternative service they have used qualify under US law.

Roberts' explosive lawsuit was filed in New York on August 9. The first hearing in the case is set for Monday before district judge Lewis Kaplan. He will also decide whether Andrew has been officially served.

Boies told The Sun he will ask the judge to set a date by which Andrew has to reply. He added: “We will make a report to the court of what we have done.

“If the court confirms Andrew has been served, the judge will give him a deadline to respond.

“I don’t believe his legal team are going to ignore this but that’s what they have done consistently, so maybe that will happen. If Andrew doesn’t respond there can be a default judgment against him.”

'REGRETTABLE' METHODS

Boies faces a conference call with Judge Kaplan in New York at 4pm EST on Monday.

Andrew is currently at Balmoral with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.

His lawyers have objected to the “regrettable” methods used by Roberts’ team to serve him, and suggested they were not legally binding.

Gary Bloxsome, from Blackfords LLP who are believed to be representing the Duke, made the claims in a letter to Barbara Fontaine, obtained by ABC News.

He said: “[Virginia Roberts' lawyers] have made several public, well-publicised, attempts at irregular service of these proceedings in this jurisdiction, in at least one case accompanied by a media representative.

“These have included attempted personal service of our client at his home, the instruction of a private process server, and attempts to email the proceedings not only to this firm, but to barristers (who are not authorised to conduct litigation) known to have acted for the duke.”

Bloxsome maintains that under British law, a valid request for assistance from UK court officials must come from a judicial or diplomatic officer in the US.

If the judge overseeing the case made a request, Mr Bloxsome said “it is likely that our client will be content to agree to a convenient method of alternative service”.

He added: “However, absent being satisfied of some very good reason to do so, our client is highly unlikely to be prepared to agree to any form of alternative service while the approach to service of these proceedings remains irregular and the viability of the claim remains open to doubt.”

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/16108752/prince-andrew-served-epstein-accuser-case-tossed/

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2e5617  No.14563683

File: 15eeac71a6362a0⋯.jpg (102.32 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, David_Boies_arrives_at_a_f….jpg)

File: 2e246f7904403f0⋯.jpg (69.27 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Britain_s_Prince_Andrew_Du….jpg)

>>14554611

David Boies: The pit bull lawyer ruthlessly pursuing Prince Andrew

ROSIE KINCHEN - SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

1/2

Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s civil case against Prince Andrew is being heard in a New York court on Monday. She is seeking unspecified damages from the prince for sexual assault and emotional distress. The preliminary hearing marks the start of an excruciating process that will see Andrew’s accuser giving evidence under oath. He will not be attending - he is at Balmoral with his mother Queen Elizabeth - and vehemently denies wrongdoing.

Lawyers for his accuser claim to have served him with legal papers after a bizarre sequence of events at Andrew’s Royal Lodge home at Windsor last month. A UK-based corporate investigator, Cesar Sepulveda, went to Windsor on August 26 where he tried and failed to serve the papers. Police on duty had failed locate anyone senior in Andrew’s staff to take delivery. The following day at 9.15am, Sepulveda returned to Royal Lodge and the documents were left with police. Sepulveda did ask if he was able to meet with Andrew but was told this was not possible. The summons, contained in a plastic sleeve and A4 envelope, was deemed to have been served.

For Giuffre, who alleges that Andrew sexually abused her at least three times when she was 17, it is a shot at the justice that Jeffrey Epstein, a former acquaintance of Andrew, deprived her of when he took his life in a New York cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on child sex-trafficking charges. She claims one of the alleged cases of abuse occurred at Epstein’s Manhattan mansion.

But there is a third person for whom the stakes are also high. Giuffre is being represented by David Boies, 80, one of the most celebrated litigators in America - and at just under $US2000 an hour, one of the best-paid. Boies was, until recently, a towering figure of the Democratic left. He represented Al Gore against George W Bush when he challenged the “hanging chads” election result in Florida in the Supreme Court in 2000. It was his challenge to Proposition 8 in California, which in 2008 had barred same-sex marriages, that succeeded in the Supreme Court in 2013. He could have enjoyed the twilight of his career in peace.

But in 2015, Boies became embroiled in not one but two of the biggest scandals of the past decade: defending his long-term client Harvey Weinstein against an onslaught of sex assault allegations, and aligning himself with Theranos, the collapsed biotech company founded by Elizabeth Holmes, whose trial on charges of fraud and conspiracy began last week.

For Boies, Giuffre’s case, which he has taken pro bono, is a chance to rewrite the last chapter of his career. “Absolutely Boies cares about the reputational hit of the past few years,” says Stephen Gillers, a professor at New York University’s school of law. “Not because it will hurt his income, because it won’t, but because he wants to preserve that reputation for posterity, long after he is gone.”

Boies was always a maverick. He overcame severe dyslexia and started his career in New York, at the corporate law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore, where he made a name as an intuitive and brilliant litigator. “He is a force of nature in the courtroom,” Gillers says. “He can sense what a witness is trying to hide and extract it in an unhurried way - the longer it takes, the more extreme the pain for the witness.”

Boies was also drawn to the limelight. He tried to bring a young Donald Trump to Cravath, before being blocked by the firm, and became a staunch defender of the liberal press. He represented CBS when it was sued for libel by General William Westmoreland, a former military commander in Vietnam, over a 1982 documentary about the war. The two sides settled out of court in 1985.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14563696

File: 022522030f1802a⋯.jpg (111.24 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Former_film_producer_Harve….jpg)

>>14563683

2/2

Boies founded his own firm, Boies Schiller Flexner, in 1997. By 2018 it had 340 lawyers and average profits per partner of dollars 3.2 million, among the highest in the US. He has homes in Westchester County in upstate New York and a 1,000-acre estate in California. He has been married four times and has four sons and a daughter. He owns a vineyard and a racing yacht and collects fine wines.

Boies was introduced to Weinstein in 2001 by the magazine editor Tina Brown. The Hollywood producer hired him and the two became close. Boies was invited to premieres. The Weinstein Company put his daughter, Mary Regency Boies, in the hit 2012 film Silver Linings Playbook, and distributed a movie she produced. Boies formed a film production company with one of his law partners, investing $US5 million each in two Weinstein films, Gold and The Upside, which flopped.

The allegations against Weinstein started almost immediately after he hired Boies. In 2002, Boies talked The New Yorker magazine out of publishing allegations of sexual harassment. He argued that the encounters were consensual and none of the victims would go on the record. Boies was also aware there had been settlements with some accusers. “I knew of two or three over the last 20 years,” he told The New York Times in 2018. Beyond that, he claims he was in the dark. “Harvey had a reputation as a philanderer. But there was never any evidence or indication of assault, rape or threat of force.”

Asked by the New Yorker journalist Ken Auletta how he could represent someone like Weinstein, he replied: “I’m loyal.” This loyalty would be seen again when he was introduced to Holmes.

The wunderkind had founded Theranos in 2011 and was being hailed as the next Steve Jobs. She gave Boies a tour of her Silicon Valley lab and he was so impressed that, when she hired him and his firm as in-house lawyers, he accepted half their fees in Theranos stock. This eventually amounted to 400,000 shares, worth roughly 7 million dollars at their peak.

In 2015, Boies joined the board at Theranos. That year, John Carreyrou, a reporter at The Wall Street Journal, revealed that Theranos’s blood-test technology was faulty and the company was, in effect, a sham. In his book Bad Blood, Carreyrou laid out the aggressive efforts by Boies and his firm to intimidate and silence whistleblowers. He said the firm behaved like “thugs”, an allegation that Boies has claimed was “over the top”.

But in 2017 he found himself engulfed in the Weinstein #MeToo scandal. By then The New York Times and Ronan Farrow at The New Yorker were digging into Weinstein’s history of abuse. Boies agreed to act for him unpaid, as a “friend”, to write legal letters despite the fact that his firm was also employed by The New York Times. It later emerged that Boies had also signed an agreement with Black Cube, an Israeli agency that used undercover operatives to dig into the lives of Weinstein’s accusers in an effort to stop the investigations.

When the Weinstein stories were published, Boies said he was stunned “by the nature of the allegations” and the number of women who came forward. In November that year, he and Weinstein “mutually agreed” to part ways.

Whether this has hurt him professionally is up for debate. Gillers says Boies is still in demand. He believes that Boies’ desire to represent the Epstein victims is genuine and impassioned. But there might also be something else on his mind.

In an interview with The New York Times three years ago, he agreed that the Weinstein and Theranos episodes would probably feature in his obituary.

Then he rallied. “I’m proud to be a lawyer and to serve the justice system,” he said. “That’s essential to everything we care about: liberty, equality, inclusiveness, the pursuit of happiness. The justice system protects the weak and limits the strong.”

What better postscript could you hope for than dragging a reluctant prince to court.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/the-pit-bull-lawyer-who-reached-across-the-atlantic-to-serve-prince-andrew-with-sex-papers/news-story/1ad1356f9147cb80ab39241bfb1def1d

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2e5617  No.14563849

File: 208a60c796c9b7d⋯.jpg (593.1 KB, 825x1145, 165:229, NM_2.jpg)

File: dd32caaa8a063a5⋯.jpg (486.91 KB, 2048x1710, 1024:855, E_BEVzHVUAUMZP7.jpg)

>>14563305

Narendra Modi Tweet

Was happy to meet Ministers @MarisePayne and @PeterDutton_MP. The 1st Ministerial 2+2 Dialogue between India and Australia was very productive. I thank my friend @ScottMorrisonMP for his focus on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between our nations.

https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1436723433019043844

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94df5b  No.14568158

Hey there Australia,

where are your RAPPERS?

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94df5b  No.14568164

Bitchute embed. Click thumbnail to play.
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2e5617  No.14569107

File: 9b3d68e44626a53⋯.jpg (134.01 KB, 1200x800, 3:2, A_sign_at_Central_Station_….jpg)

>>14404403

Australia's NSW state says coronavirus vaccination pace slows

Renju Jose - September 13, 2021

SYDNEY, Sept 13 (Reuters) - The government of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) said on Monday the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations had slowed as first-dose coverage neared 80% and urged the unvaccinated to get shots soon or risk missing out on freedoms when curbs ease.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has promised to relax some restrictions for the state's 8 million residents once two-dose vaccination rates hit 70%, expected to be around the middle of next month. So far, about 46% of the state's adult population has been fully vaccinated, above the national average of 42%.

"For those of you who choose not to be vaccinated, that is your choice, but don't expect to do everything that vaccinated people do when we hit 80%," Berejiklian said at a media briefing in Sydney, the state capital.

"Our vaccination rates keep increasing, however there has been a slight slowdown. So we encourage everybody to come forward and get vaccinated."

Some curbs were eased for fully vaccinated residents in Sydney from Monday. Five people will be allowed to meet outside while members from the same family in Sydney's 12 hardest-hit suburbs can gather outside for two hours.

Australia is scrambling to control outbreaks of the highly infectious Delta variant of the novel coronavirus that began in Sydney in June and spread to Melbourne and Canberra, plunging nearly half the population of 25 million into lockdown. Other state capitals, however, have few or zero cases.

The steady rise in infections has turned up the heat on the federal government to procure emergency vaccine supplies. An additional 1 million doses of Moderna was bought from the European Union on Sunday while vaccine swap deals with Britain and Singapore were executed over the last two weeks.

Lieutenant General John Frewen, head of the federal government's vaccination taskforce, said there would be enough vaccines from the middle of October to fully inoculate every eligible person. The COVID-19 vaccination drive was expanded on Monday to include around one million children aged 12-15.

Australian biotech company CSL, which locally produces the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, said a positive case was detected at its Melbourne facility but production would not be interrupted.

Australia's total cases stand at around 75,300, including 1,098 deaths, although the mortality rate in the latest outbreak is lower than last year.

A total of 1,257 new cases were registered in New South Wales on Monday, while neighbouring Victoria reported 473 new infections, its biggest one-day rise for 2021.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australias-nsw-state-says-coronavirus-vaccination-pace-slows-2021-09-12/

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2e5617  No.14569132

File: 501c91f9bc47f95⋯.jpg (55.82 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Former_principal_Malka_Lei….jpg)

File: 65cafb5d6ff13a2⋯.jpg (114.24 KB, 960x639, 320:213, A_sketch_of_Malka_Leifer_f….jpg)

File: 21b21b82dee7d59⋯.jpg (310.75 KB, 1108x683, 1108:683, If_you_or_anyone_you_know_….jpg)

First of three accusers gives evidence against Malka Leifer

Adam Cooper - September 13, 2021

The first of the three women who allege they were sexually abused as children by Malka Leifer is giving evidence in a court hearing that will determine whether the former school principal will stand trial.

Ms Leifer, the former principal of the Adass Israel School in Elsternwick, is accused of sexually abusing three of her students from 2004 to 2008 and is this week before Melbourne Magistrates Court for a hearing that will determine whether there is enough evidence for her to stand trial in a higher court.

The 55-year-old, who faces 74 charges including 11 of rape, maintains she is innocent and will be asked to formally enter a plea at the end of the committal hearing.

On Monday, Ms Leifer watched the hearing via a video link from custody but kept her head leaning downward and a hand over her face. She wore a blue top and white head covering. She said, “Yes, yes,” when asked if she could hear the proceedings, but only when a guard asked her to respond to magistrate Johanna Metcalf.

The first of the three complainants began giving evidence on Monday morning in a closed court, a standard practice for sex assault cases in Victoria. The three complainants – sisters Elly Sapper, Dassi Erlich and Nicole Meyer – will give evidence via video links with a support person in the same room as them.

The three women have been granted a court order that allows them to publicly identify themselves.

The hearing is set to run all week and into next and Ms Leifer’s barrister, Ian Hill, QC, said he was “mildly confident” the hearing would finish next Monday.

But Ms Leifer and all Jewish witnesses have been excused from watching the hearing on Thursday because of the Yom Kippur holy day. Mr Hill said his client was keen to mark the day and content for her legal team to continue without her watching the hearing on Thursday.

Ms Leifer faces 74 charges comprising 11 counts of rape, 47 of indecent assault, three of sexual penetration of a child and 13 of committing an indecent act with a child.

Charge sheets allege Ms Leifer committed offences in Elsternwick, Elwood, Frankston and Emerald and the regional towns of Blampied and Rawson.

She left Australia for Israel in 2008 when allegations against her emerged. She was charged in 2012 and extradition hearings began in 2014, but she was not extradited to Australia until the start of this year.

If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

https://1800respect.org.au

https://bit. ly/3tDdZiU

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2e5617  No.14569136

File: 8a52518be2193f9⋯.jpg (41.3 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, Malka_Leifer_is_facing_a_c….jpg)

File: 1dd2839be048406⋯.jpg (141.76 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, Sisters_Elly_Sapir_Dassi_E….jpg)

>>14569132

Malka Leifer makes court request for religious reasons

A former school principal accused of sexually assaulting three students will skip court later this week after making a request.

Caroline Schelle - September 13, 2021

Former Melbourne school principal Malka Leifer has requested not to attend court so she can observe the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur.

The 54-year-old former principal of ultra-Orthodox Jewish Adass Israel School appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court via video link on Monday wearing a blue jumper and white head covering.

She is facing a week-long committal hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence for her to be tried over 74 charges of sexual abuse relating to three sisters between 2004 and 2008.

The charges relate to three sisters – Dassi Erlich, Elly Sapper and Nicole Meyer – who previously sought a court order so they could be named in proceedings.

The former principal’s lawyer Ian Hill QC requested his client be excused from attending court on Thursday because of Yom Kippur.

“Our client wishes to observe that day and not be present,” Mr Hill said.

“We’ve spoken with our client and she is content with us and the court to proceed in her absence.”

It is one of the most significant days in the Jewish calendar and other witnesses have also been excused from giving evidence on September 16, the court was told.

Magistrate Johanna Metcalf granted the request.

Ms Leifer only spoke once to confirm she could see and hear the court but otherwise kept her head lowered and covered her mouth with her hand.

Media and other observers were barred from the hearing on Monday morning as the alleged victims gave their evidence.

Charge sheets the court released show the former principal is accused of multiple counts of rape, indecent assault, “wilfully commit an indecent act” with a child under her care and sexual penetration of a child under her care.

The acts allegedly took place across the Melbourne suburbs of Elsternwick, Elwood and Frankston as well as the regional towns of Rawson, Emerald and Blampied.

Ms Leifer was extradited back to Australia in January from Israel where she had lived since 2008.

The hearing continues.

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/courts-law/malka-leifer-makes-court-request-for-religious-reasons/news-story/2692a496b88b6d7cf8c708f2771c2915

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2e5617  No.14569170

File: 82c2e1befa6ac21⋯.jpg (65.41 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Home_Affairs_Minister_Kare….jpg)

Terror threats on rise following Afghanistan, coronavirus shutdowns: Minister

Rob Harris - September 13, 2021

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews says Australians cannot be complacent about the threat of terrorism amid the rise of home-grown religiously motivated and ideologically driven groups which have been fuelled by the “dark web” during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Ms Andrews will use a major speech to mark the 20-year anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States to warn that sporting arenas, shopping malls, airports, and other iconic locations will again need to contend with the “spectre of terrorism” as the nation reopens following months of restrictions.

She will convene a meeting of Commonwealth, state and territory police agencies in the coming weeks to deal with what she says are significant developments in threats.

“Individuals, groups, and ideologies – both old and new – continue to plot and fantasise about doing us harm … I don’t say this to scaremonger – rather – to ensure we’re clear-eyed about the threat; so we can prepare now to safeguard all Australians from those who would do us harm,” Ms Andrews will say in a speech to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

“Encrypted communications and global digital networks give these people a secure voice to a worldwide audience … Disruption associated with the pandemic has seen many stay home, alone, with little to do but search the internet for simple answers to complex global questions.”

Ms Andrews will also warn the changing situation in Afghanistan presents a “serious concern”, with the Taliban control likely to return the region into an international safe haven for terrorist networks.

Given these developments, she will say the time is right for ministers to ensure they are taking all the steps needed to protect Australians.

“While we have been justifiably focused on responding to the COVID pandemic, we cannot take our eyes off the terrorist threat,” she will warn.

“Fuelled by the dark web, religiously motivated and ideologically motivated individuals and groups here in Australia do mean us harm and are planning acts of violence.”

The Australian Federal Police has warned in recent months that young Australians are being “aggressively radicalised” through ideological extremism and these extremists have more access to weapons than Islamist extremists. Intelligence agencies have also warned that the extreme right-wing threat in Australia was “real” and “growing”.

Ms Andrews warns there were 51 offenders serving jail sentences for terrorist offences and another 32 before the courts and countering violent extremism programs will only be a part of dealing with the threat.

“With several of these offenders reaching the conclusion of their prison sentences in the next few years, the need for effective risk management measures to keep our community safe is greater than ever. It will be an important focus of mine,” she will say.

The federal government has introduced legislation to create a new Extended Supervision Order scheme, to assist agencies to keep the community safe when high-risk terrorist offenders are released after serving their sentence.

But Ms Andrews will say the recent Islamic State-inspired attack in Auckland showed some individuals were so committed to doing us harm they cannot be de-radicalised.

“And as we witnessed in the 2019 London Bridge and 2020 Streatham attacks in the United Kingdom, convicted terrorist offenders can pose a very real threat to the community at the conclusion of their sentence,” she will say.

“In the case of the Streatham attack, it occurred in the mere days/weeks following the offender’s release from prison.”

Labor’s home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally has targeted several members of the Coalition for giving “tacit endorsement” to conspiracy theories that are being shared among right-wing extremist groups.

“What we need now and what I’ve argued for years now is that when it comes to right-wing extremism we need intelligence, we need the right law enforcement tools and we need leadership,” she said last week.

“The AFP has warned that right-wing extremists are targeting young men in particular in Australia for radicalisation, using a pandemic as a way in.”

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/terror-threats-on-rise-following-afghanistan-coronavirus-shutdowns-minister-20210912-p58qzd.html

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2e5617  No.14569195

File: 47c55d8c4a8f12c⋯.jpg (119.28 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Prince_Andrew.jpg)

File: 7a58bde44cb7a66⋯.jpg (56.69 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Prince_Andrew_and_Virginia….jpg)

>>14554611

Prince Andrew’s lawyers snub hearing into sex claims

CHARLIE MITCHELL - SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

The Duke of York’s lawyers will not attend a hearing in the sex assault claim filed against him in New York on Monday, The Times understands, amid growing criticism of his apparent failure to engage in the case.

The pre-trial conference in the US comes as the two sides argue over whether the prince was properly served with a court summons.

Lawyers for Virginia Giuffre, who alleges Andrew sexually assaulted her when she was 17, a charge that he vehemently denies, say the papers were handed over to a Metropolitan police officer on duty at the main gates of his home in Windsor last month.

However, Blackfords, a law firm that represents Andrew, has attempted to cast doubt on whether the court papers were properly served and signalled an intent to challenge the court’s jurisdiction, according to a letter referenced in court documents filed by Giuffre’s lawyers.

“We reiterate that our client reserves all his rights, including to contest the jurisdiction of the US courts (including on the basis of potentially defective service),” Andrew’s lawyers wrote.

The duke held a shooting party at the Queen’s Balmoral estate on Saturday with guests including the crown prince of Bahrain, according to The Sun on Sunday. A royal source told the paper that the party was “tone deaf”.

On August 26, a “corporate investigator” named Cesar Sepulveda travelled to Windsor and tried and failed to serve the court papers at Royal Lodge, Andrew’s home, after police were unable to locate a senior member of the duke’s staff. The following day Sepulveda returned to the property and left the documents with police.

A copy of both the summons and the complaint were also emailed to Andrew’s Royal Household office email address and sent to his lawyers by email and FedEx. They were also sent to his Windsor home by first-class post.

Whether or not the papers were properly delivered will be determined by a US judge. Monday’s hearing, presided over by Judge Lewis Kaplan of the US district court for the Southern District of New York, marks the start of a highly public and damaging legal process in which Andrew’s accuser will eventually give evidence under oath.

The duke will not be represented at the hearing. His UK lawyers oppose participating on the grounds that doing so would amount to accepting US jurisdiction in the case.

Giuffre, now 38, a longtime accuser of Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, is seeking unspecified damages against Andrew for sexual assault and emotional distress. The duke denies all the allegations against him.

If Andrew rejects the lawsuit out of hand and declines to participate, he runs the risk of the court finding against him for child sex abuse and ordering him to pay damages.

If he decides to contest it in court, he faces years of damaging headlines as the case meanders through the legal system.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/the-times/prince-andrews-lawyers-snub-hearing-into-sex-claims/news-story/39445c682f320683b2a4f3ced1e8113d

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2e5617  No.14569204

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

Brave supermodel exposes the dark side of Victoria's Secret

60 Minutes Australia

Sep 12, 2021

The business of beauty can be very ugly, especially in the cutthroat world of modelling. It's an industry that wants to portray itself as the epitome of health and happiness. The reality though is anything but. Anorexia, drug use and bullying are as routine as smiling for the cameras. Now a very determined – and brave – Australian supermodel is demanding change, and Bridget Malcolm is starting with the iconic lingerie company that made her famous. Victoria's Secret is renowned for its so-called 'Angels', but she says behind the scenes, 'devils' were at work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeuDcNfogME

https://qanon.pub/#4727

https://qanon.pub/?q=wexner

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2e5617  No.14569284

File: 5a40e4786cee888⋯.jpg (155.38 KB, 1024x682, 512:341, South_Korean_Defense_Minis….jpg)

>>14551779

S. Korea, Australia vow to boost defense cooperation during ministerial talks

en.yna.co.kr - September 13, 2021

SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) - South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook met with his Australian counterpart, Peter Craig Dutton, on Monday in Seoul and agreed to further strengthen cooperation in the security and defense industry fields, the defense ministry in Seoul said.

The talks took place as Dutton was in Seoul to attend the "two plus two" foreign and defense ministers' talks set to be held later in the day.

During the meeting, Suh and Dutton noted that South Korea had taken part in the large Australia-U.S. naval exercise named Talisman Sabre in July and plans to participate in the Australia-led multilateral air exercise named Pitch Black next year for the first time ever, according to the ministry.

The two sides agreed that such exercises would improve interoperability between the two militaries.

The two ministers also discussed their major defense programs and agreed to continue to work closely to deepen cooperation in the related industries, while vowing to "launch discussions to come up with a new, future-oriented institutional mechanism," according to the ministry.

"As Minister Suh explained the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, Dutton vowed his country's continued support for Seoul's efforts to engage with North Korea."

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210913004600325

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2e5617  No.14569286

File: 08e005b95b3fa13⋯.jpg (133.68 KB, 1024x636, 256:159, Moon_meets_Australian_fore….jpg)

>>14569284

Moon emphasizes strategic communication with Australia over global issues

en.yna.co.kr - September 13, 2021

SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) - South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Monday that his country and Australia should strengthen strategic communication in various global fields, such as the response to infectious diseases, climate change, disarmament and nonproliferation.

Moon made the remarks in his meeting with visiting Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defense Minister Peter Dutton at Cheong Wa Dae, while defining the two countries as middle powers and exemplary democracies representing the Asia-Pacific region.

The two ministers are in Seoul to hold "two plus two" talks with their South Korean counterparts, as this year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties.

Moon said the two ministers' simultaneous visits to South Korea demonstrate Australia's strong commitment to further strengthening its strategic partnership.

"South Korea also attaches great importance to diplomatic and security cooperation with Australia," the president said.

Moon and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison agreed to elevate their relationship to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" during their meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 7 summit in Britain in June.

Moon said South Korea feels grateful to Australia for fighting in the Korean War, and shedding blood to protect its peace and freedom.

"In addition, Australia is South Korea's largest trading partner in the Oceania region, and South Korea is Australia's fourth-largest trading partner," he said, expressing hope that bilateral relations will be further strengthened, and exchanges and cooperation between the two countries will become active again.

In response, the Australian ministers said both countries are friendly and important strategic partners.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210913005400315

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2e5617  No.14569297

File: d092a57e074242e⋯.jpg (622.79 KB, 825x966, 275:322, FMMP_24.jpg)

File: d2b99baeb8f3f17⋯.jpg (213.89 KB, 1500x1000, 3:2, E_I2psYUUAQ33M6.jpg)

File: 5700e6dd3f85f8c⋯.jpg (264.09 KB, 1500x1000, 3:2, E_I2psXVEAM5o_x.jpg)

File: 2448ca468cdd9d2⋯.jpg (319.25 KB, 1500x1000, 3:2, E_I2psdVQAQs_eB.jpg)

>>14569284

>>14569286

Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet

As Australia & Korea mark 60 years of diplomatic relations, @PeterDutton_MP & I met with (South Korean) President Moon @moonriver365 to reflect on our rich history & discuss our cooperation to support regional security & #COVID19 recovery under a new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

https://twitter.com/MarisePayne/status/1437271329296642050

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5b8ff1  No.14571796

Godspeed, brothers. I am with you in spirit. May you topple the opressors in an exemplary fashion.

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5d7673  No.14571800



▲ ▲

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2e5617  No.14576884

File: 3c6c6178c31f226⋯.jpg (56.17 KB, 620x413, 620:413, Defence_Minister_Peter_Dut….jpg)

>>14569284

South Korea talks boost military ties

Andrew Tillett and Michael Smith - Sep 13, 2021

1/2

An agreement to bolster military ties with South Korea is the final leg of a three-country sweep through Asia by Defence Minister Peter Dutton and Foreign Minister Marise Payne to shore up regional security alliances ahead of the first face-to-face Quadrilateral Security Dialogue leaders meeting in Washington DC.

The upgraded links mean the two countries’ troops will step up military training drills, with the likelihood of an increased South Korean presence in Australia’s flagship war games, Exercise Talisman Sabre.

A trilateral agreement between Australia, South Korea and the US has also been struck on defence research co-operation, at a time when the Australian army is evaluating selecting a South Korean armoured troop carrier for a $27 billion contract.

Other initiatives include multilateral trade co-operation, such as World Trade Organisation reform; a memorandum of understanding on setting global rules and norms for cyberspace and critical technology; and working together on building supply chain resilience, a response to both lessening dependence on China and disruption wrought by the pandemic.

The South Korean agreements come after Mr Dutton and Senator Payne visited New Delhi and Jakarta last week, inviting India to take part in Exercise Talisman Sabre and greater maritime intelligence sharing, while Indonesian military units will undertake training on Australian soil.

Mr Dutton and Senator Payne will also lay the groundwork for Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s participation in the Quad leaders’ summit next week and likely first bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden when they travel to the US for annual talks with their American counterparts.

The Quad leaders’ meeting – comprising Mr Morrison, Mr Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japan’s outgoing leader Yoshihide Suga – is expected to take place on September 24 in Washington.

In New Delhi and Seoul, Senator Payne and Mr Dutton also had meetings with Mr Modi and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who welcomed stronger “strategic communication” with Australia.

“Korea and Australia are middle powers and exemplary democracies representing the Asia-Pacific region,” Mr Moon said.

Australian Institute of International Affairs president Allan Gyngell said the choice of Indonesia, India and South Korea to visit before Senator Payne and Mr Dutton reached the US was significant.

“They will arrive in the US having taken the temperature of west Asia, north Asia and south-east Asia,” he said.

“Indonesia is the country that matters most to Australia in south-east Asia. We have to manage an increasingly complex relationship with China with one eye on what our partners in south-east Asia are thinking as well.

“South Korea is a country which more than any other is geographically in China’s armpit and has a very sensitive antenna about what is going on in the region. It is independent of Japan and it is always interesting to get a sounding from Seoul on regional affairs because it will be very different to what you get from Tokyo.”

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14576890

File: 3547b7f18f2c560⋯.jpg (214.79 KB, 1920x1087, 1920:1087, South_Korea_talks_boost_mi….jpg)

>>14576884

2/2

Indonesia and South Korea are Asia’s two most substantive democracies that are not part of the Quad, and while they have disputes with China, both are cold on joining the body.

Indonesia wants to maintain a policy of neutrality while South Korea, despite its status as a US ally hosting almost 30,000 American troops, is wary of upsetting China.

The preoccupation of South Korean security policy remains North Korea, which on Monday said it had carried out successful tests of a new long-range cruise missile over the weekend. The missile test was not in breach of United Nations sanctions.

Senator Payne’s and Mr Dutton’s South Korean stop comes as China steps up its international diplomacy efforts in the region this week, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi visiting Seoul, then Vietnam, Cambodia and Singapore.

Analysts said this meant South Korea’s Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong would maintain a neutral stance on China’s aggression in the region because Seoul’s focus would be on securing Beijing’s help to reign in North Korea’s nuclear program.

Peter Lee, from the Australian National University’s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, said while talks would focus on shared strategic threats such as China’s economic coercion, Seoul was unlikely to be making any hawkish statements ahead of Mr Wang’s visit.

Key incentive

“With the Chinese foreign minister turning up the next day, that is going to be a challenge for the Australian side to push the Koreans to be a bit more vocal. They might not be as forthcoming in terms of stating a tougher position on China,” Mr Lee told The Australian Financial Review.

“They are really trying to get Beijing on board in terms of their North Korea policy and to do that they are a bit more accommodating about the challenges in the relationship. We have not had that key incentive.”

He said while Australia and South Korea shared similar concerns about China’s aggression in the region and economic coercion, they were less aligned than Canberra and Tokyo were in dealing with the China threat. In 2017, Beijing banned travel agents from selling package tours to Chinese tourists in protest against Seoul allowing a US missile defence system.

”That has left us on a different page and we have been closer to the Japanese position on a lot of these issues. The opportunity today is to try and recalibrate some of the different positions Australia and South Korea have on some of these really big issues, like how to deal with China.”

‘Good first step’

Bong Youngshik, a research fellow at Yonsei University Institute for North Korean Studies, said while South Korea was unlikely to join the Quad in the short term, there were opportunities for greater military and technological co-operation between Seoul and Canberra.

“That could be new territory of co-operation to be pursued by South Korea and Australia. That is not outright military co-operation explicitly focused on containing China, so China will have no pressing reason to be upset,” Dr Bong said by telephone.

“It [the meeting] is a very good first step. South Korea’s economy has been on the edge, just like many during the pandemic, so any positive proposals for the expansion of economic activity will be duly welcome by the South Korean government.”

He said China’s capability of using economic retaliation against countries like Australia and South Korea was “close to depreciation”.

Rather than cutting across the Himalayas to South Korea, Senator Payne’s and Mr Dutton’s flightpath went via south-east Asia and the South China Sea because the Chinese government requires eight weeks’ notice for diplomatic flights to cross its airspace.

https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/australia-boosts-korean-military-ties-20210913-p58r4m

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2e5617  No.14576908

File: 5caf38c7cf32d04⋯.jpg (72.35 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, The_Quad_will_meet_at_the_….jpg)

File: 6d0311acf1e0f36⋯.jpg (133.44 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Virtual_meeting_of_the_Qua….jpg)

Scott Morrison to meet with US President Joe Biden in Quad meeting next week

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has secured a face-to-face meeting with US President Joe Biden next week.

Courtney Gould - September 14, 2021

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has secured a face-to-face meeting with US President Joe Biden as the White House plays host to the first ever Quad meeting next week.

It will be the first in-person summit of the leaders of the “Quad” nations – Australia, US, Japan and India.

In a statement, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the summit would be held at the White House on September 24.

The Quad Leaders would “be focused on deepening our ties and advancing practical co-operation on areas such as combating Covid-19, addressing the climate crisis, partnering on emerging technologies and cyberspace, and promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

“Hosting the leaders of the Quad demonstrates the Biden-Harris Administration‘s priority of engaging in the Indo-Pacific, including through new multilateral configurations to meet the challenges of the 21st century,” Ms Psaki said.

At a virtual meeting of the Quad in March, leaders pledged to work closely on Covid-19 vaccines in Southeast Asia, climate and “the free and open Indo-Pacific” amid challenges from Beijing.

Last week Mr Morrison said he was looking forward to the next Quad meeting.

“We are expecting for the next face-to-face meeting of the Quad to be held in Washington later this month and we’re still awaiting final details of that and I’ll look forward to be in Washington to be part of those discussions with my counterparts from India, Japan and the United States,” he said.

https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/scott-morrison-to-meet-with-us-president-joe-biden-in-quad-meeting-next-week/news-story/65d1b85fbceb58c1337d8d69981fa42a

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2e5617  No.14576927

File: a88df901b9dd9dd⋯.jpg (74.35 KB, 960x540, 16:9, Prince_Andrew_has_hired_a_….jpg)

File: acce70ca61ba9fb⋯.jpg (124.09 KB, 960x540, 16:9, Virginia_Roberts_Giuffre_o….jpg)

>>14554611

Prince Andrew hires Armie Hammer’s lawyer to contest ‘baseless, non-viable’ US lawsuit

Bevan Shields - September 14, 2021

London: Lawyers have failed in their first bid to have a “baseless, non-viable and potentially non-lawful” sexual assault lawsuit against Prince Andrew thrown out of court.

However, their plan to use a confidential 2009 settlement agreement to shield the Duke of York from legal action remains intact despite the initial setback.

The Queen’s second son is being sued in a New York court by Virginia Giuffre, an alleged victim of the late billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Giuffre, who now lives in Australia, alleges three assaults: one where Epstein and his ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell forced the then 17-year-old to have sexual intercourse with Andrew at a London home; another where Andrew forced Giuffre to engage in sex acts against her will at Epstein’s New York mansion; and a third encounter in which the prince sexually abused the teen in the Virgin Islands.

Andrew has denied the claims.

In a surprise move, the 61-year-old royal hired US lawyer Andrew Brettler to represent him during a pretrial conference in New York Court on Monday local-time.

Brettler’s appearance was confirmed just hours before the hearing. He also acts for Hollywood actor Armie Hammer, who was accused of sexual assault, amid rumours of alleged cannibalism, earlier this year.

The 30-minute hearing was dominated by a dispute over whether Andrew has actually been served with the legal papers, which is required for the case to proceed.

Andrew’s legal team had hoped to block the case by arguing he had not been properly served.

Giuffre’s lawyer David Boies said the documents were served via “multiple methods” – including via a Metropolitan Police officer at the main gates of Andrew’s home in Windsor Great Park on August 27.

They were also emailed to his British lawyers and to his royal household office email address.

Judge Lewis Kaplan said he tended to agree Andrew had been served but gave Giuffre’s team another week to exhaust all remaining avenues to provide the documents.

The judge left the door open to the court making an order which would ask British authorities to give Andrew the papers.

The hearing suggests Andrew will not be able to prevent the lawsuit from going ahead by arguing he has not been served. However, his team is preparing a number of other legal arguments which are yet to be put before Kaplan.

Giuffre, 38, alleges she was introduced to Andrew through his friend Epstein, a convicted paedophile who killed himself in a jail cell in New York while awaiting trial for further offences.

The claims prompted Andrew to record an infamous interview with the BBC’s Newsnight program in November 2019 when he said he had no recollection of Giuffre. The public reception to the on-screen appearance forced him to step down from public duties.

Giuffre’s lawsuit was lodged under special New York laws introduced in 2019 to give alleged under-age sexual assault victims the chance to bring forward a case which was previously not possible due to statute of limitations.

Andrew’s American and British legal team is expected to challenge the court’s jurisdiction at a later hearing.

During the hearing held via teleconference on Monday (Tuesday AEST), Brettler foreshadowed an attempt to have the case struck out due to the existence of a 2009 settlement between Giuffre and Epstein.

The settlement - which is confidential - may include a clause precluding Giuffre from suing any of the financier’s friends, employees or associates.

“We believe this is a baseless, non-viable and potentially non-lawful lawsuit that the plaintiff has filed against the duke,” Brettler told the court.

“There has been a settlement agreement that the plaintiff has settled into in a prior action that releases the duke and others from any and all potential liability.”

Kaplan said he “understands the point” that Andrew’s legal team would like to see the document and “there’s a lot to be said for that point of view”.

A separate judge is determining whether the settlement agreement should be made public.

The next hearing will be held on October 13.

NSW Domestic Violence Line - 1800 65 64 63

National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service - 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732

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

https://www.theage.com.au/world/europe/prince-andrew-hires-actor-armie-hammer-s-lawyer-to-contest-baseless-non-viable-us-lawsuit-20210914-p58rds.html

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2e5617  No.14576935

File: e31f6ea259847a2⋯.jpg (91.06 KB, 1024x614, 512:307, Exclusive_Chinese_academic….jpg)

>>14563605

Exclusive: Chinese academic slams visa cancellation by Australia

Xu Keyue and Wang Panpan - Sep 14, 2021

After Australian media reports revealed that the country's government revoked the visa of prominent Chinese academic Chen Hong on national security grounds, Chen told the Global Times about the incident in an exclusive interview on Wednesday. He said the Australian authorities had shown a "complete lack of transparency."

Chen, a professor and director of the Australian Studies Centre, East China Normal University, said he received a letter from Australia's Department of Home Affairs revoking his three-month business visa in July 2020. The letter claimed Chen had been assessed by the Australian ASIO intelligence agency as a "security risk to Australia," according to a report by Australian media outlet ABC on Sunday.

The visa cancellation was said to be related to a chat group on Chinese social media platform WeChat of which Chen was a member.

The chat group, named FD or "Fair Dinkum," also included Australian politician Shaoquett Moselmane and a member of his staff, as well as another Chinese academic, several Chinese journalists and some Chinese Australians.

Chen said that Moselmane had a fair and objective view of China.

"The WeChat group rarely discussed political issues, but mostly shared news stories and details of members' daily lives, like barbecues, fishing trips, etc. We also shared jokes and funny stories, just like in any chat group," said Chen. "Who would use a WeChat group for political interference?" he asked.

"I have never done anything that could be of risk to Australia's security," Chen said. He believes that the visa revocation was due to some mistaken assessment of his relationship with Australia by the intelligence agency.

Australian media reports said that in April 2020, when China was fighting COVID-19, Moselmane openly spoke positively of China's efforts to combat the pandemic, which attracted the attention of the Australian authorities.

ABC said an AFP-ASIO Foreign Interference Task Force investigated an alleged plot by the "Communist Party of China to infiltrate the Parliament of New South Wales through the office of Labor backbencher Moselmane." This was widely regarded as part of a persecution campaign of Australian politicians deemed "pro-China."

Moselmane resigned from his post as assistant president of the Legislative Council after being put under pressure in April 2020, Australian media reports said. But police investigations proved inconclusive and Moselmane has resumed his parliamentary role, Chen told the Global Times.

However, to date, the Australian authorities have failed to give any explanation of the visa cancellation although Chen wrote back to Australia's Department of Home Affairs in August last year saying he was "shocked" by the decision and that he refused to accept the assessment.

He said in the letter that he was always available to be contacted if they needed any clarification.

"There has been no contact whatsoever. It is still unsolved, like a stone dropped into the sea," Chen was quoted as saying by ABC.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1234185.shtml

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2e5617  No.14576998

File: f32adfd87ca7279⋯.jpg (540.91 KB, 825x966, 275:322, FMMP_25.jpg)

File: ec7174bc32aaaa6⋯.jpg (232.52 KB, 1536x1023, 512:341, E_Ojt2CVgAAgr4q.jpg)

File: 2bbcb05f36db5fe⋯.jpg (265.24 KB, 1536x1023, 512:341, E_Ojt2CVEAQMtmq.jpg)

File: 09648e7dffb1448⋯.jpg (178.63 KB, 1536x1023, 512:341, E_Ojt2AUcAISsVu.jpg)

>>14576884

Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet

The (Australia - South Korea) relationship was forged during the Korean War, when 17,000 Australians defended freedom on the Korean Peninsula. 340 made the ultimate sacrifice. Today, @PeterDutton_MP & I visited Australia’s Roll of Honour at the War Memorial of Korea to pay our respects to the fallen.

https://twitter.com/MarisePayne/status/1437672722889252867

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2e5617  No.14577003

File: 60755c642a70be9⋯.jpg (483.8 KB, 825x934, 825:934, PD_10.jpg)

File: cb5ebdf4615ce2d⋯.mp4 (923.72 KB, 640x360, 16:9, DiZt5RWR_WWsTyw6.mp4)

>>14576884

Defence Minister Peter Dutton Tweet

.@MarisePayne & I laid wreaths at the War Memorial of Korea to remember the 340 Australians who lost their lives during the conflict. I thank the ROK for their commitment to help us recover & identify the remains of the Australian service personnel who remain unaccounted for.

https://twitter.com/PeterDutton_MP/status/1437653325416058887

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2e5617  No.14579786

File: bdad52fcd814f6f⋯.jpg (216.74 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Revealed_US_failed_to_act_….jpg)

File: e499de09e50a33d⋯.jpg (111.2 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Dimon_Liu_and_Wei_Jingshen….jpg)

Revealed: US failed to act on Covid-19 intelligence, says Wei Jingsheng

SHARRI MARKSON - SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

1/2

China’s most famous defector to America warned US intelligence agencies a coronavirus was spreading in Wuhan in November 2019 — six weeks before China admitted there was an outbreak.

Wei Jingsheng, the father of China’s democracy movement, reveals in the new book What Really Happened in Wuhan that he first heard of a new, mysterious virus at the time of the World Military Games in Wuhan in October 2019.

Highly alarmed, the former Chinese Communist Party insider, whose defection in 1997 made global news, alerted intelligence agencies, a US politician with links to the President and Chinese human rights activist Dimon Liu.

Asked if he had any sense the intelligence agencies were taking seriously his intelligence about a new virus in Wuhan, Mr Wei, 70, said: “I felt they were not as heavily concerned as I was so I tried my best to provide more detailed information,” he said. “They may not believe there is (a) government of a country that would do something like that (cover up a virus). So I kept repeating myself in an effort to try to persuade them.”

Mr Wei said he was “very worried because … whichever way the Communist regime released this virus, I felt that the West is not prepared”.

It was not until December 31 that China involuntarily alerted the World Health Organisation there was an outbreak in Wuhan. Beijing denied Covid-19 was contagious until January 20, 2020, when it admitted there was evidence of human-to-human transmission.

Mr Wei, who spent 18 years in Chinese prisons for objecting to the Communist regime, is highly respected on both sides of politics and has forged relationships with former secretary of state Mike Pompeo and Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.

In a Sky News documentary, based on the book, to air on Monday night, Mr Wei said he found out about the virus from high-level contacts in Beijing.

“I talked to Dimon and some other American politicians in the House of the danger of this situation,” he said. “There were officials from the White House at that time as well. In November 2019.”

Mr Wei would not reveal which politician he told. “I’m not sure if this politician wants me to talk about him right here,” he said. “But I want to say he is a high enough politician, high enough to be able to reach to the President of the United States.”

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14579791

File: 8ee8b2e4e99da1c⋯.jpg (180.35 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, What_Really_Happened_in_Wu….jpg)

>>14579786

2/2

David Asher, the State Department official who spearheaded a taskforce into the origins of Covid-19, said the opportunity presented by Mr Wei’s warning was like “stopping 9/11 before it happened”. Mr Asher said the US government had other crucial pieces of early-warning evidence in late 2019 but it failed to connect the dots. He said the US government first had intelligence about Wuhan Institute of Virology workers falling sick with Covid-like symptoms in late 2019 – a year before he discovered it during his investigation into the origins of the virus for the State Department. By then, 1.7 million people worldwide had died from Covid-19.

In the Sky News documentary, Mr Asher said he was shocked when he found out “we actually could have had foreknowledge” of the coronavirus. “We could have known in November of 2019, that there was a disaster occurring inside Wuhan – inside their most important biological facilities related to coronavirus research,” he said.

“It was something absolutely tragic, traumatic and dramatic that was occurring and we could have reacted to it. The whole world could have been different. It would have been like stopping 9/11 before it happened.”

Chinese authorities were acting to suppress news of the Wuhan outbreak, purging the internet of social media posts and news stories and “disappearing” dissidents and whistleblowers who attempted to sound a warning. Social media reports about a new coronavirus did not emerge until late December 2019 and it was not until the end of January 2020 that the US, Australia and New Zealand closed borders to travellers from China.

Ms Liu reveals in What Really Happened in Wuhan that Mr Wei told her about the virus on November 22, 2019 at a dinner where her husband, former CIA agent Robert Suettinger was also present. “I couldn’t quite believe what he was saying,” Ms Liu said. “At that time, I had thought that the coronavirus could not be worse than SARS. And SARS, as we knew from experience, was not that contagious and it could be contained. I thought at the time that was the case. Okay, there was an outbreak, but the authorities and the advance of medical sciences would be able to contain the spread of it.”

In the book, Ms Liu details the race to get information about the new virus to the White House and her uncertainty about it. After Mr Wei’s visit, she wrote a memo of what he had divulged to her and Mr Suettinger. She intended to pass it on to Donald Trump’s deputy national security adviser, Matt Pottinger.

“But I didn’t send it to him because so many things were so incredulous,” she said. “I wrote it, but I didn’t send it because I decided it was better that Wei talks directly to Matt Pottinger.”

Mr Wei says in the book: “In the past several decades, the CCP’s capacity to seal information is hard to be understood by you Westerners.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/revealed-us-failed-to-act-on-covid19-intelligence-says-wei-jingsheng/news-story/de584111ac5ee81f3eda3b204411f46e

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2e5617  No.14584509

File: a048fc2d2792db8⋯.png (496.86 KB, 960x640, 3:2, A_court_sketch_of_Malka_Le….png)

File: c52443326201529⋯.png (419.2 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Former_principal_Malka_Lei….png)

>>14569132

Malka Leifer’s second accuser giving evidence in sex abuse case

Adam Cooper - September 14, 2021

The second of three sisters who allege they were sexually abused as children by Malka Leifer is giving evidence in the court hearing that will determine whether the former school principal stands trial.

Ms Leifer, the former principal of the Adass Israel School in Elsternwick, is accused of sexually abusing three of her students from 2004 to 2008.

The 55-year-old, who faces 74 charges including 11 of rape, maintains she is innocent and will be asked to formally enter a plea at the end of the committal hearing in Melbourne Magistrates Court.

On Tuesday, Ms Leifer appeared via a video link from custody as the court was open to media and other parties for one minute, and then closed for the rest of the day while the accusers gave evidence. It is standard practice for Victorian courts to be closed while complainants give evidence in sex assault cases.

The first complainant gave evidence for all of Monday and part of Tuesday. The second accuser began her evidence on Tuesday and will continue on Wednesday. The third woman will be called next.

The complainants – sisters Elly Sapper, Dassi Erlich and Nicole Meyer – are appearing via video links with a support person in the same room.

The sisters have been granted a court order that allows them to publicly identify themselves.

The hearing is set to run into next week before magistrate Johanna Metcalf, who must decide if there is sufficient evidence to commit Ms Leifer to stand trial in a higher court.

Ms Leifer and all Jewish witnesses have been excused from watching or giving evidence on Thursday because of the Yom Kippur holy day. The accused woman’s lawyers will continue with the case in their client’s absence.

A psychologist, two Adass teachers and a person in Israel are among the witnesses who will be called when the court opens to media and other parties.

Ms Leifer faces 74 charges comprising 11 counts of rape, 47 of indecent assault, three of sexual penetration of a child and 13 of committing an indecent act with a child.

Charge sheets allege she committed offences in Elsternwick, Elwood, Frankston and Emerald and in the regional towns of Blampied and Rawson.

Ms Leifer left Australia for Israel in 2008 when allegations against her emerged. She was charged in 2012 and extradition hearings began in 2014, but she was not extradited to Australia until the start of this year.

If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

https://1800respect.org.au/

https://www.theage.com.au/national/malka-leifer-s-second-accuser-giving-evidence-in-sex-abuse-case-20210914-p58rix.html

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2e5617  No.14584537

File: 5427741318e0822⋯.jpg (32.64 KB, 800x450, 16:9, Anthony_Caruana_was_found_….jpg)

>>14386067

NSW pedophile priest Anthony Caruana believed own 'lies'

Greta Stonehouse - 15 September 2021

A Catholic priest and convicted pedophile must have believed his own lies to give "demonstrably" untrue evidence you could "poke a million holes through", a judge told a court.

Anthony William Peter Caruana, 79, prayed silently in an isolated suite in prison before his second sentence hearing began in the NSW District Court on Wednesday.

More than two decades after he was acquitted at a 1990 trial for similar offences, he was found guilty of 26 charges against 12 young boys from Chevalier College in NSW's Southern Highlands.

The charges from the 1980s included four counts of sexual intercourse with two of his students.

The teacher and dormitory master was removed from his teaching role in 1989 and forced to take psychiatric assessment and counselling.

Here he expressed "a lifelong problem of his attraction to young boys", and he was assessed as being "remorseful for his past behaviours", his lawyer Greg Walsh told the court.

But one of the conundrums of this case and what continued to "bedevil" Mr Walsh was Caruana's evidentiary account at trial that these urges occurred in dreams

Caruana was cross-examined about written passages that expressed a desire to change by "magic" … "this feeling I have towards young boys", and others about "my sexual problem".

He maintained he had left out a crucial part of the passage, which should have read "in my dreams".

Judge Robyn Tupman on Wednesday said this belief in his own rhetoric meant large portions of his evidence were fancifully and demonstrably untrue.

"Some of it you could poke a million holes through, his evidence on the whole was unimpressive and the jury must of agreed," she said.

The former conductor and coach took advantage of young boys at football training, on excursions, in their rooms, and in his own private quarters.

Most of his victims were in year seven and eight, fresh boarders away from their home for the first time and extremely vulnerable, crown prosecutor Nerissa Keay said.

His victims earlier told the court of their ongoing trauma which frequently overlapped and included lack of tertiary education and financial instability, drug and alcohol abuse, mental health issues and suicide attempts.

Caruana's lawyer conceded the victims spoke eloquently about the detrimental impact his client had upon them and the suffering caused.

"They should never have been treated this way and your honour must take that into account."

But since his treatment he had striven not to re-offend or place himself in a position where strong urges would resume, he submitted.

"This court has regrettable experience and knowledge to know that pedophiles are able to go and find victims if they want to," Judge Tupman said in acknowledging Caruana eventually ceased his offending.

Caruana had been removed from his home and placed in a junior religious role at the age of 10, in isolation from his peers and family, the court was told.

His lawyer said this "overwhelmingly dysfunctional upbringing" was contextual background to his psychosexual dysfunctions.

The Crown pointed out that while deserving punishment, the avid bicyclist had been granted the better years of his life riding around and enjoying freedoms.

Judge Tupman is due to deliver Caruana's sentence on December 10.

Lifeline 13 11 14

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

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)

https://kidshelpline.com.au/

https://thewest.com.au/news/crime/nsw-pedophile-priest-believed-own-lies-c-3970343

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2e5617  No.14584551

File: 2a9aa6bb73123fd⋯.jpg (54.43 KB, 800x450, 16:9, Two_women_allege_James_Geo….jpg)

Tasmanian government sued over alleged abuse

Ethan James - 15 September 2021

Two women who claim they were sexually abused as teenagers by an alleged pedophile nurse are suing the Tasmanian government for failing its duty of care.

The pair were patients in Launceston General Hospital's paediatric centre in varying stints between 2015 and 2018.

They allege James Geoffrey Griffin, who killed himself two years ago after being charged with child sex offences, groomed and abused them at the hospital and on sleepovers and camping trips

In a statement of claim lodged with the Supreme Court of Tasmania, one woman, who was in hospital with an eating disorder, alleges Griffin called her "baby girl", "darling" and his "special girl".

She claims Griffin sexually abused her while taking observations, including measuring blood pressure, and changing her into hospital gowns.

She was also allegedly abused by Griffin at a motel.

He alleged told her "don't tell anyone", "that's what friends do" and "this is our little secret".

According to court papers, she complained numerous times to the nursing manager about Griffin but the hospital "did not accept the complaints or act on the request to remove Griffin's access to (her)".

Griffin is accused of deliberately befriending the second girl, who was also in hospital for an eating disorder, to lower her inhibitions, and spending time alone with her in a private room.

"Griffin was forceful and intimidating, and told (her) not to tell anyone," her claim reads.

The hospital did not act on complaints made by the girl's mother, it is alleged.

Both women are suing for damages and medical bills in separate legal actions, arguing the Tasmanian Health Service owed them a duty to exercise reasonable care.

They say they suffered serious harm, including post traumatic stress disorder and major depression.

Law firm Arnold Thomas and Becker say they plan to lodge "many further claims" and two more are likely to be made this week.

Allegations against Griffin will be examined by the Tasmanian Government's Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings inquiry, which is expected to hold hearings later this year.

The royal commission-style inquiry was set up by the state government in late 2020 after allegations against Griffin and workers at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre came to light.

Lifeline 13 11 14

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

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)

https://kidshelpline.com.au/

https://thewest.com.au/news/crime/tas-government-sued-over-alleged-abuse-c-3971175

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2e5617  No.14584624

File: a1b0e88e1c30e11⋯.jpg (34.92 KB, 310x465, 2:3, Lisa_Bloom_says_the_Duke_m….jpg)

File: 1cf41c3a2235292⋯.jpg (18.7 KB, 310x465, 2:3, Andrew_has_always_strongly….jpg)

>>14554611

British judge 'could force Prince Andrew to testify in UK over US sex assault lawsuit'

Lawyer Lisa Bloom said Prince Andrew could be compelled to testify if a British judge is required to enforce a cooperation deal between London and New York

Andy Lines - 14 Sep 2021

A British court could force Prince Andrew to give evidence in his bombshell sex assault US lawsuit, it was claimed yesterday.

Lawyer Lisa Bloom, who has represented victims of billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, said the prince could be compelled to testify.

Virginia Giuffre has accused the Duke of York of raping her when she was 17, which he vehemently denies.

Ms Bloom said a British judge might be required to enforce a cooperation deal between London and New York.

She said: “There are many ordinary cases everyday where citizens of the UK are required to answer questions under oath and depositions in US cases and vice-versa because we have a friendly agreement between the two countries.”

She also insisted Ms Giuffre’s sex assault case was likely to proceed despite the prince’s lawyers trying to convince judge Lewis Kaplan that papers had not been served and that the lawsuit should be thrown out.

Giuffre, now 38, has claimed she was made to have sex with the royal on three occasions.

She says it was at the insistence of disgraced Epstein and accused madam Ghislaine Maxwell.

She also claims Andrew’s “actions constitute sexual offences” including first and third-degree rape.

Epstein hanged himself in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on serious sex charges.

Maxwell is awaiting trial for allegedly recruiting girls for Epstein.

Under the Hague Evidence Convention, English courts will help US courts get evidence from witnesses resident in England and Wales.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/british-judge-could-force-prince-24985740

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2e5617  No.14584669

File: 191b651d80e204a⋯.jpg (352.31 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, US_President_Joe_Biden.jpg)

>>14576908

Quad summit will see limited concrete outcomes as US, Japan, India, Australia are 'four ward mates with different illnesses': experts

Yang Sheng and Fan Anqi - Sep 15, 2021

The US is reorganizing its allies and partners to fix its image as "the leader" when it found increasing difficulties worldwide such as the Afghan issue, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Quad summit next week is another try made by US President Joe Biden, but Chinese experts said on Tuesday that the summit will make no big change on its hostility against China though the statement released by the White House about the summit didn't mention China.

Biden will host the first-ever Quad Leaders Summit at the White House on September 24. "Biden is looking forward to welcoming to the White House Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan," according to the White House statement released on Monday.

The Quad Leaders will focus on deepening our ties and advancing practical cooperation on areas such as combating COVID-19, addressing the climate crisis, partnering on emerging technologies and cyberspace, and promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific, the statement said.

The Quad leaders also had a virtual meeting in March, and the summit scheduled to be held next week is in-person.

Lü Xiang, an expert on US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday that "the summit is just another show with limited concrete outcomes. The US, Japan, India and Australia are just like four wardmates with different illnesses but stay in the same ward."

"These four countries share topics for discussions but they have different stances. The US hasty pullout from Afghanistan caused huge loss to India; Australia refused to make promise on coal mining for the climate change issue; Japan is now facing a chaotic political situation, and being unwisely provocative toward China due to Taiwan question," so the US is hard to make them perfectly reorganized, Lü said.

Suga's term as the leader of the ruling party of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party - and by default Japanese prime minister - ends on September 30. He has said he would not run in the next election for party leader. So to what extent Biden could reach sustainable agreements with Suga is a question.

India suffered from great loss in Afghanistan, since the return of the Taliban make India's huge inputs to the former US-formed government produce no outcomes at all, but New Delhi swallowed the bitter consequence without complaint to the US, said Lin Minwang, a professor at the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University.

"Because India has decided to lean to the US side, the US can still coordinate with India even after its irresponsible decision in Afghanistan that made New Delhi pay a heavy price, Lin noted.

Although the China-Australia ties are still intense, according to Reuters, China has lobbied the Australian parliament to help it join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Chen Hong, director of the Australian Studies Center at East China Normal University in Shanghai, told the Global Times on Tuesday that it's possible that Australia would provide some supports to China in joining CPTPP in exchange for China to reopen its market to Australian products, especially before the election next year, fixing trade ties with China would be a major political achievement for the ruling party of Australia.

Chen noted that the Quad won't change its hostility toward China but if Australia has wisdom and intention to fix ties with China, it's likely to see the both sides use the CPTPP issue as a chance to ease tension.

After the phone call between Chinese and US leaders on Friday, the international community is expecting the two biggest economies of the world to ease tension but it seems like the US is unlikely to change its hostile attitude toward China immediately, and the summit next week could be a chance for Biden to unify its allies on attitude to China in the next stage, to balance competition and cooperation, said experts.

Biden is expected to call for a summit on boosting the global supplies of COVID-19 vaccines, according to US news outlets. The summit will be held during the UN General Assembly later this month, the VOA reported.

The Washington Post reports the topics will include coordination among world leaders to collectively tackle the health crisis and address inequities, including the slow rate of vaccinations in the developing world.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1234297.shtml

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2e5617  No.14584711

File: 05d10de48518f5d⋯.jpg (390.48 KB, 825x928, 825:928, CCGIS_6.jpg)

File: b90ea60843e2417⋯.mp4 (1.76 MB, 640x360, 16:9, UChg3OsxsxRCsv_9.mp4)

>>14576908

Chinese Consulate General in Sydney Tweet

Regional cooperation framework should not target a third party and damage its interests, Chinese FM spokesperson Zhao Lijian said after the #US announced to host a #Quad leaders' summit with Australia, India and Japan next week.

https://twitter.com/ChinaConSydney/status/1437714845369987074

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2e5617  No.14584745

File: bf6fa737043916e⋯.jpg (85.67 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Mr_Hastie_has_warned_state….jpg)

Cyber new battleground as pandemic increases reliance on web

COURTNEY GOULD - SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

Cyber criminals sought to exploit Australians working from home like never before in the last year, with the number of reported cyber security incidents jumping 13 per cent.

The dramatic rise has security agencies warning cyber is the new battleground for actors trying to disrupt Australia’s democracy.

New data from the Australian Cyber Security Centre has revealed over 67,500 cyber crime reports were made in the last financial year.

On average, reports of cyber crime incidents were made every eight to ten minutes. The ACSC estimates cybercrime has cost Australian businesses and individuals $33 billion.

Cyber espionage remains one of the greatest threats to Australia’s national security, Assistant Defence Minister Andrew Hastie said

“Cyber warfare and cyber espionage is a very common tactic which threatens to undermine international co-operation, and the rules-based global order,” he said.

“Australia is being targeted by a range of actors, from state sponsored actors looking to gain strategic advantage, to financially motivated cyber criminals looking to make a profit, to motivated groups and even terrorist groups and extremists looking to disrupt and destabilise Australian democracy.

“This type of activity blurs the distinction between peace and war. And it‘s a favoured tactic of authoritarian regimes, seeking an advantage through asymmetric means.”

He warned with many Australians working remotely, individuals and businesses have become a “much bigger target” for bad actors.

ACSC head Abigail Bradshaw said the pandemic was the major influence in the report’s findings.

“It‘s shaped both the targets that malicious actors are going after and it’s shaped the vectors, or the means by which those targets are accessed,” she said.

Additionally, approximately one quarter of reported cyber security incidents affected critical infrastructure, including essential services such as education, communications, electricity, water and transport.

The health sector reported the second highest number of ransomware incidents, and incidence grew as Covid-19 vaccines were developed and rolled out.

Overall, there were 14 incidents reported where material was removed or deleted on federal government or national infrastructure supply chains.

In July, Australia joined with the US, UK and the EU to attribute an attack on Microsoft Exchange servers to China.

Australian Signals Directorate boss Rachel Noble told a parliamentary inquiry the attack put an estimated 70,000 Australian entities and businesses at risk.

It’s understood, despite the public attribution of the attack to China, several entities have yet to patch their system and remain compromised.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/cyber-new-battleground-as-pandemic-increases-reliance-on-web/news-story/4608a0f33828903325b51ca1f589d08c

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2e5617  No.14585927

File: 1f7c5292b17d083⋯.jpg (1.21 MB, 978x2200, 489:1100, Ministers_granted_border_e….jpg)

Ministers granted border exemptions to attend urgent meeting in Canberra

Anthony Galloway and Rob Harris - September 15, 2021

Several federal cabinet ministers were called to a top-secret meeting in Canberra on Wednesday ahead of a major international development expected out of the United States on Thursday morning.

Sources familiar with the development said some members of cabinet were granted border exemptions to urgently fly to Canberra for the hastily arranged meeting, which sources say will have international significance.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton and Foreign Minister Marise Payne, who are in Washington for a series of meetings over the next two days, were said to have joined the meeting via a secure connection.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese and three other senior members of his frontbench were also given the rare opportunity to be briefed on the highly sensitive matter.

Several Coalition MPs told this masthead they had been ordered at short-notice to dial into a rare conference call for 9.30am on Thursday, but none were aware of the reason for the briefing.

Australian and foreign diplomats will also be briefed on the development on Thursday.

The announcement, also significant to the United States and British governments, will be made at 7am Australian time.

The White House said US President Joe Biden would deliver “brief remarks about a national security initiative”.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will travel to Washington next week for a meeting of the Quad alliance which includes the US, India Japan and Australia. Mr Morrison will have his first in-person one-on-one meeting with Mr Biden during the trip.

Mr Dutton and Senator Payne are to meet face-to-face with their US counterparts Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin

Measures to counter China’s trade strikes and other “grey zone” attacks, as well as an Australian request to be granted greater access to US missile technology, will be on the agenda in the meetings.

The withdrawal from Afghanistan and the potential for future terrorism threats will also be discussed.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/ministers-granted-border-exemptions-to-attend-urgent-meeting-in-canberra-20210915-p58rzn.html

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2e5617  No.14586056

File: 4df898f5fe79542⋯.jpg (1.1 MB, 978x1810, 489:905, Biden_to_announce_joint_de….jpg)

File: 3308a407668f4aa⋯.jpg (274.36 KB, 1160x773, 1160:773, The_Australian_flag_flies.jpg)

>>14585927

Biden to announce joint deal with U.K. and Australia on advanced defense-tech sharing

One source said there is a nuclear-defense infrastructure to the three-way pact known as AUUKUS.

ALEXANDER WARD - 09/15/2021

President Joe Biden will announce a new working group with Britain and Australia to share advanced technologies in a thinly veiled bid to counter China, a White House official and a Congressional staffer told POLITICO.

The trio, which will be known by the acronym AUUKUS, will make it easier for the nations to share information and know-how in key technological areas like artificial intelligence, cyber, underwater systems and long-range strike capabilities

One of the people said there will be a nuclear element to the pact in which the U.S. and U.K. share their knowledge of how to maintain nuclear-defense infrastructure.

There’s nothing explicitly mentioning China in the three-way deal, the people said, but both noted that the subtext of the announcement is that this is another move by Western allies to push back on China’s rise in the military and technology arenas.

Biden will announce the deal in a 5:00 p.m. address Wednesday.

https://www.politico.com/amp/news/2021/09/15/biden-deal-uk-australia-defense-tech-sharing-511877?__twitter_impression=true

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2e5617  No.14586170

File: 305f75525700bb9⋯.jpg (60.8 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Australian_Prime_Minister_….jpg)

File: 78e3d943340b081⋯.jpg (64.57 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Collins_class_submarines_S….jpg)

File: 40497eb5ad010eb⋯.jpg (56.41 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Marise_Payne_and_Peter_Dut….jpg)

File: 1908063a5c6f162⋯.jpg (67.39 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Australian_Prime_Minister_….jpg)

File: e750635bed685d9⋯.jpg (86.42 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, US_President_Joe_Biden_wil….jpg)

>>14585927

>>14586056

Australia, US and UK to form AUUKUS under a new nuclear defence pact

Scott Morrison will announce Australia’s submarine program will “go nuclear” under a new defence pact that could spell bad news for China.

Samantha Maiden - September 15, 2021

Scott Morrison is set to announce Australia’s submarine program will “go nuclear” under a new defence pact with the US and the UK that has been described as “China’s worst nightmare.”

The new grouping to be known as AUUKUS will advise Australia on how to identify the best way to acquire nuclear-powered submarine capability and share advanced technologies involving artificial intelligence.

The US-based Politico website reports that President Joe Biden will announce a new working group with Britain and Australia to share advanced technologies to counter China at 7am AEST.

“The trio, which will be known by the acronym AUUKUS, will make it easier for the nations to share information and know-how in key technological areas like artificial intelligence, cyber, underwater systems and long-range strike capabilities,’’ the report states.

There would be a “nuclear element to the pact in which the US and UK share their knowledge of how to maintain nuclear-defense infrastructure.”

Senior ministers were rushing back to Canberra on Wednesday night for national security meetings ahead of the major announcement.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese and several Labor frontbenchers were also briefed with Defence Minister Peter Dutton and Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne, who are overseas, dialling in for the meetings.

Diplomatic and defence sources suggest it could involve operating US submarines out of Perth’s HMAS Stirling.

But there was also speculation that the British Government could be involved to support Australia secure the technology required to service nuclear submarines.

The proposal for Australia to tear up existing contracts for French subs and purchase US nuclear technology has previously been described as “China’s Worst Nightmare” in the region – which could “tip the military balance in Asia.”

In June, the Prime Minister held discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron over growing concerns regarding the $90 billion project that will not deliver submarines until 2030

The Australian Naval Institute has recently been promoting the option as the best ‘Plan B’ for Australia’s troubled submarine program.

“With regional tensions increasing, then building our own one-off type submarines which will arrive in the early 2030s is not good enough. We have no guarantee they will work,’’ the article stated.

“When we built the Collins class submarines (at exorbitant expense) they did not work properly for several years. It is only now – after decades of operation – that they are reasonably functional.

“Submarines are the ultimate deterrent and attack weapon: their location is hopefully unknown, and they can strike at targets without warning. But we need to expand beyond the capabilities of the Collins, and also the French Attack boats which we should abandon.

“Instead we should buy 12 of a proven design which is already in the water. We want long-range hunter-killer vessels. We also want them to be able to stay submerged for long periods to avoid detection. Nuclear does this in spades.”

The Prime Minister is scheduled to fly to Washington next week for talks with the US President. He has recently been jetting between Sydney and Canberra for national security meetings that his office said could not be conducted remotely.

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/federal-ministers-fly-to-canberra-amid-big-us-australia-news-announcement/news-story/72b68a5756b0acb81845137c8157951b

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2e5617  No.14592776

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14585927

IN FULL: US, UK, Australian leaders establish AUKUS partnership

Sky News Australia

Sep 16, 2021

Nation leaders Scott Morrison, Joe Biden and Boris Johnson have released a joint national security statement announcing a new trilateral partnership for the Indo-Pacific region.

Speaking at a virtual event on Thursday, the leaders announced the creation of a new trilateral relationship - "AUKUS".

"Today we join our nations in the next-generation partnership, built on a strong foundation of proven trust. We have always seen the world through a similar lens. We have always believed in a world that favours freedom, that respects human dignity – the rule of law, the independence of sovereign states and the peaceful fellowship of nations," Mr Morrison said.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he is “delighted” the UK, the US and Australia will be working in joint partnership to strengthen stability in the Indo-Pacific.

“We’re opening a new chapter in our friendship, and the first task of this partnership will be to help Australia acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.”

President Biden affirmed how the situation in the Indo-Pacific has deepened the allied relationship between the three nations.

"Australia and the United Kingdom have long been capable and faithful partners and we're even closer today. Today, we're taking another historic step to deepen and formalise cooperation among all three of our nations, because we all recognise the imperative of ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific over the long-term," he said.

"As a key project under AUKUS, we are launching consultations with Australia with the acquisition of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines for its Navy. Conventionally armed. I want to be exceedingly clear about this. We're not talking about nuclear-armed submarines."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYVGtAWDW7I

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2e5617  No.14592826

File: 6461302e6218d65⋯.jpg (88.36 KB, 959x639, 959:639, New_Zealand_Prime_Minister….jpg)

File: 98e2aeb86833450⋯.jpg (61.34 KB, 960x540, 16:9, New_Zealand_prime_minister….jpg)

File: faec144785c7e8a⋯.jpg (131.64 KB, 959x540, 959:540, The_Royal_Australian_Navy_….jpg)

>>14592776

Not in our waters: Ardern says no to visits from Australia’s new nuclear subs

Praveen Menon - September 16, 2021

Wellington: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Thursday that Australia’s new nuclear-powered submarines would not be allowed in its territorial waters under a long-standing nuclear-free policy.

A new Indo-Pacific security partnership announced by US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, will see the United States and Britain provide Australia with the technology and capability to deploy nuclear-powered submarines.

The Indo-Pacific deal is widely seen as a counter to China’s growing influence in the region.

“I discussed the arrangement with Prime Minister Morrison last night,” Ardern said at a news conference.

“I am pleased to see that the eye has been turned to our region from partners we work closely with. It’s a contested region and there is a role that others can play in taking an interest in our region. But the lens we will look at this from will include stability,” she said.

However, Ardern said the nuclear-powered submarines would not be allowed in New Zealand waters under a 1984 nuclear-free zone policy.

“Certainly they couldn’t come into our internal waters. No vessels that are partially or fully powered by nuclear energy is able to enter our internal borders,” she said.

Ardern said the new Indo-Pacific grouping does not change the security and intelligence ties of New Zealand, which is a member of the Five Eyes, a post-war intelligence grouping that also includes the United States, Britain, Australia and Canada.

“This is not a treaty level arrangement. It does not change our existing relationship including Five Eyes or our close partnership with Australia on defence matters,” she said.

New Zealand was formerly a member of the ANZUS treaty alliance with the US, however its involvement mostly ended in the 1980s when it declined to accept US nuclear-powered vessels in New Zealand waters. Australia has maintained closer defence ties with the US since.

Biden said the US would continue to work with the “five treaty allies” – a reference to the Five Eyes arrangement and its offshoots – and “other close partners in the Pacific”.

Ardern, who is in her second term in office, has looked to focus on a more independent foreign policy that is not loyal to any major bloc.

Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has said she was uncomfortable with expanding the role of the Five Eyes, drawing criticism from Western allies who said New Zealand was reluctant to criticise China due to its trade ties.

China is New Zealand’s largest trading partner.

The AUKUS deal means that Australia is only the second country the US has shared it nuclear submarine secrets with, after the UK received access in 1958. Six countries have nuclear-powered submarines, including Russia, France, China and India.

The pact will also encompass defence and foreign policy meetings, and co-operation in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies.

https://www.smh.com.au/world/oceania/not-in-our-waters-ardern-says-no-to-visits-from-australia-s-new-nuclear-subs-20210916-p58s7k.html

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2e5617  No.14592862

File: 246ee89da4352ee⋯.jpg (400.43 KB, 2000x1333, 2000:1333, Flexing_his_muscles_in_the….jpg)

>>14592776

Beijing views Australia’s US pact as a military threat: analysts

Michael Smith - Sep 16, 2021

1/2

Australia is positioning itself as a military adversary to China rather than an economic partner by signing a new security pact for the Indo-Pacific that is expected to trigger further trade retaliation from Beijing, analysts say.

While China was unlikely to retaliate immediately with new bans on Australian exports, the Morrison government’s UK-US security pact would have long-term ramifications for the country’s $150-billion-a-year export trade with the world’s second-largest economy.

Chen Hong, director of the Australian Studies Centre at Shanghai’s East China Normal University, said the decision to give Australia access to US nuclear submarine technology would be seen as a threat by Beijing.

“China has never positioned Australia as a military adversary, but when Australia is equipping itself with a nuclear arsenal with China as the explicit target, there is bound to be some rethinking and readjustment of the strategic relationship with Australia,” Professor Chen told The Australian Financial Review.

He said the pact reflected the “ominous rise of militarism” in Canberra and warned Beijing would take counter-measures if Australia was seen as a military threat. “There is bound to be similar, if not stronger, reciprocity and counter-measures to defend our peace and security,” Professor Chen said.

The deal gives Australia access to US technology to build nuclear-powered submarines but they will not be armed with nuclear weapons.

China has six nuclear-powered submarines but will have 16 nuclear-powered attack submarines by 2040, according to the according to the US Navy.

China’s Washington embassy responded to the new security pact by saying that countries “should not build exclusionary blocs targeting or harming the interests of third parties”, according to Reuters. “In particular, they should shake off their Cold-War mentality and ideological prejudice,” it said.

James Laurenceson, director of the Australia China Relations Institute, said while he did not expect any immediate export bans, the pact would change the way Beijing viewed its relationship with Australia.

“The main impact will be to further cement in Beijing’s mind that Australia has chosen to align itself with the US in a long-run effort to counter China. And so we can expect the freezing out of Canberra to just get colder and more prolonged,” he said. “Meanwhile, we know that the US and China will continue to deal with each other directly.

“No other country in our region is behaving in the same extreme manner as Australia. We are either strategic geniuses or strategic fools. Judging by the behaviour of the rest of the region, I’d wager the latter.”

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14592864

File: 0c1ce3bbd01d02c⋯.jpg (131.39 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Australian_Prime_Minister_….jpg)

>>14592862

2/2

Australia’s annual exports to China were worth about $150 billion in 2019-2020 financial year. Australia’s exports to China for the first eight months of this year rose 24.2 per cent to $US135.13 billion, largely driven by record iron ore prices.

Since May last year, China has blocked or restricted about a dozen Australian exports, including wine, beef and barley worth $20 billion per year.

“Given the dependence that Australia has on China for its economy, it’s a bold step because clearly the Chinese will view this as provocative, and they should,” James Clapper, a former US director of National Intelligence told CNN in response to the trade deal.

Others welcomed the move as an important step by Washington and its allies to push back against China’s military build-up in the region and territorial claims on Taiwan and in the South China Sea.

“Ten years ago, no-one would ever have thought what China is doing to Australia would ever happen. They now think they are powerful enough, It sends a signal to the rest of the world. If they ever replace the US and become the leader of the world order, they will do the same thing to the Americans and the rest of the world,” said Desmond Shum, a Chinese businessman who has published a book about his dealings with China’s political elite.

China sees Australia as a weak link in US President Joe Biden’s bid to rally support in the region to push back against Beijing’s aggressive foreign policies, but its unofficial campaign of economic coercion has not inflicted any major damage on the Australian economy so far.

However, that could change, analysts said, as it reduces its steel output, which will mean less demand for iron ore. China has already banned Australian coal.

China started slapping restrictions on some key Australian exports after the Morrison government called for an international inquiry into the origins of coronavirus in April last year. However, Beijing was already angry about Australia’s foreign interference laws designed to counter Chinese influence, a ban on Chinese telecoms giant Huawei and other issues.

Scott Morrison said on Thursday there was an “open invitation” for discussions with China’s President Xi Jinping.

Beijing has been refusing to take calls from senior Morrison government ministers for several years and Mr Morrison said in August last year he last spoke to Mr Xi more than a year before then. His last high-level contact with China’s leadership was on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit with Premier Li Keqiang in November 2019.

Mr Biden spoke with Mr Xi by telephone last week.

“Australia is again left vulnerable because US economic interests are frequently in competition with Australia’s,” Mr Laurenceson said.

China has repeatedly accused Australia of pandering to Washington and acting as its sheriff in the region.

https://www.afr.com/world/asia/beijing-views-australia-s-us-pact-as-a-military-threat-analysts-20210916-p58s6m

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2e5617  No.14592921

File: dc022487aeb100e⋯.jpg (141.95 KB, 1200x800, 3:2, Healthcare_workers_adminis….jpg)

>>14404403

Australia COVID-19 cases rise but vaccination surge gives hope

Renju Jose - SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia’s Victoria state reported its biggest one-day rise in COVID-19 cases of the year on Thursday as a surge in vaccinations nationwide raised hope for easing restrictions with almost 70% of the adult population having had a first dose.

Victoria, home to the city of Melbourne, detected 514 new infections, exceeding the year’s previous daily high of 473 on Monday.

Sydney and Melbourne, Australia’s largest cities, have ramped up their immunisation drives as the country struggles to contain a third wave of infections fuelled by the highly infectious Delta variant, putting nearly half of the 25 million population under strict stay-at-home orders.

Still, Australia’s coronavirus infection rates are far lower than those in many other countries, with some 80,000 cases and 1,128 deaths, and authorities are promising to relax many tough curbs, perhaps next month, after more people get both of their vaccine shots.

“That 70% double dose and 80% double dose mark is within plain sight. Keep going Australia,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said during a media briefing in Canberra.

Under a reopening plan unveiled in July, the federal government will urge states and territories to start living with the virus once those high targets are reached.

To now, 44% of people over the age of 16 are fully vaccinated while 69% have had at least one dose.

Officials in New South Wales, at the heart of the country’s worst coronavirus outbreak, implored its residents to get their shots soon as they reported 12 new deaths from the virus, with 10 of them people who were not vaccinated.

A total of 1,351 new cases were detected in the state, the majority in its capital, Sydney, up from 1,259.

A nightly curfew in Sydney’s 12 hard-hit western suburbs ended on Wednesday night amid higher vaccinations.

In Victoria, first-dose coverage will hit 70% on Friday, officials said, when some curbs on travel and outdoor exercise in Melbourne will be eased.

Melbourne’s 5 million residents have been stuck in their sixth lockdown, the most in any Australian city since the pandemic began.

An anti-lockdown protest is being planned in Melbourne over the weekend and authorities are looking to avert it by halting public transport and deploying thousands of police.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-australia/australia-covid-19-cases-rise-but-vaccination-surge-gives-hope-idUSKBN2GB2JU

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2e5617  No.14592935

File: 27a61ab87392670⋯.jpg (17.85 KB, 890x534, 5:3, File_photo_of_Malka_Leifer….jpg)

>>14569132

Cleaner saw Malka Leifer at school with girls on Sundays, court hears

Mario Toledo tells committal hearing he did not hear what was said between Leifer and the girls, and he often saw another teacher at the school on Sundays

Nino Bucci - 16 Sep 2021

A cleaner at the Melbourne Jewish school where Malka Leifer was the principal has told a court he saw Leifer at the school on Sundays with as many as three girls.

Mario Toledo, giving evidence with the assistance of a Spanish interpreter, told the Melbourne magistrates court on Thursday he saw Leifer go to her office and classrooms that bordered it.

But, Toledo told the committal hearing, he had not been close enough to hear what was being said between the principal and the girls. “I never paid any attention,” he said.

The cleaner told the court he had also often seen another teacher at the school on Sundays. He worked at the school as a cleaner for 16 years before retiring in 2017.

Leifer, the 55-year-old former principal of the Adass Israel ultra-Orthodox Jewish girls school, is charged with 74 offences relating to the alleged sexual abuse of three sisters between 2004 and 2008.

The alleged victims, Dassi Erlich, Elly Saper and Nicole Meyer, have given permission to be identified, but the court has been closed during their evidence.

Leifer moved to Israel in 2008 after the allegations surfaced. She was charged with criminal offences in 2012 but a long battle for her extradition only ended earlier this year when she returned to Melbourne.

The alleged victims of Leifer will continue giving evidence on Friday after the court agreed to not hear from Jewish witnesses on the sacred day of Yom Kippur.

One of the sisters has completed her evidence, while another started her evidence on Tuesday, continued through Wednesday and will again be in the witness box on Friday. The third sister will give her evidence after this. It is unclear which sisters have given evidence and which have not.

Leifer was also pardoned from Thursday’s proceedings because of Yom Kippur. The committal hearing allows the magistrate Johanna Metcalf to hear the evidence against Leifer before determining whether she will face trial in a higher court.

Toledo has given two statements to police about what he saw at the school but Metcalf denied a media application to view them – and the statements of the other witnesses.

The magistrate agreed with a submission from Ian Hill QC, for Leifer, that some material in the statements was irrelevant and inadmissible and its release could therefore prejudice any further proceedings. Nanette Rogers SC, for the prosecution, had also opposed the release of the statements.

Metcalf said she understood that it would mean much of Toledo’s evidence could not be contextualised and that this could impact the media’s ability to report on a matter in the public interest.

“[But] there’s also a public interest in preserving the integrity of these proceedings, which are preliminary,” she said. “In my view, it is not in the interests of justice to allow access to these statements.”

The other witnesses due to give evidence during the committal are Dr Vicki Gordon, a clinical psychologist who has described herself as a “whistleblower” in regard to the sexual abuse allegations, Esther Spiegelmen and Sharon Bromberg, who were teachers at the school at the time of the alleged abuse, and Chana Rabinowitz, a former counsellor at the school, who will give evidence from Israel.

The hearing is expected to run until early next week.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/16/cleaner-saw-malka-leifer-at-school-with-girls-on-sundays-court-hears

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2e5617  No.14592946

File: 149ce62af84aad7⋯.jpg (108.37 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Former_Minneapolis_police_….jpg)

File: 8b8b981e06321b3⋯.jpg (126.74 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Justine_Damond_died_after_….jpg)

Murder verdict in death of Australian woman Justine Damond overturned

Matthew Knott - September 16, 2021

Minneapolis: Minnesota’s highest court has overturned the murder conviction of a former police officer who fatally shot Australian woman Justine Ruszczyk Damond in Minneapolis in 2017.

In a shock decision, the Minnesota Supreme Court said the murder charge for Mohamed Noor did not fit the circumstances in the case.

Noor was the first police officer in the state’s history to be found guilty of murder for killing a civilian.

His conviction was followed by a 22-and-half year sentence for Derek Chauvin, the white Minneapolis police officer who was found guilty of murdering black man George Floyd by pressing his knee into his neck for almost 10 minutes.

After a trial that captivated the midwestern state in 2019, Noor was convicted of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for shooting Damond, a dual US-Australian citizen, after she called police to report a possible sexual assault behind her home.

He was sentenced to 12½ years on the murder count but was not sentenced for manslaughter.

The case of the black policeman convicted of murder in the death of a white woman stood in contrast to the initial treatment of Chauvin after the death of Floyd, when public pressure forced the Minneapolis police department to act on the white officer.

The ruling now means Noor’s murder conviction is overturned and the case will go back to the district court where he will be sentenced on the manslaughter count.

Noor has already served more than 28 months of his murder sentence. If sentenced to the presumptive four years for manslaughter, he could be eligible for supervised release around the end of this year.

In their ruling, the justices said that for a third-degree murder charge, also known as “depraved-mind murder”, the person’s mental state must show a “generalised indifference to human life, which cannot exist when the defendant’s conduct is directed with particularity at the person who is killed”.

“We may very well agree that Noor’s decision to shoot a deadly weapon simply because he was startled was disproportionate and unreasonable,” the justices wrote in their opinion.

“Noor’s conduct is especially troubling given the trust that citizens should be able to place in our peace officers. But the tragic circumstances of this case do not change the fact that Noor’s conduct was directed with particularity toward Ruszczyk,” they said.

Caitlinrose Fisher, one of the lawyers who worked on Noor’s appeal, said she was grateful the court clarified what constitutes third-degree murder, and she hoped that would lead to greater equity and consistency in charging decisions.

“We’ve said from the beginning that this was a tragedy, but it wasn’t a murder, and now the Supreme Court agrees and recognises that,” she said.

https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/murder-verdict-in-death-of-australian-woman-justine-damond-overturned-20210916-p58s0n.html

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2e5617  No.14592993

File: d659ff089ccecef⋯.jpg (558.26 KB, 2000x1333, 2000:1333, According_to_Bob_Woodward_….jpg)

File: 25772f4a47c1652⋯.jpg (614.69 KB, 2000x1333, 2000:1333, Former_President_Donald_Tr….jpg)

Is Nancy Pelosi pulling General Mark Milley’s strings?: Devine

Miranda Devine - September 15, 2021

1/2

If you believe the latest Bob Woodward book, the United States has lost civilian control of its military — unless you count Nancy Pelosi who seems to have been in control of everything since she became speaker in 2019 with the single-minded goal of bringing down Donald Trump.

Everything has gone downhill since, and most dangerously at the Pentagon where a cohort of woke generals fell under Pelosi’s malign spell.

That’s the only way you can ­understand how Gen. Mark Milley could have become so deranged that he cast himself as the hero of a “Seven Days in May”-style fever dream in which only he could save the nation from Trump launching nuclear war with China to stay in office.

It’s an insane scenario, a left-wing equivalent of the most farfetched QAnon conspiracies.

But this is what is claimed in the Woodward book, titled “Peril,” co-authored by Robert Costa. So alarmed was the tightly wound general about what he imagined Trump might do in the weeks before and after last year’s election that he made “secret calls” to his counterpart in China promising to warn him if the president ordered an attack.

A lot of Republicans are demanding that Milley be tried for treason, after The Washington Post published extracts from “Peril” this week. But a lunatic asylum might be more appropriate.

A statement Wednesday from the Pentagon confirmed that Milley had made the calls to Chinese Gen. Li Zuocheng in October and January but denied that they were secret or that he was usurping presidential authority.

Yet Trump says he didn’t know about them, and neither did Chris Miller, the acting defense secretary in January, who told Fox News he “did not and would not ever authorize” the general to make such calls.

It’s clear that Milley, or people authorized by him, leaked details of his delusional derring-do to a number of authors because he is proud of his actions. His lack of shame bodes ill for the country if he remains the nation’s highest-ranking military officer as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The botched withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan over which he presided was bad enough. What’s next?

The most disturbing part of the Milley story that emerges from at least three accounts of the Trump presidency vying for bookshelf space this fall is Pelosi’s malign ­influence.

The general seemed to treat her as his commander in chief. Pelosi, who was engaged in a blood feud with Trump that had sent her batty, ­manipulated and bullied Milley.

A transcript of a call with Pelosi two days after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, obtained by the “Peril” authors, has her ranting at Milley about Trump’s access to nuclear weapons.

“If they couldn’t even stop him from an assault on the Capitol, who even knows what else he may do? And is there anybody in charge at the White House who was doing anything but kissing his fat butt all over this? …

“He’s crazy. You know he’s crazy. He’s been crazy for a long time. So don’t say you don’t know what his state of mind is.”

Milley reportedly responded: “Madam Speaker. I agree with you on everything.”

After Pelosi’s hysterical call, he phoned China.

“General Li, you and I have known each other for now five years,” Milley reportedly told him. “If we’re ­going to attack, I’m going to call you ahead of time.”

He also convened a meeting of top military officials in the Pentagon that afternoon and insisted they inform him if the president called about any military actions.

It wasn’t his place to insert himself in the chain of command. He was just a military adviser to the president, with no role in commanding troops.

But by then he was a fully paid-up member of the Trump Derangement cult in Washington.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14592998

File: e294261cce55707⋯.jpg (321.52 KB, 1536x1025, 1536:1025, Then_President_Donald_Trum….jpg)

>>14592993

2/2

You could trace the madness of Milley to the day in June 2020 when he posed with Trump outside St. John’s church in Lafayette Square near the White House.

The country was convulsed by anti-cop riots and Democrats, seeing political advantage in the chaos, were obstructing Trump’s efforts to contain the violence. The historic church had been firebombed in riots so ferocious that the president and his family had to be whisked into a bunker for their safety.

Dozens of US Park Police and Secret Service officers were injured. The next day the Park Police cleared the square so contractors could erect extra security fencing around the park.

Trump’s photo with a Bible outside the church surrounded by members of his administration was a stunt, but it also was important to reassure the nation that the president was in command. It was frightening how close the insurgents had come to the White House.

But the media narrative pushed by candidate Joe Biden and Pelosi was that Trump had tear-gassed peaceful protesters and driven them out of the square for a photo-op. This was a lie, as the inspector general of the Department of the Interior stated in a forensic report into the incident a year later.

But Pelosi was deranged, screaming over the phone at Milley, vilifying federal law enforcement as “storm troopers” and using her favorite fatist slurs against Attorney General Bill Barr, whom she called a “blob” and a “henchman.”

Milley took her critique to heart and made a pathetic video apology that he said was on behalf of an “apolitical military.”

“My presence in that moment and in that environment created the perception of the military involved in politics.”

What a joke.

This is the same Milley who compared Trump to Hitler and called Trump’s supporters “brownshirts.”

In one account, Milley went to Biden’s inauguration and told ­Michelle Obama, “No one has a bigger smile today than I do.”

Milley reportedly considered resigning because Trump asked him to join him for that photo-op.

But he didn’t resign when Biden insisted he abandon Bagram Air Base and set in motion the worst military disaster in half a century.

How can we allow someone with such bad judgment to remain chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff?

Milley’s delusions of grandeur could get us all killed. For real, as Joe Biden likes to say.

https://nypost.com/2021/09/15/is-nancy-pelosi-pulling-gen-mark-milleys-strings-devine/

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2e5617  No.14593039

File: 42f3fc087d94650⋯.jpg (77.44 KB, 1024x675, 1024:675, Prince_Andrew_the_Duke_of_….jpg)

>>14554611

Prince Andrew Suffers Setback in Bid to Avoid Epstein Accuser’s Lawsuit

The British High Court will serve papers on the prince if necessary, allowing Virginia Giuffre’s suit, filed in New York, to proceed.

Mark Landler and Benjamin Weiser - Sept. 15, 2021

LONDON — Britain’s High Court agreed on Wednesday to intervene in a sexual assault lawsuit against Prince Andrew, clearing the way for him to answer a legal claim in the United States that he sexually abused a minor while a guest of Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II, has denied the allegations, and his American lawyer contended on Monday that the lawsuit, brought by Virginia Giuffre, was “baseless, nonviable and potentially unlawful.” The lawyer, Andrew B. Brettler, also argued that legal papers had not been properly served on his client in Britain.

The High Court, which said it was responding to information provided by Ms. Giuffre’s lawyers, agreed to serve the papers on Andrew if the two parties did not work out a way to do so. Andrew has been visiting the queen at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, making that process more complicated.

The allegations against Andrew, 61, known as the Duke of York, have led to his exile from official duties and have cast a shadow over the royal family. Royal watchers said the family was bracing itself for damaging disclosures in both the Giuffre lawsuit and a forthcoming trial of Mr. Epstein’s longtime companion, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Mr. Epstein, a sex offender and a prominent financier, killed himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

The prince’s lawyers in Britain had no comment on the High Court’s ruling, and Mr. Brettler did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Ms. Giuffre’s lawyer, David Boies, said that the lawsuit was now likely to move along more quickly and that it was inevitable Andrew would have to answer Ms. Giuffre’s claim in New York.

“Further delaying tactics I don’t think will serve him well,” Mr. Boies said in an interview, adding that even if the prince managed to delay the case for a month or two, it would not help him and would only focus more attention on the matter.

“Refusing to accept service, ducking service, hiding in the palace just makes him look bad,” Mr. Boies said. “I don’t understand sort of what playbook they’re using.”

In her lawsuit, Ms. Giuffre, 38, claimed that Andrew sexually abused her at Mr. Epstein’s mansion in New York and on Mr. Epstein’s private island, Little St. James, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Ms. Giuffre also said in the suit that Andrew, along with Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell, forced her to have sexual intercourse with the prince in Ms. Maxwell’s home in London.

Mr. Epstein, 66, who was arrested in July 2019, was found dead by hanging a month later in his jail cell in Manhattan; the death was ruled a suicide. Federal prosecutors have accused him of recruiting dozens of underage girls to engage in sex acts with him at his Manhattan mansion and his Palm Beach estate, and paying them hundreds of dollars in cash afterward.

Ms. Maxwell, who was arrested in July 2020, faces trial in November on charges that she helped Mr. Epstein recruit, groom and sexually abuse underage girls. In one case, she has been charged with sex trafficking a 14-year-old girl.

Andrew has not been charged with any crimes.

Mr. Brettler, the prince’s U.S.-based lawyer, argued on Monday before a federal judge in Manhattan that his client had not been properly served with legal papers in Britain and that Ms. Giuffre’s lawsuit might in any case be invalid under the terms of an earlier confidential settlement that they said she had reached with Jeffrey Epstein.

“We have significant concerns about the propriety of this lawsuit,” Mr. Brettler told Judge Lewis A. Kaplan of Federal District Court in Manhattan.

Judge Kaplan, however, said there was “a pretty high degree of certainty that he can be served sooner or later” and suggested the parties move on to the substance of the case.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/15/nyregion/prince-andrew-epstein-lawsuit.html

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2e5617  No.14593058

File: cb8c1c29853cdf2⋯.jpg (372.77 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, US_President_Joe_Biden_spe….jpg)

>>14592776

AUKUS another hostile signal to China, worsens Asia-Pacific security

Nuke sub deal could make Australia 'potential target in nuclear war'

Yang Sheng - Sep 16, 2021

1/2

The US, UK and Australia have announced a new alliance named "AUKUS" to target China, and they even made a deal to provide nuclear submarines to Australia. Chinese military experts warned that such a move will potentially make Australia a target of a nuclear strike if a nuclear war breaks out even if Washington said it won't arm Canberra with nuclear weapons, because it's easy for the US to arm Australia with nuclear weapons and submarine-launched ballistic missiles when Australia has the submarines.

According to a White House statement released on Wednesday US time, US President Joe Biden announced the new alliance together with Australian Prime Minister Morrison and Prime Minister Johnson via video link.

However, Politico said "AUKUS" is Washington's newest, hottest acronym — "an ugly mashup of abbreviations for Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States."

The new alliance of three English-speaking Anglo-Saxon countries is not a surprise as they share closer strategic ties with one another than with other Western countries, and this is why France's deal of submarines was canceled by Australia as Canberra can get the nuclear ones from Washington and London, said analysts, stressing that this alliance driven by the Cold War mentality and extreme hostility against China could seriously worsen the security situation in the Asia-Pacific region.

Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Thursday that AUKUS is at the core of the US alliance system to contain China with extreme hostility, and it should not be underestimated. If Donald Trump or a Trump-like president returns to the White House one day, this alliance could bring unpredictable and catastrophic consequences.

"The US is using the same approach employed to contain Russia in Europe after the Cold War to contain China in the Asia-Pacific region. Washington is building a NATO-like alliance in the region, with AUKUS at the core, and the US-Japan and US-South Korea alliances surrounding it, and the Quad at the outermost level, because India, not an US ally, can't be trusted by the US," Li said.

These small groups of alliances can realize mutual reliance and form a big alliance led by the US to contain China. "So the threat and challenge that China is being confronted with are critical and serious. Russia can only realize effective communication with the West on its reasonable security concerns through intense conflicts. In the future, China should avoid a similar situation," Li stressed.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14593059

File: bd0eb7701e1df47⋯.jpg (55.78 KB, 754x503, 754:503, Scott_Morrison_centre_anno….jpg)

>>14593058

2/2

Nuclear threat

The most shocking and dangerous message about AUKUS is the US and the UK will provide nuclear submarines to Australia. Morrison said at the virtual joint statement that "The first major initiative of AUKUS will be to deliver a nuclear-powered submarine fleet for Australia. Over the next 18 months, we will work together to seek to determine the best way forward to achieve this. This will include an intense examination of what we need to do to exercise our nuclear stewardship responsibilities in Australia."

Biden also said at the virtual joint press conference with Morrison and Johnson that "we are launching consultations with Australia's acquisition of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines for its navy - conventionally armed."

A senior Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times that at present, only nuclear-armed states have nuclear submarines, and a nuclear submarine is one tasked to launch a second-round nuclear strike in a nuclear war. So when Australia acquires such weaponry and technology, the country will potentially pose a nuclear threat to other countries, "because it's easy for the US and the UK to deploy nuclear weapons and submarine-launched ballistic missiles on the Australian submarines if they believe it's necessary, and Biden and Morrison's promises of 'not seeking nuclear weapons' are meaningless."

This would make Australia a potential target for a nuclear strike, because nuclear-armed states like China and Russia are directly facing the threat from Australia's nuclear submarines which serve US strategic demands. Beijing and Moscow won't treat Canberra as "an innocent non-nuclear power," but "a US ally which could be armed with nuclear weapons anytime," the expert said, stressing that AUKUS is putting Australia in danger, and Morrison's ambition could bring destructive consequences to his country if a nuclear war breaks out.

Increasing worries

Some Australian strategists and politicians also share similar concerns. And New Zealand, another member of the Five Eyes Alliance, is also aware of the danger from the new AUKUS pact and wants to stay away from it, especially Australian nuclear submarines.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Thursday that Australia's new nuclear-powered submarines would not be allowed in New Zealand's territorial waters under a long-standing nuclear-free policy, the Sydney Morning Herald reported on Thursday.

Australian National University defense and strategic studies analyst Hugh White said the nuclear submarine deal "is a very big deal, indeed, full of risks and changes the way Australia approaches the region," he told ABC radio on Thursday.

White said it would be seen as further proof that Australia had sided with the US in the face of a rising China. "It will further amplify the already very loud signals that are being sent that we are seeing a new Cold War in Asia," he said.

AUKUS would serve American interests by giving a key ally stronger submarine capacity in the Pacific, he added.

"In the escalating rivalry between America and China, we're siding with the United States and we're betting they are going to win this one," White said.

"But the fact is, that when we look 10 or 20 years ahead, I don't think we can assume the United States is going to succeed in pushing back effectively against China," White said.

The Sydney Morning Herald also said in a report on Thursday that prominent academics and former politicians like former Australian prime minister Paul Keating "have argued that Australia needs to assert more independence from America and avoid antagonizing China, its biggest trading partner. Such calls have been ignored: the AUKUS partnership confirms that Australia is going all the way with the US in what many have labeled a new 'cold war' with China."

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1234460.shtml

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2e5617  No.14593064

File: 9062ac0a4500298⋯.jpg (658.58 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, US_President_Joe_Biden_spe….jpg)

>>14592776

AUKUS to bring ‘nuclear-powered submarine fever’ across globe: Global Times editorial

Global Times - Sep 16, 2021

US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison almost announced simultaneously on Wednesday that the three countries will form an enhanced trilateral security partnership called "AUKUS." The pact will support Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines and enabling patrol of nuclear-powered submarines in the Indo-Pacific region.

The White House implied that the partnership is the first step that the US' European allies are turning to focus on cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

The US is hysterically polarizing its alliance system. Using an external force to push "middle powers" like Australia to the defense level of owning nuclear-powered submarines is a strong showcase to middle powers around the world. Although Washington claims that Australia's nuclear-powered submarines will not carry nuclear weapons, such restrictions are not reliable. From the very beginning, nuclear-powered submarines are designed to be strategic striking tools.

If the US and the UK help Australia acquire the cruising capability of nuclear-powered submarines, this will effectively legalize the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines by all countries. This also means the legalization of international export of related technology. As Washington stirs up great power competition, more regions will be involved in rising tensions. Possessing nuclear-powered submarines will become a universal temptation. The world needs to prepare for the arrival of a "nuclear-powered submarine fever."

Washington is losing its mind by trying to rally its allies against China, creating antagonism and destruction beyond its control. It has been immersed in attacking China without seriously assessing the possibility of backfiring. The war in Afghanistan, which traverses one of the most stable periods in the world as a whole, has embarrassed the US. If the world really becomes chaotic, there will be many more setbacks ahead for the US to fall down further.

There used to be no grudges between China and Australia. Due to the geographical distance, there are no geopolitical conflicts between the two countries as well. However, by pursuing a one-sided policy tilting toward the US in the China-US strategic game, Australia has turned itself into an adversary of China. It is now escalating its confrontation with China by conducting nuclear-powered submarine patrols that are clearly targeted at China.

However, no matter how Australia arms itself, it is still a running dog of the US. We advise Canberra not to think that it has the capability to intimidate China if it acquires nuclear-powered submarines and offensive missiles. If Australia dares to provoke China more blatantly because of that, or even find fault militarily, China will certainly punish it with no mercy.

As Australia participates in the US-led strategic siege of China, it should remain self-aware and take a position that matches its strength. If it acts with bravado to show its allegiance to the US and takes the most prominent position in the US' anti-China strategy, especially by being militarily assertive, then Canberra will most likely become a target of Beijing's countermeasures to send a warning to others. Thus, Australians troops are also most likely to be the first batch of Western soldiers to waste their lives in the South China Sea.

Recently, some in Canberra proposed an Australian missile defense system. We believe this is necessary. Because Canberra is intended to send troops to the Taiwan Straits if a war breaks out there. Australian Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs Mike Pezzullo in April warned that "drums of war" were beating in a message to his staff. He said that Australia must be prepared "to send off, yet again, our warriors to fight," according to ABC News. Once the Australian army fights the People's Liberation Army in the Taiwan Straits or the South China Sea, military targets in Australia will inevitably become a target hit by Chinese missiles. Since Australia has become an anti-China spearhead, the country should prepare for the worst.

The US and its allies are messing up the world. They are even touching the bottom line of the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Here comes an interesting question: Who is more capable of withstanding the global chaos? China or them?

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1234459.shtml

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2e5617  No.14593101

File: 77c633285c9da0f⋯.jpg (1.12 MB, 825x2233, 75:203, PD_11.jpg)

File: 8a119737ab6da50⋯.jpg (844.26 KB, 3000x2000, 3:2, E_YV5A4VEAIJFLm.jpg)

File: 82cc39c8f39de45⋯.jpg (1.18 MB, 3000x2000, 3:2, E_YWTmtVkAUsFMA.jpg)

File: a76eb1dc526b3e1⋯.jpg (1.2 MB, 3000x2000, 3:2, E_YWhaNVQAMB2Pd.jpg)

>>14592776

Defence Minister Peter Dutton Tweets

It was an absolute pleasure to have met face-to-face with @SecDef at the Pentagon to discuss the Alliance, ANZUS, Australia-US defence cooperation & #AUKUS – an enhanced trilateral security partnership with the United States & United Kingdom.

https://twitter.com/PeterDutton_MP/status/1438362562085617664

AUKUS focuses on our collective interest in a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific & enables collaboration on a range of security and defence capabilities.

https://twitter.com/PeterDutton_MP/status/1438362569664700418

The first initiative under #AUKUS is the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines. They will be superior in speed, survivability & endurance, compared to conventional submarines. As a three ocean nation, #YourADF must have the best submarine tech available to protect Australia.

https://twitter.com/PeterDutton_MP/status/1438362576971132930

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2e5617  No.14593108

File: 19a3e6b0bb4dece⋯.jpg (484.87 KB, 825x895, 165:179, LJA_4.jpg)

File: ccf76f34d27822d⋯.mp4 (4.66 MB, 1280x720, 16:9, oSArIKZgIJ4M0JD0.mp4)

>>14593101

United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Tweet

It was my pleasure to welcome my Australian counterpart @PeterDutton_MP to the Pentagon today. The 70-year U.S. and Australia #UnbreakableAlliance is as strong as ever, and I'm greatly looking forward to #AUSMIN at the @StateDept tomorrow.

https://twitter.com/SecDef/status/1438222304618684420

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2e5617  No.14593120

File: 3cafd68bb45254b⋯.jpg (504.85 KB, 825x966, 275:322, FMMP_26.jpg)

File: 72234e297551fe0⋯.jpg (241.38 KB, 1600x1066, 800:533, E_XMwcNXoAAMKIA.jpg)

File: 8f7ad370f922e28⋯.jpg (249.35 KB, 1600x1066, 800:533, E_XMwcIXMAQXE4q.jpg)

File: b76b426a28d89a1⋯.jpg (583.99 KB, 825x1002, 275:334, USSSAB_4.jpg)

File: f846d328b86bf22⋯.jpg (164.87 KB, 799x533, 799:533, E_WkjmbWEAg30C3.jpg)

Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet

Ahead of the 31st #AUSMIN2021, United States' Secretary of @StateDept @SecBlinken and I discussed the significance of #ANZUS70 & renewed our commitment to supporting an open, inclusive & resilient #IndoPacific region. There are no greater friends than (Australia and the United States).

https://twitter.com/MarisePayne/status/1438280797858013186

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Tweet

Foreign Minister @MarisePayne and I discussed our shared commitment to ensuring the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and discussed tomorrow’s Australia–U.S. Ministerial Consultations. #AUSMIN

https://twitter.com/SecBlinken/status/1438236835965190147

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2e5617  No.14595363

File: 312cefd3282b109⋯.jpg (255.87 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Xi_Jinping_at_the_100th_an….jpg)

File: f3b3daf5ccd47ec⋯.jpg (924.99 KB, 991x1340, 991:1340, Australia_s_key_security_a….jpg)

>>14592776

Australia’s nuclear sub deal ‘gravely undermines regional peace’ says China

Chris Barrett - September 16, 2021

China has declared the new defence pact between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom “gravely undermines regional peace and stability” while branding Australia’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines a damaging setback to global non-proliferation efforts.

Chinese government spokesman Zhao Lijian also rejected Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s suggestion he had extended an “open invitation” to President Xi Jinping to reopen talks between the two countries, saying he was not aware of that.

The announcement of a new trilateral security partnership between Australia, the US and the UK was accompanied by a dramatic ramping up of Australia’s defences as it looks to secure itself against a rising China.

Along with the planned acquisition of nuclear submarines, Morrison said Australia wanted to enhance its arsenal with long-range US Tomahawk missiles.

The historic new AUKUS alliance was slammed by Zhao in a press briefing in Beijing late on Thursday.

He described it and Australia’s plan to buy the submarines as extremely irresponsible and said they would intensify the arms race in the region.

“The US, UK and Australia are engaging in co-operation in nuclear-powered submarines that gravely undermines regional peace and stability, aggravates the arms race and hurts the international non-proliferation efforts,” he said.

“Australia is a non-nuclear weapon state party to the NPT [non-proliferation treaty] and a party to the nuclear weapon-free zone in the Southern Pacific. Now it is importing nuclear-powered submarine technology with strategic military value. The international community, including neighbouring countries, have reason to question its commitment to nuclear non-proliferation. China will closely monitor the situation.”

Diplomatic relations between Australia and China have deteriorated to their lowest ebb in many decades and Zhao said that was entirely Australia’s fault.

Zhao, who enraged Morrison in November by tweeting a faked image of an Australian soldier killing an Afghan child, delivered a broadside as other nations in the region digested the huge strategic development.

Wang Yiwei, a professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing, said the presence of the submarines in Australia should be a concern for south-east Asian countries as well and was “not good for regional stability”.

Morrison said he had called outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and India’s Narendra Modi about the enhanced security pact and was ringing Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday.

Most foreign ministries across ASEAN countries and in Japan and South Korea did not immediately react publicly to the establishment of AUKUS and Australia’s plans, but Lee said he hoped the alliance would “contribute constructively to the peace and stability of the region and complement the regional architecture”.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said only that Foreign Minister Marise Payne had called her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi on Thursday morning “regarding the procurement of nuclear submarines”.

But Evan Laksmana, a political scientist with National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, revealed there was consternation in Indonesia, Australia’s near neighbour and the largest country in south-east Asia.

“Publicly, officials are unlikely to come out strongly one way or the other. We know we cannot offer a serious alternative to the regional flux. We also know that regional countries are rightly developing non-ASEAN options,” he said.

But he said “more than a few” officials were privately concerned about whether AUKUS would compound regional tension, and about the nuclear trajectory of the developments.

It comes as the strategic competition between the US and China intensifies in the region, with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on a sweep through south-east Asia this week, a month after US Vice-President Kamala Harris’ visits to Singapore and Vietnam.

Wang made stops in Cambodia, Vietnam and Singapore, urging Hanoi not to “magnify conflicts through unilateral moves” and calling on it to resist “interference and incitement from regional outsiders”.

Lee welcomed him to Singapore’s presidential palace on Tuesday, saying the city-state “welcomes China’s continued contribution in our part of the world”.

“We will continue working with China to build a more harmonious and peaceful world,” the Singaporean leader said.

https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/australia-s-nuclear-sub-deal-gravely-undermines-regional-peace-says-china-20210916-p58sbk.html

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2e5617  No.14595380

File: b9ce03f832af1ae⋯.jpg (122.72 KB, 500x403, 500:403, Foreign_Ministry_Spokesper….jpg)

>>14595363

>>14592993

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on September 16, 2021

AFP: Two questions. Firstly, the US, UK and Australia announced a new military partnership which would provide Australia with nuclear powered submarines. Some people say that this is designed to counter China's influence in the Indo-Pacific. What's your response? Secondly, according to a new book, the US Army's top general Mark Milley called Chinese military to reassure that the US military would not attack China. What's your comment?

Zhao Lijian: The nuclear submarine cooperation between the US, the UK and Australia has seriously undermined regional peace and stability, intensified the arms race and undermined international non-proliferation efforts. The export of highly sensitive nuclear submarine technology to Australia by the US and the UK proves once again that they are using nuclear exports as a tool for geopolitical game and adopting double standards. This is extremely irresponsible. As a non-nuclear weapon state under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and a party to the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone (SPNFZ) Treaty, known as the Treaty of Rarotonga, Australia is now introducing nuclear submarine technology of strategic and military value. The international community, including Australia's neighboring countries, has full reason to question whether Australia is serious about fulfilling its nuclear non-proliferation commitments. China will pay close attention to the development of the relevant situation.

China always believes that any regional mechanism should conform to the trend of peace and development of the times and contribute to enhancing mutual trust and cooperation among regional countries. It should not target any third party or undermine its interests. Seeking closed and exclusive clique runs counter to the trend of the times and the aspirations of countries in the region, which finds no support and leads nowhere.

Relevant countries should abandon the outdated Cold War zero-sum mentality and narrow-minded geopolitical perception, respect the will of the people of regional countries and do more to contribute to regional peace, stability and development. Otherwise, they will only end up shooting themselves in the foot.

On your second question, I am not aware of the specific situation you mentioned. What I can tell you is that as permanent members of the UN Security Council and the world's two largest economies, China and the US stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation.

…..

Sputnik: Also about the trilateral security partnership between the US, the UK and Australia. According to Australian media, the Australian Prime Minister said Australia had previously held consultations with China and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region on the issue and extended an open invitation for talks with Beijing. Do you have any comment on that?

Zhao Lijian: I am not aware of what you said. I would like to reiterate that mutual respect and good mutual trust are the prerequisite for dialogue and cooperation between countries. Australia is the one to blame for current difficulties in China-Australia relationship. It is imperative for the Australian side to face up to the crux of the setbacks in bilateral relations, think seriously about whether it sees China as a partner or a threat, earnestly follow the principle of mutual respect and equality and the spirit of comprehensive strategic partnership in handling the bilateral relations, and do more to enhance mutual trust and promote pragmatic cooperation.

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/2511_665403/t1907498.shtml

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2e5617  No.14600225

File: 123b8a96162217e⋯.jpg (45.05 KB, 990x653, 990:653, France_s_foreign_minister_….jpg)

>>14592776

‘Stab in the back’: France hits out at Aukus alliance with fears it threatens Indo-Pacific partnerships

French foreign affairs minister hits out at Australia’s decision to abandon £43m deal for French submarines as the EU unveils its own Indo-Pacific strategy

Chiara Giordano and Andrew Woodcock - 16 September 2021

1/2

France has hit out at Australia’s decision to abandon a £43bn deal for French submarines in favour of a new security pact.

The French government reacted angrily to news Australia, the UK and the US have entered an alliance that will involve building a nuclear-powered submarine fleet and wide-ranging projects on cyber warfare, artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

Jean-Yves Le Drian, France’s foreign affairs minister, claimed the move was a “stab in the back” from Australia, telling Franceinfo: “We had established a trusting relationship with Australia, and this trust was betrayed.”

The EU’s high representative, Josep Borrell said the bloc had not been consulted on the security pact, even as Brussels unveiled its own Indo-Pacific strategy.

He said the decision by the Australian government to abandon the submarine deal with France meant that it was important for the EU to build its own approach to the region.

“We must survive on our own, as others do,” Borrell said as he presented the strategy, talking of the importance of “strategic autonomy” “I understand the extent to which the French government must be disappointed.”

However, British prime minister Boris Johnson insisted the UK’s relationship with France was “rock solid” when asked in parliament on Thursday.

The so-called Aukus deal has also angered China, which accused the trio of “severely damaging regional peace and stability, intensifying an arms race, and damaging international nuclear non-proliferation efforts”.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said countries should not build partnerships that target third countries and that China would “closely watch the situation’s development”.

The move has been widely interpreted as an attempt to check China’s growing military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.

However, the prime minister insisted Britain’s new defence pact was not intended as an “adversarial” move against China.

He told the House of Commons: “It merely reflects the close relationship that we have with the United States and with Australia, the shared values that we have and the sheer level of trust between us that enables us to go to this extraordinary extent of sharing nuclear technology in the way that we are proposing to do.

“It is true that that this is a huge increase in the levels of trust between the UK, the US and Australia.

“It is a fantastic defence technology partnership that we are building – but it is not actually revolutionary.”

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14600231

File: 3661ca7429ff90b⋯.jpg (147.28 KB, 1200x800, 3:2, Aukus_pact_live_China_says….jpg)

>>14600225

2/2

Downing Street declined to comment on the collapsed Australian contract for conventional subs, saying this was a matter between Paris and Canberra.

The prime minister’s official spokesperson added: “We continue to have a very close relationship with France, we have long standing security and defence relationships with France.

“We have members of the armed forces working side by side right now and that will continue to be the case.”

The spokesperson said defence secretary Ben Wallace had been in contact with his French counterpart, but there were no plans for a phone call between Boris Johnson and French president Emmanuel Macron.

He confirmed the Aukus deal was discussed by Mr Johnson with US president Joe Biden and Australian prime minister Scott Morrison in a three-way meeting at the G7 summit in Cornwall in June, but played down suggestions this was the decisive moment in the agreement, which he said had been “an undertaking of several months”.

Mr Johnson’s spokesperson suggested the UK’s ability to seal the deal could be regarded as a benefit from Brexit.

“We are able to move in this in this way now that we’re not part of the European Union, and that is to the benefit of the British people,” he said.

The UK’s commitment to Nato remained unchanged by the Aukus deal, he said.

And he rejected suggestions it might undermine the “Five Eyes” intelligence relationship by creating an “inner circle” of three members while excluding Canada and New Zealand.

The EU’s strategy will focus on trade, greater digital cooperation with Japan, South Korea and Singapore, support for climate change initiatives and a greater diplomatic presence to uphold the United Nations Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It also plans to collaborate with Japan, India and Australia on transport links, in particular in the aviation and maritime industry, to link the bloc more closely to Asia.

This comes after the EU on Wednesday launched a new plan to rival China’s Belt and Road infrastructure strategy, which it calls “Global Gateway”

An 18-month process will now take place to consider technical and practical aspects of the AUKUS plan, and work out precise details of where work will be undertaken and jobs created, said the spokesperson.

But he said there would be “extensive work” in the UK, creating “hundreds and hundreds” of jobs and generating tens of billions of investment over the lifetime of the project.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/france-nuclear-alliance-uk-us-australia-b1921339.html

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2e5617  No.14600341

File: 0f5d106ae139f6e⋯.jpg (58.43 KB, 1023x682, 3:2, Australian_Prime_Minister_….jpg)

>>14600225

Australian PM says he made clear to France possibility of scrapping submarine deal

Colin Packham - SEPTEMBER 17, 2021

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday he had raised the possibility that Australia might scrap a 2016 submarine deal with a French company in talks with the French president in June, rejecting French criticism that it had not been warned.

Australia on Thursday said it would scrap the $40 billion deal with France’s Naval Group to build a fleet of conventional submarines and would instead build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines with U.S. and British technology after striking a trilateral security partnership.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian described the decision as a stab in the back.

On Thursday, Morrison said France had been informed of the decision ahead of the announcement but France denied that.

Morrison on Friday acknowledged the damage to Australia-France ties but insisted he had told French President Emmanuel Macron in June that Australia had revised its thinking on the deal and might have to make another decision.

“I made it very clear, we had a lengthy dinner there in Paris, about our very significant concerns about the capabilities of conventional submarines to deal with the new strategic environment we’re faced with,” Morrison told 5aa Radio.

“I made it very clear that this was a matter that Australia would need to make a decision on in our national interest,” he said.

Strained Australia-French ties come as the United States and its allies seek additional support in the Asia and the Pacific amid concern about the rising influence of a more assertive China.

France is about to take over the presidency of the European Union, which on Thursday released its strategy for the Indo-Pacific, pledging to seek a trade deal with Taiwan and to deploy more ships to keep sea routes open.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-security-france-australia/australian-pm-says-he-made-clear-to-france-possibility-of-scrapping-submarine-deal-idUSKBN2GD09N

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2e5617  No.14600380

File: 79eb61d5e6e2b19⋯.jpg (69.72 KB, 862x485, 862:485, Foreign_Minister_Marise_Pa….jpg)

>>14593120

China responds angrily to Australia-US joint statement a day after AUKUS submarine deal was announced

abc.net.au - 16 September 2021

The Chinese embassy in Canberra has rejected what they call "unfounded accusations" against China by the defence and foreign ministers of Australia and their US counterparts after annual talks in Washington.

The two countries on Friday, in a statement after Australia-US ministerial consultations, expressed concern over China's "expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea that are without legal basis", and stated their intention to strengthen ties with their "critical partner" Taiwan.

"This petty move to put pressure on China will be of no avail but a staged farce," a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Canberra said in a statement.

The comments from Australia and the United States came a day after they announced a nuclear submarine deal as part of a security partnership that includes Britain, which China denounced as intensifying a regional arms race.

Australia and the US also criticised China's imposition of national security legislation in Hong Kong last year that they said had weakened its electoral system, suppressed media freedom, and undermined the former British colony's "one country, two systems" formula, agreed when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

They expressed "grave concerns about China's "campaign of repression against Uyghurs", a mostly Muslim ethnic minority in western China's Xinjiang region.

The Chinese embassy dismissed their accusations as a futile pressure tactic.

"We firmly oppose and reject the unfounded accusations and erroneous remarks against China on issues related to the South China Sea, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other China-related issues," the embassy's statement said.

Taiwan's government welcomed the show of support from Washington and Canberra.

"Our country's government will, on the existing solid foundation, continue to work closely with the United States, Australia and other like-minded countries to expand Taiwan's international space, defend the democratic system and shared values," said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou.

Speaking after the meetings in Washington, Australia and the United States also announced expanded military cooperation, including rotational deployments of all types of US military aircraft to Australia.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-17/chinese-embassy-reacts-ausmin-statement-aukus/100472676

The Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations Joint Statement: An Unbreakable Alliance for Peace and Prosperity

https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/marise-payne/media-release/australia-us-ministerial-consultations-joint-statement-unbreakable-alliance-peace-and-prosperity

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2e5617  No.14600381

File: f50237e1b148a0d⋯.jpg (860.83 KB, 1232x1091, 1232:1091, Chinese_Embassy_Spokespers….jpg)

>>14600380

Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Commonwealth of Australia

Chinese Embassy Spokesperson's Remarks on AUSMIN Joint Statement - 2021/09/17

We firmly oppose and reject the unfounded accusations and erroneous remarks against China on issues related to the South China Sea, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other China-related issues in the Joint Statement of Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) on 17th September. Those assertions, in disregard of basic facts, violated international law and basic norms governing international relations and grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs. This petty move to put pressure on China will be of no avail but a staged farce.

We urge the Australian side to abandon the outdated Cold War zero-sum mentality and narrow-minded geopolitical perception, handle its relationship with China in a genuinely independent manner, stop sliding further down on the road of harming China-Australia relations, and do more to enhance mutual trust and promote pragmatic cooperation.

http://au.china-embassy.org/eng/sghdxwfb_1/t1907699.htm

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2e5617  No.14600391

File: a048fc2d2792db8⋯.png (496.86 KB, 960x640, 3:2, A_court_sketch_of_Malka_Le….png)

File: c52443326201529⋯.png (419.2 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Former_principal_Ms_Leifer….png)

>>14569132

Closed court to continue as third Malka Leifer accuser gives evidence

Adam Cooper and Erin Pearson - September 17, 2021

The hearing that will determine whether Malka Leifer stands trial on sex abuse charges will continue in a closed court next Monday when a third accuser begins her evidence against the former school principal.

The committal hearing in Melbourne Magistrates Court was originally intended to run for five days. However, it took lawyers a combined four days this week to question two of the three sisters who allege they were abused by Ms Leifer when they were students between 2004 and 2008.

The first woman gave her evidence over Monday and Tuesday, and the second accuser was questioned over three days before finishing her evidence on Friday. Both were questioned in a closed court, a standard practice in Victoria for complainants in sex assault cases.

The third complainant will begin her evidence on Monday morning. The court could open to media and other parties on Monday afternoon for a witness based in Israel.

Ms Leifer, the former principal of the Adass Israel School in Elsternwick, faces 74 charges comprising 11 of rape, 47 of indecent assault, three of sexual penetration of a child and 13 of committing an indecent act with a child.

The 55-year-old maintains she is innocent and will be asked to formally enter a plea at the end of the hearing. She appeared via a video link from custody this week.

The complainants – sisters Elly Sapper, Dassi Erlich and Nicole Meyer – have appeared via video links when giving evidence, with a support person in the same room. They have been granted a court order that allows them to publicly identify themselves.

The only witness who appeared in open court this week was Mario Toledo, a former cleaner at the school, who on Thursday recalled seeing Ms Leifer working some Sundays when the school was closed, and that she sometimes had as many as four girls with her and sometimes one.

But Mr Toledo said he never paid attention to any conversations between them.

Another six witnesses are to follow the third complainant, including a psychologist, Adass teachers and a police investigator. Magistrate Johanna Metcalf will then decide if there is sufficient evidence to commit Ms Leifer to stand trial in a higher court.

Charge sheets allege Ms Leifer committed offences in Elsternwick, Elwood, Frankston and Emerald and in the towns of Blampied and Rawson.

She left Australia for Israel in 2008 when allegations against her emerged. She was charged in 2012 and extradition hearings began in 2014, but she was not extradited to Australia until the start of this year.

If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

https://1800respect.org.au/

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/closed-court-to-continue-as-third-malka-leifer-accuser-gives-evidence-20210917-p58sli.html

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2e5617  No.14600499

File: 86781816d651d51⋯.webm (8.1 MB, 640x360, 16:9, AFP_Detective_Superintend….webm)

File: a74793113d8bc25⋯.jpg (111.26 KB, 1279x719, 1279:719, Geoffrey_William_Moyle_wil….jpg)

File: 953adda8bcd80e8⋯.jpg (103.79 KB, 1280x722, 640:361, Moyle_in_handcuffs_was_wan….jpg)

SA pedophile Geoffrey William Moyle unmasked as infamous online child abuse criminal ‘Waka’ and finally jailed

Global law enforcement bodies have hunted this man for two decades. Today in Adelaide, he was finally jailed for his monstrous crimes.

Sean Fewster - September 17, 2021

An Adelaide-based foreign aid worker played a central role in creating the global online child abuse trade, making him one of the world’s most infamous – and most-wanted – criminals.

The Advertiser can today unmask Geoffrey William Moyle as “Waka”, a long-anonymous criminal who has been the subject of international manhunts for almost 20 years.

Moyle began his criminal enterprise in 2002 as one of the first offenders to film child abuse to be uploaded to, and shared via, the internet.

Known by his fellow perverts as the man who “wrote the Bible on child abuse”, Moyle was finally apprehended in 2019 by SA’s Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team.

On Friday, the District Court jailed him for nearly a decade.

Judge Paul Cuthbertson jailed Moyle for more than eight years and nine months for federal offences, and more than nine months for SA offences.

He imposed a non-parole period of four years and six months but backdated the term to take into account more than two years Moyle has already spent in custody. That means Moyle will be eligible for parole in a little more than three years.

Moyle, 47, of Westbourne Park, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing child slaves held in Cambodian brothels.

At that time, he worked as a manager in poverty alleviation and economic progress in developing countries.

Moyle grouped videos of his crimes into “collections” for use by others and, between 2002 and 2019, was hunted by authorities including Homeland Security in the US.

He was unmasked by JACET when its detectives matched a watch, a pair of shoes and a growth on “Waka’s” thigh to Moyle’s possessions and physical characteristics.

In June, after one of his now-adult victims made a historic bid for compensation, Moyle – whose assets had been frozen – agreed to pay her $84,000.

In sentencing on Friday, Judge Cuthbertson said Moyle was involved in “the most vile” activity against vulnerable children and had continued to exploit them for years.

“You knew that by placing their images on the worldwide web, you would be perpetuating their shame and jeopardising their futures,” he said.

“You did this for your own gratification and with no consideration for the welfare of the children you abused.”

Judge Cuthbertson said Moyle’s videos were “graphic and detailed in their depravity”.

The compensation paid was, he said, a sign of contrition but could not outweigh the psychological damage done to that victim.

He also noted that payment was made “very late”, limiting its value in terms of a sentencing discount.

Judge Cuthbertson noted Moyle faced a maximum 17-year sentence for his crimes and that prosecutors had recommended a sentence in excess of 14 years.

However, he said precedent set by other cases across Australia had created a “sentencing regime” that should be followed.

“It’s not appropriate for me, a judge of the District Court in Adelaide, to challenge a sentencing regime that has been imposed by three different Courts of Appeal throughout Australia,” he said.

Outside court, AFP Detective Superintendent Gail McLure paid tribute to the courage of Moyle’s victims.

“The girls who were abused by this offender are now young women, however their lives have been impacted, their childhood has been stolen,” she said.

“I hope that today brings them some comfort and reassures other victims that the AFP and its partner agencies continue to work relentlessly to bring these sorts of perpetrators to justice.”

She thanked overseas law enforcement agencies for their co-operation in bringing down Moyle.

“I’d like to issue a warning to any individual who would seek to prey upon vulnerable children,” she said.

“The AFP and its partners will come for you, no matter when the abuse occurred and no matter where you are in the world – there’s nowhere for you to hide.”

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-sa/sa-pedophile-geoffrey-william-moyle-unmasked-as-infamous-online-child-abuse-criminal-waka-and-finally-jailed-for-his-crimes/news-story/2d8038c7d8057b8a6b936b01231fdb07

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2e5617  No.14600527

File: d3b923e25f32584⋯.jpg (78.53 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, AFP_Sergeant_Jonathon_Coat….jpg)

File: 037e9666c29098a⋯.jpg (60.36 KB, 768x1024, 3:4, Geoffrey_William_Moyle_wea….jpg)

>>14600499

Author of Misery: How SA’s elite detectives led a global effort to bring down Geoffrey William Moyle, aka ‘Waka’

Sean Fewster - September 17, 2021

1/2

In the most reprehensible corners of the dark web, no name was more infamous – nor more widely praised by the world’s worst pedophiles – than “Waka”.

One of the first criminals in history to upload child abuse videos to the internet, his homemade films formed the foundation of the syndicates that exist today.

Waka starred in each of his disgusting movies but never showed his face nor spoke – focusing instead on the pain and distress suffered by his many victims.

Stuffed with self-importance, Waka grouped his sick work into individually named “collections” swapped, by his thousands of adherents, with the fervour of sports cards.

His legend was so great that by 2010 – while being hunted by the US Department of Homeland Security – Waka’s devotees praised him for “writing the Bible on child abuse”.

For all his notoriety, Waka was finally brought to justice thanks to a crass online comment, a watch, a pair of shoes and a small growth on his inner thigh.

Those tiny clues allowed SA’s crack anti child abuse detectives to tie an Adelaide man to 15 years worth of perverse videos – and unmask the originator of online child exploitation.

SCRAPING THE SURFACE

In May 2019, Australian Federal Police Detective Senior Constable Natalie Roesler was tasked to investigate Geoffrey William Moyle.

He had, from his Westbourne Park home, posted about his interest in “Asian girls” aged “between eight and 12” on a known pedophile website.

“It seemed like a run-of-the-mill job,” said Detective Roesler, part of SA’s Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET).

“We did a search of his home, we found a USB containing child exploitation material, he was arrested and bailed.

“There was nothing that stood out about him at that stage.”

Further checks revealed the unexpected – the name “Geoffrey Moyle” was included in a 2011 alert by Cambodian police and Homeland Security Investigation (HSI).

“My first thought was ‘there’s more to this than meets the eye, we’ve just scraped the surface’,” Detective Roesler said.

“That opened up a massive lot of lines of inquiry overseas, and I knew we were in for a hell of an investigation.”

PROOF OF PERVERSION

HSI had been fighting an ongoing battle with an online pedophile bulletin board, taking it off the internet only for it to spring back up again.

Investigators had arrested 72 of the board’s members but its biggest contributor – Waka, king of the “homemade section” – had escaped, leaving behind only an IP address.

That digital trail led to hotels in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where Waka had filmed the abuse of sex slaves kidnapped as children from Vietnam.

HSI suspected Waka’s real name was Geoffrey Moyle – and the man Detective Roesler had arrested was a foreign aid worker who had spent years working in Cambodia.

“The question was how do we identify that ‘our’ Geoffrey Moyle is ‘the’ Geoffrey Moyle?” she said.

“We knew it was him, we were sure of it, but obviously we had to prove it.”

JACET’s commander, Sergeant Jonathon Coats, said the once SA-centric investigation immediately became a global concern.

In Canberra, HSI’s Australian attache opened its files to JACET – that data was passed to victim identification expert Detective Brevet Sergeant Stephen Hegarty from SA Police.

He viewed Waka’s 15 years of “collections” looking for markers that could identify the girls he had abused, while the rest of JACET focused on the criminal himself.

“HSI had child exploitation material that Waka originally created between 2002 and 2005,” Sergeant Coats said.

“He was extremely conscious of his operational security – you never saw his face, he never talked, he was very careful about not being identified.”

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14600533

File: 5cbe00407c4435e⋯.jpg (119.84 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, SA_Police_Detective_Brevet….jpg)

>>14600527

2/2

MARKS OF A MONSTER

What JACET could see were freckles, veins and a “skin tag” or growth on the inside of Waka’s thigh, as well as a distinctive watch and a pair of shoes.

“When we searched the home of Moyle’s parents, we seized a photo album … it had photos of him in South-East Asia and Cambodia wearing those shoes,” Detective Roesler said.

“Other photos in that album showed him wearing the same wristwatch as Waka.”

One of Waka’s more sadistic tactics was to force his victims to hold the small remote control for his camera while he abused them.

“Moyle had that same small remote control in his hand in a photo taken at a family Christmas event back in Adelaide, while he was wearing a Christmas hat,” she said.

Moyle was ordered to take part in a forensic examination – his veins, freckles and skin tag were a perfect match for Waka.

“We knew all along that Moyle was Waka but it was an amazing, incredible feeling to know we had him, that he couldn’t say it wasn’t him,” she said.

“It was a good moment.”

Sadly, only three of Moyle’s six victims could be identified – but, with the assistance of an NGO in Cambodia, one of them was found.

Faced with overwhelming proof of his guilt, Moyle pleaded guilty, paid the now-adult victim $84,000 compensation and was on Friday jailed for nearly a decade.

But with time served taken into account, Moyle could be freed on parole in a little more than three years.

SACRIFICE AND VICTORY

JACET’s success came with a heavy toll – officers had been exposed to some of the worst, most degrading material ever posted online.

“For me personally, this job is set aside from others because a lot of times we don’t get to identify the victim – especially when they’re not in Australia,” Detective Roesler said.

“To be able to do so in this case makes me want to continue doing this job.”

Sergeant Coats said JACET’s “tenacity” and international network had allowed it to tie a man to 15-year-old crimes through data that was no longer in his personal possession.

“That shows this team will stop at absolutely nothing to effect maximum impact upon these criminals and seek justice for victims regardless of where they are,” he said.

“Waka had his syndicate, but we have one that’s even stronger – and we’ll work together to bring them to account and lock them up.”

https://www.themercury.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/author-of-misery-how-sas-elite-detectives-led-a-global-effort-to-bring-down-geoffrey-william-moyle-aka-waka/news-story/ddd1e003c74d02d9ff1447215dc42fd6

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2e5617  No.14600631

File: 5e90f2fa4ccf896⋯.jpg (80.29 KB, 1000x665, 200:133, Austin_Announces_Increased….jpg)

>>14593101

>>14593108

Austin Announces Increased Air Operations, Force Deployments to Australia

Abraham Mahshie - Sept. 16, 2021

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III revealed Sept. 16 further air defense cooperation measures with Australia and that more U.S. troops will be heading there, going beyond President Joe Biden’s announcement a day earlier that the United States and United Kingdom will share nuclear submarine technology with the Pacific ally in the face of a growing threat from China.

Speaking alongside Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and their Australian counterparts at the State Department, Austin said the U.S. and Australia will increase exercises, training, and sharing of defense technology.

“We will continue to explore … greater and more frequent engagement and air capabilities,” Austin said. “More training opportunities for our ground forces and increasing our logistical footprint in Australia as well.”

In his first hint at what the now overdue force posture review may reveal, the Secretary indicated Australia will receive more U.S. troops.

“Today, we endorsed major force posture initiatives that will expand our access and presence in Australia,” Austin said in his opening statement, noting further force integration and interoperability would be part of that effort.

Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton said that would mean more basing for American troops.

“I do have an aspiration to make sure that we can increase the numbers of troops. Through the rotations, the air capability will be enhanced, our maritime capability enhanced, and certainly the force posture enhanced,” Dutton said. “And if that includes basing and includes the storage of different ordnances, I think that is in Australia’s best interest.”

The Australians said the air cooperation agreement would span all platforms, with Dutton pointing to the multinational Talisman Sabre exercise with the U.S. in July.

In August 2020, B-1s operating from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and B-2s from Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia participated in a training exercise, dropping training bombs at three Australian training locations. In November, the U.S. and Australia formalized an agreement to cooperate on the development of long-range prototype hypersonic weapons. Austin did not respond to specific questions about the bombers or hypersonic weapons cooperation.

Dutton also said Australia and the U.S. reached a “space framework agreement” to increase his country’s space knowledge and capabilities, but Austin declined to elaborate.

A China Heavy Meeting

The annual “2+2” meeting, held in Washington, D.C., this year due to tight COVID restrictions in Australia, focused heavily on security in the Indo-Pacific region.

Australia and China are in a detente stretching 12 months since Australian comments that the origin of the new coronavirus needs further investigation. China slapped back with export restrictions on Australian agriculture and wine.

China also reacted swiftly to the deal for sharing nuclear submarine technology, calling the move an arms race and promising retaliation.

Australian China-watchers predict further Chinese cyberattacks on Australia but admit the relationship is already at a low with no high-level dialogue occurring between the two nations.

Blinken sought to assure that the United States will not leave Australia alone “on the pitch.”

“The United States will not leave Australia alone,” the Secretary of State said. “We’ve raised publicly and privately our serious concerns about Beijing’s use of economic coercion against Australia.”

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14600637

File: 30e97084c117cda⋯.jpg (60.84 KB, 800x600, 4:3, More_US_air_deployments_un….jpg)

>>14600631

2/2

Meanwhile, Australia and the United States are now faced with a resulting deterioration in their relationships with France, which loses a major submarine agreement with Australia. The French minister of defense did not respond to an Air Force Magazine request for comment. France moved to demonstrate its displeasure, reportedly canceling a celebration of the U.S. defense partnership scheduled for its embassy in Washington.

Austin also downplayed rising tensions with China in a response to a question from Air Force Magazine.

“On the issue of China, let me just emphasize upfront that this agreement, this relationship, is not aimed at anything or anyone,” he said. “The intent here is to help improve our trilateral cooperation and our capabilities across the board.”

The Australian defense minister was less coy, saying it was indeed about China.

“This is not the first time that we’ve seen different outbursts from China in terms of Australia’s position,” Dutton said in response to the same question.

“It’s formed the basis of much of our discussion here with our colleagues—very significant uncertainty, and more so than any time since the Second World War,” he added later. “We do believe it’s in Australia’s national security interests to deepen our relationship with the United States.”

Under the new trilateral security agreement, dubbed “AUKUS” for Australia, U.K., and U.S., officials will spend the first 18 months determining a path forward for sharing nuclear submarine technology to build a fleet of Australian nuclear-powered submarines. Dutton said the current Royal Australian Navy fleet of conventional diesel submarines will undergo a life extension in 2026 that will take it to the 2040s.

The capabilities that nuclear-powered submarines could deliver to Australia will greatly increase Australia’s reach and help Australia safeguard the Pacific, Dutton said.

AUKUS will also include defense cooperation in areas of artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cybersecurity, and additional undersea capabilities.

https://www.airforcemag.com/austin-announces-increased-air-operations-force-deployments-to-australia/

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2e5617  No.14600665

File: eae7cc13adf3712⋯.webm (6.85 MB, 640x360, 16:9, Defence_Minister_Peter_Du….webm)

File: 532c4aef5ce5bcb⋯.jpg (60.95 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Peter_Dutton_said_the_pros….jpg)

File: 99f97520ed630f0⋯.jpg (135.71 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Prime_Minister_Scott_Morri….jpg)

>>14600631

Peter Dutton’s blunt warning over prospect of war with China

Defence Minister Peter Dutton has delivered a blunt warning over the prospect of conflict with China.

Samantha Maiden - September 17, 2021

Defence Minister Peter Dutton has bluntly warned the prospect of war with China cannot be ruled out, but said it was ultimately “a question for the Chinese”.

Speaking in Washington DC to Sky News, Mr Dutton raised the issue of Taiwan’s sovereignty as the most likely flashpoint.

But he made no attempt to disguise the possibility that conflict was a risk Australia needed to prepare for and that it was one of the reasons why the Morrison Government was building even closer ties with the US and the UK under a new agreement to source nuclear submarines.

“The Chinese spokespersons for the Communist Party are very clear about their intention towards Taiwan, nobody wants to see conflict but that really is a question for the Chinese,” he told Sky News.

“As to whether, such as in Hong Kong, they decide to do something in regard to Taiwan, in that case what is the American response and we obviously have an alliance with the US, that’s been in force for 70 years – so we need to be realistic about that.

“We’re also a small population of 25 million, and we need to make sure we have the best friends in the world, and we do.”

An outgoing commander of US forces in the Indo-Pacific region, Navy Admiral Philip Davidson, told US politicians earlier this year that he believes Beijing will attempt a takeover of Taiwan — which it considers part of mainland China — within the next six years.

His successor, Navy Admiral John Aquilino, also backed the warning just days later.

“This problem is much closer to us than most think,” he told members of the US Senate Armed Services Committee. “We ought to be prepared today.”

While Prime Minister Scott Morrison was more diplomatic in his public statements today, he has previously backed Mr Dutton’s warnings over a future war with China.

“Of course there are many tensions that exist in the region, and it would be foolish of Australia to not appreciate the potential risks that emerge,” said Mr Morrison on 7.30 in May.

“That doesn’t mean something will happen but any Defence Minister, any Prime Minister of Australia who do not, in consideration of these things, ensure Australians are prepared in these circumstances would not be doing their job.”

Mr Dutton said Australia must be “realistic” about China’s antagonistic behaviour, saying: “There is militarisation of bases across the region. Obviously there is a significant amount of activity and there is animosity between Taiwan and China,” he said.

Asked about the prospects of a “battle” over Taiwan, Mr Dutton said: “I don’t think it should be discounted”.

But Mr Dutton rejected criticism on Friday that the new AUKUS agreement left Australia vulnerable and at greater risk from China.

“I think we made that statement 70 years ago and 100 years ago we have been with the US and UK in every major battle of the 20th century,” he said.

“And we have great obligation into the next century to make sure we deepen that collaboration because it is the underpinning of our national security.

“There is no sense in us pretending if we ordered 100 subs tomorrow we could compete with a superpower like China.”

On Friday, the Chinese Embassy in Australia hit out at “unfounded accusations and erroneous remarks against China on issues related to the South China Sea, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other China-related issues” in a joint statement issued by Australia and the US.

“Those assertions, in disregard of basic facts, violated international law and basic norms governing international relations and grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs,” it said.

“This petty move to put pressure on China will be of no avail but a staged farce.

“We urge the Australian side to abandon the outdated Cold War zero-sum mentality and narrow-minded geopolitical perception, handle its relationship with China in a genuinely independent manner, stop sliding further down on the road of harming China-Australia relations, and do more to enhance mutual trust and promote pragmatic cooperation.”

https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/military/peter-duttons-blunt-warning-over-prospect-of-war-with-china/news-story/15d47f2f5b3d48ca2f43a4648a8b5531

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2e5617  No.14600691

File: 3f2189772ef3bc7⋯.jpg (262.52 KB, 825x478, 825:478, GP_298.jpg)

George Papadopoulos Tweet

When you connect the dots: Joseph Mifsud, Alexander Downer, US embassy London, Gina Haspel, Jim Comey, Perkins Coie, Steele, Clinton campaign and a politicized FBI under Comey willing to launch a scandalous and baseless investigation, it’s clear a conspiracy case is emerging

https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1438623062463819776

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2e5617  No.14604149

File: a8e294dd9d799db⋯.jpg (254.38 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, GT_Voice_Na_ve_Australia_f….jpg)

>>14592776

GT Voice: Naïve Australia foots the bill for US gambit

Global Times - Sep 16, 2021

Australian taxpayers have every reason to demand an answer from the Morrison administration as to why ordinary Australians always end up paying for America's cold war gambit.

The US, UK and Australia announced Wednesday the trio would form a new trilateral security system for "ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific." As part of the security pact, known as AUKUS, the US and the UK have pledged to provide Australia with the technology and capability to deploy nuclear-powered submarines, according to media reports.

While the Biden administration officials claimed that the new security partnership is not specifically targeting China, almost all the Western media analyzed the move is a major step towards countering China's growing clout in the region.

In response, the Chinese embassy in the US said Thursday that the three English-speaking countries should "shake off their cold war mentality and ideological prejudice."

While we have never had any illusions about the Morrison government's political inclination, it is still surprising to know that they could be so obedient and "selfless" in opening their own coffers to pay for and slavishly serve US interests.

Among all of the US allies, the decision Australia made to acquire submarine technology from the US is the clearest indication of Canberra's support for Washington's idea of an international system to contain China's economic rise.

As an independent nation to become a pawn of the US, the stakes are just too high for Canberra. Australia could face the most dangerous consequence of being cannon fodder in the event of a military showdown in the region.

What's even more ridiculous is that Australia also needs to foot the bill for playing the role of cannon fodder, and trashing its relationship with France, whose leaders must be annoyed to suddenly learn that its $90 billion submarine contract with Australia may be cancelled.

The contract Australia inked with French shipbuilder Naval Group in 2016 to build a new submarine fleet was considered one of the world's most lucrative defense deals. Now with the new AUKUS security alliance, the money will eventually go to the US.

This is not the first time the US has thrown Morrison into an awkward position. For a time, Australia has been losing its Chinese market share to the US and other economies. While officials in Canberra have been accusing China of "economic coercion," it is Canberra that decided to abandon the previously friendly relations with Beijing, by discriminating Chinese investment, ousting Chinese companies, and meddling China's internal affairs.

The most pressing issue for the Australian economy now is to diversify its economic development by focusing on technology and advanced manufacturing so as to create more jobs. Typically, lucrative defense contracts for American contractors would not be part of such a plan. But as Canberra falls into a well-set US trap, its industrial transformation and development plans will suffer while defense lobbyists in Washington reap the rewards.

The US cold war gambit is a trap that will deprive its allies that are naïve enough to fall for the illusion of receiving economic dividends from the US, while also hoping to retrain the benefit that come from China's development when it comes to economic and trade cooperation. There is no way for China to develop economic ties with a country that treats it as an enemy. There is no path to future prosperity for an Australia which chooses to isolate itself from the region's largest economy.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1234514.shtml

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2e5617  No.14604213

File: b5861c55a0feb73⋯.jpg (407.04 KB, 825x933, 275:311, CCGIS_.jpg)

File: 8714eca45f6a23b⋯.mp4 (1.87 MB, 640x360, 16:9, nxSpCIdgP8lJFgx0.mp4)

>>14600380

>>14600381

Chinese Consulate General in Sydney Tweet

China strongly deplores and rejects the fact that the #US and #Australia colluded with each other to smear #China, meddle in its internal affairs and sow discord among regional countries, said Chinese FM spokesperson Zhao Lijian on the AUSMIN joint statement.

https://twitter.com/ChinaConSydney/status/1438803673287585793

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2e5617  No.14604368

File: f69b39363849cf7⋯.jpg (86.64 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Scott_Morrison_meets_with_….jpg)

>>14551745

>>14592776

China trade pitch follows Australia’s AUKUS nuclear submarines deal

WILL GLASGOW - SEPTEMBER 18, 2021

1/2

Australia has put China on notice it will oppose Beijing’s bid to join one of the world’s biggest trading pacts until it calls off trade strikes against Australian exports and ­resumes minister-to-minister communications with the Morrison government.

China on Thursday formally applied to join Australia and the 10 other members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) – but will require the unanimous support of all of its members to be admitted.

Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan said China could not join the grouping until it had convinced members of its “track ­record of compliance” with existing trade agreements and World Trade Organisation commitments, a process that would require Beijing to resume high-level dialogue with Australia.

Australia has lodged disputes against China in the WTO on ­restrictions on exports of barley and wine imposed by Beijing as ­relations between the two countries deteriorated.

“CPTPP parties would also want to be confident that an ­accession candidate would fully implement its commitments under the Agreement in good faith,” Mr Tehan told The Weekend Australian. “As we have conveyed to China, these are important matters which require ministerial engagement.”

China’s request to joint the CPTPP was made hours after Beijing denounced the Morrison government for its “irresponsible” plan to develop a fleet of conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines and a missile program under a new trilateral security partnership with the US and UK.

China’s party-controlled media said the new AUKUS ­security agreement would ­“potentially make Australia a target of a nuclear strike”, citing unnamed Chinese military experts.

A menacing editorial in the Global Times, a tub-thumping party tabloid, added: “Australian troops are also most likely to be the first batch of Western soldiers to waste their lives in the South China Sea.”

The CPTPP, initially signed in March 2018, covers a market of 500 million people across 11 economies representing more than 13 per cent of the world’s GDP.

Before the US withdrawal from the pact in 2017, the deal was known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and was positioned by the Obama administration as an ­attempt to counterbalance China’s economic clout.

Beijing has launched strikes on Australian exports that were worth more than $20bn a year, with the Morrison government responding by calling out Xi Jinping’s campaign of economic coercion and seeking to reduce reliance on the Chinese market.

In a major address earlier this month, Josh Frydenberg raised deep concerns about a “more confident and assertive China” that was “willing to use its economic weight as a source of political pressure”.

The Treasurer argued economic and security interests over China increasingly overlapped and that Australia was on the “frontline of this new battle ground” as he flagged the ­prospect of having to pay a “premium” to protect the economy and the nation’s long-term economic resilience.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14604397

File: 1def7ecb789c62b⋯.jpg (83.44 KB, 800x450, 16:9, Australia_to_acquire_nucle….jpg)

>>14604368

2/2

China’s elevation to the CPTPP trade grouping would require the unanimous consent of members Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, Mexico, Peru and Canada.

Singapore, Australia and Japan – which also has a fraught relationship with China – are on a committee of the key trade group that assesses potential new members, while New Zealand handles requests for membership.

The president of the Centre for China and Globalisation, Wang Huiyao, told The Weekend Australian that Canberra could ease its tensions with Beijing by allowing China entry into the CPTPP.

“It will also help to balance Australia’s relation with China and US, given Australia has just joined a regional defence framework with the US,” Dr Wang said.

He said that China’s formal application to join the higher-standard CPTPP was a “milestone event in China’s opening-up history” but said Beijing would need to improve its relationship with the Morrison government to be accepted. “In order to gain the support and recognition of Japan, Australia and other member states, China will also ease geographic competition with Japan, Australia and other countries, and jointly promote the implementation of CPTPP standards, adding more certainty to the prosperity and stability of the world economy,” Dr Wang said.

Richard Maude, executive ­director of Asia Society Australia and a former senior Australian diplomat, said he thought the bid was “very clever diplomacy from China”.

“It really strikes at one big weakness in America’s Indo-Pacific strategy – its lack of a significant economic agenda and its absence from either of the big plurilateral trade deals that knit the region together,” he said.

China’s path to entry would also require the green-light from an Australian political system now deeply hostile to the rising power. The Liberal member for the seat Fairfax in Queensland, Ted O’Brien, said trade ­agreements were built on trust and urged Beijing to resume dialogue with the Morrison government.

“If I could provide some gratuitous advice to China: pick up the phone and engage with our Trade Minister,” Mr O’Brien said.

Trade experts are also sceptical about China’s ability to meet the trade group’s rules on state-owned enterprises, labour rights and the free flow of data. Jeffrey Wilson, research director at the Perth USAsia Centre, said it was “fantastical” that China would be accepted.

“The political space for Australia or Japan or Canada to agree to open the negotiations is zero,” Mr Wilson said.

Canada has also endured years of friction with Beijing after two Canadian citizens were detained in China in late 2018. The Trudeau government has ­accused Beijing of engaging in “hostage diplomacy”.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/china-responds-to-australias-nuclear-submarine-deal-with-trade-pitch/news-story/9313bfddda35bde5adedb4ac1fcabfc9

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2e5617  No.14604686

File: 9aeeeaab48dab3b⋯.png (1.82 MB, 1535x1023, 1535:1023, Prince_Andrew_was_reported….png)

File: 45522082443d11e⋯.jpg (173.55 KB, 1023x1534, 1023:1534, Giuffre_s_lawyers_chronicl….jpg)

File: 49990d5ee2b0a88⋯.jpg (122.35 KB, 1535x1023, 1535:1023, In_the_latest_Manhattan_fe….jpg)

File: e1029b7a2a96d8f⋯.pdf (348.44 KB, 1535x1023, 1535:1023, gov_uscourts_nysd_564713_1….pdf)

>>14554611

Sex-assault accuser blasts Prince Andrew, demands he stop hiding ‘behind palace walls’

Rebecca Rosenberg - September 16, 2021

Attorneys for accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre blasted Prince Andrew on Thursday for playing a “game of a hide and seek behind palace walls” after the royal has spent weeks dodging receipt of her sex-assault lawsuit, according to a new federal filing in the case.

“Ms. Giuffre believes she has already properly served Prince Andrew, and the Central Authority of the United Kingdom has accepted her request to serve him itself,” wrote David Boies in the motion. “Service is not intended to be a game of a hide and seek behind palace walls.”

Giuffre’s lawyers chronicled the extensive efforts they’ve made to ensure Andrew, 61, is properly served — including emailing, mailing and hand-delivering the papers to the UK High Court, his attorneys, his royal office and his home.

The motion includes a photograph of an envelope containing the complaint addressed to the Royal Lodge and partially deposited into a British mailbox, with a red first-class stamp bearing the visage of Andrew’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

In the latest Manhattan federal court filing, Giuffre’s lawyers ask US District Judge Lewis Kaplan to rule that the royal has been properly notified of the lawsuit — despite his lawyers’ assertions to the contrary on technical grounds.

The Prince’s British lawyers, Gary Bloxsome and Daniel Cundy, challenged the decision of the UK High Court to accept Boies’ request for it to serve the complaint on the royal.

The attorneys argued that Boies wasn’t the appropriate person to make the service request because he isn’t a “judicial officer” as defined by English law and the Hague Service Convention —international rules that govern how parties in different countries notify each other about claims against them.

Senior Master of the Queen’s Bench Division, Barbara Fontaine, who oversees the High Court, said she’d have to convene a hearing to decide the matter — further delaying service of the lawsuit.

But the legal quibble would likely be irrelevant as Judge Kaplan in New York already indicated that he would order an alternative form of service.

Andrew’s attorneys argued Monday at the first hearing in the case that a secret 2009 settlement Giuffre struck with late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein would absolve the Duke of all liability — but they had no way to get their hands on it as it was under seal.

Giuffre’s suit alleges that she was 17 when she was forced to have sex with the monarch’s middle son at the direction of his longtime pal Epstein and cohort Ghislaine Maxwell — who allegedly operated a sex-trafficking ring that lent out girls to rich and powerful men.

Epstein hanged himself while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges in 2019. Maxwell is locked up in Brooklyn on allegations she recruited underage girls for Epstein to abuse. She has pleaded not guilty.

The Duke’s Los Angeles-based lawyer, Andrew Brettler, didn’t immediately return a request for comment.

https://nypost.com/2021/09/16/prince-andrew-accusers-lawyers-say-stop-hiding-behind-palace-walls/

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/60119368/giuffre-v-prince-andrew/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.564713/gov.uscourts.nysd.564713.15.0.pdf

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2e5617  No.14605002

File: 56416b52a7728c1⋯.jpg (174.27 KB, 1600x900, 16:9, Aukus_France_recalls_envoy….jpg)

File: 260b3241308056f⋯.jpg (252.32 KB, 1280x1706, 640:853, Who_has_nuclear_submarines.jpg)

>>14592776

>>14600225

Aukus: France recalls envoys amid security pact row

Barbara Plett Usher - 18 September 2021

France has said it is recalling its ambassadors in the US and Australia for consultations, in protest at a security deal which also includes the UK.

The French foreign minister said the "exceptional decision" was justified by the situation's "exceptional gravity".

The alliance, known as Aukus, will see Australia being given the technology to build nuclear-powered submarines.

The move angered France as it scuppered a multibillion-dollar deal it had signed with Australia.

The agreement is widely seen as an effort to counter China's influence in the contested South China Sea. It was announced on Wednesday by US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.

France was informed of the alliance only hours before the public announcement was made.

In a statement late on Friday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who had described the pact as a "stab in back", said the ambassadors were being recalled at the request of President Emmanuel Macron.

The deal "constitute[s] unacceptable behaviour between allies and partners whose consequences directly affect the vision we have of our alliances, of our partnerships and of the importance of the Indo-Pacific for Europe," Mr Le Drian said.

A White House official said the Biden administration regretted the move and would be engaged with France in the coming days to resolve their differences.

Speaking in Washington, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said she understood the "disappointment" in France and hoped to work with the country to ensure it understood "the value we place on the bilateral relationship".

A recall of ambassadors is highly unusual between allies, and it is believed to be the first time France has recalled envoys from the two countries. French diplomats in Washington had already cancelled a gala to celebrate ties between the US and France which was scheduled for Friday.

Paris was blindsided by Australia's move. That was an economic hit.

But French officials were even more incensed that they only heard about the arrangement just hours before the public announcement, and that it was part of a new security agreement involving three countries including the UK - also a complete surprise, they said.

France's decision to recall its ambassadors is probably unprecedented. The country is America's "oldest ally," as a White House official noted. He said Washington would be engaged with France in the coming days to resolve their differences.

But this looks at the very least like an embarrassing misjudgement by an administration that has promised to work closely with allies.

The pact means Australia will become just the seventh nation in the world to operate nuclear-powered submarines. It will also see the allies share cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence and other undersea technologies.

The announcement ended a deal worth $37bn (£27bn) that France had signed with Australia in 2016 to build 12 conventional submarines. China meanwhile accused the three powers involved in the pact of having a "Cold War mentality".

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58604677

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2e5617  No.14605060

File: fdb5af66471ccfd⋯.jpg (186.17 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Scott_Morrison_joins_US_Pr….jpg)

>>14592776

OPINION: Morrison’s China ‘strategy’ makes us less, not more, secure

Kevin Rudd, Former Australian prime minister - September 18, 2021

1/2

Every now and then, it’s useful to stop and ask the basic questions. Questions like: How do submarines actually contribute to our national security? And now, it seems, nuclear-powered submarines at that.

The fundamental national security responsibilities of any government are to maintain our territorial integrity, political sovereignty and economic prosperity from external aggression. In Australia’s case, submarines form a critical part of a Defence Force designed to deter, disrupt or defeat military threats to our country.

When the Labor government I led prepared the 2009 Defence White Paper, we applied these disciplines to the challenges we saw for our national security to 2030. It was the first time since the 1960s that a white paper had named China as an emerging strategic challenge, for which the Liberals attacked me as an old “Cold War Warrior”. I made no apology despite Beijing’s deep objections.

Based on Defence advice, we agreed to double the conventional submarine fleet to 12 boats, increase the surface fleet by a third, and proceed with the acquisition of up to 100 Joint Strike Fighters.

Over the past eight years, however, this vital defence replacement project has ground to a halt as the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government – and their six defence ministers along the way – flip-flopped between Japanese, French and now unspecified Anglo-American suppliers. The result: not a single keel laid, up to $4 billion wasted, and the deep alienation of our Japanese and French strategic partners. It has been an essay in financial waste, national security policy incompetence and egregious foreign policy mismanagement.

France, with whom I initiated the Australia-France strategic co-operation framework in 2011, is right to be outraged at how it has been dumped as our submarine supplier. And US President Joe Biden is under attack in America for excluding Paris and Ottawa from the new, so-called AUKUS defence technology agreement between Australia, Britain and the US, which in the eyes of the world looks a little like the return of the Raj. Well done, Scott Morrison!

So why the decision to turn a 12-year-old bipartisan strategy on its head, build eight nuclear-powered submarines instead, and announce it in the lead-up to a federal election?

The first reason given is “China”, as if this is somehow a self-evident truth. But China has been a core factor in our defence planning since 2009. Certainly, China has become increasingly assertive over the past decade and now rivals the US militarily in the Western Pacific. But these trend lines were clearly articulated in our 2009 white paper which the Liberals ridiculed and which Abbott ignored in his headlong rush to impress Beijing.

The second is that nuclear submarines can remain underwater indefinitely whereas their conventional cousins must “snorkel” regularly, making it easier to detect them. But once again, that was always the case.

Third, we are now told the “signature” (or noise profile) of a conventional sub beneath the surface is much louder and therefore more detectable than for nuclear propulsion. That is strange because we were advised exactly the reverse in 2009.

As for the fourth reason – the argument that America has only now agreed to share its secret nuclear propulsion technology to “that fella down under” (Biden’s description of Morrison as they announced their pact this week) – that’s possibly because we hadn’t asked for it before. And that is because none of the factors listed above had given us a need to. So I’m not entirely sold on that one either.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14605074

File: 967b524cde8baee⋯.jpg (228.23 KB, 2000x1557, 2000:1557, Australia_faces_down_China….jpg)

>>14605060

2/2

Finally, there’s the loose language on “interoperability” between the submarine fleets of the three AUKUS navies. This is where Morrison needs to ’fess up: is this code for being interoperable with the Americans in the Taiwan Straits, the South China Sea or even the East China Sea in China’s multiple unresolved territorial disputes with its neighbours? If so, this is indeed a slippery slope to a pre-commitment to becoming an active belligerent against China in a future war that would rival the Pacific War of 1941-45 in its destructive scale.

That would be a radical departure from longstanding, bipartisan Australian policy of not making any such commitment in advance, simply because the precise strategic circumstances in each theatre in the future are unknown and unpredictable. That, by the way, is why the US maintains a policy of deliberate ambiguity over its future military commitment to Taiwan.

So of all these five “reasons” for changing our submarine strategy, the only one that is possibly persuasive is whether the technical advice on the “signature” of conventional boats has significantly changed. But that does not validate the other four factors advanced or, at least, hinted at, since Thursday.

That’s why Anthony Albanese, as the country’s alternative prime minister, is right to insist on total transparency on the full range of nuclear policy, operational deployment and financial implications for Australia before giving his full support.

The uncomfortable truth about this government, as with John Howard over the invasion of Iraq, is that national security policy has long been the extension of domestic politics by other means.

Get ready for a two-pronged Coalition election strategy. First, despite its quarantine and vaccine failures being responsible for lockdowns, wait for Morrison to declare “freedom day” against more cautious states that will be depicted as the enemy within.

And second, in an attempt to distract the Australian public and look hairy-chested, the message will be of a government readying the nation to defend itself against the enemy from without – namely China, something those closet pinkos from the Labor Party would never do. It will have third-rate, Crosby Textor campaign spin written all over it.

The appalling irony is that Morrison is actually making Australia less secure, not more secure. Notwithstanding the difficulty, dangers and complexity of the China challenge for all of America’s allies, by routinely labelling China as public enemy No. 1, Morrison runs the grave risk of turning China into one.

For an effective national strategy on China, Morrison should talk less and do more. But for Morrison, everything is always about his own domestic politics.

Kevin Rudd a former Labor prime minister and foreign affairs minister of Australia.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/morrison-s-china-strategy-makes-us-less-not-more-secure-20210916-p58sfm.html?btis

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2e5617  No.14605373

File: ca0b810c2bae194⋯.jpg (250.68 KB, 1200x800, 3:2, Gunnery_Sergeant_Ryan_Acco….jpg)

Marines rewarded for role in fighting fire

Major Carrie Robards - 15 September 2021

1/2

Two US marines have been recognised for their actions in working with ADF colleagues to save houses from a fire that destroyed Puckapunyal Primary School on December 6 last year.

The US Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal was awarded to the pair who had been posted to the School of Armour at the time: Master Sergeant John “Ricky” Farrell IV and Gunnery Sergeant Ryan Accornero.

The award is presented to service members of the US Navy and US Marine Corps (USMC) who have performed commendably in routine duties or for exceptional achievements.

On the Sunday afternoon of the fire, both marines were at the Weapon and Tactics Wing at the School of Armour when they noticed a large smoke plume.

Without hesitation, both got in Gunnery Sergeant Accornero’s car and drove towards the incident.

“We were concerned as Gunnery Sergeant Accornero’s home is less than 200m from the buildings that would’ve been burning,” Master Sergeant Farrell said.

“When we arrived, the school was fully engulfed in flames. The wind was very strong, which was a serious cause for concern because many homes on Alamein Road were at risk if the fire couldn’t be contained.”

This apprehension was shared by Gunnery Sergeant Accornero.

“As we drove, I came to the realisation that not only was this fire far larger than we anticipated, but that its location was near military service members’ houses,” Gunnery Sergeant Accornero said.

Joining three Australian Army members already on scene – Major Matthew Whitwell, Major Johnny Ozols and Warrant Officer Class 2 Bernie Maus – it became clear the fire would soon overwhelm the civilian authorities at the scene.

“At that time there were only four firefighters. I identified from the direction of the wind that there was potential for the fire to jump and spread from the school,” Gunnery Sergeant Accornero said.

“I knew we had to do something.”

The marines provided direct assistance to the Country Fire Authority personnel, replacing expended oxygen cylinders on the firefighters' breathing apparatus, laying out and connecting additional water hoses and removing debris to allow access for additional fire trucks.

Major Whitwell said the fire was so intense that fire hoses were being burned through or bursting, with ADF and USMC personnel replacing damaged sections with new hose.

“As the fire progressed through the school’s main building, thick black smoke was enveloping us and it became very difficult to breathe and see each other,” Major Whitwell said.

Undeterred, Gunnery Sergeant Accornero assisted Major Whitwell and Major Ozols with a spare water hose and attacked the fire front.

Major Ozols said the marines continued to assist local fire crews and their ADF colleagues for about 45 minutes.

“Without [the marines’] selfless effort to work in a dangerous situation in support of emergency services, it is possible the fire would have extended into bushland, risking the homes and lives of many families,” Major Ozols said.

“Master Sergeant Farrell and Gunnery Sergeant Accorner's leadership, pragmatism and willingness to risk their safety to achieve an outcome was exemplary and worthy of recognition. It is the clearest demonstration of the shared values of our two nations I have personally witnessed.”

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14605379

File: 7c39dfa55b4ddc2⋯.jpg (150.43 KB, 1200x800, 3:2, Combined_Arms_Training_Cen….jpg)

>>14605373

2/2

US Major Levi Thompson, Senior Instructor at the School of Armour’s Tactics Wing at the time, said the award was worthy acknowledgement of their actions.

“They reacted to an emergency to ensure the fire did not get out control and cause extensively more damage and/or loss of life,” Major Thompson said.

“I am extremely proud of the actions of both of these marines and their willingness to rush in and help, regardless of their personal safety.”

The incident occurred on Master Sergeant Farrell’s last day in Australia, delaying his return to the US.

He was awarded his medal in a ceremony at the beginning of February in California.

Gunnery Sergeant Accornero was awarded his medal at a ceremony at the School of Armour on May 14 and said, while he was appreciative, he just did was what right.

“The community has become like family,” Gunnery Sergeant Accornero said.

“There has been countless opportunities to mingle with other families through the Puckapunyal and District Neighbourhood Centre and other programs on base, and we have taken full advantage of those opportunities.

“The community is great because of the people in it and that is Pucka in a nutshell.

“I might wear a different uniform and talk kind of funny, but I’m just as invested in this community and every soldier in it as I would be if I was back home with my marines.

“I’m willing to do anything necessary to protect my Australian brothers and sisters, and that is what I did on the day of the school fire.”

Major Thompson said the broader opportunities from posting to the Australian Army’s Combined Arms Training Centre were not lost on the marines.

“This exchange posting offers a unique opportunity for soldiers and marines to work closely with and have a direct impact on the next generation of combat leaders within the Australian Army’s armoured and infantry corps,” Major Thompson said.

“The life experience, relationships formed and the mentoring and development attained while serving in the posting is unlike any other, reinforcing alliances between our two great nations and forging a bond that transitions off the battlefield.”

https://news.defence.gov.au/international/marines-rewarded-role-fighting-fire

https://news.defence.gov.au/service/soldiers-help-protect-homes-fire

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achievement_Medal

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2e5617  No.14605389

File: da494fd630225fd⋯.jpg (456.7 KB, 938x622, 469:311, MRF_D_33.jpg)

File: cd6e71dbc935bd4⋯.jpg (144.63 KB, 960x540, 16:9, 241349435_213555347473623_….jpg)

Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post

17 September 2021

On #POWMIARecognitionDay, we honor the memory of Americans who were prisoners of war, and those missing in action who have yet to return home. Thank you to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency for their continuing efforts. The agency’s most recent accounting of a Marine occurred on August 19th, 2021, in the case of Marine Cpl. Andrew Pellerito, 22, killed in WWII on the island of Betio during the Battle of Tarawa.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, or find them on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or https://www.linkedin.com/company/defense-pow-mia-accounting-agency.

You are not forgotten. Semper Fidelis #Marines #USMC #HonorThem #UntilTheyAreHome

https://www.facebook.com/MRFDarwin/posts/213556097473548

https://www.dpaa.mil/

https://www.facebook.com/dodpaa/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/defense-pow-mia-accounting-agency

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2e5617  No.14606257

File: 03db647c0dd34b2⋯.jpg (59.9 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Former_US_secretary_of_sta….jpg)

>>14579786

Mike Pompeo backs probe into what US knew of Wuhan Covid-19 lab leak

SHARRI MARKSON - SEPTEMBER 17, 2021

1/2

Former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has backed a review into America’s intelligence agencies to examine what they knew about the emerging coronavirus outbreak in late 2019.

His comments follow revelations in The Australian that warnings about the outbreak went unheeded in November 2019.

“I think we always could go back and should go back and look at how we collected and what we knew and why … that didn’t send the ­signal up the line in a way that would have led to a better outcome,” Mr Pompeo said. “We’ll have to go back and take a look to see what was known. We should also always remind ourselves that when you are dealing with the (Chinese Communist Party), the best place to go is to the dark side.”

A failure to analyse and properly process the vast amounts of intelligence coming into the possession of the US network has ­concerned Mr Pompeo for years, even as he presided over America’s foremost foreign intelligence agency.

“As the former director of the CIA, I was always worried that we were collecting information but we weren’t able to process it sufficiently timely and get that information to the right places,” Mr Pompeo told What Really Happened In Wuhan, a Sky News documentary airing on Monday.

“There are multiple missions, right? When you have information, you not only need the info and the capacity to take it in, but you need to be able to process it and get it analysed and to the ­decision-makers. I always worried any time I was leading an organisation that I was getting this processed information.”

The Australian this week revealed that the father of China’s democracy movement, Wei Jingsheng, first heard about the new coronavirus afflicting Wuhan in October 2019 and desperately tried to convince American intelligence to take it seriously.

Mr Wei’s story exposes the intelligence agencies to allegations that they could have acted sooner to prevent the spread of the virus.

Asked if he had any sense the intelligence agencies were taking seriously his intelligence about a new virus in Wuhan, Mr Wei, 70, said: “I felt they were not as heavily concerned as I was so I tried my best to provide more detailed information.

“They may not believe there is (a) government of a country that would do something like that (cover up a virus). So I kept repeating myself in an effort to try to ­persuade them.” Mr Wei said he was “very worried because … I felt that the West is not prepared”. His comments come amid claims the intelligence about the sick Wuhan Institute of Virology workers being hospitalised with Covid-like symptoms first came into the US government’s possession in late 2019. But this was only unearthed by a State Department team investigating the origins of the virus in late 2020, led by weapons expert David Asher.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14606264

File: ecd280692f4190f⋯.jpg (150.65 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Mike_Pompeo_backs_probe_in….jpg)

>>14606257

2/2

Mr Asher said the US government and agencies could have known in November 2019 that there was a “disaster occurring ­inside Wuhan – inside their most important biological facilities related to coronavirus research.

“The whole world could have been different. It would have been like stopping 9/11 before it happened,” Mr Asher told Sky News.

The documentary puts to Mr Pompeo the question of whether the pandemic could have been prevented if intelligence agencies had paid closer attention to information coming forward.

“We’ll have to go back and look at what was actually in the possession (of the agencies),” he said. “What was the complexity of the information? What was the certainty of that information? What were the other pieces that were in front of them?

“It’s too simple to say, ‘Oh, they had this in their hands and therefore we could have stopped this pandemic’. I have no reason to conclude that’s the case.

“It could be that we had small data points. It could be that we had frack tiles of information in 2019. From January 1st, 2020 we were shut down completely.”

But there were other warnings about the activities in Wuhan. Cables sent from US consulate ­officials based in Beijing, who ­visited the Wuhan lab in 2018, documented a lack of trained technicians and poor safety protocols. This should have raised alarms, given this laboratory was developing a virus database of the world’s most deadly pathogens.

Another red flag was when the French, who built the BSL-4 laboratory alongside the Chinese government, were kicked out of the joint venture at the moment of the project’s completion.

Mr Pompeo specifically cited this warning as something that should have been taken more ­seriously. “When they kicked out the French they should have ­immediately gone on high alert,” Mr Pompeo said. The former ­director of national intelligence during the Trump administration, John Ratcliffe, who oversaw a total of 18 intelligence agencies including the CIA and FBI, said he did not know whether Mr Wei’s warning was taken seriously.

“I don’t have specific intelligence and I wouldn’t share it if I did because it likely has not been declassified,” he said. “But what I can and will say is that we knew there was some sort of an outbreak or a problem in late 2019.”

Speaking in defence of the ­intelligence community, Mr Ratcliffe said they did gather evidence that showed there was a problem in Wuhan at that time.

“The intelligence community I think really did an appropriate job at the time of gathering and drilling down on intelligence,” he said.

“The one concern that I had when I came in was, were they giving too much credit to the scientific community and not ­focused as much on what the intelligence was saying?”

Mr Ratcliffe said there was still top-secret material that supports the theory the virus leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology that has not yet been declassified.

He revealed that he and Mr Pompeo had discussed what to declassify and what was the most important intelligence to release without compromising the safety of human sources.

“You have to remember at the end of the day, after Covid, that we need eyes and ears into the Chinese Communist Party and the bad things they are doing around the world,” he said.

“When you declassify intelligence you risk the potential human sources or signals intelligence where your eyes and ears into their actions are coming from … we put out as much as we felt we could safely,” he said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/mike-pompeo-backs-probe-into-what-us-knew-of-wuhan-covid19-lab-leak/news-story/cc05bd52d513f6c4c9bcbb2dd983e539

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2e5617  No.14606833

File: 1c70bd16283a0b9⋯.jpg (736.51 KB, 2000x1333, 2000:1333, Hillsong_founder_Brian_Hou….jpg)

File: 1ff1b96230ca598⋯.jpg (1.15 MB, 2000x2500, 4:5, Brian_and_Bobbie_Houston_f….jpg)

Resignations in the news

Hillsong founder Brian Houston steps down from board as court date looms

Hannah Frishberg - September 17, 2021

Brian Houston, the founder of scandal–plagued Hillsong Church, has stepped down from almost all of his positions at the Australia-based megachurch ahead of a looming court date next month.

“I’ve made a decision to step aside from my role on the Hillsong Church boards that oversee the governance of our operations,” Houston, 67, wrote in an email sent to congregants Friday and seen by The Post. “I did this so that these boards can function to their fullest capacity during this season.”

Hillsong did not return The Post’s request for comment.

Houston’s announcement, and the corporate gut restructuring of Hillsong it implies, follows Australian authorities’ August subpoenaing of the pastor. He is charged with concealing alleged child sex offenses committed by his late father, the Pentecostal pastor and pedophile Frank Houston.

“Police will allege in court the man knew information relating to the sexual abuse of a young male in the 1970s and failed to bring that information to the attention of police,” officials for Sydney’s Royal Commission on Institutional Leaders Handling of Sexual Abuse told local outlets at the time.

In a statement received by The Post last month, Houston said: “These charges have come as a shock to me given how transparent I’ve always been about this matter. I vehemently profess my innocence and will defend these charges, and I welcome the opportunity to set the record straight.”

Houston is due to appear in court on Oct. 5.

Despite his formal removal from virtually all church board mastheads, the mentor to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison claimed to churchgoers that he’s still running the show at Hillsong, which receives numerous tax exemptions as a registered charity.

“This doesn’t change my role as Global Senior Pastor,” Houston wrote in Friday’s email, which makes no mention of Frank or Brian’s court date next month.

According to an investigation by Aussie news outlet Crikey, Brian’s name has been quietly being removed from various titles since last month, soon after he was subpoenaed: On Aug. 17, 12 days after he was charged, he resigned as Hillsong’s director. He is no longer on 18 of the 19 charities Hillsong has registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission.

And his transition into what was previously deemed a “support role” at the church has been going on for far longer, since February, amid a barrage of multimillion dollar international lawsuits, his wife’s apology for body-shaming slurs and a hard-partying top staffer flaunting wild extramarital sex romps.

Hillsong — which did not return The Post’s request for comment — has yet to make any public announcement of Houston’s resignation, nor the reason for it. The email to congregants followed Crikey publishing its findings.

If convicted, Houston faces a maximum of five years in jail, and may become ineligible to be a company director, Crikey reported.

https://nypost.com/2021/09/17/hillsong-founder-steps-down-from-board-as-court-battle-looms/

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2e5617  No.14606882

File: 95f75aafaf0495c⋯.jpg (82.24 KB, 960x640, 3:2, France_s_Ambassador_to_Aus….jpg)

>>14592776

>>14605002

Recalled French ambassador accuses Australia of ‘treason in the making’

Anthony Galloway - September 18, 2021

1/2

France’s recalled ambassador to Australia has likened Canberra’s actions to treason after the Morrison government dumped a $90 billion submarine contract with Paris and instead decided to build nuclear-powered submarines with the United States and Britain.

France on Saturday has taken the extraordinary step of recalling its ambassadors from Australia and the US, as the fallout grows from a new defence pact that has infuriated French President Emmanuel Macron.

Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age hours before he was recalled, France’s ambassador to Australia, Jean-Pierre Thebault, did not rule out suspending talks to allow French troops greater access to Australian military bases after his nation was “stabbed in the back”.

“Adding insult to the process… we have very reliable reports from the independent press, which I thank, about the fact that all this was in the making for 18 months. Which means we have been blind-sided intentionally for 18 months…. The crime was prepared for 18 months,” he said.

“If the reports that were published… on the treason in the making and the intentional double language, is true - and it has not been contradicted - then it is a major breach of confidence and a very bad signal.”

Mr Thebault, the first French ambassador ever to be recalled from Australia, confirmed that Defence Minister Peter Dutton only contacted his French counterpart about the decision after it was reported by media outlets on Wednesday night, adding there were “no warnings whatsoever” during the 18 months that the plan was being hatched between Australia, the US and Britain.

He slammed Australia for allowing a meeting to go ahead between Mr Dutton and Foreign Minister Marise Payne late last month with their French counterparts where they spoke about enhancing defence ties between the two countries.

“It is us, through letters that were sent by the President [Macron] some months ago to the Prime Minister [Scott Morrison], who proposed to look at more ambitious and new ambitious cooperations,” Mr Thebault said.

“We thought that we were opening a new avenue for a substantial deepening of our bilateral cooperation. In the meanwhile, just 15 days after, we were stabbed in the back…. The most symbolic and key project that was symbolising a link between a European country and Australia was cancelled without any forewarning. This is really very sad.

“For us clearly, such a decision announced without any prior consultation – not just a phone call, but real consultation due to the scope of the consequences – marks a real breach of trust.”

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14606884

File: 99c2e0932abfa7f⋯.jpg (61.77 KB, 960x640, 3:2, French_President_Emmanuel_….jpg)

>>14606882

2/2

The extraordinary move follows the Morrison government’s decision to tear up a $90 billion contract to buy 12 French submarines in favour of a new nuclear-powered fleet using technology from the US and United Kingdom under a new partnership called AUKUS.

Mr Thebault, the French ambassador to Australia, and Philippe Etienne, the ambassador to the US, will return for “consultations”.

The directive is to be the first in a rolling series of protests from Paris, which is furious at Australia for abandoning the contract and the US for benefiting from the switch.

While Australia was free to make its own sovereign decisions, Mr Thebault said: “this is not what you do a partner and even less to a friend”.

He said the move was “not only contrary to the letter, but also the spirit, of the cooperation which had prevailed between France Australia”.

“Now Australia has decided to turn its back on this. OK, at least in terms of decency [it] would have justified prior substantial, not only warning, but discussion. That never was initiated, that never took place,” he said.

“You can’t tell me it was impossible for Australia to engage, even at a very confidential level, to a discussion.

“You can’t understand the depth of our anger and sense of having been disrespected. I can tell you we have received thousands of reactions from the [Australian] public which are apologising for this bad behaviour.”

The French ambassador also revealed that his government had asked Australia “at the very high level” whether they would be interested in nuclear-powered submarines and it “received no answer”. He said France has “a high level of expertise in nuclear reactors” and Australia never asked its partner what it thinks about that.

Asked if France was betrayed, Mr Thebault said: “You use the word betrayal. I don’t want to speak about ethics, I just say it is not only not decent, but it is amazing.”.

“This is sad, this is not the Australia that we know, we respect, and that we continue to respect.”

Mr Thebault pointed out that after a China’s foreign affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian last year used a fabricated image to accuse Australian soldiers of murdering Afghan children on Twitter, France was the first country denounce Beijing.

“So we thought we were mates… and looking after each other’s backs. Unfortunately, our back wasn’t covered,” he said.

He also raised doubts about the deal between Australia, the US and Britain, calling it a “project about a project”.

“It needs two years to be developed. We obviously wish well such a project.”

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/recalled-french-ambassador-accuses-australia-of-treason-in-the-making-20210918-p58ssg.html

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2e5617  No.14606888

File: 9161df7c67458f7⋯.jpg (84.5 KB, 960x640, 3:2, French_President_Emmanuel_….jpg)

>>14606882

Australia ‘regrets’ French ambassador recall but makes no apology for new subs deal

James Massola and Bevan Shields - September 18, 2021

The federal government has hit back at criticism from France over the decision to tear up a contract to buy 12 French submarines, defending the move as in Australia’s “clear and communicated national security interests”.

As the diplomatic row between Canberra, Paris and Washington escalates, the Morrison government has also “noted with regret” the French government’s disappointment over the move, emphasising that France is an important partner it hopes to work with again.

Paris’ decision overnight to take the extraordinary step of withdrawing its ambassadors to Australia and the United States has underscored French President Emmanuel Macron’s fury over the move.

Australia now plans to buy at least eight nuclear-powered submarines that will use tecnology from the United States and United Kingdom, rather than following through on the $90 billion deal to buy 12 diesel-electric French submarines.

French Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement that the abandonment of the ocean-class submarine project “had linked Australia to France since 2016, and the announcement of a new partnership with the United States aimed at launching studies on possible future co-operation on nuclear-powered submarines, constitute unacceptable behaviour between allies and partners”.

In a short statement issued on Saturday morning, a spokeswoman for Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said “we note with regret France’s decision to recall its Ambassador to Australia for consultations following the decision on the Attack Class [submarine] project.

“Australia understands France’s deep disappointment with our decision, which was taken in accordance with our clear and communicated national security interests.

“Australia values its relationship with France, which is an important partner and a vital contributor to stability, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. This will not change.

“We look forward to engaging with France again on our many issues of shared interest, based on shared values.”

Shortly before the French announced the recall, Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne told an audience at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington DC that she “absolutely” understood the disappointment of the French.

“My task is to work as hard as I can … to make sure that they do understand the value we place on the role that they play and do understand the value we place on the bilateral relationship and the work we want to continue to do together.”

On an interview with news channel France 24, Macron’s European Affairs Minister Clement Baune said the rupture of trust following the cancellation of the submarine contract could compromise Australia’s free trade deal negotiations with the European Union.

“If we no longer have confidence, we cannot move forward and I do not see how we can trust the Australian partners,” Mr Baune said.

Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong said this was not the first time Prime Minister Scott Morrison had “blindsided an international partner or failed to do the diplomatic leg work before an announcement”.

“It’s about time Mr Morrison learnt to prioritise Australia’s relationships and national interest over photo ops. France is a country with shared interest in our region. The Morrison-Joyce Government must outline what steps it is taking to repair this important relationship.”

Following the first recall of a French ambassador to Washington DC in more than two centuries, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement: “We have been in close contact with our French allies. We understand their position, and we are aware of their plans to recall Ambassador Etienne to Paris for consultations.

“France is a vital partner and our oldest ally, and we place the highest value on our relationship. We hope to continue our discussion on this issue at the senior level in coming days.”

The recall of Jean-Pierre Thebault, the French ambassador to Australia, and Philippe Etienne, the ambassador to the US, for “consultations” is understood to be the first in a rolling series of protests from Paris, which is furious at Australia for abandoning the contract and the US for benefiting from the switch.

Lowy Institute foreign policy expert Herve Lemahieu said the decision to dump the French boats would “take years to repair and will leave a lasting legacy of mistrust” between Australia and France.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/australia-regrets-french-ambassador-recall-but-makes-no-apology-for-new-subs-deal-20210918-p58ssk.html

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2e5617  No.14607022

File: c837468030d7498⋯.jpg (137.42 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Scott_Anderson_Warren_Bulm….jpg)

>>14385838

The Children in the Pictures, a harrowing must-see

STEPHEN ROMEI, FILM CRITIC - SEPTEMBER 17, 2021

The Children in the Pictures MA15+

In cinemas and virtual screenings.

Some sessions include Q&As.

Screening details: childreninthepictures.org

★★★★★

In 2019 I interviewed Scottish crime novelist Val McDermid, creator of Wire in the Blood. I asked whether, in the course of her research into psychopaths, she had encountered evils too shocking to put on the page.

Her reply slightly surprised me. To paraphrase, she said, “All the time.’’ What such people did in the real world, which she learned from interviews with criminal profilers like her character Tony Hill, was far too confronting to put into a book for the general reading public.

I thought of this as I watched The Children in the Pictures, an Australian documentary about online child sexual abuse that is hard to watch and should be watched by everyone.

“People have not seen what we see, and we don’t want them to,’’ says Detective Inspector Jon Rouse, head of Task Force Argos, a division of the Queensland Police Service. And we do not see it in this 84-minute film.

We do not see or hear the videos of under-fives being raped for the gratification of paid-up members of online groups such as Baby Love and Toddler Fun.

This film, co-directed by Akhim Dev and Simon Nasht, does not want people to walk out or switch off because they can’t cope with what they are seeing. The filmmakers, and the members of Argos, want people to watch, care and act.

On the few times we do see what the police see, the images are blurred. Even then you will want to look away. This is the most disturbing film I have seen, in any genre.

We do see, recreated from evidence, what people ask for when they log on to paedophilia forums. “Make her scream.” The girl being abused was three. It is incomprehensible but it is happening.

We do see the names of suspects pinned to the wall, just like in a regular crime show, but as they are all online it’s not Tony Soprano the police want to bust but perfectly naughty, skunkmonster, revenger, obey and so on. And they are not in New Jersey but all over the world, connected by the web. Most importantly we hear the officers talk about their harrowing work. “You hear the children scream,” Rouse says. “There are things that will never leave you, ever.”

Argos is a world leader in investigating child exploitation and abuse and several of its officers started working with it in their own countries before moving to Australia to join up.

Among those interviewed are Paul Griffiths, ex Greater Manchester Police, Adele Desirs, ex Interpol in France, Scott Anderson from the US, who says his previous work in counter terrorism prepared him for the job, and Warren Bulmer, ex Toronto City Police.

When Bulmer was first contacted out of the blue by Rouse it related to a case out of his jurisdiction. Asked why he decided to help, he says that when a child is being abused “there is no such thing as no”.

When Argos, named after the all-seeing, all-protecting giant from Greek mythology, was founded in 1997 its main job was to investigate historic allegations of abuse in children’s institutions. “Then,’’ says Rouse, who has worked in child protection for two decades, “the internet happened.”

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14607028

File: 5cf32293938abaf⋯.jpg (324.1 KB, 844x513, 844:513, Q_1735.jpg)

>>14607022

2/2

As child sexual abuse videos exploded over the regular internet and then the dark web, Argos fought like with like, infiltrating the websites to try to track down who was making them and who was watching them.

The number one priority was – and still is (most of the officers are now seconded to the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation) – to find and rescue the children in the pictures.

To do so they had to go undercover and join the online groups. They had to pass themselves off as perverts and, ideally, as the administrators of the paedophile websites.

One of the main tasks is victim identification: working out, from the videos, where the children are being held.

It is harrowing to hear the officers talk about using Photoshop to “sanitise” the images before sending them to, say, a motel chain in the hope of narrowing down the search.

An arrest in 2005 upped the ante. Argos was able to assume the identity of a man known as Red Rocket who ran an online ring called The Group. “We became the enemy,” Griffiths says. Asked whether this is morally questionable, Desirs says she does not know. “But it works,” she continues. “We are fighting for the children and any weapon that is available I am going to use.”

When The Group was shut down it had 54 members. Today, the membership of similar forums runs to the hundreds of thousands if not millions. The police fight this problem but admit they cannot fix it.

To use another Greek myth, every time a snake is cut off Hydra’s head, two more grow.

One of the main cases explored involved an offender, Mr X, who specialised in making videos of the sexual abuse of boys aged under 5.

Mr X was caught, eventually, in the Philippines. Yet asked, today, how many Mr Xs she is working on, Desirs says, “I have 500-600 on my list at the moment, and that’s nothing compared to how many there are.”

She adds that even when a child is saved, “We are always too late.”

Rouse says law enforcement is only a partial response to what he sees as a societal problem. He criticises social media groups such as Facebook for introducing purported privacy protections that he thinks shields the abusers.

If you have mobile phone-addicted pre-teens or teens under your roof, what he says will make you rethink your screen time rules.

“Perhaps people cannot physically or psychologically grasp what is going on in the material that we view,’’ he says. “I think everyone shudders and thinks, ‘That’s terrible’.

“But it’s happening. It’s happening every single day. It is happening right now as we do the interview.”

That’s what makes The Children in the Pictures a must-see film.

It is on in the cinemas that are open now and also available via virtual screenings.

It is scheduled to be screened on SBS late next month.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/the-children-in-the-pictures-a-harrowing-mustsee/news-story/8afce7bdb276f7268db00d990b70056d

Q Post #1735

Jul 27 2018 13:13:18 (EST)

There is nothing more precious than our children.

Evil has no boundaries.

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

The choice to know will ultimately be yours.

These people are SICK!

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

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

You are not alone in this fight.

God bless.

Q

https://qanon.pub/#1735

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2e5617  No.14607041

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14607022

THE CHILDREN IN THE PICTURES | Official Trailer HD

FanForce

Aug 24, 2021

The Children in the Pictures takes us inside Task Force Argos – a world-renowned police investigative team dedicated to protecting children from online sexual abuse. From infiltrating global criminal networks to rescuing endangered children all over the world, the Argos team shine a light on the dark reality of online child sexual abuse and the fight we all face in stopping it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mASatjKPQ8A

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35742b  No.14607318

File: ac7a8d75ccbb047⋯.mp4 (4.43 MB, 256x138, 128:69, 2021_09_17_23_12_53.mp4)

Greetings Aussie frens

First time i've posted on this board. Blessings to all, i'm also in a place that's pretty repressive tho. No place safe with DS playing their LAST hand.

IT'S GOING DOWN DOWN UNDER [and coming to a country near you]

"Ladies and Gentlemen of Australia. My name is Riccardo Bozzi and I am the National Leader of Australia National One.

In the coming days, weeks and months, disturbing rumors concerning the governance of our country will begin to circulate. These rumors will appear to be so incredible, so unlikely, and even so ludicrous that the only sensible response would appear to be to dismiss them out of hand.

Some of these rumors will, in time, indeed, prove to be false; unfortunately some will be true and be prima faci evidence of the despicable crimes of treason and sedition and some even morally worse by those at the highest levels of power in Australia.

During this time, it is imperative you monitor closely the responses of those who comprise the politiy, the judiciary, the bureaucracy, the military, the constabulary, the corporations, the media, academia and religious organizations.

The case can already be made that many of these people are already tainted of treason, but if any remain silent in the face of an obvious attack on Australian sovereignty, they will have signed their own death warrants. Remember them. From the Governor General and state governors, through Parliament, through all the courts including the high court, through the public service, the defense force, the police forces, the boardrooms, the unions, the charities, the mainstream media, schools and universities, and finally even the churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and lodges.

Remember their names and who they are. Remember what they said and what they did not say. Remember what they did and what they did not do.

Why and how has it come to this? Simply put, for decades now, we have been deceived by those whom we trusted. Slowly the truth has been revealed by the tireless efforts of a few and this has been a most difficult task.

Some of you will have heard it said, “sometimes you can’t tell people, you just have to show them.” [WHERE HAVE I HEARD THAT BEFORE?

from QR

i added the mp4.

also posted it on qrbunker/endchan - bu board for when 8kun boards are down or not fully functional. Graphics there last for a long time (forever, if they're on the catalog).

so i'm posting mp4s and other stuff that anons may want longer than 24 hours. all anons welcome to post there, UK-anons working on London image digs have been posting there since images went off.

Not Gerbil's board, kek.

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2e5617  No.14612337

File: 1f9cc1b460b1691⋯.jpg (289.82 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Royal_Australian_Navy_subm….jpg)

File: bccaa93ecd5d322⋯.jpg (148.51 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, HMAS_Sheean.jpg)

>>14592776

Australia submarine pact targets China’s undersea weakness

ALASTAIR GALE and NANCY A. YOUSSEF - SEPTEMBER 18, 2021

1/2

Australia’s decision to build eight nuclear-powered submarines with U.S. technology will buttress America’s undersea edge over China and could help create a network of submarine defenses from the Indian to Pacific oceans to help deter Beijing from expansionism.

China has rapidly built up its military in recent years, including over $200 billion in spending planned for this year, and now has a larger navy than the U.S.

However, the U.S. maintains an advantage below the surface of the sea with more powerful submarines that are harder to detect.

By sharing its technology with Australia and deepening defense ties, the U.S. will effectively augment its own Asian fleet as both countries focus on deterring China.

“It’s a resetting of the long-term military balance in the Indo-Pacific because these are extremely powerful strike weapons,” said Michael Shoebridge, director of the defense, strategy and national security program at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a government-backed think tank.

The first of Australia’s new attack submarines, which are designed to destroy other submarines and surface vessels, won’t be ready for over a decade. But they threaten one of China’s relative military weaknesses: the ability to locate and defeat submarines, particularly nuclear-powered vessels.

The Pentagon said in its annual report on China’s military last year that while Beijing was advancing in its undersea warfare abilities, “it continues to lack a robust deep-water anti-submarine warfare capability.” By agreeing to a deal with Australia on nuclear-powered submarines, the U.S. departed from decades of strict policies against sharing the technology. The Atomic Energy Act of 1954 precluded sharing U.S. nuclear technology with others, although the U.S. and U.K. later that decade signed a treaty calling for nuclear weapons co-operation.

“As our closest ally, there is a benefit to the U.K. having a nuclear deterrent of its own as well as nuclear reactor designs,” said Bryan Clark, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute who specializes on naval issues.

Other countries have asked the U.S. to share its technology but have been rebuffed, Mr. Clark said. The U.S. permitted exports of diesel-powered submarines to other countries between 1945 and 1980, according to the nonprofit Nuclear Threat Initiative. Exports all but stopped in 1980, and no U.S.-made submarines have been exported since 1992.

The technology sharing will “contribute to what I call integrated deterrence in the region, the ability for the United States military to work more effectively with our allies and partners in defense of our shared security interests,” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14612346

File: 3245162c4f12e69⋯.jpg (252.44 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, A_Chinese_navy_destroyer_i….jpg)

File: 62fbd6a2515fee1⋯.jpg (139.08 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Chinese_President_Xi_Jinpi….jpg)

>>14612337

2/2

Underscoring the military tension in the region, a U.S. guided-missile destroyer transited through the Taiwan Strait on Friday, remaining in international waters, but demonstrating what officials said was a continuing U.S. commitment to free and open seafaring in the Pacific region.

China has shown its intention to improve its ability to counter submarines, including through the rare publicizing of an anti-submarine drill last year.

The U.S. and China have roughly the same number of submarines, but while all of the 52 U.S. attack submarines are nuclear powered, seven of China’s 62 attack submarines are nuclear propelled, according to the Pentagon. The rest are diesel powered and have to surface frequently to clear exhaust and charge batteries that provide additional power. Nuclear-powered submarines are also faster than diesel-powered vessels.

Security analysts say that growing defense co-operation among the U.S., Australia, Japan and India, an informal alliance known as the Quad that was formed around concerns about China’s rising power, could eventually lead to some co-ordination of their submarine fleets across the Indo-Pacific region.

India inaugurated its first nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine in 2018 and has around 15 diesel-electric attack submarines, while Japan operates around 24 diesel-electric attack submarines.

Euan Graham, an Asia-Pacific security analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Singapore, said Australia’s southern location means its submarines could play a role alongside India in security in the Indian Ocean.

“That would become a kind of network-enhancing multiplier, which would make life very difficult to operate on the surface and below it,” he said.

Broader networks of co-ordination among submarine fleets could also help ensure that important trade routes in the Indo-Pacific region are kept open and protect important waterways such as the Strait of Malacca between Malaysia and Indonesia. Mr. Graham said such arrangements would require major steps forward in military information and intelligence sharing.

The leaders of the Quad are set to meet in Washington on Sept. 24 and will discuss ways to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, according to the White House.

Security analysts warn that China’s military capabilities will advance in the years it takes Australia’s new submarines to arrive and say that while eight submarines are expected, only two or three are likely to be at sea at any one time. Nonetheless, they are seen as significant for the military balance in the region.

“This will be a major force that will have significant strategic weight against any adversary,” said Sam Roggeveen, the director of the international security program at the Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based foreign-policy think tank.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/the-wall-street-journal/australia-submarine-pact-targets-chinas-undersea-weakness/news-story/90f281da098e234c3a472d56ba0fe46e

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2e5617  No.14612439

File: 3d483107da7454a⋯.jpg (129.9 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Australian_Prime_Minister_….jpg)

File: 85e22a73605f4ac⋯.jpg (151.93 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Boris_Johnson_Scott_Morris….jpg)

>>14592776

Defence pact kept under the radar

LARISA BROWN - SEPTEMBER 18, 2021

1/2

When the first sea lord was invited to a meeting at the Australian high commission in March this year, he had no idea of the magnitude of what was about to unfold.

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin was asked by Vice-Admiral Michael Noonan, the Australian chief of navy, whether the British and Americans could help them to build a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.

The 12 Barracuda diesel-electric submarines that Australia had agreed to buy from France five years earlier in a $90 billion contract were no longer enough to ward off the threat from China, which was building the largest navy and fortifying islands outside its territorial waters. They wanted faster, stealthier craft with almost limitless endurance. Sources said that the key was “surveillance”.

A defence insider said: “They had carried out a review and the ones they were getting were not fit for purpose. China has a lot of money but is not developed in some areas of capability.”

The Australians wanted nuclear-powered submarines to “move quietly, sit outside a port, track movements, keep an eye on undersea cables and follow submarines in a move to curb Chinese reach in the region”, they added.

Britain and America had six decades of experience building their own sovereign capability and they were in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing partnership – unlike France – which meant they might be persuaded to give up their nuclear technology.

“That was the first contact. It was a big strategic play. He [Radakin] came back and handed the whole thing over to [Sir Stephen] Lovegrove,” a source said, referring to the former Ministry of Defence permanent secretary who is now the national security adviser. The insider compared it to a scene from a John le Carre novel.

So began Operation Hookless – as it was codenamed at No 10 – the most closely guarded secret inside government in years. Only about ten people in Britain were privy to the details, including the prime minister, the foreign secretary and the defence secretary.

When Lovegrove became the security adviser he was even better placed to help carve out the deal of his career.

John Bew, Boris Johnson’s foreign policy adviser, was allowed into the fold. Those who were present had to sign a paper vowing not to let the secret details out of the room.

After the initial meeting in March, the proposal was put to the Americans. “It took quite a long time to go through the American machine,” the source said.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14612442

File: f26e9258dd517ae⋯.jpg (175.32 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Mr_Morrison_and_French_Pre….jpg)

>>14612439

2/2

The clock was ticking for the Australians, who warned the British that there was a looming deadline where the costs for the French deal would rack up and there would be no getting out of it.

Although initial conversations had begun around the submarines, an excited Johnson was keen for something deeper. A government source said: “There was a choice about how broad it would be. Boris was pushing that it had to be as ambitious as possible.”

By the G7 summit in Cornwall in June the plans were well under way. As the French were occupied with the unfolding “sausage war” over the Brexit divorce deal, Johnson, President Biden and Scott Morrison, the Australian prime minister, negotiated the details of a top-secret pact that would later be known as the AUKUS alliance.

“There was a lot of noise at G7 about sausages,” the government source said. “It seemed odd for us that we were doing serious business in this meeting.”

They were braced for a backlash from China as well as France. A source said that Australia’s deal with France had made it awkward for everyone. No one had “any desire” to annoy the French.

Defence insiders questioned whether the French – who also have nuclear-powered subs – would have shared their sovereign capabilities with the Australians. The source said that it was different for the British because Australia was in the Commonwealth.

“Once you give that information you cannot get it back – you can only give it to the nations that you will be friends with for ever,” the defence source said, adding that Britain was also extremely close to France.

The rise of China in the Indo-Pacific was the “first order of concern” for the Australians. But government sources said the pact went deeper than China and was more about the decades ahead.

After the announcement of the pact this week, Lovegrove described it as “the most significant capability collaboration anywhere in the past decades”.

Senior figures have compared it to the 1958 mutual defence agreement between President Eisenhower and Harold Macmillan and the beginning of the “special nuclear relationship”.

Given the importance of the pact, it is not surprising that Radakin is rumoured to be in the running to become the new head of the armed forces.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/the-times/defence-pact-kept-under-the-radar/news-story/d6e9e29758a68ddda41f7a2e560a2d18

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2e5617  No.14612578

File: 9352f2ddb452e5c⋯.jpg (132.81 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, The_first_doses_of_the_Mod….jpg)

Moderna confirms plans to bring Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing to Australia

JARED LYNCH - SEPTEMBER 18, 2021

1/2

Moderna’s chief medical officer Paul Burton has confirmed the company is in talks with the Australian government about shifting production of its Covid-19 vaccine technology down under.

Dr Burton’s comments come as the first one million doses of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine arrive in Australia this weekend and are set to be distributed to community pharmacists by the end of next week.

Like Pfizer’s vaccine – the jab of choice for those aged under 60 – Moderna uses messenger RNA or mRNA technology, which instructs the body’s cells to make a protein that triggers an immune response against Covid-19.

Despite being the subject of research papers 30 years ago, and with development on its use in humans beginning a decade ago, it has taken the Covid-19 pandemic to thrust mRNA technology into the mainstream.

It is now being hailed as the next generation of vaccines, with Australia’s biggest health company CSL developing a influenza vaccine using the technology, with plans to build new factories in Melbourne that could produce two doses of mRNA vaccine for every Australian in 16 weeks.

Dr Burton confirmed Moderna was also looking to start manufacturing in Australia, with the company in talks with the federal government about a potential partnership.

“We are looking to bring manufacturing to Australia, in Australia, for Australia by Australia, and we‘re in discussions with the government about that, so that’s exciting,” Dr Burton told The Weekend Australian.

“We see Australia as a real hub for us. Our head of Asia Pacific medical affairs is going to be based in Australia. That‘s fantastic. There are fantastic investigators, fantastic clinical centres. Australia was a very important part of our global strategy for the mRNA platform.”

So far, Australia has been reliant on overseas companies and manufacturers to access mRNA technology, with the Morrison government cobbling together vaccine swap deals with Poland, the UK and Singapore to secure an extra five million doses of the Pfizer jab and accelerate the nations Covid-19 immunisation program.

Dr Buton said while he wasn’t across the full negotiations with the federal government, but expected a collaboration to be “firmed up within coming months, early 2022”.

Early in the pandemic, the government entered agreements with CSL to produce more than 51 million of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Melbourne, as well as the jab that CSL was developing with the University of Queensland (UQ).

But the UQ vaccine development was abandoned late last year after trials revealed it triggered false positives for HIV. Meanwhile, Australians have been hesitant to be inoculated with the AstraZeneca jab after it was linked to rare blood clots.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14612592

File: e6cc4f75fd10024⋯.jpg (183.17 KB, 960x640, 3:2, The_Moderna_vaccine_is_94_….jpg)

>>14612578

2/2

Vaccine hesitancy has become a significant challenge during, particularly as at least 70 per cent of the country needs to be fully immunised for restrictions to start to ease and international travel to resume.

It is something that Dr Burton is acutely aware of. Last month Japan suspended more than 1.6 million doses of the Moderna vaccine after vials were contaminated with foreign particles.

The source of the contamination was from a line change at the factory of its manufacturing partner ROVID Pharma Industrial Services, in Spain, which resulted in small metal particles entering the vaccine.

“We caught it, we found out why it happened. We‘ve got you know, a very thorough corrective action plan in place. We did a very careful medical assessment, and you know, there really is no risk of these little tiny stainless steel particles – even if some that end up being injected,” Dr Burton said.

“They‘re very tiny. The barrel of the syringe is, you know, three times a human hair. So it’s tiny, it isn’t a risk. But … people depend on us for a high quality product, and we’re committed to delivering that.”

The first two million doses of the Moderna vaccine that Australia will receive will come from Moderna’s Belgium plant.

Dr Burton stressed Moderna’s vaccine was safe, with more than 200 million doses administered so far across the globe.

“At the end of the day, I think you have to go back to the massive database that we have worldwide now. Looking at efficacy, looking at safety, it‘s a fantastic platform,” he said.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved and the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has recommended the use of the Moderna vaccine for Australians aged 12 and over.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the first one million doses will be “distributed to more than 1800 community pharmacies across the country and put into the arms of Australians in the next week”.

“A further 1800 community pharmacies across the country will start to receive doses the week commencing September 27,” Mr Hunt said.

“To date, we have administered over 24 million Covid-19 vaccines across Australia, with more than 70 per cent of Australians having received a first dose and 45 per cent having received a second dose. These are important achievements as we move closer, every day, to the vaccination rates required for us to safely reopen our country.”

Australia has an advance purchase agreement with Moderna to secure 25 million doses of the vaccine – 10 million this year and 15 million in 2022. The Moderna vaccine doses will go through the standard TGA batch-testing process as all other Covid-19 vaccines.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/moderna-confirms-plans-to-bring-covid19-vaccine-manufacturing-to-australia/news-story/e901a10dfce58a7cab717b6241d4d6d7

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2e5617  No.14612675

File: 483609e762defb2⋯.jpg (102.23 KB, 1279x719, 1279:719, A_Labor_staffer_R_has_been….jpg)

File: 499737055167b12⋯.jpg (113.9 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Matters_L_appeared_in_ACT_….jpg)

File: 78dc5d66a353892⋯.jpg (132.33 KB, 1280x721, 1280:721, Anthony_Albanese_s_office_….jpg)

Labor staffer Alexander Matters fired after rape charges

Samantha Maiden - September 19, 2021

Labor leader Anthony Albanese’s office has confirmed the employment of a Labor staffer who is facing rape charges has been terminated “effective immediately.”

Alexander Matters, a 20-year-old Labor staffer for federal Labor MP David Smith, has been charged with two counts of rape over an incident alleged to have occurred in April.

He recently worked in the office of Labor frontbencher Meryl Swanson, who is the shadow assistant minister for defence.

In a statement to news.com.au, Mr Smith confirmed that the man’s employment had been terminated after his appearance in the ACT magistrates court on Saturday morning.

“Mr Matters’s employment has been terminated, effective immediately,’’ Mr Smith said.

“My thoughts are with the woman who’s come forward at this time.

“These are serious issues currently being dealt with by the appropriate authorities. It would be inappropriate to comment any further at this time.”

The ACT police said they had charged Mr Matters with sexual intercourse without consent.

During a court appearance on Saturday the ACT magistrates court was told he was employed by the Labor MP and was also studying law at the Australian National University.

“The matter was first reported to police in August (2021) and a formal statement regarding the incident was received by police earlier this week,’’ the AFP said in a statement.

“Detectives from ACT Policing’s Criminal Investigations – Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Team executed a search warrant in Acton yesterday and subsequently charged the man with one count of sexual intercourse without consent.”

Mr Matter’s lawyer, former journalist Andrew Fraser, applied for bail for his client, but this was delayed pending a mental health assessment.

The arrest of Mr Matter follows a national debate about the culture at Parliament House after Brittany Higgins alleged she was raped in the building in March, 2019.

A Queensland man has been charged in relation to that matter and will face court again in October. He will plead not guilty.

https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/labor-staffer-alexander-matters-fired-after-rape-charges/news-story/4670687af5abdbd90aafc46bdd049261

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2e5617  No.14614068

File: f2105ce0991b80c⋯.jpg (69.27 KB, 862x485, 862:485, Christian_Porter_will_retu….jpg)

Resignations in the news

Christian Porter has resigned from Scott Morrison's ministry after revealing he had accepted an anonymous donation

Jane Norman - 19 September 2021

Christian Porter has resigned from Prime Minster Scott Morrison's ministry after revealing he had accepted an anonymous donation to help cover his personal legal fees.

Mr Porter's future on the frontbench had been in doubt following his declaration that a "blind trust" had paid for part of his discontinued defamation case against the ABC and journalist Louise Milligan.

Mr Morrison had offered no defence of his Industry and Science Minister and asked the head of his department, Phil Gaetjens, to investigate whether the declaration was in breach of the ministerial standards.

On Sunday, Mr Morrison announced Mr Porter had been unable to provide the necessary information to "avoid any perception of conflicts of interest" and had decided to resign.

"He has this afternoon taken the appropriate course of action to uphold those standards by tendering his resignation as a minister this afternoon, and I have accepted his resignation," Mr Morrison said.

Energy Minister Angus Taylor will temporarily take responsibility for Mr Porter's portfolios.

Mr Porter updated his register of members' interests last Tuesday, revealing a blind trust known as the "Legal Services Trust" had made a "part contribution" to cover the costs of his lawsuit against the public broadcaster.

A spokesman for Mr Porter said he had "undertaken disclosure in accordance with the requirements of the Register and consistent with previous members' disclosure of circumstances where the costs of personal legal matters have been mitigated by contributions or reductions in fees".

"No taxpayers' funds were used in meeting the costs of the Minister's actions against the ABC and Milligan, which have now concluded," the spokesman said.

While Mr Porter insisted his declaration was within the rules, his decision to accept an undisclosed sum of money from an undisclosed source raised questions about his judgement.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-19/christian-porter-resigns-as-minister-over-conflict-of-interest/100474754

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2e5617  No.14614122

File: f83f062718abc4d⋯.jpg (85.2 KB, 959x639, 959:639, Top_infectious_disease_exp….jpg)

Three vaccine jabs will soon become the norm, says Dr Fauci

Nick Allen - September 19, 2021

Washington: Three jabs will soon be regarded as necessary for people to gain maximum protection against COVID-19, Dr Anthony Fauci says.

The statement by the director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases demonstrated his tacit backing for countries already seeking to give booster vaccinations to over-50s.

It came as the US Food and Drug Administration’s advisory panel rejected a plan to offer Pfizer booster shots to Americans aged over 16.

They later approved offering a third dose of Pfizer’s vaccine to everyone aged 65 and above, but surprised many by rejecting an initial proposal by the drug company, backed by President Joe Biden’s administration, to offer them to everyone aged 16 and over.

Dr Fauci said: “I believe… it’s going to turn out that the proper regimen, at least for an mRNA vaccine [such as Pfizer’s], is the two original doses, the prime, followed in three to four weeks by a boost, followed several months later by a third shot.”

He added: “I’m favourably disposed to boosts based on the waning of immunity, as we’re seeing very, very clearly… in the data in the US [and] even more dramatic data from our Israeli colleagues.

“[There is] some indication of waning in the UK, which is the reason the UK has or will soon be vaccinating people 50 years of age and older, as well as healthcare providers and those who are immuno-compromised.”

Dr Fauci said it was not yet clear if children would need a third shot: “it’s too early to make that determination.”

As Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has provisionally approved the use of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for people aged 12 years and older, Dr Fauci also said he believed children as young as five in the US would be vaccinated by late autumn.

He said the vaccination of children aged between six months and five years would happen “likely some time after”, acknowledging that giving COVID-19 vaccine to children “at that younger age is not uniformly agreed upon around the world”. But, he added: “We are… doing the clinical studies right now to extend the vaccination.

“The data we are collecting on the children in the clinical trial, [aged] from 11 to five, will likely be available for evaluation by our regulatory authorities by mid-fall. I would say some time around October, November,” he said.

“So, it looks like we will be vaccinating children, before the end of the year, down to five years old, if our regulatory authorities give us the go ahead.”

Dr Fauci said concerns about health impacts on children were “the reasons we do clinical trials”.

The main concern with the COVID-19 vaccine has been myocarditis. But he said that was generally seen in children aged over 12 and into young adulthood.

“Although we don’t expect in the younger children that we’re going to see it, we’re still going to do the studies for safety, he said.

“If we can establish the safety element of it and the risk-benefit ratio weighs heavily on the benefit, I certainly would be in favour of it.

https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/three-vaccine-jabs-will-soon-become-the-norm-says-dr-fauci-20210919-p58sxe.html

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2e5617  No.14614162

File: ff9516ac9e0d2d1⋯.jpg (63.14 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Defence_Minister_Peter_Dut….jpg)

>>14605002

>>14606882

Australia 'upfront, open and honest' with France about submarine concerns, Peter Dutton says

Stephanie Borys - 19 September 2021

1/2

Defence Minister Peter Dutton has defended Australia's handling of a multi-billion-dollar submarine contract with France, describing his government as "upfront, open and honest" about its concerns with the deal.

France is furious about the federal government's decision to scrap the $90 billion project to build a fleet of conventional diesel-electric submarines and has taken the dramatic step of recalling its ambassadors from Canberra and Washington.

The country's Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said Australia told Paris about its plans one hour before Prime Minister Scott Morrison held a transcontinental media conference with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and United States President Joe Biden on Thursday.

"In a real alliance you talk to each other, you don't hide things, you respect the other party and that is why this is a real crisis," Mr Le Drian told France 2.

Mr Dutton said he understood why the French were upset but insisted the decision should not have come as a complete surprise.

"We conducted a review because over a couple of years now we have been concerned about the contract and the review very clearly indicated to us that nuclear-powered submarine was the best option to keep Australia safe and that is the decision we have taken," he told Sky News.

"Suggestions that the concerns hadn't been flagged by the Australian government just defy what was on the public record and certainly what was said publicly over a long period of time.

"We have been upfront, open and honest."

While the federal government had publicly raised concerns about the $90 billion dollar deal, France was kept in the dark about Australia's discussions with the US and UK that led to a new deal to build nuclear-powered submarines.

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said the government was upfront from the earliest possible time.

"Of course there have been enormous sensitivities to get to the point of being able to announce that discussion," he told Insiders.

"Now we made it public at the earliest available opportunity, we informed the French government at the earliest available opportunity before it became public."

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14614166

File: 7eeac9034cfa1fd⋯.jpg (340.66 KB, 3000x1850, 60:37, Australia_scrapped_a_contr….jpg)

>>14614162

2/2

Leasing submarines a possibility

It could take about 20 years to build Australia's nuclear-powered submarine fleet and Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said the Prime Minister must be up-front with Australians about any "capability gap" the submarine deal would create.

"This is a very big decision, it's a momentous decision, it's a decision which does reflect advice about capability," she said.

"Any capability gap that arises as a consequence of Mr Morrison's changes of plan is something the government needs to step up on."

The Collins class vessels were set to be retired in about 2026 but that has been extended until the 2030s. Mr Dutton said leasing submarines from the UK and US was a possibility to fill any potential equipment gaps.

"There is all of that discussion to take place in next 12 to 18 months and already obviously I've met with a number of my counterparts here from the secretary down in terms of those that are making decisions and we will have further discussions with the Brits as well," he said.

Mr Birmingham said it was not just leasing arrangements the government was considering.

"Whether it is lease arrangements or whether it is greater joint operations between our navies in the future that sees our sailors working more closely and indeed potentially on UK and US vessels to get that skill, that training, that knowledge," he said.

Nuclear powered submarines expensive but necessary, Dutton says

The Australian government insists investing in nuclear-powered submarines is essential because the strategic environment has changed and while senior ministers have been reluctant to name China, Mr Dutton made it clear the country was a growing threat to the region.

"There is a very changing and significantly changing circumstance taking place in the Indo Pacific," he told Sky News.

"The Chinese are pumping out submarines and frigates and aircraft carriers at a record rate.

"So the rest of world now for a period of time has really stepped up their production of those assets and that unfortunately is the dynamic in which we are operating in at the moment."

The government is yet to outline the price of the new deal but Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said it was a cost the government would be able to cover.

"We don't have all of the final costs because we are going through a comprehensive 12 to 18 month process in terms of assessing what type of platform, what type of design, what type of infrastructure is going to best be able to be transferred to Australia by the UK and US," he said.

"Australia can meet the costs and we must meet the costs of embracing this type of platform."

Mr Dutton conceded it would be an expensive but necessary project.

"It is not going to be a cheap project but maintaining peace is not something that comes for free."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-19/australia-upfront-open-honest-with-france-submarine-deal/100474260

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2e5617  No.14614226

File: 6ab898a6cc1f4f2⋯.jpg (80.42 KB, 1279x720, 1279:720, Complicating_Prince_Andrew….jpg)

File: c9be36825c1ccdc⋯.jpg (88.99 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Melania_Trump_Prince_Andre….jpg)

>>14554611

Ball in Andrew’s court after copping a serve in sex case

JACQUELIN MAGNAY - SEPTEMBER 18, 2021

1/2

What now for Prince Andrew, the Queen’s golden son who has, at the very least, a very messy trans-Atlantic court case to deal with?

While Prince Andrew, 61, has been visiting his mother with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson in Balmoral for the summer break; in New York he has been accused of serious sex assault allegations by Australian resident Virginia Roberts Giuffre.

Giuffre, 38, launched a civil case in the New York district court, accusing the royal of battery and emotional distress under the Child Sex Act.

It is a development Andrew probably long feared, knowing well the allegations and legal avenues Giuffre has pursued for the past five years but had hoped his status and privilege may have helped avert.

This month’s Scottish holiday break could well have turned into a crisis meeting with the 95-year-old Queen, still in mourning for Prince Phillip, having to cope with a recalcitrant grandson, Prince Harry, and now for the first time, a royal family member being sued.

It appears that in taking the cues of royal practice over the decades – to never confirm nor deny; to remain “above” accusatory allegations – Andrew has nonetheless found himself exposed to the US justice system.

Andrew has not been charged with any crime – this is a civil matter – but he faces a global court of public opinion that has already caused him to withdraw from any form of public life.

It is uncertain he will ever be able to return, for in any case the heir to the throne Prince Charles has been vocal about heading a “slimmed down’’ monarchy.

Since his car crash explanation on BBC in late 2019 where he failed to adequately explain his friendship with disgraced US financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Andrew has been restricted to private events only.

At the 2020 pandemic wedding of his daughter Princess Beatrice to Edo Mapelli Mozzi, Buckingham Palace released official photographs of the Queen and Prince Phillip with the happy young ­couple, but none of Andrew, who had walked his daughter down the aisle.

It has been a plummeting change of circumstances for the man who was once a swashbuckling and dashing naval hero of the Falklands War and for 10 years was a taxpayer-funded British trade envoy.

Giuffre’s allegations have been extensively aired across the world in recent times: she was recruited by Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell in 2000 when she was 16 and working at Mar-a-Lago. She was then pimped out by Maxwell’s partner, Jeffrey Epstein, to provide sex to his well-connected colleagues. She was with Epstein and Maxwell until 2002 when she met her Australian husband in Bali while attending a massage course that Epstein had sent her to.

In legal depositions, Giuffre – who now lives in Queensland – has detailed how men of the ilk of Bill Clinton, hedge fund billionaire Glen Dubin and model agency co-founder Jean Luc Brunel would associate with Epstein.

She has previously told a court she was pressured into having sex with various people, naming a handful of men. She added: “I don’t recall all of the people. There was a huge amount of people that I was sent to.”

She alleges she had sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions during 2001 when she was aged just 17. Giuffre’s claims that Prince Andrew engaged in sexual acts without her consent, knowing she was “a sex-trafficking victim” and that the sex took place at Epstein’s Manhattan house, in London at Maxwell’s mews house and on ­Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands.

In the court documents for the case, Giuffre says she was “compelled by express or implied threats by Epstein, Maxwell, and/or Prince Andrew to engage in sexual acts with Prince Andrew, and feared death or physical injury to herself or another and other repercussions for disobeying Epstein, Maxwell, and Prince Andrew due to their powerful connections, wealth and authority”.

Andrew has vigorously protested his innocence and has denied the claims, saying he can’t remember ever meeting Giuffre, and suggesting that a photograph of himself with his arm around her was somehow doctored. He says he unequivocally regrets his ill-judged association and friendship with Epstein.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14614230

File: de042c35e8edf8b⋯.jpg (98.57 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Ghislaine_Maxwell_and_Jeff….jpg)

File: 0ca39d31eb57a5a⋯.jpg (169.21 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Prince_Charles_has_been_cl….jpg)

>>14614226

2/2

Complicating Andrew’s legal case is the timing. Maxwell is defending charges of trafficking minors for Epstein in November in a Manhattan federal court. Epstein committed suicide in August 2019, one month after being arrested on sex trafficking charges.

Andrew’s initial tactic of resisting responding to Giuffre’s legal claims has not gone down well. People well remember the days after 2019 BBC Newsnight interview aired, where he said the Queen agreed he should step back from public duties for the foreseeable future and noted: “Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required.’’

Yet it was only when Andrew’s legal team brought in high-profile hotshot Hollywood lawyer Andrew Brettler several weeks ago – secretly at first so that Giuffre’s team wouldn’t serve papers on him – that Andrew was legally represented. Then, attempts by the prince’s legal team to contest that the court papers hadn’t been properly served bought some time, but only a few days.

By Wednesday, the High Court in London had agreed to serve the American papers on the prince, ­bypassing any cloak and dagger preparations that process servers may have had to resort to.

It is extraordinary that agents had been knocking on the gates of Andrew’s residence, Royal Lodge, in the Windsor Estate, but of course were stopped by armed police protection officers. On their second attempt at that property, one of the police officers agreed to accept the documents. Other copies were sent by registered Royal Mail. The next step would have been to try to confront Andrew in person when he was out and about – but he is still holed up in Balmoral Castle with the Queen.

Instead, thanks to the High Court intervention, the papers will be sent to the prince’s legal team. Although even this has now been contested by Prince Andrew, whose early fight at every step indicates he most definitely doesn’t intend to concede any ground. Giuffre’s lawyers attacked him for playing a “game of hide and seek behind palace walls”.

Such stalling tactics also didn’t play out well before the New York courtroom of Judge Lewis Kaplan, who expressed frustration that the prince’s strategy would only involve more expense and wouldn’t stop the litigation.

It was interesting that on Monday, Kaplan cut adrift – at this early stage in the proceedings – attempts by Andrew’s lawyers to introduce a 2009 sealed settlement, which they believe will stop Giuffre’s legal action in its tracks.

The prince’s legal defence is that this 12-year-old document, the basis of a financial settlement between Epstein and Giuffre, will prevent her from suing him, or any other associate of Epstein. Last month, ­Epstein’s lawyer Alan Dershowitz used this same agreement to get Giuffre’s claims of sexual battery against himself dropped.

But when Brettler tried to talk about the agreement, Kaplan said that the hearing was currently focused on whether the documents had been served, and not on other aspects – although he later acknowledged why the lawyers were trying to raise it.

“If there is a document that would provide your client with an affirmative defence to a claim, or help him out in England or both, you’d rather see it sooner rather than later. There’s a lot to be said for that point of view,” Kaplan said.

If that sealed document doesn’t help, then Andrew’s only other ­option for the case to disappear is to make a financial settlement with Giuffre, like Epstein and Maxwell have done before.

It is a common enough, expensive, resolution in the US. But in Britain, it would leave many unanswered questions and do little to restore the reputation of the fallen prince.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/ball-in-andrews-court-after-copping-a-serve-in-sex-case/news-story/6dc983d7a8fb99effae99706202102ae

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2e5617  No.14614258

File: 30ee1aec002c926⋯.jpg (896.16 KB, 4272x2848, 3:2, After_keeping_it_secret_fo….jpg)

File: ca2180ad4ebabfb⋯.jpg (1.7 MB, 4032x3024, 4:3, Kevin_Barron_was_living_at….jpg)

File: 713b699c34d808a⋯.jpg (817.56 KB, 3395x2237, 3395:2237, Kevin_Barron_and_his_siste….jpg)

File: cbaa65fc7d7d6ee⋯.jpg (1.81 MB, 5000x3333, 5000:3333, The_Benedictine_Community_….jpg)

New Norcia child abuse victims call for their damages claims to be fast-tracked

Claire Moodie - 19 September 2021

1/2

Survivors of child sexual abuse at Australia's only monastic town — New Norcia, about 125 kilometres north of Perth — are calling for their compensation cases to be fast-tracked, fearing they will die waiting for an outcome.

Kevin Barron, who grew up in New Norcia's boys orphanage, has kept his horrific experience of sexual abuse by two Benedictine monks quiet for decades.

Now the 75-year-old is going public with his story, to expose the torturously long legal processes victims are still facing as they try to get justice through the court system.

"My concern is that I'm getting older and I'd like to have a bit of quality of life," Mr Barron said.

"They can sell a couple of paintings in the Vatican and it'll pay for all of us."

Mr Barron says he was 12 years old when native welfare officers removed him and two of his sisters from their father's care at Walebing farm, near New Norcia, and took them to orphanages in the town run by the Benedictine community in the late 1950s.

"We were made wards of the state, but the state did not give a damn about us," Mr Barron said.

"We were treated just like animals in this place."

For Mr Barron, it was the start of years of abuse, including being raped multiple times by one of the monks.

He said the man, known as Father Justin, also made a threat: If he told anyone about the abuse, he would do the same to Kevin's sisters who were at the girls' orphanage just a stone's throw away.

Mr Barron was not surprised when the New Norcia Benedictine community was exposed as being among the worst in the country for paedophile priests and religious brothers between the 1950s and 1970s in figures released by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in 2017.

The report said that "33 alleged perpetrators were subject to one or more claims of child sexual abuse".

It said the average age of their victims was nine years old. The monks responsible for the abhorrent crimes have long since died and the ABC is not suggesting that any remaining members of the community were involved in these abuses.

Courts to provide reckoning for unspeakable abuse

Mr Barron is one of hundreds of souls damaged by individuals in religious institutions who have decided against applying for financial assistance through the National Redress Scheme, set up following the royal commission.

Instead, he is trying to sue through the courts, hoping to secure a more substantial payout that goes some way to recognising the severity of his abuse.

The average amount available under the redress system is $85,000.

Mr Barron says it is a pittance, given the life-long psychological damage that victims often carry with them after a childhood of abuse.

He still suffers from flashbacks and nightmares about his time at St Mary's boys orphanage.

Returning to New Norcia with the ABC, Mr Barron told of the living conditions in the dormitory where the boys had to urinate into a bucket which often overflowed during the night.

Pointing to the dormitory, he said one of the paedophile brothers had an adjoining room.

"That's where the devil himself [lived], that was his bedroom," he said.

"So, as you were walking past to go to your room, he'd grab you by the shoulders."

He said the boys were often cold and were regularly beaten.

"It wasn't discipline, they were just bloody floggings," he said.

"We never had enough vegetables in them days. We just had sheep head broth, sometimes the horns were in there.

"They would boil this thing up overnight and ewwww … but you had to eat it because we was hungry all the time."

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14614265

File: 14d40056e1b3c00⋯.jpg (1.08 MB, 4272x2848, 3:2, Kevin_Barron_outside_the_d….jpg)

File: 0acfa160ac30488⋯.jpg (74.76 KB, 960x540, 16:9, Lawyer_Judy_Courtin_is_now….jpg)

File: 3e137b022ab9241⋯.jpg (2.04 MB, 5000x3333, 5000:3333, Kevin_Barron_says_his_dorm….jpg)

File: 105f3ccd74eca4e⋯.jpg (1.81 MB, 4272x2848, 3:2, Kevin_Barron_runs_an_Abori….jpg)

>>14614258

2/2

'Proper justice' stuck in bogged court system

Mr Barron is now able to sue for damages because, in 2018, the West Australian parliament lifted time restrictions that prevented survivors from taking action for historical abuse offences.

However, like many survivors, Mr Barron signed what's called a "deed of release", waiving his rights to a civil claim when he accepted a payout of $30,000 from the Benedictine community in 2013.

His lawyer, Judy Courtin, is now trying to achieve what she calls "proper justice" for her client but must first overturn the deed at a court hearing.

For Mr Barron, who has already seen friends die while waiting for their day in court, the prospect of his case dragging on for years is daunting.

Dr Courtin — who is handling a number of institutional abuse cases across the country — says, in general, the claims are taking far too long and she has criticised the "hardball legal tactics" being used by some defendants' lawyers.

She said the delays were being compounded by the overloaded court system and she has called for institutional child abuse cases to be completed within 12 months.

"My view is we need a special list in the court — in all states — where these matters can be expedited," she said.

"I think they all deserve a shorter, less legalistic, less adversarial process."

Monastery sells land as big payouts loom

New Norcia Benedictine community declined to be interviewed but said in a statement that it was committed to responding as quickly as possible to provide redress for historical sexual abuse claims.

"We cannot control the pace of the legal processes," the statement said.

"All we can do, and what we do, is everything we can on our side as quickly as we possibly can."

The statement said that the institution had settled more than 100 payments under the National Redress Scheme, as well as 50 common law claims.

"Since first being made aware of these claims in 2003, the Benedictine Community of New Norcia has made payments in excess of $10 million," the statement said.

However, the community knows other big pay-outs are coming. It currently has 20 outstanding cases.

The statement said the community had recently made the "difficult decision" to sell off most of its farmland which, it has been estimated, could fetch around $40 million.

Leaving something behind for next generation

Kevin Barron has welcomed the sale.

"Terrific … it's about time they paid up," he said.

Mr Barron runs an Aboriginal cattle backgrounding operation on Yallalie Downs Station, just a few kilometres from the New Norcia town site.

While he has seen many other New Norcia children be destroyed by the abuse, he has used hard work to battle through some dark times.

"I've worked a bloody lot and I tried to keep that out of my bloody head," he said.

"I must have been a strong bastard."

If successful with his civil claim, Mr Barron says he would like "to leave some finance behind for my two girls and one son so they can have a good start".

"And I'd like to buy some things that I've never had in my life before."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-19/new-norcia-child-abuse-victims-fear-will-die-before-compensation/100470602

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2e5617  No.14614333

File: 9f39d13d0046f4a⋯.jpg (34.56 KB, 800x450, 16:9, A_Rugby_Australia_executiv….jpg)

Rugby Australia executive facing child abuse charges

Emily Woods - September 19, 2021

A senior Rugby Australia executive has been charged with soliciting child abuse material as part of a federal police investigation into online exploitation and abuse.

The 41-year-old Surry Hills man was arrested on Friday with Australian Federal Police officers seizing his laptop and mobile phone, which allegedly contained videos of young children being sexually abused.

AFP child protection investigators and digital forensics specialists are expected to allege they found instant message conversations on the man's phone about the abuse of children.

The messages are also said to detail payment for a person overseas to produce child abuse material under instruction from the man.

He is facing four charges including using a carriage service to solicit child abuse material, possessing or controlling child abuse material and transmitting child abuse material.

The man faced Parramatta Local Court on Saturday and was refused bail. He will next face court on November 10.

The maximum penalty for each offence is 15 years in prison.

AAP understands the accused man was a senior executive with Rugby Australia and that his role was largely administrative and not based in the community.

Rugby Australia has sacked him, effective immediately.

"Rugby Australia has been made aware that the AFP has charged an RA employee with criminal offences," an RA spokesman said.

"The RA board met and resolved to terminate the individual's employment effective immediately.

"RA takes all matters relating to the behaviour of its employees very seriously. RA has high standards of conduct and behaviour, to ensure that we reflect and protect the diversity of the communities that we are a part of."

The AFP has been investigating an online network of alleged child sex offenders who have been producing and sharing material on social media.

Since its operation began in February 2020, 21 people have been arrested in Australia and are facing 1301 child exploitation and bestiality charges.

The AFP said 55 child victims have been identified and 11 animals removed from harm.

https://www.perthnow.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/rugby-aust-exec-facing-child-abuse-charges-c-4004367

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2e5617  No.14614341

File: 31e6e3961f810c1⋯.webm (9.4 MB, 640x360, 16:9, 41yo_Surry_Hills_man_arre….webm)

>>14614333

Operation Arkstone: Sydney man arrested for soliciting child abuse material

19 September 2021

1/2

The Australian Federal Police has charged a 41-year-old Sydney man in connection to Operation Arkstone, which uncovered an Australian online network of alleged offenders accused of abusing children and sharing the abuse online.

The AFP-led investigation has so far resulted in 21 arrests in Australia, including 15 in NSW, on more than 1301 charges of child exploitation and bestiality, In addition, 55 child victims in Australia were identified and 11 animals were removed from harm.

Since the first Operation Arkstone arrest in February 2020, AFP investigators and forensic specialists have been examining the evidence from each arrest and identifying more alleged offenders linked to the network of online child sex offenders.

This ongoing investigation into the online network of alleged child sex offenders producing and sharing child abuse material with their peers on social media forums resulted in AFP officers executing a search warrant in the Sydney suburb of Surry Hills on Friday (17 September 2021), arresting a 41-year-old man for multiple child abuse-related offences.

AFP officers seized a laptop for further examination and a mobile phone allegedly containing videos of young children being sexually abused.

AFP Child Protection investigators and Digital Forensics specialists will allege they located instant messaging conversations on the man’s mobile phone about the abuse of young children, and details of an alleged payment for a person overseas to produce child abuse material under instruction from the man.

The 41-year-old Surry Hills man was charged with one count each of:

• Using a carriage service to solicit child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(iv) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth);

• Possessing or controlling child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth);

• Using a carriage service to access child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(i) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth); and

• Causing child abuse material to be transmitted to self using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(ii) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).

The maximum penalty for each offence is 15 years’ imprisonment.

The man was refused police bail and scheduled to appear in Parramatta Local Court yesterday (18 September 2021). He is next due in court on 10 November 2021.

AFP Detective Sergeant Joel Wheeler said instant messaging applications and social media forums provide an easy avenue for child sex offenders to find and share child abuse material with their likeminded peers.

“The conversations and content produced and shared online about the abuse of young children is horrifically overwhelming,” Det. Sgt Wheeler said.

“AFP Child Protection officers and Digital Forensic specialists examine every conversation, video and image identified during a search warrant to find the child being abused and stop not only their direct abusers, but the other child sex offenders that fund this industry and help people profit from the atrocious end result.”

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14614345

File: 39971651c57a858⋯.jpg (1.14 MB, 2481x1754, 2481:1754, 0001.jpg)

File: f5e3e907454b786⋯.pdf (307.53 KB, 20_1145_Op_Arkstone_infogr….pdf)

>>14614341

2/2

AFP investigators from Eastern Command Child Protection Operations arrested the first Operation Arkstone offender in February 2020, following a report to the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) from the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Information provided by alleged offenders, as well as investigations conducted by the AFP and its partners throughout Operation Arkstone, identified links through online forums and messaging applications to alleged child sex offenders residing in Europe, Asia, United States, Canada and New Zealand, with 146 international referrals made.

Investigations into this network of child abuse are continuing.

The ACCCE is committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and is at the centre of a collaborative national approach to combatting organised child abuse.

The Centre brings together specialist expertise and skills in a central hub, supporting investigations into child sexual abuse and developing prevention strategies focused on creating a safer online environment.

Members of the public who have any information about people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to call Crime stoppers on 1800 333 000.

You can also make a report online by alerting the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation via the Report Abuse button at www.accce.gov.au/report.

http://www.accce.gov.au/report

If you or someone you know are impacted by child sexual abuse and online exploitation there are support services available, visit to learn more www.accce.gov.au/support

http://www.accce.gov.au/help-and-support/who-can-help

Advice and support for parents and carers about how they can help protection children online can be found at ThinkUKnow, an AFP-led education program designed to prevent online child sexual exploitation: www.thinkuknow.org.au

http://www.thinkuknow.org.au/

EDITORS NOTE: Media are reminded of their obligations under s15A of the Children (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987 (NSW) and s105 of the Children and Young Person (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW).

Note to media:

Use of term ‘CHILD ABUSE’ MATERIAL NOT ‘CHILD PORNOGRAPHY’

The correct legal term is Child Abuse Material – the move to this wording was among amendments to Commonwealth legislation in 2019 to more accurately reflect the gravity of the crimes and the harm inflicted on victims.

Use of the phrase "child pornography" is inaccurate and benefits child sex abusers because it:

• indicates legitimacy and compliance on the part of the victim and therefore legality on the part of the abuser; and

• conjures images of children posing in 'provocative' positions, rather than suffering horrific abuse.

Every photograph or video captures an actual situation where a child has been abused.

Editor’s Note: Vision of the arrest and current Operation Arkstone infographic are available via hightail - https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/bY5kmitgZj

https://www.afp.gov.au/news-media/media-releases/operation-arkstone-sydney-man-arrested-soliciting-child-abuse-material

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2e5617  No.14614385

File: a172c5dd8b82e35⋯.jpg (108.59 KB, 976x549, 16:9, _120589192_qanonfamilies_c….jpg)

The moment QAnon took the person I love most

Ashitha Nagesh - 18 September 2021

1/4

It has been four years since online posts claiming to be from a self-styled government insider, known as Q, first appeared making extreme assertions about those at the very top of US power and society. It spawned a far-reaching conspiracy theory that has torn families and friendships apart.

It was January 2021 when Nicole's 14-year-old son took her to a hospital emergency room. Hours earlier, Nicole had been driving out of her small hometown in Kansas when she started having palpitations, and her arm and face went numb. "I thought I was having a heart attack."

Nicole had experienced a panic attack after 10 months of watching her mother disappear into her phone screen, and a world of conspiracy theories. Specifically, QAnon - an expansive movement that has inspired protests, split families and continues to find new followers online.

Doctors at the hospital told Nicole that they knew what she was going through. They, too, had heard about QAnon, as it had swept through the small towns in her state.

QAnon is a wide-ranging, completely unfounded theory that former US President Donald Trump is waging a secret war against elite Satan-worshipping paedophiles in government, business and the media.

The conspiracy movement emerged on the online message board 4Chan in 2017, when posts appeared attributed to someone claiming to be a government insider with top-secret "Q" level security clearance. Using the pseudonym "Q", they claimed to be leaking classified information online.

Many QAnon followers believe that the inauguration of President Joe Biden was faked, and that Mr Trump will soon be reinstated as leader. In the age of Covid, some followers also believe that vaccines are being developed by the wealthy to control the minds of the masses.

Believers think these secrets will one day be revealed to the wider public and lead to a day of reckoning, ending with the arrest and execution of prominent people like former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

To Nicole, QAnon is completely ludicrous. But to her mother, the theories were hard facts, and by refusing to believe that, her daughter was choosing to side with an evil "cabal" over her. Though they had not been close when she was young, they had come to have a warm relationship in recent years, after Nicole had children.

"She made a wonderful grandma," Nicole said. "She was so supportive. I would have a mental breakdown with the kid crying all night, and she would be like, 'just come here for a couple of weeks' - and she would be right there helping me with them."

When Nicole started studying at university as a mature student, her mother would brag to her friends about how proud she was. It was the relationship Nicole had grown up wanting with her mum. Then last year, Nicole's mother watched a film called Out of Shadows, which accuses the media of widespread manipulation.

"And that was it. She was instantly into this QAnon world."

Nicole initially tried to humour her mother's new beliefs. When she'd send her an article and ask her what she thought, Nicole would read it and try to refute it in a respectful way. Though she thought the articles she was being sent were "out there", with their claims about fake news and media manipulation, she didn't realise exactly what her mother was getting sucked into.

Then one day last year, her mum sent her an article with a list of more than 100 celebrities who opposed then-president Trump. These celebrities, the article claimed, were going to get arrested and executed on live TV.

"I was like, why would you want this? Why would you even want to see this?" Nicole said.

Nicole's mother replied that the celebrities listed, like Beyonce and Ellen Degeneres, harvest children's blood for youth and energy. "That's when I knew she was in a cult. A death cult."

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14614386

File: 4089fd93e59ab89⋯.jpg (65.2 KB, 976x549, 16:9, _120589188_qanonfamilies_c….jpg)

>>14614385

2/4

Why people get lost in conspiracies

Though support for QAnon is hard to measure, as many as one in five Americans said they believed in some of its tenets, according to a recent poll from the Public Religion Research Institute.

People of all different backgrounds can get drawn into conspiracy theories, but experts say the thing they have in common is that they are often looking to fill a void in their lives.

"Conspiracy theories tend to be particularly prominent in times of crisis," said Prof Karen Douglas, a social psychologist at the University of Kent who specialises in the psychology of conspiracy theories.

"People are looking for explanations that help them cope with difficult situations when there is a lot of uncertainty and contradictory information. They might also be looking for simple answers that make them feel better, and conspiracy theories might seem to offer those simple answers."

People turn to these theories "when important psychological needs are unsatisfied or frustrated". They may need to feel like they are knowledgeable or the theories might give them a feeling of safety and security, she said.

Studies by political scientists have also found similarities between how political communities and conspiracy theories operate. For example, Republicans in the US are more likely to believe conspiracy theories about the government when a Democrat is president, and vice versa. QAnon is slightly different, in that it is a right-wing conspiracy theory that flourished under a Republican president.

For loved ones watching this happen from the outside, it can be devastating.

"People often contact me to talk about family members they have 'lost' to conspiracy theories," Prof Douglas said. "They often ask me what they can do to 'find' their friend or loved one again".

'He thinks there's a government tracker in the vaccine'

Sometimes people also fall into these theories for social reasons, like looking to replace a lost sense of community.

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, which pushed billions of people across the world into isolation, a new strand of conspiracy theories was born - those that claimed the virus was a hoax, and that vaccines were developed to enable the powerful to control the minds of the masses.

For Lauren*, her parents' obsession with QAnon has meant that they won't be coming to her wedding this year.

"I grew up very religious, my parents are evangelical Christians and they adhere to that quite a bit," Lauren told the BBC. "They later deviated from the religious aspect, but they still wanted that sense of community - and then they found it elsewhere."In 2016, Lauren's dad became engrossed in "Pizzagate" - a viral conspiracy theory claiming that Hillary Clinton was running a child abuse ring based in the basement of a specific pizza parlour in Washington DC. The theory led to a man firing a rifle inside the restaurant in December 2016.

Now Lauren's father believes Covid vaccines are "government trackers that are going to kill us all". Lauren's fiancé is immuno-compromised, so she wanted everyone at the service to have been vaccinated. She knew this was a tough conversation she would have to have with her parents.

"I talked to my mom about it… my mom is just more uninformed, and I think she's more amenable." She hoped that her parents would be willing to compromise, and wouldn't miss what would be one of the most important days of their daughter's life. But her hopes were dashed.

Her mother told her: "I understand where you're coming from, but we're not getting vaccinated."

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14614391

File: 17de9ee10a9d9e8⋯.jpg (58.49 KB, 976x549, 16:9, _120589190_qanonfamilies_c….jpg)

>>14614386

3/4

An attack on the Capitol

On the morning of 6 January, Nicole noticed a cryptic Facebook post from her mum. She had no idea what it was referring to, but for some reason it made her feel uneasy. Unlike her mother's usual long, rambling posts, this one was only one sentence: "Wait for the show." It was followed by bomb emojis.

Later that day, Nicole saw on the news that a crowd of pro-Trump rioters were storming the Capitol in Washington DC. It was one of the most shocking things she'd ever seen.

"Did she know something?" Nicole wondered. "I'm looking back, and… did she know something from her groups, that something was going to happen?"

Some 500 suspects have been arrested for the riot in January, and most have been charged with entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds. There is now an ongoing House select committee investigation into what happened that day.

According to recent reports, an expanded inquiry is going to look at whether Donald Trump's White House was involved in planning or had advanced knowledge of the riot.

'The moment I knew my best friend was gone'

When they were teenagers growing up in Pensacola, Florida, Will and Zak were inseparable. "I would consider Zak my best friend," Will Phillips, now in his 30s, told the BBC. He even spent time living with Zak when his own parents were fighting. "I have a bond that's almost beyond words with this guy."

The two remained close into adulthood, but around the time of the 2016 presidential election, Zak started sending cryptic messages in their group chats - things like, "You should take a red pill - do you want to take a red pill?" - which made no sense to Will at all.

Politically, Will considered them both quite liberal. But after Trump won the 2016 election, Will noticed that Zak and another friend, Jimmy, became, as he put it, "a little bit more unwound".

"It became sort of a joke among our group of friends that their opinions were sort of extreme - but we didn't take it that seriously," he said. But it was soon hard to ignore that their views were increasingly becoming not just eccentric, but sinister.

"They scare the hell out of me now," Will said.

Things really took a turn in 2020, when an already bitterly divided nation faced a new virus that was bringing the world to its knees. The Covid-19 pandemic caused the world's worst economic downturn since the Great Depression of 1929, and for much of the year the US was the epicentre.

At the same time, the presidential election campaign polarised the nation even further - and after Trump lost the election to Democrat Joe Biden in November he accused his opponent, without evidence, of stealing the presidency.

A legal battle ensued, but Trump's case was thrown out by courts in multiple states.

Shortly after the election, Will and Zak got into an argument about its results.

Zak argued that it had been stolen from Trump and deluged Will with messages claiming that Trump would be reinstated as the rightful president and saying there was "evidence" that a Satanic cabal was keeping him out of office. He even brought up "Pizzagate".

"Zak still believes there are children in that basement, you know," Will said.

He argued back but the more he resisted, the more intense Zak's messages became. "He was insulting me and telling me I'm a liar, that I'm 'spoon-feeding this country into a communist regime' - I don't even know what that means!"

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14614397

File: 4ec4b86f383239e⋯.jpg (102.62 KB, 976x549, 16:9, QAnon_took_over_Jitarth_s_….jpg)

>>14614391

4/4

When Will told Zak he had voted for Joe Biden, and that calling for Trump to remain president was "disenfranchising" his vote, Zak called him a traitor.

"It honestly felt like a gut punch - like my mother or my father had told me that," Will said. "We grew up together, we saw our parents go through divorces, we were in poverty together… and now he's telling me that I'm a traitor."

Will and Zak no longer speak. He reflected on the last year of their friendship: "Maybe that's why I kept entertaining what he was saying, just to see if there was anything salvageable from this."

Will also disclosed that his former friend Jimmy was seen on video taking part in the Capitol Riot.

"I watched it - and it's the most incriminating damn thing I've ever seen," Will said. He gave the video to the FBI.

'I bring the victims of QAnon together'

Jitarth Jadeja, a 33-year-old from Sydney, Australia, spent 18 months engrossed in QAnon theories. It was all he thought about, all he would read - and eventually he was unable to hold a conversation with anyone, even his closest family, that wasn't about QAnon.

That is until one day, in June 2019, he "essentially rebooted".

At the time he had started a course of treatment for a previously-undiagnosed mental health condition, and his perspective was becoming clearer.

"I was sitting in front of my computer… and I thought, 'What do I do now… I was wrong. That's the fundamental thing, I was wrong.'"

As his health improved and he became more used to life post-QAnon, he reflected on what a devastating effect the past 18 months had had on his family. He posted about his experiences on Reddit - "it just sort of spilled out, all my feelings and emotions". He expected to be "ripped apart" but, he said, "the complete opposite happened".

"It was like these guys gave me permission on behalf of society, like, 'you messed up, it's OK, you're human'. They put me back together again, and gave me permission to retain some dignity and self-respect. If they hadn't done that, I don't know what would've happened - I wouldn't be here."

About a month later he found out about a new forum on Reddit to help support people whose loved ones had been radicalised by QAnon. He joined, and started posting about his experiences on there. According to Jitarth there were only about 400 users when he joined two years ago. Now, there are more than 180,000.

After a while, because of all the help and support Jitarth had given people on the forum, he was made a moderator - a role he still holds. Above everything else, he wants to give people on there hope that their loved ones will, like him, become their normal selves again.

For Nicole, however, that hope is thin.

"I never knew my own dad, so the only person who was actually present in my life, no longer is. I'm going through the mourning process of losing my mom before she's actually passed away. And I just don't see myself having her in my life and feeling safe right now," she said.

"I just want it out there that this is not something to take lightly. Even the people you think are there for you and love you can instantly - I don't know how it's done - snap."

*Some names have been changed

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57369349

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2e5617  No.14614522

File: f68a8ad14936eeb⋯.jpg (442.28 KB, 825x1055, 165:211, GPMN_1.jpg)

File: cb6a49aac148ba4⋯.jpg (374.63 KB, 1833x1498, 1833:1498, E_hKEyYWQAgttDl.jpg)

General Paul M. Nakasone Tweet

Yesterday, I had the honor of welcoming Australia’s Minister for Defence, @PeterDutton_MP. Strategic partnerships and alliances are a key element to our mutual success.

https://twitter.com/CYBERCOM_DIRNSA/status/1438982786208174080

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2e5617  No.14616878

File: 5a774394f25798a⋯.jpg (135.14 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Only_in_the_past_few_month….jpg)

File: b596ca60fa655a4⋯.jpg (328.74 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, The_P4_laboratory_centre_l….jpg)

File: 3e94c4b9712fb56⋯.jpg (101.49 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Donald_Trump_says_it_sound….jpg)

Donald Trump blames Anthony Fauci for staying silent over Wuhan laboratory funding

SHARRI MARKSON - SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

1/2

Donald Trump has accused his former top medical adviser Anthony Fauci of staying silent in Oval Office meetings at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic about the risky research under way at the Wuhan Institute of Virology his agency had funded.

In a Sky News documentary to air on Monday night, the former US president said he would grade Fauci “D” as a doctor and said it was “ridiculous” he funded coronavirus research in Wuhan at the lab where he believes Covid-19 leaked to spark the pandemic.

“They were even making payments for certain kinds of research. Certain payments and I ended that, I stopped that when we found out about that,” Mr Trump says in his first Australian interview since becoming president in 2016.

“He (Fauci) was doing that during the Obama years and when I found out about it, I said: ‘Can you imagine that the United States is making payments to a Chinese lab?’ Just that on its face didn’t make sense, but I stopped that.

“It sounded so ridiculous to me that we were giving money to China and especially when I heard it was going to the lab, and we ended it quickly.”

The former president makes the allegations against Fauci, his former top medical adviser on the coronavirus, in the documentary, based on the new book, What Really Happened in Wuhan. Mr Trump makes bombshell claims about some of the intelligence he saw that convinced him the virus escaped from a Wuhan laboratory.

He also speaks about China’s cover-up of Covid-19 and the World Health Organisation’s culpability for the global spread of the virus, as director general Tedros Adhanom repeated Beijing’s denials Covid-19 was capable of human-to-human transmission.

As Mr Trump’s top medical adviser on the coronavirus, Dr Fauci was in his inner sanctum and present for every meeting on the virus as it started to spread globally.

Mr Trump said Dr Fauci never once told him the Wuhan Institute of Virology was genetically manipulating coronaviruses.

“Well, no he didn’t,” Mr Trump said. “Anthony’s been in government for many, many years, is a bureaucratic kind of a guy, a very great promoter. I give him an A-plus as a promoter and probably a C or a D as a doctor or a scientist.”

As he shielded the president from the fact America had been funding coronavirus research in Wuhan, Dr Fauci publicly insisted Covid-19 came from an animal.

Only in the past few months has Dr Fauci acknowledged the possibility Covid-19 may have originated at the Wuhan institute, although he now claims he always had an open mind.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14616885

File: dc5ec99860b9513⋯.jpg (147.66 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, What_Really_Happened_in_Wu….jpg)

File: ce6024226ffaa34⋯.jpg (117.48 KB, 768x1024, 3:4, What_Really_Happened_in_Wu….jpg)

>>14616878

2/2

A probe ordered by President Joe Biden found human contact with an infected animal and a laboratory leak were plausible explanations for the origins of the virus. The US intelligence community remains divided on which is the more likely explanation for the pandemic.

In further comments not in the documentary, Mr Trump even accuses Mr Biden of potentially playing a role in funnelling money through to China for bat research.

“I didn’t like the idea that we were funding China for anything and that’s basically why I cut it off,” Mr Trump says.

“This was started with Obama and I guess you could say Obama/Biden, but perhaps Biden didn’t really figure out what was happening. Who knows? But this was during the Obama administration.”

Mr Trump refuses to accept any responsibility for the ban on gain of function research, introduced in the Obama administration, was lifted under his watch.

Dr Fauci has admitted he funded coronavirus research in China to avoid an outbreak in the US.

“It was incumbent upon us to study the animal human interface and to understand what potential these viruses have of infecting humans which then might damage the United States,” Dr Fauci has said. “So you don’t want to go to Hoboken New Jersey of Fairfax Virginia to study the bat human interface that might lead to an outbreak, so you go to China.”

The research was undertaken at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, mostly under the direction of virologist Shi Zhengli. The US had no oversight of the activities in the laboratory and there was no transparency or accountability for how the funds were spent.

The laboratory has still not made its virus database accessible to health authorities or foreign governments after taking it offline on September 12, 2019.

The Wuhan Institute of Virology was built with the French government and was meant to be a centre of co-operation.

But from the moment it opened, the French were immediately kicked out. This raised concerns bioweapon research would be conducted at the new BSL-4 laboratory.

In 2015, Israeli bioweapons expert Dany Shoham analysed of China’s bioweapons research facilities and specifically named the Wuhan Institute of Virology as a site of concern.

The US government was aware of safety concerns about the Wuhan laboratory from the American officials who visited it in 2017 and 2018. They said there were serious biosafety concerns, a lack of trained technicians and concerns about the type of coronavirus research they were doing to make it more infectious to humans.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/donald-trump-blames-anthony-fauci-for-staying-silent-over-wuhan-laboratory-funding/news-story/c8cf1143cdd966578042f9e549d065b0

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2e5617  No.14621022

File: 5e1571ce14cd5a1⋯.jpg (155.94 KB, 1200x800, 3:2, A_woman_wearing_a_protecti….jpg)

>>14404403

Sydney COVID-19 cases fall as curbs ease in virus hotspots

Renju Jose - September 20, 2021

SYDNEY, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Australia's New South Wales (NSW) state on Monday reported its lowest rise in daily COVID-19 cases in more than three weeks as some lockdown restrictions were eased in Sydney, the state capital, amid higher vaccination levels.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said 935 new cases had been detected in the state, the lowest daily tally since Aug. 27, and down from 1,083 on Sunday. The state reported four more deaths.

"We're feeling more positive than we have in a couple of weeks … but I don't want any of us to sit back and think the worst is behind us," Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney, warning of more deaths in the days ahead.

"Because we have seen the accumulation of so many cases, we know that October is going to be very challenging for our hospital system."

Nearly half of Australia's 25 million people is in lockdown after the Delta variant spread rapidly in Sydney and Melbourne, its largest cities, forcing officials there to abandon a COVID-zero target and shift to rapid vaccinations to ease curbs.

As the vaccine rollout gathers speed, with 53% of NSW's adult population fully vaccinated, some restrictions were relaxed on Monday in 12 of the worst-hit suburbs in Sydney's west. Time limits for outdoor exercise were lifted, while fully vaccinated people can gather outside in groups of five.

Neighbouring Victoria state, which includes Melbourne, logged one new death and 567 new infections, its biggest daily rise this year, a day after revealing its roadmap back to freedom when vaccinations reach 70%, expected around Oct. 26.

So far, 44% of people in the state have been fully vaccinated, below the national average of 47%.

Meanwhile, several workers protested outside a union office in Melbourne against Victoria's mandatory vaccination rule in the construction sector, local media reported.

The New Zealand Breakers basketball team, which play in Australia's National Basketball League, released guard Tai Webster on Monday after he decided not to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Australia has largely lived in COVID-zero for much of the pandemic, recording 1,167 deaths and some 87,000 cases. About 56,000 cases have been registered since mid-June when the first Delta infection was detected in Sydney.

While NSW and Victoria bear the brunt of the Delta outbreak, most other states with little or no community transmission fear opening up too soon could overwhelm their hospital systems.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/covid-19-cases-jump-australias-victoria-curbs-ease-sydney-hotspots-2021-09-19/

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2e5617  No.14621067

File: 3cb16f50f6be9c0⋯.jpg (560.9 KB, 3495x2330, 3:2, North_Korean_leader_Kim_Jo….jpg)

File: 2c299d944df145e⋯.jpg (597.35 KB, 3500x2325, 140:93, People_watch_a_TV_broadcas….jpg)

>>14592776

North Korea says Australia’s submarine deal could trigger ‘nuclear arms race’

Rachel Pannett - 20 September 2021

North Korea on Monday condemned a new defense partnership between the United States, Australia and Britain and a plan to share nuclear submarine technology with Australia, saying the deal could trigger a nuclear arms race and upset the balance in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Biden administration announced the three-nation pact, called AUKUS, last Wednesday. The surprise decision to share sensitive nuclear submarine technology with Australia has already prompted a swift backlash from China — the apparent target of the pact — and set off a diplomatic spat with France by scuttling an earlier deal in which Australia would have purchased 12 French diesel-powered submarines.

“These are extremely undesirable and dangerous acts which will upset the strategic balance in the Asia-Pacific region and trigger off a chain of nuclear arms race,” North Korean state news media Korean Central News Agency quoted a foreign ministry official as saying. “It is quite natural that neighboring countries including China condemned these actions as irresponsible ones of destroying the peace and stability of the region and the international nuclear nonproliferation system and of catalyzing the arms race,” the official added.

The North Korean condemnation comes just days after Pyongyang test-fired a pair of ballistic missiles and a new long-range cruise missile, stoking tensions in the first public testing activity in months amid a prolonged deadlock in nuclear talks with Washington. North Korea has so far not responded to outreach efforts by the Biden administration.

State media reported that North Korea developed the cruise missiles over two years, fulfilling key defense goals set by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un — a claim that hinted at the possible nuclear capability of the missiles. KCNA described the missiles as a “strategic weapon of great significance.”

South and North Korea have both been developing increasingly sophisticated weapons amid stalled efforts to ease tension on the peninsula. South Korea tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile last Wednesday. In a commentary published by state media on Monday, the chief of a North Korean military think tank, Jang Chang Ha, derided the South’s effort as “clumsy.”

In a statement on its defense plans last week, South Korea said that “the military will work to ensure security and peace on the Korean Peninsula by achieving powerful deterrence capabilities through the development of missiles that are stronger, and can go further and with more precision.”

Responding to news of the trilateral security pact on Monday, the unnamed North Korean ministry official described the United States as “the chief culprit toppling the international nuclear nonproliferation system,” adding that its “double-dealing attitude” was threatening “world peace and stability.”

The official said that North Korea will “certainly take a corresponding counteraction in case it has even a little adverse impact on the security of our country.”

Australia said last week it has “no plans to acquire nuclear weapons” and that the submarine proposal will “remain consistent with Australia’s long-standing commitment to nuclear nonproliferation” — a global stance Prime Minister Scott Morrison said all three nations are committed to upholding.

Nuclear-powered submarines have a longer range, and they can travel underwater at a higher sustained speed, than their diesel-electric-powered equivalents. That could offer advantages in a head-to-head confrontation with the Chinese military, which has significantly grown its navy in recent years and plans to expand its fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/09/20/north-korea-submarine-nuclear-aukus/

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2e5617  No.14621075

File: 68eb23e643233fa⋯.jpg (57.51 KB, 1024x576, 16:9, Prime_Minister_Scott_Morri….jpg)

>>14576908

PM heads to US for Quad leaders' summit

Paul Osborne and Matt Coughlan - 20 September 2021

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has departed for the United States for a series of meetings culminating in the first face-to-face Quad leaders' summit.

The White House meeting of the leaders of the US, Australia, India and Japan comes as senior Morrison government figures and defence officials warn of a "deteriorating strategic environment" in the Indo-Pacific region.

A more assertive China flexing its diplomatic, trade and military muscle is a key driving force behind the Quad.

Mr Morrison will also meet with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Washington, after last week announcing a security pact between Australia, the UK and US known as AUKUS.

The prime minister said the trip was about keeping Australians safe.

"This is always about ensuring that Australia's sovereign interests will be put first to ensure that Australians here can live peacefully with the many others in our region," he said at Sydney Airport on Monday.

"That's what we desire as a peaceful and free nation."

The AUKUS agreement brought with it a deal to build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines to replace Australia's Collins-class vessels.

Mr Morrison said the government lifting defence spending to two per cent of gross domestic product sent a clear message.

"Australia will always look to others, but we will never have to leave it to others," he said.

"We'll be able to sit at the table with our partners and our friends to create a more secure and more stable world, particularly here in the Indo-Pacific."

It is expected the Quad leaders, who met virtually in March, will announce partnerships in the areas of COVID-19 vaccines production and supply, climate, and critical and emerging technologies.

There are fears China is using vaccine supply as a strategic tool in winning over governments in the region.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne, who was in Washington for ministerial talks last week, said nations struggling with the pandemic's impact on health and their economies needed confidence "there are options available".

"We are guided by the priorities of our partner countries as we support them in their recovery from COVID-19 through enhanced access to vaccines and strengthened health security infrastructure," she said.

"Our question is 'what do you need?' Not 'how can you serve our strategic interests?'."

The Quad leaders are expected to agree on further areas of cooperation to be worked on over the coming year.

Mr Morrison will address the United Nations General Assembly, but rather than travelling to New York it will be a prerecorded virtual speech.

In his first White House meeting with Joe Biden, the prime minister is expected to discuss regional security and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Morrison is not expected to make any announcements on climate policy, as he and other leaders prepare for the COP26 talks in Glasgow in November.

https://thewest.com.au/politics/pm-heads-to-us-for-quad-leaders-summit-c-4010711

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2e5617  No.14621087

File: 69c0f0af7f1c996⋯.jpg (367.63 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, AUKUS_gives_Canberra_speci….jpg)

>>14592776

>>14621075

AUKUS gives Canberra special treatment, a psychological blow for Japan, India as Quad members

Yang Xiyu - Sep 18, 2021

The US, the UK and Australia on Wednesday announced that they will form an enhanced trilateral security partnership called AUKUS. It seems that Australia, as a member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, also known as the Quad, has won some "special treatment" from Washington compared with the other two members of the Quad - Japan and India. On September 24, US President Joe Biden will host the Quad Leaders Summit at the White House.

AUKUS will have a huge psychological impact on Japan and India. The establishment of AUKUS shows that although the three countries are all under the Quad framework, the US' position toward Australia is very different from that toward Japan and India.

First of all, Australia is the hub of the US Indo-Pacific Strategy, with the Indian Ocean to its west and the Pacific Ocean to its east. The US has many military bases and allies in the Northern Hemisphere, but its global strategic alliance network in the Southern Hemisphere seems to be relatively weak.

AUKUS will support Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines and enabling its patrol of nuclear-powered submarines in the Indo-Pacific region. This time, the US has taken advantage of AUKUS and the close US-UK alliance to further strengthen Australia's political advantage in the US alliance network. Neither India nor Japan has such geopolitical competitiveness.

The US has been trying to rope in India. Washington's main purpose is to extend its Asia-Pacific strategy westward to the Indian Ocean. However, India is interested in its Act East policy. Although Washington and New Delhi may have common interests, the two sides still have significant differences as well.

Although India has closely followed the US strategically in recent years, it seems that the US has repeatedly disappointed India. Some Indian people have started to question whether the US will unconditionally support India in a critical moment. This being the case, India will not completely turn to the US side like Australia. Washington and New Delhi have different political needs. After all, India does not want to become another ally of the US. It has bigger ambitions - it even wants to become "another US."

As for Japan, its alliance with the US can be an advantage. However, Japan's domestic political and legal conditions do not meet the US' needs. After the end of WWII, Japan adopted a non-nuclear weapon policy - a policy popularly articulated as the Three Non-Nuclear Principles of non-possession, non-production, and non-introduction of nuclear weapons.

As AUKUS will share core technology and intelligence, some analysts believe that the US may focus on helping Australia develop its military strength and make it a US "guard dog" in Asia. Although Japan has always dreamed of winning this title, it lacks the practical conditions and the US does not have such a will.

AUKUS will definitely affect the strategic choices of Japan and India. Japan, India and Australia were nominally equal partners of the US under the Quad framework. But suddenly, the US offered special treatment to Australia. This is a blow for India and Japan, although the two countries shouldn't have expected Washington to share sensitive core technologies with them.

By launching AUKUS, the US aims at building a more solid and broad foundation for its Indo-Pacific Strategy. According to the US' vision, AUKUS and the Quad should complement each other. Washington wants to rope in its allies from both the Eastern and Western hemispheres into the Indo-Pacific Strategy.

But this is only the US' wishful thinking. Objectively speaking, at least in the foreseeable future, the psychological blow of AUKUS on Japan and India will last for a period of time. The US administration has not reached a balance between its own interests and those of its allies and partners. AUKUS' negative impact on the Quad and the US itself will outweigh its positive impact.

The author is a senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1234602.shtml

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2e5617  No.14621097

File: a3b1345ae5cfc92⋯.jpg (51.85 KB, 800x600, 4:3, Ex_school_principal_Malka_….jpg)

>>14569132

Witness reluctant to make Leifer statement

Liz Hobday - SEPTEMBER 20 2021

An ex-school counsellor did not want to make a statement against former ultra-Orthodox school principal Malka Leifer because she thought she could be pursued for money, a court has heard.

Leifer, 55, is facing 74 charges of child sexual abuse involving three sisters during her time at Melbourne's Adass Israel School between 2004 and 2008.

On Monday former Adass Israel School counsellor Chana Rabinowitz gave evidence via videolink from Israel.

Under cross-examination, she agreed police had asked her to give a statement 10 years ago, but she had emailed them expressing reluctance.

"I am not sure I want to go on record and testify … I have been warned I could be sued," she told investigators, according to an email read in Melbourne Magistrates Court.

She said in the 2011 emails that she believed two of the alleged victims had made statements because they had been trying to get a victims of crime grant.

"I guess I am a bit suspect that when someone is in something for a possible payoff, then they might go to me to get money if they could," she emailed police.

Ms Rabinowitz testified that she did not remember the emails, but agreed that she had been warned not to go on the record, because the alleged victims might pursue her for money.

She did make a police statement in April 2021, acknowledging that it related to events from 13-15 years earlier, about which she did not have contemporaneous notes.

But she told the court she still had some old emails from the time from one of the alleged victims, that were "graphic and emotional," and "full of her personal anguish".

During her evidence, defence lawyer Ian Hill QC repeatedly warned Ms Rabinowitz that her husband should not prompt her about what to say to the court.

"You appreciate these are important matters and you are giving evidence on oath," he said.

Witnesses and Leifer, who is currently in Melbourne's women's prison, the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, are all appearing by video link.

The three sisters have previously given evidence in closed court.

Leifer's committal hearing will resume on Thursday.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7438374/witness-reluctant-to-make-leifer-statement/

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2e5617  No.14621125

File: 33e359b185c7ea7⋯.jpg (92.74 KB, 1279x719, 1279:719, James_Geoffrey_Griffin_kil….jpg)

>>14584551

Male nurse ‘sedated, raped’ girl: further allegations against James Geoffrey Griffin

MATTHEW DENHOLM - SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

The number of alleged victims of an accused Launceston paedophile male nurse has grown to four, with two new complaints, including an allegation of rape.

Two further writs and statements of claim were lodged in Tasmania’s Supreme Court on Friday, by two young women who allege they were abused by paediatric nurse James Geoffrey Griffin when they were teenagers.

One alleges Griffin – who killed himself in 2019 after being charged with multiple child sex offences – sedated and then raped her at the Launceston General Hospital.

Both women – aged 17 and 14 when the alleged abuse occurred – accuse the Tasmanian Health Service of failing to protect them and of failure to act on prior allegations against Griffin.

“This is another shocking example of the alleged abuse by Griffin, of young women who are vulnerable and defenceless,” said the women’s lawyer, Kim Price.

“Our clients, and many other young people, have suffered because the hospital has not done its job properly.”

Mr Price said more writs were expected, with Griffin accused of abusing multiple girls over a number of years.

One of the new complainants alleges Griffin abused and raped her at the LGH in 2011, when she was receiving treatment following an anaphylactic reaction.

“Griffin gave the plaintiff pain medication in the nature of sedatives until she was barely able to stay awake, then raped her while incapacitated in a private room at the hospital,” documents lodged with the court allege.

“Griffin helped the plaintiff into the bath, washed her back, head, hair, legs and then her chest area including her nipples, groping her breasts.

“He washed between her legs and stroked her genitals, separated her legs and digitally penetrated her, which caused extreme pain.”

Griffin continued “a consistent and predatory course of conduct” during the remainder of the then 17-year-old’s treatment, including cuddling her, touching her thigh and rubbing her arms and legs, and calling her pet names.

The Tasmanian Health Service is yet to lodge a response to the claims. Premier Peter Gutwein and Tasmania Police have both apologised for “shocking” failures to adequately investigate and deal with complaints against Griffin.

These are likely to be further highlighted by a state commission of inquiry into government agency failures in response to child sex abuse allegations.

“We continue to hear that numerous complaints were made to Launceston General Hospital about Griffin – patients, staff and parents were speaking out for years,” said Mr Price, of law firm Arnold, Thomas and Becker.

“Despite these complaints, we allege that Tasmanian Health Service failed to intervene and enabled Griffin to continue to work at the hospital and to use it as his hunting ground.”

The women are seeking damages and medical bills, in separate legal claims.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/male-nurse-sedated-raped-girl-further-allegations-against-james-geoffrey-griffin/news-story/49f25c40e8fce7df687d02b030ea2eb1

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2e5617  No.14621196

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

Construction workers protest outside Melbourne CFMEU office

9 News Australia

Sep 20, 2021

Riot police have been forced to step in to disperse hundreds of riled-up construction workers who gathered outside the CFMEU Melbourne office, protesting COVID-19 restrictions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWfEvGWEgJ8

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2e5617  No.14621199

File: a04428d1efd2e91⋯.jpg (167.79 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Police_and_protesters_face….jpg)

File: fc337e0561838b3⋯.jpg (162.66 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Police_keep_protesters_awa….jpg)

>>14621196

Construction industry to be shut down for two weeks after clashes at CFMEU

Ben Schneiders and Paul Sakkal - September 20, 2021

1/2

The construction industry in Victoria will be shut down for two weeks, The Age has confirmed.

Three industry and union stakeholders have been told the Andrews government will announce the closure on Monday night after a day of violent protests outside the CFMEU head office.

The union, builders and senior Andrews government officials has been locked in meetings on Monday evening to stop the building sector from grinding to a halt, with the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union threatening to walk off major projects if a compromise couldn’t be reached.

Earlier on Monday the CFMEU had demanded eight hours’ pay for six hours’ work as it fought against a ban on tea rooms and mandatory vaccinations in the industry. The six-hour proposal would include no breaks and was put forward by the union as a compromise position to keep working.

However, the proposal was rejected by most large builders and one industry source said it would significantly reduce output of workers at projects where some builders worked 12-hour shifts, which would add to time and cost blowouts on government projects.

The move also infuriated some building workers who walked off CBD sites angry at the lack of breaks and the union’s response to pandemic measures.

Over the course of Monday, hundreds of protesters rallied outside the CFMEU’s Elizabeth Street office. The crowd included a mix of construction workers, far-right activists and people opposed to COVID-19 vaccines.

The protests lasted much of Monday until the riot police arrived late in the day. Police used rubber bullets to disperse the protesters as they cordoned off Elizabeth Street to protect the CFMEU building.

People inside the CFMEU office had earlier fended off protesters with fire extinguishers. Police defended not arriving at the scene until late in the day stating that the “crowd grew increasingly hostile”.

The Age spoke to six of the hundreds of workers who stood opposite a line of police on Monday afternoon.

Each of them said the Andrews government decision to mandate vaccines for construction sector workers from September 23 was the reason they were attending the protest.

“You can’t make us take an experimental vaccine to keep doing our jobs,” one said.

Fluoro-clad protesters had earlier pelted the construction union office with plastic bottles, a plastic crate and smashed windows.

One flyer distributed to members said: “Our rights and conditions are under threat, there is a core group of members within union delegates and within members who believe this attack on our conditions and rights should not be allowed.”

“We will no longer sit in the dark, this is our union, our city and we will take it back if need be.”

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14621204

File: ea8070969f5d3e3⋯.jpg (228.03 KB, 959x638, 959:638, CFMEU_boss_John_Setka_talk….jpg)

>>14621199

2/2

The protests at the union office quickly grew on Monday, with attacks on both the union leadership and the state government.

Members threatened to burn their union tickets and directed abuse at CFMEU Victorian secretary John Setka, who addressed the crowd, but was shouted down and called the “bitch” of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.

“F-ck you Setka you rat,” one protester said. Others called the union leadership “f-cking dogs’, “f-ck you c-nts”.

Mr Setka said last week that while he and other industry leaders were “all for vaccination”, workers should have a choice.

However, under rules announced by Mr Andrews on Thursday, construction workers would need to be vaccinated if they want to keep working after outbreaks of COVID-19 on sites.

Workers in the industry will need to show evidence to their employer that they have had a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by 11.59pm on Thursday.

Union officials and construction sector employees have been frustrated at the lack of consultation with the Health Department before the government announced the new rules on lunch rooms and vaccinations.

Some of the more onerous rules the government initially imposed, including a ban on drinking water on site, were overturned in consultation with the sector over the weekend.

Mr Setka was flanked on Monday by senior officials Steve Balta and Derek Christopher.

After union officials retreated into the office with some representatives of the protesters, the pelting of the windows began and there was jostling between officials and workers.

Mr Setka condemned the attack.

“When they started throwing projectiles and missiles, smashing the union office windows and that, for me that was just absolutely disgusting, absolutely disgraceful,” he told radio station Triple J.

The ACTU in a statement condemned the attacks saying it was “orchestrated by violent right-wing extremists and anti-vaccination activists.”

The union in a statement said it had “fought tirelessly since the beginning of the pandemic to keep this industry open and safe, and this continues to be the priority of the union”.

When asked about the incident during Monday’s COVID-19 press conference, Mr Andrews said protests would not stop the virus.

“I would simply say the protests don’t work against this virus, protests are not smart, they’re not safe,” Mr Andrews said.

“I’ve got nothing but respect for people who do the building in our city and state, as a government we’ve employed and supported that industry, I think more than any other government in the history of the state,” he said.

“But what I will say is I reckon that there’ll be a whole bunch of people who are at home, because their industry is shut, and they’d be scratching their heads about why anyone would be protesting about being open.”

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/crisis-meetings-after-construction-workers-clash-at-cfmeu-headquarters-20210920-p58t96.html

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2e5617  No.14621222

File: cb024a2dc123e31⋯.jpg (95.69 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, Jareth_Thomas_Harries_Mark….jpg)

Babysitter charged with 194 child sex offences after advertising services online

Angie Raphael - September 20, 2021

A babysitter is facing almost 200 child sex charges that allegedly involve 12 complainants, including one who is just eight months old.

Jareth Thomas Harries-Markham, 23, was first charged in August with more than a dozen offences.

On Monday, West Australian police revealed he was now facing a total of 194 charges.

“It is alleged that the man advertised his services through an online babysitting service,” police said in a statement.

It is alleged the additional offences happened between July 2020 and August 2021 while Mr Harries-Markham was babysitting the complainants, who are aged between eight months and nine years.

Police previously said when they searched Mr Harries-Markham’s home in Bennett Springs they seized child exploitation material, as well as several gel blasters and “edged weapons”.

Mr Harries-Markham is facing charges including possessing child exploitation material, sexual penetration of a child, indecently recording and dealing with a child, and encouraging a child to engage in sexual behaviour.

He appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Monday and is due back in court on October 18.

The police investigation is ongoing and detectives urge anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers - 1800 333 000.

https://crimestoppers.com.au

https://www.news.com.au/national/courts-law/babysitter-charged-with-194-child-sex-offences-after-advertising-services-online/news-story/bb7e63c13225c2b546b9aec9d7a4d9f1

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2e5617  No.14621237

File: effabf2a410de7c⋯.jpg (85.21 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Sharri_Markson_during_her_….jpg)

File: 147513e8f550189⋯.jpg (79.31 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Trump_talks_during_the_one….jpg)

>>14616878

How I scored Covid scoop with Donald Trump

SHARRI MARKSON - SEPTEMBER 20, 2021

1/2

It was 6.30am on an April Saturday, hunched over my computer and on a call to Rudy Giuliani’s mistress when I realised how far down the rabbit hole I had gone to secure an interview with former US President Donald Trump.

Determined to speak to the former President in order to find out what intelligence convinced him Covid originated in a Wuhan laboratory, I was trying every possible avenue to get in contact. It wasn’t easy.

First I would need to secure an interview and then I would need to convince him to open up about classified intelligence.

I made an uncomfortable request of a great contact who put me in touch with Trump’s lawyer and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.

And so, early on April 19, Giuliani rang my mobile and agreed to touch base later that week.

“I’ll get my notes out too,” he said. “I have a bunch of notes on this.”

But five days later, Giuliani was only in the background and instead a woman called Dr Maria Ryan was on the phone. I Googled her as I said my hellos.

A New York Post article came up: “Rudy Giuliani interviews alleged mistress Maria Ryan on radio show.”

When she carefully spelled the name of batwoman Shi Zhengli, who I had reported on a year earlier, I took a deep breath.

Maria said she was in Mar-a-Lago: “You know, I happen to be seeing the President tonight for dinner.”

I asked if she could mention my book and documentary to the President. “I could do that very easily,” she said breezily.

Maria emailed me a few days later. The conversation at dinner, she said, had been dominated by the Arizona vote audit. My documentary and book had not come up.

I also tried Steve Bannon, Trump’s chief strategist in the White House during his first seven months in office.

He hosts a popular podcast, War Room Pandemic, which I’d been on a few times to speak about the scoops I’d broken in The Australian.

“I can get you Trump. Do you want him? Would you fly here?” Bannon texted. Perhaps he may have been able to secure Trump, but this wasn’t how the interview finally eventuated.

Amid these approaches, we also made a request through Trump’s media adviser. She then forwarded our pitch to Trump’s inner circle.

“What is everyone’s opinion on the interview request below? Do we want 45 to do this?” the adviser wrote.

45 is evidently how they refer to Mr Trump, the 45th President of the United States.

Jason Miller, the CEO of Gettr, a key player in Trump’s inner sanctum, replied: “Yes yes yes – she is HARD CORE. She’s interviewed me several times over the past two years, I’ve had her on the War Room, super ‘buzzy’ internationally, has been the top of the spear calling out the CCP. Love her work!!!”

And so it was decided. Just like that, Trump agreed to his first interview with an Australian media outlet since becoming President in 2016.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14621240

File: fd44ad35b774574⋯.jpg (51.78 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Sharri_Markson_host_of_Sky….jpg)

File: be26cccf4e8632f⋯.jpg (140 KB, 768x768, 1:1, What_Really_Happened_in_Wu….jpg)

>>14621237

2/2

When any Australian politicians do a television appearances, their media advisers always call to ask what topics will be discussed.

I was surprised when there was no demand made for questions or topics over the subsequent days and weeks.

And by the time Trump sat down for the interview, he seemed to forget what it was about.

“Thank you so much for making the time. This is the most important topic in the world right now, so we’re so grateful for your time,” I said.

“Are we talking Covid?” Trump ­replied.

“We’re talking the origins of the virus, what really happened in Wuhan,” I corrected.

Impressed at how many cameras we had for the Presidential set-up, Mr Trump said: “That’s a lot of shots now. You must have plenty of money, you do have plenty of money. Sky, right?”

And after some minutes spent trying to fit the too-small earpiece to Mr Trump’s ear before the President abandoned it entirely, fixing hairspray, camera grading and airconditioning, it was finally time to delve deep into what happened in Wuhan.

Relaxed with slightly messy hair, perhaps from a day on the golf course, Trump was conversational and ­candid.

He opened up on the World Health Organisation, Anthony Fauci, the cover-up not just in China but in America, as the media, scientific community and tech giants labelled a lab-escape as a conspiracy theory.

But most importantly he spoke about other information he had seen that indicated the virus may have leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Then, as I asked him about why he had lifted the ban on ‘gain of function’ research introduced by the Obama administration, Trump said he needed to go: “Because I’m really late.”

Just another couple of questions? He agreed. After that, his adviser stepped in and said: “Sharri, we’re going to have to leave it there. Sorry, because it took so long to set up we made it through our time.”

Knowing this opportunity was not going to come around again, and it had been hard enough to get here, I had to take every minute I could. I asked three more questions, as his media adviser huffed.

“Sharri, you asked for one last question,” his adviser reprimanded, as I asked one more – which Trump ­happily answered. He seemed to be enjoying the interview.

By now, Trump’s adviser was really losing his patience.

But then I decided to show Trump my book.

“Mr President. I would love to show you my book, if that’s OK, the book I’ve got coming out, What Really Happened in Wuhan.”

“Oh, I look forward to reading it,“ Trump said as he looked at the cover.

His media adviser was done.

“Just close the laptop,” he said, as he walked in front of the screen where my image was beaming into Trump and slammed it shut.

And that was my interview with the 45th President of America, Donald J. Trump. 45, as they call him.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/how-i-scored-covid-scoop-with-donald-trump/news-story/b8e6ee51e017d3716b5ee54b9ce48e83

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211256  No.14621312

>>14621196

You Go Melbourne. Everybody is watching your heroic action. Wish I was 40 years younger. Thanks for your Service. You give it to those swamp Creatures. Give those pigs a round house for the poor old lady. Stay Safe

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211256  No.14621314

Thank You Mr President

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211256  No.14621318

How can you put Peter Dutton you put front, open and honest in the same sentence!!!

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211256  No.14621324

Bet Ping had to wash his hands after touching this Pedo

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9ccfae  No.14625731

File: 9f5915a9b735ef2⋯.jpg (99.89 KB, 646x362, 323:181, BOOMINGFIGHT.jpg)

File: 91ab3a6aaf322a8⋯.jpg (103.37 KB, 411x546, 137:182, GIVE_EM_HELL.jpg)

File: 2f89c01648073e7⋯.jpg (134.38 KB, 869x457, 869:457, RIDE_WITH_U.jpg)

File: 8e1fa2992dcb6fd⋯.jpg (159 KB, 755x546, 755:546, THAT_WILL_DO_MR_PIG.jpg)

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9ccfae  No.14625734

File: 2e3a8d3bd90194d⋯.jpg (138.92 KB, 664x356, 166:89, FREE_UNDERGROUND_RR.jpg)

AMERICA IS WATCHING.

AMERICA SUPPORTS THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA.

WRWY

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9ccfae  No.14626022

File: 15d0c48dde7d46e⋯.jpg (184.94 KB, 806x504, 403:252, THE_ENEMY_NOW.jpg)

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2e5617  No.14627546

File: 931ecb77612cbf8⋯.jpg (1.01 MB, 825x2158, 825:2158, PD_12.jpg)

File: 1981a32da6addb1⋯.jpg (180.26 KB, 1600x1066, 800:533, E_tk1lQVUAQmIM0.jpg)

File: 05cb3f2ba6cb7c0⋯.jpg (404.2 KB, 1600x1066, 800:533, E_tj0zmVIAEjgWp.jpg)

File: 26d2f8a35caaf48⋯.jpg (117.16 KB, 1600x1066, 800:533, E_tj6TTVgAA1xOn.jpg)

Defence Minister Peter Dutton Tweets

Over two decades ago, Australia stood with our close friends and allies, the United States, as they suffered their most devastating terrorist attack when almost 3,000 innocent lives were taken.

https://twitter.com/PeterDutton_MP/status/1439855399646085121

On behalf of all Australians, I paid respect at the September 11 Memorial to those lives cut tragically short in the name of terror, including the brave first responders who risked their lives to save others.

https://twitter.com/PeterDutton_MP/status/1439855404528271367

We also honoured the ten Australian lives lost on that day.

We will never forget.

https://twitter.com/PeterDutton_MP/status/1439855409339133954

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2e5617  No.14627653

File: c9a5c9c14c27514⋯.jpg (137.18 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Donald_Trump_and_Anthony_F….jpg)

File: 8a51f88fde197de⋯.jpg (118.59 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Sharri_Markson_interviews_….jpg)

>>14616878

‘Dead bodies at Wuhan lab’: Donald Trump’s explosive revelation

SHARRI MARKSON - SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

1/2

Donald Trump has made the explosive claim that there were dead bodies dumped outside the Wuhan Institute of Virology, while the former US director of ­national intelligence says the first Chinese scientists to fall sick with Covid-19 are now missing.

Those allegations – aired in the Sky News Australia documentary What Really Happened in Wuhan – follow separate claims from former secretary of state Mike Pompeo that intelligence suggested the first incident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology may have occurred as early as July or August 2019 – five months before China admitted to the World Health Organisation there was an outbreak.

The Australian can also reveal that the Wuhan Institute of ­Virology purchased a coronavirus testing PCR machine on November 6, 2019 in a spending spree that also involved beefing up its security, replacing its air-ventilation system and buying a new air medical waste incinerator. The spending spree kicked off on September 12, 2019 – the very same day that the ­institute deleted its virus database containing the genetic sequences of 22,000 coronaviruses.

The PCR purchase is contained in tender documents that were virtually expunged from the internet and recovered by cyber security firm Internet 2.0 and China analyst Luke McWilliams during an investigation for the book What Really Happened in Wuhan, the basis for the documentary.

The book details how the Wuhan Institute of Virology issued a tender for a “fluorescence quantitative PCR instrument” on November 6, 2019, offering to pay up to $US52,000.

The winning bid, from Wuhan Bai Lei Zhen Biological Technology, came in under budget, at $US48,000, a mere two weeks after the tender was issued on the Hubei Guohua Tendering Consulting website. The last time a PCR machine had appeared in the tender data was 2017.

Also on September 12, the day the institute pulled its virus database offline, it put out a tender for security services worth about $US128,000.

On October 18, the Wuhan Institute of Virology put out a tender for a security-monitoring system. Ultimately, it spent more than half a million dollars on new security.

John Ratcliffe, who oversaw 18 agencies in his role as US director of national intelligence from 2020-21, described the PCR purchase as “highly significant” and said it was “another compelling piece of evidence” indicating the virus leaked from the institute.

In an interview for the Sky News Australia documentary, Mr Trump claimed he was presented with evidence that there were dead bodies outside the Wuhan laboratory. He was not able to ­verify this information.

“Well, I started hearing stories, that you have also, that there were lots of body bags outside of the lab,” he said. “I heard that a long time ago. And if they did in fact have body bags, that was one little indication, wasn’t it?”

Pressed on who told him about the body bags and whether it was sourced from intelligence agencies, Mr Trump said: “I don’t know where it came from, ask China … But you’re going to have to figure that out – and you will probably be able to do it, knowing you.”

Mr Pompeo said he was unable to speak publicly about Mr Trump’s claims bodies had been dumped outside the institute.

“I don’t want to talk about particular things presidents get the chance to talk about, things that some of the rest of us can’t,” he said. “But there was enormous, albeit indirect evidence, that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was the centre point for this.”

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14627661

File: ee83111c0e0eaa8⋯.jpg (321.22 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, The_P4_laboratory_building….jpg)

>>14627653

2/2

In the same answer, Mr Pompeo spoke about the US officials in Wuhan at the time who had awareness of the activities at the institute, indicating the US had eyes on the laboratory and perhaps would have been able to see if bodies had been dumped there.

“There were 14 American diplomats on the ground in Wuhan at this time for the duration of this. There were American officials on the ground who were watching and observing what was taking place inside of Wuhan,” he said.

“Now I hope one day that we’ll be able to get that information out more broadly, but as I come back to it, the cumulative evidence that one could see points singularly to the Wuhan Institute of Virology.” Mr Trump also said he was told a scientist at the laboratory was infected with Covid-19 and spread it to his girlfriend over lunch.

“A scientist walked out and had lunch outside in a park or something with the girlfriend and he had it and she had it,” he said.

“I think it was incompetence. I think it escaped from the lab through incompetence. And they also had some safety problems, as you know, at that lab.”

Mr Trump said this scientist was patient “zero or patient something else, but that’s one theory”.

He said it was his strong opinion that Covid-19 originated in the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

“Some of the intelligence is classified and I can’t talk about it but it most likely, and when I say most likely – like 95 per cent – came from the Wuhan lab,” he said. “I don’t know if they had bad thoughts or whether it was gross incompetence, but one way or the other it came out of Wuhan – it came from the Wuhan lab.”

Mr Ratcliffe said the intelligence indicated Wuhan Institute of Virology workers fell sick with Covid-19 in October 2019 – not November, as The Australian first reported in March this year.

He said the intelligence indicated they were the first cluster of the pandemic and some had now gone missing.

“What Mike Pompeo and I put out is people became sick at the lab in October and with symptoms that became entirely consistent with what most people have experienced around the world from Covid-19,” Mr Ratcliffe said.

Mr Pompeo said: “Based on everything I’ve seen, this was the first cluster.”

Asked if these sick scientists survived or died, Mr Ratcliffe said: “What I can say is that, from the ­intelligence perspective, we know that some of the people who were most involved – either infected, or reporting on, or whistleblowing on, or trying to get answers and journalists reporting on – have been difficult to track down later, at least from my time there.

“And so I think that’s consistent with what the Chinese Communist Party does. The status of those individuals and why they have disappeared, I really can’t comment on that,” he added.

Mr Ratcliffe also revealed that much of what scientists such as Anthony Fauci and EcoHealth ­Alliance president Peter Daszak was telling the US intelligence agencies proved to be incorrect.

“We looked at what certain scientists were saying, matching it with intelligence,” he said.

“And when it didn’t match up, we were questioning it. As we looked more closely at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, what a lot of scientists like Dr Fauci and Peter Daszak were saying was, ‘There’s no live bats there, there’s no gain of function research there, there’s no military there’. And we had intelligence telling us that all of those things were occurring there.”

The Australian first revealed that there were bats housed at the Wuhan Institute of Virology – contrary to claims that had been made by World Health Organisation ­investigators.

When asked whether there were defectors at the Wuhan Institute of Virology who had given classified information to United States intelligence agencies, Mr Trump said: “Yeah, I cannot talk about that … I won’t really be ­allowed to talk. I know that I want to.”

The former head of British spy agency MI6, Sir Richard Dearlove, said in the Sky documentary that he was advised not to get involved in this issue by senior figures in the British agencies.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/dead-bodies-at-wuhan-lab-donald-trumps-explosive-revelation/news-story/426d48e8c4d0a4c276eee9737927aa7d

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2e5617  No.14627675

File: 2078a7446f7e8cc⋯.jpg (118.95 KB, 862x485, 862:485, The_facility_is_aimed_at_b….jpg)

Construction tender awarded for $270m fuel storage facility at Darwin's East Arm to support US defence operations

Alicia Perera - 21 September 2021

A $270 million fuel storage facility will be built in Darwin over the next two years to support continued US defence operations in the Top End.

With a capacity of 300 million litres, the facility will be the largest fuel storage project in the Territory once built.

It will be built at East Arm at the Land Development Corporation's future Bulk Liquids Area site, neighbouring the existing 174-million litre Vopak fuel storage facility.

The US government's Defence Logistics Agency has awarded the construction tender for the facility to Florida-based logistics, government, marine and energy solutions company Crowley Government Services.

The project is expected to create about 400 jobs during construction and 20 ongoing roles.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the investment would further position the Northern Territory as a key hub for defence and national security projects.

"It means it's more likely we will receive funding from the Australian government for fuel storage here as well — it makes sense for them to do that," he said.

"It will probably also [lead to] additional demand as we see a lot more activity through our harbour, from many nations."

Crowley Solutions vice-president Sean Thomas said the company was honoured to win the contract.

"This latest contract award for fuel storage services in Darwin reinforces the 70 years of mateship between our nations," he said.

"We are grateful to be welcomed into the local community and look forward to connecting and working with the Northern Territory government, the Larrakia people and the commercial sector."

Land Development Corporation chief executive Tony Stubbin said construction of the facility would create more construction jobs and drive competition in Australia's fuel storage market.

The project is expected to start operation in late 2023.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-21/darwin-fuel-storage-facility-us-defence-construction-tender/100478894

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2e5617  No.14627685

File: fbf9c8c3975a7a1⋯.jpg (261.57 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Astute_class_submarine_HMS….jpg)

File: 82a19ca6f01554e⋯.jpg (147.31 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, HMS_Astute_arrives_at_it_s….jpg)

Britain’s nuclear submarines to use Australia as base for Indo-Pacific presence

LARISA BROWN - SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

Britain’s nuclear-powered submarines are to use Australia as a base so that they can have a more “persistent” presence in the Indo-Pacific region under plans discussed by ministers.

Senior government sources said that the AUKUS pact could lead to the Royal Navy’s 1.4 billion pound Astute-class attack submarines undergoing deep maintenance in the region so that they can stay deployed for longer rather than returning to the Faslane naval base in Scotland.

The plans would materialise once the Australians start building their own fleet of at least eight nuclear-powered submarines over the coming years with the help of the British and Americans.

A source said that the trilateral pact announced last week opened up opportunities for the UK, adding: “You’ve got another base … if you want to have more of a persistent presence you need access to maintenance.”

The Royal Navy has four Astute-class submarines, three still being built, and two of the older Trafalgar-class submarines. In addition there are four Vanguard-class submarines armed with Trident nuclear missiles.

James Peddell, a former defence technology attache in Washington with experience in submarine technology, said that a base in Australia could allow UK submarines with conventional weapons to have a permanent presence in the region and also enable cost-sharing between the allies.

Speaking as part of a panel on the Indo-Pacific organised by the risk firm Sibylline, he said that Australian and British submarines operating in the region could “bring the power of a submarine right up to the doorstep of China”.

He added: “You can bring it in closer, in a stealthy way. You can do intelligence and surveillance, you can project power … and give protection [to surface warships].”

The submarine deal, which was announced as part of the wider AUKUS pact between the UK, US and Australia, caused a diplomatic crisis with France, which had originally agreed to supply Australia with 12 diesel electric submarines.

After Australia tore up the deal in favour of AUKUS, France recalled its ambassadors from Australia and the US.

A meeting scheduled for this week between Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, and his French counterpart was cancelled.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/the-times/britains-nuclear-submarines-to-use-australia-as-base-for-indopacific-presence/news-story/f60bf82ff53f9a4cff9053a1e8ac1891

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2e5617  No.14627710

File: 627e54543b2d136⋯.jpg (107.72 KB, 1024x620, 256:155, Filipino_soldiers_stand_at….jpg)

>>14592776

Philippines supports Australia nuclear sub pact to counter China

Karen Lema - SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines is backing a new defence partnership between the United States, Britain and Australia, hoping it can maintain the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region, a view that contrasts sharply with some of its neighbours.

Known as AUKUS, the alliance will see Australia get technology to deploy nuclear-powered submarines as part of the agreement intended to respond to growing Chinese power.

“The enhancement of a near-abroad ally’s ability to project power should restore and keep the balance rather than destabilise it,” Philippines foreign minister, Teodoro Locsin, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Locsin's remarks, dated Sept. 19, differ to the stance of Indonesia and Malaysia, which sounded the alarm here about the nuclear power submarines amid a burgeoning superpower rivalry in Southeast Asia.

Locsin said that without an actual presence of nuclear weapons, the AUKUS move would not violate a 1995 treaty to keep nuclear arms out of Southeast Asia.

The South China Sea continues to be a source of tension, with the United States - a defence treaty partner of the Philippines - and Western allies regularly conducting “freedom of navigation” operations that China has reacted angrily to.

China sees those as outside interference in waters it claims as its own, in conflict with other coastal states, like the Philippines and Vietnam, which have accused China of harassing fishermen and energy activities.

A brief period of rapprochement is all but over this year, with the Philippines furious about the "threatening" presence of hundreds of Chinese "maritime militia" vessels inside its exclusive economic zone.

“Proximity breeds brevity in response time; thereby enhancing an ASEAN near friend and ally’s military capacity to respond to a threat to the region or challenge the status quo,” Locsin added, without specifying the threat.

“This requires enhancing Australia’s ability, added to that of its main military ally, to achieve that calibration.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-aukus-security-philippines/philippines-supports-australia-nuclear-sub-pact-to-counter-china-idUSKBN2GH0AD

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2e5617  No.14627743

File: e5d46d1a823e3ec⋯.jpg (117.68 KB, 1023x681, 341:227, French_President_Emmanuel_….jpg)

>>14592776

>>14606888

Australia PM says no opportunity for meeting with French president in New York

Colin Packham - SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday he will not speak with the French president at the United Nations this week even though French anger over cancellation of a $40 billion defence contract could threaten an Australian-EU trade deal.

Australia last week scrapped a deal with France’s Naval Group to build a fleet of conventional submarines and will instead build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines with U.S. and British technology after striking a trilateral security partnership with those two countries.

The cancellation of the deal has angered France, which accused both Australia and the United States of stabbing it in the back, and it recalled its ambassadors from both Canberra and Washington.

While U.S. President Joe Biden has sought to speak to French President Emmanuel Macron to ease tensions, Morrison said he would not hold a separate bilateral meeting with the French leader.

“There is not an opportunity for that at this time. I’m sure that opportunity will come in time,” Morrison told reporters in New York when asked if he would speak to Macron on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

European Union countries expressed solidarity with France on Monday in a show of unity seen as threatening Australia’s bid for a free trade deal with the bloc.

Australia and the EU are set to hold the next round of talks on a trade deal on Oct 12.

Australian Minister for Trade Dan Tehan on Monday said he expected those talks to go ahead as scheduled despite the French disappointment.

But Morrison sought to temper expectations that a deal will materialise. “It’s not an easy thing to do, to get an agreement with the European Union on trade, I think everyone understands that,” he said.

While Australia struggles to mend ties with Europe, the nuclear-powered submarines issue has also divided Canberra’s Asian allies and angered China and North Korea.

Indonesia and Malaysia have said Australia risks igniting an arms race, though the Philippines on Tuesday said it supported Canberra’s nuclear submarine deal as it would help bring stability to the region.

“The enhancement of a near-abroad ally’s ability to project power should restore and keep the balance rather than destabilise it,” Philippines Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin said in a statement.

Morrison will meet Biden and European leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York before travelling to Washington for a meeting of the quadrilateral security dialogue, made up of India, Japan, the United States and Australia - which convenes later this week.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-aukus-security/australia-pm-says-no-opportunity-for-meeting-with-french-president-in-new-york-idUSKBN2GH089

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2e5617  No.14627887

File: 6a390e605c6a62d⋯.png (606.55 KB, 960x632, 120:79, Britain_s_Prince_Andrew_le….png)

File: d8350a1c7361af5⋯.jpg (368.83 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0001.jpg)

File: e7d02ac52a556d8⋯.jpg (353.51 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0002.jpg)

File: 2461fa89cf88e05⋯.pdf (231.66 KB, 960x632, 120:79, gov_uscourts_nysd_564713_1….pdf)

>>14554611

Prince Andrew is served sexual assault lawsuit in United States

Jonathan Stempel - September 21, 2021

NEW YORK, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Britain's Prince Andrew has been served with a sexual assault lawsuit in the United States by lawyers for a woman who says she was forced to have sex with him at the London home of a friend of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, court papers show.

In a filing with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, lawyers for Virginia Giuffre said they sent the civil lawsuit to the prince's Los Angeles-based lawyer Andrew Brettler by email and FedEx, and both copies had been received by Monday morning.

Under federal rules, the Duke of York has 21 days to respond or could face a default judgment. Giuffre's lawyers previously said they also served Andrew, who is Queen Elizabeth's second son, in Britain.

Andrew and his lawyers have denied Giuffre's claims. The 61-year-old prince has not been charged with crimes. Giuffre's Aug. 9 lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

Brettler did not respond to a request for comment. There was no comment from the prince's London legal team.

Giuffre, 38, accused Andrew of forcing her to have sex when she was underage at the London home of Epstein's longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

She also said Andrew abused her at around the same time in Epstein's mansion in Manhattan and on Epstein's private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Epstein, a financier and registered sex offender, killed himself in a Manhattan jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Giuffre sued under New York's Child Victims Act, a 2019 law giving survivors of childhood sexual abuse a window to sue their alleged abusers over conduct that occurred many years or decades earlier. The deadline to sue has since passed.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who oversees Giuffre's lawsuit, has urged both sides not to dwell on "technicalities" and instead to focus on the case's substance.

"I can see a lot of legal fees being spent and time being expended and delay, which ultimately may not be terribly productive for anyone," Kaplan said at a Sept. 13 hearing.

Last week London's High Court said it would arrange for Andrew to be served if the parties failed to work out their own arrangement and gave the prince's lawyers a week to appeal that decision.

A source close to the Duke's lawyers said it was highly unlikely any challenge would be pursued now.

Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges she helped recruit and groom underage girls for Epstein to abuse. Her trial is Nov. 29.

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/prince-andrew-is-served-accusers-sexual-assault-lawsuit-united-states-lawyers-2021-09-21

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/60119368/giuffre-v-prince-andrew/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.564713/gov.uscourts.nysd.564713.18.0.pdf

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2e5617  No.14635183

File: f163de43bd7c061⋯.jpg (383.08 KB, 1010x1032, 505:516, Magnitude_5_9_earthquake_i….jpg)

File: 0931bd21a7306a8⋯.jpg (185.51 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Betty_s_Burgers_in_Chapel_….jpg)

File: 20264cdd2102332⋯.jpg (117.75 KB, 958x639, 958:639, A_damaged_building_on_Melb….jpg)

‘Chance of significant aftershocks’: Victoria hit by earthquake, warnings of more to come

Patrick Hatch, Simone Fox Koob and Dominic Powell - September 22, 2021

1/2

Victoria will be hit by aftershocks in coming weeks and months after a magnitude 5.9 earthquake caused building damage across Melbourne and was felt as far away as Canberra, Adelaide and Northern Tasmania.

Geoscience Australia said the epicentre of the earthquake was near Mansfield, about 180 kilometres north-east of Melbourne, at a depth of 10 kilometres, just after 9.15am – the largest on-land tremor ever recorded in Victoria.

A smaller tremor (magnitude 4.0 at a depth of 12 kilometres) was recorded about 15 minutes later, and a third (magnitude 3.1 at six kilometres) hit at 9.54am.

Victorian Deputy Premier James Merlino said advice from government agency Geoscience Australia was that there could be aftershocks and further earthquakes.

“Indeed, more aftershocks could occur for weeks if not months,” he said at a press conference.

Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp later said aftershocks would be felt for weeks and months after Wednesday morning’s quake, though it was unlikely they would equal or exceed the magnitude 5.9 tremor.

Authorities confirmed the shock from this morning’s quake lasted for a total of 30 to 40 seconds.

Victoria State Emergency Service chief officer Tim Wiebusch said there had been no injuries but 100 requests for assistance largely in relation to minor structural damage such as facade and chimney collapses.

By about 2.30pm on Wednesday, the emergency service had not seen any significant infrastructure damage but was continuing to assess the situation.

Mr Merlino earlier said most damage was minor and there were no reported injuries.

Betty’s Burgers in Chapel Street, Windsor, was one building that partly collapsed on Wednesday morning, leaving bricks and debris covering the footpath and road.

The restaurant’s managing director, Troy Mcdonagh, said nobody was inside when the earthquake hit, about an hour before employees were due to start work.

“The main message is the team were unhurt … no one walking past was hurt,” he said. “Now we are waiting for the damage to be assessed.”

Mr Wiebusch said any residents who suffered damage to their property because of the quake are permitted to get emergency repairs done despite existing COVID restrictions.

Master Builders Victoria has also confirmed any work to make buildings safe is permitted.

Around 35,000 customers lost power after the quake this morning, though most have since been reconnected with just under 1000 customers still without power across the state.

‘Like a bomb’

Across the road from Betty’s Burgers at Nguyen’s Hot Bread, Kim Hong was in the bakery’s kitchen when she heard what she thought was an explosion.

“The kitchen, when I was cooking, was wobbling. Oil was coming up from the fryer making a fire. I thought my kitchen was going to explode,” she said.

She rushed outside where there was “smoke everywhere” and people running away from the partially collapsed burger outlet.

“I thought the building had exploded, like someone had put a bomb there,” she said.

The facade of a Coles supermarket 600 metres away on Chapel Street, Prahran, also partially collapsed. A spokesman for the supermarket chain said no one was hurt and the store was closed while the damage was assessed.

A Victorian State Control Centre spokesman said damage was reported to the Ambulance Victoria dispatch bay in Mansfield, while Beechworth hospital had lost power and was operating on a back-up generator.

Mr Wiebusch said there had been precautionary closures in locations such as the Buchan Caves in the Gippsland region in case of further aftershocks, and noted the damage seen in locations such as Chapel St were likely due to the age of buildings in the suburb.

He said the state was fortunate the epicentre of the quake had occurred in a largely unpopulated area.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14635187

File: d9e8cb819806d08⋯.jpg (100.49 KB, 957x637, 957:637, Victoria_SES_chief_officer….jpg)

File: f63e0f56f4741c3⋯.jpg (202.96 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Chapel_Street_in_Melbourne….jpg)

>>14635183

2/2

Mr Wiebusch said the current COVID lockdowns likely prevented more serious injuries from occurring.

“We were probably very fortunate that with the situation in Melbourne at the moment there aren’t a lot of people out moving during the day,” he said.

“And so certainly it could have been a lot worse in Chapel Street today if it had been a busy Saturday morning.”

The largest ever on-land earthquake recorded in Australia was the magnitude 6.5 quake that hit Meckering in Western Australia in 1968.

‘Panic button’

Trevor Carstein, manager of the Licola Wilderness Village school camp at Licola, near the earthquake epicentre in Victoria’s north-east, said he and his wife and two sons, 13 and 19, “all sort of hit the panic button, we didn’t know what was happening”.

“It broke our bedroom window and kitchen window,” he said. “The bathroom and bedroom ceilings cracked, mostly everything out of our cupboards fell out.”

Mr Carstein said he and his family “weren’t quite sure if it was a landslide or a bomb had gone off”.

“We looked outside and all the trees were shaking and the buildings across the road were moving. And I could actually see the road in front of the house moving,” he said.

At Mount Buller, near the earthquake’s epicentre, Rhylla Morgan said the mountain had a “very solid shake” but there was no risk of avalanche.

“We’ve got about 30 centimetres of snow on the ground. When you’re talking about avalanche conditions, it’s when you’ve got large snow depths, very high, on a steep incline. We’re in the last couple of weeks of our season, it’s very soft snow, there’s not huge depths,” said Ms Morgan, the spokeswoman for Buller Ski Lifts.

“But certainly, the whole mountain got a very solid shake. We could feel it for a good 30 seconds, and then we felt the aftershock a bit later.

“We’re just in the process of finalising all the infrastructure checks - we’ve got a road that goes up the mountain, lots of water. That’s all being checked. But it looks like, thankfully, we’re free of damage. People were skiing at the time, and they are back skiing now.”

More earthquakes to come

University of Melbourne geoscientist Mark Quigley said aftershocks would normally be felt in the next 24 to 48 hours. He warned people to check their buildings for damage.

“On a local level, if you’ve got unreinforced masonry, or you are doing the roofing for your house, it’s just about minimising the sort of risks that might be avoidable in your day-to-day life, especially over the next 24 to 48 hours. Because that’s typically when the highest probability of a significant aftershock is,” he said.

High-rise buildings in the CBD were not at risk, he said. “In Melbourne, I don’t think any more so than in any other situation. It’s more about unreinforced masonry, vulnerable settings.”

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/victoria-earthquake-buildings-shake-from-melbourne-to-canberra-20210922-p58tq7.html

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2e5617  No.14635188

File: d9e8cb819806d08⋯.jpg (100.49 KB, 957x637, 957:637, Victoria_SES_chief_officer….jpg)

File: f63e0f56f4741c3⋯.jpg (202.96 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Chapel_Street_in_Melbourne….jpg)

>>14635183

2/2

Mr Wiebusch said the current COVID lockdowns likely prevented more serious injuries from occurring.

“We were probably very fortunate that with the situation in Melbourne at the moment there aren’t a lot of people out moving during the day,” he said.

“And so certainly it could have been a lot worse in Chapel Street today if it had been a busy Saturday morning.”

The largest ever on-land earthquake recorded in Australia was the magnitude 6.5 quake that hit Meckering in Western Australia in 1968.

‘Panic button’

Trevor Carstein, manager of the Licola Wilderness Village school camp at Licola, near the earthquake epicentre in Victoria’s north-east, said he and his wife and two sons, 13 and 19, “all sort of hit the panic button, we didn’t know what was happening”.

“It broke our bedroom window and kitchen window,” he said. “The bathroom and bedroom ceilings cracked, mostly everything out of our cupboards fell out.”

Mr Carstein said he and his family “weren’t quite sure if it was a landslide or a bomb had gone off”.

“We looked outside and all the trees were shaking and the buildings across the road were moving. And I could actually see the road in front of the house moving,” he said.

At Mount Buller, near the earthquake’s epicentre, Rhylla Morgan said the mountain had a “very solid shake” but there was no risk of avalanche.

“We’ve got about 30 centimetres of snow on the ground. When you’re talking about avalanche conditions, it’s when you’ve got large snow depths, very high, on a steep incline. We’re in the last couple of weeks of our season, it’s very soft snow, there’s not huge depths,” said Ms Morgan, the spokeswoman for Buller Ski Lifts.

“But certainly, the whole mountain got a very solid shake. We could feel it for a good 30 seconds, and then we felt the aftershock a bit later.

“We’re just in the process of finalising all the infrastructure checks - we’ve got a road that goes up the mountain, lots of water. That’s all being checked. But it looks like, thankfully, we’re free of damage. People were skiing at the time, and they are back skiing now.”

More earthquakes to come

University of Melbourne geoscientist Mark Quigley said aftershocks would normally be felt in the next 24 to 48 hours. He warned people to check their buildings for damage.

“On a local level, if you’ve got unreinforced masonry, or you are doing the roofing for your house, it’s just about minimising the sort of risks that might be avoidable in your day-to-day life, especially over the next 24 to 48 hours. Because that’s typically when the highest probability of a significant aftershock is,” he said.

High-rise buildings in the CBD were not at risk, he said. “In Melbourne, I don’t think any more so than in any other situation. It’s more about unreinforced masonry, vulnerable settings.”

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/victoria-earthquake-buildings-shake-from-melbourne-to-canberra-20210922-p58tq7.html

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2e5617  No.14635212

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14592776

US has ‘no closer ally than Australia’, Biden says after Aukus pact

US president and Australian PM welcome new security ties after deal that has infuriated France

Patrick Wintour - 22 Sep 2021

1/2

Joe Biden and the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, have welcomed their new security ties after last week’s announcement that Washington would provide Canberra with advanced technology for nuclear-powered submarines as part of trilateral deal with the UK.

“The United States has no closer or more reliable ally than Australia,” Biden said on Tuesday ahead of a bilateral meeting with Morrison on the sidelines of the United Nations general assembly in New York.

In his speech to the general assembly earlier, Biden made no direct reference to the controversial new security pact, under which the US agreed to share nuclear propulsion technology for submarines in a move that is designed to contain China.

The deal has infuriated Paris, and Biden has yet to be able to arrange a call with the seething French president, Emmanuel Macron.

Morrison, meanwhile, has been accused of going behind the backs of the French to cancel a contract with Paris to supply 12 submarines, and replacing it with a deal for nuclear-powered submarines with the US and UK.

On Tuesday, Morrison came under a ferocious attack by the former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd, who, writing in the Le Monde, said the prime minister had behaved in a cavalier manner that would play into the hands of China propagandists.

Rudd accused Morrison of not following “basic diplomatic protocol by failing to inform the French government of his decision”.

“Such a failure is not acceptable between adversaries, it is even less so between allies. Besides, Morrison failed to understand the wider implications of his decision for foreign policy, and this is perhaps the most appalling of the whole story,” he said.

The attack came as Macron made his first moves in response to the snub, speaking on Tuesday with the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, in what appeared to be an effort to shore up a rival Indian-French alliance in the Indo-Pacific – and secure a pending profitable nuclear deal.

The two leaders had vowed to “act jointly” in the Indo-Pacific region, the French presidency said.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14635215

File: 0ccd2da8f6a7e11⋯.jpg (182.44 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Australia_and_US_hold_bila….jpg)

>>14635212

2/2

Macron was said to have assured Modi of continued “commitment to the strengthening of India’s strategic autonomy, including its industry and technology base, as part of a close relationship based on trust and mutual respect”. France has been bidding for a $7bn contract to build six nuclear-powered submarines with India.

Macron’s office said that the shared approach of the two countries within the framework of the Euro-Indian relationship “aims to promote regional stability and the rule of law, while ruling out any form of hegemony”.

The phone call looked like a potential French effort to shore up its bid for SSN submarines and even assemble a separate alliance to the Aukus security pact announced last week.

Naval Group, the French business cut out of the Australian deal, has already been working with India’s state-owned Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders to deliver six Kalvari submarines that are valued at a combined 230 billion rupees ($3.13bn). Two of these have already been launched, two are undergoing sea trials and two are under construction.

The projects include technology transfers from the French company to its Indian partners.

The French defence minister, Florence Parly, and her Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh, held discussions about a Naval Group bid for tenders launched in June by the Indian navy for Project-76 indigenous SSNs fitted with a new nuclear reactor. The US has so far refused to share the technology with India, although it now has agreed to do so with Australia.

Delhi wants the submarines because it is worried about the rise of China, whose military ships are increasing joint exercises with the Pakistani navy in the Indian Ocean.

In 2017, the Indian navy chief, Adm Sunil Lanba, visited a French shipyard for a closer look at its newest Barracuda-class SSNs. However, it has also sent out feelers to the US for nuclear reactor propulsion technology for submarines and surface ships.

Macron’s call with Modi came as French opposition politicians criticised him for missing the scale of the threat to the Australian contract.

Modi is preparing to travel to the US to meet Biden for their first in-person bilateral summit on Thursday. Modi is also expected to have bilateral conversations with Morrison and the Japanese premier, Yoshihide Suga. On Friday, the four leaders will sit down at the White House for the first summit of the Quadrilateral Forum, or the Quad. The four leaders met digitally in March this year.

India has expressed concern that the Aukus partnership could mean a downgrading for the Quad.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/21/us-has-no-closer-ally-than-australia-says-biden-after-aukus-pact

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG4OFWbieVU

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2e5617  No.14635234

File: 5c78bfd82069e9e⋯.jpg (1.49 MB, 2000x1200, 5:3, US_President_Joe_Biden_par….jpg)

>>14592776

AUKUS deal to continue causing repercussions in transatlantic ties

EU to avoid being too close to US on core interests of China, Russia: expert

Yang Sheng - Sep 21, 2021

1/2

Although US President Joe Biden always shouts loudly his slogan for diplomacy "America is back," Washington is facing an increasing crisis of trust in ties with other countries, especially with its allies, as the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal between Australia, the UK and the US has seriously harmed US-France ties and brought unprecedented consequences as Paris recalled its ambassadors to the US and Australia.

Some Chinese analysts said on Tuesday that Biden has just proved that "he can do better than Donald Trump, especially in ruining US ties with allies." People used to believe that Trump was the US President who inflicted most damage on transatlantic ties and Biden would repair them, but now Biden has done something even worse - inflicting more damage by betraying allies, but keep cheating them by saying "America is back."

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian used the words "duplicity, disdain and lies" to describe the US' behavior. Experts said that the key reason behind the duplicity is the decline in US overall strength and more selfishness in Washington. The long-existing obsession in American exceptionalism, hegemony and unilateralism deep in the minds of US elites has made the US unable to avoid an increase of frictions with not only its "competitors" like China and Russia, but also with its allies.

It is not about Biden or Trump, Democrats or Republicans, it is a problematic and hegemonic order that the US built and forced others to obey, and the fundamental conflict lies in this order and other countries' unwillingness to follow, experts said.

In the first year of Biden's term, the US has already betrayed many allies and partners, including the former Afghan government and other Western countries that joined the US war in Afghanistan, and France. Experts noted that France will not be the last, as every US ally could be betrayed anytime as long as Washington believes it is necessary.

'EU won't be fooled'

The recall of the ambassadors "signifies the force of the crisis today" between the French government and Washington, Canberra, the French foreign minister said in an interview on France 2 television. He said it was "the first time ever" that France, the United States' oldest ally, has recalled its ambassador to the US, the AP reported on Sunday.

On Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that the White House is still working on scheduling a call between Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, as the US President wants to pacify the angry ally.

Before the AUKUS partnership and the nuclear submarine deal was announced, the US did not inform France nor attempted to offer other benefits to France to offset the damage to at least minimize the impact on US-France ties.

Lü Xiang, a research fellow and an expert on US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that "the US knew it would surely offend France, but to some extent, US elites don't care. Maybe they thought the anger of Paris is not a big deal, compared to the benefits they can get from the sub deal."

Many senior Biden officials are actually brokers that serve the interests of the US military industrial complex and can get huge benefits from the overseas military operations and arms deals, like Secretary of State Antony Blinken for instance, said Lü, noting that by ruining the submarine contract between France and Australia, those political elites can get huge benefits, so they do not really care about the reputational damage.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14635236

File: d8067bbaa22e5e1⋯.jpg (194.44 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, AUKUS_deal_to_continue_cau….jpg)

>>14635234

2/2

"The damage that the Biden administration has brought to US-France ties is much bigger than all the damage combined in Trump's term," said Diao Daming, an expert on US studies and associate professor at the Renmin University of China in Beijing.

This proves that whether "America First" or "America is back," they are just different measures serving the same goal of US hegemony. Biden's pledge to fix ties with allies is not the purpose, it is a measure to make the US regain leadership, Diao noted, stressing that "in the case of the AUKUS submarine deal, Biden's diplomatic approach is just like another version of Trump's America First. As long as it's in the interest of the US, they can betray anyone, even an ally like France."

US allies and partners are in different classes in the eyes of Washington, said Chinese analysts. Anglo-Saxon English-speaking countries, or the Five Eyes Alliance, are at the core, while Australia and the UK are much closer and more active than Canada and New Zealand. Those hosting US troops and military bases but having no common cultural backgrounds and ethnic identity will be less trustworthy as sometimes Washington can effectively affect their decision-making, such as Japan and South Korea, and those with no US military bases but having independent decision-making in many affairs, and only sharing common Western political values, like France, are untrustworthy and could be betrayed.

"So the change that Biden brings is not to make the relationship between the US and its allies more equal, or give them more respect, but to use another measure to maintain US supremacy in the international community," Diao said.

More to come?

CNN, which is relatively supportive of Biden and hostile to Trump, ran a harsh headline to remind the US President on Tuesday that his biggest challenge at the moment is to "convince allies he's not another Trump."

Lü said CNN is still being too kind, noting that "the headline should be 'Biden should convince others he's not worse than Trump.'"

Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday that in next stage, the US might want to pacify European countries that the AUKUS partnership is just a beginning, and there will also be cooperation between the US and the EU, and that the US will try to be as fair as possible.

But core EU members like France and Germany are not foolish and understand the US will not trust them and can betray them if necessary, so keeping a distance with the US will be an increasing consensus among the EU members. They will make strategic adjustments to review the relationship with China and Russia and reevaluate the necessity of being too close to Washington on matters related to China and Russia's core concerns, said Chinese analysts.

Wang Yiwei, director of the institute of international affairs at Renmin University, said other US allies like Japan are paying close attention to the latest incident, and those with no alliance treaty but who want to be a close partner of the US, like India, should also be careful, because the US can betray or abandon them as well. Standing too close with the US, or being hostile to China to please the US is never a wise choice.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1234764.shtml

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2e5617  No.14635254

File: bc6dcd78a6876af⋯.jpg (607.69 KB, 825x1040, 165:208, PB_1.jpg)

File: 5182fa77f19d5b8⋯.jpg (272.57 KB, 1400x933, 1400:933, E_1cI3xVQAM44hJ.jpg)

File: 315897b163468ac⋯.jpg (506.41 KB, 825x933, 275:311, ScoMo_26.jpg)

File: acb04dac454895d⋯.jpg (79.38 KB, 873x491, 873:491, E_18ukWVgAIVG74.jpg)

>>14635212

President Biden Tweet

It was great to meet with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison today in New York. Our nations have stood together for over 70 years — and we’re committed to working together to secure a free and open Indo-Pacific region and tackle the shared challenges we face.

https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1440408769456791552

Prime Minister Scott Morrison Tweet

Today I met US President Joe Biden in New York to mark 70 years of our ANZUS alliance and reaffirm our AUKUS partnership announced last week with the UK. We’re committed to working together to secure a free, open and resilient Indo-Pacific and tackle shared challenges.

https://twitter.com/ScottMorrisonMP/status/1440444599869140997

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2e5617  No.14635259

File: 85a2a1713a11dcd⋯.jpg (979 KB, 1806x1204, 3:2, Rudd_sides_with_the_French….jpg)

>>14592776

Rudd sides with the French over ‘foreign policy debacle’

Phillip Coorey - Sep 22, 2021

Labor figures past and present are stepping up their criticism of the Morrison government’s diplomatic handling of the AUKUS agreement, with Kevin Rudd writing to daily newspaper Le Monde to empathise with the French.

In what he openly admits is an “unusual” step for a former prime minister to take, Mr Rudd slams the Morrison government’s “foreign policy debacle” in the Le Monde article, saying it contravened the views of the majority of Australians towards France and could cost Mr Morrison at the ballot box.

“There may be important strategic or technical reasons to change course with the type of submarines that Australia now needs to build. But none of these justify the treatment of France in this way,” he says.

“These are major matters of state. And they will be deliberated on by the Australian people soberly during our upcoming national elections.”

He says the French should have been consulted and, at the least, given the opportunity to save face by having a tender process for nuclear-powered subs.

“It is wrong that Australia has not offered France the opportunity to re-tender (in part or in whole) for these nuclear boats, despite the fact that France has long-standing experience in making them.

“Morrison … failed to adhere to basic diplomatic protocols in not officially notifying the French government of its unilateral decision prior to the public announcement of the cancellation of the contract,” he says.

“And finally, there is Canberra’s failure to comprehend the repercussions of this decision for France itself – and for broader international solidarity in framing a co-ordinated response to China’s rise.”

Mr Morrison, who outlined his concerns with the French President Emmanuel Macron during a meeting in Paris in June, says the French were well aware of concerns Australia had with the subs in terms of their suitability, cost and timing blowouts.

He has explained that when the subs deal was signed in 2016, the US was unprepared to share its nuclear technology with Australia. Since then, the strategic threat in the region had escalated, the French subs would not be fit for purpose and the US had changed its mind.

The French subs Australia ordered were nuclear subs retrofitted with diesel-electric engines. Mr Morrison says Australia was unable to change the order to revert them to nuclear subs because the French reactors would need to be serviced and refuelled during the lifetime of the sub, violating Australia’s moratorium on a civil nuclear industry.

It won’t just be France that will have doubts over whether Mr Morrison can be trusted as an honest partner.

Former Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating has lashed the new AUKUS alliance and Labor’s support for it.

https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/rudd-sides-with-the-french-over-foreign-policy-debacle-20210922-p58tr1

https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2021/09/21/la-decision-de-canberra-sur-les-sous-marins-aggrave-les-tensions-strategiques-en-asie-du-sud-est-l-avertissement-de-kevin-rudd-ancien-premier-ministre-australien_6095476_3232.html

https://kevinrudd.com/2021/09/22/le-monde-canberras-decision-on-submarines-deepens-strategic-tensions-in-southeast-asia/

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2e5617  No.14635290

File: c844a6dfa6eae04⋯.jpg (220.16 KB, 1920x1081, 1920:1081, Prime_Minister_Scott_Morri….jpg)

File: 508814b3a3435d0⋯.jpg (127.68 KB, 1918x1081, 1918:1081, Prime_Minister_Scott_Morri….jpg)

>>14592776

Morrison launches congressional charm offensive to land subs pact

Matthew Knott - September 22, 2021

Washington: Prime Minister Scott Morrison will go on a bipartisan charm offensive with the most senior members of the US Congress in a bid to turn his plan to develop a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines into reality.

Following his first bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden, Morrison will meet with the top names in Congress - Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell - on Thursday (AEST) to promote the AUKUS partnership and submarine plan.

He will also meet members of the powerful Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

Biden will need the support of a divided Congress to make good on his promise to share America’s submarine secrets with Australia and to deepen intelligence sharing with Australia and the United Kingdom.

Congress, which is famously prone to gridlock, will need to provide export control exemptions and sign off on the sharing of highly sensitive intellectual property for the submarine plan to take effect.

Republicans are expected to win back control of the House of Representatives at the midterm elections next year, highlighting the importance of ensuring both major American parties regard Australia as a sufficiently trustworthy strategic ally.

As well as the prized submarine technology, the AUKUS partnership will involve the sharing of other sensitive intelligence on missile technology, satellites and artificial intelligence between the US, Australia and the UK.

Speaking after his meeting with Biden in New York, Morrison said he was aware of the complexities of advancing the submarines plan.

“We have entered this arrangement with our eyes wide open,” he said.

At their first bilateral meeting, Biden declared that Australia was America’s closest and most reliable ally before adding that the two nations were in “lockstep”.

“The United States has no closer or more reliable ally than Australia – our nations have been together for a long time,” Biden said.

Alluding to the challenges posed by climate change, pandemic, cyber warfare and a rising China, Biden said he believed the world was at an “inflection point”.

“Things are changing,” he said. “We can grasp the change and deal with it or be left behind, all of us.”

Majorities in the House and Senate are expected to come on board given the longstanding goodwill for Australia and a bipartisan determination to push back on China’s expansionism in the Indo-Pacific.

In a statement issued during a visit to London last week, Pelosi said she “commended the Prime Minister on his leadership in working with President Biden and Australian Prime Minister Morrison on the recently announced trilateral AUKUS security partnership”.

In a briefing earlier this week, a senior Biden administration official described Australia as a “unique actor” with “incredibly high standards” for nuclear non-proliferation.

“We don’t have the intention of extending this to other countries,” the official said of the submarine technology.

“This is for Australia. And it is based on a unique set of circumstances involving the Australian case.”

Morrison will also meet with representatives from the bipartisan Friends of Australia caucus to gin up enthusiasm for the plan.

Democratic congressman Joe Courtney, the co-chair of the caucus, last week hailed the “game-changing” decision to help Australia acquire a fleet of nuclear submarines.

“This is a great move by President Biden towards meeting the challenge in this critical region and recognising the hard-won and rock-solid relationship between the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom,” he said.

https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/morrison-launches-congressional-charm-offensive-to-land-subs-pact-20210922-p58tpb.html

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317861  No.14635638

>>14635259

This coming from a man who is in the "Red Shoe" club. Stand against the wall next to your mates.

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317861  No.14635645

>>14635254

Two Morons making plans. Just a Joke.Anyone who believe this is real should join the conversation.

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317861  No.14635656

>>14627546

>Over two decades ago, Australia stood with our close friends and allies, the United States, as they suffered their most devastating terrorist attack that we planned to make money on. No respect these Swamp Creatures.

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317861  No.14635658

>>14621199

Thank You Tradies. Stay Safe.

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2e5617  No.14637932

File: 5175b5670e28819⋯.jpg (150.43 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Scott_Morrison_meets_Joe_B….jpg)

>>14592776

>>14627685

Scott Morrison’s tilt for nuclear subs to arrive early

DENNIS SHANAHAN - SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

1/2

Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton are working with the US and the UK on options for nuclear submarines to operate in Australia six to eight years earlier than expected after the dumping of the $90bn French defence contract.

The UK is proposing that two or three British nuclear submarines have a “persistent presence” in Australian waters and be serviced in Australian ports.

The US also has the capacity to deliver or use nuclear submarines around Australia within years, well before the expected construction of the new boats discussed under the AUKUS agreement announced last week.

The Prime Minister met US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in New York and Washington on Tuesday and discussed the initial assessment of the nuclear submarine proposal over the next 18 months.

The Australian decision to dump the French diesel submarine contract and join the UK and US in a new agreement to deliver nuclear submarines has caused serious diplomatic splits with France and threatened the progress of the Australia-European Union free trade agreement.

Apart from meeting Mr Biden and Mr Johnson, the Prime Minister spent the day in New York talking to European national and institutional leaders to explain Australia’s decision to pull out of the commercial contract with the French Naval Group and argue that the strategic decision should not affect the trade negotiations.

Mr Morrison was even able to sign a closer co-operation agreement with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, which specifically agreed to aid negotiations for the EU trade agreement.

Mr Morrison said the talks in the US on nuclear submarine options would “make sure that we have the right-sized option for Australia to pursue the right scale, to mean we can move as quickly as possible and get that capability in place”.

One of the reasons the Australian government ended the French contract was the growing likelihood of delays in production, threatening a “capability gap” for our submarine fleet in the late 2030s and 2040s.

Different preferences are emerging on how to address the continuing problem of insufficient submarine protection: from encouraging the UK to virtually base nuclear submarines around Australia to bringing forward in some way US submarine involvement before the completion of the new nuclear submarines, expected to be around 2040.

Mr Morrison said the Defence Minister was working “to see how we can bring other elements to that capability in an even sooner timeframe”.

In response to questions, Mr Morrison said such options could include having the UK or the US commit their own submarines to the area and for Australia to service them. This would build expertise in Australian industry ahead of planned construction of the new nuclear submarines.

Mr Morrison said there were no commitments on any arrangements yet and they would be examined over the next 18 months.

“Being able to bring that capability to our region and to work with that, that provides training opportunities for Australians as we seek to build our capability, to be able to support our own -nuclear-powered submarine fleet over time,” he said.

“This is about Australia doing more and doing more with others and not just with the United States and the United Kingdom. Our policy, our plan, our strategy is about doing more and more with more partners to ensure a stability that delivers peace and security.

“I am confident that we can avoid the conflict that we all want to avoid, and I believe that includes not only Australia and many countries in our region and friends across ASEAN, but I believe that extends to our partners in the Quad, Japan and India, as we’ll discuss later this week, as it indeed does to China.

“I have no doubt that’s what we all are seeking to achieve.”

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14637937

File: 82d354746767715⋯.jpg (132.38 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Scott_Morrison_greets_Bori….jpg)

>>14637932

2/2

Anthony Albanese continued to attack the government for the diplomatic fallout with France over the cancellation of the $90bn submarine contract with Paris.

“We’ve also been critical of the cost of the deal with France being walked away from, the timing and the lack of diplomacy that we’re seeing played out in that relationship. That’s an important relationship as well,” the Opposition Leader said.

Labor’s foreign affairs spokeswoman, Penny Wong, said the deal demonstrated that Mr Morrison had failed to manage Australia’s foreign relations and called on him to repair the relationship with France.

“I think what you can see here is again Mr Morrison has been so focused on making the announcement that he doesn’t take responsibility for doing the whole job,” Senator Wong told ABC radio.

Trade Minister Dan Tehan rejected suggestions the government had any other options than to keep the talks with the UK and US for the new nuclear submarine fleet secret.

“The partnership that we have put in place with the US and the EU had to be conducted at the top secret level,” Mr Tehan told the National Press Club.

“That’s the only way that we could make sure that ultimately we could get and cement the -partnership that we have, which will not only give us access to nuclear-propelled submarines, but also will give us access to missiles, advanced missiles technology to advance cyber technology, to AI, and a raft of … hardware and equipment that will enable us to keep ourselves safe in what is a very challenging geostrategic environment. Obviously the US have not entered into a partnership like this outside entering into it with the UK which they did over 50 years ago.

“So the discussions had to be done at a top-secret level and kept secret.”

Mr Tehan said the Morrison government understood the “deep disappointment” of the French, and argued that he would continue to advance talks on an Australia-EU free trade agreement when he arrived in Brussels as part of his upcoming international trip.

The French are lobbying other EU members against the agreement in retaliation for the Morrison government pulling out of the submarine contract, but Mr Tehan said the deal was in Paris’s best interest.

“The EU will use it as a foothold into the Indo-Pacific because they realise that the region carries the economic weight of the world,” the Trade Minister said.

“When I was in Europe in May visiting Germany, Belgium and France I heard one common refrain: if Europe can’t negotiate a FTA with Australia, who in the Indo-Pacific could they negotiate one with. For the French, who export $6.17bn in goods and services to Australia while we send $1.37bn the other way – a comprehensive FTA is very much in their interest.

“It would see our economic partnership grow even further.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/scott-morrison-hails-relationship-with-uk-us/news-story/6b103ad9b988f3c3311029bed9ae9d1f

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2e5617  No.14637994

File: b673faf46fc9301⋯.jpg (206.38 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Protesters_shout_abuse_at_….jpg)

File: 0745d187e8779dc⋯.jpg (203.24 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Police_move_in_on_proteste….jpg)

File: 484c5e439a8589a⋯.jpg (292.74 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Police_disperse_protesters….jpg)

File: 68bc9cf11374e7d⋯.jpg (234.5 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Protesters_are_seen_at_the….jpg)

‘Absolutely disgusting’: protesters debase shrine to war dead

JOHN FERGUSON and ANGELICA SNOWDEN - SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

Riot police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at anti-vaccination and construction protesters after they overran Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance in the worst civil rebellion at the national memorial since the Vietnam War.

The protesters, many swearing, littering and some drinking, were savaged by the RSL for using the shrine as a platform to oppose lockdowns, vaccinations and the two-week shutdown of Victoria’s $22bn construction industry.

Police arrested 215 protesters across Melbourne on Wednesday, including some throwing batteries, tap handles and golf balls at ­officers, injuring several.

Just before 5pm, police stormed the steps and surrounds of the shrine, with several firing rubber bullets at scores of people and using tear gas to force them to flee in fear amid loud explosions.

It was the fourth time in five days that police were forced to ­battle inner city skirmishes linked to the national pandemic response. However, the number of protesters was down on Tuesday and there were fewer clashes with police, with participants encouraging a more peaceful but still ­disruptive strike on the city.

It is the first time in recent memory that police have been forced to fire guns and use tear gas at the shrine, founded in 1934 to honour the World War 1 dead.

It is considered a sacred site for returned service men and women and the use of the shrine was savaged by war veterans.

Scott Morrison, speaking from Washington, said the recent protests were “highly distressing”.

“I think it’s just very important that we exercise that patience and we get through what is a very difficult time,” the Prime Minister said. “That is not an appropriate response to trying to deal with an outbreak of this nature.”

The Victorian RSL said the shrine was critically important to the memory of the dead and the honouring of surviving members of the armed forces.

“Under no circumstances, ever, should the shrine be a place of ­protest,’’ the organisation said.

“If any individuals or groups choose to express their political views, positions or ideological theories in the grounds of the shrine at any time, they are completely disrespecting the sanctity of this honoured space – those men and women of the Australian Defence Force who have lost their lives, and all Victorian veterans.”

Shrine of Remembrance chief executive Dean Lee said the protests were “absolutely disgusting”, adding there had not been a protest on the scale of Wednesday since the Vietnam War.

“This protest has no relationship to the purpose of this place,” he said outside the shrine. (Protesters) are dishonouring the service of the shrine,” he added.

Protesters spent several hours at the shrine after leading hundreds of police on a merry chase through the city, this time splitting into smaller groups but using the same mobile tactics.

They walked quickly through the CBD and Carlton for several hours, eventually joining as one group at the shrine.

At one point, police also fired rubber bullets at protesters as they scurried through Carlton, which is on the edge of the CBD.

At the shrine, police were called “You f.cking dogs’’, while others chanted “We want our jobs back” and “Freedom”.

Members of the group, of about 400 at its peak, also sang the national anthem, and regularly chanted “every day”, in reference to the aim of protesting daily after the construction industry was shut down for two weeks to stop the spread of Covid-19.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews defended the government’s decision to shutter the sector – which had been allowed to operate during the lockdowns – and noted there were 350 infections across 150 building sites during August and September.

“Unless we took this action, and unless we see compliance higher, then we’ll continue to see the spread of this virus and that puts everything at risk,” he said.

Mr Andrews, speaking about demonstrations on Monday and Tuesday, said many of those who attended were “acting appallingly under the guise of a protest”.

On Tuesday, 2000 protesters caused inner city gridlock when they blocked the West Gate Bridge for about two hours.

The stalemate on Wednesday afternoon ended abruptly when police swarmed protesters, lobbing smoke bombs and deploying tear gas to clear the demonstrators, who fled down St Kilda Road. Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Ross Guenther said: “It was completely disrespectful that the crowd ended up at the shrine, which is hallowed ground”. He said police would continue to turn out with the same show of force for every day the protesters planned to rally, but urged them to give up.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/absolutely-disgusting-protesters-debase-shrine-to-war-dead/news-story/2ba0fd6b89cbc195b7b48199e9322ecb

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2e5617  No.14641764

File: d8b6a3903ec96a1⋯.jpg (152.31 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Prime_Minister_Scott_Morri….jpg)

File: 08c0718096c482c⋯.jpg (147.63 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Prime_Minister_Scott_Morri….jpg)

File: b319dabf79af63b⋯.jpg (314.25 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Prime_Minister_Scott_Morri….jpg)

>>14592776

>>14635290

Scott Morrison meets Nancy Pelosi in Washington

DENNIS SHANAHAN - SEPTEMBER 23, 2021

Scott Morrison spent his first full day in Washington DC of his United States tour in heart of the American political system lobbying for the success of the dramatic new Australian, United Kingdom and US submarine agreement after two days of high-level leadership discussions.

The Prime Minister’s full day in Washington included a visit to the powerful Democratic majority Congressional speaker, Nancy Pelosi, Republican Senate leader, Mitch McConnell and intelligence and defence Senate and Congressional committees.

Mr Morrison told Ms Pelosi, as a crucial Democrat in the Congress that could decide the fate of the new submarine and the strategic Australia, United Kingdom and US agreement (AUKUS), that he understood the new agreement and the 70-year-old ANZUS agreement were not just between executive governments but between “the parliament and the Congress”.

“We understand that relationship is absolutely critical to the success of our partnership, between Australia and the United States. And now, as we go into a new period of the relationship under AUKUS,” Mr Morrison said in the Capitol building.

“The Congress and the Senate, will play a key role in ensuring the responsibilities that we are seeking to take on,” Mr Morrison said. He said he was keen provide assurances that the US and Australia could work together to implement the new partnership.

“I am looking forward to having the discussions about how we’re going to progress that new era of our partnership,” Mr Morrison said.

Ms Pelosi the combination of security issues and the Covid pandemic meant it was a prefect time to welcome Mr Morrison to Washington.

“The Covid crisis is still with us, and we can learn from each other about that, tackling again so many things in terms of cooperation on security but also strengthening our relationship with regard to trade and commerce,” Ms Pelosi, who is crucial for US President Joe Biden passing any legislation through the Congress and Senate, said.

Ms Pelosi thanked Mr Morrison for Australia’s “leadership on climate change” and said there was much to discuss.

As well as putting a wreath on the shrine of the remembrance of victims of the 9/11 terror attack in Washington Mr Morrison had meetings with congressional and Senate intelligence and foreign affairs committees after a whirlwind day in New York meeting US President Joe Biden and European leaders in New York and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in Washington.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/scott-morrison-meets-nancu-pelosi-in-washington/news-story/751fa39337c15a858e6bbcfab113c8a8

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2e5617  No.14641767

File: 82df9715f10cb31⋯.jpg (411.43 KB, 825x819, 275:273, NP_1.jpg)

File: bb5823d68a0e19d⋯.jpg (250.13 KB, 2048x1152, 16:9, E_5kK4cVEA4Mm0G.jpg)

File: 81f50cc01877c7d⋯.jpg (516.14 KB, 825x983, 825:983, ScoMo_27.jpg)

>>14641764

Nancy Pelosi Tweet

Today, I was honored to welcome @ScottMorrisonMP, Prime Minister of Australia, to the United States Capitol ahead of a bipartisan leadership meeting.

https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1440699076303994894

Prime Minister Scott Morrison Tweet

Thank you for the warm welcome, @SpeakerPelosi. Great to be able to discuss our new #AUKUS partnership and progressing that forward across all levels of government.

https://twitter.com/ScottMorrisonMP/status/1440866719229091843

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2e5617  No.14641885

File: a30c657d429ba96⋯.jpg (102.65 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Trade_and_Tourism_Minister….jpg)

Overseas Christmas trips to spread joy, says Dan Tehan

OLIVIA CAISLEY - SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

Trade and Tourism Minister Dan Tehan believes the international border will be open by Christmas at the latest, as he urged Australians to get vaccinated to trigger the threshold necessary to resume flights overseas.

Under the Morrison government’s national plan, Australians will be able to recommence international travel once 80 per cent of adults aged over 16 have received both doses.

As more than 45,000 Australians remain stranded overseas, Mr Tehan told the National Press Club on Wednesday he empathised with those who have been barred from leaving or entering the country since the international border was shuttered last year to stop the spread of Covid-19.

“It’s another reason why everyone should get vaccinated, and we have to stick to the national plan that will see our international border open up – at this rate by Christmas at the latest,” Mr Tehan said.

However, where Australians can expect to travel to remains up in the air. Mr Tehan said that would depend on “the requirements that are put in place (in) … in the countries that they are travelling to.”

The Morrison government is currently in negotiations with several countries – including Japan, Fiji, Singapore, the US, Britain and South Korea – to ­establish “travel bubbles”, and further trials are under way to ­implement a home quarantine system for returned travellers.

“So one of the hopes that we have is in the – especially in the lead-up to Christmas, is we’ll be able to see states and territories putting in place home quarantine arrangements for travelling returning Australians and they would be able to quarantine at home,” he said.

Mr Tehan said it would be up to the Therapeutic Goods Administration to decide whether Chinese tourists and international students who have been vaccinated with Sinovax or Sinopharm are able to come to Australia.

He also said a vaccination certification QR code system had been sent to overseas embassies to ensure they are compatible.

“What we’ve seen so far, from all the reports back, is that the QR code system – which has obviously been modelled on the inter­national aviation organisation’s model of what they think is needed in a QR code – seems to be ­interoperable with most of the countries that we’ve been dealing with,” he said.

The Victorian frontbencher, who will embark on a major trade trip to Indonesia, India, the UAE, Italy, France and the UK next week, also argued that more free and open trade relations would offer the best response to geostrategic competition, declaring it would also help to limit exposure to economic coercion.

“The best protection, though, lies in more trade, not less, being more open, and having even stronger economic partners,” he said, adding: “The rising tide lifts all boats.”

Mr Tehan will also use the trip to attempt to repair the relationship with Europe after a spectacular backlash from France over Australia’s decision to rescind on the $90bn submarine deal.

“I can understand why France is disappointed,” Mr Tehan said. “Obviously, this was a major contract that we had with a large defence supplier in France, but what you also have to understand is the partnership that we have put in place with the US and the EU had to be conducted at the top secret level. It had to be conducted at a need-to-know level and in a need-to-know way.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/overseas-christmas-trips-to-spread-joy-says-dan-tehan/news-story/2732c5819f7e8fce4e4671f02da38330

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2e5617  No.14641923

File: fae6d2faccb7b3c⋯.jpg (153.76 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Malka_Leifer_pleaded_not_g….jpg)

>>14569132

Former Melbourne school principal Malka Leifer committed to stand trial over child sex abuse charges

Danny Tran - 23 September 2021

A former ultra-orthodox Jewish school principal who is facing dozens of child sex abuse charges has vowed to fight the allegations against her after being ordered to stand trial.

Prosecutors have successfully convinced a magistrate that Malka Leifer, 55, should face the County Court of Victoria over the accusations, which date back to her time as the principal of the Adass Israel school.

The allegations are being levelled by sisters Dassi Erlich, Elly Sapper and Nicole Meyer, but Ms Leifer has always vehemently denied them.

She was extradited from Israel earlier this year.

The court heard Ms Leifer was facing 74 charges, but four of those were dropped today because they allegedly occurred in Israel.

Ms Leifer, dressed in blue and wearing black and white sneakers, appeared by video link from prison where she sat facing away from the camera.

"Having carefully considered the entirety of the evidence … in my opinion the evidence is of sufficient weight to support a conviction," Magistrate Johanna Metcalf said.

"I propose to commit the accused for trial.

"Mrs Leifer, do you plead guilty or not guilty?"

"Not guilty," Ms Leifer said.

Witness recounts day Leifer was stood down

Details of a dramatic late-night meeting where Ms Leifer was stood down were today aired in court.

Witness Esther Spigelman, the former head of general studies at the Adass Israel school, told the court that in 2008, she was called to a meeting of the school board at 11:00pm.

"Were you told what was going to happen?" asked Ian Hill QC, who is defending Ms Leifer.

"I was only told that there is something that made the board decide to ask Mrs Leifer to no longer be the … head of the Jewish studies," Ms Spigelman said.

Ms Spigelman told the court that Ms Leifer was not present at the meeting.

"It was a very big shock and I definitely went to say goodbye," she said.

"And was she teary?" Mr Hill asked.

"Very much so," Ms Spigelman replied.

"She was very upset with what they were doing to her … she definitely said, 'I did nothing wrong,' and pretty much, she felt very unfair with what was happening."

She later told police that the events stunned her.

"We were all very good friends with Malka, we looked up to her, it was a shock for all of us," she said in a statement made this year.

Accuser's ex-husband gives evidence

The evidence of the sisters who are accusing Mrs Leifer has been heard behind doors to protect their privacy.

But Joshua Erlich, the ex-husband of Dassi Erlich, today detailed parts of their private life.

He said that shortly after the couple married in 2006, they moved to Israel and initially stayed at Ms Leifer's home.

Mr Erlich told the court that throughout their relationship, his ex-wife would speak highly of the woman she is now accusing of child sex abuse.

"All the time that she had spoken about her, she had spoken about her being in place of her mother and being a supportive figure," Mr Erlich said.

Mr Erlich said that during their first year of marriage, Ms Leifer visited Israel on a number of occasions.

"They would meet up," Mr Erlich said.

"Would you and she talk about those meetings?" asked Mr Hill, who is defending Ms Leifer.

"She would speak very positively of them," Mr Erlich said.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14641926

File: 3dd697ab5795197⋯.jpg (621.36 KB, 2448x1632, 3:2, Elly_Sapper_left_Dassi_Erl….jpg)

>>14641923

2/2

But the court heard that in January 2008, Mr Erlich overheard a conversation between his ex-wife and one of her sisters, Ms Meyer, about a session she had with a social worker in Israel.

Mr Erlich told the court that his wife sounded panicked and had "mentioned something about her relationship with Mrs Leifer" to the social worker, Chana Rabinowitz.

"Dassi was very worried about how it had been taken, and that Mrs Rabinowitz was going to contact other people in Melbourne to speak about it," he said.

"She was very concerned about what was going to happen next, and she was not sure why it was being taken in such a serious way."

When asked by Ms Leifer's lawyer whether the social worker had taken things "out of all proportion", Mr Erlich agreed.

"That was my sense from the conversation, yes," he said.

"Did Dassi tell you that what she had said to Mrs Rabinowitz was how Mrs Leifer had been very affectionate, how she would hug Dassi, rub her thighs and generally give her special attention," Mr Hill asked.

"That's how I remember it," Mr Erlich said.

"Over the clothes, the touching?" Mr Hall asked.

"I don't remember what kind of detail, I just remember that at the time, I didn't find it particularly concerning," Mr Erlich said.

Mr Erlich also recalled another conversation in 2011 between his ex-wife and one of her sisters, Ms Meyer, about the former principal.

"I heard them saying they wanted to call her up and to cause her problems. They were laughing about it. It seemed to me that they just wanted to harass her," he said.

"When you say they were laughing about it, do you mean that literally … as though it was a fun and exciting thing to do," Mr Hill asked.

"That was my sense," Mr Erlich said.

Under cross-examination from the prosecutor, Nannette Rogers SC, Mr Erlich said that a short time later, his ex-wife made a statement to police.

The court also heard from Vicki Gordon, a psychologist who Ms Leifer once engaged to help children at the Adass Israel school, and who was also at the meeting when the former principal was confronted with allegations of child sex abuse.

Dr Gordon is not a member of the Adass Israel community but has family connections to the ultra-orthodox group.

She said she never spoke to Ms Leifer about the allegations against her.

"Were you informed that she denied any wrongdoing," asked Mr Hill, for the defence.

"Yes, I had been informed about that," Dr Gordon said.

"Were you part of the decision to stand Mrs Leifer down?" Mr Hill asked.

"I was not part of any decision as I was not a board member or any staff member of the organisation."

Dr Gordon told the court that she was present at a board meeting where Ms Leifer was told over the phone that she was no longer to attend the school.

When asked if she knew who purchased a ticket for Ms Leifer to fly back to Israel, Dr Gordon said did not know at the time, but that has since changed.

"I believe it was the school," Dr Gordon said.

Mrs Leifer will return to court next month.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-23/malka-leifer-committed-to-stand-trial/100486900

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2e5617  No.14641981

File: 17bdbf1bb2504f1⋯.jpg (119.28 KB, 1362x765, 454:255, Defiant_Prince_Andrew_to_S….jpg)

>>14554611

Defiant Prince Andrew to Stop Hiding and Fight Virginia Giuffre’s Claims

Prince Andrew has finally accepted he has been legitimately served in Virginia Giuffre’s civil case. Now, sources say, he will turn his attention to fighting her allegations.

Tom Sykes - Sep. 22, 2021

1/2

Prince Andrew has dramatically accepted that he has been legitimately served with papers in the civil case being brought against him by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, but regards the lawsuit as an “opportunity rather than a threat,” sources close to Andrew have told The Daily Beast.

The comments provide the clearest indication yet that Andrew, who is still in hiding at his mother’s Scottish home, Balmoral, is contemplating participating in and fighting the case, setting up the possibility of a blockbuster courtroom showdown over allegations that he sexually abused Giuffre when she was 17 years old.

The development comes after several days in which Andrew’s legal team appeared to be trying to get the suit thrown out on technicalities. They have tried on multiple occasions to contest the validity of document service against him, so the new tone from his camp represents a dramatic inflection point in Andrew’s legal strategy.

The well-placed source told The Daily Beast: “This is Mrs. Giuffre’s civil case, she has brought it and has actively invited legal scrutiny of her own version of events. This provides an opportunity, rather than a threat, because it finally enables the Duke and his team to properly scrutinize the multiple inconsistencies in her narrative.”

Among the inconsistencies Andrew is said to be keen to highlight is Giuffre’s description of Andrew drinking when she met him in the London nightclub Tramp, in a “journal” leaked to the Radar Online website. Andrew does not drink alcohol.

Andrew brought this up in his BBC interview, saying: “I don’t know where the bar is. I don’t drink, I don’t think I’ve ever bought a drink in Tramp whenever I was there.”

The source said that Giuffre’s “inconsistency around alcohol” is one point that the prince’s team will bring up.

In her “journal,” Giuffre did not, however, particularly paint Andrew as a drinker. She instead wrote that Andrew “did not hesitate to grab us both an alcoholic cocktail” and said “we took a few sips,” before going dancing.

Prima facie, the notion that in a “packed” nightclub Giuffre might have mistakenly believed Andrew had ordered an alcoholic drink seems unlikely to demolish her credibility.

The Daily Beast understands that another point of attack for Andrew’s team is that Giuffre initially alleged there were four encounters with Andrew, including one at Epstein’s Zorro Ranch in New Mexico, while her writ only details three alleged meetings.

Giuffre not including each and every example of alleged abuse does not, of course, automatically mean that she is lying about all the other occasions. It is far from unusual for plaintiffs to cherry-pick specimen examples of behavior, focusing on ones they consider they have the most chance of proving.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14641984

File: c39bb2ee754250a⋯.jpg (112.25 KB, 1362x766, 681:383, Prince_Andrew_s_Friends_Ne….jpg)

>>14641981

2/2

Andrew’s biggest problem, of course, is the photo of himself with Giuffre, with a leering Ghislaine Maxwell in the background of the shot (the photographer was reportedly Jeffrey Epstein).

Andrew has said he has no recollection of ever meeting Giuffre. He has strongly implied that the notorious photograph, which shows him with his hand around Giuffre’s bare waist, is a fake. His friends have previously said that Andrew has “chubby fingers” that do not match those in the photo.

Claims that the photo is fake have been comprehensively rubbished since they first emerged.

Sources in Andrew’s camp previously claimed the picture was faked to generate a tabloid payout. It has been claimed Giuffre was paid over £140,000 ($170,000) by the Mail on Sunday for the picture. The paper has strongly defended its authenticity.

Andrew’s team is also understood to be looking at an early published article in which Giuffre described meeting Andrew, but did not state that Andrew had engaged in any form of sexual encounter with her.

The source pointed to a report published in the Mail on Sunday in 2011, in which Giuffre said: “After about an hour-and-a-half, we drove back to Ghislaine’s. All of us went upstairs and I asked Jeffrey to snap a picture of me with the prince. I wanted something to show my mom. Ghislaine and Jeffrey left us after that, and later Andrew left.”

While it is undeniably a very different characterization of the events of the night than Giuffre would later narrate, it seems a weak foundation on which to build an attack on Giuffre’s reliability. It is far from uncommon for victims of sexual abuse to be reluctant to reveal the full extent of the abuse they have suffered. One Playboy model, Anouska De Georgiou, who appeared in an NBC special alongside Giuffre, said: “I think the nature of this kind of abuse means that you’re conditioned to be silent, to be isolated—secretive and shameful.”

There have been reports in recent days that Andrew was considering firing his U.K. lawyers, but the same source told The Daily Beast that Andrew intends to stick with his legal team, saying: “Contrary to media reports, the duke retains every confidence in his legal team and their strategy.”

The Daily Beast has approached Virginia Giuffre’s legal team for comment.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/prince-andrew-will-fight-virgina-roberts-giuffres-claims-source-says

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2e5617  No.14642036

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14592776

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on September 22, 2021

MASTV: France recalled its ambassadors to the US and Australia after the two countries together with the UK announced their cooperation on nuclear-powered submarine technology. Some commentators are saying that the trilateral AUKUS mechanism shows that the US only works with Europe when it's convenient. Do you have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: Cooperation on nuclear-powered submarine technology between the US, the UK and Australia will gravely undermine regional peace and stability, aggravate arms race and impair international nuclear non-proliferation efforts. It runs counter to regional countries' wishes. The three countries should discard the Cold War zero-sum mentality and narrow geopolitical perspective, follow the trend of the times for peace and development, and stop forming exclusive blocs or cliques.

Macau Monthly: It is reported that as the US and the UK offer support for the Royal Australian Navy to build a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, regional countries including Indonesia, Malaysia and New Zealand have all expressed their objection. Do you have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: As a non-nuclear weapon state party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and a party to the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone (SPNFZ) Treaty, known as the Treaty of Rarotonga, Australia is now introducing nuclear submarine technology of strategic and military value. The international community, including Australia's neighboring countries, has reason to question Australia's sincerity in honoring its nuclear non-proliferation commitments. Faced with the dual challenge of combating COVID-19 and revitalizing the economy, people in the Asia-Pacific need growth and employment, not submarines and ammunition. Relevant countries should do more to promote regional peace and development.

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/2511_665403/t1908814.shtml

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTCtxRDh7_4

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2e5617  No.14642039

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14642036

China Daily: On September 15, the US, the UK and Australia announced the establishment of a trilateral security partnership, under which the UK and the US will support Australia to build a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. Many countries in the region have expressed grave concern over this, stressing the importance of Australia honoring its nuclear non-proliferation commitments. They are concerned that this move by Australia will intensify the nuclear arms race in the Indo-Pacific region. What is China's comment on that?

Zhao Lijian: China expresses grave concern over the nuclear submarine cooperation between the US, the UK and Australia, which deliberately escalates regional tension, provokes an arms race, threatens regional peace and stability, and undermines international nuclear non-proliferation efforts. Recently, many countries in the region have expressed concern over the possible negative consequences of the cooperation of the US, the UK and Australia.

It is widely believed by the international community that their cooperation poses a serious risk of nuclear proliferation and violates the spirit of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The US and the UK are likely to export to Australia highly enriched uranium with purity of 90% or more, which is weapon-grade nuclear material. As a non-nuclear-weapon state, Australia's acquisition of highly enriched uranium itself poses severe nuclear proliferation and nuclear security risks. However, the current safeguards mechanism of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) cannot verify whether Australia will use the highly enriched uranium in the power reactors of nuclear submarines for nuclear weapons. China believes that these concerns of the international community are completely justified and reasonable.

The nuclear submarine cooperation between the US, the UK and Australia, which poses a serious risk of nuclear proliferation, proves once again that the US and the UK pursue double standards and use nuclear cooperation as a tool of geopolitical game. It also gives the international community every reason to question Australia's sincerity in complying with its nuclear non-proliferation obligations as a non-nuclear-weapon state party to the NPT. China urges the three countries to heed the call of the international community, discard the outdated Cold War zero-sum mentality and narrow geopolitical perspective, revoke the wrong decision, faithfully fulfill international nuclear non-proliferation obligations and do more to contribute to regional peace and stability.

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/2511_665403/t1908814.shtml

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT0FC-FY18k

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2e5617  No.14647744

File: a304feb89430418⋯.jpg (111.74 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Taiwanese_President_Tsai_I….jpg)

File: c68180c8400189b⋯.jpg (44.3 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Chinese_Foreign_Ministry_s….jpg)

Beijing barks as Australia, Japan, Canada support Taiwan CPTPP bid

WILL GLASGOW - SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

1/2

Beijing has threatened Australia, Japan, Canada and other countries supporting Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

“There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on Thursday evening.

“China firmly opposes all official interactions with Taiwan, firmly rejects Taiwan‘s accession to any agreement or organisation of official nature. China’s position on this issue is clear,” the Xi administration spokesman said.

Beijing’s threat came as Australian diplomats were working behind the scenes with Japan, Canada and other partners on a path for Taiwan — a self-governed island of 24 million people — to the giant trading block, called the CPTPP.

Trade Minister Dan Tehan, who last week said China’s application for the giant trading bloc would require the end of its trade coercion against Australia, indicated Canberra was co-ordinating with others on Taiwan’s bid.

“Australia will work with the CPTPP membership to consider Taiwan’s application on a consensus basis, in accordance with the CPTPP Accession Guidelines,” he told The Australian in a statement.

He reiterated that new members – whether China or Taiwan – would have to convince existing members that they would “adhere to the high standards of the agreement, as well as to their WTO commitments and existing trade agreements… (It’s) in everyone’s ­interest that everyone plays by the rules.”

The foreign minister of Japan – Australia’s closest partner in the region – was even more publicly supportive of Taiwan’s application, which was lodged on Wednesday. Toshimitsu Motegi said Taiwan was an “extremely important partner of Japan” that shared basic values such as the rule of law.

He said Tokyo would respond to Taiwan’s bid “based on a strategic point of view and with the public’s understanding.”

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — who remains hugely influential in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party — said it was “extremely important” for Japan to support Taiwan’s bid.

Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen said the bid was five years in the making and reflected Taiwan’s “commitment to promoting free trade in the Asia-Pacific”.

“I am confident that our membership in this deal would strengthen joint economic development and benefit people across the region and the world,” President Tsai said.

Australia, Japan and the other nine member states in the trade bloc have to manage the tension between the region’s biggest economy and the thriving democratic island that Beijing claims is a wayward Chinese province to be reclaimed by force if necessary.

“This is now a geo-economic showdown whose outcome carries high stakes for the Indo-Pacific and the world,” said Jeffrey Wilson, research director at the Perth USAsia Centre.

Joining the group requires the unanimous consent of all the members.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14647752

File: 4a5eba9db5b701f⋯.jpg (210.61 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Prime_Minister_Scott_Morri….jpg)

>>14647744

2/2

A senior diplomatic source involved in the process told The Australian that Australia, Japan and Canada, which has also experienced Beijing’s trade coercion, had been in discussions exploring a path for Taiwan’s entry.

Some Taiwan supporters worry that Peru will be an easy target for the Xi administration to pressure. Peru’s new leftist President Pedro Castillo, who assumed office in July, has said he wants to prioritise improving ties with Beijing.

Other members include New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei, Malay­sia, Vietnam and Mexico.

Mr Tehan noted Taiwan’s application would require senior engagement with the Tsai government, something Beijing is determined to limit.

“Any application for accession to the CPTPP is an important matter and with Taiwan would require senior-level engagement consistent with our long-established one-China policy,” he said.

Diplomats representing some members believe China’s application was an attempt to thwart Taiwan’s flagged application.

“It’s a power move by China,” Mr Wilson said.

While Mr Tehan was determinedly neutral in his statement, less constrained members of the Morrison government were more openly supportive.

Liberal member for Wentworth Dave Sharma, a former diplomat, said Taiwan’s application “deserves favourable consideration”.

“They are a sizeable and technology-oriented economy with a strong commitment to free trade and the rule of law – the sort of member which would bring value to the CPTPP,” Mr Sharma said.

Fellow Liberal Ted O’Brien said the application by “rule-abiding” Taiwan was “welcome news”.

Lowy Institute expert Natasha Kassam, who was previously a Beijing-based Australian diplomat, said there would be a lot of “anxiety” among members over letting in Taiwan while rejecting China but she could see a path for Taiwan’s entry if there was “collective ­action” led by five or six members.

“You make it about the rules-based order, institution building, preserving standards and it becomes a pretty powerful message – if you can get enough countries together on it,” she said.

On Saturday — two days after Beijing lodged its CPTPP application — China’s customs officials banned Taiwanese wax apple and custard apple exports, citing pest concerns.

Taiwan is considering taking China to the World Trading Organization over the sudden ban.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/taiwan-launches-tpp-trade-pitch-after-china/news-story/be691d5452ace95f392b1ed3b8ab7608

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2e5617  No.14647766

File: 5d0d94b52b6d455⋯.jpg (454.52 KB, 825x1115, 165:223, LZ_5.jpg)

File: 92e948239568c38⋯.jpg (112.34 KB, 1000x763, 1000:763, E_ZQooUcAIRx8L.jpg)

Lijian Zhao 赵立坚 Tweet

China government official

#Australian troops brutally killed prisoners of war & civilians by shooting or throat-slitting in #Afghanistan. Truth has come to light, but justice is yet to be upheld. Those who committed war crimes remain at large. Afghan lives matter. Australia owes the world an explanation.

https://twitter.com/zlj517/status/1441038929872896007

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2e5617  No.14647775

File: efd2fb066336f9d⋯.jpg (145.78 KB, 500x345, 100:69, Foreign_Ministry_Spokesper….jpg)

>>14647744

>>14647766

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on September 23, 2021

Kyodo News: Yesterday, the Taiwan authorities submitted application to join the CPTPP. Considering that China's mainland and the Taiwan region both acceded to the WTO, what is China's comment on the position of the Taiwan authorities?

Zhao Lijian: There is only one China in the world, and the Taiwan region is an inalienable part of China's territory. The one-China principle is a universally recognized norm governing international relations and the consensus of the international community. China firmly opposes all official interactions between Taiwan and any country, firmly rejects Taiwan's accession to any agreement or organization of official nature. China's position on this issue is clear.

Kyodo News: I have a question on Australia's acquisition of nuclear submarines. Yesterday, the Chinese foreign ministry expressed opposition to Australia's development of nuclear submarines. According to my knowledge, the People's Liberation Army of China also possesses some nuclear submarines. Does the foreign ministry mean that China will not build any new nuclear-powered submarines in the future?

Zhao Lijian: I answered three relevant question yesterday to make clear elaboration on China's position.

As a non-nuclear weapon state under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and a party to the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone (SPNFZ) Treaty, known as the Treaty of Rarotonga, Australia is now introducing nuclear submarine technology of strategic and military value. The international community, including China, has full reason to question whether Australia is serious about fulfilling its nuclear non-proliferation commitments. Whether China, a nuclear weapon state party to the NPT, will build new nuclear submarines is a completely different issue.

Beijing Daily: During the 48th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Australia's grave violation of human rights drew wide criticism. Can you further elaborate on China's position on the issue?

Zhao Lijian: In Australian offshore detention centers, a large number of refugees and migrants have been long held with chronic mental and physical sufferings, and unnatural deaths occur from time to time. Outsourced to private security firms, the detention centers have bad living conditions. The Australian government fails to effectively monitor them and gravely violates the human rights of refugees and migrants.

Historically, Australia committed genocide against the Aboriginals and inflicted permanent pain on the "stolen generation" by taking 100,000 Aboriginal children by force from their families. Even today, the average life expectancy of the Aboriginal Australians is 8.2 years shorter than that of White people. The Aboriginals account for 3.3% of the Australian population but 28% of the prisoner population. The Australian Aboriginals are still subjected to serious unfair treatment in living conditions, law enforcement and justice system, among others.

During the war in Afghanistan, Australian troops brutally killed prisoners of war and even civilians by shooting or cutting their throats. My colleagues and I have shed light on and condemned the atrocity of the Australian troops many times. The truth has come to light, but justice is still not upheld. These Australian troops remain at large despite their grave war crimes. Afghan lives also matter. The Australian side owes the world an explanation.

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/2511_665403/t1909182.shtml

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217376  No.14648420

File: aff70177bd698ad⋯.jpg (666.78 KB, 971x2097, 971:2097, Screenshot_20210922_060720….jpg)

File: 6fd4c0b86731d2e⋯.jpg (517.56 KB, 1080x987, 360:329, Screenshot_20210923_123701….jpg)

File: d80bdfdffd8dc90⋯.jpg (651.9 KB, 1080x1597, 1080:1597, Screenshot_20210923_124845….jpg)

File: 0ce8e1086de203e⋯.jpg (613.5 KB, 971x2178, 971:2178, Screenshot_20210923_203937….jpg)

File: e87394b0a2b372e⋯.jpg (763.31 KB, 1080x1509, 360:503, Screenshot_20210923_215352….jpg)

Night-Shift Anon on the Aussie Front Line in Melbourne:

AUTISTS we need your help. Please!

They are blackout and censoring our news.

Make memes and Destroy these terrorists.

They are beating elderly women and children and randomly tackling and beating people. Shooting people in the face at point blank.

Make these Criminal Terrorists famous.

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217376  No.14648543

File: 47da17101b46cba⋯.png (534.2 KB, 655x529, 655:529, d9808217e1edf302d899da6ec4….png)

File: 0984a214981a760⋯.jpg (161.04 KB, 1050x1293, 350:431, c2ef7b634443a2cc_Melbourne.jpg)

File: 3549a666b0ed568⋯.png (802.01 KB, 902x764, 451:382, 1a339602fbcb2dfec4cbae3a8b….png)

File: cbd798b1acaa7c8⋯.png (488.88 KB, 634x423, 634:423, 80605edc0c353b5578bd82c43e….png)

Night-Shift Anon on the Aussie Front Line in Melbourne:

AUTISTS we need your help. Please!

Criminal Mafia Government are using blackout and censoring our news. They are attempting to hide their Illegal Assaults and barbarian Nazi Police Tactics.

Make NEW MEMES and Destroy these terrorists.

They are beating elderly women and children and randomly tackling and beating people. Shooting people in the face at point blank.

Make these Criminal Terrorists famous.

__________

Criminals, Terrorist Government and organizations are violating the Nuremberg code in Australia and in Melbourne.

Terrorist Criminals have taken over the Australian Victoria Police and the State Government run by Mafia Communist Cartel Leader Dan Andrews. These corrupt leaders were Elected through Fraud and election rigging.

This Government Mafia are shooting innocent people. Tanks with machine guns are being used.

Shootings and assaults from terrorist police and trained hit squad specialist attack troops.

They have brought in FOREIGN troops.

The Government has ordered mainstream media to not broadcast so they can hide their crimes and assaults from terrorist police squads.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Dan+Andrews&t=brave&iax=images&ia=images

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=John+Setka&t=brave&iax=images&ia=images

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217376  No.14648571

File: 461c99460bba1b6⋯.mp4 (6.95 MB, 720x1024, 45:64, 5_6222205686781051717_Melb….mp4)

Night-Shift Anon on the Aussie Front Line in Melbourne:

Australia Update :

Everyone Please Forward to all platforms and networks.

SOS

USA please send troops!

Criminals, Terrorist Government and organizations are violating the Nuremberg code in Australia and in Melbourne.

Terrorist Criminals have taken over the Australian Victoria Police and the State Government run by Mafia Communist Cartel Leader Dan Andrews. These corrupt leaders were Elected through Fraud and election rigging.

This Government Mafia are shooting innocent people. Tanks with machine guns are being used.

Shootings and assaults from terrorist police and trained hit squad specialist attack troops.

Shooting peaceful protesters. Shooting Elderly grandmothers, women and children playing in the park. Shooting innocent people.

They have brought in FOREIGN troops.

The Government has ordered mainstream media to not broadcast so they can hide their crimes and assaults from terrorist police squads.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Dan+Andrews&t=brave&iax=images&ia=images

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=John+Setka&t=brave&iax=images&ia=images

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2e5617  No.14648886

File: 6c1f9d3945063f1⋯.jpg (191.73 KB, 1200x800, 3:2, A_healthcare_worker_walks_….jpg)

>>14404403

Australia hits vaccine milestone as Melbourne cases hover near record levels

Renju Jose - September 24, 2021

SYDNEY, Sept 24 (Reuters) - More than half of Australia's adult population were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Friday, authorities said, as they step up inoculations in hopes of easing restrictions while cases linger near daily record levels in Victoria.

Australia is grappling with a third wave of infections from the highly infectious Delta variant that has led to lockdowns in its two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, and the capital, Canberra, affecting nearly half the country's 25 million people.

These tough curbs and a decision to shut construction sites for two weeks over the rapid spread of the virus among workers triggered anti-lockdown protests in Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, for three straight days.

Police made some arrests in Melbourne on Friday, local media reported, as they look to prevent more protests.

As most of Australia's southeast remains under strict stay-at-home restrictions, virus-free Western Australia is gearing up to host the Australian Rules Football Grand Final for the first time, in front of 60,000 fans at Perth Stadium on Saturday.

Melbourne, which had hosted every Grand Final since 1898, was the sport's spiritual home until the pandemic forced a shift to Brisbane last year.

Victoria on Friday reported one new death and 733 new infections, its second biggest daily rise in the pandemic, down from the record high of 766 on Thursday. Most cases were detected in Melbourne.

Both New South Wales (NSW) and Victorian leaders have pledged more freedom to residents once full vaccinations in people older than 16 reach 70%, expected next month. So far, 57% have been fully vaccinated in NSW, above the national average of 50.1%. Two million doses were administered in country in the last seven days.

Daily cases may have stabilised in NSW, the epicentre of the country's worst outbreak, as it reported 1,043 new infections, down from 1,063 on Thursday.

"We are seeing pleasing declines … hopefully we will see numbers decrease in coming days and weeks," state Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said during a media briefing in Sydney.

But officials flagged any easing of curbs in NSW would be done "cautiously and moderately" when the state hits its 70% dual-dose target, around Oct. 6, to avoid spikes in cases that could overwhelm its health systems.

Even with the fast-moving Delta outbreak, Australia has largely avoided high numbers seen in many comparable countries, with some 94,000 cases and 1,208 deaths, and the death rate is lower than last year because of higher vaccination rates.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/melbourne-cases-linger-near-record-levels-australia-hits-vaccine-milestone-2021-09-24/

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2e5617  No.14648895

File: 693ccb0e070f067⋯.jpg (19.44 KB, 480x572, 120:143, Cardinal_George_Pell_speak….jpg)

Cardinal Pell says he 'never really approved' of Benedict XVI's decision to resign

Australian cardinal maintains he's not a climate change denier, but skeptical of solutions

Christopher White - Sep 23, 2021

ROME — Australian Cardinal George Pell said Sept. 23 he "never really approved" of Pope Benedict XVI's shocking decision in 2013 to resign the papacy.

Pell, who was the prefect of the Vatican's Secretariat for the Economy from 2014 to 2019 and a member of Pope Francis' advisory Council of Cardinals from 2013 to 2018, said that among the recent popes — John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis — he was closest to Benedict.

Pell described John Paul II as "one of the greatest popes in history, of course," and praised Benedict's "prodigious intellect," adding that "I knew him better than all of the other two popes."

The cardinal's remarks came during a webinar as part of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross' "The Church Up Close" virtual series targeted to journalists around the world to help them better understand the dynamics of the Vatican.

Pell was archbishop of Melbourne, Australia, from 1996 to 2001 and then led the Sydney Archdiocese from 2001 until Francis tapped him to oversee the Vatican's financial reforms in 2014.

Despite working closely with Francis for five years, Pell has often been perceived as at odds with key initiatives of this papacy, including the pope's more welcoming approach to divorced and remarried couples and LGBTQ Catholics, and his prioritization of fighting climate change.

During the interview, Pell said that Francis has the "great gift of empathy and sympathy."

When asked to respond on why some conservative Catholics are hostile to Francis, the cardinal said he believes some "wonder just what is being taught" at the moment, although he did not elaborate on specific issues.

"Pope Francis has a great gift, like Jesus did, of reaching out to those on the peripheries and sinners," Pell said, "and that can and has confused people."

"But we are where we are," the cardinal added. "The papacy is something, I believe, is willed by Christ and we have to respect the office, reverence the man and obey the papal directions."

Known for his vigorous defense of traditional Catholic teachings and an often brash style, Pell has never been shy with his words or opinions.

When asked if he was "still a climate change denier," Pell said that he has "never denied climate change" and that he is a "very strong" believer in it, but is ambivalent about what can be done by humans to prevent it.

Pell went on to offer a forceful litany of historical examples of climate change, saying he was "well aware" that in the Middle Ages the Rhine River dried up twice and that it was warmer at the time of Christ than it is now.

"What I am against," he said, "is inflated ideas that we can do very much at all to mitigate, to change these immense natural patterns."

"No computer program forecasting the future of climate change has been accurate. Not one of them," the cardinal added, saying he believes there is a "vast distance between the evidence and the policy recommendations."

"Pagan people like something to be frightened of," he added.

During the nearly 80-minute interview, the cardinal reflected back on his historic imprisonment in Australia for sexual abuse before being unanimously cleared by the country's high court.

Since returning to Rome in September 2020, the embattled cardinal has published his prison journal memoirs and has given a series of media interviews reflecting on his legal battles, Vatican finances and the future of the Catholic Church.

When asked during his latest interview what reading recommendations he would offer for those seeking a better understanding of the church, Pell ticked off a number of prominent conservative writers.

Among those he named were New York Times columnist Ross Douthat and Pope John Paul II biographer George Weigel, before offering a limited endorsement of Rod Dreher's The Benedict Option, which advocates for Christians to withdraw from the mainstream and focus on a renewal of Christian counterculture.

"The Benedict option is not my option," Pell said. "I'm not sympathetic to just a small, little elite church."

He added: "I would like to keep as many of the semi-religious slobs like myself in the stream."

https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/cardinal-pell-says-he-never-really-approved-benedict-xvis-decision-resign

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2e5617  No.14648896

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

The roots of QAnon run deeper than you think

CNN

Sep 24, 2021

The roots of QAnon run deeper than you think, tapping into centuries-old conspiracy theories with echoes of anti-Semitic and anti-Catholic bigotry.

In the latest “Reality Check with John Avlon: Extremist Beat,” Avlon traces how far back these false beliefs go and explores the present-day implications with CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZN5vSbhsRU

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2e5617  No.14648951

File: 0eb2c5f4fc9423b⋯.jpg (317.67 KB, 825x868, 825:868, GP_299.jpg)

File: 76cba1714677506⋯.jpg (174.46 KB, 1668x1288, 417:322, E_9GdYVIAkWbuB.jpg)

George Papadopoulos Tweet

https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1441148700378615809

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2e5617  No.14649123

File: 7b01ffffc26794b⋯.jpg (139.8 KB, 800x600, 4:3, The_meeting_will_feature_A….jpg)

File: 522ad4d9737ec57⋯.jpg (542.85 KB, 3000x2000, 3:2, The_Quad_was_formed_in_200….jpg)

File: d7ab42aef06c4a9⋯.jpg (737.42 KB, 3026x2017, 3026:2017, The_Quad_earlier_this_year….jpg)

Scott Morrison, Joe Biden, Narendra Modi and Yoshihide Suga gather for their first in-person Quad meeting

Stephen Dziedzic - 24 September 2021

1/2

Today, Prime Minister Scott Morrison will join US President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in Washington for the first-ever in-person leaders meeting of the Quad.

It's a big moment for the diplomatic group, which has long drawn both headlines and the ire of the Chinese government.

So what is the Quad, and what is its purpose?

What are the four countries trying to achieve? And what might some of its limitations be?

What is the Quad?

Officially, the Quad is not a military alliance — in fact, strictly speaking, it's not an alliance at all.

Instead, it's a group of four democratic nations – the United States, India, Australia and Japan – that are intensifying cooperation and, increasingly, finding common ground and aspirations.

And they're using the Quad to try and coordinate their actions across a whole range of areas: from maritime security, to distributing COVID-19 vaccines, counter-terrorism cooperation, and securing supply chains for critical goods.

The diplomatic initiative has a long and potted history.

The Quad was first formed back in 2007 but then quickly collapsed as China's government, which was suspicious the group was squarely aimed at curbing its rise, lodged angry objections with all four countries.

But the underlying anxieties that inspired its creation persisted and intensified and a decade later, the Quad was back, in a very modest incarnation.

Officials from all four countries met quietly on the margins of an ASEAN meeting in 2017 and started to sketch out a new agenda for the group.

After that, things moved along steadily and then, very quickly.

About two years after that first meeting, the foreign ministers from all four countries met for the first time.

Finally, earlier this year, the leaders held their first-ever meeting virtually — a signal moment for a diplomatic initiative that only a few years ago looked ill-defined and ephemeral.

So is the Quad all about China?

No, it's not all about China.

Some of the things the Quad is working on have got nothing to do with Beijing, and all four members tend to bridle slightly when it's framed as an anti-China coalition.

For example, when the four leaders met earlier this year, their main focus was on laying out an ambitious plan to leverage their resources and skills to massively ramp up COVID-19 vaccine distribution across the region.

Still, there's no doubt that shared anxiety about China's dizzying rise — and its astonishingly rapid military build-up – is what ultimately animates the Quad and gives it a sense of urgency and purpose.

China's increasingly aggressive behaviour has fuelled this dynamic.

Australia is trying to fight back against a campaign of economic coercion orchestrated by Beijing, while India has been grappling with Chinese incursions into disputed territory along its northern border.

Meanwhile, Japan is increasingly anxious about China's intensifying efforts to use its coast guard to assert its sovereignty over the disputed Senkaku Islands, known as the Diaoyu Islands in China.

Those anxieties aren't limited to military matters. For example, the Quad members are increasingly worried about China's dominance in a range of sensitive technologies and critical raw materials and are looking to shore up their own supply chains for these goods.

The main aim here is to try and exert more control over the rules, expectations and realities which will govern the future of what all four countries call the "Indo-Pacific region."

Professor Ian Hall from the Griffith Asia Institute says that "fundamentally, the Quad is still driven by mutual concerns about China".

He argues that all four countries want to make sure Beijing can't exert control over trade and investment flows, set prices for goods and services, strengthen its authoritarian client states or launch military action without facing concerted resistance.

There's also a clear strategic imperative driving the Quad's humanitarian and development agenda, including the push to send COVID vaccines throughout Asia.

All four countries are keenly aware that success will not only burnish their credentials but also boost the credibility of democracies in the region more broadly.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14649126

File: 45da3a2d3277009⋯.jpg (283.02 KB, 3000x2000, 3:2, Experts_say_the_Quad_natio….jpg)

File: f85e8e28bf83cc2⋯.jpg (1.09 MB, 3000x2000, 3:2, Iain_Henry_says_the_group_….jpg)

File: 5d00aeeb22c1e2b⋯.jpg (219.29 KB, 3000x2000, 3:2, It_s_likely_the_Quad_will_….jpg)

>>14649123

2/2

What might some of the problems be?

The Quad's clear focus on balancing China exposes it to some hard questions on cohesion and intent.

Iain Henry from the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University says Beijing will likely dismiss the assurances from Quad countries that they aren't trying to constrain the emerging superpower.

"People can insist all they want that it's not an alliance. But if those same people were making decisions in Beijing, they probably wouldn't accept such assurances," he tells the ABC.

And while all four countries now have far more common ground on China than they did a few years ago, Dr Henry isn't convinced that their interests align closely enough for them to take collective military action – unless Beijing embarks on a truly catastrophic military adventure.

"If you think the Quad is there as an alliance-in-waiting, then a lot of its possible weaknesses have not been examined in a thorough way," he says.

"In the current circumstances, it's not clear what, exactly, is sufficiently dear to all four countries that they'd be willing to concert military action to achieve it."

And he doesn't believe that dynamic is limited to defence issues, pointing out that while Quad countries offered vocal support to Australia when it was hit with economic punishment from Beijing, the group didn't try to formulate a meaningful or substantive response.

Dr Henry also thinks the group's focus on China might actually scare off other regional countries, which might otherwise be happy to coordinate with the Quad on initiatives like disaster relief, cyber security or COVID vaccines.

"I do think there has been a reticence on the part of some regional countries to associate with the Quad for benign initiatives, like COVID-19 vaccines, precisely because that's not the only thing the Quad is about," Dr Henry says.

"It has always had echoes of Japan's democratic security diamond concept, and the possible containment of China.

"So, attempts to expand the Quad's efforts on things like vaccines might be undermined by the fact this possible latent military purpose exists."

What's on the agenda this time?

Lots. The COVID pandemic and the Quad's efforts to send more vaccines to the region will likely feature heavily, particular following massive new commitments from the US and other countries.

The four leaders are also expected to discuss terrorism, and the best way to respond to the Taliban's takeover in Afghanistan.

As ever, China will loom large — particularly in discussions on cyber security, maritime security and supply chains.

And there are signs the four leaders will have a particularly sharp focus on securing supply chains for semi-conductors in the face of a global shortage.

Finally, Mr Biden also seems determined to use the meeting to continue his campaign for greater action on climate change, calling it a pressing and existential threat to the region.

It's a broad range of issues spanning a huge agenda. And despite the lingering questions over its shape, its ambitions and its capacity, Dr Hall thinks the Quad retains one great strength: flexibility.

"Because you've got an instrument like the Quad, these four countries can, in principle at least, try to align their policies so you don't allow this divide and rule strategy by China functioning quite so well," he says.

"The Quad is not formalised — there are no headquarters, no bureaucracy — there is nothing to stop the United States and other Quad members from pursuing what they want under the Quad."

That flexibility — and a shared enthusiasm for the forum – seem likely to guarantee its future at least in the short term. Most observers expect that the Quad leaders meeting will become a permanent annual fixture in the wake of the gathering in Washington on Friday.

Whatever its strengths and its limitations, the Quad seems to be here to stay.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/what-is-quad-group-scott-morrison-joe-biden-modi-suga/100487312

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2e5617  No.14649132

File: 528ee43984c8f38⋯.jpg (641.29 KB, 851x1140, 851:1140, ScoMo_28.jpg)

File: 08da74f97070ceb⋯.jpg (213.34 KB, 1322x1080, 661:540, E_QnJuUcAQdzGd.jpg)

File: 1563410d4378377⋯.jpg (559.76 KB, 825x1029, 275:343, NM_3.jpg)

File: 263fdbc6f634904⋯.jpg (443.54 KB, 1936x1519, 1936:1519, FAAwIqNVgAMfkW0.jpg)

>>14649123

Prime Minister Scott Morrison Tweet

Great to meet with my good friend and a great friend of Australia, Indian PM @narendramodi, during my visit to the US. A wide-ranging and productive discussion ahead of the first in-person Quad meeting as we look to further deepen the partnership between our two countries.

https://twitter.com/ScottMorrisonMP/status/1441160214992982019

PMO India @PMOIndia

Advancing friendship with Australia.

PM @ScottMorrisonMP held talks with PM @narendramodi. They discussed a wide range of subjects aimed at deepening economic and people-to-people linkages between India and Australia.

https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/1441099805908869123

Narendra Modi Tweet

It is always wonderful to interact with my good friend, PM @ScottMorrisonMP. We had wide-ranging deliberations on strengthening cooperation in the fields of commerce, trade, energy and more.

https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1441204813040001025

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2e5617  No.14649168

File: 5e25a1f35beea68⋯.jpg (496.39 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, Quad_incapable_of_inflicti….jpg)

>>14649123

Quad ‘incapable of inflicting substantial harm to China’

Members to become US ‘cannon fodder’ to contain Beijing

Zhang Hui and Yan Yuzhu - Sep 24, 2021

1/2

The Quad summit, scheduled to take place on Friday, which will likely mention marine security concerns for the purpose of containing China and demonstrate that the Indo-Pacific is the current strategic center of the US, was at the stage of forging verbal consensus rather than signing substantial deals, Chinese analysts said on Thursday, noting that US typical practice of abandoning its allies like dumping trash in front of its interests will make Quad another NATO which is existing only in name.

While the Quad mechanism is engaged in splitting Asia and instigating various forces to contain China, if Japan, India and Australia went too far in following the US strategy of containing China, they will become cannon fodder as China will resolutely safeguard its interests, Chinese analysts warned.

Leaders from the US, Japan, India and Australia - four countries that make up the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (the Quad) will meet in Washington on Friday for the first in-person Quad summit.

Ahead of the meeting, Japan has been sparing no efforts to be the biggest agitator for Friday's Quad summit with its Prime Minister hyping the Chinese military threat before leaving for Washington and its extensive media coverage to provoke East and South China Sea issues. The move is seen by Chinese analysts as sacrificing Japan's diplomatic independence for the sake of tying itself tightly with the US to get a bigger say and upper hand in Northeast Asian affairs, which may not be easy to achieve.

Before heading to Washington for Friday's first-ever in-person summit, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga hyped the Chinese military threat in an interview with Bloomberg, in which he said China's rapidly growing "military influence and unilateral changing of the status quo" could present a risk to Japan, and Japan is closely monitoring the military balance between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan island.

Apart from Suga, the upcoming Quad summit also attracted extensive coverage from Japanese media which cooperated with Suga on hyping the Chinese military influence.

Kyodo News citing anonymous sources said on Wednesday that the joint leaders' statement of the Quad summit will use tougher language than before on the South China Sea and East China Sea.

"Quad members oppose challenges to the maritime rules-based order, particularly in the East and South China seas," Kyodo News said.

Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday that Suga's remarks and Japanese media's extremely wide coverage on the summit revealed that Japan has pinned much hope on the summit and to some extent Japan's expectations to the summit are even bigger than the US', which will host the meeting.

As the main agitator for Quad, Japan has been sparing no efforts to promote the summit to use the clique to gain an upper hand in its territorial disputes with China and Russia, and even on the Korean Peninsula issue. And the more it smears China on the South China Sea and East China Sea, the more it will gain US support, Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Thursday.

"Disclosure on the joint statement and Suga's hype was to incite and show loyalty to the US as Japan hopes to tie itself tightly to the US chariot to get a more prominent international status and a bigger say in Northeast Asia. Japan wants American troops to stay in the country and South Korea, but whether Biden, facing internal and external unprecedented plight, would choose to further provoke China remains a question," Lü said.

Lü said the joint statement will be weaker than what Japanese media claimed, and said the summit was unlikely to achieve a substantive agreement.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14649175

File: 6716432c7667e2a⋯.jpg (397.57 KB, 750x860, 75:86, Quad.jpg)

>>14649168

2/2

The summit is also headlines in Indian media. On Thursday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Washington, and although not mentioning China, he said his visit was an "occasion to strengthen our strategic partnership with the US and consolidate ties with Japan and Australia," NDTV reported on Thursday.

India has been active in Quad, hoping to use the US, Japan and Australia to contain China. But the US was more likely to adopt an "Asians versus Asians" strategy, indicating it will instigate some Asian countries to confront other Asian countries rather than engaging itself in it, analysts said, noting that India is not sure how much help it can get from the US if there is a serious conflict between China and India.

Compared with the China topic, the four members worry more about COVID-19, vaccines, climate change and carbon neutralization which they hope to seek global leadership, Shi Yinhong, director of the Center for American Studies at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times.

In a statement issued last week, the White House said the Quad leaders will be focused on deepening ties and advancing practical cooperation on areas such as combating COVID-19, addressing the climate crisis, partnering on emerging technologies and cyberspace, and promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific, without mentioning China.

Another NATO?

The summit will take place just days after the US, UK and Australia announced a security pact AUKUS, under which Australia will be provided with nuclear-powered submarines after ripping up its deal with France, which prompted France to recall its ambassadors to the US and Australia and greatly upset Europe.

The AUKUS cast a shadow over the Quad summit, and will dilute the Quad members, especially Japan and India, and make the summit less effective, analysts said.

Yang Xiyu, a senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies in Beijing, told the Global Times that the two strategic platforms Quad and AUKUS make up the US Indo-Pacific strategy with a global perspective, indicating that the US made the Indo-Pacific region its strategic priority.

At this moment, the AUKUS cannot affect the alliance between the US and Japan or India, though the transatlantic partnership is largely influenced, Yang said.

But the US Indo-Pacific strategy serves its own interests, and Biden could abandon its European allies like dumping trash just months after bluffing "America is back in Europe" during his European visit. It is capable of throwing any other ally away at any time for the sake of American interests, Lü said.

US betrayal of its allies has unsettled and created chaos among them.

French President Emmanuel Macron, upset by AUKUS, called Modi on Tuesday to discuss cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, a move Lü said was to ensure that India will not become another Australia to rip up their military pact.

The Hindustan Times reported that India sought to distance itself from AUKUS "because of its strong strategic relations with Australia, France and the US."

Calling the four members "four ward mates with four different diseases," Lü said that the Quad will not have long-term strategic value, just like NATO, which now exists only in name.

Biden went way too far in the road of "American First" than Donald Trump, and he has lost his credibility not just in his failure of the COVID-19 response but in treating its allies, and will likely suffer setbacks in the midterm elections next year, analysts said.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1234998.shtml

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2e5617  No.14649184

File: 7848d9fe3924b25⋯.jpg (353.1 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, Quad_mechanism_turning_int….jpg)

>>14649123

Quad mechanism turning into 'sinister gang of Indo-Pacific': Global Times editorial

Global Times - Sep 23, 2021

1/2

Leaders of the US, Japan, India and Australia will meet in Washington on Friday for the first in-person Quad summit. Despite claims of "maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region," the Quad mechanism is engaged in splitting the region and inciting various forces to oppose China. The summit in Washington can be seen as a twisted ribbon-cutting of shaping this confrontational pattern.

The purpose of the Quad mechanism is to "encircle China." Its geographic situation gives a sense of comfort to the political elites of the four countries. It remains vague as to what to be encircled about China. Every element contains a great deal of imagination. As a result, the agenda of the Quad is rather distorted and full of paranoid extensions, like argots which are ambiguous but can be understood by conjecture.

For instance, Quad members' "opposing challenges to the maritime rules-based order" is such an argot. The maritime order, including the freedom of navigation, has never been challenged. The so-called maritime order referred to by the US and Japan is maritime power, while the "rules" are the hegemony or vested interests of maritime countries such as the US and Japan. When talking about this subject, the Quad mechanism often confines it to the South and East China Seas, in a bid not to touch the Indian Ocean, a sensitive spot for New Delhi.

"Creating a safe supply chain" is another argot. Transnational supply chain is the natural result of global division of labor, which itself is the product of marketization. In order to curb China, the US has begun to develop the supply chain of key technology products excluding the Chinese mainland. The semiconductor sector is the first to bear the brunt. No matter how much rhetoric is applied, these attempts in supply chain are anti-market, politically prioritized, aimed at creating confrontation, and thus immoral and evil.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday ahead of his trip to Washington that "The changing power balance brought by the rise of China in the Indo-Pacific, along with the increasing inward focus spurred by the pandemic have increased uncertainty." He also hyped that China's growing military strength "could present a risk to our country's peace and prosperity."

Development is the sacred right of 1.4 billion Chinese people. An economic rise has brought about the constant growth of China's GDP, which will inevitably bring about an increase in military spending and modernization. However, China's military budget is less than 1.5 percent of its GDP. China adheres to the principle of no-first-use of nuclear weapons, and hasn't launched any war against other countries in decades. Even though countries like Japan are inherently concerned about China's rise, they should express their concerns in a restricted way. From this perspective, engaging in the Quad that aims at confronting China is a seriously irresponsible move. It has been accelerating the uncertainties that are perceived by many countries to the certainty of confrontation.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14649187

File: 47fec1659370c19⋯.png (1.26 MB, 1200x720, 5:3, AUKUS_gives_Canberra_speci….png)

>>14649184

2/2

The Quad mechanism itself can do no harm to China. This is because it may form a siege of China, but will never block China's long-lasting development and rise, or Chinese people's diligence and resolve to make progress. This also applies to AUKUS. Nonetheless, these new alliances have declared the start of the era of conflicts and confrontations. They will bring about macro and profound changes to spheres from global structure to codes of conduct.

The Asia-Pacific region needs to struggle with the "sinister gang" represented by the Quad and AUKUS, giving geopolitical hysteria no chance to destroy the future of the Asia-Pacific. Although the Quad claims to be a values-based alliance, the members obviously know they are engaging in controversy and creating strategic risks. Therefore, they dare not clarify how they exactly define the Quad, with the four members interpreting the bloc in different ways.

The US intends to turn the Quad and AUKUS into "sinister gangs" containing China. On one hand, it stubbornly strengthens to deepen the anti-China cooperation of the Quad mechanism. On the other, it will gradually lure other countries in the region to join the gang. We appeal to other regional countries not to be fooled by Washington. They should refuse to be geopolitical pawns of the US against China, or to become cannon fodders of Washington.

China's continued development and strength can never be stemmed. We have no desire to become a strong international power. China's win-win development path with other countries is full of vitality and continues to become mature. It is in the best interests of all countries to strengthen cooperation with China and avoid being instigated by the US to engage in confrontation. It is believed that the vast majority of regional countries have sufficient determination to keep their strategic sobriety.

We must warn solemnly Japan, India and Australia not to follow the US too far in confronting China. Once they step on the red line of China's core interests, China will not care about their relations with the US, and China will not hesitate to punish them.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1234988.shtml

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2e5617  No.14649193

File: fec319b2f10e6d7⋯.jpg (187.81 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, Malaysia_to_seek_China_s_v….jpg)

>>14592776

>>14627710

Malaysia to seek China’s views on AUKUS as ASEAN countries fear nuclear proliferation, arms race

GT staff reporters - Sep 23, 2021

As Southeast Asian countries grow unnerved about AUKUS, a trilateral pact between the US, the UK and Australia that will provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines, Malaysia announced it would seek China's views on AUKUS, as the key ASEAN member is concerned about regional peace and stability that could be ruined by a security pact-triggered arms race.

Indonesia, another key ASEAN member, also said it is "deeply concerned over the continuing arms race and power projection in the region."

Observers said the two major countries' attitudes represent the stance of most regional countries, who are concerned about risks of nuclear proliferation, regional militarization and falling victim to major power competition.

Malaysian Defense Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said on Wednesday his ministry is planning a working visit to China soon to discuss the matter, especially on defense-related issues.

The plan came after the country voiced serious concerns over the nuclear vessel pact that "has the potential to disrupt security and stability in Southeast Asia," a Malaysian news outlet cited Hishammuddin as saying. The minister also urged Australia to reach out to Brunei on the issue.

Ge Hongliang, director of the College of ASEAN Studies at Guangxi University for Nationalities, told the Global Times on Thursday that Malaysia wanted to seek Chinese views because China has always been a firm supporter of the ASEAN's autonomous principle and jointly opposes interference from external forces.

China and Malaysia will communicate on further consensus and cooperation amid threats brought by AUKUS and how to react jointly if the US, the UK and Australia make further moves jeopardizing regional peace and stability, the expert said.

Australia claimed the warship will only be nuclear-powered, not nuclear weapon-equipped, but that cannot assure the ASEAN.

Herman Tiu Laurel, a columnist of the Filipino newspaper Pwersa, told the Global Times that a nuclear submarine is fueled with "enriched uranium" which can quickly be converted to weapons use. That constitutes a violation of the ASEAN Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOOPFAN) signed in 1971 and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Mutti Anggita, a nuclear nonproliferation specialist and lead analyst for security at a Jakarta-based think tank, told local media the pact could indicate Australia's first step toward the development of nuclear weapons.

It puts Australia, its neighbors and the Asia-Pacific region at risk of becoming a nuclear accident site, Mutti said.

The head of the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency, Aan Kurnia, said at a Monday government hearing that the direct impact (of AUKUS) could be the large number of non-claimant state military forces present in the South China Sea.

Indirectly, it can cause disruption to shipping traffic. There will be an increase in risks so that insurance and logistics costs will increase, which has the potential to create an energy and economic crisis, Kurnia said.

The Philippines, whose domestic politics is contentious, is the only country in the region that backs AUKUS, as its Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin said in a statement on Tuesday that "the enhancement of a near-abroad ally's ability to project power should restore and keep the balance rather than destabilize it."

Laurel criticized Locsin for setting up the Philippines as a laughing stock on the issue, noting non-US media portrayed Locsin as a usurper of ASEAN's voice.

The pact must be read in the context of "Asia Pivot" moving 60 percent of US military forces to "contain Asia's rise," certainly not just China, and the heightened US militarization of the Asia-Pacific, Laurel said, calling on the Duterte administration to rectify the serious error and denounce the AUKUS as an instrument of "Cold War" escalation.

Manila should not ignore the high risks of Southeast Asia turning into a battlefield for a new round of major power competition, experts said, noting the contrast in attitude also harmed the ASEAN bloc's centrality and cohesion.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1234996.shtml

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2e5617  No.14649261

File: 4ba8cd56a559ae7⋯.jpg (288.67 KB, 938x442, 469:221, TS_29.jpg)

File: 5fad2db38ee8f92⋯.jpg (541.06 KB, 2048x1365, 2048:1365, 241380263_218050157024142_….jpg)

File: 70d46c44de6f0c6⋯.jpg (373.25 KB, 2048x1365, 2048:1365, 242119493_218050060357485_….jpg)

File: 36bfdb4631f8628⋯.jpg (698.9 KB, 2048x1365, 2048:1365, 242656713_218050090357482_….jpg)

File: 0c2a594b67b1131⋯.jpg (537.89 KB, 2048x1365, 2048:1365, 242266869_218051343690690_….jpg)

Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post

23 September 2021

Shoot for the Stars

U.S. Marine Corps with Alpha Battery, 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Platoon fire a FIM-92 Stinger missile at a drone during a live-fire training event at Bradshaw Field Training Area, NT, Australia. The range marked the first time Stinger missiles have been fired in Australia and consisted of Marines and Australian Army soldiers utilizing their respective missile systems to take down notional enemy surveillance drones.

(U.S. Marine Corps photos by Cpl. Lydia Gordon)

https://www.facebook.com/MRFDarwin/posts/218052037023954

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217376  No.14649398

Melbourne:

Please Pass this information on.

You can help. You don't even need to leave your own neighborhood block. If each person does their own block we will canvas the city. Then we don't even need to be seen or have police beat us.

Get a can of spray paint.

Spray these hashtags on the ground on footpaths in residential Neighborhoods. Use the areas Not in front of a private home. For example car parks near the entrance on the footpath not on private property. People look at their phone and will see more on the ground.

NO Vax

NO GMO

#PureBloods

#PlanDemic

Tell your kids to help.

Tell them to dress in black clothes to hide their identity. Wearing face masks.

Spray residential foot paths when no one is around at night. Spray where no security cameras can see you in the middle of the block, where people walk near their homes on the foot path. Near dog walking parks, bridges, car park entrances, Schools and churches.

In front of the pubs. Or even on the corner near popular cafes so its not directly in front. Use the areas people wont care like in front of abandoned buildings or car parks and park foot paths.

Plan exactly what location on the ground before you spray there.

Send to everyone.

Send to all friends.

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968937  No.14649565

>>14649261

You Marines Stay Safe out there and Thank You for your Service.

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2e5617  No.14657185

File: 59e1e51a067a0bb⋯.jpg (117.11 KB, 960x641, 960:641, India_s_Prime_Minister_Nar….jpg)

File: 98ee418f8913081⋯.jpg (134.31 KB, 1200x785, 240:157, U_S_President_Joe_Biden_li….jpg)

File: f29846d66f4249e⋯.jpg (161.54 KB, 1200x805, 240:161, U_S_Secretary_of_State_Ant….jpg)

File: 88ba646bde117aa⋯.jpg (126.38 KB, 1200x731, 1200:731, Australia_s_Prime_Minister….jpg)

>>14649123

Quad leaders press for free Indo-Pacific, with wary eye on China

Steve Holland, David Brunnstrom, Nandita Bose and Michael Martina - September 25, 2021

WASHINGTON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Leaders of the United States, Japan, India and Australia vowed on Friday to pursue a free and open Indo-Pacific region "undaunted by coercion" at their first in-person summit, which presented a united front amid shared concerns about China.

The two-hour meeting at the White House of the Quad, as the grouping of four major democracies is called, will be watched closely in Beijing, which criticized the group as "doomed to fail."

"We stand for the rule of law, freedom of navigation and overflight, peaceful resolution of disputes, democratic values, and territorial integrity of states," U.S. President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a joint statement after the talks.

While China was not mentioned in the public remarks by the four leaders or in the lengthy joint statement and a factsheet issued afterwards, Beijing was clearly top of mind.

Their statement made frequent mention of the leaders' insistence on rules-based behavior in a region where China has been trying to flex its muscles.

"Together, we recommit to promoting the free, open,rules-based order, rooted in international law and undaunted by coercion, to bolster security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond," they said.

The Quad leaders also voiced support for small island states, especially those in the Pacific, in order to enhance their economic and environmental resilience.

Additionally, they urged North Korea to engage in diplomacy over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, which Pyongyang has refused to do unless international sanctions are dropped.

The leaders took steps to expand vaccines worldwide, welcoming India's plan to resume exports in October.

After the meeting, Suga told reporters the countries agreed to cooperate on vaccines, clean energy and space, and to hold a summit meeting every year.

Modi told his fellow Quad leaders India would permit export of 8 million COVID-19 vaccine doses by the end of October under a deal the grouping reached in March to supply a billion doses to the Indo-Pacific, India's foreign secretary said.

The plan to supply a billion doses across Asia by the end of 2022 stalled after India, the world's largest vaccine producer, banned exports in April amid a massive COVID outbreak at home.

India has said when it restarts vaccine exports it will prioritize the COVAX international vaccine initiative and neighboring countries.

The Quad announced several new pacts, including one to bolster supply chain security for semiconductors and to combat illegal fishing and boost maritime domain awareness.

It also rolled out a 5G partnership and plans to track climate change.

"Acknowledging the role of governments in fostering an enabling environment for 5G diversification, we will work together to facilitate public-private cooperation and demonstrate in 2022 the scalability and cyber security of open, standards-based technology," the leaders said.

The meeting came just over a week after the United States, Britain and Australia announced an AUKUS security pact that will provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines, a move roundly denounced by Beijing.

A Japanese government spokesman said Suga told the meeting that Japan considered the AUKUS partnership to be "taking an important role for the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region."

U.S. officials had sought to play down the security aspect of the Quad before the meeting, even though members carry out naval drills together and share concerns about China's growing power and attempts to exert pressure on all four countries.

Morrison said AUKUS and the Quad were "mutually reinforcing."

He told reporters, "That's the whole point of the Quad and AUKUS. They're not there to replace anything but to add to it."

In a briefing on Friday a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman appeared to criticize the Quad, or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, as it is formally known.

"A closed, exclusive clique targeting other countries runs counter to the trend of the times and the aspirations of regional countries," said the spokesman, Zhao Lijian.

"It will find no support and is doomed to fail."

China has denounced the Quad as a Cold War construct and says the AUKUS alliance would intensify a regional arms race.

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/quad-leaders-meet-white-house-amid-shared-china-concerns-2021-09-24/

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2e5617  No.14657204

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14657185

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on September 24, 2021

NHK: The US, Japan, Australia and India will hold a security dialogue in the US and discuss issues including a response to China's growing impact in the Asia-Pacific. Do you have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: China always believes that any regional cooperation mechanism should not target or harm the interests of a third party. A closed, exclusive clique targeting other countries runs counter to the trend of the times and the aspirations of regional countries. It will find no support and is doomed to fail.

China has always been an advocate of world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of the international order and a provider of public goods. The growth of China's strength means the growth of force for world peace. As a responsible major country, China's contribution to peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the world is there for all to see. Relevant countries should view China's development in a correct light and do more to promote solidarity and cooperation among countries in the region.

CNR: Some international scholars recently pointed out that the nuclear submarine technologies provided by the US and the UK to Australia may highly likely involve weapon-grade highly-enriched uranium (HEU) of above 93% and have nuclear proliferation risks. Iran's Permanent Representative to Vienna critically said some countries are practicing textbook double standards, as they fall silent about the US and the UK preparing to export HEU to Australia, while pointing fingers at Iranian nuclear activities. What is China's comment?

Zhao Lijian: China believes that concerns of some countries and international scholars about nuclear proliferation risks posed by the nuclear submarine cooperation among the US, the UK and Australia are totally justified and legitimate. The US-UK-Australia cooperation is ill-conceived.

First, the US-UK-Australia cooperation has serious nuclear proliferation risks, and violates the spirit of the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). US nuclear submarines is fueled by HEU of above 90%, which is weapon-grade nuclear material. The nuclear submarine export from the US and the UK to Australia, which is a non-nuclear weapon state, means a transfer of highly sensitive nuclear material and relevant technologies and equipment. Besides, the IAEA safeguards mechanism cannot effectively monitor whether Australia would use the HEU for nuclear weapons. All these are clear to the Australian side. But it gave up purchasing conventional submarines to buy nuclear-powered submarines from the US and the UK. What is Australia up to? There should be a big question mark on its sincerity to fulfill non-proliferation obligations as a non-nuclear weapon state party to the NPT.

Second, the US-UK-Australia cooperation only proves again that the US and the UK adopt double standards on the issue of nuclear export, which will gravely undermine the international non-proliferation efforts. The US has long been rejecting HEU export to non-nuclear weapon states to prevent the DPRK and Iran from acquiring HEU, and push for low enrichment of HEU reactors. But the US created exceptions for some countries in order to realize its geopolitical objectives. This nuclear submarine cooperation with Australia is the latest case in point. The move of the three countries will send a wrong message to the world, encourage other non-nuclear weapon states to do the same, and bring far-reaching negative impact on resolving non-proliferation hotspots in the region. Moreover, Australia's introduction of nuclear submarines will undercut the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty and ASEAN countries' efforts to build a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (NWFZ) in Southeast Asia, and severely sabotage regional peace and stability.

Third, for years, the US, the UK and Australia have been calling themselves leaders of international non-proliferation efforts, but the fact is quite the opposite – they are proven to proliferate. China again urges the three countries to heed the call from the international community, abandon outdated zero-sum mentality and narrow-minded geopolitical concepts, revoke the wrong decision, faithfully fulfill international non-proliferation obligations and do more that benefits regional peace, stability and development.

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/2511_665403/t1909582.shtml

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6OOx_7pTM0

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2e5617  No.14657225

File: e35c2610534ead4⋯.webm (4.95 MB, 640x360, 16:9, Scott_Morrison_calls_for_….webm)

File: 00f791ba73a1fac⋯.jpg (270.75 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Pacific_nations_were_focus….jpg)

File: 35050aac8068ae3⋯.jpg (96.01 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Ms_Ardern_spoke_remotely_f….jpg)

File: 753d2511294910c⋯.jpg (113.82 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Papua_New_Guinea_s_Prime_M….jpg)

File: 29fa5dcba70a920⋯.jpg (160.37 KB, 789x527, 789:527, Mr_Marape_says_families_ar….jpg)

Scott Morrison touts new global security alliances during UN meeting

Tracey Shelton - 25 September 2021

Australia's global strategic partnerships have been the focus of a speech by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on the fourth day of the United Nations General Assembly.

In a pre-taped video statement, Mr Morrison touted Australia's $100 million contribution to the Quad Vaccine Partnership "with our good friends the United States, India and Japan".

"This will support a boost in production by at least 1 billion doses by the end of 2022 and provide access to vaccines and delivery support to countries across the Indo-Pacific," Mr Morrison said.

As Mr Morrison's message aired inside UN headquarters in New York, the Prime Minister met in person with the Quad leaders in Washington at their first summit.

Mr Morrison joined US President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to discuss COVID-19 vaccines, infrastructure and technological cooperation.

During his message to the United Nations, Mr Morrison also touted Australia's new AUKUS security pact, under which Australia will be provided with nuclear-powered submarines, a move that has been roundly denounced by Beijing.

Mr Morrison said AUKUS was "designed to further the cause of peace, stability and security in the Indo-Pacific region for the benefit of all who live within that region".

"Australia's interests are inextricably linked to an open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific region where the rights of all states, no matter how large or how small, are protected," he said.

"We must reinforce a sustainable rules-based order while ensuring it is also adaptable to the great power realities of our time."

PM says technology key to combating climate change

Mr Morrison praised the countries' efforts to reduce the impacts of climate change, saying "Australia has a proven track record of … setting, achieving and exceeding” commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

He said "practical scalable and commercially viable technologies" were the key to achieving global emission reductions "while still lifting living standards across all nations".

"That's why we're investing $20 billion to commercialise promising new technologies like clean hydrogen, green steel, long-duration energy storage, and carbon capture — vital to meeting the global task to achieve net zero emissions."

Speaking via video link from New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern urged world leaders to give the highest priority to reducing emissions.

"Any global response that fails to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels is unacceptable," she said.

She said climate change was "one of the most pervasive crises of our time".

"The impacts are global in scope, unprecedented in scale and happening right now," she said.

"Climate change touches all of our lives but countries in the Pacific are some of the most affected, despite having contributed least to the problem."

"Pacific leaders view climate change as the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security, and wellbeing of the peoples of the region."

PNG calls on big carbon emitters to 'own up and apologise'

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape echoed Ms Ardern's words in his speech, using his live address to the UN to call for greater action on climate change.

"It is time the big carbon emitters of planet Earth own up and apologise to the small island states and all other victims of climate change," he said. "And I make this statement with no apologies."

Mr Marape said children and families were living in "fear and uncertainty" as they watched sea levels rise and "the structures that their lives are built upon slip away".

"Today I make a call for all of us, especially to the big carbon-emitting nations who are now enjoying their national economic transformations through industrialisation, to pause, think, and take responsibility to save our planet."

Mr Marape said it was disappointing PNG had so far "had limited or no success" in accessing climate change funding and said it should be considered separate from official development assistance.

Mr Marape said he was "comforted" by recent climate action announcements from the US, Britain and China, but there had been "enough talk" and more action was needed for the "survival of Earth".

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-25/pacific-nations-focus-on-climate-change-at-un-general-assembly/100491250

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2e5617  No.14657285

File: b4d482b4fc89e8c⋯.jpg (80.33 KB, 1200x750, 8:5, Catholics_should_debate_is….jpg)

>>14648895

Catholics should debate issues, not debase each other, cardinal says

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE - SEP 24, 2021

1/2

ROME (CNS) — Honest and open debate about different points of view in the Catholic Church are fundamental, but Catholics should not be demonizing the individuals with those views, Cardinal George Pell said.

Asked about the different polarized positions among Catholics that can be found online, he said that many of the issues being discussed are “very important, and I don’t think there can be any compromise on the fundamental issues of what is the apostolic tradition.”

The church’s stance on issues should be clearly explained, but there is “a hierarchy of truths, not everything is equally important,” which means Catholics “should not be disagreeing violently over too much at all but certainly not over matters which are of less importance,” he said in an interview in Rome streamed live Sept. 23 and uploaded the next day by the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.

As Catholics try to choose among many sources and offerings online, what they should be looking for and contributing to “is regular courtesy, a regular commitment to the truth, to dialogue, debating, arguing about the issues” themselves and not attacking the people who hold a different point of view, said the cardinal, who is the former prefect of the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy and retired archbishop of Sydney.

The interview was part of the university’s biennial “The Church Up Close” seminar offered to journalists who report on the Catholic Church. This year’s seminar was held online and focused on “Covering Catholicism in the Age of Francis.”

The interview with Cardinal Pell covered a wide variety of topics, including Cardinal Pell’s experience in an Australian prison for 13 months on child sex abuse charges until he was cleared by a unanimous decision of the High Court in 2020 and the vital importance of due process for both victims and the accused.

“Denouncing somebody in the press so they’ve got almost no chance of defending themselves is, I think, a violation of due process,” he said.

“Everybody has a right to the truth, and in the long term it is the best protection for the victims too,” because any manifestly false accusation “poisons public opinion against the genuine victims,” he said.

“We need to follow the commandments, we need to practice what Christ taught, if we did that there would have been no sexual abuse. The authorities would have faced up to the problem in truth,” he said.

“What the church was doing in terms of muddle and cover-up 20 years ago was generally done in all of society — now that is not excusing it, but it is setting it in context,” he said.

Cardinal Pell also noted that many countries have seen a “dramatic fall” in the number of reported incidents since the 1990s.

“Very often we’re not given credit for that” and, in terms of prevention, “we broke the back of the problem,” he said.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14657288

File: 5c28be7aed15129⋯.jpg (352.42 KB, 852x496, 213:124, Q_2590.jpg)

File: c6ad8342828bf77⋯.jpg (186.64 KB, 852x455, 852:455, Q_2594.jpg)

File: 1d68db16bbd941e⋯.jpg (545.06 KB, 847x876, 847:876, Q_2894.jpg)

>>14657285

2/2

The late St. John Paul II “was a powerful antidote” to scandals in the church because of his teachings about moral truths, the cardinal said. “He made it quite clear that he believed there was such a thing as right and wrong.”

Cardinal Pell praised retired Pope Benedict XVI as “a prodigious intellect, a dear friend” and said he never imagined the pope would resign, adding, “I never really approved of it either.”

Pope Francis has “a great gift of empathy and sympathy” and a great capacity to show closeness to people who are suffering and those who care for them, he said.

Asked why there is so much opposition to Pope Francis among conservative Catholics, Cardinal Pell said, “I think a lot of conservative Catholics feel a little bit confused, a little bit uncertain, they wonder just what is being taught.”

Pope Francis, he said, has “a great gift, like Jesus did, of reaching out to those on the peripheries and ‘sinners,’ and categories that are not always seen in the front row at church and that can and has confused people.”

However, the papacy is something that is willed by Christ, “we have to respect the office,” have reverence for the man who holds that office, and “obey the papal directions,” he added.

When asked about the polarization in some Catholic media, he said, “we shouldn’t get into personal abuse, demonizing people who have a different point of view.”

He listed a number of well-known Catholic authors who have different analyses and approaches for living the faith today, encouraging they be read even if one disagrees.

For example, he said he did not agree with the so-called “Benedict Option,” which, according to the book by Rod Dreher, calls for building a small Christian community that can act as a protective “ark” against the flood of a morally weakened society.

“I’m not sympathetic to just a small little elite church. I would like to keep as many of the semi-religious slobs like myself in the stream,” he said. To want a church made up of just heroes and martyrs is “not the Catholic tradition.”

https://www.catholicsun.org/2021/09/24/catholics-should-debate-issues-not-debase-each-other-cardinal-says/

https://qanon.pub/?q=Pell

https://qanon.pub/?q=pecking

https://qanon.pub/?q=cardinal-george-pell

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2e5617  No.14657313

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14648895

>>14657285

VII Edition - The Church Up Close - September 23

santacrocevideo

Sep 24, 2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2923vt3oGU

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2e5617  No.14657414

File: 55ec48ecae4f2ab⋯.jpg (47.18 KB, 450x450, 1:1, Sean_Turnell_was_detained_….jpg)

File: ddd3f94490c6967⋯.jpg (65.34 KB, 627x416, 627:416, Mr_Turnell_s_wife_Ha_Vu_ha….jpg)

Detained Australian Sean Turnell appears in Myanmar court on official secrets charges

AP/Reuters - 24 September 2021

An Australian economist who was arrested when Myanmar's military seized power in February has made an appearance in a Naypyidaw court, where he will be tried for violation of the official secrets law.

Sean Turnell had been serving as an advisor to the country's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who was also arrested when her elected government was ousted by the army.

Ms Suu Kyi and three of her former Cabinet ministers have also been charged under the law.

Violating the official secrets law carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

The colonial-era statute criminalises the possession, collection, recording, publishing, or sharing of state information that is "directly or indirectly, useful to an enemy".

The exact details of Mr Turnell's alleged offense and those of the others charged have not been made public, though Myanmar state television, citing government statements, has said the Australian academic had access to "secret state financial information" and had tried to flee the country.

Ye Lin Aung, one of Mr Turnell's lawyers, said he was also being prosecuted under the immigration law and that he was being held at a prison in the capital.

All the defendants except for Ms Suu Kyi were present on Thursday in the Dekkhina District Court in Naypyidaw. Ms Suu Kyi appeared on a video link.

They were charged in Yangon in March, but the case was moved last week to the capital.

Ye Lin Aung said Mr Turnell appeared to be in good health, and that the defendants were all masked and not allowed to consult directly with their lawyers.

The lawyers applied to the court for permission to meet with their clients, and were told to submit applications, said Khin Maung Zaw.

The court scheduled hearings in the case to be held every Thursday.

Ms Suu Kyi is currently being tried in Naypyitaw on five other charges.

The cases against her, lodged at the behest of the military-installed government, are widely seen as an effort to discredit her and prevent her from returning to politics.

UN calls for international intervention

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights warned of a human rights catastrophe under military rule in Myanmar and urged the international community to do more to prevent conflict from worsening.

"The national consequences are terrible and tragic — the regional consequences could also be profound," Michelle Bachelet said in a statement.

"The international community must redouble its efforts to restore democracy and prevent wider conflict before it is too late."

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military seized power on February 1, ending a decade of tentative democracy and prompting outrage at home and abroad at the return of military rule.

More than 1,120 people have been killed since the coup, according to the United Nations, many during a nationwide crackdown by security forces on pro-democracy strikes and protests during which thousands have been arrested.

Armed resistance forces have formed in various regions, which have clashed with the military, prompting many thousands to flee, including to neighbouring India in recent days.

Ms Bachelet said troops had used weapons against civilians that were intended for military conflict and carried out "indiscriminate air strikes and artillery barrages".

Local media in Myanmar reported deadly violence in at least five different regions and states on Thursday, which included the use of homemade bombs by militias allied with a shadow government, which earlier this month called for a "people's defensive war" against the junta.

The military said they were "terrorists" whose campaign would fail.

Western countries have condemned the junta and imposed targeted sanctions, but critics say a tougher stand must be taken, including an arms embargo.

Ms Bachelet said Myanmar had failed to deliver on its agreement with the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to cease violence and start dialogue.

"This underscores the urgent need for strong accountability measures. It also runs in the face of commitments made to ASEAN leaders," she said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/sean-turnell-appears-in-myanmar-court/100487898

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2e5617  No.14657564

File: 5665e18cfd62955⋯.jpg (68.19 KB, 960x639, 320:213, Prime_Minister_Scott_Morri….jpg)

File: 1f45f49004369be⋯.jpg (101.05 KB, 960x638, 480:319, Scott_Morrison_Australia_s….jpg)

>>14649123

Morrison wins over Biden’s White House, erasing doubts over Trump ties

Matthew Knott - September 25, 2021

1/2

Washington: As Scott Morrison wined and dined with Donald Trump in the White House Rose Garden two years ago, a troubling question hung in the early autumn air.

Yes, it was a coup that Trump had invited Morrison to just his second state dinner since being inaugurated.

But would Morrison’s efforts to cozy up to Trump come back to haunt him if the American public booted out the erratic billionaire businessman after a single term and sent a Democrat to the White House? These questions only intensified as Morrison appeared besides Trump at what was essentially a campaign rally in Ohio.

Now we have the answer and it’s a definitive no. Following a hectic week of meetings and summits in New York and Washington, it’s clear that Morrison has skilfully handled the transition from Trump to Joe Biden, taking the Australia-US alliance to a new level in the process.

Through a bilateral meeting with Biden and follow-up summit joined by the Prime Ministers of Japan and India, Morrison received the amount of face time with an American President that few leaders could hope for.

After causing some embarrassment by calling Morrison that “fella from down under” in a virtual press conference last week, Biden was glowing in this week’s meeting with the Prime Minister. Not only did he remember Morrison’s name but he said that “the United States has no closer or more reliable ally than Australia”.

Even more remarkably, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised Australia as a global leader on climate change after meeting with Morrison. The left-wing Democrat from San Francisco even repeated the Prime Minister’s claims about “meeting and beating” climate targets.

Clearly the government’s messaging about its climate record is working at the Capitol, given Morrison has not yet announced any changes to Australia’s emissions reduction targets. Morrison himself is said to be somewhat bemused, if delighted, by Pelosi’s praise.

Crucially, the closeness between Washington and Canberra goes far beyond rhetoric.

Under Trump, Morrison’s mission was essentially defensive: he wanted to stop Australian exports being whacked with tariffs. Under Biden he has gone on the offensive, leveraging the US-Australia alliance to deliver major defence commitments and enhance Australia’s standing on the global stage.

The AUKUS partnership, announced last week, comes with the promise of allowing Australia into the elite group of nations with nuclear-power submarines. In a briefing for reporters, a Biden administration official explained the esteem in which it holds Australia.

“We don’t have the intention of extending this to other countries,” the official said of the sharing America’s prized submarine submarine secrets.

“This is for Australia. And it is based on a unique set of circumstances involving the Australian case.”

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14657571

File: 11fccfb86f5aeb7⋯.jpg (175.73 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Prime_Minister_Scott_Morri….jpg)

>>14657564

2/2

Crucially, that sentiment is shared on both sides of the aisle in Washington. After a series of meetings with Republican and Democrat leaders on Capitol Hill, Morrison said he was confident that Congress will provide the support necessary for the US to share highly sensitive intellectual property with Australia.

Then came the first in-person meeting of the “Quad”, a grouping that allows Australia to work with three of the world’s most powerful democracies on vital challenges like vaccine sharing, climate change and mineral supply chains.

The Quad currently remains more formidable in theory than in practice: the leaders’ March pledge to donate one billion COVID-19 vaccines to the Indo-Pacific was derailed by the Delta variant outbreak in India.

But the grouping has enormous potential to achieve big things and provide a bulwark against China’s ambitions in the region.

Playing in the big leagues comes at a cost, however, and that was certainly apparent during Morrison’s US trip. France’s furious reaction to the cancellation of its $90 billion submarine contract cast a shadow over the early part of Morrison’s visit and led to an awkward encounter in New York when one of Europe’s most senior leaders reminded Morrison of the need for “transparency and loyalty”.

Closer to home, Malaysia and Indonesia were alarmed about a nuclear arms race developing in the Indo-Pacific.

It would have been a diplomatic disaster for Morrison if the leaders of Japan and India had voiced similar concerns, souring relations ahead of the crucial Quad meeting. But India and Japan are happy with the trilateral partnership - including the submarines plan.

During his trip Morrison met with Vice President Kamala Harris, an important move given she could well be president in the near future. He also met with the heads of the World Bank and US Federal Reserve. No Australian prime minister in recent history - and perhaps ever - has packed so many important meetings into one trip.

Although undoubtedly exhausted by his intense schedule, Morrison leaves Washington with a smile on his face and a spring in his step.

Yes, plenty of significant questions remain unresolved - like how to patch up relations with France and how the AUKUS submarines deal will actually work.

But the trip was undoubtedly a success overall. Morrison strutted across the global diplomatic stage and very much held his footing.

https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/morrison-wins-over-biden-s-white-house-erasing-doubts-over-trump-ties-20210925-p58upa.html

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2e5617  No.14657618

File: 1d513e160d1f418⋯.jpg (14.4 KB, 890x534, 5:3, A_judge_has_rejected_the_C….jpg)

Bid by Catholic church to stop child sexual abuse case rejected by NSW supreme court

Church tried to stop a woman from suing, despite its own records showing it knew Father Clarence Anderson was a paedophile

Christopher Knaus - 25 Sep 2021

The Catholic church tried to stop a survivor suing it over the childhood abuse she suffered at the hands of a parish priest in northern New South Wales, despite its own records showing it knew the man was a paedophile but did nothing other than move him from parish to parish.

On Friday, the NSW supreme court rejected the Catholic church’s request for a permanent stay of proceedings brought by a woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted in 1968, when she was 14, by Father Clarence Anderson, a priest with the Lismore diocese.

The church had argued it could not possibly have a fair trial and that the case was “unjustifiably oppressive” due to the passage of time and the deaths of the priest and clergy with knowledge of the matter.

But church documents obtained by the woman’s lawyers, Ken Cush & Associates, show Anderson’s superiors had observed as early as 1965 that he had a “sexual interest in children”, which he was prepared to act on.

The church also held records of complaints from the parents of other boys abused by Anderson.

Other documents showed he was temporarily suspended from his office and told to undergo psychiatric treatment, which he did not persist with.

The court heard the church allowed Anderson to continue accessing children, moving him from parish to parish when complaints were made.

In early 1971, the archbishop of Brisbane’s office was directly warned about Anderson by the parish priest of Kyogle, Monsignor Ryan. Ryan said he had directly witnessed Anderson sexually assaulting a boy.

“These conclusions I reached from observation of him handling boys in the school playground and in his car,” he wrote to the the archbishop’s office. “From the upper floor of the Presbytery I saw him on one occasion with a boy spreadeagled under him over the car bonnet, performing what seemed to be sexual movements upon the boy.”

Ryan told the archbishop he had also been approached by a father who said the priest had abused his son and six others. Anderson was stood down by Ryan, only for the monsignor to find out he had been “appointed to a Parish further down the coast, Macksville in fact, with the direction to go monthly to Sydney for treatment”.

The court found the documentary evidence “amply demonstrates that Father Anderson’s misconduct was well-known to his superiors, well before the event relied upon by the plaintiff”.

The woman’s lawyers also presented evidence from another five children who said they were abused by Anderson, including four children from Macksville.

One recalled that Anderson was known as “the surfing priest”. Some of the boys were coached by Anderson. Others were taken out by him shooting or surfing.

Justice Stephen Campbell found the church had not done enough to prove the “exceptional” circumstances required for a permanent stay of proceedings.

“A trial of the issues in this case would be no mere charade calculated to bring the administration of justice into disrepute amongst right-thinking people,” he said.

Campbell also noted that the church’s own submissions in seeking a stay had helped convince him that it had enough evidence to defend the claim.

The survivor told Guardian Australia she welcomed the decision.

“I want to thank my legal team and especially thank the court for carefully considering my matter,” she said. “I am so pleased that I can continue to present my case and seek justice from the court.”

In 2017, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommended that jurisdictions abolish time limitations to bringing abuse cases, prompting changes across the country, including in NSW.

Campbell noted that the removal of limitations showed parliament believed “child abuse actions should be permitted to proceed despite the effluxion of even long periods of time and an inevitable resulting degree of impoverishment of evidence, provided a fair, not perfect, trial can be had”.

The church was approached for comment.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/sep/25/bid-by-catholic-church-to-stop-child-sexual-abuse-case-rejected-by-nsw-supreme-court

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2e5617  No.14657668

File: c7ea32118c3d76a⋯.jpg (68.55 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Britain_s_Prince_Andrew_ac….jpg)

File: 933e98eaae9c288⋯.jpg (333.28 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0001.jpg)

File: 2655efab35fa1b1⋯.jpg (318.76 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0002.jpg)

File: 6fca437f5b612ac⋯.jpg (70.85 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0003.jpg)

File: d23992e4ea7a1c8⋯.pdf (81.76 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, gov_uscourts_nysd_564713_1….pdf)

>>14554611

Britain's Prince Andrew accepts U.S. service of Virginia Giuffre's sexual assault lawsuit

Jonathan Stempel - September 25, 2021

NEW YORK, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Britain's Prince Andrew has accepted service in the United States of a sexual assault lawsuit by a woman who said the Duke of York forced her to have sex with him at the London home of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The prince and his accuser, Virginia Giuffre, have agreed that service was effective as of Sept. 21, according to a joint filing on Friday with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

Subject to court approval, Andrew would have until Oct. 29 to formally respond to the lawsuit.

Andrew has not waived his defenses against Giuffre's claims, which he had previously "categorically" denied.

The agreement appears for now to end a monthlong effort by Andrew's legal team, including lawyers in Britain, to block Giuffre's lawsuit at the outset rather than have the 61-year-old prince defend against it.

Andrew Brettler, a Los Angeles-based lawyer for Andrew, declined to comment. Lawyers for Giuffre did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Giuffre, 38, accused Queen Elizabeth's second son in her Aug. 9 lawsuit of forcing her to have sex around two decades ago, when she was underage, at the London home of Epstein's longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

She also said Andrew abused her at around the same time at Epstein's mansion in Manhattan and on Epstein's private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Andrew has not been charged with crimes.

His lawyers are seeking to review a 2009 settlement agreement from a lawsuit against Epstein in Florida, to determine whether it requires a dismissal of Giuffre's case.

Giuffre is seeking unspecified damages.

Epstein, a registered sex offender, also had a home in Florida. He killed himself at age 66 in a Manhattan jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Giuffre sued Andrew under a 2019 New York law that gave survivors of childhood sexual abuse a since-closed two-year window to sue their alleged abusers over conduct occurring many years or decades earlier.

Maxwell faces a scheduled Nov. 29 trial in Manhattan on charges she helped recruit and groom underage girls for Epstein to abuse. She has pleaded not guilty.

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britains-prince-andrew-accepts-us-service-sexual-assault-lawsuit-2021-09-24/

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/60119368/giuffre-v-prince-andrew/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.564713/gov.uscourts.nysd.564713.19.0.pdf

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2e5617  No.14662393

File: 4125100a1b8f403⋯.jpg (488.71 KB, 825x999, 275:333, PB_3.jpg)

File: 31fddce9d186c9c⋯.jpg (1.41 MB, 3000x1843, 3000:1843, FAFkjViXMAImcto.jpg)

File: 0b06fd8aeb1e361⋯.jpg (467.42 KB, 825x973, 825:973, ScoMo_29.jpg)

File: d6ac84785ba770d⋯.jpg (132.59 KB, 1600x916, 400:229, FAFexq_VEAkG9V0.jpg)

>>14649123

President Biden Tweet

It was an honor to host the Prime Ministers of Australia, India, and Japan this afternoon for the first-ever in-person Quad Leaders Summit. We share a common vision for the future, and we’re coming together to meet the key challenges of the 21st century.

https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1441543929455853568

Prime Minister Scott Morrison Tweet

Excellent discussions at our first in-person Quad leaders’ meeting in the US. Honoured to meet with PM @sugawitter, PM @narendramodi & @POTUS on our shared vision of a free, open & resilient Indo-Pacific region & responding to the challenges we face in a complex & changing world.

https://twitter.com/ScottMorrisonMP/status/1441537568097517573

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2e5617  No.14663996

File: a717dd02bb407dd⋯.webm (6.08 MB, 640x360, 16:9, Scott_Morrison_has_urged_….webm)

File: 9f22531c2f0ac3c⋯.jpg (80.17 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, _We_can_t_stay_in_second_g….jpg)

File: ce1ec992a3cdb76⋯.jpg (105.02 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, Queensland_Premier_Annasta….jpg)

File: eeffa451992e5ef⋯.jpg (70.35 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, _I_expect_we_ll_open_again….jpg)

>>14641885

Scott Morrison issues threat to premiers to open borders by Christmas

Scott Morrison has lashed premiers for casting doubt over border reopenings, insisting Aussie families will be reunited at Christmas.

Helena Burke - September 26, 2021

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has thrown down the gauntlet to state premiers over ongoing border closures, insisting political leaders owe it to Australians to allow families to reunite at Christmas.

Mr Morrison said he couldn’t see any reason why people should be kept apart by state borders after the 80 per cent national vaccination target was reached.

“It’s important that we do move forward. We can’t stay in second gear. We’ve got to get to top gear in living with the virus … that’s where we need to be,” he told Weekend Sunrise on Sunday.

“My message is to Australians that what I‘d like them to have for Christmas is their lives back.”

Mr Morrison slammed Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and WA’s Mark McGowan for their unwillingness to commit to granting Australians that same wish.

“There comes a time when you’ve got to honour the arrangement you’ve made with the Australian people, and that is when you get to 80 per cent vaccination, it’s very clear that you can start opening up,” the PM said.

“I think that puts the big challenge on the premiers. I mean, they've had the power to do what they’ve been doing. They’re not new powers. They’ve always had them.

“But, you know, there comes a time when you just got to move on and get on with it.”

But the Queensland and WA premiers have held firm in their resistance of the national plan.

Ms Palaszczuk has demanded more research into the effects of Covid-19 on children before she says her state will embrace the reopening targets agreed on at national cabinet.

Mr McGowan has shown similar defiance, insisting WA is unlikely to reopen its borders until 2022.

But Mr Morrison slapped down both premiers’ claims, insisting the entire country should reopen at the 80 per cent vaccination target, which is expected to be reached before the end of the year.

“Once you get to 80 per cent of your population that’s vaccinated, it’s very clear. I can’t see any reason why Australians should be kept from each other,” he said.

“(Reopening by Christmas) is within the gift of governments. And that’s a gift I’d like to see us give them.”

The PM also made it clear that the country would not wait for vaccine-hesitant Aussies to make up their minds, insisting the national plan will go ahead as planned whether people decide to get their jab or not.

“Once we get to 80 per cent – the fact is that everybody has had the chance to get vaccinated by that point,” he said.

“If you've chosen not to get vaccinated, that’s your choice … but we must go into the next chapter.”

https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/scott-morrison-issues-threat-to-premiers-to-open-borders-by-christmas/news-story/0ee185adda35ed7c1ad908cbf22a09c1

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2e5617  No.14664090

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

Anthony Fauci to face the critics as documentary hits screens

HUGH TOMLINSON - SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

“God help us,” sighed Anthony Fauci with a weary smile, in a new documentary that is set to crystallise the reputation of America’s chief coronavirus officer as hero or villain in the eyes of a polarised nation.

“Fauci’’, a portrait of the 80-year-old who has emerged as America’s most famous doctor and the divisive figurehead of the nation’s Covid-19 response, will be released on streaming platforms by National Geographic next month.

Dr Fauci has described himself as the “skunk at the picnic” in Donald Trump’s coronavirus taskforce. His rift with the former US president cemented his status as an unlikely cult hero on the left, while right-wing supporters and pundits continue to pillory him and call for his arrest.

Now restored as President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases remains a lightning rod for public criticism as the US struggles to contain the outbreak.

In the documentary Dr Fauci is unchecked in his criticism of the “extreme far-right QAnon jerks” who have threatened his family. “I don’t understand the hate that people have,” Dr Fauci’s wife, Dr Christine Grady, said at one point.

Fauci had a limited run in cinemas this month, where audiences were required to show proof of vaccinations and wear masks.

The directors, Janet Tobias and John Hoffman, had begun shooting when Covid-19 emerged.

Dr Fauci agreed to continue as long as the project did not interfere with his work, but conservative voices in the US have ridiculed the documentary as proof that the doctor wanted to be a “movie star”.

The film shows Dr Fauci’s career bookended by two health crises, the HIV/Aids epidemic of the 1980s and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Fauci was a leading researcher during the Aids crisis. Echoing the antivax protests of recent months, the documentary shows protests in the 1980s in which gay rights activists bore placards declaring “Fauci, you are killing us” and carried effigies of his head on a stick.

His efforts to stem the epidemic were later acknowledged, but not before tens of thousands of Americans had died.

Dr Fauci noted a key difference between the abuse he faced then and the pandemic today. The Aids activists who pilloried him were fighting for their lives in the face of government hostility and indifference.

“I cared about them, and they were fighting for a good cause,” Dr Fauci said. “They weren’t fighting for a conspiracy theory.”

Dr Fauci had no editorial input into the film and the producers said they aimed to avoid sliding into hagiography. However, the film has few dissenting voices.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/the-times/anthony-fauci-ready-to-face-the-critics-as-documentary-hits-screens/news-story/11e75e64610b094f0ea4acaf48e516c8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBEau86jZjI

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2e5617  No.14664241

File: 333153b6c52f841⋯.jpg (652.03 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, 1st_Quad_summit_tacitly_ta….jpg)

>>14649123

1st Quad summit tacitly targets China but US 'can't coordinate members' differences, doomed to fail'

Liu Xin - Sep 25, 2021

1/2

The leaders of the US, Japan, India and Australia — known as the Quad — finished their face-to-face meeting in Washington on Friday in an attempt to cement ties while containing China, but experts said that an interlude during the meeting involving US President Joe Biden complaining about his translation device malfunction is an omen of the emerging anti-China clique's future — that it cannot function at all due to US' declining capability and changes of the global situation.

The Friday meeting focused on topics including vaccines, climate, cooperation on technology and space without mentioning the words "China" or "Beijing" in opening remarks heard by reporters, but China was "the subtext of most of the group's agenda," the Washington Post reported.

Biden said the countries were "coming together to take on key challenges of our age, from COVID to climate to emerging technologies" and he added in his opening remarks at the meeting that "we know how to get things done, and we are up to the challenge."

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison echoed Biden's remarks, saying "we believe in a free and open Indo-Pacific, because we know that's what delivers a strong, stable and prosperous region."

Outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga also attended Friday's meeting and said that the Quad is "an extremely significant" initiative by four countries "who share fundamental values, cooperating for the cause of realizing a free and open international order based on the rule of law in the Indo-Pacific."

Although the leaders of the four countries did not mention China and were trying to play down disputes with China, the entire agenda and all topics in the summit focused on China. It is an initiative that aims to incite disputes and confrontation under the banner of cooperation especially in the Western Pacific, Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Saturday.

By stressing cooperation on vaccines and dealing with pandemic, the US and the other three countries want to hide their true purpose and win international support, but such low-level tactics have been seen through by China and the international community, Li said.

The US wants to show solidarity and coordination among the four members as it tries to shore up competition with China. "Biden wants to avoid confrontation with China amid an already tense competition and is making provocations against China. But the fact is that he is incapable of handling the delicate situation," Li said.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14664243

File: 37178cd34e3113e⋯.jpg (123.38 KB, 990x660, 3:2, In_the_eyes_of_Beijing_the….jpg)

>>14664241

2/2

Analysts said that some details of the Quad summit also showcased the US' incapability of fully drawing members to its anti-China fleet.

According to US media, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also attended the meeting with leaders from the four countries.

Li noted that Blinken's presence also showed that it is Blinken who is pushing the Quad initiative and he was there to make up for Biden's incompetence of grasping overtones of other three leaders. Biden is also incapable of persuading the members to closely follow the US to contain China as changes in US domestic politics could lead to different diplomatic policies, and US allies would have to swallow the bitter fruit of being abandoned by the US.

The move to not mention China at all also displayed the disputes among the Quad countries as they may share similar views of not wanting China to rise but differ with each other on policies toward China, Sun Chenghao, an adjunct fellow from the Center for International Security and Strategy in Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Saturday.

Although the summit looks like a jollification, it is difficult to coordinate the four to speak in one voice or act at a similar pace in containing China, Sun said.

An interlude is worth mention as Biden told a working staff that he couldn't get his translation device "to function at all." The remarks were spoken through his mic and heard by leaders from the other three countries. Some analysts mocked that Biden's words were more like an omen for the future of the Quad, which is doomed to fail.

Sun noted that the Quad summit is the Biden administration's latest move to form an alliance to contain China. But all these different coalitions with different allies will not achieve a good effect as the US' focus is scattered and it has stirred up dissatisfaction among allies.

The Quad summit took place just days after the US, the UK and Australia announced a security pact, AUKUS, under which Australia will be provided with nuclear-powered submarines after ripping up its deal with France, which prompted France to recall its ambassadors to the US and Australia, and greatly upset the European Union.

AUKUS cast a shadow over the Quad summit, and will dilute the Quad members, especially Japan and India, and make the summit less effective, analysts said.

Tanvi Madan, head of the India Project at the Brookings Institution, was cited by the Washington Post as saying that the formation of AUKUS and the Quad summit this week showed the outlines of two anti-China blocs were emerging in parallel. While AUKUS has the appearance of a more hard-edge military pact, the Quad is emphasizing soft-power projects like vaccine distribution in Southeast Asia, where many governments resist the idea of choosing between Washington and Beijing.

Sun noted that the US should be clear that its strength and global influence are declining with tons of domestic problems needing to be solved urgently; for example, the debt ceiling, and the global situation has changed with most countries not wanting to pick sides between China and the US. The US could not form an anti-China coalition like what it did to the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1235044.shtml

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2e5617  No.14664726

File: 80c505774d9d6b3⋯.jpg (261.5 KB, 938x442, 469:221, MRF_D_35.jpg)

File: a15152f8184a848⋯.jpg (180.21 KB, 1440x960, 3:2, 242252113_218053397023818_….jpg)

File: 123dfbd9510c3e9⋯.jpg (425.1 KB, 2048x1365, 2048:1365, 241316649_218053333690491_….jpg)

Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post

25 September 2021

Rocket Man

During Exercise Koolendong, U.S. Marine Corps Marines with MRF-D conducted emergency fires missions with the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System at Bradshaw Field Training Area, NT, Australia. An emergency fire mission consists of HIMARS receiving a target location, convoying to a firing point, firing a payload and retrograding to a safe location.

(U.S. Marine Corps photos by Cpl. Colton K. Garrett)

https://www.facebook.com/MRFDarwin/posts/218054827023675

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2e5617  No.14670385

File: 2605747898b1210⋯.jpg (123.82 KB, 1024x683, 1024:683, A_pedestrian_wearing_a_pro….jpg)

>>14404403

Sydney's COVID-19 lockdown to end sooner for the vaccinated

Renju Jose - SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian authorities announced plans on Monday to gradually reopen locked-down Sydney, unveiling a two-tiered system that will give citizens inoculated for COVID-19 more freedoms than their unvaccinated neighbours for several weeks.

Movement restrictions across New South Wales, the country’s most populous state and home to Sydney, will be lifted gradually between Oct. 11 and Dec. 1 as vaccination rates push through 70%, 80% and 90%.

However, people who are not fully inoculated will be barred from joining the vaccinated to resume community sports, dining out, shopping and other activities until the final date.

“Unlike most cases in the world, if you are not vaccinated you will have to wait at least four or five weeks … in order to participate in things that the rest of us can participate in,” state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said in a televised briefing.

“If you want to be able to have a meal with friends and welcome people in your home, you have to get vaccinated.”

Berejiklian did not detail how the block on activity by the unvaccinated would be enforced.

Sydney, along with Melbourne and Canberra, has been in lockdown for several weeks, with the three cities bearing the brunt of a third wave of COVID-19 infections that has taken national case numbers to almost 100,000 - 68% recorded since mid-June. The three states - New South Wales, Victoria and Australian Capital Territory - logged just over 1,500 cases on Monday, most in NSW and Victoria.

At 1,245 deaths, the national fatality rate, however, has slowed due to higher vaccination levels among the most vulnerable.

The Delta-fuelled outbreak has divided state and territory leaders, with some presiding over virus-free parts of the country indicating they will defy a federal plan to reopen internal borders once the adult population reaches 80% vaccination, expected in late October.

In New South Wales, where around 60% of people aged 16 and over are fully inoculated, restaurants, pubs, retail stores, gyms and indoor recreation facilities may reopen on Oct. 11 - days after the state is expected to reach 70% vaccination - with capacity limits.

Once 80% vaccination is achieved, expected a few weeks later, state-wide travel will be allowed. Limits on people attending funerals and weddings will be lifted, and the number of vaccinated people allowed to gather in a home will double to 10.

From Dec. 1, there will be no limits on home and informal outdoor gatherings. Capacity limits will remain at indoor venues, but masks will no longer required. Businesses may impose their own rules regarding customer vaccination.

REOPENING WOBBLES

Neighbouring Victoria has not yet given a date when all residents, including those unvaccinated, may move around without restrictions. The state is however expected to relax some curbs from Wednesday when the number of adults receiving a first vaccine dose tick over 80%.

While businesses and the tourist industry broadly welcomed the New South Wales reopening plan, some advocate groups said vaccination rates were not high enough among vulnerable groups like the indigenous population, people with disabilities and those in regional areas with lower vaccine supply.

“These groups are at higher risk of serious illness and death from COVID and it would be unconscionable to ease restrictions until we are sure people at high risk have at least the same vaccination rate as the broader community,” said Australian Council of Social Service CEO Cassandra Goldie in a statement.

Qantas Airways, which has already said it would require international flight passengers to be fully vaccinated, said it would bring forward its reopening date for flights between Sydney and Melbourne to Nov. 5, from Dec. 1 based on Monday’s update.

However, it said it would re-route its Perth-London direct flight until at least April 2022 and suspend most flights between Perth and the east coast states, since Western Australia had not given a border reopening date.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-australia/sydneys-covid-19-lockdown-to-end-sooner-for-the-vaccinated-idUSKBN2GN00S

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2e5617  No.14670595

File: 698c446b80ebaf4⋯.jpg (90.49 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Scott_Morrison_is_handing_….jpg)

OPINION: Morrison is making an enemy of China – and Labor is helping him

Paul Keating, Former prime minister of Australia - September 22, 2021

1/2

The Liberals, having no faith in the capacity of Australians and all we have created here, could not resist falling back, yet again, to do the bidding of another great power, the United States of America.

Menzies, even after World War II, did Britain’s bidding against the international community in attempting to wrest the Suez Canal from Egypt just as he deceptively committed Australian troops to Vietnam to appease the United States.

Howard, another US appeaser extraordinaire, committed us to an illegal war in Iraq with tragic consequences.

And now, Morrison, a younger throwback to the Liberals’ Anglosphere, shops Australia’s sovereignty by locking the country and its military forces into the force structure of the United States by acquiring US submarines.

And all in the claim of a so-called “changed security environment”. That change is China’s more aggressive international posture – the posture of now, the world’s largest emerging economy. This change in China’s domestic and foreign posture is labelled by Morrison and his government not as the shifting posture of a re-emerging great power, but as “the China threat”. As though China, through its more abrupt and ruder foreign policy, has also presented a military threat in its dealings with Australia.

A threat that, in fact, has never been made and that has never materialised.

The word “threat” explicitly connotes military aggression or invasion, a threat China has never made against Australia or even implied making.

Chinese tariffs on wine or seafood do not constitute a military threat any more than does China’s intolerance of Hong Kong domestic political management.

Hong Kong and its affairs do not and cannot be represented as some military threat to Australia – an event that requires from us consideration of a military response. Even Chinese island-pumping in the South China Sea does not represent a military threat to Australia, unwise on China’s part, as I believe it to be.

But this is the construction Scott Morrison and his government have placed on China and its relationship with Australia.

It is a “threat”, implying by use of the word, that it is a military one.

This false representation of China’s foreign policy has also been condoned by the Labor Party, if not explicitly. In her five years as Labor’s opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman, Penny Wong, by her muted complicity with the government’s foreign policy and posture, has neutered Labor’s traditional stance as to Australia’s right to strategic autonomy – an autonomy unconstrained by any power, including, that of the United States.

Instead, Wong went along with the stance of Julie Bishop and Marise Payne – calculatedly, with not a cigarette paper of difference between her and them. And did it with licence provided by Bill Shorten as leader and, now, Anthony Albanese.

Now that long policy void is being exploited by Scott Morrison. At Morrison’s instigation, Australia turns its back on the 21st century, the century of Asia, for the jaded and faded Anglosphere – the domain of the Atlantic – a world away.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14670601

File: 1777bfc2980fdd0⋯.jpg (69.25 KB, 850x400, 17:8, quote_i_think_the_rise_of_….jpg)

>>14670595

2/2

And Labor is complicit in the historic backslide. The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age have been up to their necks in it also. Peter Hartcher’s bi-weekly froth-mouthed articles about China and its supposed threat, along with Chris Uhlmann and his wicked representation of China as marauding Nazis, has constituted an important part of the climate that has allowed Morrison to now shop the country to the Americans.

China does not attack other states, unlike the United States, which does attack other states, yet the Herald and The Age have portrayed China as an aggressor power with malevolent intentions.

In a measure of luck, Australians have been vested with a continent of our own. A continent having a border with no one – with no other state. And certainly, not remotely within any territorial contest or claim by China, which is 10 flying hours from Australia’s east coast cities.

The notion that Australia is in a state of military apprehension about China, or needs to be, is a distortion and lie of the worst and most grievous proportions. By its propagation, Australia is determinedly casting China as an enemy – and in the doing of it, actually creating an enemy where none exists.

So poisonous are the Liberals towards China they are prepared for Australia to lose its way in the neighbourhood of Asia, in search of Australia’s security from Asia, by submission to yet another strategic guarantor – 240 years into our history.

This strategy amounts to a massive bet on the United States and its staying power in Asia. Rather than Australia finding its own way around the region, including with China, as we have done so well in the past, Morrison and Labor have tied us to the unknown endurance of the United States and the pain it is prepared to wear in defence of what it believes are its core Asian interests.

I have said before, but it is worth repeating: the United States is a naval power, whereas China is a continental power. A continental power with the largest land mass in Asia occupied by 20 per cent of humanity. And competently served by a modern military.

The United States, by its aircraft carrier fleets, enjoys naval force projection but that projection is fuelled from its bases on the American west coast. Its capacity in a military exchange with China will be limited by the attenuation of its supply lines and the vulnerability of its surface vessels to Chinese submarines and ballistic missiles.

I have also said before, but worth repeating, that when it comes to major international conflagration, land beats water every time. Through this submarine purchase, Australia surrenders its naval forces to the command of the United States, while setting itself into a military position incapable of defeating Chinese land-based and sea denial forces.

It takes a monster level of incompetence to forfeit military control of one’s own state, but this is what Scott Morrison and his government have managed to do.

https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/morrison-is-making-an-enemy-of-china-and-labor-is-helping-him-20210921-p58tek.html

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2e5617  No.14670606

File: 3a766b6f7016ebc⋯.jpg (96.59 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Former_prime_minister_Paul….jpg)

>>14670595

OPINION: Paul Keating is wrong, AUKUS doesn’t turn Australia’s back on Asia

Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs - September 27, 2021

1/2

Much of the focus of the past two weeks has, understandably, been on AUKUS. This new partnership is indeed a major step in cooperation that will benefit Australia’s future security.

However, AUKUS must be seen in the context of the many other ways in which the Australian government is taking a more active role in our region and the world, expanding our presence, strengthening our contribution and amplifying our voice.

The claim by some commentators, including former prime minister Paul Keating, that AUKUS orientates us towards an anachronistic Anglosphere, shows a deliberate disregard of the many relationships that through hard work we are deepening and enriching.

We can have friends in more than one linguistic sphere, on more than one continent, of more than one political persuasion. It is not one or the other. We must and will seize every opportunity, whether that is AUKUS, the rapid and positive evolution of the Quad, our strategic partnership with ASEAN, our energetic work as a member of the Pacific Islands Forum and with the European Union on the Indo-Pacific, or the strong bilateral friendships we have forged across the region.

Why must we do this? Because the world is changing, not around the margins but in quite fundamental ways that will impact the prosperity and security of all Australians for decades to come.

China as a major power is asserting itself and pressuring the system of rules that enjoys broad international support and provides broad international benefit. Many countries are competing more vigorously on this new strategic terrain. The rising intensity of this competition need not provoke us into despair or paralysis: it means rather that there are new risks and opportunities and that passive spectatorship is not an option.

As I have said a number of times at international engagements over the past fortnight, Australia must compete to preserve and shape the international order that has underpinned decades of prosperity and economic stability in the Indo-Pacific. We have influence and agency to do so as a significant regional power.

Through our potent and practical diplomacy, Australia is promoting a regional balance that ensures all countries’ sovereignty and rights are respected, regardless of their size and their levels of economic development.

During these past two weeks, the Defence Minister and I have travelled to, and held substantive 2+2 foreign and defence talks with, Indonesia, India, South Korea and the United States. In New York, I also met with a range of counterparts from Southeast Asia, South Asia, Europe, Britain, the Middle East and United Nations agencies.

The Prime Minister has taken part in the first face-to-face Quad leaders’ meeting, a historic affirmation of the practical and ambitious agenda that Australia, India, Japan and the US are advancing together.

Across these engagements, we and our partners have agreed to deepen cooperation in areas such as equitable vaccine distribution, COVID-19 economic recovery, low-emissions technology, infrastructure investment, critical technologies, education, cyber security, space and countering disinformation.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14670610

File: 66d4cc373ff876d⋯.jpg (406.34 KB, 1920x1280, 3:2, Payne_says_Keating_is_wron….jpg)

>>14670606

2/2

Rarely has there been a more substantive fortnight in Australia’s foreign affairs. In Washington, we reiterated alongside our United States counterparts that our network of allies and partners is our greatest strategic asset. As we marked 70 years of ANZUS, we did not just celebrate our history but consolidated our future.

These are good friendships, genuine friendships.

There has, at times, been an insular and parochial narrative in Australia that we have to change our outlook, our values, and our character to navigate the changing dynamics in our region.

Having had the privilege of serving as both Defence and Foreign Minister over the past six years, I can attest to the fact that Australia is respected when we engage with the region honestly and consistently.

We are a proud democracy and much of our cooperation is rooted in shared values – our belief in freedom and openness, free speech, human rights and equality irrespective of race, religion and gender. But our approach is inclusive. It allows space for each country to be itself within a regional framework that protects and respects sovereignty. Importantly, our values are consistent with the interests of our partners.

The relationships this Coalition government has enhanced means we are having frank conversations about the purpose of an initiative such as AUKUS. Some countries, including some of our ASEAN partners, have posed legitimate questions about non-proliferation and we have responded to those. We will continue reassuring our friends that Australia’s work under AUKUS remains absolutely in line with our non-proliferation obligations.

The unprecedented span of meetings and announcements, despite the limitations imposed by COVID-19, demonstrates a unity of purpose across different arms of our government – foreign affairs, defence, intelligence, health, energy and economic portfolios – to deliver in the national interest.

AUKUS is a vital initiative that complements rather than replaces other groupings. But to look at it in isolation misses the point. Australia is embarked on a broad, long-term endeavour to contribute our strengths as a significant regional power and to fulfil our global responsibilities. It will develop over many governments and we therefore welcome Labor’s bipartisan support for AUKUS, despite pressure from those who have been outside of government for some time and are not on the front line of the significant strategic shifts that have occurred.

There are few gains to be made on security and prosperity without taking some risk. This is why Australia has engaged partners, including in seeking an independent evaluation into COVID-19, sought leadership positions in key international organisations and successfully upgraded formal diplomatic, defence and trading relationships with regional and global partners – the most recent being the Strategic Cooperation Agreement signed last week between Australia and Austria.

President Biden has said the United States has “no closer or more reliable ally than Australia”. We have shown an important consistency in our foreign policy that has entailed remaining firm in the face of risks and threats, and managing them rather than leaving them for future generations or unnecessarily provoking them further.

We are highly regarded around the world for this consistency and our practical approach to diplomacy. And we will continue to build on this respect, seeking new friendships and strengthening old ones. To do so is to fulfil our responsibility both to the Australian people and to the international community.

https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/paul-keating-is-wrong-aukus-doesn-t-turn-australia-s-back-on-asia-20210926-p58usz.html

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2e5617  No.14670619

File: 1912455c473bfe7⋯.jpg (296.25 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, The_sharing_of_nuclear_tec….jpg)

File: 0ccd2da8f6a7e11⋯.jpg (182.44 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Christopher_Pyne_What_the_….jpg)

>>14670595

Opinion: Christopher Pyne - What the AUKUS pact means for Australia cannot be underestimated

Building nuclear submarines in SA is one thing. But the seismic impact of the AUKUS pact for all of Australia cannot be underestimated, Christopher Pyne says.

Christopher Pyne - September 27, 2021

1/2

The new strategic pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States (AUKUS) announced on September 9 has enormous implications for our nation’s military capabilities and its defence industry, but it also has profound meaning for the regional power balance in the Indo Pacific.

For Australia, AUKUS is the most important foreign and defence policy development since the 1950s when the Menzies government signed the Australia New Zealand and United States Treaty (ANZUS), and also normalised our relationship with Japan leading to the economic boom that still affects the Australian economy and standard of living today.

AUKUS is also one of the most important moments for the United States in its relationship with the Indo Pacific.

It will shape US foreign and defence policy toward the Indo Pacific for the duration of the present China challenge to US’s power in our region.

The AUKUS strategic pact will include co-operation and sharing of technology in the areas of artificial intelligence, critical minerals, hypersonics and cybersecurity.

But the sharing of nuclear powered propulsion technology with Australia should not be misunderstood – this is only the second time in 63 years that the US has been prepared to share its nuclear propulsion technology with anyone.

The first time was with the other partner in AUKUS, the UK.

There are only six countries in the world that are known to have nuclear-powered submarines – Russia, the US, the UK, China, India and France.

Brazil and South Korea are working on acquiring the capability in the future. Australia is joining an exclusive world club. The military capability that it will provide for the Australian Navy is world-class. Operating in tandem with the Collins-class conventional submarine, it will make Australia a significant military force in the Indo Pacific.

As one of my defence industry friends said to me on September 9, “this is seismic”.

In the rush to digest what AUKUS means for the defence industry, particularly the building of submarines at Osborne in the wake of the cancellation of the Naval Group contract, the geostrategic dimension of the agreement should not be lost.

It is a truly profound moment.

The Economist magazine put the announcement of the AUKUS agreement in the same pantheon of post-World War II events as the Suez Crisis in 1956, President Nixon recognising China in 1972 and the fall of the Berlin Wall and the effective end of the Cold War in 1989.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14670623

File: 3f79b77db6b9d1f⋯.jpg (84.84 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, The_seismic_impact_of_the_….jpg)

>>14670619

2/2

Following the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, the United States’ allies could be forgiven for questioning the country’s commitment to its friends.

I don’t share that view. The US committed to a mission in Afghanistan, achieved it with a coalition of countries. including Australia, and stayed there for 20 years.

It’s hard to see that as “cutting and running”. Although the haste of the exit left many wondering.

AUKUS removes any doubt that the US is committed to its friends and allies in the Indo Pacific.

At a time when Australia’s economy and trade is being put under pressure by China, the US has made a bold statement of support for Australia.

At the same time, the UK – long engaged with the European Union and now free, since Brexit, to pursue its own interests entirely separate from Europe – has put context and meaning to its newly outward looking global agenda.

The Biden administration and Morrison government have largely brought this about.

There is no doubt that the development of AUKUS is part of an overall US strategy to genuinely fulfil the promise of the Obama administration to “pivot” to the Indo Pacific.

The Morrison government has orchestrated both that outcome and also encouraged the Biden administration and its Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, to put real weight into “the Quad”, the quadrilateral of Japan, Australia, India and the United States that had its first face-to-face meeting of national leaders in Washington DC last week.

All of this is happening in an environment of Chinese power politics in the Indo Pacific.

China has pressed its claims in the South China Sea and militarised previously unused shoals, reefs and islands there. President Xi Jinping has increased his rhetoric around the reunification of Taiwan with mainland China.

There has been real speculation about China placing a naval base in Cambodia in the heart of ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations).

China carries out air movements in Taiwanese air space almost daily. Chinese naval incursions occur in Taiwanese waters less frequently but often enough to be noticeable.

Australia has weathered the economic pressure exerted by China in the past year and a half but more than that, we have strengthened our hand with our friends and allies, many of whom have looked to see how Australia reacted and what it might mean for their own national interests.

The message to them is very clear – we will stand up for our values-based foreign policy and national interests and we will engage with others who share those values.

AUKUS is the most significant move in this high-stakes chess game of international foreign and defence policy.

It is a seminal moment that will be felt for decades to come.

Christopher Pyne was the federal Liberal MP for Sturt from 1993 to 2019, and served as a minister in the Howard, Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison governments. He now runs consultancy and lobbying firms GC Advisory and Pyne & Partners and writes a weekly column for The Advertiser.

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/christopher-pyne-what-the-aukus-pact-means-for-australia-cannot-be-underestimated/news-story/8564acb1e8958fb6d5f39357fb2b91c2

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2e5617  No.14670712

File: 84edfe0146850ae⋯.jpg (147.51 KB, 1440x1080, 4:3, Prince_Andrew_the_Duke_of_….jpg)

>>14554611

Hide, fight, settle? The choices for an embattled prince

Prince Andrew must pick a strategy in his battle with Virginia Giuffre, who claims he sexually abused her when she was 17. What are his options?

LUCY BANNERMAN, JONATHAN AMES - September 27, 2021

1/4

It is enough to make even Prince Andrew sweat. After weeks of appearing to dodge the case that just will not go away, lawyers representing the man who has barely perspired since the Falklands conflict have finally accepted that he has been officially notified of the lawsuit alleging that he sexually abused Virginia Giuffre when she was 17.

In one corner there is David Boies, the ferocious 80-year-old litigator with a fearsome reputation who is representing Giuffre. In the other, Andrew Brettler, the Hollywood lawyer and rising star who was recently drafted in to lend some American legal muscle to Prince Andrew’s embattled lawyers.

The shadow boxing between the two led to the unedifying spectacle of legal documents being emailed, posted, couriered and even dropped off with a policeman at the gates of Windsor Royal Lodge while the ninth in line to the throne hunkered down in Balmoral.

Theatrics, perhaps, but the clock is now ticking. Like it or not, the American wheels of justice are in motion. Prince Andrew now has 21 days – or more, if a deadline extension is agreed – to decide his next move.

So what are his options?

FIRST SCENARIO

The first is to continue what appears to have been his preferred strategy so far: to hide.

While the “zero co-operation” strategy made for terrible PR, conjuring the image of a cowardly prince fleeing to the Highlands to hide behind his mother’s sensible, tweedy skirts, there is a legal reasoning for holding his nerve.

The prince has not been charged with any criminal offence. It is not for the US District Judge Lewis Kaplan to decide whether he is innocent or guilty of the allegations. Rather, Giuffre wants the federal judge and jury to hear her claims and decide whether the prince should be liable to pay her damages, and if so how much.

To recap, she has accused the duke of forcing her to have sex at the London home of his friend Ghislaine Maxwell when she was 17.

She also said he abused her at around the same time in the Manhattan mansion of his late friend the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and on Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands.

Prince Andrew engaged in these sexual acts without her consent, knowing how old she was and knowing “that she was a sex-trafficking victim”, she claims.

Andrew has denied all Giuffre’s claims, saying he does not recall ever meeting her. If he had hoped the scandal would go away, he couldn’t have been more wrong.

Giuffre, now 38, is seeking damages for “significant emotional and psychological distress and harm”.

“In this country no person, whether president or prince, is above the law, and no person, no matter how powerless or vulnerable, can be deprived of the law’s protection,” court documents read. “Twenty years ago Prince Andrew’s wealth, power, position, and connections enabled him to abuse a frightened, vulnerable child with no one there to protect her. It is long past the time for him to be held to account.”

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14670715

File: dbcf08139b73984⋯.jpg (113.48 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, David_Boies_representing_s….jpg)

>>14670712

2/4

Prince Andrew has previously said he was unaware of a warrant for Epstein’s arrest when he invited him to his daughter Beatrice’s 18th birthday party at Windsor Castle in 2006. (Other guests included Harvey Weinstein, whose wife designed the birthday girl’s dress.)

Epstein was arrested days after the party, but Andrew continued to visit the registered sex offender after he was released from prison for a prostitution offence involving a minor.

Disgraced financier Epstein killed himself in jail in August 2019 while he was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Maxwell, meanwhile, will stand trial in November for allegedly recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein to abuse.

Andrew has previously confirmed that he had been on Epstein’s private plane, stayed at his private island and stayed at his homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and New York, but says the alleged incidents “never happened”. His biggest mistake, he famously told Emily Maitlis, was simply being “too honourable”.

Now the court case his lawyers had tried so desperately to delay has finally begun. Of the remaining options left open to the duke, even his most loyal supporters would have to admit, none is good. If he continues with “zero co-operation”, refusing to participate in the lawsuit or submit a defence, he risks a default judgment.

Should the US court rule in Giuffre’s favour, her lawyers would then have to come to the UK to ask a High Court judge in London to enforce the ruling here. By following this strategy, the prince might be hoping that a London judge would reject the case as unenforceable because he did not take part. He wouldn’t be able to clear his name, but he could avoid paying up.

Zero co-operation might have been his British team’s preferred strategy up until this week, but its usefulness evaporated the moment those court papers made it to Brettler’s desk in Los Angeles, according to Bradley Simon, a former federal prosecutor in New York who now works as a defence attorney specialising in complex civil litigation.

Accepting service of the papers, Simon says, means the duke now has skin in the game. Like it or not, he is already participating. “There would have to be a very compelling reason why the British court would not enforce [a US ruling]. Maybe sovereign immunity or something like that. I think that’s unlikely,” says Simon, a partner at Windels Marx. “I think it would look quite bad for a prince in the UK to thumb his nose at court proceedings in the US.”

“It’s almost never a good idea not to show up,” Boies told The Times Magazine at the weekend, with the kind of glee one might expect from a veteran litigator who has seen Prince Andrew’s Newsnight interview. “It’s easier to win a game if you’re there returning the ball.”

SECOND SCENARIO

Which brings us to the second option, one that Simon suggests should probably have been done a long time ago: negotiating a settlement with his accuser.

“In light of his position, probably the best thing here would be a settlement to resolve it. That would probably be his most prudent course, I would think. A good course would have been to try to resolve this early on,” he says. Why does he think it wasn’t pursued earlier? “He may have received bad legal advice.”

One thought from Simon might reassure the duke. “I think it’s pretty unlikely the FBI will bring criminal charges against him. Because of who he is and the international implications of dragging out the extradition of a prince and then, assuming he is extradited, putting him in handcuffs . . . I think they would avoid that.”

A prospect possibly even less appealing to Prince Andrew than an evening at Pizza Express in Woking. So, there’s that.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14670717

File: 14754ccf4373f47⋯.jpg (56.68 KB, 1279x720, 1279:720, Prince_Andrew_Virginia_Rob….jpg)

>>14670715

3/4

THIRD SCENARIO

Which leaves the riskiest option of them all – and the one that sources close to the duke suggest he’s now going to pursue: to come out fighting.

A change of tactics seems almost inevitable as the baton is handed from the duke’s British legal team to his American representatives at Brettler’s firm, Lavely and Singer, in Los Angeles.

A source close to the duke said: “By launching this civil case, Mrs Giuffre has actively invited legal scrutiny of her own version of events. This provides an opportunity for the duke’s team to properly scrutinise the multiple inconsistencies in her narrative that have emerged over the years, and you can expect to see a rigorous defence of all her allegations.”

Another source with knowledge of the proceedings said: “The decision to bring in high-profile US lawyer Andrew Brettler to fight the civil case marks a significant turning point in approach, and the US team will be looking to robustly engage and challenge the claims from Mrs Giuffre in a bid to provide the duke with a platform to finally clear his name. They will be looking to examine and dismantle the claims one by one.”

Mark Stephens, a partner at Howard Kennedy, a London law firm, said: “Andrew may well be emboldened by the experience of Alan Dershowitz,” referring to the Harvard law professor and household name in the US who has defended clients such as OJ Simpson, Weinstein and Donald Trump. He and Giuffre have been locked in a long-running legal battle after she maintained she was forced to have sex with him as part of Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring. He has denied the claims, calling her a serial liar, and Giuffre has since dropped her lawsuit against him.

Dershowitz’s aggressive defence may tempt the duke to “think to himself that he should defend the Giuffre claim”, Stephens said. “It would be a risky strategy, but everything about this case is risky.”

Central to any challenge is likely to be the issue of a confidential out-of-court settlement made between Giuffre and Epstein in 2009. The sealed documents are said to include a commitment from her not to bring further claims against others in Epstein’s circle, potentially opening up the way for Andrew’s lawyers to argue that the case should be thrown out.

Her claim against Dershowitz was reportedly dismissed on similar grounds, and Dershowitz has argued that unsealing those documents could help to nullify the lawsuit against Prince Andrew too.

It could be at least two years before the main claims of the case are heard before a jury. Even if it does get to that stage, it is likely that every option would be exhausted before Prince Andrew took the stand.

Most of the royal family have managed to avoid appearing in court – with the notable exception of Queen Victoria’s son and heir, Bertie. When the future Edward VII gave evidence in a civil case, in which he denied having an affair with a woman whose husband was trying to divorce her for multiple adultery, it was the first time a royal had been summoned to court in centuries.

Not since 1891, when Bertie appeared a second time to give evidence in a card cheating scandal involving an illegal game of baccarat in Hull, has the private life of a prince been scrutinised in court.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14670721

File: e8e1be3e48bf6aa⋯.png (1.03 MB, 768x1024, 3:4, Prince_Andrew_s_lawyer_Hol….png)

>>14670717

4/4

Amber Melville-Brown, a partner and global head of media who is based at the New York office of Withers, a London law firm, said: “There is some irony when the English court has recently ruled that the will of HRH Prince Philip should be sealed to protect the dignity of Her Majesty the Queen that that very dignity appears under attack from within her own family.

“On the one hand, by her grandson Harry as he appears more than happy to talk about family matters – with chat show queen Oprah Winfrey and her millions of viewers, no less – from his new home on the other side of the Atlantic; and on the other hand, and on this side of the Atlantic, from a son who refuses to cross the Pond and whose very silence risks putting the reputation of the royal family at further risk.”

She added: “What are the options with this claim? Ignore it, fight it, admit it, settle it.

“Ignore it and optically he’s damned by his silence; contest it and face probing cross-examination; admit it – that won’t happen when he robustly denies it – or settle it and pay the price financially, and reputationally as people will assume there’s no settlement without fire.

“None are attractive options, but his lawyers may feel that the first and the last are the best of a bad lot.”

Whichever way you cut it, the outcome looks “dire”, said Nigel Cawthorne, the author of Prince Andrew: Epstein, Maxwell and the Palace. “Prince Andrew has a royal protection officer with him at all times who must log where he is and who he was with. If the records were released they would show that Andrew wasn’t at the places at the times Ms Giuffre alleges. That would blow her case out of the water.

“Andrew’s legal team can, no doubt, kick Giuffre’s civil case down the road for years, but the truck that is hurtling down the highway is the Maxwell criminal case,” he added, referring to the trial scheduled for November. “Giuffre will be on the stand. Her testimony will be broadcast worldwide and Andrew will have no forum to reply.”

The royal commentator Dickie Arbiter was similarly pessimistic. “He needs to man up and face his accuser. Until he does, the finger of suspicion will continue to point at him.

“He has stuck his head in the sand. It hasn’t worked. I do question the advice he has been given.

“He’s trying to hold his nerve, but it seems as though the other side’s nerves are a lot stronger.” Giuffre seems willing to play a very long waiting game, Arbiter said.

“There’s an old saying, ‘Tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are.’ Andrew has never been any good at picking friends and what we’re now seeing is the upshot of that. The only winners here are the lawyers.”

“There’s no way back” for the Queen’s second son, he said. “He can stay at Balmoral for as long as he likes. He’s got nothing else to do.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/hide-fight-settle-what-else-the-choices-for-an-embattled-prince/news-story/273d981b114683bc1caabe04abfd67a2

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2e5617  No.14670749

File: e2644c8ca79c02a⋯.jpg (56.46 KB, 850x640, 85:64, Jon_Seccull_was_found_guil….jpg)

File: 22291aa85522742⋯.jpg (95.37 KB, 619x620, 619:620, Michelle_Skewes.jpg)

File: e3b0ab3aad6a452⋯.jpg (111.95 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Michelle_Skewes_on_her_wed….jpg)

File: 36a003a629c020d⋯.jpg (105.97 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Jon_Seccull_at_a_DonateLif….jpg)

Former White Ribbon ambassador guilty of multiple rapes unmasked

Tammy Mills - September 27, 2021

A former White Ribbon ambassador found guilty of years of serious sexual violence against his wife has been named.

Jon Seccull, 43, can only be identified after his former wife agreed to give The Age permission to publish his name, even though it would identify her as well.

His former partner, Michelle Skewes, said silence was an abuser’s greatest weapon.

“I did not do this just for me,” Ms Skewes told The Age.

“There are far more women in the position I was in than anybody realises. And the shame that you feel is horrendous. It feels impossible to leave, impossible to get away from, impossible to ever have the person perpetrating against you held to account.”

Seccull, a former prison officer who was involved in charity fundraising in the regional Victorian city of Ballarat, was found guilty by a jury in June of nine counts of rape, two charges of assault and one count of threatening to inflict serious injury.

Over four-and-a-half years, Seccull subjected Ms Skewes to controlling, degrading and threatening abuse and violence, prosecutor Damien Hannan told a pre-sentencing hearing in the County Court in Melbourne on Monday.

Ms Skewes said Seccull used his position as a White Ribbon ambassador to normalise the abuse.

“Jon kept yelling that what he was doing certainly was not [abusive behaviour]. He was a White Ribbon ambassador and he knows what it is,” she said in a statement to police in 2019.

Ms Skewes told The Age that, rather than calling him a monster, perpetrators of violence were often thought of as “good blokes” who would “never do anything like that”.

“They leave those who know them ‘shocked’, ‘disbelieving’. And all of that also keeps victims in place. Because who would believe them if they left?” Ms Skewes said.

“I want [other victims] to know that the shame is not theirs. It lies firmly with the perpetrator.”

The court heard Ms Skewes endured repeated rapes, pressure to have sex with other men, and on one occasion, he urinated on her, the court has heard.

“The conduct is serious and extremely so,” Mr Hannan said.

“Each of those episodes involved degradation, threats, abusive and derogative language, and as outlined it involved the most significant breach of trust in the context of controlling and manipulative behaviour by a husband.”

Judge Frank Gucciardo placed a temporary suppression order on Seccull’s identity after his barrister Chris Pearson argued his client’s safety was at risk in prison due to his former position and the nature of offending.

But on Monday, Mr Pearson did not press ahead with an application for a more permanent order, meaning with Ms Skewes’ permission, he could be named.

Ms Skewes also spoke out about the violence she suffered in a powerful victim impact statement that she read to the court last month.

She said she was subjected to a smear campaign by Seccull after she reported him to police and lost friends and family as a result.

“Since I dared break the code of silence that enshrouds domestic violence, [I] faced the wrath of outing the abuser and besmirching ‘the good bloke’,” she said.

“There is no excuse for the shame that has been pushed on me for so long. The shame that society often adds to … I have to remember to lay the blame at the feet of the perpetrator. The man who was meant to love me.”

Seccull went into custody in June after the jury’s verdict. He will be sentenced on October 18.

White Ribbon’s ambassador program was scrapped after several representatives were outed for perpetuating violence.

White Ribbon executive director Brad Chilcott said the charity underwent a significant overhaul following its liquidation in 2019.

“Anyone who is using this position [as an ambassador] as an excuse for the very behaviour that we exist to put an end to, has very obviously missed the point,” Mr Chilcott said.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/former-white-ribbon-ambassador-guilty-of-multiple-rapes-unmasked-20210927-p58v27.html

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2e5617  No.14677513

File: 7326eaaeb9610e4⋯.jpg (175.32 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Milla_left_Lenna_Deanne_an….jpg)

File: 546804f34d24680⋯.jpg (84.54 KB, 768x1024, 3:4, NSW_Premier_Gladys_Berejik….jpg)

Summer to herald the end of coronavirus lockdown calamity

STEPHEN RICE - SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

1/2

Life in Australia’s two most populous states appears set to return to normal by summer after NSW said it would lift health restrictions – even with more than 600,000 adults unvaccinated – by the start of December.

Restaurants, bars, shops and hairdressers will open for those fully vaccinated against Covid-19 within two weeks, before workers can return to offices and indoor mask mandates are lifted about seven weeks later.

Victoria is also on track to drop health restrictions, allowing restaurants and shops to begin trading again from October 11. But Premier Daniel Andrews says those who have not been vaccinated will have to wait until after Christmas before they have equal freedoms.

Even Queensland, where Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has refused to commit to reopening state borders, could welcome visitors by Christmas, with officials indicating restrictions would lift once health rules in NSW and Victoria mirrored their own.

However, Western Australia appears isolated after Qantas said it would cancel most of its flights from the state to Melbourne and Sydney, and redirect its non-stop London flight to Darwin.

Although Scott Morrison has yet to indicate when international borders will reopen, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Monday she hoped overseas travel would be back by December 1, once most restrictions were eased.

“At 80 per cent, you will be able to go anywhere freely in NSW, you will be able to stand up and have a drink at a pub, you will be able to obviously consider international travel,” she said.

“The third stage of reopening will happen on 1 December. That is at least four or five weeks after we hit the 80 per cent double dose. We envisage we will have at least 90 per cent of our adult population vaccinated by then.”

Under the NSW road map, ­retail and hospitality will reopen when the state hits 70 per cent vaccination coverage on October 11. Residents of Greater Sydney will be able to travel to the regions, take part in community sport and enjoy a drink standing up at a bar by the end of October when vaccination rates hit 80 per cent but workers will not return to offices until December 1, when the state reaches 90 per cent vaccination.

On that date, masks will not be required indoors at offices, indoor pools and nightclubs can reopen and even unvaccinated residents will be able to enjoy freedoms.

But Mr Andrews on Monday said unvaccinated residents in his state would not get equal freedoms by Christmas, adding it would reduce incentives to get inoculated. “I will not say to people, just wait five weeks and you will have all the freedoms. No, that is not a guarantee at all here,” he said. “I would not give anyone a reason to wait five or six weeks.”

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14677515

File: dd709a4ce220431⋯.jpg (244.12 KB, 1300x651, 1300:651, What_Freedom_Looks_Like.jpg)

>>14677513

2/2

The latest vaccination figures, released on Monday, show 76 per cent of adults across the country have had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. Just under 52 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Almost 86 per cent of adults in NSW have had one dose, while 60 per cent have had both.

Ms Berejiklian denied that ­allowing the unvaccinated the same freedoms by waiting another five or six weeks would prove a disincentive. “I think today is a very disappointing day for those who aren’t vaccinated,” she said. “I think they assumed once we hit 80 per cent double dose, they will have certain freedoms.”

Business groups welcomed the plan to unlock NSW, saying it gave people the certainty they needed to get on with their lives.

“NSW is again leading the pack with a plan that gives businesses and the community confidence by charting a path to safely reopen the state,” Business Council chief executive Jennifer Westacott said.

“For businesses, it means they can plan for Christmas, start ­ordering supplies and roster on staff for more hours. If NSW can safely reopen as we meet our vaccine targets, there is no reason other states can’t do the same.”

Health Minister Greg Hunt said he welcomed the Berejiklian government’s announcement.

“It’s heartening to see other states and territories moving closer to 70 and 80 per cent as Australians continue to come forward and get vaccinated,” he said.

The NSW road map timetable came as the state recorded 787 new local cases of Covid-19, a dramatic drop in daily case numbers.

Ms Berejiklian said hospitalisation and ICU admission rates had been lower than modelling predicted but warned that coronavirus cases would “go through the roof” once the state reopened at 70 per cent vaccination coverage.

“But what will protect us is the fact that so many people have ­received at least the first dose of the vaccine and those people will have that extra layer of protection against ending up in hospital or worse,” she said.

The NSW government is also considering changes to international arrival caps, so more people can return home for Christmas.

That timetable came as ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr released the territory’s road map for reopening, with rules set to ease from Friday and lockdown to end on October 15. Two households visitors will be allowed from this Friday, while outdoor boot camps would recommence.

Lockdown would be lifted as planned in mid-October, Mr Barr said, which would bring much of the ACT economy out of hibernation.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/summer-to-herald-the-end-of-coronavirus-lockdown-calamity/news-story/d1a99c625b8311a3976eab83f2c0b852

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2e5617  No.14677565

File: 8062f1817bbdb23⋯.jpg (23.53 KB, 310x465, 2:3, Shukri_Walker_claims_she_s….jpg)

File: f2358134c06c207⋯.jpg (22.12 KB, 615x394, 615:394, Prince_Andrew_has_vehement….jpg)

File: c3b60e1a483ff1e⋯.jpg (36.07 KB, 615x420, 41:28, Prince_Andrew_pictured_wit….jpg)

>>14554611

EXCLUSIVE: Witness who 'saw Prince Andrew dancing with sex slave victim' will testify in court

Russell Myers - 27 Sep 2021

A woman who claims she saw Prince Andrew dancing with his alleged sex abuse accuser the night he says he was at Pizza Express has agreed to testify against him in the United States.

Shukri Walker is prepared to face down the Duke of York and reveal details of an encounter she had with him at Tramps nightclub in London in 2001.

Andrew is being sued in New York by Virgina Giuffre, who alleges he sexually assaulted her on three occasions, one instance being the night after she claims she visited the nightclub with the Duke.

Ms Walker, who lives in London, has already given a written statement to the FBI saying she vividly remembers seeing Andrew with the then 17-year-old Ms Giuffre - because she apologised to him after standing on his foot on the dancefloor.

Her evidence could contradict the Duke’s upcoming defence after previously claiming he had “no recollection” of meeting Ms Giuffre, despite a photograph emerging of him with his arm around her waist at the home of his friend Ghislaine Maxwell.

Ms Maxwell, the former lover of Andrew’s late disgraced paedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein, is currently in a maximum security jail in New York awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking and procuring minors with a trial date set for November.

The Queen’s son also disputed Ms Giuffre’s claim that he was sweating profusely after dancing with her on the dancefloor, suggesting that a medical condition brought on after he was shot during active service in The Falklands war meant he couldn’t sweat.

Andrew, 61, in a now infamous BBC Newsnight interview claimed he could not have been at the nightclub with Ms Giuffre because he remembers taking his daughter Princess Beatrice to a birthday party at the restaurant chain in Woking, Surrey.

Ms Walker, who was 28 at the time she claims she was in the nightclub with Andrew, decided to speak out after watching his denial in the interview.

She said: “He (Andrew) looked like he was having a great time.

“And he was with this young girl who was close to my own age, perhaps even a bit younger than me.

“The young woman wasn’t smiling, it was the opposite of smiles.

‘They were with the woman who (had) just been arrested, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Epstein. I will never forget the night because I was told this is a real Prince.”

Andrew also wiped the back of his hand across his face several times, she claimed.

A source with knowledge of development said: “Shukri is totally convinced she saw Andrew that night and is prepared to stand up in court to say so.

“With the civil case being launched in the United States she has let it be known that she is willing to testify and tell the truth.

Her lawyer Lisa Bloom, who is representing several of Epstein’s victims, last night confirmed her client’s position, saying: “Ms Walker has already given her evidence to the FBI and been very consistent in what she has said.

“She had never been in the presence of a royal before or since and so it was very memorable to her.

“If she is called as a witness she will do her duty.”

A friend of the Duke’s last night said: “Shukri Walker seems to be in a minority of one in her recollections.

“Tramp nightclub, which does not have either a back or side entrance, was a popular celebrity hang-out and had paparazzi staked outside of its doors every night of the week.

“It is worth noting that not a single image of the Duke either arriving or leaving Tramps on the weekend in question has ever emerged.”

The Mirror revealed last week that despite intense appeals from his inner circle to dump his legal team, the Duke decided to stick by them as pressure intensifies over his “wall of silence” defence.

Andrew has less than two weeks to respond after being officially served with legal papers in Ms Giuffre’s civil case.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/sex-slave-witness-says-shell-25085119

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2e5617  No.14677821

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14621237

SPECIAL INVESTIGATION: What Really Happened in Wuhan

Sky News Australia

Sep 28, 2021

This Sky News Australia special investigation into the origins of COVID-19 reveals what really happened in Wuhan in the early days of the pandemic.

Award-winning journalist Sharri Markson spent more than a year investigating the potential leak of the virus from a top-secret laboratory in Wuhan.

Ms Markson uncovered evidence of a widespread cover-up and unpacks the new theory that “patient zero” worked in the Wuhan lab.

Sky News Australia anchor and Investigations Writer at The Australian, Sharri has been at the forefront of investigating the origins of COVID-19 since early in 2020 when the virus spread globally. Since that time, the precise genesis of COVID-19 has been hotly contested, with scientists, government officials, the World Health Organization, and the Chinese authorities releasing conflicting reports.

In a coup for Australian television, Sharri secures the first sit-down interview for an Australian broadcast media outlet with Donald Trump since he was elected president in 2016.

Sharri also speaks with a range of Chinese whistle-blowers, scientists, and high-ranking intelligence officials to bring us closer to discovering the truth of what happened in Wuhan.

These include John Ratcliffe, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence from 2020 to 2021, and former head of British intelligence service, Mi6, Sir Richard Dearlove.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh2Sj_QpZOA

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2e5617  No.14680443

File: 9a14dc190f4827b⋯.jpg (116.93 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Foreign_Minister_Marise_Pa….jpg)

File: 35a31c78b6de5c4⋯.jpg (70.65 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, Mike_Pompeo.jpg)

Five Eyes nations set intelligence trap on Wuhan

SHARRI MARKSON - SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

1/2

The Five Eyes foreign ministers deliberately discussed highly classified intelligence about their investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic on an unsecured line in a bid to gauge the reaction of Chinese authorities intercepting the call.

Mike Pompeo, then US secretary of state, hosted the call in early January with his Five Eyes partners including Foreign Minister Marise Payne and then British foreign secretary Dominic Raab to discuss intelligence that Wuhan Institute of Virology scientists had been infected with Covid-19 in November 2019, the suspected first cluster.

In a sophisticated intelligence operation, the Five Eyes call was classified but it was deliberately held on an open line in the knowledge the Chinese would be likely tapping the call, according to What Really Happened in Wuhan, a new book about the origins of the pandemic.

“Let them hear you and then listen to their reaction. Let them know you know and see what reverberates back through the system,” a senior source said.

A second source said: “Anyone who had the ability to collect any communications probably knew that it was happening, especially the Chinese.”

The intelligence that formed the subject of the Five Eyes call also included information that tied the Chinese military to the Wuhan Institute of Virology and even indicated the laboratory had been undertaking secret military projects.

Five Eyes is the intelligence-sharing agreement between the US, Australia, the UK, New Zealand and Canada. While the intelligence had already been shared among them, the call’s purpose was to discuss making it public.

During the call, Mr Raab was profusely thankful to Mr Pompeo for releasing this information. Senator Payne also supported declassification, advocating transparency over secrecy.

“The free world expects the US to lead and not kowtow,” a senior source familiar with the call said.

While the foreign ministers agreed with the decision to declassify the intelligence, there was serious pushback among some senior figures in the intelligence community who rejected the idea that the information should be thrust into the public domain.

“That decision by Pompeo to declassify the intelligence was contested, and parts of (the) US intelligence community didn’t agree,” a Five Eyes source said.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14680449

File: 3c96f357617c35c⋯.jpg (155.54 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, The_P4_laboratory_at_the_W….jpg)

File: 6fba84e366a74d1⋯.jpg (50.41 KB, 316x500, 79:125, What_Really_Happened_In_Wu….jpg)

>>14680443

2/2

America’s top diplomat in the Asia Pacific, David Stilwell, said this was an obstacle they needed to work through. “We had to get the intel community to sign off on a level of detail in the statement that would convince people the lab leak theory had merit, without jeopardising intel sources and methods,” he said.

The intelligence was declassified just under two weeks after the call, on January 15, 2021.

It is significant because it leads the trail of the origins of the virus directly to the Wuhan Institute.

Mr Pompeo firmly believes these workers were the first cluster of the global pandemic and he said they exhibited “the very symptoms” that have become synonymous with Covid-19.

“Based on everything I’ve seen, this is the first cluster,” he said. “I’ve seen no evidence that there’s a cluster that began any place but this. I’m all ears to see if any evidence that presents something … to the contrary.”

The ministers expected declassifying the intelligence would have the dramatic effect of changing the narrative about the source of the pandemic and pointing to the Wuhan Institute as the possible, or even likely, source of the outbreak. They were expecting a major reaction from this rare and explosive move of making top-­secret information public relating to the laboratory in the heart of Wuhan that houses the world’s largest collection of coronavirus.

There was a general sense of disappointment among senior members of the Five Eyes network when the intelligence was eventually released with very ­little media attention paid to it.

It was largely overshadowed by the events unfolding in the US – the Capitol Hill riots and former president Donald Trump’s claims of election fraud.

The Australian first reported details about this intelligence that had not been declassified, including that the Wuhan Institute scientists who fell sick were so unwell they were hospitalised.

The Australian reported that this occurred in November 2019.

Former director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe said they actually fell sick a month before, in October 2019.

Public reporting of the intelligence was a key catalyst in Joe Biden announcing a new probe into the matter in May this year.

That inquiry found both a lab leak and human contact with an infected animal were plausible explanations for the start of the pandemic, and that the intelligence community remained divided and had low confidence in its assessments.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/five-eyes-nations-set-intelligence-trapon-wuhan/news-story/55738cf021708307d1c333b5e6ddbb04

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2e5617  No.14684555

File: 3f3b2d963c2ec54⋯.jpg (92.41 KB, 1024x682, 512:341, A_grocery_store_employee_w….jpg)

>>14404403

Australia's federal govt to cut COVID-19 income support

Renju Jose - SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia’s federal government will wind down emergency funding for people who lost work during COVID-19 shutdowns as vaccination rates increase across the country, putting pressure on state and territory leaders to keep their economies open.

The decision to cut off federal support when inoculation levels reach 80% means individual states and territories would have to foot the bill if they decide to go into lockdown in response to any fresh outbreaks of the coronavirus.

“(This) emergency payment needs to come to an end,” Frydenberg told Seven News on Wednesday. “If you look around the world … people are starting to get about their normal lives, learning to live with the virus in a COVID-safe way.”

Australia’s two biggest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, along with its capital Canberra, have been in lockdown for several weeks as the country grapples with a Delta variant-fuelled third wave of the virus.

The shutdowns have put Australia’s A$2 trillion ($1.5 trillion) economy on the brink of a second recession in as many years.

In other virus-free parts of the country, state and territory leaders, who have the power to close their borders under Australia’s federal system of government, have done just that, hoping to avoid importing infections from the hotspots.

The federal government, which has spent more than A$9 billion ($6.5 billion) since June to support around 2 million people, wants all internal borders reopened when the 80% vaccination threshold is reached nationally, expected in November.

However, despite the creation of a national cabinet to form a cohesive response to the pandemic, some state leaders have indicated they may not follow that national plan.

Frydenberg said federal income support payments will begin to be phased out when a state reaches 70% vaccination. At that level, affected workers must reapply each week to confirm their eligibility. Payments will stop two weeks after the 80% target is met.

That means that New South Wales, the most populous state and one of the epicentres of the current outbreak, would lose payments within weeks. Around 62% of people in the state have been vaccinated, above a national average of 53%.

Queensland and Western Australia, which are currently not receiving any federal income support, have the lowest vaccination rates in the country, with both states not expected to reach 80% until mid-December.

New South Wales state, were Sydney is the capital, reported 863 new infections on Wednesday, level with a day earlier, and 15 new deaths.

State Premier Gladys Berejiklian said hospitalisation rates at the current phase in the outbreak were lower than they expected as first-dose vaccinations topped 86%.

“We are tracking under what we envisaged we would, but there is no time for complacency,” Berejiklian said.

Victoria state, meanwhile, reported a record number of new infections for a second consecutive day, with 950 cases and seven deaths.

Total cases in Australia stood at around 103,000, including 1,278 deaths.

($1 = 1.3778 Australian dollars)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-australia/australias-federal-govt-to-cut-covid-19-income-support-idUSKBN2GP09L

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2e5617  No.14684564

File: ef853133ddd1d28⋯.jpg (125.61 KB, 1200x771, 400:257, The_Facebook_logo_is_displ….jpg)

CNN denies Australians access to its Facebook pages, cites defamation risk

Byron Kaye - September 29, 2021

SYDNEY, Sept 29 (Reuters) - CNN said it is preventing Australians from accessing its Facebook Inc pages after a court ruled that publishers can be liable for defamation in public comment sections and the social media firm refused to help it disable comments in the country.

The move makes CNN, which is owned by AT&T Inc, the first major news organisation to pull its Facebook presence in Australia since the country's High Court ruled this month that publishers were legally responsible for comments posted below stories - even if the stories themselves were not defamatory.

CNN does not feature prominently in Australian media consumption, but the decision could have reverberations across the industry if other outlets follow suit. A host of global mastheads have boosted their Australian operations in recent years after identifying the country as a growth market.

"This is the first domino to fall," said Michael Bradley, managing partner of Marque Lawyers, which works on defamation cases.

"Others will follow for sure … mainly media entities who feel they can happily live without the Australian Facebook audience."

CNN said that Facebook declined a request to help it and other publishers disable public comments in the country following the ruling, which was made during the course of an ongoing defamation lawsuit.

CNN's main Facebook page showed an error message when accessed from Australia on Wednesday.

"We are disappointed that Facebook, once again, has failed to ensure its platform is a place for credible journalism and productive dialogue around current events among its users," a CNN spokeswoman said in a statement.

A Facebook spokesperson said recent court decisions had shown the need for reform in Australian defamation law and the company looked forward to "greater clarity and certainty in this area".

"While it's not our place to provide legal guidance to CNN, we have provided them with the latest information on tools we make available to help publishers manage comments," the spokesperson said.

Facebook says it has several features available for publishers and other users to restrict who can comment on posts. It and CNN did not give details of the discussions that led to CNN's decision.

Social media is a central channel for distributing content in Australia, with about two-thirds of the country's 25 million population on Facebook, according to industry figures. About a third of the country's population used Facebook to source news in 2021, a University of Canberra report said.

But that has coincided with an explosion in defamation lawsuits, prompting reviews by several state and federal governments to determine if existing laws are appropriate for the internet age.

"The fact that a foreign outlet like CNN are pulling out shows the degree of concern that Australia's laws have not kept up with the pace of technological change," said Matt Collins, a prominent defamation lawyer.

CNN would have no equivalent exposure in the United States and relatively little exposure in Britain or other English-speaking countries like New Zealand, he added.

"Australia is among Western democracies an outlier, in relation to the circumstances in which media organisations and any user of social media can be liable for content they didn't they themselves write or approve of."

https://www.reuters.com/technology/cnn-quits-facebook-australia-citing-defamation-risk-2021-09-29/

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2e5617  No.14684581

File: eb3766300ecb2bf⋯.jpg (23.58 KB, 890x534, 5:3, The_Wikileaks_co_founder_J….jpg)

Australia reveals it raised case of Julian Assange with US, amid ‘kidnap plot’ claim

Foreign minister Marise Payne discussed WikiLeaks founder with US counterpart in Washington DC, a spokesperson says

Daniel Hurst - 29 Sep 2021

1/2

Australia’s foreign minister, Marise Payne, raised the case of the WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange with the US secretary of state during her visit to Washington DC this month, the government has revealed.

But Australian parliamentarians who support Assange say the government should demand his immediate release, after a US news report this week claimed CIA officials during the Trump administration had discussed abducting and even assassinating the Australian citizen.

Assange remains in Belmarsh prison in London as the US government appeals against an earlier court ruling that blocked his extradition to face charges, including allegedly obtaining and publishing classified documents in violation of the US Espionage Act.

In response to questions, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told Guardian Australia: “Minister Payne has raised the situation of Mr Assange with her US and UK counterparts, most recently with US Secretary of State [Antony] Blinken on 15 September.”

The spokesperson said the Australian government conveyed its “expectations that Mr Assange is entitled to due process, humane and fair treatment, access to proper medical and other care, and access to his legal team”.

But it is unknown what assurances, if any, Payne secured from those conversations with American and British counterparts.

The case is back in the spotlight after Yahoo News published a detailed account of how the CIA had allegedly discussed kidnapping Assange in 2017, when the fugitive Australian activist was entering his fifth year sheltering in the Ecuadorian embassy.

Those deliberations reportedly sparked heated debate among Trump administration officials over the legality and practicality of such an operation.

Yahoo News reported that some senior officials inside the CIA and the Trump administration went as far as to request “sketches” or “options” for killing Assange. “There seemed to be no boundaries,” a former senior counterterrorist official was quoted as saying.

The then CIA director, Mike Pompeo, and his top officials were said to be furious about WikiLeaks’ publication of “Vault 7”, a set of CIA hacking tools, a breach which the agency deemed to be the biggest data loss in its history.

The CIA declined to comment. Malcolm Turnbull – who was prime minister at the time the deliberations in the US reportedly took place – told Guardian Australia on Tuesday: “The first I heard about this was in today’s media.”

Guardian Australia also asked Dfat whether the US had ever briefed or consulted the Australian government on the reported option of the CIA kidnapping or killing Assange, but it did not answer that question. The department is believed to be reluctant to comment on unconfirmed reports.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14684583

File: f2cd41e79b24da5⋯.jpg (16.13 KB, 890x534, 5:3, Australia_s_foreign_minist….jpg)

>>14684581

2/2

In his first public response to the claims, Pompeo did not confirm or deny the specific allegations in the story, but said Yahoo News’s “sources didn’t know what we were doing”.

Pompeo said: “I make no apologies for the fact that we and the administration were working diligently to make sure we were able to protect this important sensitive information from whether it was cyber actors in Russia, or the Chinese military, or anyone who was trying to take this information away from us.”

The Greens senator Janet Rice – a member of the Bring Julian Assange Home parliamentary group – said the reports indicated that the US government was “never concerned with due process or a fair trial”.

Rice said the Australian government “should be outraged and calling on the US for Assange’s immediate release”.

“The Morrison government cannot keep trotting out the same ludicrous line that we ‘expect due process’,” Rice said.

“It’s now beyond a shadow of a doubt that Assange has not, and will never, receive fair treatment. Australia cannot ignore this.”

Government backbencher George Christensen and independent MP Andrew Wilkie met the British high commissioner to Australia nearly a year ago to raise concerns about Assange’s welfare and question whether due process was being observed.

The Australian government has previously stressed the independence of the British judiciary. In February, Payne played down the idea of asking the US to drop the charges against Assange, insisting that Australia “does not interfere in the legal processes of other countries”.

US prosecutors have accused Assange under the Espionage Act of seeking to assist the former US army analyst Chelsea Manning in hacking a military computer network to obtain classified documents, and conspiring to obtain and publish classified documents in violation of the Espionage Act.

The documents allegedly exposed US war crimes and abuse.

The use of the Espionage Act in the case was heavily criticised by human rights groups who pointed out that it opened the door for its use against investigative journalists in general, much of whose work revolves around obtaining and publishing information that governments would prefer to keep secret.

Pompeo, who served as CIA director under Donald Trump before later being appointed as his secretary of state, delivered a speech in 2017 that referred to WikiLeaks as a “non-state hostile intelligence service”.

The Yahoo report said that it was a significant designation, as it implied a green light for a more aggressive approach to the pro-transparency group by CIA operatives, who could treat it as an enemy espionage organisation.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/sep/29/australia-reveals-it-raised-case-of-julian-assange-with-us-amid-kidnap-plot-claim

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2e5617  No.14684618

File: 18036a25cd54f44⋯.webm (8.1 MB, 640x360, 16:9, Malcolm_Turnbull_says_Sco….webm)

File: 7cb280bdc01cc0d⋯.jpg (74.55 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Malcolm_Turnbull_says_he_r….jpg)

>>14592776

Turnbull accuses Morrison of damaging Australia’s national security with submarine deal

Henry Belot - 29 September 2021

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has accused Scott Morrison of damaging Australia's national security interests and treating France with contempt, warning it may take years to repair diplomatic relations.

Mr Turnbull also revealed he has spoken with French President Emmanuel Macron in recent weeks, despite the Prime Minister being unable to secure a phone call.

"This is an appalling episode in Australia’s international affairs and the consequences of it will endure to our disadvantage for a very long time," Mr Turnbull said.

In an address to the National Press Club, the former prime minister accused the Morrison government of deliberately keeping France in the dark over its decision to cancel its $90 billion submarine contract.

Australia will instead procure nuclear-powered submarines in partnership with the US and the UK, although the details on when and how they will be delivered are still to be determined.

"The Australian government has treated the French Republic with contempt — it won't be forgotten," Mr Turnbull told the Press Club.

"Every time we seek to persuade another nation to trust us, somebody will be saying, 'remember what you did to Macron?'

"When you conduct yourself in such a deceitful manner internationally, it has a real impact on Australia."

France recalled its ambassador to Australia shortly after the decision to procure nuclear-powered submarines from the US and the UK was announced.

Last week, Mr Morrison acknowledged the French President was not accepting his calls, but said he had acted in accordance with Australia's national security interests at all times.

"That is something that Australia should always do, and I think that all Australians would expect me to do," Mr Morrison said.

"Hard decisions have to be made by prime ministers about our interests."

Mr Turnbull — who was replaced by Scott Morrison as prime minister in 2018 — told the Press Club he would not be accused of being unpatriotic by criticising the way the submarines deal was announced.

"I can say this to you, I am not getting any lectures on patriotism from Scott Morrison," he said.

"I defended the national security of this country and its national interest, and I know the way that he has behaved is putting that at risk.

"What seems to have been overlooked is that one of our national security assets is trustworthiness."

The Prime Minister’s office declined to comment on Mr Turnbull’s speech.

Mr Turnbull said Australia’s reputation as a “trusted ally and reliable partner” had been developed over many years and was a strategic tool on the world stage.

He referenced his confrontation with Donald Trump in 2017, when the former US president agreed to honour a deal struck by his predecessor to resettle refugees.

"When he suggested I had broken agreements in my business life, I said I had not," Mr Turnbull said.

"Imagine if he had been able to say, ‘hey, how about the time you double-crossed the French?'"

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-29/turnbull-french-submarine-deal-damaged-national-security/100500862

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2e5617  No.14684632

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

Australia's COVID response is 'off the rails': Florida Governor Ron DeSantis

Sky News Australia

Sep 29, 2021

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has castigated Australia's response to COVID, warning that the country has gone “dramatically off the rails” and likened it to communist China.

Mr DeSantis questioned whether the United States should maintain its current level of diplomatic relationship with Canberra.

Unlike some American states, Florida has taken a relatively hands off approach to combating COVID.

Governor DeSantis, a rising star of the Republican Party, has made most COVID-19 restrictions illegal in May 2021.

He banned vaccine mandates for workers and is against mandatory mask wearing.

Speaking at the International Boat Builders’ Exhibition and Conference in Tampa, he warned that Australia has gone too far when it comes to restricting freedoms as it battles an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant in its eastern states.

"Look what’s going on in Australia right now. You know, they’re enforcing, after a year and a half, they’re still enforcing lockdowns by the military," Governor DeSantis warned.

"That’s not a free country. It’s not a free country at all. In fact, I mean, I wonder why we would still have the same diplomatic relations when they’re doing that.

"Is Australia freer than China, communist China, right now? I don’t know. The fact that that’s even a question tells you something has gone dramatically off the rails with some of this stuff."

Only just over 1,250 Australians have died from COVID, compared to more than 54,000 Floridians.

Florida averages 350 deaths per day in a state of 22 million people.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison defended Australia's response to COVID, arguing "cultural differences" were behind the different approaches.

“I think we are different societies. I mean, we‘re great friends and we share beliefs and values that we hold dear … but in Australia, when it comes to public health, we’re a very pragmatic nation," Mr Morrison told US network CBS.

"And I can tell you, the virus doesn’t care what you believe. The virus cares about how it can come and take your life."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-8HtBXLv-g

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2e5617  No.14684689

File: b950d3da1cd8a07⋯.jpg (227.39 KB, 2000x1333, 2000:1333, According_to_the_lawsuit_V….jpg)

File: 74ea858223b6be2⋯.jpg (354.42 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0001.jpg)

File: be2376761040746⋯.jpg (368.71 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0002.jpg)

File: bec732d662fac56⋯.pdf (58.64 KB, gov_uscourts_nysd_564713_2….pdf)

>>14554611

>>14657668

Prince Andrew has October deadline to respond to Epstein accuser suit

Ben Feuerherd - September 28, 2021

Prince Andrew officially has until Oct. 29 to respond to a federal lawsuit brought against him by Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a Manhattan judge ordered Tuesday.

Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan signed off on a joint stipulation and order document submitted last week by lawyers for the Duke of York and Giuffre, which laid out a timetable for how her suit will move forward.

According to the order, Andrew will have until Oct. 29 to serve a response to the complaint and an initial oral argument scheduled for Oct. 13 will be vacated. A remote conference in the case will instead be held on Nov. 3, Kaplan ordered.

The court will also deem that Andrew had officially been served with the lawsuit on Sept. 21, according to the filing.

Giuffre, who has claimed she was sex trafficked by Epstein and his accused madam Ghislaine Maxwell, alleged in the suit that she was forced to have sex with Andrew in London, at Epstein’s Manhattan mansion and on his private Caribbean island.

Giuffre alleged in the suit that she “feared death or physical injury to herself” if she did not follow orders from Maxwell and Epstein.

The suit was filed in federal court in Manhattan in early August, but Andrew did not accept service until late September — prompting Guiffre lawyer David Boies to accuse him of playing a “game of a hide and seek behind palace walls.”

“Ms. Giuffre believes she has already properly served Prince Andrew, and the Central Authority of the United Kingdom has accepted her request to serve him itself,” wrote Boies wrote in a Sept. 16 court filing.

“Service is not intended to be a game of a hide and seek behind palace walls,” he added.

https://nypost.com/2021/09/28/prince-andrew-has-month-to-respond-to-sexual-assault-suit/

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/60119368/giuffre-v-prince-andrew/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.564713/gov.uscourts.nysd.564713.20.0.pdf

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2e5617  No.14684715

File: c7704379308d6d6⋯.jpg (100.78 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Former_Prime_Minister_Paul….jpg)

>>14670595

>>14670606

A relic of a bygone age? I might be, but I’m not a defeatist

Paul Keating, Former prime minister - September 29, 2021

1/2

Marise Payne, who has made an art form of hiding her light under a bushel, dashed onto the national stage on Monday, completely unfazed by the blazing footlights.

The purpose of this daring appearance was to attack me for having the temerity to say that the government’s AUKUS agreement re-staples us to the Anglosphere – the world of the Atlantic, while stridently turning its back on our geography, Asia, in the same awkward movement.

Payne and the Prime Minister were bedazzled by the grand reception they were afforded in Washington – a reception any strategic client of the United States would have received had they turned over control of their armed forces to the US. But in our case, turning over effective control of our foreign policy into the bargain. Any prime minister that shops Australia’s prerogatives and interests to another power will always be feted and celebrated by that power. And this is precisely what Scott Morrison and Marise Payne experienced.

The US submarine decision was not just about under-sea warfare, it was about donating eight submarines paid for by us to the command of the United States, as an integral part of its Pacific fleet. Try and think of another country that would do anything this submissive.

But more than that, in the doing of it, rudely affronting Europe’s sole international power, France – the one European state which possesses a sophisticated military, nuclear submarines and nuclear weapons. And along with that, real Pacific national assets. A genuine Pacific power. One could have hardly dreamt up a more adequate or a more appropriate military partner than France. But Morrison, who has spent but a dogwatch thinking about strategic issues and the arraignment of international power, did the French in, to ideologically console himself, preferring instead, the safety of the sweaty armpit of the United States. When should we stop clapping?

But with Broadway well and truly part of America’s DNA, the White House hosted the first face-to-face meeting of the so-called Quad, with decorated desks in its East Room.

The Quad has only one objective and that is to contain China. The fact that somehow, the rise of 20 per cent of humanity from abject poverty into something approaching a modern state, is illegitimate – but more than that, by its mere presence, an affront to the United States. It is not that China presents a threat to the United States – something China has never articulated nor delivered – rather, its mere presence represents a challenge to United States pre-eminence.

How dare a state, as large as the United States, so represent itself. But not just represent itself, possess the wherewithal to possibly become twice as large. Nowhere is such an eventuality to be found in the American playbook. But this is what the Quad is all about. And, naively, we are in it.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14684720

File: f5739df2b6bba79⋯.jpg (78.65 KB, 960x540, 16:9, Former_prime_minister_Paul….jpg)

>>14684715

2/2

The moment a loud shot was fired, the Indians would lock themselves in their peninsula and the Japanese would do what they always do, negotiate from under the table. That would leave the United States and mugs like us carrying a military fight to the Chinese all by our righteous selves.

India is having us all on. India enjoys the impenetrable wall of the Himalayas on its north and the protection of two oceans around its distended peninsula. And it has a population younger and as large as that of China. It is in an undefeatable position. And no power would try to defeat it – certainly not the Chinese.

Henry Kissinger said to me on a number of occasions that he and I shared an important strategic view. And that view, in Kissinger’s words, was that India “would never be part of the East Asian system”. A view I have always firmly held.

It is impossible to imagine the Indian Navy attacking Chinese military or civilian assets in the South China Sea – an area completely remote from the safety and comity of India’s waterlocked peninsula – notwithstanding the odd skirmish each has every decade or so on their Himalayan border.

India is a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The other states include China itself, Russia and Pakistan. India will turn up as large as life to the next meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, after it has turned up, as large as life, for America’s Quad follies in the White House.

India, a founder of the non-aligned movement, has historically been allergic to alliances, having no desire whatsoever to put all its eggs into one basket – something it will never do. But here we are in Australia, at the strategic casino, putting all our money on black, thinking the Indians will turn up for a major showdown with the Chinese. While the Japanese know, in such a fight, China will obliterate them.

But the prophet from the Shire has wandered into all this, unable to comprehend the vector forces of the subtleties at play, when Australian foreign policy had the complete capacity to manage relations between China and the United States, as we have done so successfully for decades before.

I singlehandedly talked two American presidents into sitting down annually with the president of China, the prime minister of Japan and the president of Indonesia and, in China’s case, persuading them to sit beside the representatives of Taiwan and Hong Kong. That is what I did in developing the APEC Leaders’ Meeting. Could you imagine Morrison or Payne or the growling policeman from Queensland achieving such a thing? But now, according to Payne, I am not up to date, I am too long out of it, a relic of a bygone age. Well, I might be, but one thing I am not – an Australian defeatist who, at the first sign of tension, would sell the country out to another power.

Paul Keating was prime minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996.

https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/a-relic-of-a-bygone-age-i-might-be-but-i-m-not-a-defeatist-20210928-p58vdu.html

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2e5617  No.14684779

File: fc0f2156e2bae70⋯.jpg (147.56 KB, 862x485, 862:485, The_AUKUS_deal_allows_for_….jpg)

File: 0d4b7cbcfcbd1f9⋯.jpg (51.05 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Ministry_of_Foreign_Affair….jpg)

File: 481ffe7bbd53d39⋯.jpg (84.99 KB, 862x575, 862:575, The_Chinese_president_is_s….jpg)

>>14592776

China's foreign minister says AUKUS deal is a danger to regional stability

AP/Reuters - 29 September 2021

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi says the AUKUS security pact between the United States, Britain and Australia brings hidden danger to regional peace, stability and the international order.

Mr Wang made the comments as he co-chaired the latest round of the high-level strategic dialogue between China and the EU alongside EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell, according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry.

China has repeatedly denounced the new Indo-Pacific security alliance, which would provide Canberra with a nuclear-powered submarine fleet.

Mr Wang's comments came as foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying also questioned whether Australia cared about improving relations with China.

"China has its own judgment on whether Australia is really sincere in improving and developing its relations with China, or whether it is saying one thing while doing another behind the scene, or even blatantly stabbing in the back," Ms Hua said.

"We hope that the Australian side will […] take practical actions to create conditions for the restoration and improvement of relations between the two countries."

Relations between the two countries have been strained over a number of issues aside from the submarine deal, including an investigation into the origins of COVID-19, a trade war, and regional security.

China's UK ambassador joins in

Shortly after Ms Hua's remarks, China's ambassador to London said that foreign attempts to contain or besiege China would always fail, and major powers should avoid colonial thinking that could lead to confrontation with the world's second-largest economy.

Ambassador Zheng Zeguang, speaking at a ceremony to celebrate the 72th anniversary of the People's Republic, said the Communist Party had thrown off foreign oppressors and rebuilt China by lifting over 770 million people out of poverty over half a century.

"Attempts to contain or besiege China have never succeeded in the past and will always be an empty dream in the future," Mr Zheng said.

"No one can stop the Chinese people from making further progress."

He suggested big powers reject "colonial mentality" and "other moves that lead to division or confrontation."

The United States and its allies are looking for ways to push back against China's growing power and influence, particularly its military buildup, pressure on Taiwan and deployments in the contested South China Sea.

Xi to promote 'patriotic' scientists

On the same day, Chinese President Xi Jinping said he wanted to increase the talent pool of scientists and intellectuals in China who have the "correct political inclination" and are imbued with patriotic feelings to serve their nation, state news agency Xinhua reported.

China aims to greatly increase investment in research and development by 2025 and its ability to nurture domestic talent by 2030, Xinhua reported, quoting comments made by President Xi at a two-day conference in Beijing.

Fostering intellectual talent, especially in the sciences, has become a more urgent priority for China as the United States increasingly shuts its doors to Chinese students and scholars studying sensitive topics and restricts the export of technology to, and sharing of ideas with, its strategic rival.

"(We must) insist on the correct political inclination, continuously improve the work of intellectuals, inspire talented people to feel a deep patriotism, forge ahead and serve the country,"Xi said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-29/china-aukus-deal-australia-uk/100499122

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2e5617  No.14684783

File: eda4b20eb1e2492⋯.jpg (140.94 KB, 500x330, 50:33, Foreign_Ministry_Spokesper….jpg)

>>14684779

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on September 28, 2021

1/2

Shenzhen TV: According to reports, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in an interview yesterday that there is no obstacle to direct China-Australia dialogue at the political level on the Australian side, but China is not interested in that opportunity. At the same time, Australian media commented that considering the enough space for turnaround between China and the US, and that Australia has run out of all "bullets" in the name of "principles of democracy" in recent years, Australia may end up in an awkward situation where it has no "card to play" against China. What is China's comment?

Hua Chunying: China always believes that state-to-state relations should and must be built on the basis of mutual respect and equal treatment, and that countries must respect each others' core interests, major concerns and legitimate rights to development. Whether Australia is sincere about improving and developing relations with China, or it does the opposite to what it says, or even goes so far as to blatantly stab China in the back, China has its own judgement.

The current difficulties in China-Australia relations are entirely of Australia's own making, which is not what China wishes to see and is what Australia knows well. It is imperative that Australia face up to the crux of the setbacks in bilateral relations, and earnestly think about whether China is seen as a partner or a threat. The Australian side should take an objective and correct look at China and its development, earnestly follow the principles of mutual respect and equality when handling the bilateral relations, and do more to enhance mutual trust and promote practical cooperation between the two countries. We hope Australia can redress its wrong remarks and moves on relations with China for some time, and take real actions to create conditions for recovering and improving the bilateral relations.

Beijing Youth Daily: Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Manasseh Damukana Sogavare said in a statement at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly on September 26 that Solomon Islands is a party to the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty. He said, "we therefore would like to keep our region nuclear free and put the region's nuclear legacy behind us. The ocean remains the life blood for our survival." This reminds us of the recent nuclear submarine cooperation agreement struck by the US, UK and Australia, which may pose similar risks to the South Pacific. Do you have any comment?

Hua Chunying: The South Pacific is a victim and the worst inflicted region of nuclear pollution. Many of you may not know that between 1946 and 1958, the US conducted 67 nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands, causing irretrievable, irreversible and enormous damage to the life, health and safety of the local people and biological environment. The US has dumped nuclear waste into the Pacific for 63 times, the fallout of which takes a toll on people of the Marshall Islands, leading to hikes in the incidence rate of cancer, leukemia, birth defects and other diseases. The levels of plutonium-239 and -240 in the soil samples from the Bikini Atoll are more than 1,000 times higher than those of Fukushima and Chernobyl.

The nuclear submarine cooperation among the US, the UK and Australia undermines the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty and again casts a shadow of nuclear proliferation over the South Pacific, thus inevitably inviting concerns and doubts from countries in the region and beyond. The people of the South Pacific region should never be sacrificed again for the pursuit of bloc politics and military confrontation by a handful of countries. The US, UK and Australia should discard the outdated Cold War mentality, act with a sense of responsibility and revoke their wrong decision, and avoid scourging the innocent people of the South Pacific island countries.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14684786

File: d94dea33238865c⋯.jpg (124.79 KB, 500x442, 250:221, Foreign_Ministry_Spokesper….jpg)

>>14684783

2/2

The Paper: The Security Council will hold a meeting today to mark the 25th anniversary of the conclusion of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). All parties will call for continued efforts to push for an early entry into force of the treaty and move toward the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world at an early date. Meanwhile, the nuclear submarine agreement struck by the US, the UK and Australia does the opposite. What is your comment on that?

Hua Chunying: This year marks the 25th anniversary of the conclusion of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which has become a key pillar of the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime and has played an important role in curbing arms race and maintaining global strategic stability. Banning nuclear tests has become an international consensus.

China firmly supports the purposes and objectives of the CTBT and was among the first countries to sign the treaty. Over the past 25 years, we have been committed to a moratorium on nuclear tests. China supports the treaty's early entry into force and will continue to contribute to that and make unremitting efforts to achieve the lofty goal of complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons.

The CTBT and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) are important pillars of the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime. While pushing for the early entry into force of the CTBT, the international community should earnestly uphold the authority, universality and effectiveness of the NPT. The nuclear cooperation among the US, UK and Australia has a serious risk of nuclear proliferation and violates the spirit of the NPT. It will create a bad precedent and encourage other nations to follow suit, thus damaging the international non-proliferation regime and accelerate regional arms race. The international community should stand together against the trilateral nuclear submarines cooperation and never sits idly by.

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/2511_665403/t1910580.shtml

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2e5617  No.14684852

File: 176657d4c56f05e⋯.jpg (285.07 KB, 938x442, 469:221, MRF_D_36.jpg)

File: 56f1b32108b1321⋯.jpg (134.3 KB, 1440x960, 3:2, 241529866_218055480356943_….jpg)

File: 39ffbb3d1503877⋯.jpg (680.54 KB, 2048x1365, 2048:1365, 241771920_218055507023607_….jpg)

File: a5f2608f473f710⋯.jpg (504.51 KB, 2048x1365, 2048:1365, 241466541_218055420356949_….jpg)

File: f708257e178c26d⋯.jpg (439.17 KB, 2048x1365, 2048:1365, 241447774_218055453690279_….jpg)

Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post

28 September 2021

A Match to Remember

On Sep. 11, 2021, U.S. Marine Corps Marines with MRF-D participated in an annual rugby match against the Stray Cats, a local team in Darwin, Australia. The annual match was established after the first game played between the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Stray Cats on Sept. 11, 2001, right before the terrorist attacks, and has become a commemorative match for MRF-D since 2013.

(U.S. Marine Corps photos by Cpl. Sarah E. Taggett)

https://www.facebook.com/MRFDarwin/posts/218058277023330

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9a7af5  No.14685042

>>14684852

They let women play on the mens rugby team nowadays?

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3fb37d  No.14685181

File: 817cf69b870a1d4⋯.png (685.94 KB, 749x471, 749:471, VAX61.png)

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3fb37d  No.14685185

File: b950ca58f3ea4b5⋯.jpg (170.66 KB, 1080x873, 120:97, melbourne2.jpg)

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3fb37d  No.14685191

File: 846dbc2e6a42e3f⋯.jpg (72.77 KB, 634x423, 634:423, mask27.jpg)

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3fb37d  No.14685193

File: 76899c73c4313a4⋯.png (499.03 KB, 639x426, 3:2, melbourne3.png)

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3fb37d  No.14685195

File: 01e31e6f20e79c0⋯.png (329.64 KB, 540x494, 270:247, melbourne4.png)

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3fb37d  No.14685201

File: c2519078ba15e03⋯.jpg (112.69 KB, 902x764, 451:382, mask24.JPG)

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3fb37d  No.14685203

File: 5cb3dda1f1669fc⋯.jpg (200.55 KB, 750x791, 750:791, vax58_2.jpg)

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3fb37d  No.14685207

File: ac226a9911e3c5e⋯.jpeg (116.84 KB, 1024x942, 512:471, melbourne6.jpeg)

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3fb37d  No.14685208

File: 1ab1dc2d2ba4c72⋯.png (1.25 MB, 1024x1280, 4:5, melbourne7.png)

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3fb37d  No.14685211

File: 961fb941efb91d2⋯.png (328.11 KB, 846x590, 423:295, mask31.png)

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3fb37d  No.14685213

File: 4b62bdbe7733c76⋯.jpg (111.73 KB, 960x829, 960:829, mask.jpg)

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3fb37d  No.14685250

File: ff9b108e73f142f⋯.png (689.37 KB, 1075x728, 1075:728, ClipboardImage.png)

https://www.bitchute.com/video/gUmYWmVtjowH/

fuck you dan andrews

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e2767e  No.14687514

Victoria Police try to BAN media from filming their violent conduct

https://www.rebelnews.com/victoria_police_try_to_ban_media_from_filming_their_violent_conduct

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f75deb  No.14687515

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES - LT COL ( RTD) RICCARDO BOSI

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f75deb  No.14687516

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

Riccardo Bosi Full Interview with Carnage House Productions

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47a454  No.14689030

File: 5b91a9d9aa8bcc9⋯.png (897.44 KB, 1383x750, 461:250, ClipboardImage.png)

AUSSIES BRINGING THE THUNDER DOWNUNDER - WE ARE NO LONGER AFRAID - PATRIOTS FIGHT BACK

https://www.bitchute.com/video/gUmYWmVtjowH/

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2e5617  No.14691549

File: a9af1642b29ce9a⋯.jpg (73.11 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Daniel_Andrews_has_blamed_….jpg)

File: a26788eed2e6276⋯.jpg (128.84 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Melbourne_is_the_most_lock….jpg)

File: 7cfa4afd0f24ca1⋯.jpg (221.6 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Daniel_Andrews_urged_Melbu….jpg)

>>14404403

Daniel Andrews insists Melbourne’s lockdown is working despite a ‘significant’ jump in new Covid-19 cases

Victoria has suffered a “significant setback” in its fight against its outbreak, but Daniel Andrews insists the strict Covid lockdown is working.

Shannon Molloy - September 30, 2021

Despite locking down hard and fast, Victoria has suffered a “significant setback” in its fight against the current Covid-19 outbreak, with a worrying spike in new cases.

The state recorded 1438 new locally acquired cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of active infections to 11,018.

“We now have cases in every local government area, we have cases in every suburb,” testing commander Jeroen Weimar said. “We need to buy time to stop transmission now.”

Victoria’s grim result is the worst daily figure seen so far during the outbreak, eclipsing the highest 24-hour increase seen in Delta-ravaged New South Wales.

The continuing escalation of new cases flies in the face of a strict and prolonged lockdown, which Premier Daniel Andrews instituted early on in a bid to prevent this very scenario.

Last week, Melbourne officially became the most locked-down city in the world, having spent more cumulative days under stay-at-home orders than any other place.

‘Failing’ lockdown decision defended

When asked today whether he accepted that the lockdown had failed, Mr Andrews insisted it had done the exact opposite.

If sweeping lockdowns hadn’t been put in place, today’s number of new cases would be much higher than 1400, he insisted.

“If you want to on the one hand urge that we open up, and then on the other hand, be critical about how many cases there are, those two things don’t work,” he said.

“Like, there’s just no logic in that.

“We can open up tomorrow, and I won’t be standing here reporting 1400 cases, I’ll be reporting a lot more than that. I won’t be reporting just a few people in hospital. There would be a lot more.”

The risk of easing restrictions too soon, while vaccination rates are still too low – currently at 50 per cent per cent of people having received a double dose – would be catastrophic, he said.

Restrictions are set to ease on October 26 when Victoria is due to hit its 70 per cent fully vaccinated rate, and ease again on November 5 when the 80 per cent double-dose milestone is reached.

“There’s a national plan,” Mr Andrews said. “We’re delivering the national plan. We are completely faithful to the national plan.”

People ‘doing the wrong thing’

In a further defence of the lockdown, authorities have revealed that much of the increase is due to breaches of current restrictions.

In fact, one-third of new cases have been linked to illegal home gatherings last Friday and Saturday celebrating the AFL Grand Final.

“We know that everyone’s fatigued, we know everyone’s tired of this,” Mr Weimar said. “But today is a significant setback in how we manage this outbreak.”

And while today’s result is concerning, Mr Andrews said it doesn’t change the state’s reopening plans – not just yet anyway.

“It doesn‘t yet because it’s only one day,” he said.

“What I’m saying to every Victorian, if we continue to see this sort of behaviour, we’ll continue to see these numbers. It’s not about one day, but if you get this each day, every day of the week, you’re putting avoidable pressure on all sorts of different systems, most notably our hospital system.”

He urged Victorians to continue doing the right thing “for another few weeks, and then we can open up, the lockdown ends”.

No public holiday regrets

Another point raised at today’s Covid-19 media update was the long weekend enjoyed by many Melburnians – including those who took it as an opportunity to break the rules.

The traditional Friday public holiday to coincide with the AFL Grand Final was kept in place, despite the game being played in Western Australia due to Melbourne’s lockdown.

Mr Andrews denied he should’ve cancelled the long weekend.

“I think Grand Final public holiday or no Grand Final public holiday … well, I put it to you, do each of you know people who have been doing the wrong thing?” he said.

“I think we all do. We all do. I’m appealing to people – we can’t change what happened last weekend, but we can’t have at a repeat of this weekend or for the next few weekends.”

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/daniel-andrews-insists-melbournes-lockdown-is-working-despite-a-significant-jump-in-new-covid19-cases/news-story/093b9fa8d41755f57bb6ec8222ce9f78

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2e5617  No.14691561

File: ad7b0e65c32ceea⋯.jpg (93.84 KB, 1200x800, 3:2, Sung_Kim_U_S_Special_Envoy….jpg)

>>14592776

AUKUS pact no threat to Indo-Pacific stability, U.S. envoy says

Stanley Widianto - September 29, 2021

JAKARTA, Sept 29 (Reuters) - A defence pact between Australia, the United States and Britain is no threat to Indo-Pacific stability and is not aimed at any one country, a U.S. envoy said on Wednesday, amid concern in a region where China's influence is on the rise.

Indonesia is worried that the pact, known as AUKUS, under which Australia will obtain nuclear submarine technology from the United States, would worsen an "arms race and power projection" in the region.

Malaysia's concerns are similar, while neighbour the Philippines, a U.S. treaty ally, is behind it.

"This will reinforce our ongoing cooperation with key countries like Indonesia to make sure that we have a free and open Indo-Pacific that respects the rule of law," U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, Sung Kim, told a virtual forum.

Kim said he is not worried about an arms race or nuclear proliferation, calling it a "forward looking, positive" initiative that would work in Indonesia's favour.

AUKUS is largely seen as a response by Western allies to avert a Chinese hegemony in Southeast Asia and beyond, particularly the South China Sea, a conduit for a third of ship-borne trade, in which Beijing claims historical sovereignty.

Indonesia earlier this month increased patrols in response to American and Chinese vessels.

"We are not asking any countries, including Indonesia, to make choices between U.S. and any other country," Kim said of AUKUS, adding the three allies have strong respect for the centrality of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc.

Kim also praised Indonesia's climate change efforts, particularly reducing greenhouse gas emission and deforestation.

Asked about its restive easternmost region of Papua, Kim said Washington did not support separatism anywhere, but did have concerns over fundamental freedoms in the militarised region and urged talks between the government and local communities.

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/aukus-no-proliferation-threat-respects-asean-centrality-us-envoy-2021-09-29/

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2e5617  No.14691637

File: 35840dda2570c0b⋯.jpg (47.7 KB, 862x485, 862:485, Detective_Inspector_Jon_Ro….jpg)

File: 1e304e4206f535b⋯.jpg (151.37 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Kelly_Humphries_as_a_teena….jpg)

File: bf54aa646f1137c⋯.jpg (73.8 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Kelly_Humphries_has_worked….jpg)

>>14607022

>>14607041

Inside Argos, the police task force that has rescued thousands of children from their abusers

Ella Archibald-Binge - 30 September 2021

1/2

Warning: The following article contains references to child sexual abuse.

Kelly Humphries was seven years old when a visit to her uncle's house turned sinister.

"He came to me and pulled me close, and I remember him saying, 'I want to teach you what it's like to love, just like in the movies'," she recalls.

"That night, before I fell asleep, he came into the bedroom, and that's where the sexual offending began."

The abuse went on until Ms Humphries was 15. For years, she struggled to overcome her fear of telling her parents what had happened.

"I worried that they would judge me, that they wouldn't love me anymore, that they would think I was dirty, disgusting – because that's how I felt, and that's how he made me feel," she says.

At 19, out of concern for her younger sister, she disclosed the abuse.

In 2001, her uncle pleaded guilty to indecent treatment of a child and sexual assault. He was sentenced to four years in prison with a non-parole period of 18 months.

Children blackmailed into producing content for abusers

Ms Humphries, now 40, has worked as a police officer in Queensland for the past 14 years, including eight years as a school-based police officer.

She has seen a disturbing shift in the way predators groom children.

"Now, the trend that we're seeing is children or young people are making their own child exploitation material," she says.

Detective Inspector Jon Rouse has seen the phenomena unfold on social media.

"Child-sex offenders are very good at pretending to be a 14 or 15-year-old boy and gaining the trust of a 14 or 15-year-old girl on any of these applications," he says.

"They've very good at getting that to the next level, which is getting images sent.

"And, once that happens, that's the end of the game, because they've got that image and they can then threaten the child to produce more content.

"It's gut-wrenching."

How police ended up running an online paedophile ring

Detective Inspector Rouse is head of Task Force Argos, a team of experts dedicated to countering what has become one of the world's fastest-growing major crimes.

Their work is now the focus of an upcoming documentary, The Children in The Pictures.

The unit was set up in 1996 to investigate historical allegations of institutionalised child abuse, but its focus quickly shifted as the internet took off and paedophiles set up online chat boards to share abusive material.

Police officers developed an unorthodox method to find the perpetrators.

They would identify and arrest the leaders of the chat boards, before assuming their online identities to gain control of the network — effectively masquerading as offenders and sifting through mountains of harrowing material to find clues that would lead them to victims.

One such operation, reported by 7.30, led to the arrest of Shannon McCoole, a South Australian child protection worker revealed to be a child-sex offender and the administrator of a paedophile chat board with 45,000 members.

In collaboration with overseas police agencies, Task Force Argos has rescued thousands of children from their abusers.

But it's a relentless job.

"The gravitation of child-sex offenders to these platforms has been exponential globally," Inspector Rouse says.

"The boards that we continue to monitor now, we're up in the hundreds of thousands in their membership."

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14691640

File: 4f4afbc644255a5⋯.jpg (62.89 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Inspector_Rouse_says_moves….jpg)

File: 8d122a18cf1598a⋯.jpg (182.47 KB, 862x1149, 862:1149, As_a_child_Kelly_was_afrai….jpg)

>>14691637

2/2

More than 21 million reports of online child exploitation globally last year

As offenders find new avenues, experts have developed innovative methods to track them down.

It starts with tech companies who detect abusive material and report it to organisations such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the United States.

NCMEC Chief Operating Officer Michelle DeLaune said the organisation received more than 21 million reports last year, mostly from tech companies, regarding child sexual exploitation on their servers.

"We actually sent 94 per cent of those reports to other countries," she says.

Law enforcement agencies, including Task Force Argos, then analyse the digital fingerprint on the images or videos against a database to filter out the old material and identify new victims.

"Anything that's left is potentially unique, has never been seen before, which means that person they have seized this from may be a hands-on abuser," Inspector Rouse says.

But moves by social media companies to protect user privacy could derail that process.

Facebook has unveiled plans to expand end-to-end encryption for its main messaging service — preventing third parties, and police, from obtaining conversations that could become evidence in their investigations.

Inspector Rouse says this could lead to a 70 per cent reduction in cyber tip-offs.

Ms DeLaune acknowledges it's a "difficult balance" for tech companies to strike a balance between privacy and child safety.

"But we cannot accept that children and child victims are going to be collateral damage," she says.

A Facebook spokesperson told the ABC's 7.30 the company uses behavioural patterns and user reports to combat abuse on encrypted platforms, such as WhatsApp.

"We have 40,000 people working on safety and security at Facebook, and we have invested more than $13 billion in this area since 2016," they said in a statement.

"We remain committed to continuing our partnerships and substantial investment to fight criminal activity and keep young people safe."

What can parents do to protect their children?

Kelly Humphries says it is vital that tech companies continue to detect abuse on their servers.

"When I was a child, I didn't have a voice where I felt I could say something myself, and I often wanted or needed someone to ask me," she says.

"If there was a way that it got flagged … it almost takes that burden off the child having to say it themselves."

As a public speaker and author, Ms Humphries has dedicated her life to helping child-abuse survivors bring their story into the light, "because that's when it loses its power".

And, with police vastly outnumbered in the fight against online child exploitation, she says parents have a key role to play.

"The greatest tool you can have against [child abuse] is having that connection with your child, feeling like the child — or the teenager — can come to you and have a safe conversation."

The Children in the Pictures will screen in cinemas virtually before it airs on SBS on October 24.

Support helplines:

National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service: 1800RESPECT or 1800 737 732

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

Lifeline: 131 114

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

Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800

https://kidshelpline.com.au/

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-30/argos-task-force-tracking-paedophiles-using-social-media/100501610

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2e5617  No.14691650

File: 60d8f79300be3fc⋯.jpg (40.63 KB, 1024x576, 16:9, Peter_Dutton_tells_Malcolm….jpg)

>>14684618

>>14635259

>>14670595

Peter Dutton tells Malcolm Turnbull, Kevin Rudd and Paul Keating to ‘move on’

Ellen Ransley - 30 September 2021

Peter Dutton has taken aim at former prime ministers Malcolm Turnbull, Kevin Rudd and Paul Keating for their “sad” attempts to try and remain relevant in Australian politics, telling them to “just move on”.

Mr Dutton’s comments to 2GBs Ray Hadley come off the back of Mr Turnbull’s address to the National Press Club on Wednesday, where the former leader confirmed he would be attending COP26 in Glasgow and suggested it would be a bad look if Scott Morrison did not also make the trip.

Mr Turnbull gave a scathing critique of his successor in the address, labelling the signing of the AUKUS alliance a “big double cross” and refusing to confirm if he would vote Liberal at the next election.

He also reaffirmed his criticism of the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and the vaccine rollout.

Responding to comments by Hadley that Mr Turnbull, like other former prime ministers, was suffering “relevancy deprivation syndrome”, an affiliation he would “wear for the rest of his life”, Mr Dutton said it was “sad”.

“I think that’s the only word to describe it and I don’t want to go into a tit-for-tat,” Mr Dutton said.

“I think you’re looking at somebody like Paul Keating who was out attacking the Labor Party recently and attacking the government … taking on the Prime Minister and Marise Payne and myself over the deal we’ve done with the US and the UK.

“Keating was voted out in 1996. So we’re talking 25 years on. Every day must be a miserable existence for him.

“And … Kevin Rudd is publishing opinion pieces in French newspapers. This guy is paid for by the Australian taxpayers to this very day.

“I just think if you look at the grace, and the gracious way in which Julia Gillard and John Howard and Tony Abbott have conducted themselves since they’ve left (the prime ministership) … I think that is the model.

“Why not celebrate the wins you had in office … Why live with the bitterness of your loss … Move on.”

Hadley suggested Mr Dutton use his influence to “find a cure” for the syndrome, but Mr Dutton quickly asked to steer the conversation in another direction.

“You’ve already drawn me much further than I intended to comment … You need to move on, what’s the next topic please,” Mr Dutton said.

“I’m not opposed to your idea, I just don’t want to comment on it.”

Mr Dutton is currently in quarantine in the ACT after returning from a trip to Washington.

https://thewest.com.au/news/peter-dutton-tells-malcolm-turnbull-kevin-rudd-and-paul-keating-to-move-on-c-4109569

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2e5617  No.14691668

File: 9ec9cea0bca0025⋯.jpg (82.02 KB, 825x289, 825:289, GP_300.jpg)

George Papadopoulos Tweet

Australia is our warning

https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1443226363939500044

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210087  No.14691826

>>14691650

I think Ricardo Bosi has a plan for all these evil creatures. Every Last One of them. I will pull the lever for him when his arm gets tired.

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210087  No.14691828

>>14691549

First of all there is no covid, secondly that is not DA

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210087  No.14691834

>>14687516

This is the man that will lead us out of this evil, you just have to have heart and faith. Keep this man in your thoughts.

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210087  No.14691839

>>14685195

I wonder if these creatures have heard of Riccardo Bosi. Look behind you Copper, he is coming. He has your names, all of them

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2e5617  No.14697903

File: cb40cfa71b125b1⋯.jpg (69.62 KB, 1200x675, 16:9, Premier_Berejiklian_s_resi….jpg)

File: f401abf8ae92d40⋯.jpg (100.97 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, NSW_Treasurer_Dominic_Perr….jpg)

Resignations in the news

Berejiklian resigns over ICAC ‘breach of trust’ probe

YONI BASHAN and RHIANNON DOWN - OCTOBER 1, 2021

1/2

State Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has described Gladys Berejiklian’s resignation as NSW premier as an “incredibly sad day for NSW”, as reports emerge that he has thrown his hat in the ring to replace her.

Ms Berejiklian has resigned as premier and from the NSW parliament after the state’s corruption watchdog announced it is formally investigating her in relation to allegations that she breached public trust in relation to her former boyfriend, Daryl Maguire.

“I would like to offer my gratitude and thanks to Gladys Berejiklian for the leadership and strength she has shown throughout her career and especially during one of the most challenging periods any leader could ever encounter,” Mr Perrottet said in a statement, hours after Ms Berejiklian announced her exit.

“Gladys has worked tirelessly before and through the pandemic to protect the people of NSW from COVID-19 and to ensure our great State remains strong and resilient.

“The Premier has always placed the wellbeing and welfare of NSW first, showing an unstinting dedication to public service and a great love for her community.”

At a press conference at 1pm today — at which she did not take questions — Ms Berejiklian said it was not an option to just stand aside for the duration of the investigation.

“Standing aside is not an option for me as the people of NSW need certainty as to who the leader is during the challenging times of the pandemic,” she said.

“I cannot predict how long it will take the ICAC to complete this investigation, let alone deliver a report in circumstances in which I was first called to give evidence to the public hearing nearly 12 months ago. therefore it pains me to announce that I have no option but to resign.”

The Independent Commission Against Corruption issued a statement earlier on Friday saying it would hold additional hearings as part of Operation Keppel which will specifically examine Ms Berejiklian’s conduct between 2012 and 2018.

Ms Berejiklian said that the decision to resign stood against “every instinct” but she wanted to provide certainty for NSW as it prepared to reopen from lockdown.

“I state categorically, I have always acted to the highest level of integrity,” she said.

“History will demonstrate that I have always executed my duties again with the highest level of integrity for the benefit of the people of NSW who I have had the privilege to serve.”

Ms Berejiklian said she made her decision to resign, because she held herself to the same ethical standard as any of her ministers.

“As the leader of the NSW government I have expected the highest standards of myself and my colleagues,” she said.

“I have made it clear on numerous occasions that if any of my ministers were the subject of allegations being investigated by a security agency, or law enforcement then he or she should stand aside through the course of the investigation until their name is cleared.

“The reason for my stance was not to make any presumptions as to their conduct but rather to maintain the integrity of the public office, which that person has held while that investigation was completed.

“That same standard must always apply to me as the Premier also.”

The premier’s departure from parliament has sparked a by-election, as she said she’d stand down as an MP “in order to allow the new government and leader a fresh start”, sparking a by-election.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14697908

File: 81a763a37582ba0⋯.jpg (152.88 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Daryl_Maguire_arrives_at_I….jpg)

File: 441275fec069603⋯.jpg (228.23 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Supporters_leave_GB_balloo….jpg)

>>14697903

2/2

Ms Berejiklian added that she would step down once a new leader has been selected, noting that the political upheaval could not have come at a worse time.

“My resignation as Premier could not occur at a worse time, but the timing is completely outside of my control as the ICAC has decided to take this action in one of the most challenging weeks, of the most challenging times in the state’s history,” she said, with emotion in her voice.

“That is the ICAC’s prerogative, resigning at this time is against every instinct in my being and something I do not want to do.

“I love my job and serving the community but I have been given no option following the statement that was issued today.”

Ms Berejiklian said continuing as Premier would have only served as a distraction when the state should be focused on navigating its path out of lockdown.

“I do not want to be a distraction of what should be the focus of the state government during this pandemic, which is the wellbeing of our citizens and always has been and always will be,” she said.

“Notwithstanding the challenges of the last few years and few months in particular I have never felt stronger and more confident in my leadership

“I have absolutely no regrets about my time in public life.

“At times, we all stumble and pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and start stronger and wiser than before.

“I have done this many times, as we all have.

“My only regret will be not to finish the job to ensure that people of NSW transition to living freely with Covid.

“However, I’m extremely confident whoever succeeds me will be more than capable to continue this job.”

Thanking the people of NSW, Ms Berejiklian said it had been the “greatest privilege” of her life to serve in public office.

“When the chips were down in the past years, in particular during the drought, bushfires and then Covid, we stood alongside each other,” she said.

“We have grieved and supported each other during these tragedies. I hope you know that you will remain foremost in my thoughts.

“The courage that you display in your lives every day has inspired me every step of the way. “The courage and the support you have shown me has humbled me and made me a better leader and a better person.

“Serving you has been the greatest privilege of my life.

“Please know that every day I gave it my all and worked as hard as I could to create a better future for our state and its people.”

It was not immediately clear who would take over as premier ahead of a Liberal Party room vote. Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has long been seen as a favourite to succeed Ms Berejiklian.

NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro said Ms Berejiklian had led NSW through “some of its darkest days”.

“I have served as the Deputy Premier to Gladys Berejiklian for almost five years and in that time she has led this state through some of its darkest days,” Mr Barilaro said.

“Everyone has the right to defend their name and I wish Gladys all the best for her future.

“Any speculation regarding Liberal party leadership remains an issue for the Liberal party.”

The ICAC hearing will be held on Monday, October 18.

The Commission said it was investigating whether the premier engaged in conduct that involved a “breach of public trust” as a result of her relationship with Mr Maguire, the former MP for Wagga Wagga.

The allegations relate specifically to grant funding awarded to the Australian Clay Target Association in the 2016-17 financial year, as well as grant funding “promised or awarded” to the Riverina Conservatorium of Music in Wagga Wagga in 2018.

Further allegations will be examined in relation to Ms Berejiklian’s conduct relating to whether she was “liable to allow or encourage the occurrence of corrupt conduct by Mr Maguire” and whether she allegedly refused to “exercise her duty” and “report any matter that she suspected on reasonable grounds” concerning the conduct of Mr Maguire”.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/icac-to-investigate-gladys-berejiklian-over-breach-of-trust/news-story/f489a318cf1f4c61d42be8379da0ecc6

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2e5617  No.14697914

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14697903

Berejiklian resigns as New South Wales premier

Sky News Australia

Oct 1, 2021

Gladys Berejiklian has resigned as premier of New South Wales after it was revealed she is under investigation from ICAC.

She will also step down as the member for Willoughby, which will trigger a by-election.

“I have made it clear on numerous occasions that if any of my ministers were the subject of allegations being investigated by an integrity agency or law enforcement, then he or she should stand aside during the course of the investigation until their name was cleared,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“The reason for my stance was not to have made any presumptions, as to their conduct, but rather to maintain the integrity of the public office which has held, which that person is held whilst an investigation was completed.

"That same standard must always apply to me also as the premier, however standing aside is not an option for me as the premier of New South Wales as the people of this state need certainty as to who the leader is during the challenging times of the pandemic.

“I cannot predict how long it will take the ICAC to complete this investigation, let alone deliver a report in circumstances where I was first called to give evidence in a public hearing nearly 12 months ago.

“Therefore, it pains me to announce that I have no option but to resign from the Office of Premier, my resignation will take effect as soon as the New South Wales Liberal Party can elect a new parliamentary leader in order to allow the new leader and government, a fresh start.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZjeBxM2nOg

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2e5617  No.14697941

File: 605e0f4b2e4acd8⋯.jpg (150.99 KB, 1024x683, 1024:683, A_mostly_empty_domestic_te….jpg)

>>14404403

Australia to ease international border restrictions from November

Colin Packham and Jamie Freed - OCTOBER 1, 2021

CANBERRA/SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday announced an 18-month ban on Australians travelling abroad will be lifted from next month, easing one of the toughest COVID-19 restrictions imposed globally.

Reopening the international border for citizens and permanent residents will be linked to the establishment of home quarantine in Australia’s eight states and territories, Morrison said, meaning that some parts of the country will reopen sooner than others.

The first phase of the plan will focus on citizens and permanent residents being allowed to leave Australia, with further changes expected to permit foreign travellers to enter the country.

“It’s time to give Australians their lives back. We’ve saved lives,” Morrison said during a televised media conference. “We’ve saved livelihoods, but we must work together to ensure that Australians can reclaim the lives that they once had in this country.”

Morrison slammed the international border shut in March 2020. Since then, only a limited number of people have been granted a permit to leave the country for critical business or humanitarian reasons.

Citizens and permanent residents have been allowed to return from abroad, subject to quota limits and a mandatory 14-day quarantine period in a hotel at their own expense. There have also been a few high-profile exceptions granted for entry for business purposes, including Hollywood actors to film movies and TV shows.

Morrison said he expects the first home quarantine systems to be up and running in November, but the timetable will be set by individual states and territories.

He has previously said it wants all state and international borders reopened when the national vaccination rate for people aged over 16 reaches 80%, expected by the end of next month.

However, a Delta variant-fuelled outbreak that has locked down the major cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra for weeks has divided state and territory leaders. Some presiding over virus-free parts of the country have indicated they will defy the federal plan.

Under the plan announced on Friday, Australians who are fully vaccinated will be able to travel abroad and complete a 7-day quarantine at home on their return. People who are not vaccinated will be required to undertake 14 days of quarantine at a hotel when they return.

Morrison said his government was working towards quarantine free travel with countries such as New Zealand when “safe to do so”.

An Australian government source said plans were being discussed to allow foreign visitors to enter the country, but it was not possible to yet state a timetable.

VACCINE APPROVAL

Australia’s strict border closure has been credited with keeping both fatalities and infections relatively low. It has recorded just over 107,000 COVID-19 cases and about 1,300 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

The country on Friday reported 2,084 new COVID-19 cases, the bulk of which were detected in New South Wales and Victoria states. The results marked a small decline in case numbers from those reported one day earlier, but authorities warned against complacency.

Australia will also expand its list of authorised COVID-19 vaccines, allowing thousands of citizens and permanent residents still abroad to return via the home quarantine system, Morrison said.

Australia currently only recognises vaccines produced by Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca. The source said China’s Sinovac and Covishield, a version of AstraZeneca’s vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India, would be added to the list.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-australia/australia-to-ease-international-border-restrictions-from-november-idUSKBN2GR2QR

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2e5617  No.14697983

File: f62b82f05737348⋯.jpg (110.76 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Yahoo_News_this_week_repor….jpg)

File: d2af57601131911⋯.jpg (69.26 KB, 862x575, 862:575, The_US_government_s_hostil….jpg)

File: 07050a73f87b59c⋯.jpg (384.42 KB, 1241x1755, 1241:1755, 0001.jpg)

File: 5f3012bbc437b1a⋯.jpg (117.5 KB, 1241x1755, 1241:1755, 0002.jpg)

File: 69b9f904bf8ffdd⋯.pdf (143.89 KB, 1241x1755, 1241:1755, Letter_from_concerned_Aust….pdf)

>>14684581

Julian Assange supporters write to Scott Morrison over reported CIA plot to kidnap or kill WikiLeaks founder

Dylan Welch - 1 October 2021

A group of prominent Australians have written to the Prime Minister, asking what the government knew about an alleged CIA plot to kill or kidnap WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in London, the ABC can reveal.

The members of the group, who all visited Assange in London, have also demanded the government reveal whether they were caught up in the US plot and if their lives, too, were ever at risk.

The group of 21 lawyers, journalists, academics, and activists wrote to Scott Morrison after revelations in the US media this week the CIA had contemplated kidnapping or assassinating Assange and others in 2017 while the WikiLeaks founder was living in Ecuador's London embassy.

One of the letter's signatories, barrister Julian Burnside, who has been negotiating with Canberra to have Assange returned to Australia since 2012, said the new allegations of a planned assassination were of concern.

"It's one thing [for the government] to ignore an Australian overseas who's in difficulty," Mr Burnside said.

"It's altogether another to ignore an Australian overseas who may be murdered by another government, a government that is ostensibly an ally."

Another of the signatories, Melbourne lawyer Lizzie O'Shea, said: "Recent events suggest that we're in a closer relationship with the US than ever before."

"I would like to think that doesn't come at the expense of our citizens' rights, and this [letter] is one test of whether that's true."

The letter is signed by prominent Australians including Jennifer Robinson, Scott Ludlam, Mary Kostakidis and Kathy Lette.

All of them have visited Assange at one time or another. All are concerned they may have been caught up in US intelligence operations.

"We wish to know what surveillance or monitoring we have been subjected to by the intelligence agencies of our allies, the United Kingdom and United States," the letter, sent yesterday afternoon, states.

"Were any of us placed on speculative kill lists?

"We also believe we have a right to know whether the Australian government was informed or consented to our communications and movements being tracked."

Comment is being sought from the Prime Minister's Office.

According to the US report, by Yahoo News, the plot to kidnap or kill Assange was formed soon after March 2017, when WikiLeaks started publishing a cache of top-secret CIA documents about its offensive cyber weapons.

The release, dubbed Vault 7 by WikiLeaks, was later acknowledged by the agency as "the largest data loss in CIA history".

A month after WikiLeaks began publishing Vault 7, Mike Pompeo was appointed as CIA director.

He used his first public remarks to dramatically escalate the US government's hostile view of WikiLeaks.

"It's time to call out WikiLeaks for what it really is: a non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia," he said.

Mr Pompeo then allowed CIA executives more latitude when considering how to target Assange and WikiLeaks, the Yahoo News report stated.

That latitude led to the plans to kidnap or assassinate Assange and other "Europe-based WikiLeaks members", according to the article.

The report is the latest in a series of articles about surveillance by the US and the UK of people, including Australians, who visited Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy during his eight years there, 2012 to 2019.

The ABC has previously reported on allegations the US may have been behind an illegal surveillance operation targeting Assange and others in the Ecuadorian embassy.

Mr Pompeo also reacted to the assassination and kidnapping allegations, telling a group of US university students on Tuesday: "Don't believe everything you read in Yahoo News."

Assange has been confined to London's Belmarsh Prison since April 2019 after being convicted of breaching bail over a Swedish sexual assault allegation, which has since been withdrawn.

Washington continues to seek his extradition to the US, where he faces 17 charges under the espionage act.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-01/julian-assange-supporters-write-to-pm-over-reported-cia-plot/100504522

https://dontextraditeassange.com/press-release/australian-visitors-to-assange-demand-answers/

https://dontextraditeassange.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Letter-from-concerned-Australians.pdf

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2e5617  No.14698011

File: 7998783fcfc5c32⋯.jpg (54.14 KB, 822x537, 274:179, Malka_Leifer.jpg)

File: 16d2ea80d834d4f⋯.jpg (62.87 KB, 822x537, 274:179, New_Hope_leader_Gideon_Sa_….jpg)

>>14569132

Malka Leifer case: Dozens more charges approved by Sa'ar

Australian legal officials sought the minister’s approval to add another 20 counts of sexual abuse to Leifer’s indictment after the additional incidents came to light.

JEREMY SHARON - SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

Israel’s Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar has agreed to the addition of 20 charges of severe sexual assault against alleged pedophile Malka Leifer, as requested by Australian legal officials.

Leifer was extradited to Australia earlier this year to face charges on some 70 counts of sexual abuse and rape of minors who were her pupils in the Adas Israel high school in Melbourne where she served as principal from 2000 to 2008.

She fled to Israel in 2008 to evade Australian law enforcement but after tortuous legal proceedings was finally extradited back to Australia in January this year, and was formally indicted by the Melbourne Magistrates Court last week.

According to a statement from Sa’ar’s office on Thursday, Australian legal officials sought the minister’s approval to add another 20 counts of sexual abuse to Leifer’s indictment after the additional incidents came to light during the Melbourne court’s proceedings.

Sa’ar’s office said the new charges had emerged “in the framework of new information of two of the three complainants who described additional, severe sexual incidents” which they had not previously mentioned and had only mentioned recently “in the framework of mental health treatment which allowed them to speak more freely about Malka Leifer’s deeds and to thereby expose additional incidents which were not originally included.”

After reviewing the request, and following professional legal advice, Sa’ar approved the request “in accordance with clause 17 of the extradition law which allows charges to be broadened against an extradited individual after they have been extradited to the requesting country” the minister’s office said.

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/saar-approves-the-addition-of-dozens-more-charges-against-malka-leifer-680712

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2e5617  No.14698073

File: 6af0baffe2aece7⋯.jpg (185.56 KB, 862x575, 862:575, The_man_was_sentenced_for_….jpg)

File: f029a585f4070cd⋯.jpg (67.43 KB, 862x573, 862:573, District_Court_Judge_Liesl….jpg)

Paedophile who abused girlfriend's daughter jailed after responding to undercover officer's incest advert

Eugene Boisvert - 1 October 2021

A South Australian man will spend almost nine years in jail for sexually abusing his girlfriend's daughter and boasting about it to an undercover police officer trying to catch paedophiles online.

He also said he wanted to abuse the police officer's made-up children.

The 39-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, sent videos and photos of sexual abuse to the police officer after she placed an advertisement on a free classifieds website.

The police officer pretended to be a woman with daughters aged nine and 12 who was interested in incest, the District Court heard.

The paedophile told her he would like to sexually abuse them and sent her 11 videos of girls as young as five being abused.

After meeting the supposed-mother in a coffee shop in November 2019, he sent her details about a game he would play with his girlfriend's five-year-old daughter to get her to have oral sex with him, leading to charges of unlawful sexual intercourse, procuring a child to engage in sexual activity and producing child pornography.

The man and his girlfriend met through online dating at a similar time to when the man began chatting to the police officer.

Little insight into offending

In her victim impact statement, the girl drew a picture of herself with a sad face and wrote: "I don't like you. You have a bad habit. You are mean to me. I don't love you. You have hurt my feelings."

The man told the court-appointed psychologist that he only sent the police officer the images to "impress" her and that he was only interested in incestuous relationships involving adults.

"I make it clear, I do not accept that," Judge Liesl Chapman said in sentencing.

"You communicated your intentions in no uncertain terms and had made an arrangement to meet her daughter just prior to your arrest. Your communications are unequivocal."

She said the man did not have much, if any, insight into his offending, instead blaming the girlfriend for leading him on an "adventure".

"No-one who has read these communications — the story of child abuse that you produced, the descriptions of the images in your possession and the descriptions of the videos you disseminated — would describe you as someone of good moral character or who has strong morals," Judge Chapman said.

"You are a sexual predator who succeeded in finding one mother who permitted you to sexually abuse her five- or six-year-old daughter, and thought he had found another one who was going to do the same with her daughters."

Community to be protected

Judge Chapman discounted the man's sentence by 15 per cent because of guilty pleas but declared him a "serious repeat offender", meaning his non-parole period could not be less than four-fifths of his head sentence of 11 years, three months and seven days.

His non-parole period will be nine years, four months and 20 days, meaning he will be eligible for parole in May 2029, taking into account time already in custody and on home detention.

"Your offending was depraved," Judge Chapman said.

"The community needs to be protected from a predator like you."

The girlfriend's daughter is now in a "safe place", the judge told the court.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-01/sa-paedophile-who-abused-girlfriends-daughters-caught-in-sting/100504266

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2e5617  No.14698105

File: 2854fc1c622e89c⋯.jpg (73.45 KB, 890x534, 5:3, Ben_Roberts_Smith_arrives_….jpg)

Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial should be moved out of Sydney, lawyer says

Long delays and postponements mean former SAS soldier may not receive a fair trial, says his barrister

Ben Doherty - 1 Oct 2021

Ben Roberts-Smith’s defamation action should be moved to a new city, his lawyers say, lest it become like “waiting for Godot”, as the high-profile trial faces another long delay.

After a week of dramatic evidence from Afghanistan in August, the New South Wales trial was abruptly halted when witnesses could not be brought to Sydney from interstate because of Covid-19 restrictions on their travel.

The court was told it would take between two and three months to relocate the trial to another city and, given the security-sensitive nature of the evidence, the court was not willing to entertain having witnesses appear by video link.

The case was adjourned until 1 November, but there is almost no chance the case will restart then: it appears set to be delayed until at least February next year.

Roberts-Smith is suing the Age, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Canberra Times for defamation over a series of ­reports published in 2018 that he alleges are defamatory because they portray him as someone who “broke the moral and legal rules of military engagement” and committed war crimes, including several murders.

The 42-year-old has consistently denied the allegations, saying they are “false”, “baseless” and “completely without any foundation in truth”. The newspapers are defending their reporting as true.

Roberts-Smith’s barrister, Arthur Moses SC, said the opportunity for Roberts-Smith, a former SAS corporal and winner of the Victoria Cross, to receive a fair trial was being hampered by delays. Roberts-Smith has spent 12 days in the witness box, including seven days of cross-examination, during which allegations of war crimes that have not yet been tested were put to him in open court.

The only other witnesses have been two character witnesses, and the evidence of three Afghan nationals from the village of Darwan, the site of one of the allegations of murder made against Roberts-Smith. Many of the witnesses to come – called by the newspapers – are fellow former members of the SAS who served alongside Roberts-Smith.

Pointing out that the case was first brought in 2018, Moses said the court should actively consider relocating the trial, suggesting Adelaide. South Australia has – at the moment – few Covid cases and lighter restrictions than other states.

“No lawyer can stand here and tell you this trial will resume in February [in NSW],” Moses told Justice Anthony Besanko. “It’s a mirage.”

He said the defamation action “has to be brought to an end one way or another”.

“We need to have a solution, not just keep raising problems. Otherwise we will truly be ‘waiting for Godot’, waiting for this to finish.”

Nicholas Owens SC, for the newspapers, told the court the majority of witnesses for the remainder of the trial were based in Western Australia. Under the current travel restrictions regime, those witnesses would not be allowed to return to WA after giving evidence.

Owens said both sides agreed that the trial could not restart on 1 November, but proposed for the trial be rescheduled to 28 February next year.

He said the Western Australian premier, Mark McGowan, had indicated border and travel restrictions would be relaxed in the months after the state reached 80% double-dose vaccination rate, likely in “February-March-April” of 2022.

But Moses said declarations from state premiers were unreliable.

“One can’t rely on the public statements of any politician” for the setting of court dates, he said.

Besanko has reserved his decision.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/oct/01/ben-roberts-smith-defamation-trial-should-be-moved-out-of-sydney-lawyer-says

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2e5617  No.14698140

File: 087ab5635ac48b5⋯.png (638.24 KB, 1200x627, 400:209, Jeffrey_Epstein_s_Estate_A….png)

File: 9565585baa39696⋯.jpg (454.4 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0001.jpg)

File: 4638f36905bf74e⋯.jpg (286.13 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0002.jpg)

File: 661789262cd3956⋯.pdf (262.65 KB, gov_uscourts_nysd_513818_3….pdf)

File: 0da03d8c3fd872d⋯.pdf (328.36 KB, gov_uscourts_nysd_513818_3….pdf)

>>14554611

Jeffrey Epstein’s Estate Agrees to Disclose Confidential Deal Requested by Prince Andrew, Court Docs Say

ADAM KLASFELD - Sep 30th, 2021

Jeffrey Epstein’s estate has agreed to disclose a confidential settlement agreement that Prince Andrew invoked in an attempt to scuttle a lawsuit filed against him by Virginia Giuffre, a U.S. court filing revealed on Thursday.

During a court hearing on on Sept. 13, the prince’s attorney Andrew Brettler claimed the deal would expose Giuffre’s lawsuit as “baseless, nonviable, and potentially unlawful.”

“There has been a settlement agreement that the plaintiff has entered into in a prior action that releases the Duke and others from any and all potential liability,” Brettler said earlier this month to U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who appeared to have little patience for the claim.

At the time, the prince had been disputing that Giuffre served him properly with the lawsuit, and the judge wanted to resolve that issue before turning to different arguments. Prince Andrew formally stipulated last week that Giuffre successfully served him with court papers.

Giuffre’s high-powered attorney David Boies called the Epstein agreement in question “irrelevant” to the Duke of York’s case—but the attorney agreed he has the right to see it.

“Although we believe that the release is irrelevant to the case against Prince Andrew, now that service has been accepted and the case is proceeding to a determination on the merits, we believe that counsel for Prince Andrew have a right to review the release and to make whatever arguments they believe appropriate based on it,” Boies wrote in letter on a Sept. 23.

The agreement is currently under a protective order in Giuffre’s litigation with former Epstein lawyer and Professor Emeritus at Harvard Law School Alan Dershowitz. Giuffre has also accused Dershowitz of sexually abusing her. Dershowitz, a Boies rival who vehemently denied the allegations, countersued Giuffre for defamation. He has also sued Boies.

On Thursday, Boies followed up with another letter informing the judge presiding over this dispute about the breakthrough regarding Epstein’s estate.

“Jeffrey Epstein’s Estate has now consented to Ms. Giuffre providing a copy of the confidential agreement at issue to Prince Andrew,” Boies told Senior U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska. “We thus request permission from the Court pursuant to this Court’s Protective Order to furnish a copy of the release to Prince Andrew’s counsel.”

Giuffre, one of the most widely known women to accuse since-deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein of abuse, has sued three other people for allegedly sexually exploiting her. Giuffre’s civil complaint alleging that accused sex-trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell turned her into Epstein’s “sex slave” helped spark the British heiress’s criminal prosecution. The lawsuits against Dershowitz and Prince Andrew sprung from allegations that first became public during the litigation with Maxwell.

Giuffre’s latest lawsuit accuses Prince Andrew of sexually assaulting her in three locations: Epstein’s New York mansion and private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as in Maxwell’s London home. The latter locale is where the prince was pictured with his arm around Giuffre’s waist.

Giuffre filed her claims on Aug. 9, as the window was closing on the New York Child Victims Act, which suspended the statute of limitations on civil allegations involving alleged sexual abuse against minors. She was 17 years old when she alleges the conduct occurred.

Andrew has not been charged with any crimes.

The prince’s attorney did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

Read the filing below:

https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/jeffrey-epsteins-estate-agrees-to-disclose-confidential-deal-requested-by-prince-andrew-court-docs-say/

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/14945220/giuffre-v-dershowitz/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.513818/gov.uscourts.nysd.513818.344.0.pdf

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.513818/gov.uscourts.nysd.513818.345.0.pdf

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2e5617  No.14698159

File: caf7e54f1c0bdad⋯.jpg (63.12 KB, 862x575, 862:575, The_event_came_in_the_wake….jpg)

File: f78a9cb5398e598⋯.jpg (66.17 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Premier_Mark_McGowan_and_C….jpg)

File: 4fbb5aea21f9966⋯.jpg (108.75 KB, 862x575, 862:575, WA_Premier_Mark_McGowan_sp….jpg)

File: dec079dbead0fe8⋯.jpg (71.18 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Perth_Chinese_Consul_Gener….jpg)

File: 461882691c416f4⋯.jpg (85.1 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Davin_Sun_presents_Mr_McGo….jpg)

Mark McGowan accuses eastern states of failing to appreciate China at WA event

James Carmody - 1 October 2021

While political tensions between Beijing and Canberra were largely left aside, WA Premier Mark McGowan used an event with the state's top Chinese diplomat to lament the eastern states' failure to acknowledge China's contribution to Australia's economic success.

Neither Mark McGowan nor Consul General Long Dingbin made mention of their nations' ongoing trade war, the AUKUS deal and the nuclear submarines that come with it, or the fact Australian Federal Ministers cannot get their Chinese counterparts to pick up the phone.

As guests of honour, alongside mining magnate Andrew Forrest, they both highlighted the strong relationship WA had with China at the China Australia Business Council event to celebrate the 72nd Chinese National Day.

WA 'supported the nation'

During his speech, Mr McGowan suggested Australia's eastern states failed to realise the importance of Australia's relationship with China.

"It has been a large part of the economic success and the cultural success of our state and our country for 50 years, and in particular over the last two years," he said.

"Where would the country have been, but for our strong economic performance here in Western Australia?"

"And I think that perhaps that needs to be better appreciated in the eastern states of Australia."

Mr McGowan said WA had supported the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic by keeping open industries which export to China.

"A large amount of our exports do go to China, in fact the majority, and we are the nation's biggest exporting state" he said.

"For other states that don't export much, they don't really get that."

He told the audience income generated by WA during the pandemic was going towards helping other states battle outbreaks and lockdowns.

Consul General lauds McGowan leadership

WA's new China Consul General had praise for the Premier and a positive assessment of the Chinese Australian relationship.

"It has been nearly six months since my arrival in Perth in April and I am so glad to see that with the strong leadership of Premier McGowan's government the pandemic has been brought under control," Consul General Long said.

"And I am very glad to see that we are having a strong relationship between China and Australia."

Consul General Long said China and Australia should look towards celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations in 2022.

"I think all of us should do something for the 50th anniversary," he said.

"Let's join hands together with endless effort for a smooth and healthy development of the China Australia relationship, which is beneficial for both of us, as well as the Asia Pacific region."

Tensions are a business concern

The hosts of the event acknowledged the two nations' diplomatic tensions more overtly.

David Sun, from the China Chamber of Commerce in Australia, quipped that the heightened tensions made as little sense to him as the COVID-19 driven panic buying of toilet paper in Australia.

But President of the Australia China Business Council in WA, James Clarke, told the ABC the relationship was a concern for the business sector.

"What we call 'second track diplomacy ties' are extremely important in a time where the bilateral relationship is where it is at," he said.

"Things might be happening on the surface, there might be political issues, but business is very keen to make sure that those ties remain strong so that the economy keeps on moving, business keeps on moving forward."

"China is our largest trading partner so we can't do without it."

Neither the Premier nor Consul General were available to take questions.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-01/perth-china-mcgowan-consul-general-forrest-trade-aukus-business/100502212

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2e5617  No.14698167

File: 4f3f3981b34f308⋯.jpg (44.57 KB, 800x600, 4:3, ASIO_director_general_Mike….jpg)

ASIO head backs Hamas terror listing

Andrew Brown - OCTOBER 1 2021

The head of Australia's national security agency has backed listing the entirety of Palestinian group Hamas as a terrorist organisation.

ASIO director-general Mike Burgess told a parliamentary inquiry he did not have an issue with the listing of all of the group.

"Yes I would support it, but I am not the decision maker," Mr Burgess said.

"There is a difference between Hamas and people who consider themselves Palestinian. If they support Hamas, then they would be supporting a terrorist organisation."

Currently, only Hamas' military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, is listed as a terrorist organisation.

The whole organisation was previously listed as a terror group in 2014, but was removed from the list soon after.

The inquiry was examining whether the Hamas brigades, along with four other groups, be formally re-listed as a terrorist organisation.

The director-general said Hamas' brigades were assessed by ASIO to threaten military and civilian targets in Israel.

"As a consequence, they remain a security concern to ASIO, and we support the listing," Mr Burgess said.

"ASIO has assessed (the brigades) as a highly capable terror organisation that are committed to using terror tactics in targeting Israel."

The listing of all of Hamas as a terrorist organisation would mean supporters of the group would be subject to counterterrorism laws.

Mr Burgess deferred questions as to whether protesters who use pro-Palestinian chants at rallies that form a part of a Hamas doctrine would be subject to terror laws.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7453193/asio-head-backs-hamas-terror-listing/

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9172a5  No.14698299

What's wrong with the police in Aus?

What happened to protecting the people?

If you know a cop, even more if you've been whacked by a cop, get their phone number

send them a messae along the lines of:

"mate, as you are throwing that old lady down on the pavement, as you are kicking the young bloke held down by 3 of your comrades, yeah sure they're strangers, who cares eh?

just remember,

another cop who is a stranger to your mom, a stranger to your brother is doing the exact same thing to them.

yep, your mom, your brother, your sister is just another stranger to the other cop down the road.

next time you're about to whack the stranger in front of you, put yourself in that other cop's shoes - the one holding up your brother/sister/mom/gran and then look that person in front of you in the face - you really want that other cop to do what you're about to do?

who cares eh, well good on ya mate, who cares about your family, go on, put in one for me too because I have no idea who that is either - same for the cop in your mom's face - kneecaps bro, kneecaps!

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2e5617  No.14702246

File: 306f49fe116f8f8⋯.png (641.47 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, The_Australian_subs_were_t….png)

File: 2593867fdbfb4d1⋯.jpg (141.78 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, French_Foreign_Affairs_Min….jpg)

File: 6db660da8cc683f⋯.jpg (150.44 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, French_President_Emmanuel_….jpg)

>>14592776

>>14600225

Subs letter shows no deception of French

CAMERON STEWART - OCTOBER 1, 2021

France’s claim that Australia ­deceived it over the $90bn submarine project on the same day as it was cancelled have been torpedoed.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian this week accused Australia of lying, claiming that the Defence Department sent a letter to Paris on the day the contract was cancelled that said Australia was ready for the “rapid signature for the second phase of the program”.

“Everything I have told you is confirmed by the letter I received on 15 September from the Australian ministry of defence that said everything is OK let’s continue,” Mr Le Drian told a parliamentary hearing in France. “Someone lied.”

However, the letter sent by Defence to Paris on that day, ­obtained by The Weekend Australian, says no such thing. The Defence letter says only that the French shipbuilder Naval Group had completed a “systems ­review” — a formal engineering design review — and could now formally “exit” that review as ­required under the submarine ­design contract.

But the letter, written in dry contractual language by the ­director-general of the Future Submarine Program, Commodore Craig Bourke, and sent to Naval Group, makes no reference to any decision to authorise or even mention the next phase of design work.

In fact, it goes out of its way to state the completion of the systems review in no way automatically leads to the next phase in the contract.

“The matters addressed in this correspondence do not provide any authorisation to continue work or for the reimbursement of that work under (the) Core Work Scope 1 (contract),’ the letter states.

Naval Group had been aware since late last year that a decision to start the next phase of work would be subject to further government consideration.

Mr Le Drian described the way Australia broke the contract as a “betrayal”, and France has reacted with fury to the decision, with France recalling its ambassador from Canberra and French President Emmanuel Macron refusing to take calls from Scott Morrison.

Mr Le Drian said the ambassador would return to Australia only “when we have had a review” and that France was “waiting for strong actions and not just words” from Canberra.

French Trade Minister Franck Riester has also refused to meet Trade Minister Dan Tehan when Mr Tehan visits Paris this month for an OECD meeting.

Mr Morrison has acknowledged France’s “disappointment” but said he acted in Australia’s ­national interests in scrapping the French project in favour of a new plan to build nuclear-powered submarines with the technological help of the US and Britain under a new pact known as AUKUS.

“We chose not to go through a gate in a contract,” Mr Morrison said.

“The contract was set up that way, and we chose not to go through it because we believed to do so would ultimately not be in Australia’s interests.”

Mr Le Drian said the AUKUS pact was a surrender of Australia’s sovereignty to the US.

“It is not just the breaking of a contract, it is a betrayal and a breaking of trust,” he said.

“The effect is that Australia has abandoned its sovereignty and made a leap into the unknown with the choice of technology it doesn’t control and won’t control in the future.

“This puts it at the mercy of US politics.”

The decision by the Morrison government means that Australia will eventually seek to build eight nuclear-powered submarines in Adelaide instead of 12 French-­designed conventionally powered submarines.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/defence/subs-letter-shows-no-deception-of-french/news-story/6034977802825d658e9a97411c29b53a

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2e5617  No.14702449

File: a924b06523a1fd3⋯.jpg (118.45 KB, 1000x562, 500:281, Hillsong_founder_Brian_Hou….jpg)

>>14606833

Hillsong founder Brian Houston returns to Australia to face concealing sex abuse charge

Kelly Fedor - Oct 1, 2021

Hillsong founder Brian Houston has returned to Australia to face allegations of concealing child sex abuse by his late father.

Mr Houston and his wife Bobbie emerged from a Sydney hotel this morning after two weeks in quarantine.

The pastor was in the United States when his lawyer was served a court attendance notice for the charge of conceal serious indictable offence, accused of failing to tell police when he learned his father abused a young boy in the 1970s.

Despite the abuse of nine boys while a preacher, the elder Houston left the church on a full retirement package which he enjoyed until his death in 2004.

His son released a statement in August which said the charge came as a shock given he had been transparent on the issue.

"I vehemently profess my innocence and will defend these charges, and I welcome the opportunity to set the record straight" he said.

But Mr Houston wouldn't be drawn on it when 9News asked him today if he was back for the court case.

"I live in Australia, thank you," he said.

In a message to followers last weekend Houston said he was "armed for battle", today he also denied that related to the legal fight.

The case will be mentioned in court for the first time next week.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/hillsong-founder-brian-houston-returns-to-australia-to-face-concealing-sex-abuse-charges/216287f5-e9f7-4a17-9246-b4d1fd06ff82

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2e5617  No.14704494

File: 62f89198ff812d3⋯.jpg (429.91 KB, 2000x1334, 1000:667, Australian_Delta_outbreak_….jpg)

>>14404403

Australia reports 2,355 new COVID-19 cases as vaccination push continues

Lidia Kelly and Stefica Nicol Bikes - OCTOBER 2, 2021

MELBOURNE/SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia reported 2,355 new cases of the Delta coronavirus variant on Saturday, as the push to vaccinate the country’s population continues in order to end lockdowns and allow for the reopening of international borders.

An 18-month ban on international travel is set to be gradually lifted from next month for some states when 80% of people aged 16 and over are fully vaccinated.

Fifty-five percent of Australians were fully inoculated as of Oct. 1, but nearly 80% have received at least one shot.

Victoria state, which reported a record 1,488 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, ordered on Friday about a million employees across industries to receive at least one dose of a COVID vaccine by Oct. 15 to keep working.

The state, where about a quarter of Australia’s population of 25 million live, has been in a hard lockdown since Aug. 5.

New South Wales (NSW) state, battling the country’s biggest Delta outbreak, reported 813 cases and 10 deaths on Saturday. Nearly 88% of the state’s eligible population have been partially vaccinated and 65% fully.

Sydney, the NSW state capital, has been under lockdown since June 26, with some restrictions scheduled to be lifted on Oct. 11 and more later in the month.

NSW is expected to be the first state to fully open up once the 80% vaccination is reached, but authorities have warned case numbers are expected to soar and hospitals will come under strain as Australia learns to live with COVID-19.

“I’m worried about how we are going to cope with it culturally,” Kirsty Keating, an Australia citizen originally from Scotland who lives in Sydney, told Reuters about the country’s reopening.

“Like most of the people I know overseas have lived with COVID and we haven’t and I think it could put a pressure on our health system and make everybody very tense.”

Australia slammed the international border shut in March 2020. Since then, only a limited number of people have been granted a permit to leave the country for critical business or humanitarian reasons.

Citizens and permanent residents have been allowed to return from abroad, subject to quota limits and a mandatory 14-day quarantine period in a hotel at their own expense.

“I think it’s great coming up to Christmas that people get to reunite with their families,” Peter Hendriks, a priest in Sydney, told Reuters about the decision to reopen borders.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-australia/australia-reports-2355-new-covid-19-cases-as-vaccination-push-continues-idUSKBN2GR4P9

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71ca15  No.14704580

File: b357c96c71ed731⋯.jpg (95.3 KB, 750x707, 750:707, mask23.jpg)

File: c2519078ba15e03⋯.jpg (112.69 KB, 902x764, 451:382, mask24.JPG)

File: 846dbc2e6a42e3f⋯.jpg (72.77 KB, 634x423, 634:423, mask27.jpg)

File: b57658bf9921e73⋯.jpg (93.1 KB, 488x648, 61:81, mask29.jpg)

File: 961fb941efb91d2⋯.png (328.11 KB, 846x590, 423:295, mask31.png)

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71ca15  No.14704581

File: b950ca58f3ea4b5⋯.jpg (170.66 KB, 1080x873, 120:97, melbourne2.jpg)

File: 76899c73c4313a4⋯.png (499.03 KB, 639x426, 3:2, melbourne3.png)

File: 01e31e6f20e79c0⋯.png (329.64 KB, 540x494, 270:247, melbourne4.png)

File: ac226a9911e3c5e⋯.jpeg (116.84 KB, 1024x942, 512:471, melbourne6.jpeg)

File: 1ab1dc2d2ba4c72⋯.png (1.25 MB, 1024x1280, 4:5, melbourne7.png)

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71ca15  No.14704583

File: 5cb3dda1f1669fc⋯.jpg (200.55 KB, 750x791, 750:791, vax58_2.jpg)

File: 2981b9d71bc6618⋯.png (589.72 KB, 749x610, 749:610, VAX61_2.png)

File: 817cf69b870a1d4⋯.png (685.94 KB, 749x471, 749:471, VAX61.png)

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94f391  No.14704585

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qAwgz4AcWeo

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2e5617  No.14709981

File: 0d242271a915c27⋯.jpg (119.68 KB, 1024x682, 512:341, People_wearing_protective_….jpg)

>>14404403

Australia's Delta outbreak spreads to new states

Lidia Kelly - OCTOBER 3, 2021

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia reported more than 1,900 new infections of the Delta coronavirus on Sunday, health data showed, with authorities struggling to quell the outbreak in the two most populous states and cases spreading to new states.

Victoria and New South Wales, which have been under lockdown for weeks, reported 1,887 cases and 13 deaths.

The island state of Tasmania, which has not had a case for 58 days, reported a new local infection late on Saturday, and there were new cases in South Australia state over the weekend.

Queensland state has been largely COVID-19-free and reported no new infections, allowing the National Rugby League grand final to kick off in Brisbane on Sunday night, albeit with crowd numbers cut to 75% of capacity to 39,000 people.

Victoria and New South Wales are expected to open up once 80% vaccination is reached, but authorities have warned case numbers are expected to soar and hospitals will come under strain as Australia learns to live with COVID-19.

New South Wales expects to reach that target by the end of October or early November, with Victoria a few weeks later.

“It will be hardest and most challenging time for our nurses, and ambulance workers and doctors,” Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews warned on Sunday.

Australia is also set to gradually lift its 18-month ban on international travel from next month for some states when 80% of people aged 16 and over are fully vaccinated. As of Saturday, 56% of Australians nationally were fully inoculated and 80% have received at least one shot.

Australia closed its international borders in March 2020, allowing only a limited number of people to leave or citizens and permanent residents abroad to return nations. All arriving passengers have been subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine period in a hotel at their expense.

Despite the new cases reaching record daily levels in recent months, Australia has avoided the high caseloads of other developed countries, with just over 110,000 infections total since the start of the pandemic and 1,334 deaths.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-australia/australias-delta-outbreak-spreads-to-new-states-idUSKBN2GT01L

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2e5617  No.14710089

File: 8aa0a56b245dbf8⋯.jpg (153.57 KB, 890x534, 5:3, File_photo_of_a_Naval_Grou….jpg)

File: 02b6e3470a906c6⋯.jpg (374.72 KB, 1240x1754, 620:877, 0001.jpg)

File: e29199bfa29c243⋯.jpg (128.47 KB, 1240x1754, 620:877, 0002.jpg)

File: e14e350223efdfb⋯.pdf (254.82 KB, 1240x1754, 620:877, 529058307_Defence_FOI_147_….pdf)

>>14592776

>>14702246

Australia told French submarine firm it didn’t have green light to proceed hours before deal cancelled

Letter, sent to Naval Group on 15 September, is at the heart of diplomatic rift between France and Australia

Daniel Hurst - 2 Oct 2021

1/2

Australia cautioned the French contractor – hours before the $90bn submarine deal was cancelled – that its achievement of a key contractual milestone did “not provide any authorisation to continue work”.

The letter, sent to Naval Group on 15 September, is at the heart of an extraordinary diplomatic rift between France and Australia, with the French foreign minister telling a parliamentary hearing this week that “someone lied”.

The Guardian can now publish the full letter, having obtained it under Australia’s freedom of information (FOI) laws. The defence department released the requested document to the Guardian on Saturday morning, several hours after the Australian newspaper published an article quoting portions of the letter.

The letter – which appears to be carefully worded with a focus on contractual matters – said the Australian government “has provided guidance to Naval Group regarding the continuation of work and reimbursement of work”.

But the director general of the Future Submarine Program – Royal Australian Navy Commodore Craig Bourke – added a caveat about the government not yet granting authorisation to proceed.

He told Naval Group: “The matters addressed in this correspondence do not provide any authorisation to continue work or for the reimbursement of that work under CWS1 [Core Work Scope 1], other than in accordance with References A, B and C.”

Reference B means the submarine design contract, but references A and C were blacked out by the FOI decision maker, apparently to protect “trade secrets or commercially valuable information”.

In the letter, Bourke also wrote: “I confirm the exit of the Functional Ship System Functional Review (SFR) has been achieved as required under the Submarine Design Contract (SDC) at Reference B.”

He said the Australian government “reminds Naval Group that this exit does not remove the obligations” outlined in a different letter sent a week earlier.

The 15 September letter was addressed to Guillaume Jampy of Naval Group in Paris, and appears to have been copied to John Davis, the chief executive of Naval Group Australia.

In the FOI request, the Guardian also sought the exact time the letter was sent to Naval Group. Internal defence records indicate the document was created on 15 September at 12.05pm, Canberra time, and modified at 4.34pm, Canberra time, (8.34am, Paris time).

The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, has said he informed the French president, Emmanuel Macron, of the decision to terminate the contract a few hours later – about 8.35pm Canberra time (12.35pm, Paris time).

Morrison said he had been unable to secure a call “and so I directly messaged him Australia’s decision in a personal correspondence”. French officials have suggested that Morrison’s office made only half-hearted efforts to inform Macron of its decision beforehand.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14710092

File: 82be986dd12c289⋯.jpg (85.06 KB, 890x534, 5:3, Australian_prime_minister_….jpg)

>>14710089

2/2

Australia’s decision to dump the contract in order to pursue nuclear-propelled submarines in partnership with the US and the UK has infuriated France, which said it had been “stabbed in the back” and recalled its ambassadors from Canberra and Washington.

But the newly released letter appears to contradict some of the claims from the French government about assurances provided hours before the contract was scrapped.

Hervé Grandjean, the French ministry of defence spokesperson, told French television last week that the letter indicated the Australian official overseeing the project “was extremely satisfied that performance of the French submarine was excellent, which clearly means that we were to move to the next phase of the contract”.

This week the French foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, told a parliamentary hearing that the letter indicated Australia was “satisfied” with the review of the submarines and was ready for the “rapid signature for the second phase of the programme”.

“Everything I have told you is confirmed by the letter I received on 15 September from the Australian ministry of defence that said everything is OK let’s continue,” Le Drian told a Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces Committee of the upper house, the Sénat.

Le Drian said this suggested “someone lied”. He added: “Something doesn’t add up and we don’t know what.”

Naval Group said this week that Australia’s scrapping of the $90bn submarine deal was not because of any failures on the part of the contractor.

“The Australian authorities have terminated the contract for convenience thus acknowledging that Naval Group did not fail in its commitment,” a statement from Naval Group’s Paris headquarters said.

The Guardian submitted its FOI request for the letter on 24 September, in an attempt to verify what assurances if any Australia provided just before Morrison joined with Joe Biden and Boris Johnson to announce the new Aukus defence partnership.

The FOI decision maker opted to partially release two documents – the letter and the records of the time it was sent – with a small amount of material redacted on the basis it would disclose “trade secrets or commercially valuable information”.

“I found information in the document having commercial value to Naval Group,” the decision maker told the Guardian after consulting with the company.

“Disclosing the commercial arrangements agreed between Naval Group and the Commonwealth could reasonably be expected to benefit Naval Group’s competitors in winning future work for which Naval Group is competing by revealing the terms that Naval Group is prepared to accept.”

Morrison has repeatedly said he acted in Australia’s national security interests at a time of a worsening strategic outlook in the Indo-Pacific, while acknowledging France’s “disappointment”.

France has said any future talks between Macron and Morrison will have to be “seriously prepared” and have “substance”. On Friday the EU announced a one-month postponement of the next round of trade negotiations with Australia.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/oct/02/australia-told-french-submarine-firm-it-didnt-have-green-light-to-proceed-hours-before-deal-cancelled

https://www.scribd.com/document/529058307/Defence-FOI-147-2122-Documents-Approved-for-Releas

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2e5617  No.14712070

File: 9ff60c9363eac12⋯.jpg (117.49 KB, 800x450, 16:9, By_the_scheduled_end_of_th….jpg)

File: 510963bc735e1a1⋯.jpg (57.2 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Opposition_leader_Matthew_….jpg)

File: 21b21b82dee7d59⋯.jpg (310.75 KB, 1108x683, 1108:683, If_you_or_anyone_you_know_….jpg)

Melbourne passes Buenos Aires' world record for time spent in COVID-19 lockdown

Judd Boaz - 3 October 2021

As of 8:00pm on Sunday, a Victorian who has lived in Melbourne and not left since the beginning of the pandemic will have spent 245 days in lockdown.

It is the longest cumulative lockdown for any city in the world.

Buenos Aires previously held the record, enduring a 234-day lockdown from March 20 to November 11, 2020, and a short 10-day circuit-breaker lockdown from May 21 to May 31 this year.

While the Argentinian capital spent 244 days in lockdown, regional areas outside of the city enjoyed relaxed restrictions at various periods not unlike those in regional Victoria.

Melbourne is set to far exceed the record, with Victoria's roadmap indicating the state will only reach its next vaccination target of 70 per cent double dose vaccinations around October 26.

While the first period of stay-at-home restrictions enforced in March last year was not officially called a "lockdown", it is commonly accepted that Melbourne is now in its sixth lockdown. Here's the timeline of how they played out:

• Lockdown 1: March 30 to May 12, 2020 — 43 days

• Lockdown 2: July 8 to October 27, 2020 —111 days

• Lockdown 3: February 12 - 17, 2021 —5 days

• Lockdown 4: May 27 - June 10, 2021 — 14 days

• Lockdown 5: July 15 - 27, 2021 — 12 days

• Lockdown 6: August 5 - October 26, 2021 — 82 days

It means Victorians may spend a total of 267 days in lockdown before restrictions and reasons-for leaving-home rules are again lifted.

Premier Daniel Andrews said on Thursday he would not rule out amending the roadmap and extending restrictions should health advice make it necessary.

Lockdowns have become a regular feature of Victoria's public health response to the current Delta strain outbreak.

Shepparton and Moorabool Shire were this week plunged into snap seven-day lockdowns on public health advice to combat rising cases.

According to the federal government's four-step national plan, lockdowns will remain a go-to measure to combat the virus until the country reaches an 80 per cent double vaccination rate, at which Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australians "should not expect broad-based, metropolitan-wide lockdowns".

'A policy failure'

The opposition has sharply criticised the state government over the length and intensity of Victoria's lockdown.

"Lockdowns are not a sign of policy success. They're a sign of policy failure," Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said.

"It is disastrous for our city, for our state, that Melbourne has been in lockdown for so long."

Mr Andrews said the opposition's comments were "utterly irrelevant" to the work the government was doing.

"People are free to be critical, that is fine. But if you are unhappy, what is your alternative?" he said.

"What would you do? Would you open everything up tomorrow? Would you pretend that it was over because you desperately wanted it to be?

"It isn't over yet. It will be soon."

When asked to reflect on Victoria's claim to the title of longest lockdown, Mr Andrews would only comment on the resilience of Victorian residents.

"I simply say how proud I am of every single Victorian for giving so much, for working so hard to save lives to get through this," Mr Andrews said.

"We achieved an enormous amount last year.

"It has been bloody tough, we know that, but the Victorian community have been so, so impressive in the way they've been looking out for each other and in all that they have endured and overcome.

"It is impressive. It makes you very, very proud."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-03/melbourne-longest-lockdown/100510710

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2e5617  No.14715759

File: a4a11575cf09b7b⋯.jpg (106.4 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Pietro_Parolin_was_the_mai….jpg)

>>14592776

Vatican drops its oar into Aussie bid for nuclear submarines

TESS LIVINGSTONE - OCTOBER 3, 2021

The Vatican has raised concerns about AUKUS, Australia’s defence collaboration with the US and Britain, especially the agreement to help the Australian Navy acquire a fleet of eight nuclear-powered submarines.

Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, the main architect of the Vatican’s secretive agreement with the Chinese Communist Party government, spoke to journalists on September 23, during a meeting of the European’s People’s Party in Rome. He is second behind Pope Francis in the church hierarchy.

“The Holy See is against rearmament,’’ Cardinal Parolin said. “All the efforts that have been made and are being made by the Vatican are to eliminate nuclear weapons because they are not the way to maintain peace and security in the world. They create even more dangers for peace and even more conflict.’’

That vision, he said, “has always characterised the Holy See” and “one cannot but be worried’’ about the deal.

But when bought and built, the submarines will not carry nuclear weapons. They will be nuclear-propelled, using technology that avoids the need for refuelling during their operational lives of up to 35 years.

Cardinal George Pell, who has returned to Rome from Australia and was questioned last week about Cardinal Parolin’s views, backed the deal and the AUKUS partnership. “I agree, as do the vast majority of my fellow citizens and the political forces of government and opposition,’’ he told Italian newspaper Avvenire.

“Let’s hope nothing dramatic happens. But more collaboration is needed between democracies in Asia and the Pacific to balance the great power of China, which is not democratic.’’ That was “perhaps not well understood in Europe, but it is so”, Cardinal Pell said.

In addition to its growing aggression towards Taiwan, Beijing’s ruthless takeover of Hong Kong, its relentless cyber attacks, incursions into Japanese airspace, its hostage diplomacy and trade war against Australia have ratcheted up regional tensions. So has its demand that any ships seeking peaceful transit through 90 per cent of the South China Sea, which it illegally claims, formally notify it of their presence.

Beijing is at odds with The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam over its claim to more than 90 per cent of the South China Sea, which the Permanent Court of Arbitration dismissed at The Hague in 2016. This has not stopped it from building up disputed islands and reefs, and constructing military bases and air strips on them. In April, it sent more than 200 ships to anchor around the Whitsun Reef in the Spratly Island chain.

In Rome, Cardinal Parolin also warned against the risk of manipulating religion “for political purposes”. At the same time, paradoxically, the agreement he oversaw with the Chinese government, signed in 2018, has not prevented the CCP from pursuing a determined “sinicisation’’ of Christianity in China. Nor has it prevented the torture, imprisonment and persecution of Christians, members of other faiths and clergy. Under “sinicisation’’, the destruction of churches continues and religious symbols have been replaced with communist images, such as that of Mao.

As the Vatican’s chief diplomat, Cardinal Parolin was the driver behind the 2018 agreement, which handed the CCP a major say over the appointment of bishops in China. The deal has never been sighted publicly.

It was renewed last year, to the horror of Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen, who was snubbed and barred from seeing the Pope last year when he flew to Rome to discuss it. “They’re giving the flock into the mouths of the wolves,’’ Cardinal Zen said. Former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo also appealed to the Vatican last year not to renew the pact.

“It jeopardises the church’s moral authority,’’ he said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/vatican-drops-its-oar-into-aussie-bid-for-nuclear-submarines/news-story/8e5f5aede5b66ae8ca611655f42856b8

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2e5617  No.14715775

File: 8f9ef7a83534c22⋯.jpg (89.15 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, British_Foreign_Secretary_….jpg)

>>14592776

Britain’s Foreign Secretary Liz Truss fires broadside at China and supports Australia in keynote party speech

JACQUELIN MAGNAY - OCTOBER 4, 2021

British foreign secretary Liz Truss fired a broadside at China and sent a warm message to Australia and “our allies from the Baltic to the Tasman’’ that Britain stands with them to promote the cause of freedom.

Ms Truss opened the three-day Conservative Party conference in Manchester on Sunday with a keynote speech noting that while it was important to trade with China, it must be “reliable’’ trade, avoiding strategic dependency and ensuring it doesn’t involve violation of intellectual property rights or technology transfers.

She added: “The world is safer and more prosperous when countries abide by their international obligations. We will also be tough on those who don’t share our values and don’t play by the rules.”

Ms Truss, who was recently promoted to the foreign secretary role after helping to arrange the free trade deal with Australia while trade secretary, announced that Britain would build “coalitions of the willing’’ to advance those democratic causes from a position of strength, delivered through better security, better trade and better development support.

She mentioned the new AUKUS partnership which would help Australia acquire nuclear powered submarines to defend territorial waters, and added that Britain was in talks with Japan about improving military access and closer security ties with India and Canada.

Ms Truss also highlighted how the strike carrier group – spearheaded by the newly launched HMS Queen Elizabeth and currently in the Indo-Pacific in the middle of a seven-month deployment – was demonstrating Britain’s global role.

“We are demonstrating all of this through the visible armed presence of our carrier strike group, we are spending more than two per cent of GDP on defence, that’s the biggest (spend) since the Cold War,’’ she said. “We want our allies from the Baltic to the Tasman to know that Britain stands with them and together we will stand up to our adversaries and promote the cause of freedom.”

Ms Truss also said Britain would forge closer ties with allies like the G7, NATO, Japan and Mexico, South Korea, India, Israel, the Gulf states and those countries that escaped the USSR and fought for freedom. She said she wanted stronger economic ties to build a network around the world in the pursuit of liberty and human rights, but intriguingly failed to name check the European Union or specify any European countries, although several are members of NATO and the G7.

Australia’s high commissioner to the UK, George Brandis, also attended the party conference, speaking on Sunday at a fringe event organised by the Henry Jackson Society. Mr Brandis has often told the Conservatives that Britain has no stronger friend than Australia and he said defending Australia’s democratic values and ensuring the security of cyberspace was critical to national security.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/britains-foreign-secretary-liz-truss-fires-broadside-at-china-and-supports-australia-in-keynote-party-speech/news-story/5b6681da2bcf04a4c34b362c07e28cfa

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2e5617  No.14716165

File: c29cd902b40edf9⋯.jpg (158.1 KB, 1024x683, 1024:683, Ben_Roberts_Smith_denies_n….jpg)

File: 1d67ab3ab776861⋯.jpg (178.14 KB, 1024x683, 1024:683, Australia_had_a_military_p….jpg)

He’s Australia’s Most Decorated Soldier. Did He Also Kill Helpless Afghans?

Ben Roberts-Smith is suing three newspapers that accused him of unlawful killings in Afghanistan. But much more than the reputation of one soldier is at stake.

Yan Zhuang - Oct. 3, 2021

1/3

MELBOURNE, Australia — The elite Australian troops stormed into a mud-walled Afghan village in the late summer of 2012 on a white-hot mission.

Days earlier, a rogue Afghan Army soldier had killed three of their comrades. A tip indicated that the assailant might be hiding in the village. While a search failed to turn him up, the Australian special forces fatally shot another Afghan man they encountered there.

That much is known. But the moments just before the man’s death have become the subject of an intense legal dispute involving Australia’s most decorated living soldier, rekindling hard questions about the costs of the country’s 20-year mission in Afghanistan and the conduct of its most highly trained soldiers.

In one version of events, the dead man was a laborer named Ali Jan, and he was kicked off a cliff by the decorated soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith. According to this account, Mr. Jan, bound in handcuffs, hit the ground with such force that his teeth were knocked out, and he was then shot dead as Mr. Roberts-Smith watched. This is the story told by three Australian journalists who wrote about the episode and by three Afghan men who say they were at the scene.

In the other version, told by Mr. Roberts-Smith, there was no cliff and no kick, and little evidence that the man was even called Ali Jan. The special forces, Mr. Roberts-Smith said, legitimately engaged and killed the man, who was a Taliban scout.

The two accounts have emerged as Mr. Roberts-Smith, 42, sues three newspapers for defamation in what has been called Australia’s trial of the century. He is seeking the largest damages award in Australian history, most likely in the millions of dollars.

Australia removed the last of its troops from Afghanistan in June, weeks before the United States did the same, allowing a rapid takeover of the country by the Taliban. Seven months earlier, the Australian military had released a damning public accounting of years of battlefield misconduct among its special forces in Afghanistan, including “credible evidence” that 25 soldiers had been involved in the murders of 39 Afghan civilians.

No soldiers were named in the report. But it has been revealed in court that Mr. Roberts-Smith, and the events of the late-summer day in 2012, are under police investigation over potential war crimes. With further investigation into battlefield misconduct likely to take years to resolve, the defamation case is the first time any inquiry into soldiers’ actions in Afghanistan has played out in open court.

Mr. Roberts-Smith is a symbol of the “Anzac myth,” a belief that modern-day Australia was forged by soldiers, stretching back to World War I, who embodied the national values of camaraderie, courage and sacrifice, said John Blaxland, a national security expert and war historian at the Australian National University. “And this case is exposing the weak foundations of the myth,” he said.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14716172

File: 1c01c4f7aca3076⋯.jpg (150.1 KB, 1024x695, 1024:695, Mr_Roberts_Smith_in_2011_w….jpg)

File: dd1419c9deb98b8⋯.jpg (76.66 KB, 1024x683, 1024:683, Australia_s_defense_chief_….jpg)

>>14716165

2/3

Courtroom Showdown

Ben Roberts-Smith’s path to the battlefields of Afghanistan was set at an early age.

He was educated at a prestigious private boys’ school in Western Australia that has spawned politicians and mining magnates. Following in the footsteps of his father, a retired army major general and state Supreme Court justice, he joined the military at 18.

He went on to become the only current member to receive the military’s two top honors. He was awarded the Medal of Gallantry in 2006 and the Victoria Cross in 2011, both for actions in Afghanistan.

In 2013, the year he left the full-time army, he was named Australia’s Father of the Year. Two portraits of him are displayed in the nation’s war memorial, as is a uniform he wore in Afghanistan, for which the memorial had to make a special mannequin because Mr. Roberts-Smith stands about 6 feet 8 inches tall.

“Wherever he went, wherever it was, he was the subject and object of what I would regard as reverential mobs,” Brendan Nelson, a former defense minister who once led the war memorial, said during the defamation trial.

That changed in 2018, after The Age, a Melbourne newspaper, and its sister newspapers The Sydney Morning Herald and The Canberra Times published a series of articles reporting that a powerful and charismatic senior officer had killed or been involved in the murder of Afghan detainees.

Mr. Roberts-Smith was not named in the articles, but he later asserted that he was clearly identifiable. Soon after their publication, he began defamation proceedings against the newspapers.

The papers, which under Australian law have the onus of proving that what they reported was substantially true, have said in court that Mr. Roberts-Smith was involved in six killings, none of which occurred “in the heat of battle.”

But over nearly two weeks of testimony in June, Mr. Roberts-Smith strenuously denied the allegations, saying that five of the deaths occurred during combat and that the sixth never happened.

In a packed Sydney courtroom, he painted a noble image of special forces soldiers. “I did everything that I was supposed to do, and I followed the rules,” he said.

His virtuous portrayal sometimes clashed with bizarre and lurid details that emerged during the trial. Mr. Roberts-Smith admitted hiring a private investigator to spy on a girlfriend at an abortion clinic after they had agreed to end her pregnancy. He told the court that soldiers had used the prosthetic leg of an Afghan he had killed — an armed Taliban insurgent in his telling, and a prisoner in the journalists’ — as a drinking vessel.

As for the centerpiece allegation — that he kicked an Afghan man off a cliff and witnessed his murder — Mr. Roberts-Smith said, “Frankly, I can’t see how they can believe it, because none of it adds up.”

Three Afghan witnesses, testifying through an interpreter via video from Kabul, told a very different story. They said that they had known Mr. Jan as a laborer who had no Taliban connections. Two said they had seen a “big soldier” kick him off a cliff and later found Mr. Jan’s body with bullet wounds.

Mohammed Hanifa, who said he was Mr. Jan’s step-nephew, testified that he had been detained alongside Mr. Jan. Both had their hands tied behind their backs, he said.

“I told Ali Jan, don’t laugh or don’t smile, because they do not like when you smile or when you laugh,” he said.

But then the big soldier came, Mr. Hanifa said, and Mr. Jan smiled. The soldier “kicked him really hard,” and Mr. Jan “was rolling down, rolling down until he reached the river. The soldier was looking at him. He was standing and looking at him.”

Shortly after the Afghan men testified in late July, the proceedings were delayed until November because of a coronavirus outbreak in Sydney. The trial is expected to run well into next year.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14716174

File: e2e30d0290b6d0b⋯.jpg (119.71 KB, 1024x683, 1024:683, The_lawyer_Bruce_McClintoc….jpg)

>>14716172

3/3

Pursuing Justice

When the Australian military released its report on battlefield misconduct in November, the country was commended for its openness and transparency. The military vowed sweeping changes, and 19 soldiers were referred for criminal investigation.

The government set up an independent office to investigate the cases and provided it with funding and experienced officials.

But it is unlikely that all the soldiers will go to trial, given the increasing challenge of collecting evidence about events that happened over a decade ago, said Ben Saul, who teaches international law at the University of Sydney.

“The longer this drags on,” he said, “the more difficult it is to get a successful prosecution.”

And the more time that passes, the more the investigations may be susceptible to domestic forces. With the accused soldiers garnering significant public support, Professor Saul said, “the question is whether that support over time tips over into pressure to basically stop these kinds of investigations or prosecutions.”

There are already signs of a shifting political agenda. When a new defense minister, Peter Dutton, took office in April, one of his first acts was to reverse a decision to strip a meritorious unit citation from a group of about 3,000 special forces soldiers at the center of the misconduct report. Mr. Dutton said he wanted to let soldiers know that “the government had their back.”

The defense minister is trying to “minimize further fallout,” said Professor Blaxland, the national security expert, and prevent any further damage to the special forces as Australia turns its attention toward the prospect of great-power conflict in Asia.

The government, Professor Blaxland added, also wants to shield itself from questions about its leadership during the Afghanistan war, especially as defenders of the military argue that the soldiers were just following its orders.

The case of Mr. Roberts-Smith strikes at the heart of the debate, he said: “Was this something that Australian soldiers were doing legitimately, did the Australian government support it happening, and did the Australian government enable it to happen?”

Yan Zhuang is a reporter in The New York Times's Australia bureau, based in Melbourne. @yanzhuang25

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/03/world/australia/ben-roberts-smith-defamation-trial.html

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2e5617  No.14716235

File: dc9f97d8c2e0b35⋯.webm (5.04 MB, 640x360, 16:9, Taiwan_Foreign_Minister_J….webm)

File: 75672bcc9bfe6c0⋯.jpg (231.61 KB, 698x821, 698:821, MOFA_ROCT_1.jpg)

Taiwanese Foreign Minister warns his country is preparing for war with China, asks Australia for help

Andrew Greene and Stan Grant - 4 October 2021

1/2

Taiwan's Foreign Minister warns his nation is preparing for war with China and urges Australia to increase intelligence sharing and security cooperation as Beijing intensifies a campaign of military intimidation.

Dozens of aircraft from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) have flown sorties into Taiwan's Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) since Friday, prompting the self-ruled island to scramble its own military jets.

Speaking to the ABC's China Tonight program, Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu declared that if the PLA were to launch an actual strike, his democratic state would be ready to repel it.

"The defence of Taiwan is in our own hands, and we are absolutely committed to that," Mr Wu has told the ABC's Stan Grant in an interview to be broadcast on Monday evening.

"If China is going to launch a war against Taiwan we will fight to the end, and that is our commitment.

"I'm sure that if China is going to launch an attack against Taiwan, I think they are going to suffer tremendously as well."

The minister from Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party believes other like-minded countries such as Australia should now come to the aid of his besieged nation by developing closer ties.

"We would like to engage in security or intelligence exchanges with other like-minded partners, Australia included, so Taiwan is better prepared to deal with the war situation.

"And so far, our relations with Australia [are] very good and that is what we appreciate", Mr Wu added.

Australia does not formally recognise Taiwan diplomatically, but the federal government regularly calls for a "peaceful resolution" of differences between China and the small independent nation through dialogue and without the threat or use of force or coercion.

A communique issued after last month's AUSMIN meetings between Australia and the United States declared that "both sides stated their intent to strengthen ties with Taiwan, which is a leading democracy and a critical partner for both countries".

As well as closer security ties, the Taiwanese Foreign Minister thanked Australia for supporting its bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, now known as the CPTPP, which China also wants to enter.

"As far as I know, Australia has been one of those most vocal members in supporting Taiwan's participation in CPTPP.

"We have been discussing with each other privately for quite some time and we understand the Australian support and we appreciate the Australian support."

Earlier this year, America's most senior diplomat in Canberra also confirmed Australia and the United States were discussing contingency plans in case a military conflict erupts over Taiwan.

Last year, Frances Adamson, the then-head of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, warned she was more concerned about a "crisis" in the Taiwan strait than at any other point in her diplomatic career.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14716238

File: 1004b1c762c4711⋯.jpg (53.48 KB, 862x575, 862:575, China_sent_fighter_jets_in….jpg)

File: 15eff20cfb66ccd⋯.jpg (78.93 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Taiwan_says_it_will_not_ac….jpg)

>>14716235

2/2

Taiwan endorses new AUKUS pact, won't seek its own nuclear submarines

Taiwan has also welcomed the recent establishment of the AUKUS strategic partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as the growing activity between the Quad allies, the US, India, Australia and Japan.

"We are pleased to see that the like-minded partners of Taiwan — the United States and the UK and Australia — are working closer with each other to acquire more advanced defence articles so that we can defend Indo-Pacific.

"Australia is a great country, and I'm very glad to see that Australia is going to shoulder more responsibility to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific," Mr Wu said.

The Taiwanese Foreign Minister said that unlike Australia, his nation would not be trying to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, because it has a "different war strategy".

"We need to go asymmetric, and we need to have a different type of philosophy in defeating China if there's going to be a war — so nuclear-powered submarines is not something that we are seeking".

Defence analyst Professor Clinton Fernandes from the University of New South Wales warns it would be difficult for the US and allies to prevent any invasion attempt by China.

"The military centre of gravity is China's air defence system in the south, it has the ability to deny the United States control of the air — if the United States cannot control the air, it cannot win either at land or at sea."

Professor Fernandes doesn't believe China will launch any military strike on Taiwan before next year's Beijing Winter Olympics but warns something more coercive is likely ahead of the US presidential elections in 2024.

"The defence of Taiwan is predicated on a Chinese invasion – but if China's main effort is not an invasion but a blockade, then what? Taiwan doesn't have a Plan B – that's the big problem."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-04/taiwan-preparing-for-war-with-china/100511294

https://twitter.com/MOFA_Taiwan/status/1444134950299594752

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2e5617  No.14716293

File: 962cad1eddf05d1⋯.jpg (239.43 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Geelong_College_to_pay_2_6….jpg)

Geelong College to pay $2.7 million over historical child sex abuse

Erin Cooper - 4 October 2021

A 46-year-old Victorian man has been awarded the highest amount of damages in an institutional abuse case in Australia, with a court ordering his former school pay him more than $2.7 million.

The verdict from the Supreme Court of Victoria was handed down following the two-week trial of a former student at prestigious private school The Geelong College.

The plaintiff, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sexually abused both on and off the campus by a volunteer in the college's woodworking department in the 1980s and 90s.

The school has been forced to reckon with its dark past repeatedly, with three former staff members having been convicted of child sexual abuse of students in the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

In his judgement, Justice Stephen O'Meara found the man was groomed and repeatedly assaulted by Bert Palframan, who was in his 70s during his offending and died in 1999, and that the school was ultimately liable.

"The plaintiff suffered childhood sexual abuse as a consequence of the breach by the defendant of the duty of care owed to him as a student," Justice O'Meara said.

"That abuse has had very significant psychiatric effects upon the plaintiff across his life and will continue to have effects upon him very likely for the rest of his life."

'The school did nothing'

At the time of the abuse, the school allowed members of the public to use its woodworking facilities, known as the House of Guilds, for their own personal projects.

Lawyer for the plaintiff, partner at Rightside Legal Michael Magazanik, said Palframan was frequently seen in the building but never making anything.

"He showed up for years on end, never working on his own projects, was only there to groom and abuse children, and the college never did anything, no checks, no preventative measures, nothing at all to protect the kids," he said.

"That failure, as the judge made clear, was despite the school knowing that he'd had a history of child sexual abuse on those premises."

Justice O'Meara's judgement included discussion that in 1987 another student had complained to teachers that Palframan was engaging in "sexualised fondling" — a year before the abuse against the plaintiff began.

"… The defendant (The Geelong College) had specific warning of the risk to students posed by the activities of Palframan in the House of Guilds, or, at the very least, was in a position further to investigate matters … which would likely have led to a specific understanding of that risk," the judge said.

"In response, of course, the school did nothing."

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14716301

File: 911669a7033b353⋯.jpg (209.29 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Dozens_of_alleged_victims_….jpg)

>>14716293

2/2

Palframan's abuse against the plaintiff began in the House of Guilds but then began to happen off campus, including in the victim's home as his parents befriended the offender without knowledge of the situation.

Lawyers for The Geelong College argued it should not be held liable for Palframan's behaviour as it could not have known he would be likely to abuse children and it could not be responsible for what happened outside the school gate.

In final written submissions, the college said: "It was the actions of the Plaintiff's parents, in associating with Mr Palframan, apparently befriending him, accepting him into their home, and allowing him to be alone with the Plaintiff in the car and inside his and their home, which led the Plaintiff into danger away from the School."

Justice O'Meara rejected both arguments, noting Palframan's efforts to befriend the plaintiff's parents were likely a "self-protective manoeuvre" and only began after months of grooming at the House of Guilds "as a consequence of the negligence of the school".

Palframan has been accused of abuse by at least one other former student, who Mr Magazanik is also representing in a compensation case.

Survivor feeling 'vindicated and proud'

The college held an apology ceremony in 2018 to acknowledge the abuse perpetrated within its walls, and a section of its website remains dedicated to helping "support any student who was harmed while in the care of the school".

Mr Magazanik said if that was the situation, the way the school handled the case was "appalling".

"It put an acknowledged abuse survivor through a two-week Supreme Court trial," he said.

"He was cross-examined, at times aggressively, and it was an extremely traumatic experience for him."

Mr Magazanik said his client, who was awarded a total of $2,717,236.25, hoped the outcome would encourage other survivors to come forward.

"He's feeling really vindicated today and proud that he stood up and fought the school," Mr Magazanik said.

"It's proof that abuse survivors have real legal rights, that the laws have changed and the ground has shifted, and if they're properly represented, they can get appropriate compensation that reflects the damage done by childhood sexual abuse."

Chair of The Geelong College council Richard Page said in a statement the school was "truly sorry for the abuse suffered by the victim, and others in our care".

"Whilst the perpetrator was not a member of staff, as an institution, we failed this student and express our most sincere apologies for these failings," Dr Page said.

Dr Page said the school had been working with staff, the community and students to "ensure such incidents do not happen again".

He said staff had undergone child-protection and education training "over and above mandated child safety policies".

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-04/geelong-college-child-sex-abuse-historical-payout/100512744

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2e5617  No.14716396

File: 1a5f37333b85c59⋯.jpg (259.36 KB, 938x355, 938:355, MRF_D_37.jpg)

File: e458453c416908c⋯.webm (14.44 MB, 640x360, 16:9, MRF_D_Legacy.webm)

Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post

1 October 2021

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Australia New Zealand United States Security Treaty and the 10th Anniversary of Marine Rotational Force - Darwin, in Darwin, NT, Australia. The United States and Australia fought together in every conflict since World War I and continue to be trusted allies the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Colton K. Garrett)

https://www.facebook.com/MRFDarwin/posts/223940783101746

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2e5617  No.14716426

File: 1a5f37333b85c59⋯.jpg (259.36 KB, 938x355, 938:355, MRF_D_37.jpg)

File: dc46467d236b648⋯.webm (10.97 MB, 640x360, 16:9, MRF_D_Legacy.webm)

Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post

1 October 2021

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Australia New Zealand United States Security Treaty and the 10th Anniversary of Marine Rotational Force - Darwin, in Darwin, NT, Australia. The United States and Australia fought together in every conflict since World War I and continue to be trusted allies the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Colton K. Garrett)

https://www.facebook.com/MRFDarwin/posts/223940783101746

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2e5617  No.14724299

File: 4d710823fe75cdf⋯.webm (5.13 MB, 640x360, 16:9, Anti_vaccine_mandate_prot….webm)

‘Save Australia’ protest erupts in New York

Aussie flags were flying in New York City overnight where demonstrators chanted “Save Australia” in an anti vaccine mandate march.

Ben Graham - October 5, 2021

Australia became the surprising focal point of an American anti vaccine mandate protest march for teachers in New York City overnight, with hundreds of demonstrators chanting “Save Australia” and some waving Aussie flags.

The large crowd gathered outside the Australian consulate in the city for speeches in support of Australia after they marched through Manhattan.

The march began in Brooklyn outside Department of Education headquarters earlier in the day, as hundreds of people gathered to hear speeches. It mobilised and moved across the Brooklyn Bridge and into Manhattan, with chants of “Wake up, New York,” “Let us teach,” and “We, the people, will not comply.”

Some members of the crowd flipped over a Covid-19 testing site tent on their way through the city, with many of them booing and chanting, “Shame on you!”

One man, recording on his phone, overturned the testing site’s table. Another then pulled down the tent, before police officers intervened.

The march ended outside the Australian consulate in Midtown, where speeches were held in support of Australia.

Footage by Brendan Gutenschwager, an independent reporter, showed some of the speeches.

“What’s going on in Australia is not just going to be Australia. And when it shows up on our doorsteps, we’re gonna punch it right in the f***ing teeth,” one speaker said.

“We’re holding the line for Australia, we support Australia!” said another.

Australia has become a focal point for some commentators in the USA who see the nation as an extreme example of lockdowns and Covid restrictions.

For example, last month, the Texas Freedom Coalition posted the image to its Facebook page that likened Australia’s strict Covid-19 lockdown laws to a penitentiary system.

A map of Australia is pictured alongside the text: “What the world’s largest prison looks like from space”.

It is understood that the majority of those taking part in the march in New York overnight were Department of Education (DOE) staffers – protesting the agency’s Covid-19 vaccination mandate as it went into effect on Monday.

Teachers and other DOE employees at the rally told the New York Post they had been officially placed on unpaid leave with health insurance after refusing to get the jab.

Others said they were still being paid, but weren’t being allowed in their schools as their religious or medical exemption requests are still being considered.

In New York State, looming deadlines for vaccination have been accompanied by a substantial bump in shots among healthcare workers and others.

And about 96 per cent of New York City teachers have had at least one vaccination shot, with a surge taking place in the past week as the deadline approached.

However, some 4000 DOE staffers, including 2000 teachers, were still unvaccinated as classes started on Monday morning, according to the United Federation of Teachers. They will now be placed on unpaid leave or have the option to depart the DOE with severance.

Some DOE staffers at the rally said they knew of colleagues who had only received the jab because they couldn’t afford to lose pay and had families to worry about.

https://www.news.com.au/world/coronavirus/global/save-australia-teacher-protest-in-new-york-city-gathers-at-the-australian-consulate/news-story/c4393b3522f61f061e8f7ed7833a7522

https://twitter.com/BGOnTheScene/status/1445126806152089602

https://twitter.com/ScooterCasterNY/status/1445095935390932993

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2e5617  No.14724615

File: a39feff7f712945⋯.jpg (17.77 KB, 890x534, 5:3, Founder_of_the_Hillsong_ch….jpg)

>>14702449

Hillsong founder Brian Houston to plead not guilty to concealing sexual abuse charge

Police allege megachurch founder was aware of information relating to the abuse of a young man in the 1970s by his late father

Elias Visontay - 5 Oct 2021

The Hillsong founder Brian Houston will plead not guilty to charges alleging he concealed child sexual abuse by his late father in the 1970s.

The megachurch founder did not appear during a first mention of the case at Sydney’s Downing Centre local court on Tuesday morning.

Houston’s lawyer told the court Houston would plead not guilty.

Police have alleged Houston was aware of information relating to the sexual abuse of a young man in the 1970s, and that he failed to raise the issue with authorities.

Court documents state that police allege Houston concealed his father’s alleged “indecent assault of a male” from 1 September 1999 to 9 November 2004.

His father died on 8 November 2004, without having been charged over the alleged abuse.

The documents allege Houston believed his father “committed that offence and knowing that he had information that might be of material assistance in securing the prosecution of Frank Houston for that offence, without reasonable excuse, failed to bring that information to the attention of the NSW police force”.

The matter has been adjourned until 23 November.

In early August, New South Wales police announced they had charged Houston with knowingly concealing information related to alleged child sexual offences.

“Police will allege in court the man knew information relating to the sexual abuse of a young male in the 1970s and failed to bring that information to the attention of police,” NSW police said in a statement at the time.

There is no suggestion Houston was involved in offending against the child.

Shortly after he was notified of the charges, Houston stepped down as company director of Hillsong.

Houston and his wife Bobbie had been living in the US when police charged him, and it was reported he flew back to Australia and finished their hotel quarantine stay last week.

Houston remains global senior pastor of the church he founded with his wife Bobbie in Sydney’s Hills district in 1983. The movement has grown internationally in recent years, with 131 churches in 30 countries.

In a statement released in August after being charged, Houston said the allegation came “as a shock to me given how transparent I’ve always been about this matter”.

“I vehemently profess my innocence and will defend these charges and I welcome the opportunity to set the record straight,” he said at the time.

In 2015, police began investigating the allegations of concealing the abuse after Australia’s royal commission into child sexual abuse heard that Houston’s late father, Frank Houston, had abused up to nine boys in Australia and New Zealand. The elder Houston died in 2004.

In 2020, the prime minister, Scott Morrison, confirmed he asked the Trump administration, when being hosted for a state visit the year earlier, to invite Houston to a dinner at the White House, however he was ultimately not invited.

At the time, Morrison said: “I’ve known Brian for a long time and Hillsong church has a very big network of churches all across the United States, and the ministry, when it comes to the music and so many other things have been very big – it’s probably the single largest church organisation that is known in the United States.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/05/hillsong-founder-brian-houston-pleads-not-guilty-to-concealing-sexual-abuse-charge

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871815  No.14724977

>>14724299

awwwww

thank you :)

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2e5617  No.14730909

File: 2b1a9a6410e888a⋯.webm (8.12 MB, 640x360, 16:9, Andrews_quizzed_over_IBAC….webm)

File: e4f0f1e5337efec⋯.jpg (185.27 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Victorian_Premier_Daniel_A….jpg)

File: 548e4552e9ccf83⋯.jpg (92.02 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, UFU_secretary_Peter_Marsha….jpg)

File: 089c8f29387b6f6⋯.jpg (52.97 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Opposition_Leader_Matthew_….jpg)

File: 0ef947b0bfd6364⋯.jpg (149.27 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Mr_Andrews_greets_voluntee….jpg)

Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy calls for Daniel Andrews to resign amid IBAC investigation

Daniel Andrews’ chief political rival says the Premier should resign ‘immediately’ over a probe into his conduct around a controversial firefighters union deal.

Rhiannon Tuffield and Anthony Piovesan October 6, 2021

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is facing pressure to resign amid damning revelations his conduct is being probed by the state’s anti-corruption commission.

IBAC is investigating Mr Andrews and a senior public servant’s conduct linked to an industrial battle that ultimately benefited the United Firefighters Union.

The deal led to the merging of Melbourne Fire Brigade members and the Country Fire Authority’s career firefighters into the new Fire Rescue Victoria, with the commission initially examining the union’s role in the plan.

Accounts from sources leaked publicly on Wednesday revealed the commission was also questioning whether Mr Andrews was transparent in advising the public and his cabinet about his dealings with the UFU.

Mr Andrews on Wednesday fielded questions about the investigation, declining to stand down or comment on the matter.

“If you want to know what IBAC is doing, you’ll have to ask IBAC,” he said.

The industrial dispute involved a new pay deal for paid firefighters, with the union seeking additional conditions and protections.

The deal was criticised for its negative impact on CFA volunteers, who claimed resources had been slashed and the union, led by Peter Marshall, given too much authority.

The Herald Sun revealed the Premier had met secretly with Mr Marshall in 2016, further fanning claims the government was benefiting politically with the help of the union.

Almost four years after the dispute began, fire services reforms were passed by MPs in 2019.

The anti-corruption commission began investigating the saga in 2019, but the Premier’s involvement only came to light this week.

The commission is also investigating the activities of Mr Marshall and senior public servant Tony Bates, according to The Age newspaper. No findings have been made.

Mr Bates worked in the Department of Premier and Cabinet and was in charge of managing the union’s reform demands.

The revelations come just days after NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian resigned over an ICAC investigation into whether she breached public trust through her relationship with Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire by granting funding to groups in his electorate.

Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy on Wednesday called for Mr Andrews to resign.

“The Premier in NSW just stood down for being investigated by ICAC,” Mr Guy said.

“(Daniel Andrews) is being investigated and he refuses to stand down. I hope that tells the whole state of Victoria about the strength of his integrity compared to what he expects of others.

“We have always believed this to be a grubby deal. We knew the involvement of the firefighters union and the state government was too close – a deal designed to stitch up our volunteer firefighters, the people we rely on every summer to protect us.”

During question time the Premier was again grilled about any involvement in an IBAC investigation.

Mr Guy asked Mr Andrews if he was being interviewed by the state’s anti-corruption watchdog in relation to IBAC’s Operation Richmond or Operation Watts

Operation Watts – announced just last week – will probe allegations of serious corrupt conduct involving Victorian public officers, including members of parliament.

But the Premier directed questions back to IBAC in a heated exchange with the Opposition Leader.

“If you want to know who’s been called to IBAC, if you want to know the circumstances in which they’ve been called, then those questions will be directed to IBAC,” Mr Andrews told parliament on Wednesday afternoon.

Mr Guy then asked if the Premier would insist that any of his ministers who were under investigation by IBAC stand aside.

“No and again who IBAC investigates and the circumstances in which they investigate them, who participates in the inquiry, who assists … that is a matter for IBAC,” Mr Andrews fired back.

“Secondly, it might not be a matter anyone in the government would even know about.

“Thirdly, it is not a matter that would necessitate them standing aside, so the simple answer to your question is no.”

Operation Watts IBAC public hearings will start on October 11.

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/news/victorian-opposition-leader-matthew-guy-calls-for-daniel-andrews-to-resign-amid-ibac-investigation/news-story/2df563e21ca751185caf3a61aa6f3389

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2e5617  No.14730945

File: fa7559a03c90ccd⋯.jpg (92.74 KB, 960x640, 3:2, A_health_worker_speaks_wit….jpg)

>>14404403

Australia reports easing in new COVID-19 infections as vaccinations rise

Renju Jose - October 6, 2021

SYDNEY, Oct 6 (Reuters) - New daily COVID-19 cases in Australia's Victoria and New South Wales states, the epicentres of the country's worst virus outbreak, fell on Wednesday as authorities look to start easing tough restrictions amid a rise in vaccination rates.

A total of 1,420 new locally acquired cases were reported in Victoria, most of them in the state capital Melbourne, down from a record 1,763 on Tuesday. Eleven new deaths were registered, the state's highest daily number in the current outbreak.

Melbourne has been in lockdown since Aug. 5 as Australia grapples with a third wave of infections fuelled by the fast-moving Delta variant that has also put millions in Sydney, its largest city, and the capital Canberra, under strict stay-home rules. Most other states have zero or low cases.

Victorian authorities plan to relax some tough restrictions once 70% of the adult population is fully vaccinated, expected in late October. More curbs will be eased at 80%.

In neighbouring New South Wales, Sydney is due to exit lockdown on Oct. 11, after a rapid vaccination programme. About 68% of the adult population has been fully vaccinated in the state, with the number expected to reach 70% by Thursday. Daily infections fell below 600 for the first time in more than seven weeks on Wednesday.

Newly elected state Premier Dominic Perrottet said he would "raise a number of issues" about the state's reopening plans at a meeting with health officials later on Wednesday.

"Whatever we do, we want to make sure it is done in a way that keeps people safe … but ultimately, it is important to get people back into town because we want to breathe life into Sydney," Perrottet told radio station 2GB.

Australia's infection numbers are lower than many comparable countries, with around 117,800 cases and 1,379 deaths. Increased vaccination levels have kept the death rate in the current Delta flare-up below last year's outbreaks.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-reports-easing-new-covid-19-infections-vaccinations-rise-2021-10-05/

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2e5617  No.14730973

File: 66954aa1f06086d⋯.jpg (58.43 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, British_Defence_Secretary_….jpg)

File: 79b0c49f27cbe8b⋯.jpg (50.65 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Former_foreign_minister_Al….jpg)

>>14592776

British Defence Secretary ‘confident’ Australian nuclear sub to be made in Britain

JACQUELIN MAGNAY - OCTOBER 5, 2021

British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said it was “inevitable” that Australia would turn to Five Eyes intelligence partners to deliver a nuclear-powered submarine and he was confident the boat would be British-made.

Mr Wallace, speaking at a think-tank side event at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester on Tuesday, hailed Australia’s decision to change to nuclear-powered submarines as “saying something about Australia’s ambition”. He said France shouldn’t have taken the Australian move personally because “it was perfectly logical that the partners to choose would come from within the Five Eyes”.

Five Eyes is the intelligence-sharing partnership of Australia, the US, Britain, Canada and New Zealand.

Mr Wallace said this big decision was strategic, likening it to a decision of whom to marry.

“Deciding to do that is extremely committed, and we are really committed to a nuclear capability. It is not something to go and buy off the shelf,” he said.

Mr Wallace also noted that the decision was “not about France and France shouldn’t take it personally”.

“Once Australia had decided to change from a diesel-electric submarine capability to a nuclear one to remain undetected below surface for a very long time it was inevitable that the Five Eyes were the partners, and I am afraid that is just the way it is,” he said.

Mr Wallace said he regularly visits the BAE Systems submarine plant at Burrow-In-Furness and noted that “they are the most complex things on earth”.

He said the submarine production would fit in with the British production cycle, given that the country has just kicked off its hunter-killer submarines, and the US is in full flow on its own boats. Australia has yet to decide whether to model its new submarine on the British or American models.

The British are in the final stages of completing the fifth Astute-class submarine, HMS Anson, which will begin sea trials early next year.

“We are in a strong position to help the Australians achieve that capability so I am very confident that British engineering, British skills, Australian nous, will deliver a very good submarine,” Mr Wallace said.

The former foreign minister and former high commissioner to the UK, Alexander Downer, told the same panel at the Tory conference that Australia “hugely welcomes” British involvement in the Indo-Pacific.

Mr Downer, chair of the conservative think tank Policy Exchange, said the development of AUKUS – the tripartite nuclear-powered submarine alliance involving Australia, Britain and the US – “has been a seminal moment, a really exciting moment”.

He said this was a “pivotal period” in British foreign and security policy and that people in two or decades’ time will look back and see this was a time when it fundamentally changed.

“To keep the world stable, prosperous and successful, then the West, the liberal democracies have to rally together more than they have done,” Mr Downer said.

“An abject lesson to us is that we have to show more resolve. Western countries as liberal democracies have to coalesce together more firmly than we had done before. The signs are there that the UK is back as a major player, the UK is making a contribution and let’s be honest there is nothing easier than for us Australians to work with the British and the Americans and the Canadians on a good day. It has been very exciting to see this transformation of British foreign and security policy.”

Mr Downer said the British government has to become involved so that the US is not carrying the burden or that, in the Indo-Pacific, Australia and Japan or India “can do the job”.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/british-defence-secretary-confident-australian-nuclear-sub-to-be-made-in-britain/news-story/264a9d40ba5f6defa3ac3b5b73074102

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2e5617  No.14731069

File: 5c23dee83d5f4ce⋯.jpg (58.13 KB, 740x444, 5:3, LAWYER_BERNARD_COLLAERY.jpg)

File: 0e1bbcf64d56d1c⋯.jpg (760.84 KB, 1241x1755, 1241:1755, 0001.jpg)

File: 5773169d0faf76b⋯.pdf (107.42 KB, 1241x1755, 1241:1755, Collaery_v_The_Queen_Judgm….pdf)

Win for Collaery derails Porter’s attempt to cover up Timor-Leste bugging

In a defeat for the federal government in its pursuit of Bernard Collaery, the attempt by former attorney-general Christian Porter to keep the trial hidden has been overturned by the ACT court of appeal.

BERNARD KEANE - OCT 06, 2021

In a significant defeat for the federal government and former attorney-general Christian Porter, the Supreme Court of the ACT has overturned secrecy orders demanded by Porter in his prosecution of Bernard Collaery, which would have ensured much of the trial was conducted in complete secrecy and evidence would have been hidden not merely from the public but from Collaery and his lawyers.

Judges Murrell, Burns and Wigney overturned trial Judge David Mossop’s decision to grant Porter’s application to hide evidence against Collaery, and witness evidence produced by Collaery, via national security orders made by Porter under the National Security Information (Criminal and Civil Proceedings) Act 2004. The appellate court ruled that:

"public disclosure of information relating to the truth of the identified matters would involve a risk of prejudice to national security. However, the court doubted that a significant risk of prejudice to national security would materialise. On the other hand, there was a very real risk of damage to public confidence in the administration of justice if the evidence could not be publicly disclosed. The court emphasised that the open hearing of criminal trials was important because it deterred political prosecutions, allowed the public to scrutinise the actions of prosecutors, and permitted the public to properly assess the conduct of the accused person."

The ruling threatens to derail the entire trial of Collaery for conspiracy and revealing information because the government is desperate to keep embarrassing details of the actions of the Howard government, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, out of the public eye. Under John Howard and Alexander Downer, the Australian Secret Intelligence Service illegally bugged the Timor-Leste cabinet room in an effort to secure an advantage in negotiations with the fledgling state over access to resources under the Timor Sea.

Downer and the then-head of DFAT Ashton Calvert later took positions with a major beneficiary of the deal, Woodside.

If details of those events are made public, the Coalition will face embarrassment and further questions about its vexatious pursuit of Collaery and Witness K, a former ASIS officer who in June was given a three month suspended sentence for his role in the revelation of the bugging, which he did so as part of a workplace dispute with ASIS.

It is expected that current Attorney-General Michaelia Cash — who has her own links to the issue via her previous employment with major law firm Freehills, which worked with ConocoPhillips on Timor Gap matters — will appeal the ruling.

Crikey understands that there is intense resentment toward Collaery within the federal Coalition and a determination to pursue him to the fullest extent possible for his revelation of the crimes of the Howard government.

https://www.crikey.com.au/2021/10/06/win-for-collaery-derails-porters-attempt-to-cover-up-timor-leste-bugging/

https://www.courts.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1870627/Collaery-v-The-Queen-Judgment-Summary.pdf

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2e5617  No.14731101

File: b3a70b6b8198a27⋯.jpg (88.94 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Former_prime_minister_Tony….jpg)

File: 0dd8d70e47be536⋯.jpg (40.34 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Helicopters_fly_over_Presi….jpg)

>>14716235

Tony Abbott in Taiwan to build support among ‘like-minded countries’

Eryk Bagshaw - October 6, 2021

1/2

Singapore: Tony Abbott will use a series of meetings with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-Wen and the head of her National Security Council to bolster Australia’s relationship with the threatened democratic island.

Australia’s former prime minister is the highest-level visitor to Taipei since Malcolm Turnbull last year. Turnbull and former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd have become increasingly vocal in their international criticism of their successor, Scott Morrison, making Abbott a valuable diplomatic asset for the Coalition government.

Abbott is officially visiting in a “private capacity” but his meetings with Tsai and the top brass of the foreign affairs and security establishment will allow him to act as an interlocutor with the Morrison government as it attempts to navigate an already fraught relationship with Beijing.

Sources with knowledge of his trip who were not authorised to speak publicly said, “where helpful”, Abbott – like Bob Hawke and Paul Keating who used their post-prime ministerial life to bolster Australia’s relationship with China – “wants to try and do the same with like-minded countries”. Abbott used other high-profile visits to the United Kingdom in 2019 to lobby for its pivot to the Indo-Pacific, and India in August to restart talks for a stalled Australia-India free trade deal.

A spokesman for the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry said Abbott “is a firm friend of our country and has spoken for Taiwan many times”.

“Former prime minister Abbott’s visit to Taiwan should help to enhance Taiwan’s role in the international community and in the Indo-Pacific region,” the spokesman said.

No serving ministers have had official contact with Taipei since Australia recognised Beijing in the 1970s, forcing all communication to go through Australia’s representative office in Taiwan. The office is not an embassy but allows for sub-ministerial contact between bureaucrats on issues such as trade.

The system has been in place for decades to avoid antagonising the Chinese Communist Party, which regards its neighbour as an “inalienable part of China” since a rival government was established in Taiwan in 1949 after decades of civil war.

The growing tensions over the island and Taiwan’s rising international clout have forced several governments to navigate China’s diplomatic blockade. Three French senators including former minister of defence Alain Richard are also in Taipei this week.

Taiwan’s application to join the giant regional trade network – the Trans-Pacific Partnership – is expected to be a key part of Abbott’s speech at Friday’s Yushan Forum. Abbott has publicly supported Taiwan’s application to join the network – a move which could also enhance informal engagement between Taiwanese and Australian ministers.

“Given that China is not a member of the TPP, is unlikely to become a member of the TPP, and is already in a state of high dudgeon against Australia and many other countries, I don’t see that China is going to be any more upset than it already is,” Abbott told an Australian trade committee hearing last week.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14731106

File: e9ede5000394687⋯.jpg (181.2 KB, 959x639, 959:639, Taiwanese_President_Tsai_I….jpg)

>>14731101

2/2

The trip comes after China sent dozens of bombers, fighter jets and anti-submarine warfare planes towards the Taiwan Strait over the past week.

The aerial harassment, which has been sandwiched between a surge in nationalism for China’s National Day on October 1 and Taiwan’s own national day on October 10, forced Taiwan to scramble scores of planes in response and an intervention from US President Joe Biden on Wednesday AEDT.

Biden said he had spoken to Xi Jinping about Taiwan. “We agree we’ll abide by the Taiwan agreement,” he said, referring to his September call with the Chinese President. “We made it clear that I don’t think he should be doing anything other than abiding by the agreement.”

The statement appeared to refer to the US One-China Policy and its Taiwan Relations Act which predicates the US recognition of China’s position on Taiwan on the basis that any disputes over the island be resolved by peaceful means. Taiwan officially maintains a position of ambiguity in an attempt to keep the peace – operating separately from China, while not formally declaring international independence.

Bonnie Glaser, the director of the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, said the risk of conflict over Taiwan was down to short-term and long-term factors.

“The People’s Liberation Army has a window of opportunity. Over the past several decades US military advantages have eroded. Today the US military is not able to intervene quickly or effectively to prevent a Chinese invasion of Taiwan,” she told Harvard’s Fairbanks Centre for Chinese Studies.

“But as long as there is no danger of Taiwan declaring independence and being supported by the international community. China can accept the uneasy status quo for a long time.

“[China’s] strategy I would argue is aimed at inducing a sense of despair. Among the Taiwanese people so that they eventually conclude that their only viable future [is] to join the mainland. China wants to win without fighting.”

In an opinion piece for Foreign Affairs magazine published on Tuesday, Tsai said the daily intrusions by the PLA had not changed the island’s position on cross-strait relations: “Taiwan will not bend to pressure”.

“They should remember that if Taiwan were to fall, the consequences would be catastrophic for regional peace and the democratic alliance system,” she said.

https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/tony-abbott-in-taiwan-to-build-support-among-like-minded-countries-20211006-p58xog.html

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2e5617  No.14731122

File: 5a0e1977296f7ec⋯.jpg (345.08 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, Tsai_Ing_wen.jpg)

>>14716235

>>14731101

Taiwan’s Tsai turns to masters for help out of fear of catastrophic consequences: Global Times editorial

Global Times - Oct 05, 2021

Taiwan's regional leader Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday published an article, entitled "Taiwan and the Fight for Democracy", in Foreign Affairs Magazine, claiming that "If Taiwan were to fall, the consequences would be catastrophic for regional peace and the democratic alliance system." It seems that the Tsai authorities are really scared, anticipating that their secessionist attempt has gone to a virtual dead end. They, as an anti-China outpost of US' Indo-Pacific Strategy will sooner or later be wiped out by the Chinese mainland, but they have a severe lack of confidence that the US and its allies will fully defend the island. In this context, Tsai penned the article to underline the current peril, calling on the US and its allies to strengthen their commitment to the Taiwan island and to deter the Chinese mainland.

Tsai repeatedly used the word "democracy" in the article, like a cultist regarding what she called "democracy" as a talisman. However, everyone can see that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has hijacked Taiwan's democracy and has turned it into an extreme ideology to confront the Chinese mainland. It is clear to all that Taiwan has bitten off more than it can chew. There was a period of peaceful cooperation between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan island during which both sides sought shared development. But it was ruined by the DPP, which is now quenching thirst with poison. Taiwan's practices of acting as a strategic outpost against China in exchange for US' protection is the craziest gamble in the history of international politics.

Now they are also in the fear of losing everything. In an interview with Australia's ABC News on Monday, Joseph Wu, leader of the external affairs of the Taiwan island, said the island is preparing for war with the Chinese mainland, drawing on Australia for help. And Tsai, in Foreign Affairs magazine warns Taiwan's "fall" will be catastrophic for the US and its allies. Their fate is bound to be a catastrophe when they attempt to separate Taiwan from the China. The further the DPP authorities go down the path in colluding with external forces, the closer they move to their tomb.

There is no force in the world whose will to "defend Taiwan" is stronger than China's will to fight against secession and achieve reunification. To be precise, they are completely incomparable. China dares to have a life-and-death fight against any force that hinders our reunification, but no force dares or is willing to fight to the death against the world's second largest economy, as well as a nuclear power, in order to prevent China's reunification.

Tsai authorities understand this point. When they never say uncle, they are quietly shivering, and they will increasingly turn to their masters for help.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202110/1235658.shtml

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2e5617  No.14733561

File: 6a59917bb268a8f⋯.jpg (191.81 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Daniel_Andrews_campaigns_w….jpg)

>>14730909

Victorian IBAC threatening a political firestorm

DAMON JOHNSTON - OCTOBER 6, 2021

1/2

Peter Marshall is raging like a wildfire. Blindsided by the government’s appointment of Liverpool fire and rescue boss Dan Stephens as Victoria’s new fire services chief, the United Firefighters Union head jumps on Raf Epstein’s ABC radio show and hits the lights and sirens.

“The truth will come out about Daniel Andrews and James Merlino … they made a number of promises and they will come out in the near future,” he says, accusing the Premier and his Emergency Services Minister of “sell­ing out” firefighters by appointing the “union-busting” Stephens.

“The promises will come out closer to the election.”

Epstein asks Marshall about long-running rumours he secretly taped a private meeting with Andrews. He is asked six times if he recorded the Premier. Each time, he ducks, choosing to fuel the rumour of a recording.

“You better ask Dan Andrews that and not me,” he says.

In that interview on April 18, 2018, Marshall sent Andrews a very direct message; if you betray me and my members, I’ll come after you, even if you’re the Premier. The general view was that since 2014, Andrews had bent over backwards to give the UFU pretty much everything it wanted, yet here was Marshall torching one of the closest union-government alliances in the state’s history.

Seemingly as a payback for UFU support during the 2014 election campaign, Andrews brought his government to the brink of disaster in 2016 by gutting the volunteer CFA and handing the UFU more operational authority over the rival organisation. Generous pay, allowances and conditions were also offered.

Labor’s then emergency services minister Jane Garrett opposed the pro-UFU position. So Andrews forced her out of cabinet. Senior CFA executives and board members were also thrown overboard by the Premier.

Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten has admitted the crisis damaged his 2016 federal election campaign in Victoria, as it was fought out in the midst of this ALP-UFU-CFA crisis.

Yet here was Marshall threatening on live radio to destroy Andrews. Later, the union chief would issue a statement saying there was no secret recording.

But the damage was done.

The interview came to the attention of IBAC, Victoria’s secretive anti-corruption authority. Whistleblowers also provided material and statements to the organisation. About the middle of 2018, six months before the November state election, IBAC started sniffing around the relationship between the Andrews government and the UFU.

Operation Richmond was off and running.

Given Andrews had personally intervened to sideline Garrett in her negotiations with Marshall in 2016 and held a private meeting with the union chief, the ­Andrews-Marshall dealings were on the IBAC whiteboard. Over the next six months, including the tense four weeks of the 2018 election, the investigation slowly built, gathering information and interviewing witnesses.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14733575

File: b3d3afccef079b5⋯.jpg (145.2 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Victorian_IBAC_threatening….jpg)

>>14733561

2/2

Under the IBAC Act, once an investigation has commenced, the watchdog has a powerful array of intelligence-gathering tools including phone taps, secret hearings, undercover surveillance and the powers to conduct raids, seize documents, computers and electronic communication records such as texts and emails. But IBAC is a (sometimes painfully) methodical organisation, both culturally and legally. It can’t legally deploy all of the above tools from day one.

As an investigation progresses, it has to cross various legal thresholds. Only once these have been crossed do more powerful ­intelligence-gathering tools kick in. In this case, at various points, there has been debate within IBAC as to whether the unit running Operation Richmond had done enough to win approval to take the probe to the next stage.

News of its secret investigation didn’t break during the state election and Andrews was elected with an increased majority. As 2019 started, it seemed like he had put the UFU crisis behind him. Stephens, started work and seemed to be settling in. (He resigned within a year. A difficult relationship with Marshall was blamed)

On July 27, 2019, more than a year after it launched, news of Operation Richmond broke in a front-page Herald Sun report. Before publication, the newspaper submitted questions to IBAC:

Does the investigation include the conduct and behaviour of Premier Daniel Andrews and senior ministers?

Have you conducted secret hearings?

Have you been using powers … to seize documents and intercept phones?

Can you confirm whether current and former fire services personnel have been subpoenaed?

IBAC didn’t deny any of the scenarios, simply stating: “For legal and operational reasons, IBAC is unable to comment.”

While it wasn’t commenting publicly, IBAC was busy crossing the legal thresholds to expand its probe and use more of its powers. Subpoenas started landing on doorsteps. Figures familiar with the 2016 CFA dispute and EBA negotiations were questioned under oath behind closed doors. Labor MPs, current and former political advisers and public servants were among those questioned in secretive hearings.

IBAC attended various ­addresses, in 2019 and 2020, collecting a trove of material.

Some sources believe IBAC has tapped phones, raising the potential that conversations between UFU figures and Labor MPs may have been recorded.

IBAC didn’t deny on Wednesday it had used its phone-tapping powers: “As a matter of practice, IBAC does not comment on whether it has a complaint or investigation before it.”

The Andrews government survived the 2016 CFA crisis. Don’t worry that this probe has dragged on for more than two years, largely buried from sight. It has the potential to ignite a fresh firestorm over government dealings with the UFU, and even Andrews’s dealings with Marshall.

IBAC’s agents have been very busy.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/victorian-ibac-threatening-a-political-firestorm/news-story/43901ebd32ec9acaca73e23884350f0a

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fb5547  No.14734076

>>14724299

From a lifelong Melburnian - THANK YOU!

God Bless you all, we need all the help we can get right now.

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2e5617  No.14737680

File: e5b80d8f9fa9112⋯.jpg (57.83 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, Former_prime_minister_Tony….jpg)

File: cdbc975dc220364⋯.jpg (208.55 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, HMS_Queen_Elizabeth_aircra….jpg)

File: 7c7d902acbb70fa⋯.jpg (333.67 KB, 698x790, 349:395, MOFA_ROCT_2.jpg)

>>14731101

Tony Abbott lands in under-threat Taiwan

WILL GLASGOW - OCTOBER 6, 2021

Former prime minister Tony ­Abbott has arrived in Taiwan as the island democracy works with partners to defend itself from a campaign of military intimidation by China.

Mr Abbott will give a keynote address on Friday at the Yushan Forum, an annual conference aimed at strengthening Taiwan’s relations in the increasingly contested region.

On Wednesday, he met with Taiwan’s foreign minister Joseph Wu, who thanked the former PM for backing Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, a giant trade pact.

“He’s a fair dinkum free trader [and] bold backer of our [CPTPP] bid. Thanks for the support [and] all the best for the [Yushan Forum] keynote, my friend!” minister Wu said on Twitter after their lunch meeting.

Abbott will soon meet with President Tsai Ing-wen, who this week warned that a takeover of the ­island of 24 million people by China would be “catastrophic for regional peace and the democratic alliance system”.

“It would signal that in today’s global contest of values, authoritarianism has the upper hand over democracy,” Ms Tsai wrote in a new essay in Foreign Affairs.

A delegation of French senators – including former defence minister Alain Richard – flew to Taiwan on Wednesday, and will also meet with Ms Tsai and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.

China’s foreign ministry expressed “serious concern” about the French visit, which is taking place during heightened concern across much of the global community about Beijing’s aggression. Beijing opposes Taiwan having diplomatic exchanges and threatens politicians against visiting the island, which it treats as a wayward province.

The joint visits come after China flew a record 56 fighter jets near Taiwan on Monday as Beijing’s propaganda machine warned war “may be triggered at any time”. Nearly 150 Chinese warplanes have breached Taiwan’s air defence identification zone since Friday, when China celebrated its National Day.

Monday’s wave of People’s Liberation Army aircraft included 12 nuclear-capable bombers.

Writing in Foreign Affairs, Ms Tsai said Taiwan’s democracy was not negotiable. “Amid almost daily intrusions by the People’s Liberation Army, our position on cross-strait relations remains constant: Taiwan will not bend to pressure, but nor will it turn adventurist, even when it accumulates support from the international community,” she wrote.

The US – Taiwan’s most important security partner – has long insisted that the future of Taiwan be determined by peaceful means.

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday said he had discussed Taiwan with China’s President Xi Jinping. “We made it clear that I don’t think he should be doing anything other than abiding by the agreement,” Mr Biden said.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshi­mitsu Motegi said he hoped the situation would be “resolved peacefully between the two parties through direct talks … instead of simply monitoring the situation, we hope to weigh various possible scenarios that may arise to consider what options we have, as well as preparations we must make.”

Tokyo has spoken with increased directness about the consequences of Beijing using military force in the Taiwan Strait.

The Japan Maritime Self-­Defence Force this weekend trained with Britain’s HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier and America’s USS Ronald Reagan and USS Carl Vinson for an exercise in waters southwest of Oki­nawa, along with warships from Canada, The Netherlands and New Zealand.

Mr Abbott has supported Taiwan’s application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, a giant trade pact. China has also applied to join the CPTPP.

New members need the support of all the group’s eight ratified members, which include Australia, Japan and Canada. He last week told a parliamentary inquiry that the only argument for opposing Taiwan’s entry would be that “it might upset China … but given that China is not a member … is unlikely to become a member … and is already in a state of high dudgeon against Australia and many other countries, I don’t see that China is going to be any more upset than it already is.”

Former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull gave an online keynote address at last year’s Yushan Forum, at which he said “China’s unilateral actions in the South China Sea (were) becoming a nightmare for ASEAN”.

On Monday, China’s envoy to Malaysia was summoned in protest after Chinese vessels entered its maritime economic zone.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/tony-abbott-lands-in-underthreat-taiwan/news-story/ba04584dbd057f8e296cfe6506bb82fa

https://twitter.com/MOFA_Taiwan/status/1445643134453444608

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2e5617  No.14737694

File: 095eb5f21f6535b⋯.jpg (121.22 KB, 862x485, 862:485, Australian_coal_is_being_p….jpg)

File: 9deeff7d9d69a0b⋯.jpg (121.33 KB, 862x575, 862:575, A_never_ending_thirst_for_….jpg)

File: 8a54d7e03c7b0b5⋯.jpg (109.41 KB, 862x575, 862:575, With_winter_fast_approachi….jpg)

China turns to stranded Australian coal to combat power crunch

Reuters/ABC - 6 October 2021

China is releasing Australian coal from bonded storage, despite a nearly year-long unofficial import ban on the fuel.

It comes as the nation scrambles to ease a power crunch stemming from a coal shortage, according to traders familiar with the matter.

The power crisis in the world's top consumer of coal is due to strong demand from manufacturers, industry and households, which has pushed prices to record highs and triggered widespread curbs.

An estimated 1 million tonnes of Australian coal had stayed in bonded warehouses along China's coast, uncleared by customs, since Beijing's unofficial ban was imposed last October, a trading executive said.

"Some of the Australian coal stuck at Chinese ports started to be released at the end of last month … though many of those [cargo loads] had already been diverted to markets like India," the trader, based in eastern China, said.

A second trader said the release from bonded storage would start this week.

Top economic planner the National Development and Reform Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While China has urged top miners to boost output and told power operators to step up coal imports in "an orderly manner" to ease the supply squeeze, it has refrained from directly resuming imports from Australia, formerly its number two supplier after Indonesia.

However, at 1 million tonnes, or the equivalent of just one day of China's coal imports, the stock's release would do little to quench the market's thirst for coal.

"Without resuming Australian coal imports, the supply shortage will be here to stay for some time, as it takes time to boost domestic production after nearly five years of output curbs," a third Beijing-based trader said.

"I am not optimistic. The shortage will last at least through the fourth quarter and possibly till after February or March, when the heating season ends.

Exports from other key suppliers, such as Russia and Mongolia, had been curtailed by limited rail capacity, while shipments from Indonesia had been hindered by rainy weather, traders said.

That led utility operators such as eastern China's Zhejiang Energy to bring in the first thermal coal imports from Kazakhstan on Monday, following its first imports of US thermal coal in June and July.

China imported 197.69 million tonnes in the first eight months of 2021, down 10 per cent for the year. But August coal imports rose by more than a third on tight domestic supplies.

To ease the supply strain, China State Railway Group pledged on Tuesday to allot more freight capacity to ensure coal inventories were sufficient for 14.4 days of use at 363 power plants with direct rail access, state media said.

Abhinav Gupta, a dry bulk shipping analyst at Braemar ACM Shipbroking in Perth, said his company could confirm the discharge of Australian coal in China.

"Based on our cargo-tracking system, we can see about 420,000 metric tonnes of Australian coal discharging in China in July and August 2021, which was loaded in 2020. In addition, another 55,000 metric tonnes was discharged in July 2021, which was loaded in May 2021," Mr Gupta told the ABC.

However, Mr Gupta said it was unclear how the Australian coal had been used, adding that China was looking at multiple sources overseas.

"It is unclear if it has been sent to warehouses for stockpiling or being released to end users, such as power plants," he said.

"China has been pushing other suppliers to meet its demand. However, there are challenges, such as rains in Indonesia, and Russian coal being more in demand in Europe."

A DFAT spokesperson said clearance of thermal coal of Australian origin through Chinese customs is managed by China and is conducted through private contractual arrangements.

"Australia's coal exporters are competitive and reliable suppliers of high-quality coal to global markets," they said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-06/china-turns-to-stranded-australian-coal-to-combat-power-crun/100518440

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955fa1  No.14737718

>>14737680

How come this little piss ant can travel around the the place. Oh, That't right, he is a Jesuit.

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955fa1  No.14737729

Another one for Camp Gitmo. Piss Ant

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955fa1  No.14737732

>>14731101

Who's paying this asshole??

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955fa1  No.14737738

>>14730973

What are these roaches coming out of the wood work for.

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955fa1  No.14737757

>>14716301

What about the other Marist Brothers colleges. They are sick swamp creatures, I can attest to that.

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955fa1  No.14737803

>>14691650

You should move Dutton. You have a room booked at Gitmo with a New Orange Jump Suit

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955fa1  No.14737812

>>14687516

Great Man. He is here to do a job. Thank you Riccardo Bosi.

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955fa1  No.14737821

>>14684618

There are so many Aussie Scum Bags getting measured for orange jump suits. Have a nice flight. Monkey will tell me when you get their.

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2e5617  No.14737842

File: c1f24da8d1a4c97⋯.jpg (107.38 KB, 1024x738, 512:369, A_person_in_protective_fac….jpg)

>>14404403

Sydney to exit COVID-19 lockdown next week after vaccination rate hits 70%

Renju Jose - OCTOBER 7, 2021

SYDNEY (Reuters) - COVID-19 restrictions will be eased further in Sydney from Monday, authorities said, as Australia’s largest city looks set to exit a nearly four-month lockdown after hitting its 70% full vaccination target.

Fully vaccinated people in New South Wales (NSW) state will be able to leave their homes for any reason including visiting pubs, retail stores, cinemas and gyms, which will reopen under strict social distancing rules.

The number of vaccinated visitors allowed to gather in a home will double to 10, while the limit on vaccinated people at weddings and funerals will be raised to 100. Nightclubs can partially reopen to vaccinated people once inoculations reach 80%, earlier than previously planned, and masks will not be mandatory in offices.

The state will use a vaccination-passport system to ensure those who have not been fully inoculated remain under strict stay-home orders until Dec. 1.

“Vaccination is the key to our freedom and the sacrifices and the effort of people right across NSW have ensured that we can open up as quickly and safely as possible,” state Premier Dominic Perrottet told reporters in Sydney on Thursday.

Sydney and Melbourne, Australia’s largest cities, and the capital Canberra have been in lockdown for several weeks to quell a Delta outbreak which has pushed Australia’s A$2 trillion ($1.5 trillion) economy on the brink of a second recession in as many years.

Authorities in those cities have ditched attempts to eliminate the virus and are now aiming to gradually lift restrictions as vaccination rates in the adult population push through 70%, 80% and 90%.

Australia had stayed largely virus-free for most of this year until a third wave of infections fuelled by the fast-moving Delta spread across its southeast.

Still, its coronavirus numbers are relatively low, with some 120,000 cases and 1,381 deaths. Daily infections in New South Wales fell to the lowest in more than seven weeks at 587 on Thursday, while cases in Victoria rose to 1,638, its second-highest daily rise in infections.

States with very few cases say they will keep their borders closed to NSW and Victoria even after full vaccination levels reach 80%, amid concerns that a precipitous reopening will overwhelm their health systems.

($1 = 1.3734 Australian dollars)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-australia/sydney-to-exit-covid-19-lockdown-next-week-after-vaccination-rate-hits-70-idUSKBN2GX00F

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955fa1  No.14737857

>>14607318

Your Welcome with open arms . Trust I can call you a friend?

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2e5617  No.14737878

File: 62540b9a08f5c7d⋯.jpg (134.79 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, Canberra_s_provocative_act….jpg)

>>14716235

>>14737680

Canberra’s provocative actions over Taiwan may render irreparable damage to China-Australia relations

Chen Hong - Oct 06, 2021

1/2

Is Australia going to have a showdown with China over Taiwan secessionism? There are increasingly worrying signs of further acts of recklessness from Canberra.

On Tuesday, former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott, who in last week voiced his support for the island of Taiwan to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), arrived in Taiwan to bolster Australian relations with the island. One day earlier, the Australian government interfered China's internal affairs by slandering the mainland's air force activities around the island of Taiwan as "incursions" into the so-called air defense zone of the island, remaining in lockstep with Washington. Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton also claimed, back in September, that should China and the United States have a war at the Taiwan Straits, the prospect of Australian military confrontations with the Chinese People's Liberation Army could not be ruled out.

On the other hand, several Taiwan political figures have used Australian media as a platform to campaign for their secessionist agenda. This includes Joseph Wu, an active secessionist in Taiwan. Wu on Monday asked Canberra for military and political support for the island's possible military engagement with the Chinese mainland in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

It is no secret that the anti-China forces in the West have been taking advantage of the media to create an atmosphere of crisis - usually by distorting and falsifying the actual situation - before taking any concrete steps of substance. In terms of the Taiwan question, the Australian media have over recent years been playing up very unsettling factors, hyping up the "China threat" theory, and deliberately misinterpreting the mainland's legitimate sovereignty over the island as "acts of aggression."

Australia obviously will not just stop at such rhetoric. Instead, it will most likely crystalize its words into more specific provocative actions. As it will take at least 10 years, if not longer, to realize the plan to develop nuclear-propelled submarines through the AUKUS pact, Canberra will become another chess piece in Washington's anti-China strategy.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14737882

File: 2b98a51426f0f26⋯.jpg (190.1 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, GT_Voice_Australia_in_over….jpg)

>>14737878

2/2

On the Taiwan question, Australia has been playing the role of a daring vanguard for the US, helping Washington test the regional waters to gauge China's tolerance and test China's responses. Many are worried that Australia might imprudently follow the lead of some European countries to take injudicious actions. After all, Abbott is not visiting Taipei in an official capacity, but should a member of the Australian parliament or even an incumbent cabinet minister visit Taiwan in an official capacity, or should Canberra allow the change of the name of "Taipei Economic and Cultural Office" into something that violates the one-China principle, the bilateral relations between China and Australia would suffer irreparable damages.

After Lithuania allowed the island of Taiwan to open an office in Vilnius under the name of Taiwan, China decided to recall its ambassador to Lithuania and demanded Lithuania to recall its ambassador to China. While the significance of Lithuania's series of incendiary moves has largely exerted symbolic impacts to today's geopolitics, similar acts by Canberra could have more consequential import given its strategic position in the US' Indo-Pacific Strategy which purports to contain China. Australia is a member of the newly formed AUKUS, of the so-called Five Eyes Alliance, and of the Quad, all small but ambitious groupings targeting China and its development in the world.

In addition, the CPTPP is probably one of the key cards for Canberra to play. Australia was among the first countries that clamor positively in support of Taiwan's bid for the partnership. Australia may carry out official and high-level dialogues with Taiwan, which could be manipulated to support and promote the Taiwan secessionism by opening channels of official contact.

Facing the prospect of such reckless challenges to its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, China will definitely take decisive and proportional countermeasures. Australia has been wreaking horrific havoc to the China-Australia relations in the recent several years. In the event that Canberra should take further concrete actions to violate the bottom line of China's national interest, the bilateral relations could face cataclysmic upheaval.

China has zero tolerance for any kind of behavior of any foreign country that crosses the redline to threaten its territorial integrity. Should Australia be so reckless as to challenge China's sovereignty over Taiwan, there is absolutely no room for maneuver or diplomatic solution. Seismic changes could take place in the bilateral relations. This applies to not only Australia, but also any other countries.

The author is president of the Chinese Association of Australian Studies, and professor and director of Australian Studies Centre, East China Normal University. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202110/1235675.shtml

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2e5617  No.14737982

File: 33630c8fb5223b0⋯.jpg (90.23 KB, 960x639, 320:213, Britain_s_Prince_Andrew_sp….jpg)

File: e53bbc602493743⋯.jpg (302.52 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0001.jpg)

File: 564602cd3965b47⋯.pdf (345.59 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, gov_uscourts_nysd_513818_3….pdf)

>>14554611

Prince Andrew can review 2009 Jeffrey Epstein settlement

Jonathan Stempel - October 7, 2021

NEW YORK, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Prince Andrew will have a chance to review a 2009 settlement agreement that he hopes will shield him from a civil lawsuit accusing him of sexually abusing a woman two decades ago, when she was underage.

In an order on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska in Manhattan granted permission for Andrew's lawyers to receive a copy of the confidential agreement between the late financier Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre, the prince's accuser.

Giuffre has also accused Epstein of abuse.

Epstein's estate had agreed to letting the Duke of York, who is also Queen Elizabeth's second son, review the agreement, but court approval was needed.

The prince, 61, has not been charged with crimes, and has "categorically" denied Giuffre's claims against him.

Andrew Brettler, a lawyer for the prince, said in an email he expects to receive the agreement soon from Giuffre's lawyers.

At a hearing last month, Brettler told the judge overseeing Giuffre's lawsuit that he believed the agreement "absolves our client from any and all liability."

Lawyers for Giuffre did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

David Boies, one of the lawyers, said in a court filing last month that he believed the settlement was "irrelevant" to Giuffre's case against Andrew.

Giuffre, 38, accused the prince of forcing her to have sex when she was underage at the London home of Epstein's longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

She also said Andrew abused her at Epstein's mansion in Manhattan, and on Epstein's private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Andrew faces an Oct. 29 deadline to formally respond to Giuffre's lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages.

Epstein, a registered sex offender, killed himself at age 66 in a Manhattan jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to helping recruit and groom underage girls for Epstein to abuse. Her trial in Manhattan is scheduled for Nov. 29.

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/prince-andrew-can-review-2009-jeffrey-epstein-settlement-2021-10-06/

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/14945220/giuffre-v-dershowitz/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.513818/gov.uscourts.nysd.513818.346.0.pdf

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2e5617  No.14738022

File: 4459c8fb7a4af94⋯.jpg (98.21 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Australia_is_emerging_as_a….jpg)

New Australian radar to monitor threats to military and commercial satellites

BEN PACKHAM - OCTOBER 7, 2021

A planned $240m space radar project will guard against threats to commercial and military satellites, giving Australia, its allies and commercial operators the ability to track hundreds of thousands of orbiting objects.

The system, to include the world’s first commercial “deep space” radar, will offer unparalleled space awareness, allowing detection of ”every object, in every orbit, in Australia’s orbital area of interest”.

This includes offensive satellites operated by adversaries, such as China, which could be used to disrupt Western space assets.

LeoLabs, the key proponent of the Aussie Space Radar Project, said building space surveillance systems was “as important as nuclear-powered submarines” to Australia’s security.

“The reality is that our whole economy is space enabled. Our military is space enabled. Our security systems all rely on space,” LeoLabs president Terry van Haren said.

“To lose space services is the biggest initial risk in any conflict.”

LeoLabs tracks about 18,000 space objects in low-earth orbit, including about 3000 satellites, using a New Zealand-based space radar. Its biggest client is the US Space Force.

It has applied for $80m in federal support through the government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative, to help manufacture and install three new radars in Australia’s north.

The system will allow it to measure and track more than 250,000 space objects in low-earth orbit, and maintain “neighbourhood watch” in the Indo-Pacific through its deep-space monitoring of objects in geostationary orbit.

Australia is emerging as a global space industry leader, partnering with NASA on its Artemis mission to return humans to the moon by 2024 and establish a lasting presence there.

NASA administrator Bill Nelson told an American Chamber of Commerce in Australia webinar on Thursday that the US was proud to work with Australia in space, continuing a partnership that went back to the Apollo program.

“We are going back to the moon. We were there before. This time it is to stay and to learn and prepare to go to Mars, with humans, later in the 2030s,” Senator Nelson said.

Australian Space Agency head Enrico Palermo said the Artemis program in particular was vital for the nation, and would help put Australian hardware on the moon.

“It is the flagship program today of the Australian Space Agency, because it signals the enhancement of 60 years of collaboration between our countries in space.

“NASA has publicly stated it wants others to come on the journey.

“We are talking about Australian hardware either on the surface of the moon or in orbit around the moon. This is about hi-tech jobs in Australia.”

Another Australian company, Equatorial Launch, is levering off the nation’s geographic advantage in the proximity of launch sites to the equator.

Launching spacecraft closer to the equator helps to overcome inertia, using the earth’s own spin to get rockets and their payloads into orbit.

Equatorial Launch CEO Carley Scott said this offered a 20 per cent cost saving for commercial satellite operators.

“The ability now for us to demonstrate we have core infrastructure and assets is a really strong point of interest for the American market,” Equatorial Launch CEO Carley Scott said.

“Australia’s unique advantages extend … into its geographic positioning. To say that we have an equatorial spaceport — it is the only equatorial launch-on-demand spaceport in the world, and it is open and available to our strong trading partners. That provides a unique advantage.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/new-australian-radar-to-monitor-threats-to-military-and-commercial-satellites/news-story/3ae8d44b4fb8b7cf4349cd4419ec5c31

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2e5617  No.14738097

File: 54a854b4f750c21⋯.webm (9.78 MB, 640x360, 16:9, OP_footage_blurred.webm)

File: 85cf216e36d5e1c⋯.jpg (109.53 KB, 854x480, 427:240, Image_1.jpg)

Victorian man who preyed on Filipino kids jailed

Gus McCubbing - October 6, 2021

An Australian man who paid an impoverished 13-year-old Filipino girl $38 to perform an indecent act on camera while he recorded the video has been jailed.

Phillip Cooper on Wednesday faced the Victorian County Court, where he was sentenced to a total of four years and one month behind bars.

The 61-year-old had pleaded guilty to five charges, including encouraging sexual intercourse with a child under 16 outside Australia, engaging in sexual activity with a child, and the possession of child abuse material.

Cooper, then based at Barnawartha, about three hours northeast of Melbourne, directed a 13-year-old girl in the Philippines to remove her clothes and sexually touch herself during a 24-minute recorded video conversation in March 2019.

"She told you directly that she was hungry and that her mother was unable to afford the food she wanted," Judge Justin Hannebery said.

"You used her hunger and her poverty as leverage to get a child to engage in sexual activity with you in exchange for 38 dollars.

"There existed a gross power imbalance between you because of your age and relative economic circumstances. You blatantly exploited this situation for your own sexual gratification."

The court heard that this girl was later removed from her family home by Filipino authorities after they discovered her mother's involvement in the offence.

"Phil destroyed my life," she said in a statement.

Cooper has since paid her $40,000 in compensation.

Judge Hannebery said this demonstrated an element of remorse, but would not heal her pain and suffering.

Cooper in October 2019 also sought and received child abuse images from the mother of two girls aged 11 and 12 years old.

This woman also said she needed money for food.

"You have been capable of placing your own sexual gratification above any consideration for the welfare of children," Judge Hannebery told Cooper.

"You appear, at best, indifferent to their circumstances. You were prepared to exploit their hunger and poverty for your own purposes.

"The nature of this offending means wherever there is an internet connection available, an opportunity to offend exists."

Border Force arrested Cooper at Melbourne Airport upon his return from Manila in November 2019.

He told them he went to the Philippines every two weeks and met girls there through social media or online dating websites.

Cooper said he had never had sex with children under 18 years old and knew it was illegal.

"You don't groom children in the Philippines - they groom you," he told police.

"They'll manipulate you, cheat you, pickpocket you … it's prolific. It's quite amazing … a girl in the Philippines will do anything for 30 bucks."

Cooper, now a registered sex offender for life, must serve at least two years and six months behind bars before being eligible for parole.

https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/crime/vic-man-who-preyed-on-filipino-kids-jailed-c-4164509

https://www.afp.gov.au/news-media/media-releases/victorian-man-jailed-child-abuse-offences-after-his-arrest-led-rescue

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2e5617  No.14738120

File: e2cfcabf2227e3b⋯.jpg (99.21 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Taiwanese_President_Tsai_I….jpg)

File: ae2f8ad8bf541e9⋯.jpg (92.29 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Taiwanese_President_Tsai_I….jpg)

>>14737680

>>14737878

Tony Abbott, in Taipei, says it’s time to end Taiwan’s isolation

Eryk Bagshaw - October 7, 2021

Singapore: Former prime minister Tony Abbott has declared he wants to help end Taiwan’s isolation from global affairs, arguing it is time for Australia to stand by the democratic island as it comes under threat from China.

The intervention from Abbott during a meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen at the Presidential Office in Taipei on Thursday, is the strongest endorsement of the island’s position by a former Australian leader.

The Australian government maintains the former Liberal leader is travelling in a private capacity, but Abbott was accompanied by Australia’s top representative in Taiwan, Jenny Bloomfield, to the meeting with Tsai.

Taiwan has been excluded from most international bodies including the World Health Organisation due to China’s objections since the 1970s. No Australian leader or minister has been on an official visit to Taipei for the past five decades. Beijing regards its neighbour as a province of China, despite the Chinese Communist Party never ruling the island.

“Taiwan is in many respects a model for so many countries in this part of the world. Over the past 70 years. Taiwan has transformed from an impoverished dictatorship, into a vibrant, dynamic pluralist democracy. You have demonstrated to all the countries of this region, that it is possible to be rich and free, that it is possible to have liberty and democracy,” Abbott said.

“It is in large measure to try to help end this isolation from which Taiwan has been suffering for so many decades, that I am here in this country.”

China has threatened to take Taiwan by force if necessary. It has set a deadline of 2049, the centenary of the end of the Chinese civil war, to unify with the island but its rising nationalism and growing military power under President Xi Jinping have raised fears that goal could be brought forward.

Beijing has sent more than 100 warplanes towards the Taiwan Strait over the past week, including nuclear-capable bombers and fighter jets to mark China’s National Day last Friday and interrupt Taiwan’s national day preparations for October 10.

“Not everyone and not everywhere is pleased at Taiwan’s progress,” said Abbott. “And I do know that Taiwan is challenged on an almost daily basis by its giant neighbour.”

In a reference to recent conflicts in the Middle East and Asia, Abbott criticised the record of Western governments, including his own.

“In recent times, countries like Australia have over-emphasised fostering democracy in places where it has never taken root, and under-emphasised, protecting democracy in places where it has,” he said. “It’s important that we get the balance right in the future.”

Abbott said it was time for Taiwan to be admitted to one of the world’s largest trading blocs, the Trans-Pacific Partnership. China has also applied for membership as it continues to implement trade sanctions on Australia over multiple diplomatic disputes.

“I can’t think of a stronger signal of democracy standing shoulder to shoulder with Taiwan than Taiwan’s accession to the Trans-Pacific Partnership,” he said. “And I do hope that your application will be welcomed by its existing members.”

Tsai said Abbott’s visit would “certainly facilitate even more cooperation and understanding between Taiwan and Australia”.

“Taiwan is willing to contribute to upholding regional peace and stability,” she said. “We seek to deepen collaboration with other freedom-loving democracies in such areas as vaccines emerging technologies, climate change and supply chains.”

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs is yet to comment on Abbott’s visit to Taiwan but Beijing attempted to scuttle a separate visit by five French senators this week by claiming China “resolutely opposes any official exchanges between countries and China’s Taiwan Area”.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday that Abbott was in Taiwan as a private citizen. “I didn’t have any conversation with him before that”.

Cabinet minister Paul Fletcher said he did not have any problem with Abbott visiting Taiwan.

“While he was prime minister he chaired the National Security Committee of cabinet. If somebody of Tony Abbott’s stature is in Taiwan and engaging with the government I don’t see any issue with that,” he said.

“On the contrary, I see that as a constructive contribution that he is making.”

Abbott will deliver the keynote address at the Yushan Forum in Taipei on Friday.

https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/tony-abbott-in-taipei-says-it-s-time-to-end-taiwan-s-isolation-20211007-p58y4m.html

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2e5617  No.14744427

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

SNEAK PEEK: All The President's Venom

60 Minutes Australia

Oct 8, 2021

What happens when a President goes rogue? SUNDAY on #60Mins, inside Trump's final days in office that had his Generals sweating bullets. But could being a bad loser now make Trump a big winner?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_pG3YdEJ24

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2e5617  No.14744516

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14738120

‘The only drums we beat are for freedom’: Tony Abbott delivers sweeping critique of China in Taiwan address

WILL GLASGOW - OCTOBER 8, 2021

1/2

Former prime minister Tony Abbott has declared “nothing is more pressing right now, than solidarity with Taiwan” in an extraordinary speech in Taipei that follows the profound breakdown in Australia’s relationship with Beijing.

In a keynote address delivered in person on Friday to an audience including Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen, Mr Abbott delivered the most stinging critique of the People’s Republic of China by a former Australian prime minister since diplomatic relations were established between Canberra and Beijing more than 50 years ago.

“Two years back I hesitated to attend this conference lest that provoke China,” the former Prime Minister conceded, before outlining the reasons for his total reassessment of President Xi Jinping’s China.

“Since then, Beijing has torn-up the ‘one country, two systems’ treaty on Hong Kong; put upwards of a million Uighurs into concentration camps; boosted cyber spying on its own citizens; cancelled popular personalities in favour of a cult of the new red emperor; brutalised Indian soldiers in the Himalayas; coerced other claimants in its eastern seas; and flown evermore intimidatory sorties against Taiwan,” Abbott told the Yushan Forum.

“It’s weaponised trade, especially against Australia, with our barley, wine and coal exports all stopped on spurious safety grounds, and its embassy has published 14 demands – essentially that we become a tributary state – that no self-respecting country could accept,” he said.

The trigger for those sanctions on Australian exports previously worth more than $20 billion a year, he explained, was the Morrison government called for an inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus.

“So this year, I’m here, having concluded that China’s belligerence is all self-generated,” he told an audience at that included Taiwan’s foreign minister Joseph Wu and senior Taiwanese security officials.

Mr Abbott is the second former Australian prime minister to address the annual conference, which is aimed at strengthening Taiwan’s relations in the increasingly contested region.

His successor Malcolm Turnbull delivered a keynote address online at last year’s conference, another sign of the wariness across much Australia’s political establishment towards Beijing.

Despite their strained relationship, Mr Turnbull backed Abbott’s high profile visit to Taipei.

“He’s entitled to go there,” Mr Turnbull told the ABC.

“I spoke at exactly the same forum last year, and would have gone there again had it not been for Covid.”

Japan’s former prime minister Shinzo Abe was also scheduled to attend this year’s event, but in a message read out at the conference said he was unable to attend because of quarantine restrictions.

On Friday, President Tsai — who Abbott met on Thursday with Australia’s most senior official in Taiwan, Jenny Bloomfield — thanked the former PM for “for coming all the way from Australia to join us this year”.

“You and your country’s consistent effort to defend democracy, its values and [the] rules based international order while resisting coercion from authoritarian countries is truly courageous and admirable,” she said.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14744530

File: 6cc9564686781f5⋯.jpg (77.67 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Tony_Abbott_speaking_in_Ta….jpg)

>>14744516

2/2

In his address, Mr Abbott noted his government had supported China’s rise, signing a free-trade agreement and joining a Chinese-led Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank.

“I thought that would help to give China a stake in a rules-based global order,” he said.

Mr Abbott repeated — with a slight rhetorical flourish — a sentiment expressed many times by the Morrison government.

“Australia has no issue with China. We welcome trade, investment and visits, just not further hectoring about being the chewing gum on China’s boot,” he said.

He noted recent comments from a Beijing-affiliated professor who argued that Australia’s deal to secure nuclear powered submarines from its allies the United States and the United Kingdom would make it a “target for a possible nuclear war”.

“So if the ‘drums of war’ can be heard in our region, as an official of ours has noted, it’s not Australia that’s beating them,” Mr Abbott said.

“The only drums we beat are for justice and freedom – freedom for all people, in China and in Taiwan, to make their own decisions about their lives and their futures,” he said.

Taiwan’s defence minister this week warned that military tensions with China were at their “most serious” in more than 40 years, and said Beijing would have the capability to launch a “full scale” invasion by 2025.

The Wall Street Journal on Friday reported that a U.S. special-operations unit and a contingent of Marines have been secretly operating in Taiwan to train military forces to shore up the island’s defences as concern mounts about China’s rising risk threshold.

Abbott noted the increased co-ordination among Australia’s allies and partners, concerned about Beijing’s rising tempo of military operations in the region.

“It’s Beijing that’s created the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue – linking the United States, Japan, India and Australia – because it’s been so unreasonable; and the more aggressive it becomes, the more opponents it will have,” he said.

He said internal drivers in China were driving its heightened aggression, which made it “quite possible that Beijing could lash out disastrously very soon”.

“Our challenge is to try to ensure that the unthinkable remains unlikely; and that the possible doesn’t become the probable,” he said.

“That’s why Taiwan’s friends are so important now — to stress that Taiwan’s future should be decided by its own people; and to let Beijing know that any attempt at coercion would have incalculable consequences.”

The Biden administration this week said America’s commitment to Taiwan was “rock solid”, after Beijing flew almost 150 fighter jets near Taiwan.

“I don’t think America could stand by and watch Taiwan swallowed up,” Mr Abbott said.

“I don’t think Australia should be indifferent to the fate of a fellow democracy of almost 25 million people.”

Mr Abbott said “Taiwan will be the test” as to whether Xi’s China could rebuild trust with much of the international community.

He said the democratic world needed “to support this fellow democracy”, including by welcoming Taiwan into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

He added that Beijing’s application to join the giant pact could never be admitted while it “engaged in a trade war with Australia and in predatory trade all-round”.

“Nothing is more pressing right now, than solidarity with Taiwan, if we want a better world,” he said.

“Hence my enthusiastic presence here today, to stand with this island that’s brave and free.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/the-only-drums-we-beat-are-for-freedom-tony-abbott-delivers-sweeping-critique-of-china-in-taiwan-address/news-story/d70b0776693b7944e87357fa38e0cf9b

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV5K_sop5hM

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2e5617  No.14744543

File: ce50233f5f88bca⋯.jpg (119.76 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Former_PM_Tony_Abbott_offe….jpg)

>>14744516

Why solidarity with Taiwan is so important for a better world

TONY ABBOTT - OCTOBER 8, 2021

1/2

Two years back I hesitated to attend this conference lest that provoke China. But since then, Beijing has torn-up the “one country, two systems” treaty on Hong Kong; put upwards of a million Uighurs into concentration camps; boosted cyber spying on its own citizens; cancelled popular personalities in favour of a cult of the new red emperor; brutalised Indian soldiers in the Himalayas; coerced other claimants in its eastern seas; and flown evermore intimidatory sorties against Taiwan.

It’s weaponised trade, especially against Australia, with our barley, wine and coal exports all stopped on spurious safety grounds, and its embassy has published 14 demands – essentially that we become a tributary state – that no self respecting country could accept.

The trigger was politely seeking an impartial inquiry into the origins of the Wuhan virus.

So this year, I’m here, having concluded that China’s belligerence is all self-generated. But things weren’t always this bad; and even now, need not go from bad to worse. The Chinese economic miracle has lifted half a billion people from the third world to the middle class in scarcely a generation – probably the greatest and fastest advance in human wellbeing in all history – as Deng Xiaoping and his successors made room for the commercial instincts of the Chinese people.

The whole world has benefited from China’s productivity, including Australia, which supplied the iron ore, coal and gas to help make it happen.

My government finalised China’s first free trade deal with another G20 country, in part, because we thought that would help to build trust between China and the democracies.

As prime minister, I was prepared to join the Chinese-led Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank because I thought that would help to give China a stake in a rules-based global order. For Beijing, surely there’s a lesson here: the more freedom its people have, the better they’ve done; and the more respect China has gained. Be a friend, that experience shows, and you’ll have friends; be a bully, and you’ll only have clients, who can’t wait to escape.

Much has changed in just six years, but it’s not Australia’s goodwill towards the people of China, about a million of whom are now Australians and making a fine contribution to our country.

Australia has no issue with China. We welcome trade, investment and visits, just not further hectoring about being the chewing gum on China’s boot.

A fortnight back, Professor Victor Gao, a senior Beijing analyst and former translator for President Deng Xiaoping, directly threatened Australians: “do you want to be a target for a possible nuclear war?” he said, in response to our decision to acquire nuclear powered (but not armed) submarines.

So if the “drums of war” can be heard in our region, as an official of ours has noted, it’s not Australia that’s beating them. The only drums we beat are for justice and freedom – freedom for all people, in China and in Taiwan, to make their own decisions about their lives and their futures.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14744547

File: d67ccb8ecf68416⋯.jpg (162.86 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Tony_Abbott_says_Australia….jpg)

>>14744543

2/2

But that’s not how China sees it, as its growing belligerence to Taiwan shows. Sensing that its relative power might have peaked, with its population ageing, its economy slowing, and its finances creaking, it’s quite possible that Beijing could lash out disastrously very soon. Our challenge is to try to ensure that the unthinkable remains unlikely; and that the possible doesn’t become the probable. That’s why Taiwan’s friends are so important now: to stress that Taiwan’s future should be decided by its own people; and to let Beijing know that any attempt at coercion would have incalculable consequences.

This is not the world’s only potential flashpoint: there’s Israel, never-not under existential threat; and the Ukraine, menaced by the new tsar; but nowhere is the struggle between liberty and tyranny more stark than across the Taiwan Strait.

In seven decades, Taiwan has grown from an impoverished dictatorship to a prosperous democracy. For a long time, in Taiwan, as in China, there was thought to be a trade-off between liberty and prosperity, with people having to sacrifice their freedom for their wealth. For a long time, it was assumed that no dictatorship could evolve without mayhem.

Yet Taiwan proves that authoritarian governments can liberalise; and do so without sacrificing prosperity or unleashing anarchy. Economic growth since 1990 has averaged 5 per cent; and Taiwanese are now the 15th richest people in the world in purchasing power terms.

This is simply a stellar performance: prosperity plus freedom, a model that the whole world should admire, not isolate. It’s to the vast credit of successive Taiwanese leaders that power was steadily dispersed, in a peaceful, orderly way; and to the credit of the Taiwanese people that they’ve used their freedoms responsibly to build an even richer, stronger island.

As things stand, how could Taiwanese people ever want to exchange their current lives for an alternative that’s poorer and less free?

Why would they want to get caught up in the old arguments about who is the “real” China? Especially as China, meanwhile, has taken a wrong turn. Maybe the Deng-era market freedom, was a short-term device to strengthen the country; a tactic, like “hide and bide”.

But China’s leaders should have thought more deeply about this, because dropping the ruse, has just united others against them. It’s Beijing that’s created the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue – linking the United States, Japan, India and Australia – because it’s been so unreasonable; and the more aggressive it becomes, the more opponents it will have.

At our recent ministerial summit, both Australia and the United States “stated their intent to strengthen ties with Taiwan” which we both declared “is a leading democracy and critical partner for both countries”.

The State Department has just affirmed that the US commitment to Taiwan is “rock solid”. I don’t think America could stand by and watch Taiwan swallowed up. I don’t think Australia should be indifferent to the fate of a fellow democracy of almost 25 million people.

The US Secretary of State put it well, earlier, when he said of China: that America would be competitive when it should be, collaborative when it can be, and adversarial when it must be. Provided it’s real, collaboration is still possible and trust could yet be rebuilt.

But Taiwan will be the test.

For the democratic world, that means a readiness to support this fellow democracy, including by welcoming Taiwan into the Trans-Pacific Partnership. And for China too, which can hardly succeed while it mistreats its own people and threatens its neighbours, that means scaling back the aggression, as it could never be admitted to the TPP while engaged in a trade war with Australia, and in predatory trade all-round.

Nothing is more pressing right now, than solidarity with Taiwan, if we want a better world; hence my enthusiastic presence here today, to stand with this island that’s brave and free.

Tony Abbott is a former prime minister of Australia. This is the full speech he delivered at the Yushan Forum in Taipei on Friday.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/why-solidarity-with-taiwan-is-so-important-for-a-better-world/news-story/704db934edc4ee2e0d6807eb27daa39a

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2e5617  No.14744564

File: 8b3c24e9fdb62fc⋯.jpg (105.55 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, A_Taiwanese_soldier_sittin….jpg)

File: f4eec053befe562⋯.jpg (152.17 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, US_Air_Force_B_52H_long_ra….jpg)

File: 9028ff966c7c145⋯.jpg (158 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Chinese_J_15_fighter_jets_….jpg)

>>14716235

U.S. troops have been deployed in Taiwan for at least a year

GORDON LUBOLD - OCTOBER 8, 2021

1/2

A U.S. special-operations unit and a contingent of Marines have been secretly operating in Taiwan to train military forces there, U.S. officials said, part of efforts to shore up the island’s defenses as concern regarding potential Chinese aggression mounts.

About two dozen members of U.S. special-operations and support troops are conducting training for small units of Taiwan’s ground forces, the officials said. The U.S. Marines are working with local maritime forces on small-boat training. The American forces have been operating in Taiwan for at least a year, the officials said.

The U.S. special-operations deployment is a sign of concern within the Pentagon over Taiwan’s tactical capabilities in light of Beijing’s yearslong military build-up and recent threatening moves against the island.

Taiwan and U.S. officials have expressed alarm over nearly 150 flights near Taiwan in the past week by Chinese military aircraft. The Chinese aircraft have included J-16 jet fighters, H-6 strategic bombers and Y-8 submarine-spotting aircraft and have set a record for such sorties, according to the Taiwan government.

The Chinese flights, while not entering the area Taiwan defines as its airspace, have been a reminder of the Communist Party’s view of Taiwan as a part of China. Beijing has vowed to take control of the island by force if necessary. Top U.S. military officials testified earlier this year that Beijing is likely to try to use force in its designs on Taiwan within the next six years. Other officials have said China’s timeline could be sooner than that.

Taiwan’s defense minister, Chiu Kuo-cheng, warned Wednesday that China would be able to launch a full-scale attack on Taiwan with minimal losses by 2025.

White House and Pentagon officials declined to comment on the deployment of the U.S. military force. There was no immediate response to requests for comment from Taipei. The deployment is rotational, the U.S. officials said, meaning that members of the U.S. units serve on a variable schedule.

China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it urged the U.S. to adhere to prior agreements and to cease military aid to Taiwan. “China will take all necessary steps to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” it said.

Asian media reports last year suggesting a possible U.S. Marine deployment in Taiwan were never confirmed by U.S. officials. The presence of U.S. special operations forces hasn’t been previously reported.

The special-operations unit and the Marine contingent are a small but symbolic effort by the U.S. to increase Taipei’s confidence in building its defenses against potential Chinese aggression. Current and former U.S. government officials and military experts believe that deepening ties between U.S. and Taiwan military units is better than simply selling Taiwan military equipment.

The U.S. has sold Taiwan billions of dollars of military hardware in recent years, but current and former officials believe Taiwan must begin to invest in its defense more heavily, and smartly.

“Taiwan badly neglected its national defense for the first 15 years or so of this century, buying too much expensive equipment that will get destroyed in the first hours of a conflict, and too little in the way of cheaper but lethal systems — antiship missiles, smart sea mines and well-trained reserve and auxiliary forces — that could seriously complicate Beijing’s war plans,” said Matt Pottinger, a distinguished visiting fellow at Stanford University’s conservative Hoover Institution who served as a deputy national security adviser during the Trump administration.

Mr. Pottinger said Taiwan’s overall military spending was similar to that of Singapore, which has a quarter of Taiwan’s population and “doesn’t have China breathing down its neck.” Mr. Pottinger said he was unaware of any American troop deployment to Taiwan.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14744566

File: 9eb4746eb2d274e⋯.jpg (277.7 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, A_Chinese_PLA_Navy_fleet_w….jpg)

File: 633a2a5120d9c57⋯.jpg (81.79 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, F_16_jet_fighters_during_a….jpg)

>>14744564

2/2

In May, Christopher Maier, who later became assistant secretary of defense for special operations, told the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing that the U.S. should be considering strongly such a deployment of forces to help Taiwan strengthen its capabilities. Mr. Maier, who worked at the Pentagon under the Trump administration, didn’t say that special-operations forces already were operating there.

Mr. Maier told senators in May that American special-operations units could show forces in Taiwan how to defend against an amphibious landing or train for dozens of other operations needed to defend the island.

“I do think that is something that we should be considering strongly as we think about competition across the span of different capabilities we can apply,” he said then, referring to special-operations units.

While some aspects of the U.S. deployment might be classified, it is also considered politically sensitive given the tense relations between the U.S. and China, according to U.S. officials.

U.S.-China ties are strained over trade, the Covid-19 pandemic, human rights and regional security, including in the South China Sea. National-security adviser Jake Sullivan met in Zurich on Wednesday with Yang Jiechi, China’s top diplomat.

China is likely to view the presence of the U.S. military forces as a violation of commitments made by Washington in past agreements. In one establishing formal relations between the U.S. and China in 1979, Washington agreed to sever formal ties with Taiwan, terminate a defense agreement and withdraw its forces from the island. The U.S. later said it would reduce arms sales to Taiwan.

A Pentagon spokesman pointed to the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act passed by Congress and said that law provides for assessments of Taiwan’s defense needs and the threat posed by the People’s Republic of China, or PRC.

“I would note the PRC has stepped up efforts to intimidate and pressure Taiwan, including increasing military activities conducted in the vicinity of Taiwan, which we believe are destabilizing and increase the risk of miscalculation,” the spokesman, John Supple, said in a statement.

The Trump administration loosened rules that restricted contacts with Taiwan by U.S. officials, in a move that was applauded at the time by Taiwan officials. The restrictions limited U.S.-Taiwan exchanges to avoid provoking China.

The Biden administration has continued with some of its predecessor’s moves, sending a U.S. delegation to Taipei in April.

Before leaving office, the Trump administration declassified the U.S. Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific, a 10-page document broadly outlining objectives for the region.

A section on Taiwan says that China will take “increasingly assertive steps to compel unification with Taiwan” and recommends that the U.S. “enable Taiwan to develop an effective asymmetric defense strategy and capabilities that will help ensure its security, freedom from coercion, resilience and ability to engage China on its own terms.”

The strategy also calls for a “combat-credible” U.S. military presence to prevent Chinese dominance in the area that includes Taiwan.

The document hasn’t been supplanted by a new Biden administration strategy, nor is it technically being implemented. Biden administration officials have acknowledged that there are areas of continuity between the two administrations on China policies.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/the-wall-street-journal/us-troops-have-been-deployed-in-taiwan-for-at-least-a-year/news-story/e5ff78e838a741232208b5d53fb178ea

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2e5617  No.14744625

File: aaf9f5641956631⋯.jpg (87.5 KB, 862x485, 862:485, Jean_Pierre_Thebault_will_….jpg)

>>14605002

>>14606882

French ambassador criticises 'childish' Australia before return to Canberra, says trust issues go beyond scrapped submarine deal

Henry Belot and Matthew Doran - 8 October 2021

France's ambassador to Australia warns it remains to be seen whether the two governments are friends and has accused the federal government of being "childish".

Jean-Pierre Thebault was recalled to Paris last month after Australia cancelled a $90-billion deal to build a fleet of submarines, opting instead to partner with the US and the UK.

Mr Thebault told the ABC that he was being sent back to Canberra with clear instructions to re-evaluate the diplomatic relationship, which he described as at a crisis point.

"I have to revise everything because when we were talking about the importance of something and then we discover those words were empty — then what was true? What is still real?" he said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has acknowledged France's disappointment over the termination of the contract and said he was looking forward to getting through a difficult period.

But Mr Thebault said it was "childish to say that it was impossible to consult France" before the announcement of the new security pact with the US and the UK.

"If you don't want to take my word, OK. Take the words of [US] President [Joe] Biden. Take the word of Secretary of State Blinken," Mr Thebault said.

"They have officially said things should've been done differently. There should have been consultations. So, if the US is able to recognise that, why not others?"

French President Emmanuel Macron has not returned Mr Morrison's calls and Trade Minister Dan Tehan has had some in-person meetings cancelled during his visit to Paris this week.

Mr Thebault argued the security ties between Australia and France were strong enough for his government to have been brought into the fold earlier.

"Are you aware of the depth and extent of secret things we are exchanging on the current basis with Australia?" Mr Thebault said.

"Things as important as international terrorism, many military issues."

He argued France was regularly treated as a partner to the Five Eyes intelligence grouping of Australia, the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand.

Mr Thebault believed the concerns about trust between the two nations went beyond ripping up the submarine contract, and Australia needed to prove it would not act in such a manner in the future.

"This is very serious," he said.

"We want to build for the future, we need to look at everything.

"We need to be sure that what we build is solid, and won't be put into question once again."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-08/french-ambassador-criticises-childish-australia-before-return/100523022

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2e5617  No.14744723

File: 1c32f3db7052c86⋯.jpg (432.63 KB, 825x960, 55:64, MOFA_ROCT_3.jpg)

File: 2839455c2f7e0b6⋯.jpg (128.96 KB, 1024x769, 1024:769, FBEZyXGVEAUi0wd.jpg)

>>14716235

>>14744516

Taiwanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu Tweet

Good mate @HonTonyAbbott knows I have a kangaroo in my heart. JW

https://twitter.com/MOFA_Taiwan/status/1445965311354671104

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2e5617  No.14748834

File: 9b1bd5b3e24a47e⋯.jpg (372.73 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, Two_Su_35_fighter_jets_and….jpg)

>>14744564

US’ revelation of troops in Taiwan will only hasten cross-Straits war: Global Times editorial

Global Times - Oct 08, 2021

1/2

The Wall Street Journal's Thursday report that about two dozen members of US special operations and support troops "secretly operating in Taiwan to train military forces there" for at least a year has attracted extensive attention. Both the Pentagon and Taipei declined to comment on the report, but since the US has exposed the news through anonymous officials, it has taken a step forward to undermine, from covertly to semi-overtly, the key conditions for the establishment of diplomatic relations between Chinese mainland and the US.

The US dispatching military personnel to the island of Taiwan is a very severe matter. The US, out of the need for providing after-sales training to Taiwan's military forces, had also sent military personnel to the island in the past, but it did so quietly. The US now attempts to send a strong signal to Chinese mainland by semi-publicizing such operations. It has chosen a sensitive time: Aircraft from the mainland conducted large-scale exercises near the island of Taiwan during the National Day holidays and caused a sensation, while high-level Chinese and US officials just met in Zurich and reached a certain consensus on alleviating bilateral relations.

The US wants to get on the mainland's nerves. This is a consistent tactic of Washington. The mainland must respond to the US' new provocations to make both Washington and the island of Taiwan fully realize the severity of their collusion. Otherwise, in the next step, US military staff may show up in Taiwan island, publicly wearing uniforms and their number may increase from dozens to hundreds or even more to form a de facto US garrison in the island. We must let them know they are playing with fire to provoke a war and the consequences their acts will bring are unbearable to both the US and Taiwan island.

The US and Taiwan island are most worried that the mainland is completing its military preparations for attacking Taiwan and is likely to resolve the Taiwan question by force or force Taiwan authorities to surrender in a few years or even a shorter period of time. Then we must clearly tell them that any act to strengthen the US-Taiwan collusion will further reinforce the mainland's resolve to realize reunification by force. It will also accelerate overall preparations for military actions and lead the critical moment to come earlier.

Second, we must resolutely define the deployment of US troops in Taiwan as an "invasion." The mainland has the right to carry out military strikes against them at any time. We will not make any promises over their safety. Once a war breaks out in the Taiwan Straits, those US military personnel will be the first to be eliminated. Through such a declaration, we must make Washington understand that it is playing a dangerous game that is destined to draw fire onto itself and it is risking the lives of young US soldiers.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14748837

File: 889aa1cd7caeb30⋯.jpg (139.37 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, US_troops_secret_presence_….jpg)

>>14748834

2/2

Third, the mainland has the initiative to decide the timetable of when to take military strikes and the country will make overall decisions. Domestic cohesion and the public's high trust in the country are of critical importance. We must make the US and Taiwan island have a deep sense of crisis for the future and let them understand the rhythm of the cross-Straits situation is not decided by their plot. We won't dance to their tune but will crush their tricks with strategic aggressiveness.

The struggle across the Taiwan Straits is about a process, but is more about a result. The result is: The island will finally return to the embrace of the motherland. Both the US and Democratic Progressive Party authorities have had an increasing sense of urgency. This is determined jointly by the mainland's strength and will.

China is a nuclear power. US Strategic Command chief Charles Richard described our nuclear deterrence capabilities as "breathtaking." The absolute military advantage that the mainland has formed over Taiwan is sufficient to enable the former to take over the latter in one strike. If the US military participates in the war, it will be severely hit by the People's Liberation Army and suffer unbearable losses. As China's economic scale continues to approach that of the US, the so-called US sanctions have been unable to deter China. Resolving the Taiwan question through military means has become an increasingly realistic option.

As long as the mainland can realize its sustainable development and national unity in the game with the US and Taiwan island, it will prove the two's miscalculations. As the game cannot change the fundamental process of the mainland's rise, it will only make it easier and less costly for the mainland to realize reunification by force, thus strengthening the mainland's resolve. The whole process will make the US and Taiwan island desperate.

The US wants to strengthen Taiwan island's self-defense capabilities and increase its confidence in resisting the PLA through training the island's military forces. It's only wishful thinking. The US military had fully equipped and trained the Afghan government forces, but the army they built couldn't withstand even a single blow. The example of the Vietnam War also proves that US equipment and training have never been able to bolster the army's will to fight.

The secessionist authority in Taiwan overestimated itself, claiming to act as an outpost of the US to contain the mainland. But once the PLA launches a general offensive against the authorities on the other side of the Taiwan Straits, or even it issues an ultimatum before launching the attack, the world will see how weak and coward the Taiwan secessionists are.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202110/1235814.shtml

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2e5617  No.14748965

File: 02c835f6704f777⋯.jpg (174.41 KB, 1440x1080, 4:3, David_Boies.jpg)

>>14554611

>>14563683

The man Prince Andrew fears

He’s an 80-year-old US lawyer with the Queen’s favourite son in his sights. Who is David Boies and why is he so feared?

WILL PAVIA - October 8, 2021

1/4

David Boies is tall and rangy and in 50 years he has built a reputation as a masterful litigator who destroys opponents on the witness stand. When he rose to question a former commander of US forces in Vietnam during a libel trial, reporters in the gallery were said to have hummed the theme from Jaws. They weren’t humming for the general. His humiliating cross-­examination of Bill Gates almost led to the dissolution of Microsoft; a few years later, a pioneering case he fought and won in California helped pave the way for marriage equality in the US. In the commercial world, he became known as a lawyer who could save your company: nine times he has secured settlements of more than $1 billion.

More recently he has been muddied by controversies related to his work for Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced movie mogul, and for Elizabeth Holmes, founder of the blood-testing start-up Theranos, who is now on trial for fraud. Boies was accused of threatening people and of adopting underhand tactics. He disputes this, though it only burnished his reputation for ruthlessness in a fight. This is the 80-year-old lawyer who is leading the case against Prince Andrew. “I really don’t view this as taking on the royal family,” he tells me.

We’re at the US Open, perched above an outer court at Flushing Meadows. It is three days before the first pre-trial hearing in the case of Virginia L Giuffre v Prince Andrew, Duke of York. Boies filed this lawsuit in New York in August, accusing the duke of sexually abusing Giuffre on three occasions, including once at his friend Jeffrey Epstein’s mansion in Manhattan, when she was 17 and not yet an adult under New York law. The duke sexually abused Giuffre “when she was a frightened, vulnerable child with no one there to protect her”, the suit said. “It is long past the time for him to be held to account.” The duke denies the allegations.

“I view this as taking on one particular person who engaged in conduct that I am sure the royal family privately disapproves of, as much as anybody else,” Boies says. “Now when it’s a member of your family it’s always hard, I know. I sympathise very much with the Queen, in the same sense that I sympathise with any mother whose child ends up in the kind of trouble Prince Andrew’s had.”

Andrew is meant to be her favourite, I say. He nods. “Makes it harder,” he replies, his eyes trained on the players beneath us. You might wonder what we’re doing at the tennis. Boies’ clients probably wonder this too, occasionally. This is a man who can bill $1950 an hour. But he’s also a huge fan. He’s nearly always here during the tournament, even if he has a major case coming up. There’s always a worry that one of his clients, watching the tennis on television, will spot him in the crowd and ask, “Why aren’t you working on my case?” he says.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14748975

File: 6463c1b76934c4f⋯.jpg (220.16 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, David_Boies_with_his_clien….jpg)

>>14748965

2/4

The first time I speak to him about the Giuffre case, he’s aboard his yacht. Now, at the US Open, he’s wearing a baseball cap bearing the initials of the firm he founded, Boies Schiller ­Flexner. I tell him I’ll leave the big questions of life and death until we are sitting down somewhere and he nods. “Wait till we’ve had a drink,” he says.

As we watch the game, we talk in low voices. He was on the phone on the way here, he murmurs, supervising the filing of a report to the judge on efforts to serve the duke with the lawsuit and a summons. “The popular image of chasing Andrew down horse paths to throw the papers at him is a little bit of a misconception,” he says. But his firm did dispatch a corporate investigator who pitched up with the papers at the Royal Lodge in Windsor. The security team had been instructed “not to allow anyone onto the property” to serve court papers, the investigator said in an affidavit. Though eventually they gave him a number for Gary ­Bloxsome, who was said to be the duke’s solicitor, so he could call and leave a message. Bloxsome wrote to a senior judge in London complaining about this and advancing an argument as to why the duke might be shielded from any liability in the case, while at the same time maintaining he was not actually representing the duke. “It’s too clever by half,” Boies says. “This idea that everyone says, ‘I’m his lawyer, here’s some arguments, but I’m not his lawyer in this case, you understand.’”

I ask if he thinks Andrew’s lawyers will show up at the first hearing. “It’s almost never a good idea not to show up. That’s one thing that lawsuits and tennis have in common. It’s easier to win a game if you’re there returning the ball.” Someone did turn up to act for the duke. Andrew B. Brettler, a Hollywood lawyer who has previously represented disgraced actor Armie Hammer, attended the hearing and said he had “significant concerns” about the lawsuit. A few days later, London’s Judicial Office announced that “lawyers for Prince Andrew have indicated that they may seek to challenge the decision of the High Court to recognise the validity” of Boies’ summons. The duke, Boies says, has been acting like an ostrich and putting his head in the sand. “He really can’t hide from this.”

Boies grew up in a farming town in Illinois, the oldest of five kids. At school he struggled to read. “I think I displayed aspects that indicated that I wasn’t stupid,” he says. “I didn’t read at all until the third grade, but I could listen. I could reason. I actually did pretty well in school, just by listening to what people said.” Decades later, when one of his children was struggling to read, a clinician insisted on testing Boies too and found he was dyslexic.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14748984

File: 9882d4f7721a181⋯.jpg (107.27 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Boies_and_his_wife_Mary_wi….jpg)

>>14748975

3/4

The writer Malcolm Gladwell uses Boies’ legal career in his book David and Goliath to argue that in some cases dyslexia can prime a child for success, even in a profession that involves mountains of reading. Boies was forced to develop a phenomenal memory, to listen intently to what people were saying and to think on his feet. He told ­Gladwell that “learning by listening and asking questions means that I need to simplify issues to their basics and that is very powerful, because in trial cases [with] judges and jurors, ­neither of them have the ability to become an expert in a subject”.

Boies faced Bill Gates in the late ’90s, when the Justice Department hired him to lead their lawsuit against Microsoft, accusing the company of rigging its operating system to make it harder for competitors who wanted to provide web-browsing services. Gates seemed “a powerful enemy” and potentially “a very dangerous witness”, he says. “I met with him before we sued and he was a brilliant advocate for his position, articulate, organised. And when I took his deposition that’s what I thought I would be facing.” But, “He just tried to play word games, essentially, and you can’t get away with that,” he says. “He just gave me a lot of opportunities.” Tapes of the deposition were played, to devastating effect, at the trial. They were later made public. Gates complained Boies was “out to destroy Microsoft” and if so he almost managed it. The court ordered that Microsoft be broken up into separate companies, though the company was kept intact by an appeals court and the Bush administration.

Boies had the reputation, by now, of a living, breathing Atticus Finch. He represented Al Gore in Florida and before the Supreme Court in the bitter aftermath of the disputed 2000 election – 32 days working “night and day”, he says. Florida’s Supreme Court upheld the recount, then the US Supreme Court stopped it in what Boies regards as “one of the four or five worst decisions” it has made.

I ask about Weinstein. Before investigative ­stories appeared in October 2017, he says, “I don’t think anybody was aware of credible allegations that there had been forcible sexual abuse”. The New Yorker revealed that Boies, acting for ­Weinstein, had months earlier signed a contract with an Israeli company called Black Cube, directing its corporate intelligence operatives to uncover information that would halt the publication of negative stories about him. Boies says he signed the contract because there had been a dispute between Weinstein and Black Cube he had to help resolve. He then had to draw up a new one. “The contract I signed was simply to investigate charges that were being made by a woman that Weinstein emphatically denied,” Boies says. “Our first job was to try to find out what she was saying. There is a certain hypocrisy about hiring private detectives… The New York Times hires private detectives in their defamation lawsuits.” Boies was well placed to know this because it so happened he was also representing The New York Times. He was promptly fired. “They were very cross,” he says. He thinks they took the view “that only they should be able to hire private investigators… [But] if you are a lawyer representing a client, it’s malpractice not to find out what the facts are and to try to find out the best evidence that can support your client.”

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14748991

File: a553d7cc4034dbe⋯.jpg (258.84 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Prince_Andrew_acknowledges….jpg)

>>14748984

4/4

As for Elizabeth Holmes and her pin-prick blood-testing start-up, he found her very convincing, although, “It was not so much her as the ­people around her. You had the chairman of the Stanford chemical engineering department… top doctors and clinicians and academics.” They all seemed convinced too. After an investigative piece in The Wall Street Journal suggested her technology wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, Boies called for it to be independently tested. “There were several times when I was promised it was being done,” although it kept being delayed, he says. It has been pointed out that during this period, and before Boies cut his ties with her, Holmes was one of the guests at his 75th birthday party in Las Vegas. She even gave a toast. “I had a lot of clients that were there,” he says. “A lot of people gave toasts.”

Some people have suggested Boies’ work for Virginia Giuffre is part of an effort to restore his reputation, though, in fairness, he took her on in 2014. She had lawyers already, but “I think they realised she was going to come in for a lot of attacks”, he says. “She would really need a firm with a lot of resources.” Giuffre, an Australian ­resident who resides in Queensland, accused Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein of trafficking her to Prince Andrew. When Maxwell denied the claims and called ­Giuffre a liar, they sued for defamation. “Ultimately we had a very successful recovery against Ms Maxwell, financially,” he says. “Even more important, I think, in the larger scheme of things, we built an evidentiary record of the sex trafficking that, while it was sealed, it was something that was available to be unsealed by the government or… by the press.”

Eventually, Maxwell’s depositions in that case would be used against her as part of the criminal prosecution that now has her languishing in a Brooklyn jail, awaiting trial in November – a fact that must give Prince Andrew pause when he contemplates having to be deposed himself. Boies says this could probably be done in London; tapes of it could then be used as evidence in court, if it comes to that. Or the duke could try to settle the suit.

His chances of avoiding it entirely look slim. After the first hearing when Brettler, the duke’s lawyer, argued that the papers had not been properly served, Boies fired back with a memorandum, saying the process of serving a defendant was not supposed to be “a game of hide and seek behind palace walls”. Lewis Kaplan, the judge in New York, then ordered that the lawsuit could simply be sent to Brettler.

The duke’s lawyers also say Giuffre may have signed away her right to sue the Prince in a 2009 settlement with Epstein, which they are seeking to have unsealed. “It’s irrelevant,” Boies says. “It had to do with Epstein and certain people he did certain things with in Florida. Because it’s confidential I can’t really go into the terms of it, but… it doesn’t protect Prince Andrew.” It’s now been confirmed that court papers were served on September 21 and the duke has until October 29 to respond.

I ask Boies what he made of the duke’s infamous interview on Newsnight. “It was inexplicable to me why his advisers would permit him to do it,” he says. “The interview simply drew more attention to him and… the fact that he had no credible explanation. In addition, it put on display a level of arrogance and lack of remorse that was the opposite of what I would at least think he should have been conveying.” I imagine Boies watching it and rubbing his hands. “Oh yes, obviously,” he says. “No question about that.”

How will you do it? I ask. “Generally, what is the most effective is to just patiently go through what the facts are,” he replies. It sounds very reasonable, and also like a threat.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/weekend-australian-magazine/gun-for-hire-david-boies-the-lawyer-pursuing-prince-andrew/news-story/05ddb41594ff3a34678e1d0e9cc74893

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2e5617  No.14750163

File: 8f3b79e53b444c8⋯.jpg (133.6 KB, 1279x718, 1279:718, Jon_Rouse_is_part_of_Taskf….jpg)

File: d4efc9360952e2d⋯.jpg (145.61 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Task_Force_Argos_investiga….jpg)

>>14607022

>>14607041

Andrew Rule: Depraved ogres lurking beneath the internet’s sparkly surface

Commercial child abuse is metastasising like cancer via the internet and involves evil beyond belief. But this crack team of specialist investigators are saving thousands of children.

Andrew Rule - October 9, 2021

1/2

When I first worked with Simon Nasht, he was a dashing young reporter in a dark suit and tie, dark hair and moustache — and a look of fierce concentration as he smashed out another Royal Show results story on a battered typewriter in the dingy press room under the Showgrounds grandstand.

It was 1979. Among the moleskins and straw and farm animals, young Nasht looked like Clark Kent channelling Bryan Ferry. But writing Show “yarns” laid the foundation of a brilliant career as a storyteller that would take him first to Canberra then to years based in London and New York before coming home.

Nasht’s name is on at least 40 documentaries, some made in tough places. Naive he isn’t.

But when fellow director Akhim Dev came to him in 2015 pitching an investigation of the borderless badlands of international child abuse, Nasht couldn’t quite believe it. Dev’s story of industrial-scale sexual abuse on the dark web seemed too far-fetched.

Turns out it wasn’t. Dev was right: the internet had enabled a secret army of tech-savvy deviants to weave a global web, exploiting technology to create a bottomless pit of depraved and distressing images ranging from cunningly-groomed teenagers to violated newborn babies.

One man sold guarantees of first access to images of an unborn child, publishing ultrasound scans of the foetus as proof of “ownership”.

Some dark web “boards” with thousands of followers specialise in sickening images of tiny babies being abused. Others peddle images of victims under three years old, abused specifically because toddlers do not have enough speech to describe what is happening.

Some will recall the arrest of the monstrous Australian paedophile Peter Scully, who sold “live views” of atrocities from his den in the Philippines. Scully raped and killed children on camera, his teenage girlfriend finding “street kids” to feed the beast.

Such depraved acts are abhorrent. But the fact there is a highly-organised market for it is worse. It normalises the horror — and means commercial child abuse is metastasising like cancer.

There have always been monsters, of course. In each state and most countries, there are sex offenders’ units like the one at Ararat, with inmates capable of the crimes Scully committed.

But more frightening than the few monsters in cells is that there are hundreds of men who rape children on camera because out there, around the world, are huge numbers of invisible adults who want to watch.

This is evil beyond belief. Which is why Nasht at first didn’t believe it. Also why investors and bodies who sponsor serious documentaries were too blinded by its repellent nature to grasp the scale of the crisis or the urgency needed to tackle it.

One reason that child abuse has become deeply entrenched online under the noses of corporations, governments and mainstream society is that no one wants to know about it. The instinct to ignore the unspeakable runs deep, which gives perverts the chance to get away with it.

But Dev persuaded Nasht and then Nasht joined forces with seasoned film producer Tony Wright, for whom surviving child abuse was personal. Between them they recruited backers, including SBS, Film Victoria and Screen Australia

The result is a restrained but chilling insight into a world that millions of deviates, and thousands of profiteers, have until now kept hidden deep in the dark web.

Nasht says it’s the most important story he has worked on in 30 years. But he’s not the hero of the piece. That part belongs mainly to a quietly-spoken Queensland policeman, Jon Rouse, who found his calling in the fight against the makers, promoters and consumers of child abuse material more than 20 years ago.

Det. Insp. Rouse isn’t your average copper. Talk to him for an hour then watch the documentary and you see someone formidably intelligent but not interested in showing off.

He played keyboard in bands supporting big touring acts and still plays with some of Brisbane’s hottest musicians. It’s a change from tracking the monsters of the dark web, a task a bit like playing simultaneous games of chess against invisible opponents for the highest stakes … the lives of abused children.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14750171

File: b33eb4452a1fe84⋯.jpg (137.41 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Task_Force_Argos_head_Jon_….jpg)

File: 86229e83302b06f⋯.png (1.03 MB, 1280x720, 16:9, Scott_Anderson_Warren_Bulm….png)

>>14750163

2/2

The son of a navy officer, growing up on naval bases, young Rouse started work in a Brisbane bank in the 1980s. But after getting held up twice — he followed one robber into the street to get a better description — he joined the police.

Rouse did the usual street policing but showed natural ability at handling the then new-fangled computers. He took a sergeant’s vacancy in the force’s sexual assault and child abuse unit in 1996 to get promotion, not because of burning zeal. The zeal would follow.

A quarter century later, Rouse is known by law enforcement agencies worldwide for building a crack team of specialist investigators in Brisbane. He recruited several from overseas to battle the ogres lurking beneath the internet’s sparkly surface.

It is named Task Force Argos and it punches above its weight, leading to the birth of the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation. The A-team includes former UK policeman Paul Griffiths, Adele Desirs from France, American Scott Anderson and Canadian Warren Bulmer.

All of them have been doing it long enough to see the mushroom cloud of child abuse material (they never call it “child pornography” because that implies consent) that has erupted alongside technical advances enabling easy and instant internet access on portable screens.

The rise and rise of the “selfie” since 2013 signals a corresponding rise in the use of social media to abuse children by tapping the secret paedophile tendencies of millions of men around the world who might otherwise not have acted on their impulses.

One of Task Force Argos’s star investigators is Griffiths, a former Manchester cop who started his career in paedophile-hunting by seizing “dirty pictures” and the odd creep hanging around playgrounds.

The difference between that seedy scene in the early 1990s and commercialised child abuse on the internet now is jaw-dropping. Griffiths has seen it all.

“If one human being’s done it to another human being, then I’ve seen a photograph or a video of it happening,” he says.

As head of the Argos victim identification unit since arriving in 2009, Griffiths is vital to their mission of rescuing abused children. His photographic memory is one reason that Argos (and allied agencies) pinpoint tiny details that lead to finding and freeing a child from sexual bondage.

A standout example is Girl One, a young child abused on camera year after year. The Argos team worked out she was in America and eventually handed its set of clues to the FBI.

In one set of images was a distinctive bedspread. That and light fittings and a couch suggested a hotel or room. There was another clue: a brightly-coloured car door.

The car was identified as a Pontiac Aztec in “Sunburst Orange”. A common model and colour. But American investigator Dawn Ego checked companies that supplied hotel chains — and one of them linked the bedspread to a motel in northern Georgia.

The motel manager confirmed the bedspread, couch and light fittings. Even better, she recalled the driver of an orange Aztec who’d made her feel uncomfortable.

And that is how the Australian team helped save Girl One, nailing the man who had abused her and put the images online for five years. Her father.

Griffiths and the team are experts at the sort of painstaking clue hunting that counter-terrorism specialists use to track bombers and assassins. A glimmer of an eye here, a reflection there, a bar code, a glimpse of a road sign — it can all be used to crack the code.

But arrests are “bycatch”. The main aim, says Jon Rouse, is to save the children. His team has rescued thousands.

That’s why they titled the documentary The Children in the Pictures. It’s on SBS from October 24.

DO YOU NEED HELP?

If you're in need of assistance:

KIDS HELPLINE

1800 55 1800

https://kidshelpline.com.au/

LIFELINE

13 11 14

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

CRIMESTOPPERS

1800 333 000

https://crimestoppers.com.au/

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/andrew-rule/andrew-rule-depraved-ogres-lurking-beneath-the-internets-sparkly-surface/news-story/cc3051fb9f90dc06efe05baee93eb69c

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2e5617  No.14750441

File: 5713a888964e981⋯.jpg (626.86 KB, 1232x942, 616:471, Chinese_Embassy_Spokespers….jpg)

>>14744516

Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Commonwealth of Australia

Chinese Embassy Spokesperson's Remarks - 2021/10/09

Question: What’s your comment on the recent unbridled attacks against China made by Australian former prime minister Tony Abbott?

Answer: Tony Abbott is a failed and pitiful politician. His recent despicable and insane performance in Taiwan fully exposed his hideous anti-China features. This will only further discredit him.

http://au.china-embassy.org/eng/sghdxwfb_1/t1913320.htm

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4517e1  No.14752236

The eight questions of Covid vaccination to ask your “leaders:”

1) Covid has a median death rate of only 0.26%, so why should we take ANY risk on an experimental mRNA vaccine with no long term testing to prove its safety?

2) Why not give support to the 0.26% of people actually at risk from dying due to covid instead of spending billions of dollars on Big Pharma producing a rushed vaccine that you plan to force on the 99.7% of people who are not at risk?

3) In majority vaccinated countries like Israel, over 60% of covid hospitalizations are fully vaccinated people. The exponential rise of fully vaccinated patients in multiple nations suggests that the vaccines do not work. Why should we take a vaccine that has been proven not to be effective?

4) If you believe the vaccines actually do work despite all evidence to the contrary, then why should vaccinated people fear anything from unvaccinated people? How are we a threat to them?

5) If the vaccines don’t work, then doesn’t this mean the mandates are pointless and the people that are most safe are the people with natural immunity? Shouldn’t we be applauding the naturally immune and encouraging treatment instead of useless vaccination?

6) Since the vaccines actually don’t work according to the data, isn’t it time to stop blindly dismissing treatments like Ivermectin and focus on trials and studies that research these alternatives? Why the vitriolic propaganda campaign to label Ivermectin nothing more than “horse paste” when it is actually a long used Nobel Prize winning treatment for human ailments? Is it because the experimental covid vaccines would lose their emergency authorization status under the FDA if effective treatments exist?

7) Why are government funded scientists so keen on defending Big Pharma to the point of ignoring all data that contradicts their claims? Are you just embarrassed of being wrong, or are you corrupt?

8) Who decided you are qualified to determine what constitutes the “greater good?”

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2e5617  No.14757625

File: 7b49dd31157f07b⋯.jpg (135.84 KB, 1200x800, 3:2, People_wear_protective_fac….jpg)

>>14404403

Australia braces for more COVID-19 infections as country moves towards re-opening

Lidia Kelly - October 9, 2021

MELBOURNE, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Australia was bracing for more COVID-19 infections and hospitalisations, officials said on Saturday, even as it moves toward gradually easing pandemic restrictions with the vast majority of its people getting vaccinated against the virus.

Sydney, in a lockdown for more than 100 days, is to ease some key restrictions for the fully vaccinated from Monday. More than 70% of people across New South Wales state, of which Sydney is the capital, have been fully vaccinated.

"We know that as we open up, case numbers will increase," said New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet. "But what has been key to keeping people safe is our high vaccination rate."

Australia's most populous state recorded 580 new infections on Saturday, all of the Delta variant, and 11 deaths.

Neighbouring Victoria, its capital Melbourne in a lockdown since early August, reported a record 1,965 cases and five deaths. The state, home to around a quarter of Australia's 25 million people, has inoculated around 57% of its population.

The federal government is completing a plan to bring in 2,000 nurses and doctors from overseas over the next six months to help with the expected higher demand, Health Minister Greg Hunt told The Age newspaper.

"This will be a one-off boost to provide additional support," Hunt said.

Hospitals in Melbourne and Sydney have been under strain in recent weeks, with Ambulance Victoria, the state's provider of pre-hospital emergency care and ambulance services, reporting four of its five busiest days ever over the past two weeks.

Australia's COVID-19 cases remain, however, far lower than many comparable countries, with some 125,000 infections and 1,421 deaths.

Neighbouring New Zealand, which was largely virus-free for most of the pandemic until a Delta outbreak in mid-August, reported 34 new local cases, down from 44 on Friday.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-braces-more-covid-19-infections-country-moves-towards-re-opening-2021-10-09/

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2e5617  No.14757758

File: f5cf58269d90a5d⋯.jpg (43.2 KB, 862x485, 862:485, Joint_training_exercises_b….jpg)

File: 75768ae18ac5d00⋯.jpg (66.04 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Exercise_Koolendong_was_th….jpg)

File: 415ee91bd207d0b⋯.jpg (96.93 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Colonel_Banning_heads_up_t….jpg)

File: 73a50f7275b70bf⋯.jpg (203.79 KB, 862x575, 862:575, A_US_diplomat_has_tipped_t….jpg)

File: e3db292f6e68eaa⋯.jpg (154.04 KB, 862x575, 862:575, In_June_the_marine_rotatio….jpg)

Marking 10 years in Darwin, top US diplomat signals bigger US marine deployments in Top End

Melissa Mackay - 10 October 2021

1/2

Massive Howitzer guns blasted high-velocity shells, armoured personnel carriers and tanks trundled across blazing hot scrub-land and rockets and war planes roared overhead.

In the tropical Top End dry season, more than 2,000 military personnel from the United States and Australia fought side-by-side in a live-fire war-fighting exercise on a cattle station-turned-military training ground 600 kilometres south-west of Darwin.

This year's Exercise Koolendong was the largest combined training exercise since then-US President Barack Obama announced the formation of the Marine Rotational Force-Darwin during a visit to the NT in 2011.

The wargames wrapped up only days before the bombshell announcement of the historic AUKUS security pact, signed between the US, Australia and the United Kingdom after years of intensifying diplomatic tensions with China.

Last year's Koolendong training exercise was smaller, affected by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The US's force commander in Darwin, Colonel David Banning, said this year's record-setting effort — executed as the pandemic continued and changed — was a display of the enhanced "interoperability" between the two forces that the rotation was set up to achieve.

"The ability of the Marine Rotational Force-Darwin and the ADF to conduct this exercise during a pandemic is testament to the strength of our partnership," he said.

"There's absolutely no doubt in my mind, that we would be able to work together [if deployed to combat]."

The AUKUS announcement has fuelled more speculation about possible expansion of the marines' presence in the Top End, which Defence Minister Peter Dutton has already said he would like to see.

In an interview with the ABC, the US's Charges d'Affaires in Australia, Michael Goldman, said talks on the subject were ongoing.

"I can see [the rotation] only getting bigger, more integrated, more ambitious and better in the future," he said.

Asked if a permanent presence of marines in the Top End was a possibility, Mr Goldman said he didn't want to get ahead of the discussions still underway.

But, he said, "certainly anything's possible, including that."

From hundreds to thousands over a decade

There were only 200 marines in the first rotational force in 2012, a year after President Obama's visit to the NT marked a new chapter in US-Australian military co-operation.

At its peak in 2019, 2,500 troops rotated through Darwin on six-month deployments, along with a suite of aircraft, weapons, and vehicles.

As well as war-fighting exercises, the rotation includes a mock natural disaster response scenario — 'Exercise Crocodile Response' was held this year in June, with the NT's Tiwi islands standing in for an Indo-Pacific location.

Michael Shoebridge, the director of defence, strategy and national security at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said northern Australia was becoming another staging point for US personnel, logistics and resources in the Asia Pacific.

He said the military build-up in Australia's north was not without risk.

"The United States military has got large concentrations of forces in a small number of places," he said.

"The problem with those sorts of places is that they're also places you would target in a conflict, particularly if you're a large power like China which has the capability to do that."

Mr Shoebridge said he considered any increased risk is mitigated by the deterrent effect the military power brings the region.

Experts including Mr Shoebridge say the controversial lease of the Darwin port to Chinese company Landbridge presents an obvious "constraint" on expansion of the US presence in the Top End.

Mr Goldman told the ABC he understood the federal government "is taking a very hard look at [the lease]."

"Ultimately it's a sovereign decision for Australia to make, but we're certainly not deterred in our cooperation with Australia," he said.

A spokesperson for the Defence Department said it was finalising work on the review of the port lease ordered by the federal government earlier this year.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14757762

File: fc414de1768a478⋯.jpg (91.58 KB, 862x575, 862:575, The_marine_rotation_has_gr….jpg)

File: c5526051056ad4c⋯.jpg (122.11 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Barack_Obama_and_Julia_Gil….jpg)

File: 39387c77788b3be⋯.jpg (84.52 KB, 862x575, 862:575, The_US_will_fund_new_fuel_….jpg)

File: b30aba47a143dc0⋯.jpg (166.42 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Marines_met_members_of_the….jpg)

File: 31383f01913434b⋯.jpg (135.57 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Captain_Mello_left_says_US….jpg)

>>14757758

2/2

Local businesses seeking the benefits

Standing alongside then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard in Darwin in 2011, President Obama spruiked the benefits the marines would bring to the city, which in 1942 was bombed by the same Japanese planes that only weeks earlier had struck Pearl Harbour.

"In a sense, it was here in Darwin where our alliance was born, during Australia's Pearl Harbour," Mr Obama said.

"Against overwhelming odds, our forces fought back with honour and courage."

NT Chamber of Commerce CEO Greg Ireland said local businesses have benefited from the cash boost that had come with the marines' arrival.

As well as a spike in spending at the pubs and bars on Darwin's Mitchell Street "in the early days", Mr Ireland said a range of companies, large and small, had secured contracts for supplies and services.

He said the large-scale training exercises especially generate work for local companies in transport, catering, fuel deliveries and even "emptying toilets."

Mr Ireland said for some local construction businesses the cashflow has been slow and red tape difficult to cut through because many contracts need to comply with US standards and laws that are different to those in Australia.

An American company recently won the $270 million tender to build what will be the largest fuel storage facility in northern Australia at Darwin's East Arm.

In total, the US has announced about $2 billion in funding for future defence projects across the NT.

The Americans will also fund construction of two eight-million-litre fuel storage tanks on Darwin's Royal Australian Air Force base, costing $86 million.

As well, the Australian government this year committed to more than $700 million dollars in infrastructure upgrades across most of the NT's defence bases as part of a planned $8 billion spending program over 10 years.

Personal ties for military personnel

The Top End capital has long been known as a "defence town", with thousands of Australian military personnel based in the city.

Ten years of marine rotations have built up personal ties between those working to fit parts of their respective country's military machines together.

Colonel Banning said he and Australian Army First Brigade Commander, Brigadier Ashley Collingburn, had been friends for a decade before they were tasked with leading combined training together last year.

The camaraderie has filtered down the ranks.

During this year's deployment, US Captain Maggie Mello said her Australian Army counterpart Major Mathew Mandl organised trivia nights and visits to the Top End's best swimming spots.

The marines have also pitched in to community efforts in the Top End like the clean-up after the last big cyclone to hit Darwin.

Captain Mello said the Darwin deployment had become a popular assignment.

"You get to go on liberty off base and there's a town that's very accommodating to the marines," she said.

"You're allowed a lot of the home comforts that other deployments don't necessarily offer."

Under the 2011 agreement, marines will keep returning to Darwin each dry season for 25 years, ending in 2036.

Mr Goldman, the US Charges d'Affaires, said the deployments were "just a beginning rather than an end" of the US presence in Australia.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-10/ten-years-us-marines-top-end/100523120

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2e5617  No.14757835

File: fe0c3dbc59fe6af⋯.jpg (186.19 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, The_Huawei_Canberra_Raider….jpg)

Huawei waves goodbye: Why the Chinese tech giant is pulling out of Australia

After it lured celebrity ambassadors like Sophie Monk, China’s tech giant Huawei is pulling out of Australia, among fresh claims it poses a national security risk.

Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson - October 10, 2021

1/2

One of China’s most powerful companies is pulling out of Australia, closing research labs, ending partnerships, and retrenching hundreds of employees among fresh claims it poses a national security risk.

Telecommunications giant Huawei, which once overtook both Apple and Samsung in smartphone sales and boasted Sophie Monk as a local ambassador, has become a shadow of its former self in Australia, with telco revenue more than halved following bans on its involvement in the country’s broadband and 5G networks.

Security experts say the Australian government’s decision to prevent the Chinese brand playing a larger role in infrastructure was the right one, among heightened diplomatic tension with the country and damning security findings against the company’s hardware.

Huawei, a multibillion-dollar communications giant and China’s 11th largest business, commanded plenty of attention in Australia at its peak, sponsoring NRL team the Canberra Raiders, partnering with James Cook University, and even opening a $60 million research facility in Melbourne.

But Huawei’s fortunes have since crumbled Down Under, with financial documents showing it now boasts fewer assets, less revenue and staff, and has shut down many of its Australian ventures.

Only 145 members of its once 1200-strong workforce are still employed in Australia, and its board of six directors, including chairman and Navy Rear Admiral John Lord, was dissolved in 2020.

The company’s revenue from telephone carriers more than halved from $460 million in 2019 to just $216 million in 2020, and sales to consumers plummeted from $148 million to just $84 million.

None of Australia’s three major phone carriers currently sell Huawei handsets.

The financial statement, filed with Australian Securities and Investments Commission, also noted that Huawei’s “scale in the carrier network business will continue to decline as a result of the 5G government announcement in 2018”.

The company was contacted for comment.

But Monash University senior lecturer Dr Lennon Chang said, although controversial, then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s decision to ban Huawei and other China-based firms from building 5G towers in Australia was the right call.

“If you were coming from a competition standpoint, you’d say this is not the right thing to do but from a national security perspective it is,” he said.

“The Australian government needs to be very cautious about our critical infrastructure.”

Dr Chang said despite trying to “rebuild trust,” the Shenzhen-based company was still beholden to China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law that could compel it to perform “intelligence work” on behalf of the government when instructed.

And a recent security audit by the Lithuanian National Cyber Security Centre found two Chinese-made smartphones, including a Huawei model, had significant security vulnerabilities that could impact users.

Australian Strategic Policy Institute analysts Fergus Hanson, who heads its International Cyber Policy Centre, said while “it’s never good to have anyone lose their jobs,” the decision to stop Huawei building Australian infrastructure “has been further vindicated as we’ve gone forward”.

“There have been lots of examples of Chinese states co-opting its companies and more risks identified from the use of Chinese technology in many forms,” Mr Hanson said.

“It makes this a necessary decision. And if you look at China’s moves in terms of economic coercion, things have only deteriorated more. This is going to be a great debate for a long time to come.”

Mr Hanson said Huawei wasn’t the only Chinese company and 5G wasn’t the only technology that should be probed for national security risks in future, however, with potential vulnerabilities from cloud storage, artificial intelligence, and smart city infrastructure, as well as the supply of some technology components like rare earth metals.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14757836

File: 4748e4e19e95358⋯.jpg (118.87 KB, 768x1024, 3:4, The_former_Sydney_headquar….jpg)

>>14757835

2/2

And as digital intelligence battles intensify, UNSW Canberra Cyber Centre director Nigel Phair warned Australia would have to carefully consider more suppliers.

“We need to scrutinise every investment decision we make in anything that has the name ‘critical infrastructure’ that is provided by a nation state, even a friendly nation state,” he said.

“Whether it’s Finland’s Nokia or Sweden’s Ericsson or Vodafone or AT & T, we should be dispassionate about assessments.”

HUAWEI’S CLOSURES AND CUTBACKS

– $60 million telecommunications research and development centre in Burwood, Melbourne, shut its doors in 2019

– $30 million National Training and Innovation Centre in Chatswood on Sydney’s north shore

– Ceased funding a Huawei / James Cook University Internet of Things laboratory in Cairns

– Ended Canberra Raiders NRL sponsorship in 2020 after nine years with one year left on its contract

– Closed its cloud and artificial intelligence business in April after just 14 months, citing sanctions and fierce competition

– No deals for Huawei smartphones with major carriers Telstra, Optus or Vodafone

HUAWEI 5G BANS WORLDWIDE

– August 2018: Then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull banned Huawei from involvement in Australia’s 5G network

– November 2018: New Zealand telco Spark was instructed not to use Huawei equipment in its 5G network due to “national security risks”

– August 2020: Taiwan blocks Huawei equipment from its 5G infrastructure in co-operation with US

– March 2021: US announces new ban on some 5G equipment being exported for use by Huawei

– May 2021: India excluded Huawei from the country’s 5G trials

– July 2021: US finalises $US1.9 billion “rip and replace” scheme to help small telcos remove Huawei hardware from their networks

– September 2021: UK phone carriers are no longer allowed to install new Huawei equipment in 5G networks, though can maintain old hardware

– October 2021: Canada due to announce its decision on whether to ban Huawei from its 5G networks after a recent prisoner swap

SMARTPHONES’ SECURITY RISK FEARS

Two Chinese 5G smartphones currently on sale in Australia have been identified as potential security risks in an alarming report from a European defence agency.

The phones, made by Xiaomi and Huawei, featured 10 serious security vulnerabilities, according to the report, with one handset even designed to censor a list of phrases including “free Tibet,” “women’s committee” and “the organisation for the liberation of Palestine”.

The discovery was made by analysts at Lithuania’s National Cyber Security Centre, which forensically investigated smartphones from Huawei, Xiaomi and OnePlus.

It found Xiaomi’s Mi 10T 5G smartphone featured a list of phrases that could be censored from users looking at the phone’s preinstalled apps, including its web browser. Target phrases included references to Taiwan independence, head coverings, dissidents, and China.

The feature was turned off in Europe but could be switched on remotely.

The analysis also found the Xiaomi phone collected information from apps on the phone and shared it with a server based in Singapore.

Red flags were also raised about the Huawei P40 5G smartphone in the report, with investigators finding users were automatically redirected to third-party app stores if the app they were looking for was not available in Huawei’s AppGallery. Potential malware was discovered on three of the third-party platforms.

Both smartphones are currently available in Australia from stores including Kogan and Catch.com.au.

Xiaomi is Australia’s sixth most popular smartphone brand, according to Statcounter, with 1.36 per cent of the market in September.

But Lithuania Defence Deputy Minister Margiris Abukevicius said he recommended consumers do “not buy new Chinese phones, and get rid of those already purchased as fast as reasonably possible”.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/technology/huawei-waves-goodbye-why-the-chinese-tech-giant-is-pulling-out-of-australia/news-story/3b8c60f29df24d2e0735689a83b137c4

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2e5617  No.14757971

File: 78daa7e24364ca9⋯.jpg (94.31 KB, 960x640, 3:2, Premier_Daniel_Andrews_on_….jpg)

>>14404403

Crowds of 10,000 at Melbourne Cup carnival, live music to return as ‘vaccinated economy’ trial kicks off

Benjamin Preiss and Damien Ractliffe - October 10, 2021

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Up to 10,000 punters will be allowed at the Melbourne Cup carnival and live music lovers can attend a concert at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in late October as the Victorian government prepares to slowly open up the state.

Crowds of 10,000 vaccinated patrons will be able to attend Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day, Oaks Day and Stakes Day.

Premier Daniel Andrews said bringing crowds back to the Melbourne Cup was an important milestone.

“That’ll be a really important day for every single Victorian I think, and send a message to the rest of the country and indeed the world about the fact that we are open,” he said.

However, Racing Minister Martin Pakula said if 80 per cent of eligible Victorians had not been double vaccinated by Melbourne Cup Day – on November 2 – then the 25-kilometre radius would be in effect.

“I checked my own distance from the race track. I think I’m 23 kilometres from Flemington. But the fact is, the VRC has tens of thousands of members and many more than 10,000 would live in that radius,” he said.

“They’ll have a process, I suspect, where they’ll probably give some members an opportunity on Cup Day, some an opportunity on Oaks Day, some an opportunity on Stakes Day.

“This is not particularly different to the situation of Boxing Day last year where there was a 30,000 limit. That meant that not all MCC members were able to get in on day one; they gave some an opportunity to go day two, day three and thereafter. It’s one of the consequences of being in a pandemic.”

The VRC had made a proposal for crowds of 11,500 on each of the four days, but Pakula said the public health advisory panel thought 10,000 was the safe figure to approve, particularly when that crowd number is approved for three race days over five days.

Mr Pakula said they also had to consider a number to keep racing industry participants, such as trainers and jockeys, safe.

“There’s going to be a pretty hard zone between patrons and participants and that’s really important for the security of the industry,” he said.

“We don’t want to see any of the participants catching this thing because it can put the rest of the carnival at risk.”

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14757978

File: 3a89b89c98389ae⋯.jpg (97.73 KB, 958x638, 479:319, Racing_Minister_Martin_Pak….jpg)

>>14757971

2/2

Paul Guerra, the chief executive of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, welcomed the news.

“This is so very Melbourne and exactly the shot of confidence we need. This bold move will propel Victoria to reclaim our mantle as the events and sporting capital of Australia. Images of crowds enjoying the spring racing carnival will be beamed across the world, sending an important signal that Melbourne is back in business.”

The Melbourne Cup carnival and a concert at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on October 30 are part of the state’s “vaccinated economy” trial, which will begin across six local government areas in regional Victoria on Monday.

Businesses including cinemas, hotels and cafes, as well as a gym, church and a beauty clinic, will be allowed to open to higher numbers of fully vaccinated Victorians.

Customers will be required to show proof of vaccination using the Service Victoria app on their smartphone.

Mr Andrews said the government was aware of the burdens on venues but many, like pubs, were already accustomed to checking the ID of customers and declining to serve who had drunk too much. He said Victorians should assume the vaccination system would be in place for at least the duration of the summer.

Victoria recorded 1890 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, a slight decrease on the record-breaking numbers recorded on Saturday.

Five people died: a man aged in his 50s from Melbourne, a male in his 50s from Brimbank, two men aged in their 70s, one from Maribyrnong and one from Wyndham, and a woman in her 80s.

Victoria has now reached 86 per cent of eligible Victorians receiving a single dose while 58 per cent of people aged over 16 have received both doses. At least 39,861 vaccines were administered in state-run hubs on Saturday while 74,105 were tested for coronavirus.

Victoria is still on track to reach the 70 per cent double vaccination rate on October 26 and 80 per cent on November 5.

Mr Andrews said the probability of reaching that 70 per cent target date was “very solid”.

The 80 per cent double vaccination target will trigger a major easing of restrictions across the state.

“We are a chance to be ahead of the 26th. That’d be a fantastic problem for us to have to be there a little bit early,” he said.

Mr Andrews said Victorians could be confident the state would hit its vaccine target dates as long as people continued to come forward for their inoculations.

There are now 18,342 active coronavirus cases across the state.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/victoria-reports-1890-new-cases-as-concerns-rise-for-the-border-city-of-mildura-20211010-p58ynq.html

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2e5617  No.14758151

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14757971

Scott Morrison thanks Australians for ‘phenomenal’ jab uptake, as NSW opens new chapter

RHIANNON DOWN - OCTOBER 10, 2021

Scott Morrison has praised Australians for their “phenomenal response” to the Covid-19 crisis by rolling up their sleeves to get vaccinated at among the highest rates in the world, as NSW edges closer to freedom when the state reopens on Monday.

The Prime Minister thanked the millions of Australians who have presented for vaccination, saying they should be “proud” of their achievement, with the 30 million doses administered pushing the vaccine coverage to 82.2 per cent single-dose and 61.9 per cent double-dose.

Mr Morrison said NSW was more than prepared to reopen with the state’s high vaccination rate – which sits at 73.5 per cent double-dose – ranking, along with the ACT, among the top 10 OECD countries in terms of vaccination coverage.

Australia has a first-dose vaccination rate higher than Germany and the US, as well as higher than the UK’s when it reopened.

“Freedoms for those in states that have been subject to lockdowns are very close, and all of those have been earned and hard won by those who went out, rolled up their sleeves and got their jab,” Mr Morrison said in a video released on Sunday.

“Tomorrow NSW will begin a new chapter. It will open up safely as part of our national plan. And stay safely open.

“This will be a moment to cherish for people right across New South Wales; reuniting with family and friends, having a beer with your mates at the pub, getting a haircut and going to the gym.

“All things that we once took for granted but that we now know are so important.”

Mr Morrison also commended the rest of the states and territories for their “amazing achievements”, including the ACT, which sits at 95 per cent first dose and 72.8 per cent double-dose vaccination, and Victoria, which is on 85.5 per cent single-dose and 58.6 per cent full vaccination rate.

“The phenomenal response from Australians to go and get vaccinated — as we’ve seen those vaccination rates rise right across country — means it’s now time that Australians are able to reclaim their lives,” he said.

“We’re beating Covid, and we’re taking our lives back.

“Whether you’re in locked-down Melbourne, or on the verge of once again opening up in Sydney or living life near normal in Perth, we all have cause for celebration today.”

Mr Morrison revealed he had been discussing bringing forward the reopening of international borders into NSW with Premier Dominic Perrottet.

“The NSW Premier and I have been discussing how we can accelerate our plan to open international travel when home quarantine is made available,” he said.

“Now, that would mean home quarantine for vaccinated Australians wishing to return home via Sydney and giving the option for international travel for vaccinated Australians to leave and return.”

Mr Morrison gave a special thanks to Victoria, where Melbourne has endured the longest lockdown in the world over the past 18 months, after Premier Daniel Andrews announced plans to allow vaccinated crowds back at the Melbourne Cup and Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Sunday.

“Victorians have sacrificed so much — more than any right across the country with the extent of lockdowns that they’ve had — so much during the course of this pandemic, and this must be very welcome news,” he said.

“But more importantly, for friends and family, it means they will soon be able to be reunited and share again so many of those lost moments that they’ve had in the past few years.”

He also applauded Tasmania, which despite having virtually no Covid-19 cases had almost reached 80 per cent first-dose vaccination, and Western Australia and Queensland, which were edging closer to the 70 per cent first dose mark.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/scott-morrison-thanks-australians-for-phenomenal-jab-uptake-as-nsw-opens-new-chapter/news-story/23585954fa270263278a2e31f0a41a56

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao8MqPjP1jU

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2e5617  No.14760127

File: 243067c92136fb3⋯.jpg (78.54 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Josh_Frydenberg_says_let_s….jpg)

File: bfe39f55231b5f2⋯.jpg (129.18 KB, 768x1024, 3:4, NSW_Premier_Dominic_Perrot….jpg)

>>14404403

Freedom: no turning back to stay-at-home orders, Josh Frydenberg vows

GEOFF CHAMBERS - OCTOBER 10, 2021

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Josh Frydenberg says the release of five million people from lockdown in Sydney will reignite Australia’s economic recovery but there must be no turning back as the effectiveness of stay-at-home orders “diminishes by the day’’.

The Treasurer said Australia needed the NSW reopening to work and the focus must shift from the number of Covid-19 cases to the take-up of vaccines, which economists link to the success of the post-lockdown recovery.

“Let’s open up and let’s not go back,’’ Mr Frydenberg told The Australian.

Australia’s biggest state was “ready for lift-off” and would spark an immediate economic rebound after Sydney’s lockdown ended after more than 100 days.

As the federal government prepares to reopen international borders when vaccine thresholds are achieved under the national plan, Mr Frydenberg said Australians must learn to live with the virus.

“The Delta genie is out of the bottle and as a result the effectiveness of lockdowns are diminished by the day,” he said. “With vaccination rates rapidly climbing around the country, we need to make lockdowns a thing of the past and give people their freedoms back, re-engage with the world and allow the economy to reopen safely. Businesses need the confidence to plan for their future – not the uncertainty of being in and out of lockdown.”

The Australian can reveal the cost of the Delta lockdown in NSW was estimated to be $950m a week, including $700m in Greater Sydney. Almost $7bn has been paid by the commonwealth in Covid disaster payments to 1.18 million ­people in NSW during the lockdown. The federal government also contributed $2.3bn in support of JobSaver payments to almost 200,000 businesses.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet praised the efforts of the state’s residents ahead of the reopening, that will see the 5km travel limit junked, and restaurants, pubs, cafes and shops trading again.

“It is a big day for our state and for everyone across NSW. You have earned it. It has been 100 days of blood, sweat and no beers but we have got there and we are back in action,” he said. “It has been a very difficult time for the people of our state, people making enormous sacrifices, not being able to say goodbye to their loved ones or get married, businesses closed and people out of work.”

In NSW, 90 per cent of residents aged 16 and over have received at least one dose of vaccine, with more than 73 per cent of eligible residents fully vaccinated. Nationally, 82 per cent of people aged more than 16 have had one jab, and almost 62 per cent are double-dosed.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14760139

File: 6fea050adb71b84⋯.jpg (167.62 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Newlyweds_have_the_Sydney_….jpg)

File: 9927b2171347839⋯.jpg (299.78 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Kathmandu_staff_prepare_fo….jpg)

>>14760127

2/2

Deloitte Access Economics partner Chris Richardson said while lockdowns cost jobs, “the good news is rapid vaccinations have reduced the damage and the job recovery should be great”.

In his latest business outlook report released on Monday, Mr Richardson says the jobs rebound will hinge on “how many people don’t get jabs”.

“Fewer jabs will equal fewer jobs. Absent further vaccine mandates, that could slow and cap the job recovery,” he said. “The other big question is on the timing of opening in international borders. We’ve been plenty spooked by Covid, and that may keep flows over Australia’s borders on a tight leash for some time.”

Mr Frydenberg said NSW’s reopening success “will be Australia’s success and Victoria will soon follow suit”.

“While Delta has hit our economy, it has only delayed, not derailed the recovery,” he said. “Deloitte is forecasting economic growth of 4.5 per cent next year, saying ‘the coming job recovery should be great’. They also rightly point out that ‘caseloads are yesterday’s indicator’ (and that) vaccinations are the key to what happens next.”

The Deloitte report, which forecasts Australia’s population to be 730,000 smaller next year compared to pre-Covid assumptions, predicts international travel will remain “very weak in 2022 and may not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024 or even 2025”.

Mr Richardson said pushing vaccination rates higher was the “best possible stimulus for our ailing economy – with daylight second”.

“Most Australians have been locked down. Confidence has been hit. Iron ore prices have plummeted. And although government supports have lifted, they’re smaller than they were during Melbourne’s second wave.

“Yet if you want to know where Australia’s economy heads next, then don’t focus on those things. Focus on vaccination rates.”

Scott Morrison on Sunday endorsed plans by Mr Perrottet to fast-track home quarantine next month and help restart international travel.

“If that happens we will be able to move to facilitate the opening up of the international border into NSW sooner,” Mr Morrison said. “Now, that would mean home quarantine for vaccinated Australians wishing to return home via Sydney and giving the option for international travel for vaccinated Australians to leave and return.”

The Prime Minister said the vaccination rollout would help the nation “join the rest of the world”.

“For locked down states it’s about winning freedoms back, for others it’s about protecting the freedoms you’ve been fortunate to enjoy through the safe measures that have been taken. But for everyone it is about getting back to living our lives as we once knew them, as best as we can,” he said.

The Deloitte report said the economic recovery “won’t be perfect” and would likely be slower than last year’s swift rebound, forecasting GDP to contract by 3.5 per cent in the September quarter.

“Back then our recovery was always fragile, because it required running ahead of the virus. This time the vaccines will give us a recovery that’s not only very good, it’s also set to be much more virus-proof.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/freedom-no-turning-back-to-stayathome-orders-josh-frydenberg-vows/news-story/86748db7488e82753df65b5e5d087fbb

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2e5617  No.14760150

File: 3a182372e512588⋯.jpg (57.71 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, The_confirmation_of_Hekmat….jpg)

Hekmatullah walked free in Qatar after Afghanistan fell to Taliban

BEN PACKHAM - OCTOBER 10, 2021

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Hekmatullah, the rogue Afghan army soldier who murdered three Australians in 2012, has been allowed to walk free, and Australian officials have no firm idea of his whereabouts.

The Australian can reveal the confessed killer was released from house arrest in Qatar along with five other “high-risk prisoners” soon after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban.

Defence quietly notified the families of his three victims – Lance Corporal Stjepan “Rick” Milosevic, Private Robert Poate, and Sapper James Martin – but did not make the news public.

Australian authorities lost track of the insider-attack killer after he was set free in Doha, but he is presumed to have returned to Afghanistan. “His whereabouts cannot be verified,” a government spokesman said.

“We share the sorrow of Australians at this outcome and again offer our condolences to the families and the loved ones of our three fallen soldiers.”

The confirmation of Hekmatullah’s release draws another grim line under Australia’s two-decade contribution to the war in Afghanistan, after the late-August scramble to rescue hundreds of Afghan support staff from Taliban retribution.

Defence, Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs bureaucrats will be grilled by a Senate committee on Monday over their knowledge of the former Afghan army sergeant’s release, the adequacy of preparations for Australia’s withdrawal and the long-term security consequences of the country’s return to Taliban rule.

Lance Corporal Milosevic’s widow, Kelly Walton, said Defence had been unable to tell her whether her husband’s killer had been allowed to remain in Qatar, or whether he had been put on a plane to Afghanistan.

She said she was also disappointed the government could not tell her whether Hekmatullah had a passport, and if he was on an international watchlist.

“None of those questions have ever been answered,” she told The Australian.

“The (Defence) liaison officer said he was instructed to advise Hekmatullah had been released from house arrest, and that was about it.

“I would like to know, has he gone his own way and dis­appeared into the abyss? Or has the Taliban kept him within their grasp and are they telling him what he should be doing and where he should be going?”

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14760157

File: 884336adca17795⋯.jpg (73.94 KB, 768x1024, 3:4, Sapper_James_Martin.jpg)

File: 23b9ae87afb58dc⋯.jpg (83.66 KB, 768x1024, 3:4, Lance_Corporal_Stjepan_Ric….jpg)

File: 6eda80f8dc26e0b⋯.jpg (137.83 KB, 768x1024, 3:4, Private_Robert_Poate.jpg)

>>14760150

2/2

Private Poate’s father, Hugh, said he had been expecting Hekmatullah’s release since July, when the US ended its two-decade presence in Afghanistan with the late-night abandonment of Bagram Air Base.

“The families were called and informed he was one of those who had been released,” he said.

“Whether he was put on a plane and taken back to Afghanistan, I don’t know. But I would imagine so, because that is where he was from. Why would he want to stay there when his family is back in Afghanistan?”

Mr Poate said Defence’s failure to disclose the news publicly was indicative of its “general lack of transparency”.

Labor senator Kimberley Kitching, chair of the Senate’s Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee, said Monday’s hearing on Australia’s engagement in Afghanistan “will be asking questions about this scandalous and intolerable situation”.

“The serious question of the whereabouts of Hekmatullah is of the gravest concern to all Australians – particularly those in the ADF who risk everything to defend our freedom,” she said.

Hekmatullah, who like many Afghans is known by only one name, shot dead the three Australians and wounded two others as they played cards at a forward ­operating base north of Australia’s main base at Tarin Kowt on ­August 29, 2012. The so-called “green-on-blue” killings sparked a six-month manhunt involving elite Australian spies, special forces operators and cutting-edge technological capabilities. He was eventually found and arrested in the Pakistani city of Quetta.

He later confessed to the killings, and vowed he would do the same again if given a chance.

Australia has always maintained Hekmatullah should serve “a just and proportionate sentence” and not be granted early release or pardon. “We made repeated representations over a long period advocating this position to relevant governments,” the government spokesman said.

But the families of his victims remain angry Australia did not press harder for the Afghan government to carry out a death sentence handed to Hekmatullah by its Supreme Court, or lobby the US to kill him by drone strike when he was located in Pakistan.

They are also furious at the ­actions of the US, which agreed under Donald Trump to a ­prisoner exchange with the ­Taliban as a condition of peace negotiations.

The Afghan government released about 5000 prisoners at the insistence of the US. Hekmatullah was one of six “hardcore Taliban” killers flown to Doha ahead of the peace talks, and remained under house arrest there.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/hekmatullah-walked-free-in-qatar-after-afghanistan-fell-to-taliban/news-story/d3c729ed5209eb14d3cf4f3fccecab43

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2e5617  No.14763614

File: ed15990ae7d0160⋯.jpg (174.22 KB, 1200x675, 16:9, A_quiet_Harbour_Bridge_for….jpg)

>>14404403

'Freedom Day': Sydney reopens as Australia looks to live with COVID-19

Renju Jose - October 11, 2021

SYDNEY, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Sydney's cafes, gyms and restaurants welcomed back fully vaccinated customers on Monday after nearly four months of lockdown, as Australia aims to begin living with the coronavirus and gradually reopen the country.

Some pubs in Sydney, Australia's largest city, opened at 12:01 a.m. (1301 GMT) and friends and families huddled together for a midnight beer, television footage and social media images showed.

"I see it as a day of freedom, it's a freedom day," New South Wales (NSW) state Premier Dominic Perrottet told reporters in Sydney, the state capital. "We are leading the nation out of this pandemic but this will be a challenge."

Perrottet warned that infections would rise after reopening, and virus-free states such as Western Australia and Queensland are watching what living with COVID-19 is going to look like amid concerns health systems could be overwhelmed.

While NSW's dual-dose vaccination rate in people above 16 hit 74%, in neighbouring Queensland, whose borders remain closed to Sydney-siders, the rate is only 52% and the state government is following an elimination strategy with rapid lockdowns to control any outbreak.

Perrottet has declared an end to lockdowns in NSW and has strong support for reopening in Sydney, whose more than 5 million residents endured severe restrictions from mid-June following an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant.

The outbreak has since spread to Melbourne and Canberra, forcing lockdowns in those cities, even as case numbers dwindle in NSW.

New South Wales on Monday reported 496 new locally acquired cases, well down from their peak last month, while Victoria logged 1,612 new infections, the lowest in five days.

Under the relaxed rules for NSW, retail stores can open with reduced capacity, while more vaccinated people can gather in homes and attend weddings and funerals.

The state aims to hit an 80% vaccine rate around late October, when more curbs will be relaxed. But the unvaccinated must remain at home until Dec. 1.

"Enjoy the moment, enjoy it with your family and friends," Prime Minister Scott Morrison wished Sydney residents. "Today is a day so many have been looking forward to - a day when things we take for granted, we will celebrate."

Morrison, who must call an election before next May, has come under pressure to press all states to reopen borders to bolster the economy and allow families separated by state border closures to reunite by Christmas. Some states with few cases have not said when they will re-open their borders.

With the vaccine rollout gaining momentum, Australia is planning a staggered return to normal, letting fully vaccinated residents enter and leave the country freely from November, although New South Wales plans to bring forward those dates.

Australia shut its international borders in March 2020, helping keep its coronavirus numbers relatively low, with 130,000 cases and 1,448 deaths.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/long-100-days-sydney-reopens-australia-looks-live-with-covid-19-2021-10-10/

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2e5617  No.14763660

File: b6a1d096a31c6f6⋯.jpg (167.11 KB, 1920x1280, 3:2, US_pollster_Frank_Luntz_sp….jpg)

File: 23bf7a6780c7f0a⋯.jpg (135.03 KB, 1917x1278, 3:2, New_York_Democrat_Alexandr….jpg)

Donald Trump will never be president again, says renowned pollster Frank Luntz

Latika Bourke - October 11, 2021

Manchester: One of the world’s top pollsters Frank Luntz, who has advised multiple Republican presidents, says Donald Trump will never again lead the United States.

In an exclusive interview with The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age after he spoke at the Conservative Party conference in the UK, Luntz said even if Trump nominated and the Democrats ran a poor candidate, the 45th president would never again prevail at the ballot box.

“He will not win,” Luntz said. “If Trump runs again he will be nominated by the Republicans, but he will never be elected president because there are too many people who hate him.

“Trump is the most popular Republican by far, but he can’t win a general election because in the end politics is about persona as much as it is about policy, and his persona is unacceptable to too many people.”

Luntz has worked as a strategist and pollster for the Republican Party for almost 30 years and is regarded as one of the world’s most incisive commentators.

He says as a result of the Trump presidency, he is no longer a Republican – and he also no longer feels like a US citizen, saying he remains worried about whether America can be fixed.

“I look at my country as an outsider, not as an insider or a practitioner or even a citizen,” he said.

Luntz says his concerns began before Trump but have accelerated in the years since 2016.

“What’s different now that did not exist before is a sense of revenge and that is Donald Trump – he put that into the chemical mix,” he said.

“Resentment is ‘someone else is doing better than me’, revenge is ‘I want to bring them down’; we had resentment over the last 20-30 years, we did not have a desire for revenge, that desire came into being in 2016.”

He said the rise of “squad leader” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reflected the Democratic Party’s desire for revenge via “woke politics”, something he warns MPs against because of the long-term destruction it will cause to society.

“Once you put it in your bloodstream you can never get it out, that’s the danger – populism on the right and wokeism on the left, and I’m seeking here in Britain, to warn people of both,” he said.

He defined woke as “intolerance”, “cancel” and the drive to “punish people in the future for perceived mistakes of the past”.

“That’s the worst kind of politics because it’s all about definitions and you can’t figure out a way to work together,” he said.

He said countries need look no further than the US to see the damage it causes.

“We should be the shining light and instead we’re a shit show and I’m a part of that shit show and I have been for the last 20 years.”

He says the way to fix America could be out of reach.

“Social media is what allows the polarisation to occur,” he said.

“If you fix social media, you fix America, but our culture won’t allow it and perhaps it’s correct,” he said, noting the fierce protection Americans have for the first amendment, which states “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech”.

“But it’s poisoning our minds, it’s an acid, it genuinely is toxic, it’s dividing us, it’s killing our attention span, it’s killing our ability to reason and most importantly we’re being fed 24/7 what we already believe and that’s the problem,” he said.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14763663

File: fd8784162fd800b⋯.jpg (248.39 KB, 1920x1280, 3:2, Frank_Luntz_who_has_worked….jpg)

>>14763660

2/2

‘I was wrong on climate change’

In 2007, Kevin Rudd swept Labor to its last majority victory. Luntz had a ringside seat, working in Australia conducting focus groups for Sky News and News Corp.

Rudd was elected to deliver an emissions trading scheme, but the campaign waged against it by Tony Abbott, who reversed Coalition support for a carbon price, contributed to the downfall of four prime ministers, including Abbott, and the government’s reluctance thus far to sign up to net-zero reduction targets ahead of the global climate negotiations next month.

Abbott relied heavily on the work of Luntz to destroy political support for a carbon price; in 2001, Luntz advised George W. Bush to refer to global warming as climate change.

“I was trying to say the science wasn’t settled – prove it,” Luntz says. He says this is now his biggest regret.

Between 2007 and 2009 and by the time Tony Abbott toppled Malcolm Turnbull for the Liberal leadership and reversed the then opposition’s support for an emissions trading scheme, the work that Luntz did with the Environmental Defence Fund had convinced him the science was settled.

“Instead of damning me for getting it wrong 21 years ago, recognise that I was willing to acknowledge my mistakes 12 years ago and the media doesn’t do that even today,” he said.

“Bring me to Australia and let me tell your people about the journey. It is fixable and I know how to do it,” he said.

Luntz, who has been conducting research for the Centre for Policy Studies on how to prevent the Americanisation of British politics, says his advice for politicians wanting to avoid America’s divisions is to take a “zero-tolerance position” towards any kind of ugliness, citing the throwing of rocks at Canada’s recently re-elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“Because if you start to justify it, if you start to legitimise it, it will get out of control immediately,” he said.

And on policy, he says it’s important for winners to give the losers a voice.

“The winner gets to choose policy, but the loser needs to be heard,” he said.

“I’d operate on an 85/15 mentality, which is the winner gets 85 per cent and the loser gets 15 per cent. Give them a voice and they won’t want to cancel you, deny them a voice and they’ll hate you forever.”

https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/donald-trump-will-never-be-president-again-says-renowned-pollster-frank-luntz-20211009-p58yna.html

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2e5617  No.14763733

File: ef13d9d77b0bcee⋯.webm (4.05 MB, 640x360, 16:9, Met_Police_drop_investiga….webm)

File: 41e080c7b2acff6⋯.jpg (114.34 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, Prince_Andrew_parties_with….jpg)

File: 82fd06355110fbd⋯.jpg (86.27 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, Prince_Andrew_and_Virginia….jpg)

File: 642013d53ee6929⋯.jpg (85.61 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, Prince_William_reportedly_….jpg)

File: 261e2ad655771a3⋯.jpg (97.11 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, Rumours_abound_that_Sarah_….jpg)

>>14554611

Prince Andrew: Met Police drop investigation into allegations of sex abuse

Scotland Yard has made a shock move in its investigation after reportedly speaking with Prince Andrew’s Australian-based accuser.

Zoe Smith - October 11, 2021

London’s Met Police has dropped its investigation into Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein.

The force said it had carried out two reviews into claims made by women that they had been allegedly abused by Andrew and Epstein but would take “no further action”.

Officers reportedly spoke with his Australian-based accuser Virginia Giuffre before making the announcement.

A Met Police spokesperson said: “The Metropolitan Police Service continues to liaise with other law enforcement agencies who lead the investigation into matters related to Jeffrey Epstein.

“As a matter of procedure MPS officers reviewed a document released in August 2021 as part of a US civil action. This review has concluded and we are taking no further action.

“We also reviewed information passed to us by a media organisation in June 2021. This review is complete and no further action will be taken.”

In August, Met chief Cressida Dick said a review was under way following the new wave of trouble facing the 61-year-old over his links to disgraced Epstein.

Speaking on radio station LBC London, Dame Cressida said: “No one is above the law.

“It’s been reviewed twice before, we’ve worked closely with the Crown Prosecution Service, we are of course open to working with authorities overseas, we will give them every assistance if they ask us for anything within the law obviously.”

Virginia Giuffre, 38, who now lives in Queensland, has launched a US civil case against Prince Andrew, accusing him of sexually abusing her two decades ago when she was aged 17.

Prince Andrew, who is not facing any criminal charges, “categorically” denies Ms Giuffre’s claims against him.

The latest development comes amid reports from The Sunday Times that the Duke of York will not return to public life after Prince Charles, Prince Edward and Princess Anne closed the door on him and Prince William branded him a “threat to the royal family”.

‘There is no way in the world he’s ever coming back, the family will never let it happen,” a royal source said, according to The Sunday Times.

“William is no fan of Uncle Andrew,” another source, a friend of William’s, is reported to have said.

The Sunday Times reported that Prince William was “triggered” by his uncle’s perceived “ungracious and ungrateful” attitude towards his position, which William considers “a risk” and a ‘threat to the family.’

“Any suggestion that there isn’t gratitude for the institution, anything that could lead anyone in the public to think that senior members of the royal family aren’t grateful for their position, (William thinks) is really dangerous,” The Sunday Times quoted the source as saying.

The scathing article also alleged Prince Andrew is not popular in royal circles due to his “demanding” and “diva-like” behaviour, with one source describing him as “a self-important bore”.

One former staff member told The Sunday Times: “He’s quite an arrogant chap with a tendency to blame other people when things go wrong, instead of looking at his own behaviour. The Duke of York has never been one to take advice that doesn’t suit him, and he doesn’t hold back in letting you know what to do with that advice when he doesn’t want to hear.”

Another royal aide called him “a deeply unpleasant man”.

“The difference you see between him and the way Prince William and the Prince of Wales treat their staff with respect, straight out of the Queen’s handbook, is stark,” the royal aide said.

The Sunday Times reported that for all his detractors, Prince Andrew still has the support of his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York and it is rumoured they will eventually remarry.

A friend of the couple, who divorced in 1996, told the paper: “He loves her and she loves him.”

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/prince-andrew-met-police-drop-investigation-into-allegations-of-sex-abuse/news-story/12e14522dc0895d3ab52927d4f8c87e1

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2e5617  No.14763754

File: 3cd906f665aec0b⋯.jpg (246.37 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, Abbott_an_Australian_Pompe….jpg)

>>14744516

>>14750441

Abbott an 'Australian Pompeo' used by Taiwan secessionists

Lin Lan - Oct 10, 2021

Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott, also regarded by some Chinese analysts as the "Australian version of Mike Pompeo," has acted as a "vanguard" of the US, pathetically becoming Washington's cannon fodder and a tool taken advantage of by Taiwan secessionists. Abbott made a series of clownish attacks against the Chinese mainland during his visit to the island of Taiwan, which was harshly criticized by the Chinese embassy in Australia.

"Tony Abbott is a failed and pitiful politician. His recent despicable and insane performance in Taiwan fully exposed his hideous anti-China features. This will only further discredit him," said the spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in Australia on Saturday.

Abbott arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday. During his visit, he wantonly criticized China's "belligerence" and "crackdown" in Hong Kong and Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Abbott sensationally raised fears that Beijing "could lash out disastrously very soon" against Taiwan, accusing the Chinese mainland of being a "bully" and expressing his support for Taiwan secessionists. Trying to instigate Washington, he also said he did not believe the US "could stand by" and watch Taiwan be "swallowed up" by the Chinese mainland.

"Abbott is like an Australian version of Mike Pompeo. His words are one of the most ferocious and outrageous attacks against Beijing by Australian politicians since the establishment of China-Australia diplomatic relations. Abbott is a representative of the extreme right, trying to interfere in China's political system and other internal affairs. But now, his scheme has obviously failed," Chen Hong, a professor and director of the Australian Studies Centre, East China Normal University, told the Global Times.

Abbott's all-out attack against the Chinese mainland was not extensively echoed inside Australia. For example, The Sydney Morning Herald commented on Friday that "Abbott's comments will put the Morrison government in a difficult position." In recent years, Canberra has brought a lot of damage to China-Australia relations. As the two countries' ties have already reached a low point, Abbott was adding fuel to the flames. It will be Australia itself that suffers eventually.

Besides, a few proactive speeches against Beijing will never help the island of Taiwan end its "international isolation" as Abbott claimed. Nor will they bring any actual support to Taiwan secessionists. Just the opposite, Abbott's visit shows that Taiwan secessionists have almost come to the end of their rope. To a large extent, they can only take advantage of such former politicians who cannot represent mainstream political strategy in their own countries.

Although Abbott clamored that he did not believe the US "could stand by" on the Taiwan question, he cannot change the fact that extreme Australian anti-China forces are in an awkward dilemma. They have closely followed Washington's suit to oppose Beijing, but Washington may never fulfill their wish at the expense of a complete breakdown of China-US relations.

This year marks the 110th anniversary of the 1911 Revolution, whose historical mission was to end the thousands-years-long absolute monarchy, establish a republic and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The Kuomintang reactionaries were eventually given up by people, defeated in the Chinese mainland and retreated to Taiwan. But today, Taiwan's ruling interest groups have abandoned the primal purpose of the revolution, turning to external forces to confront the mainland.

It is pitiful and ridiculous that former Australian prime minister has become an anti-China vanguard used by Taiwan secessionists. One after another, Taiwan has lost its "allies," which shows that China's complete reunification is an unstoppable trend. Extreme politicians like Abbott and their positions will be eventually abandoned by history.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202110/1235927.shtml

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1a884e  No.14763818

>>14744543

What a sell out that little pissant is. Can't believe he calls himself an Aussie. Not fit to clean a Diggers Boots.

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2e5617  No.14763819

File: 20430e9f7e6fec9⋯.jpg (121.14 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Victorian_Labor_MP_Luke_Do….jpg)

File: dd7c5dd0fcb9c5a⋯.jpg (171.06 KB, 768x1024, 3:4, Victorian_Premier_Daniel_A….jpg)

>>14733561

Resignations in the news

Luke Donnellan: Victorian Labor MP quits after explosive IBAC claims

RACHEL BAXENDALE - OCTOBER 11, 2021

Victoria’s IBAC inquiry into allegations of Labor Party branch stacking has taken just under five hours to claim its first ministerial scalp with the resignation from the Andrews government ministry of Disability, Ageing and Carers and Child Protection Minister Luke Donnellan.

The Australian understands Mr Donnellan phoned Premier Daniel Andrews earlier on Monday afternoon, and intends to remain on the backbench.

Mr Donnellan has become the fourth minister to stand down amid allegations of branch-stacking after his former factional leader Adem Somyurek and allies Marlene Kairouz and Robin Scott were forced to resign in 2020.

Mr Donnellan’s resignation from the ministry comes after federal Labor MP and Somyurek faction defector Anthony Byrne told IBAC on Monday morning that he, Mr Somyurek and Mr Donnellan had paid thousands of dollars to renew party memberships on behalf of others.

In a statement issued shortly before 3:30pm, Mr Donnellan said he accepted that he had previously breached Labor Party rules while a minister, but denied he had ever misused public funds or resources.

“Today I called the Premier to inform him that I’m stepping down as a minister in the Andrews government,” Mr Donnellan said.

“I accept that I have previously breached party rules while a minister.

“But let me be very clear: I never misused public funds or resources in any way. And this has absolutely nothing to do with my staff.

“However, I don’t believe it is possible or appropriate to maintain my ministerial responsibilities given these rule breaches.”

Mr Donnellan said his previous ministerial role supporting vulnerable Victorians was “too important, especially during the pandemic” for him to remain in the role given the circumstances.

“Serving as a minister in this government has been an incredible privilege and I thank the Premier and my colleagues for that opportunity,” he said.

“I also thank my staff and all the department officials who have been working so bloody hard to support the community. You’ve been marvellous.”

In a statement issued minutes later, Mr Andrews said Mr Donnellan had advised him on Monday afternoon that he would be “resigning from the ministry effective immediately.”

“I thank Luke for his contribution to the government in his various ministerial portfolios, particularly his hard work in child protection, disability and ageing,” Mr Andrews said.

“He has been a passionate advocate for vulnerable kids, people with disability and older Victorians and he leaves a legacy of reform of which he can be proud.

“Luke’s work has seen a transformation of the system for children and families in Victoria, investing in hundreds of dedicated child protection workers and navigators to do their important work supporting families and kids – making sure they have the stable foundation to begin their lives.”

Mr Andrews avoided commenting on the reason for Mr Donnellan’s resignation, saying: “Due to inquiries currently on foot, I will not be making further comment.”

“Further announcements about the ministry will be made in due course,” Mr Andrews said.

Asked at Monday’s earlier Covid-19 press conference whether Mr Donnellan should step down in light of Mr Byrne’s evidence, Health Minister Martin Foley said he was “not here to run a commentary on an independent commission that has clearly now started its public hearings.”

“That’s a matter for IBAC and it would not be appropriate for me to run a commentary on a live series of matters and I won’t be,” Mr Foley said.

He again declined to comment when asked to respond to IBAC’s focus on events which occurred in 2002 and Mr Somyurek’s observation on Twitter that “Dan (Andrews) and I went into parliament in 2002 what a coincidence”.

Asked whether Mr Byrne’s account of the Labor Party as being “completely out of control” with “rampant” branch-stacking and coercion of ministerial staff, Mr Foley said: “No, that’s not my experience, but nor will I be taking your invitation to go down the path of offering public commentary on an independent, broad-based commission’s real, live consideration of these issue.”

“That isn’t appropriate and I’ll resist your invitation to do so,” Mr Foley said.

A cabinet meeting is being held on Monday afternoon.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/luke-donnellan-after-five-hours-ibac-inquiry-claims-its-first-scalp/news-story/41848a4138ea4e7de69b2ff51fdf8446

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1a884e  No.14763826

>>14737680

Lock Him Up, Jesuit trouble making Prick.

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1a884e  No.14763831

>>14730909

The Alliance has a lot of locking up to do in Australia.

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2e5617  No.14766086

File: 682aa4d33ad9151⋯.jpg (50.51 KB, 862x485, 862:485, Tony_Abbott_visited_Taiwan….jpg)

>>14744516

>>14750441

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman lashes out at former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott over Taiwan

ABC/AP - 12 October 2021

China has again lashed out at former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott, doubling down on its criticism after Mr Abbott's visit to Taiwan, during which he accused Beijing of being a bully.

Speaking at a conference in Taiwan last week, former prime minister Abbott expressed enthusiastic support for the island, which is claimed by China.

"Nothing is more pressing right now than solidarity with Taiwan," he said at the time.

The former prime minister also took aim at China's expanding control over Hong Kong, its treatment of Uyghurs and the country's troubled trade relationship with Australia.

"It's boosted cyber spying on its own citizens, cancelled popular personalities in favour of a cult of the red emperor, brutalised Indian soldiers in the Himalayas, coerced other claimants in its eastern seas and flown ever more intimidatory sorties against Taiwan," Mr Abbott said in Taipei on Friday.

Firing back at a a daily news briefing on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the comments had "severely violated the one-China principle and sent a seriously wrong signal".

"The remarks made by the individual Australian politicians are extremely absurd, [and] totally confuse right and wrong," Mr Zhou said.

"Such remarks out of one's own political interests instigate confrontation, advocate the 'China threat' theory, violently interfere in China's internal affairs and wantonly smear and discredit China. They are immoral, irresponsible and doomed to be unpopular.

"We urge the individual concerned in Australia to abandon cold war thinking and ideological bias, respect basic facts, look at China and its development objectively and rationally, and stop making irresponsible remarks."

Mr Zhou said Beijing had made "formal complaints" with Canberra.

Mr Abbott's visit was just days after after China carried out four days of mass air force incursions into Taiwan's air defence identification zone.

Like most countries, Australia has no official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, which maintains it is an independent country.

In recent times Beijing has imposed official and unofficial trade barriers against Australian products including wine, coal and barley following Australia's call for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

China–India border tensions drag on

Regarding the tensions at the China–India border, Mr Zhao refuted an Indian army statement criticising China for not providing any "forward-looking proposals" during the latest military commander talks set to end a 17-month border standoff.

Mr Zhao said the statement was "unfounded" and China had made "great efforts" to cool down the tension in the border area.

"We hope that the Indian side will not misjudge the situation, cherish the hard-won situation now in the border area, abide by the relevant agreements, treaties and consensus between the two militaries," Mr Zhao said.

Indian and Chinese army commanders met on Sunday and discussed steps to disengage troops from key friction areas along their disputed border.

A written statement on Monday from a Chinese military spokesperson said "the Indian side sticks to unreasonable and unrealistic demands, adding difficulties to the negotiations," while India army said it has made "constructive suggestions" but China was not "agreeable".

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-12/china-doubles-down-on-abbott-criticism-for-his-taiwan-visit/100531050

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2e5617  No.14766100

File: b64df5daccb1a3c⋯.jpg (124.63 KB, 500x366, 250:183, Foreign_Ministry_Spokesper….jpg)

>>14766086

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on October 11, 2021

MASTV: Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott made inappropriate remarks about China on several occasions during his recent visit to Taiwan. What is China's response?

Zhao Lijian: Adhering to the one-China principle is a universally recognized norm governing international relations. It is also the prerequisite and political foundation for China to develop friendly relations with other countries. Relevant actions of certain Australian politician seriously violate the one-China principle and send a seriously wrong signal to the outside world. China is firmly opposed to this and has lodged solemn representations with the Australian side.

The remarks of certain Australian politician are completely confusing black and white and extremely absurd. Such remarks that incite confrontation, drum up the "China threat theory", grossly interfere in China's internal affairs and wantonly slander and smear China out of selfish political gain are immoral, irresponsible and find no support.

We urge some individuals in Australia to abandon the Cold War mentality and ideological bias, respect basic facts, view China and its development in an objective and rational way, and stop making irresponsible remarks.

Beijing Media Network: On October 8, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the US "is not hiding it and is straightforward" about pitting Russia and Europe against each other on gas issues, and that politicizing gas supplies should be avoided, or people on both sides would be adversely affected. What is China's comment?

Zhao Lijian: It is well-known that the Nord Stream 2 project shows energy complementarity between Russia and Europe, and would help resolve the European energy crisis. The US, however, monopolizes the European energy market, and spares no effort in disrupting and hobbling relevant projects to undermine the interests of Russia and Europe and their cooperation so as to serve its own geopolitical interests. This wins no support. The US is adept at politicizing issues in all kinds and would hurt others indiscriminately, including its allies and partners, for its own interests. Such US practice is a reminder of what happened recently. The US colluded with the UK and Australia in forming so-called AUKUS and egged on Australia to ditch the submarine cooperation project with France that had already begun. This was described as "a stab in the back" by the European side. We believe more countries, with their eyes wide open, will oppose the US hegemonic approach featuring politicization and a sense of supremacy in pursuit of self-interests at the expense of others.

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/2511_665403/t1913649.shtml

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2e5617  No.14770219

File: 7589fe2290c5c2f⋯.jpg (124.88 KB, 1200x800, 3:2, A_Taiwanese_flag_flaps_in_….jpg)

>>14551745

>>14647744

Taiwan asks Australia to support regional trade bid

Kirsty Needham - October 12, 2021

SYDNEY, Oct 12 (Reuters) - A Taiwan official has asked Australia to support its bid to join the CPTPP pan-Pacific trade pact, which China opposes, saying Taiwan can boost high technology trade flows and demand for Australian minerals.

Support for Taiwan's bid would also "send a strong message" to Australian businesses impacted by China's recent boycotts of Australian products, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office representative, Elliott Charng, told a parliament committee in Canberra on Tuesday.

"Economic sanctions imposed on Australia by China reinforce the argument of engaging with Taiwan more closely and more deeply," he told the committee. Each member of the 11-nation CPTPP, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, has to approve new members and the committee will recommend Australia's response.

The regional trade group, formed in 2018, currently includes Canada, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. It has received applications from Britain, China and Taiwan to join.

The bids by China and Taiwan in the past month have sparked tension, with Beijing opposing Taiwan's application, and Taiwan accusing Beijing of bullying.

China is Australia's largest trading partner, with exports reaching a record A$19.4 billion in the month of July on the back of iron ore demand. However diplomatic relations have soured in recent years.

Australia was Taiwan's third-largest source of agricultural goods, worth US$607 million last year, and the CPTPP would provide structure to do business and enhance cybersecurity cooperation, said Charng, who is Taiwan's de facto ambassador in Australia.

"The opposition from China is not unexpected. China will use every way to avoid Taiwan participating in any international organisations," he said.

China said on Monday it had lodged stern representations with Australia over "inappropriate" comments by former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott who last week visited Taiwan, which is claimed by China, in a personal capacity, and met Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

Abbott told reporters there on Friday Taiwan met the criteria for joining the CPTPP, however "fear of upsetting China" could cause some members to object to Taiwan's application, and urged countries to move beyond "rhetorical support" for Taiwan and provide practical support.

China has also lobbied the Australian parliament committee to help it join the CPTPP, describing the strength of Chinese trade with Australia and avoiding mention of billions of dollars in punitive sanctions imposed by Beijing.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taiwan-asks-australia-support-regional-trade-bid-2021-10-12/

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2e5617  No.14770288

File: fc08e8113f6a4a4⋯.webm (14.15 MB, 480x270, 16:9, Daniel_Andrews_says_he_ha….webm)

File: e93d85154208019⋯.jpg (82.83 KB, 862x575, 862:575, Labor_MP_Anthony_Byrne_tol….jpg)

File: 486711adaa5a75b⋯.jpg (18.46 KB, 279x261, 31:29, IBAC_commissioner_Robert_R….jpg)

>>14733561

>>14763819

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews denies wrongdoing as IBAC investigates branch stacking in Labor Party

Richard Willingham and Bridget Rollason - 12 October 2021

Premier Daniel Andrews has declared he has always followed the Labor Party's rules amid a deepening scandal enveloping the Victorian branch of the ALP.

Federal Labor MP Anthony Byrne dropped a bomb on day one of the anti-corruption probe into the misuse of taxpayer-funded resources, admitting he had engaged in branch stacking, and so had others, including disgraced former minister Adem Somyurek and Luke Donnellan.

Mr Donnellan resigned his Cabinet post on Monday afternoon, admitting he had broken party rules, but not the law.

The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission is looking at allegations of branch stacking by MPs and taxpayer-funded staff, as well as the misuse of community grants for political purposes.

Under questioning on Tuesday, Mr Byrne said the Socialist Left faction, especially in the south-east of Melbourne, was also engaged in major branch-stacking operations.

Mr Andrews is part of the Socialist Left faction, but he said he had not attended faction meetings for 11 years since he became parliamentary party leader.

Asked if he had ever paid for someone else's membership, Mr Andrews said no.

"I follow the party's rules, and I behave appropriately," he told reporters as he entered Parliament.

In the past, Mr Andrews has been accused of branch stacking by Mr Somyurek, something he has denied.

"If you go and ask Cath [his wife] and the kids, they'll tell you I've had no time to do much else other than my parliamentary and my ministerial duties," he said.

"I've got a job to do. I dedicate myself to that job, every waking hour."

He would not be drawn on the IBAC hearings or speculate on what else it might find.

"I have a clear expectation of that, that each and every member of my team behaves appropriately and are similarly focused as I am on the people of this great state." Mr Andrews said.

During Tuesday's hearing, Commissioner Robert Redlich QC said IBAC had a role for reform and was looking at historical practices.

"The conduct giving rise to these allegations of corrupt conduct, namely branch stacking is conduct by Mr Byrne's account, and by all of the other material that's available to the commission, has been endemic within the Labor Party for at least the last 20 years, if not longer," Mr Redlich said.

Mr Redlich acknowledged that Mr Byrne's testimony was "against his interest" and commended him.

During cross-examination, Mr Somyurek could be heard whispering to his lawyer Remy van de Wiel QC, which Mr Redlich noticed.

Mr van de Wiel asked Mr Byrne a series of questions about the different ethnic groups the faction tried to recruit, including the Turkish and Vietnamese communities. He accused Mr Byrne of being in control of the Moderate Labor group, not Mr Somyurek.

At Parliament, ministers Jacinta Allan and James Merlino also denied they had ever paid for other people's membership or engaged in branch stacking.

But Environment Minister Lily D'Ambrosio would not answer if she had ever paid for anyone else's membership.

"I'm not going to get into any matters that relate to IBAC," she told reporters.

Trade Minister Martin Pakula said he did not think it was always necessary for people named in IBAC to resign immediately.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-12/ibac-labor-party-branch-stacking-daniel-andrews/100531886

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2e5617  No.14770308

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>14733561

>>14763819

Victoria's IBAC hears allegations of branch stacking in state Labor Party | 7.30

ABC News (Australia)

Oct 12, 2021

Corruption allegations have already shaken the NSW Coalition government and now it's the turn of Victoria's Labor government, led by Daniel Andrews. It's facing weeks of public hearings about the alleged misuse of public money and on day one, one state Labor minister tendered his resignation.

The corruption investigations in two states are underscoring the absence of any similar sort of watchdog covering federal politicians. Nadia Daly reports.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYq0RCcxfp0

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2e5617  No.14770507

File: 4d3b9131f53e246⋯.jpg (103.54 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, My_message_to_Taiwan_get_r….jpg)

>>14716235

>>14744543

My message to Taiwan: get ready to fight

TONY ABBOTT - OCTOBER 10, 2021

1/2

Taiwan’s Foreign Minister spoke frankly with the Australian people last week about the prospect of invasion so I will do my best to speak with equal candour.

For a retired free-world politician, there may be no more telling place to be than Taipei right now because this is where liberty and tyranny are most at odds. Taiwan is a liberal democracy of almost 25 million people, now in peril, so what Australian democrat would not rally to your cause?

We have to assume that China is preparing to take Taiwan, as President Xi Jinping himself has said, by force if necessary, even though Taiwan has never been part of communist China and hasn’t really been ruled from Beijing since 1895.

Why would China be flying ever more intimidatory sorties against this island; and why would China be building a massive amphibious assault capability; and why would it be amassing batteries of “carrier-killing” missiles, if its plan were not to force the US from the western Pacific and to have the People’s Liberation Army in charge here in Taipei?

I can hardly conceive of a more horrible prospect than a sea and air invasion of this island; preceded as it almost certainly would be, by an ultimatum to the US and its allies. Yet isn’t the alternative even worse: the subjection of a free people to a tyranny that brooks no opposition, no alternative sources of power and influence, no independent thought, just ever more complete subservience to the Red Emperor, monitored and enforced by 24/7 electronic surveillance?

I am no military planner but, with Sun Tzu, I imagine that Beijing would prefer to win without a fight. Beijing is already mixing intimidation with misinformation in the grey zone between peace and war. The campaign to take Taiwan has started; an invasion would be but the final consummation of Beijing’s drive to put the so-called century of humiliation behind it.

The steadily increasing sorties into Taiwanese air zones are designed to test your readiness, wear out your pilots and planes, and ultimately confuse you about the big exercise that might turn out to be a real attack. I imagine that these will increase and intensify, and creep closer to Taiwan itself, in the hope of provoking a reaction that would enable Beijing to claim that war was Taiwan’s fault.

Likewise, I’d expect the PLA navy to start exercising in greater numbers closer to your shores. If it intimidates you into striking a deal, so much the better; otherwise, again, the objective would be to build pressure and provoke an incident that could be blamed on Taiwan, along with the insistence that this was China’s internal affair and no business of anyone else.

I suspect Chinese ships and planes will eventually swarm right up to the 12-mile limit. That’s why it will be important for Taiwan’s friends, the US, Japan, Australia, Britain and the Europeans, regularly and in force to keep patrolling the Taiwan Straits to remind Beijing these are international waters that it does not own.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14770509

File: 9d67db715285f6d⋯.jpg (285.24 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Taiwanese_military_vehicle….jpg)

File: 50dd639d4d22e14⋯.png (653.77 KB, 1024x768, 4:3, Tony_Abbott_with_Taiwan_s_….png)

>>14770507

2/2

If sea and air intimidation doesn’t produce the clash that China can claim is the cause of war, at some point I’d expect China to announce a blockade of the so-called “rebel province” and claim the right to intercept the ships and planes carrying Taiwan’s trade in the hope of making life here all but impossible.

This would be the key moment for Taiwan’s friends: would they be prepared to run a Chinese blockade, and would China be prepared to intercept foreign ships and planes bound for Taiwan? My instinct is that China would be reluctant to down an American ship or plane but would instead challenge the US and its allies to keep Taiwan supplied indefinitely.

By that stage, the economic relationship between China, and the US and its allies would long have ruptured and the world would have divided into camps, essentially the democracies versus the dictatorships.

Long before then, I imagine, there would have been cyber attack and counterattack, increasingly destructive, and Beijing would have mobilised any quislings it has to undermine Taiwan’s will to resist.

This is where Taiwan needs to be an “eastern Israel” capable of inflicting massive and asymmetric damage on any invader.

Rightly, Taiwan is preparing itself; but time might not be your friend, as the assumption that it’s still several years before China has the amphibious and the anti-submarine capability to prevail is only a comforting one if Taiwan and its friends are building their capability even faster.

To the extent that there’s a Biden doctrine, post-Afghanistan, it’s that America helps those who help themselves. And why not? Because no one could be expected to fight harder for Taiwan than you would be prepared to fight for yourselves.

After seven decades of successful separation, I can’t see the people of Taiwan ever willingly submitting to communist rule from Beijing. Conversely, I can’t see the commissars in Beijing ever accepting that Taiwan should be free.

Beijing will say that Taiwan is no one else’s business; and if other countries make it their business, Beijing will say that it has no designs on anyone else.

It’s the old siren song from the 1930s, as our Prime Minister has recognised: “We have no further territorial ambitions … ”

But that’s not how dictatorships operate, and it’s never been how Beijing operates; for millennia before communism, Beijing expected tribute from “all under heaven”; Marxism-Leninism has simply reinforced that age-old exceptionalism, and technology has simply extended Beijing’s reach.

I can’t think of a harder decision for an Australian government than the call to defend freedom far from home; except the call to defend freedom close to home with weakened friends and stronger foes.

After 18 months of virus anxiety, verging on hysteria, over the impact of Covid on our old and sick, the last thing anyone wants to contemplate is death from another quarter; but, ready or not, China is coming for Taiwan’s freedom, and the best way to avoid the war that no one wants is to be prepared to fight it.

These are difficult times, even daunting times; but the more we think things through, the better they’ll turn out to be.

This is an edited version of a speech Tony Abbott delivered to the Yushan Forum dinner in Taipei on Friday night.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/my-message-to-taiwan-get-ready-to-fight/news-story/016d42c3de74df09e97ed4ff9c30a7a4

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2e5617  No.14770522

File: b9db93e46c666af⋯.jpg (413.51 KB, 1200x720, 5:3, Former_Australia_Prime_Min….jpg)

>>14770507

Abbott’s real message to Taiwan: fight for yourself and do not expect substantial protection from the US and its allies

Hu Xijin - Oct 12, 2021

After his visit to the island of Taiwan, former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott published on The Australian newspaper on Sunday an edited version of a speech he delivered in the island. The article has a provocative headline "My message to Taiwan: get ready to fight." It advocates that "the best way to avoid the war that no one wants is to be prepared to fight it," and encourages Taiwan to turn itself into "an eastern Israel capable of inflicting massive and asymmetric damage on any invader." He also said that "to the extent that there's a Biden doctrine, post-Afghanistan, it's that America helps those who help themselves. And, why not? Because no one could be expected to fight harder for Taiwan than you would be prepared to fight for yourselves."

I do not know whether Abbott's agitation will frustrate most of the people in the island of Taiwan because the message he conveyed is by no means encouraging. He actually wanted "Taiwan to fight for itself," and not expect substantial protection from the US and its allies. To put it bluntly, Abbott actually asked Taiwan to "stand up and die" for Western interests and to act as cannon fodder on a war that the island is destined to lose in order to win praise from the West.

Abbott is so vicious. I just do not know if the people of Taiwan who listened to his speech are stupid enough to get blood boiled by his words. I think rational Taiwan people would tell him: It is better for you Australians prepare to fight. Australia can deploy most of its warships around the Chinese mainland and give young Australian soldiers "a worthy death defending democracy".

The DPP authorities and the masters behind them are spreading the argument that reunification of the two sides will mean a change in the existing way of life of Taiwan people and that everything will be "mainlandized". In her "Double Ten" speech, Tsai declared that "the path that China has laid out offers neither a free and democratic way of life for Taiwan." This is a shameless deception and is intended to trick the Taiwan people to "sacrifice themselves for democracy and freedom." This is not an attempt to make the island of Taiwan into an Israel. It is clearly a plan to turn Taiwan into a Hamas.

Now, the US and its Asia-Pacific allies are instigating Taiwan spiritually to go down the path of confronting the mainland and separating the island from the country, which is a dead end. Tsai's government has been holding on to these forces, taking Taiwan people as hostage for their gamble. I hope people of Taiwan can have basic judgement and refuse to become pawns or cannon fodder for the interests of the US, Japan and Australia. Unification of China is a consistent and justified agenda since modern times. Those who vilify it are definitely the evil forces of anti-history and anti-humanity.

Taiwan is standing at a crossroads. It can walk toward a proud path of peaceful unification but it can also be led to disaster by those evil forces. They are fooling the Taiwan people. I want to tell people of Taiwan to hold on and keep a clear mind!

The author is editor-in-chief of the Global Times. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202110/1236043.shtml

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2e5617  No.14776846

File: f44b6d6e73c17d1⋯.jpg (142.4 KB, 1024x684, 256:171, Shoppers_wear_protective_f….jpg)

>>14404403

COVID-19 curbs in Sydney could ease early amid surge in vaccinations

Renju Jose - OCTOBER 13, 2021

SYDNEY (Reuters) - New South Wales could ease more restrictions in Sydney a week earlier than planned on Oct. 18 as Australia’s most populous state races towards its 80% double-dose vaccination target, the government said on Wednesday.

The southeastern state is expected to hit the mark over the weekend, beating forecasts, and officials previously promised to relax further restrictions on vaccinated residents on the first Monday after reaching that milestone.

“If we hit 80%, we’ve always said it will be the Monday following,” state Premier Dominic Perrottet told ABC Radio. “We will have this discussion with our team on Thursday and we will make a decision to be announced on Friday.”

Retail stores, pubs and gyms can allow more vaccinated patrons when inoculation reaches 80%. Mandatory masks will not be required inside offices and nightclubs can reopen for seated drinking, while weddings can have unlimited guests.

Sydney’s more than 5 million residents came out of a nearly four-month lockdown on Monday after the 70% vaccination target was reached, with state officials promising a phased easing of remaining restrictions after vaccination rates reach 80% and 90%.

The NSW government has warned infections will increase with reopening but has brushed aside warnings from some health experts that hospitals could be overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases under Perrottet’s strategy of living with the virus.

Daily infections in New South Wales rose to 444 on Wednesday, up from 360 a day earlier, but well down from the pandemic high of 1,599 in early September.

Australia is in the grip of a third wave of infections fuelled by the Delta variant that has hit Sydney and Melbourne, its largest cities, and the capital Canberra.

Canberra’s 400,000 residents will exit lockdown on Friday as the first-dose vaccination rate topped 95%, one of the highest among Australia’s regional capitals.

Victoria, which includes Melbourne, suffered the deadliest day of the Delta outbreak on Wednesday with 13 deaths. It reported 1,571 new infections, up from 1,466 on Tuesday.

Even with the Delta outbreaks, Australia has managed to keep its coronavirus numbers relatively low, with some 133,400 cases and 1,478 deaths.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-australia/covid-19-curbs-in-sydney-could-ease-early-amid-surge-in-vaccinations-idUSKBN2H228A

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2e5617  No.14776923

File: bbd90a9f56918d5⋯.jpg (167.57 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, The_Virginia_class_USS_Nor….jpg)

>>14592776

>>14730973

US Virginia-class submarines ‘best choice for nuclear fleet’: Richard Spencer

DENNIS SHANAHAN - OCTOBER 12, 2021

The US’s Virginia-class nuclear submarine is the best option for Australia according to a former US Navy secretary who believes training for Australian crews on the subs could begin “right now”.

Richard Spencer, the US Navy chief who made the decision to buy nine Virginia-class submarines during the Trump administration, believes “there is no better option on the market” for Australia’s maritime defence.

Mr Spencer believes Australia’s strategic decision on which nuclear submarine – the US Virginia-class or UK Astute-class – to purchase will be critical and forthrightly supports the Virginia in the face of growing public pressure for the British vessel.

Since the signing of the AUKUS agreement on nuclear submarines and defence technology last month, and the dumping of the French $90bn project for conventional submarines, Scott Morrison has committed to a 12 to 18-month selection process.

In Washington two weeks ago, the Prime Minister said Australia would be looking at both options and would consider training, construction and trying to avoid a capability gap between the end of the current Collins-class diesel fleet and the arrival of the new ­nuclear-powered submarines.

There has been a vigorous campaign in the UK to encourage Australia to choose the Astute-class and concerns raised about the ability of the US to build extra submarines for Australia because of delays in supply and production chains. But there are also concerns about compatibility with the UK systems and a willingness for the US to share more nuclear technology outside a US-built boat.

As an interim measure, the UK has suggested sending two or three of its nuclear submarines ­effectively to be based in Australia, and Defence Minister Peter Dutton has raised the idea of “leasing” nuclear subs.

Mr Spencer says the choice for Australia is vital. “The Virginia-class submarine is better for Australia’s national security mission, is more interoperable, and is more likely to fill the capability gap earlier with proven manufacture and sustainment costs than other submarines,” he writes in an article for The Australian on Wednesday.

“For a country in a predominantly maritime region where the tyranny of distance is unrelenting, and with foreign adversaries sharing your oceans, the strategic decision to acquire nuclear-powered submarines is the right one for Australia and its alliance network,” he writes.

Mr Spencer, who was acting US defence secretary and is now chairman of the Australian-­inspired BondiPartners financial and strategic group, says an Australian nuclear submarine needs to deter foreign adversaries from “attacking vital sea lines of communication and trade, perform intelligence gathering and pro­cess­ing missions, and be able to interdict foreign vessels in Australia’s backyard … There is no better option … than the Virginia-class submarine for these purposes.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has declared supplying an Astute-class submarine to Australia would create jobs in the UK, and British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said he was confident the boats would be British-made.

Mr Wallace said the submarine production would fit in with the British production cycle, given the country has just kicked off its hunter-killer submarines, and the US is in full flow on its own boats: “We are in a strong position to help the Australians achieve that capability so I am very confident that British engineering, British skills and Australian nous will ­deliver a very good submarine.”

Mr Spencer says the Virginia-class submarine program is one of the most successful within the US Navy. “The American submarine has a Tomahawk missile vertical launching system, which pairs nicely with Australia’s recent announcement that your country will purchase more Tomahawk missiles from the US. With this suite of weaponry, the adversaries will think twice before targeting Australian sea routes,” he writes.

“One of the key distinctions for the RAN to consider is the closeness of the US and Australian navies, and the deep ties between the American-Australian defence industrial bases. This interoperability in both the military and private sector will result in a better submarine for Australia’s needs.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/us-virginiaclass-submarines-best-choice-for-nuclear-fleet-richard-spencer/news-story/b8faf576bd31ac0837a3b518f1bc42d7

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2e5617  No.14776926

File: 6e13a174dbdf50d⋯.jpg (181.82 KB, 819x1024, 819:1024, Richard_V_Spencer_official….jpg)

>>14776923

All the way with USA the smart move for Australia

RICHARD V. SPENCER - OCTOBER 12, 2021

For a country in a predominantly maritime region where the tyranny of distance is unrelenting and with foreign adversaries sharing your oceans, the strategic decision to acquire nuclear-powered submarines (known as SSNs) is the right one for Australia and its alliance network.

As a former US secretary of the navy, I oversaw the US Navy’s decision to spend $US22bn to purchase nine new Virginia-class submarines. The US is continuing to invest in this program because the technology behind SSNs is an increasingly important naval asset in the ever-changing maritime combat landscape.

It also should be noted that within the navy and the US Department of Defence the Virginia-class submarine program is one of the most successful acquisition programs in terms of cost/performance and delivery. Australia’s decision on which type of SSN to procure will be critical. The Virginia-class is better for Australia’s national security mission, is more interoperable and is likelier to fill the capability gap earlier with proven manufacture and sustainment costs.

The Royal Australian Navy needs a submarine with diverse capabilities. An Australian SSN needs to deter foreign adversaries from attacking vital sea lines of communication and trade, to perform intelligence gathering and processing missions, and to be able to interdict foreign vessels in Australia’s backyard. There is no better option than the Virginia-class for these purposes.

The Virginia-class carries more weapons than any other industry counter­part. The new payload module increases the capacity of torpedoes and missiles from 37 to 65. The American submarine also has a Tomahawk missile vertical launching system, which pairs nicely with Australia’s recent announcement that it will purchase more Tomahawk missiles from the US.

With this suite of weaponry, adversaries will think twice before targeting Australian sea routes.

On the intel and interdiction side, the Virginia-class is equipped with the best sensory and detection tools available on the market.

One key point for the RAN to consider is the closeness of the US and Australian navies, and the deep ties between the US-Australian defence industrial bases. This interoperability in the military and private sector will result in a better submarine for Australia’s needs. Australia’s defence experts have said much of the same.

A paper about which SSN would be best for Australia, presented at the Submarine Institute of Australia by Commander John Thornton (ret), a specialist in nuclear submarine engineering, says: “The most capable submarine undoubtedly will be the Virginia-class, followed by the Astute-class.” It also highlights the RAN’s “close involvement with the US Navy” and the ASC’s “close relationship” with General Dynamics, manufacturer of the Virginia-class submarine.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14776930

File: 57946b7d1fbde20⋯.jpg (359.1 KB, 1920x1080, 16:9, Navy_secretary_fired_over_….jpg)

File: a102dbf55e53ed7⋯.jpg (46.44 KB, 691x461, 691:461, I_was_fired_as_Navy_secret….jpg)

>>14776926

2/2

It is important to remember the much maligned French submarine deal was partially cancelled because of concerns over the lack of shared culture and vision for the project. There is little danger of a similar culture clash if Australia builds American submarines. This is especially true if the US and Australia begin joint training exercises on in-service US Virginia-class submarines as soon as possible. This will expedite the build out of the RAN’s submariner force and capacity. Training can start now.

Defence experts have rightly raised questions about the RAN’s short-term capability gap. This gap refers to the time before Australia captains its new fleet of submarines, while the foreign naval threat continues to grow. These experts also rightly estimate that the decision to procure SSNs means Australia will not have new submarines until 2040. In the decision between the Virginia-class and other options, Australia will have to consider which submarine can be delivered sooner.

As stated earlier, the Virginia-class program qualifies as some of the best-spent dollars for performance in the US Navy. Besides the billions invested in Virginia, the RAN would benefit from the tens of millions of hours expended on development of this vessel and the production efficiencies from the long-travelled learning curves since the early 2000s.

These facts clearly argue that by choosing Virginia, Australia will fill its capability gap with a proven design, robust production and supply chain, within known cost curves, quicker than other alternatives. These benefits not only provide the RAN an efficient build program but equally, if not more important, a manageable and predictable sustainment program supported by historical data.

One of the better decisions made during the birth of Virginia was the contracting of two yards to provide redundant manufacturing capabilities. Australia’s ability to produce Virginia can be increased in early years by prefabrication of specific modules in these yards. As infrastructure and talent grow, over time production can shift completely to Australia.

There are many hurdles yet to overcome, but the US Navy, Department of Defence and Department of Energy all understand the chain of command. If President Joe Biden and congress show their continued strong support for our major ally squaring off in the Indo-Pacific we will have a path forward.

Richard V. Spencer is a former secretary of the US Navy and chairman of advisory firm Bondi Partners.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/all-the-way-with-usa-the-smart-move-for-australia/news-story/9f37246c647195d573d336dcfaea604b

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2e5617  No.14776995

File: f06b45708a5f54e⋯.webm (13.17 MB, 480x270, 16:9, Month_old_babies_among_Ph….webm)

Month-old babies among Philippines' modern slavery victims as lockdown fuels exploitation pandemic

Lucy Watson - 12 October 2021

A report by ITV News Correspondent Lucy Watson shows mothers being arrested for exposing their children to paedophiles

Warning - this article contains distressing images and themes

1/3

The issue of modern slavery in all its forms has got under my skin over the past 18 months.

The more I learn, the more I feel I need to know. The more I hear, the more horrified I become. It is not a subject you become desensitised to.

In February this year, a conversation led me to start looking into child sexual exploitation online in the Philippines.

I found out that parents were putting their own children on the web to be abused by paedophiles from abroad, and the majority of ‘clients’ were coming from the UK, US, Australia and western Europe.

It is an ongoing problem but it got worse during lockdown. More people at home and on the internet created a greater customer base, and more children trapped in their houses made them increasingly vulnerable. The figures surrounding the issue are breathtaking.

According to research done by the Rise Foundation, the Philippines is the largest known source of online sexual exploitation cases (OSEC) in the world, and 83% of cases of child sexual exploitation on the internet in the country are carried out by family members.

Staggeringly, on 25 May, 2020, the Philippines Department of Justice confirmed a 264% increase in OSEC reports since the beginning of the pandemic.

More dreadful than those statistics were the police rescue videos I was sent, showing the type of children affected by these crimes.

One little girl being lifted out of a moses basket by police officers at a home in the capital Manila was just three-months-old. Her mother was arrested on suspicion of sexually exploiting all seven of her children on the internet.

We also heard from victim, Cassie (not her real name), who said that “every day, morning, afternoon, evening, there is a lot of customers."

Cassie was 12 when she was first sexually abused online. A family friend had convinced her parents to let her live with him miles away from her home, on the promise of a better education. Instead, she was put on the internet every single day before and after school for “customers”.

Offenders would tell her trafficker what they wanted to see and he would do it to her, while the paedophile watched the abuse from thousands of miles away. Five others who lived with her suffered in the same way.

"There was a one-year-old, six-year-old and five-year-old, 21-year-old, 16-year-old and me," she says.

"The guy will ask my recruiter to touch a part of my body. I can't cry because when he sees me crying he is going to slap me."

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14777000

File: 6e1dfff8f3ab4c5⋯.jpg (224.27 KB, 1920x1080, 16:9, A_baby_lifted_from_a_Moses….jpg)

File: 0e6c95af355e0cc⋯.jpg (205.59 KB, 1920x1080, 16:9, Police_footage_of_a_mother….jpg)

>>14776995

2/3

In Luzon, north of Manila, police showed us footage of another mother being arrested. She was wailing to see her children even as evidence was gathered from her various mobile phones."

The room next to the kitchen, where police were speaking to her, was a playroom where she was suspected of exploiting seven children online. Four of them were her own.

The reasons why a parent could do such a thing are unfathomable, but the executive director for the International Justice Mission’s Centre to End the Online Sexual Exploitation of Children tried to explain it to me.

His name is John Tanagho and his organisation works to rescue vulnerable children in the Philippines, create public awareness campaigns to encourage community reporting of the crime, and work with police globally to help prevent it.

He said: "The fact that the offender does not physically touch the child, but is on a screen miles away, makes the relatives feel that it isn’t actual abuse.

"Also, culturally in the Philippines, the family and the prosperity of the family are the main priorities, so everyone must pull their weight, and the sex industry is lucrative. But most importantly, people are simply getting away with it."

“They're not afraid of getting caught because they know that it's not being detected by the platforms on which it's happening," he added.

He told me paedophiles and traffickers seek each other out on social media, exchange numbers and then make arrangements for the abuse through text message.

Money is then passed through bank accounts via money transfer agencies. The first conversation, the money exchange and the actual abuse can all be done on a mobile phone.

“The sex offender says I want to see a six-year-old girl sexually abused by an adult. The trafficker says I can do that but I'm going to charge you," Mr Tanagho said.

"The offender sitting in the UK wires the money and then they have a video call and that's when the child is sexually abused. This is a pandemic."

Much of this abuse is often ‘live’ too. According to Europol’s Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment 2021, live-streamed child sexual abuse has “intensified” in the past year, and the problem with ‘live’ exploitation is that once it’s happened, it’s gone, leaving no trace.

Similarly, in monitoring darknet sites, Europol reported an increase in the sharing of child sexual abuse material captured through webcams early in the pandemic (from March to May 2020).

This means that offenders are screen-grabbing images and recording videos from live streams, then sharing the images on the darkweb in various forums.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14777006

File: bb0d3cf01c613ec⋯.jpg (296.51 KB, 1920x1080, 16:9, modernslavery.jpg)

File: 50a5dccdfc98b72⋯.jpg (736.7 KB, 1920x1080, 16:9, phil_kid.jpg)

>>14777000

3/3

Preventing child exploitation online is of course the job of law enforcement around the world, but it is also what companies like the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), working alongside the National Crime Agency, are trying to help put a stop to.

IWF is based in Cambridge, and Chris Hughes oversees a team of analysts there who see harrowing images every day.

"The scale of the problem, you have to see it to believe it. There are so many children that are being abused on a daily basis. There's no getting away from it," he said.

"Some of the images are considerably challenging, particularly those images that involve very young, if not month-old, babies can be particularly distressing for the team… but once we've got clearance we can have content removed as quickly as within five minutes."

Last year, they removed more than 150,000 web pages and millions of images, yet the organisation is funded by the very tech firms that often host the abuse.

IWF’s chief executive Susie Hargreaves told me it’s not just the tech firms we are familiar with - the household names - that we should point the finger at.

“They are the ones trying to be responsible and bring in measures to crack down on the problem," Ms Hargreaves said.

"It is the companies that we’ve never heard of that often harbour the abuse, so for that reason there needs to be collective effort and blanket regulation.

"The tech companies can do more, and we can do more. All of us can do more. I think, none of us are going to sit here and be complacent until we've removed all the child sexual abuse there is online.

"But this is also a problem you can't solve without the tech companies. We need to throw everything we can at this problem. You just see children just robbed of their childhood."

Google and Facebook declined to give ITV News an interview regarding our findings in the Philippines, but in a broader context Google did say: “We’ve been committed to fighting online child sexual exploitation and abuse both on our platforms and in the broader online ecosystem since our earliest days.

"We’ve invested heavily in the teams, technology, and resources to deter, remove, and report this kind of content, and to help other companies do so – and we publish the results of our efforts in our transparency report.

"This issue cannot be solved by any one company, that’s why we’re committed to tackling it with industry and partners like the Internet Watch Foundation who are dedicated to protecting children.”

Many parts of the Philippines are still in tight lockdown and the rates of vaccination are slow, leaving many children still much at risk.

The hope is that the Online Safety Bill will, in the future, place a duty of care on online platforms to detect and report illegal content created or shared by users, including child sexual abuse materials.

This will be a significant step in protecting vulnerable children, as it will provide crucial information to law enforcement in the UK and internationally, helping them quickly identify and safeguard victims, investigate offenders, and reduce the likelihood of abuse occurring through preventative measures.

What’s more, organisations who deal with this problem first-hand want the Bill to incentivise platforms to create early detection tools, so they can pick up illegal content - like the livestreamed abuse of children - and above all, they want online platforms to be more accountable.

This is surely essential when protecting the innocence of children.

https://www.itv.com/news/2021-10-12/babies-among-modern-slavery-victims-as-lockdown-fuels-exploitation-pandemic

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2e5617  No.14777024

File: 88aeadb9a274569⋯.webm (6.11 MB, 640x360, 16:9, Australian_Space_Agency_s….webm)

Australian Space Agency signs deal with NASA to be part of future Moon mission

Nour Haydar - 13 October 2021

An Australian-made rover is set to be launched to the Moon as part of a NASA space mission this decade.

The federal government has struck an agreement with the US space agency which could see a semi-autonomous rover made by Australian businesses and researchers sent on a lunar mission as early as 2026.

The government said the "foundation services rover" would be used on an exploration mission that could bring mankind a step closer to developing a sustained human presence off Earth.

NASA intends to fly the small rover to the Moon's surface to collect lunar soil that contains oxygen atoms, before using separate equipment to extract the oxygen from the soil.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the government had invested more than $700 million in the civil space sector since July 2018 and this latest announcement would create further jobs in the industry in Australia.

"This mission to the Moon is just one exciting way that we can create opportunity and jobs for the future, and our government will ensure Australians reap the benefits," Mr Morrison said.

"This is an incredible opportunity for Australia to succeed in the global space sector and is central to our government's vision to secure more jobs and a larger share of the growing space economy.

"By 2030, we want to triple the size of our space sector, adding $12 billion to our economy and creating up to 20,000 new, high-skilled jobs, providing more opportunities for Australians and industries."

Australian businesses and research organisations will be able to apply from later this year to be part of a consortium to develop the rover, with the federal government chipping in $50 million through its "Trailblazer program".

Successful applicants will be "expected to provide [a] financial contribution to the project" and the rover and deployment system will need to weigh less than 20 kilograms.

Minister for Science and Technology Melissa Price said the mission would be an historic achievement for Australia.

"With our expertise in robotics technology, NASA wants to partner with us on this project to the Moon, creating our own lunar history," she said.

"As well as putting Australia front and centre for scientific discoveries, our $50 million in support gives Australian businesses and researchers the opportunity to contribute to NASA's mission to the Moon and beyond.

"It will build the Australian space sector's capability and capacity and showcase Australia's strengths to the world, as well as inspire a whole new generation of young people to enter careers in science, technology, engineering and maths."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-12/australia-space-agency-nasa-rover-moon/100533732

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2e5617  No.14777078

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

Virtual Self-Defense Forces Day 2021

Embassy of Japan in Australia

Oct 12, 2021

Hello everyone. I am YAMAGAMI Shingo, Japan’s Ambassador to Australia.

Every year, the Embassy of Japan holds the Self-Defence Force Day Reception. This reception is one of the major events of our calendar year, and one that we take a lot of pride in. It’s a big deal for us.

However, COVID-19 and the Delta variant have done their best to stuff up our plans. We had the tents on order, the exhibitions were ready to be set up, and we had prepared a lot of the dishes for which the Embassy and our resident culinary star, Chef Ogata, is famous.

After postponing once, and hoping that we would be able to go ahead, unfortunately the lockdown extension in the ACT meant this year’s Reception couldn’t be held in person.

So, as you can see from this video, now we’re coming to you virtually.

While it might not be the same as drinking a good cup of sake amid the cherry blossoms of my Residence garden, let me use this medium to introduce to you the defence cooperation that Japan and Australia have undertaken together over the past year.

The relationship between the Japan Self Defense Forces and the Australian Defence Force is a strong one, and growing stronger…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9JdjzALw1s

https://www.au.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_ja/virtualselfdefenseforceday.html

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2e5617  No.14778782

File: fbdc5cc195ee8d2⋯.webm (14.63 MB, 640x360, 16:9, Marking_10_years_of_US_Ma….webm)

>>14757758

Marking 10 years of US Marines in the NT.

ABC Darwin - 9 October 2021

The largest-ever joint training exercise marks the 10th year of US Marine deployments in Top End.

This year's Exercise Koolendong was the largest combined training exercise since then-US President Barack Obama announced the formation of the Marine Rotational Force-Darwin during a visit to the NT in 2011.

The wargames wrapped up only days before the bombshell announcement of the historic AUKUS security pact, signed between the US, Australia and the United Kingdom.

A top US diplomat predicts the marine deployments will increase in size and complexity.

Read the full story here: https://ab.co/3Dsru8I

Get more Darwin news here: https://bit. ly/DarwinNews

https://www.facebook.com/ABCDarwin/videos/marking-10-years-of-us-marines-in-the-nt/960802674477657/

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2e5617  No.14782462

File: 5e44cf39f63b993⋯.jpg (78.58 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Victorian_Premier_Daniel_A….jpg)

>>14404403

Victorian Covid-19 lockdown on track to end next week

RACHEL BAXENDALE - OCTOBER 13, 2021

Melburnians are on track to be released from lockdown as soon as the end of next week, amid a surge in vaccinations.

The good news comes despite Victoria’s deadliest day of the current outbreak, with 13 Covid deaths reported on Wednesday.

While the state’s daily case number of 1571 on Wednesday was up on Tuesday’s 1466 cases, authorities remained hopeful cases would continue to fall from Saturday’s record 1965, with the seven-day average falling for a second consecutive day after it fell on Tuesday for the first time since this outbreak began on Aug­ust 4.

According to latest commonwealth figures, 86.70 per cent of Victorians aged 16 and over had received at least a first dose of Covid vaccine as of Tuesday — including 0.48 per cent of the group who had a first jab that day.

The full vaccination rate for Victoria is at 61.49 per cent, including 1.12 per cent who had their second dose on Tuesday.

Victoria is on track to reach its 70 per cent double-vaccination target on October 22 – four days ahead of the Andrews government’s road map date of October 26.

Premier Daniel Andrews on Wednesday said restrictions would be eased on the day Victoria reached 70 per cent full vaccination, even if that was days ahead of schedule.

“I look forward to being able to give people absolute clarity about what next week looks like, and the week after, and as far out as we can,” Mr Andrews said.

“The key point, though is even with that clarity, it’ll still be dependent on people turning out and getting vaccinated.

“If you want to bring this forward, you’ve got to go and get your second dose appointment. And if you can bring that forward … then it’ll obviously counts towards the 70 per cent mark.”

Under the road map, the Melbourne lockdown and curfew will be lifted and travel limit increased from 15km to 25km, hospitality will reopen to up to 50 patrons outdoors, and public gatherings will increase to a cap of 10 fully vaccinated people.

Based on the current rate of second doses, the state will reach 80 per cent full vaccination on November 1 — meaning fully vaccinated Victorians will have to wait only another six days for the full reopening of retail, seated hospitality service, travel to the regions and household gatherings of up to 10.

The deaths reported on Wednesday included those of a man in his 50s, a woman and two men in their 60s, a woman and three men in their 70s, a woman and three men in their 80s, and a woman in her 90s from nine LGAs predominantly in Melbourne’s north, but also in the inner southeast.

There were 705 people in Victorian hospitals on Wednesday with coronavirus, including 146 in intensive care, of whom 92 were on ventilators.

This compares with 675 people in hospital on Monday, including 144 in intensive care, of whom 100 were on ventilators.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/victorian-covid19-lockdown-on-track-to-end-next-week/news-story/b549ade97eefca82bdf8175ab3d96305

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2e5617  No.14782479

File: d634f212f69dea9⋯.jpg (70.63 KB, 862x485, 862:485, Ron_Brierley_84_pleaded_gu….jpg)

>>14443431

Ron Brierley sentenced to 14 months' jail for possession of child pornography

Jamie McKinnell - 14 October 2021

Disgraced New Zealand businessman Ron Brierley has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for possessing tens of thousands of child abuse images and videos, completing his "radical" fall from grace.

Brierley was stopped at Sydney International Airport in late 2019 when attempting fly to Fiji for a holiday.

When a large collection of child abuse material was found on the financier's laptop and two USB drives, he told police it was freely available online and that he found the images "interesting".

"I reckon they're all, they are perfectly OK," he said in a recorded conversation.

Brierley said he last looked at the material the night before "for recreation", but initially denied it was for a sexual purpose.

Police found thousands more images on other devices at his home in Point Piper, a harbourside suburb of Sydney.

In total, there were 46,794 files, however the New South Wales District Court heard there was a significant amount of duplication.

The 84-year-old pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing child abuse material.

In sentencing, Judge Sarah Huggett today rejected Brierley's suggestion that he mistakenly believed the material was legal.

She said the children depicted were between the ages of four and 15, although most were 11 or 12.

"The offender has disclosed a lifelong obsession and sexual attraction to pre-pubescent girls and stated that he used the images to masturbate," she said.

Judge Huggett said there was no suggestion Brierley was part of a "collaborative network" of like-minded individuals.

She noted Brierley's deteriorating health and his lawyer's submission that his medical needs would not be able to be managed in custody.

However, the judge said that, even allowing for duplication, the quantity of material was "vast" and a sentence served in the community would be inadequate.

Brierley was handed a jail term of 14 months, with a non-parole period of seven months which will expire in May 2022.

The court was told Brierly's fall from grace had been "radical".

Many charitable and philanthropic organisations have severed ties with him, even erasing his name from various patronages.

This meant significant contributions have been "literally expunged", Judge Huggett acknowledged.

The judge accepted there was ample evidence that Brierley was a polite, respectful, humble man who was remorseful.

Devices found at the airport also contained documents detailing sexual fantasies about the abuse of girls aged nine and 11, which Brierley claimed he was sent from someone in the United States.

Brierley told a psychiatrist he believed he had overcome his sexual interest in young girls and was now "repulsed by the whole thing".

His company, Brierley Investments, grew to become one of New Zealand's biggest companies after it was founded in 1961.

Brierley was knighted in 1988 for his services to business management and the community, but was forced to relinquish that title in May this year following his guilty pleas.

He has mentored business leaders in Australia and was a former trustee of the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust.

Brierley stepped down from his last role in a listed company in June 2019, citing health issues.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-14/ron-brierley-sentenced-over-child-abuse-images-and-videos/100538294

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2e5617  No.14782495

File: 3decbbaf0780b4f⋯.jpg (91.06 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, Brittany_Higgins_speaks_to….jpg)

Brittany Higgins: Ex-Liberal staffer accused of rape appears before court

ADESHOLA ORE - OCTOBER 14, 2021

The man accused of raping former Liberal Party staffer Brittany Higgins inside Parliament House in 2019 has fronted court for the first time.

Bruce Lehrmann, 26, attended the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday morning via telephone from Queensland where he is residing. The former Liberal staffer will defend one count of sexual intercourse without consent. He denies he and Ms Higgins had sexual intercourse.

Mr Lehrmann’s lawyer John Korn requested a three-week adjournment for the matter. The prosecution did not object. At the next hearing Mr Lehrmann is expected to be committed to stand trial.

Mr Lehrmann only spoke to Magistrate Beth Campbell and Mr Korn to confirm he could hear the proceedings of the virtual hearing.

Mr Lehrmann was summoned to appear in August. ACT police allege Mr Lehrmann had sexual intercourse without consent with Ms Higgins at Parliament House on March 23, 2019. The maximum penalty for this offence is 12 years imprisonment.

Ms Higgins has alleged she was raped before the 2019 election in the office of then defence industry minister Linda Reynolds. Mr Lehrmann and Ms Higgins both worked for Senator Reynolds at the time of the alleged rape.

ACT police first received a report of the alleged assault in April 2019, and the investigation remained open until a formal complaint was made in February 2021.

Ms Higgins’ allegations, which became public in February, led to a national reckoning about the handling of sexual assault allegations and the treatment of women in politics and other workplaces.

Mr Lehrmann will next appear in court on November 5.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/brittany-higgins-exliberal-staffer-accused-of-rape-appears-before-court/news-story/30c938bab4391c8fdda7cdff6373a38d

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2e5617  No.14782647

File: 02d3402e4c1f354⋯.jpg (162.64 KB, 634x803, 634:803, Maxwell_a_British_socialit….jpg)

File: aefa8362d7f4c4c⋯.jpg (157.32 KB, 634x476, 317:238, She_pleaded_not_guilty_to_….jpg)

File: 1eef821d89995aa⋯.jpg (348.64 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0001.jpg)

File: c7fa089ebca07ba⋯.jpg (105.21 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0002.jpg)

File: c9115b07e372703⋯.pdf (137.08 KB, 634x803, 634:803, gov_uscourts_nysd_539612_3….pdf)

Ghislaine Maxwell wins fight to keep jury questionnaire under seal to avoid tainting jury pool ahead of her November 29 trial for sex-trafficking underage girls for pedophile Jeffrey Epstein

MELISSA KOENIG - 14 October 2021

1/2

Lawyers for jailed British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell won their first battle a month before Jeffrey Epstein's alleged madam goes on trial for child sex-trafficking, convincing the judge presiding over the case to keep the proposed jury questionnaire under seal to avoid tainting the jury pool.

In court documents filed Tuesday, Maxwell's defense team asked U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan to seal the proposed jury questionnaire and preliminary examination - known as a voir dire - under seal.

Federal prosecutors agreed to the request, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Moe writing in a two-page memo: 'The defense respectfully requests that the joint proposed juror questionnaire and joint proposed voir dire be filed under seal to avoid media coverage that may prejudice the jury selection.

'The government consents to the defense's request.'

Maxwell, 59, has been in jail since her arrest last July in Bradford, New Hampshire at her $1 million country home. Her trial is expected to begin on November 29.

Maxwell is accused of facilitating and participating in her ex-boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse of minors by recruiting teenage girls as young as 14 to provide sexual massages for the convicted pedophile, who killed himself in a Manhattan federal lockup in 2019 while awaiting his own sex-trafficking trial.

Judge Nathan previously denied claims that a non-prosecution agreement Epstein reached with federal prosecutors over a dozen years ago when he was convicted in Florida protects Maxwell from prosecution in the Southern District of New York.

Nathan also disagreed that some or all charges should be tossed out for a variety of other perceived flaws.

The allegations against her surfaced after the Miami Herald's 2019 three-part series Perversion of Justice revealed the actors behind Epstein's non-prosecution agreement after he pleaded guilty to prostitution-related charges involving an underage girl in 2008.

Former Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta resigned shortly thereafter as several prominent figures - including former President Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew - were caught up in the scandal.

The Herald soon followed-up with an open-records battle, which persuaded the United States Court of Appeals to open up a largely-sealed docket in a civil lawsuit Maxwell's accuser Virginia Giuffre filed against her in 2015, and her depositions were released.

Charges that she perjured herself in that case will be tried separately.

Maxwell's lawyers have previously said she was demanding to be arraigned on the new allegations in person after the dial-in phone line on a previous hearing was hijacked by QAnon conspiracy theorists.

(continued)

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2e5617  No.14782655

File: 26b21774a657b53⋯.jpg (43.92 KB, 631x501, 631:501, Giuffre_is_seen_here_with_….jpg)

File: 748d6da89c9ae59⋯.jpg (139.5 KB, 634x476, 317:238, Maxwell_s_lawyers_are_now_….jpg)

File: f88e22bbb80b900⋯.jpg (388.26 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0003.jpg)

File: 465c7827a3bc338⋯.jpg (354.93 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0004.jpg)

File: 735f0fe46ad65a5⋯.pdf (199.06 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, gov_uscourts_nysd_539612_3….pdf)

>>14782647

2/2

Her lawyers failed three times to convince Nathan to release Maxwell on bail after they claimed their client is living in poor prison conditions and has lost weight.

She had requested a week's delay to April 23 to formally plead to two additional charges at federal court in New York.

A document filed by her lawyers states that this was to enable her 'family members to adjust their schedules and make travel arrangements to attend the court proceedings'.

But Maxwell's alleged victims pleaded with a federal court not to delay her trial because they are suffering from an 'enormous amount of stress'.

Prosecutors said that two women who will give evidence against Maxwell will not be able to rest until the case is heard.

One is feeling 'significant stress' while the other is feeling an 'enormous amount of stress' and intends to give evidence in person despite her personal obligations at the time.

They wrote: 'The longer this case remains pending, the longer the victims suffer the anxiety of anticipating their trial testimony and the uncertainty of awaiting a resolution.'

The trial is expected to last up to four weeks for the government to present its case, although federal prosecutors said they could 'rest as early as the third week of the trial, provided that the cross examinations of witnesses do not exceed the length of direct examinations,' according to court documents obtained by Law and Crime.

Prosecutors are therefore requesting that the judge 'seat only jurors with availability beyond the Christmas holiday.'

The defense, meanwhile, anticipates they could rest after two weeks, although 'that estimate may change after the defense has had an opportunity to review the government's witnesses and exhibit lists,' which were made available to the defense lawyers on Monday night, after Nathan forced prosecutors to provide the team with the 'identities of any unnamed co-conspirators whose names they plan to refer to at trial.'

As of September, Law and Crime reported, prosecutors claimed they only planned to refer to two alleged co-conspirators, but noted that was subject to change.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10089075/Ghislaine-Maxwell-asks-judge-jury-questionnaire-seal-avoid-tainting-jury-pool.html

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17318376/united-states-v-maxwell/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612.339.0.pdf

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612.340.0.pdf

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2e5617  No.14782660

File: dc0d2d618236866⋯.jpg (68.77 KB, 1000x685, 200:137, Ghislaine_Maxwell_in_2013.jpg)

File: 45a4b7b85984818⋯.jpg (251.09 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0005.jpg)

File: 34fb35de6ca3221⋯.jpg (459.62 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0006.jpg)

File: ff07fde0ca2f8a3⋯.jpg (307.04 KB, 1275x1650, 17:22, 0007.jpg)

File: 11f0b77ea067ee2⋯.pdf (283.32 KB, 1000x685, 200:137, gov_uscourts_nysd_539612_3….pdf)

>>14782647

Maxwell Wants Closed Jury Selection in Sex-Trafficking Trial

Patricia Hurtado - 14 October 2021

Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite accused of trafficking underage girls for sex with Jeffrey Epstein, asked that jury selection for her upcoming trial be closed to the public, including the press, due to the “sensitive nature” of the charges.

“Ms. Maxwell approaches trial under the cloud of massive negative publicity focused on one of the most sensational, hot-button social issues in recent years - sexual harassment and abuse of females of all ages, including inappropriate sexual conduct with minors,” her lawyers wrote in a Wednesday filing requesting a “sequestered” jury selection when her trial begins on Nov. 15.

The Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office, which is prosecuting the case, declined to comment on Maxwell’s filing.

Maxwell’s lawyers said they were concerned that an open setting could hamper their ability to identify biases among potential jurors, some of whom may have been prior victims of sexual assault or harassment.

‘Emotional Distress’

“Such experiences are of a highly personal nature, the revelation of which in a public courtroom could lead to embarrassment and emotional distress,” they said. “As a result, issues relevant to this case need to be addressed in a sensitive and private setting.”

A Google search of her name turns up about 4.5 million results while Epstein’s name yields 25.8 million, according to Maxwell’s legal team. Meanwhile, Maxwell says she and Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 while awaiting his own federal sex-trafficking case, have been featured on three podcasts, eight books and three documentaries, including “Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich” streaming on Netflix.

The press was barred from jury selection for Martha Stewart’s obstruction of justice trial in federal court in Manhattan because of excessive media coverage, but that ruling was later reversed by an appeals court which said reporters should have been given access to the proceeding.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-13/maxwell-wants-jury-selection-in-sex-abuse-trial-closed-to-public

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17318376/united-states-v-maxwell/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612.342.0.pdf

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2e5617  No.14789210

Notables

are not endorsements

#18 - Part 1

Australian Politics and Society - Part 1

>>14385947 Video: Peter Dutton warns the Taliban: The world is watching Afghanistan

>>14386058 Video: Afghanistan rescue flight carrying Australians lands in UAE, with more Kabul evacuation missions planned

>>14389239 Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority must rewrite draft curriculum: Alan Tudge - "draft diminishes Australia’s western, liberal, and democratic values"

>>14395372 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Tweet: Here Comes the Boom! #USMC High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems with 3d Battalion, 12th Marines, 3d Marine Division fire rockets during Exercise Talisman Sabre 21 on Shoalwater Bay Training Area, #Australia.

>>14395401 Department of Defence Tweet: #YourADF & @USMC & sailors of @MrfDarwin will enter a fictitious contested area of operations under a combined command throughout August. Exercise Koolendong is the most integrated, realistic, high-end activity conducted in MRF-D’s 10-year history.

>>14395405 Soldiers and marines prepare for training: Exercise Koolendong 2021 - Captain Carla Armenti - defence.gov.au

>>14395486 Peter Dutton suggests some Afghans who worked with Australia have 'shifted allegiances', gone on to work for the Taliban and al-Qaeda

>>14395498 Former Prime Minister John Howard: Donald Trump cannot escape blame for Afghanistan crisis

>>14404893 ABC Media Watch Tweet: Video - ABC's satanic slip-up. What was going on here?

>>14404893 ABC Media Watch Tweet: Video - It appears the footage came from this Noosa Temple of Satan livestream (8.00 mark) - Everyone Welcome to our Satanic Black Mass at Noosa - 30 October 2020

>>14404893 ABC Media Watch Tweet: They've been in the media recently: Devil in the detail as satanists’ fight with Education Dept hits Supreme Court

>>14404893 Q Post #1432 - Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

>>14404893 Q Post #1432 - ''"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

– 1 Cor 13:4-13''

>>14411454 Shocking new TV investigation shows why Australia should be on red alert for the next neo-Nazi mass slaughter

>>14412582 Video: Unmasking an international neo-Nazi group’s Australian recruiter, Matthew Golos

>>14412603 From kickboxing to Adolf Hitler: the neo-Nazi plan to recruit angry young men - An unprecedented look inside Australia’s radical fringe and their deep links to violent international groups

>>14414104 Australia in the US Tweet: Ambassador @A_Sinodinos & Embassy Defence personnel visited @LockheedMartin's Huntsville, Alabama facility yesterday. They had productive discussions on space & Lockheed's plans to support Australia’s sovereign guided weapons establishment. #USwithAus

>>14414434 Video: MAJOR INVESTIGATION: Targeting Australia’s largest neo-Nazi group - 60 Minutes Australia

>>14421203 More than 300 people evacuated from Kabul airport on four RAAF flights

>>14434031 Shameful Afghanistan retreat has shaken my faith in America - Alexander Downer - afr.com

>>14434058 Rogue crossbencher Craig Kelly to run with Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party at the next election

>>14434139 Video: ADF supports Afghanistan evacuees - Department of Defence Australia

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2e5617  No.14789214

#18 - Part 2

Australian Politics and Society - Part 2

>>14442992 Video: How Murdoch’s Fox News allowed Trump's propaganda to destabilise democracy - Four Corners / ABC News In-depth

>>14442999 The ABC’s big lie and the madness of Four Corners - James Madden and Adam Creighton - theaustralian.com.au

>>14443100 Lin Wood Telegram Post: Keep a close eye on events in Australia. The enemy plans to bring those events to a city near you in the foreseeable future. But while you should keep alert and look around at events in other parts of the world, STAY FOCUSED on demanding and obtaining full forensic audits of the 2020 election in every state!!!

>>14443331 RAAF flights ferry another 650 out of Afghanistan in mass Kabul airlift as Taliban's 'red line' for withdrawal approaches

>>14448979 Video: ‘Satan works in mysterious ways’: Newscast on Australian TV interrupted by devil-worshipping ceremony - rt.com

>>14448979 Video: The push to have Satanism taught in Brisbane state schools - 7NEWS

>>14452283 Police powers to hack and disrupt dark web pass Parliament

>>14452329 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post: Australian Soldiers and U.S. Marines train together. #Soldiers with the Australian #Army showed U.S. #Marines with Marine Rotational Force Darwin how to use the Australian Service Light Armored Vehicle and the F88 Austeyr Assault Rifle during Exercise Koolendong 21. Training with the Australian Defence Force enhances our abilities to work together and demonstrates the strength of the U.S.-Australian alliance.

>>14452344 Dear Aussie Anons: Take some time out this Saturday, August 28, 2021. We need you! Help us pray to God and Jesus for justice and liberty! For courage and honesty! For God, family, and country, Aussie Patriots!

>>14452362 Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation Tweet: Only 21% of parents think there is a likelihood that online child sexual exploitation can happen to their child. Please help us raise this number and increase awareness of online child sexual exploitation. #ChildProtection

>>14461788 Barack Obama recruited Malcolm Turnbull to persuade Donald Trump to respect traditional alliances and adhere to international agreements during a secret meeting in Sydney after he left the White House

>>14461993 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post: U.S. Marines and Australian Army forces hosted leaders from Forces Command to observe units training during Exercise Koolendong. Exercise Koolendong validates MRF-D’s and the ADF’s ability to conduct expeditionary command and control operations, demonstrating the shared commitment to being ready to respond to a crisis or contingency in the Indo-Pacific region.

>>14462339 Extremists hunt cops online as anti-lockdown violence surges - conspiracy theorist Karen Brewer posts thinly veiled death threats against a NSW minister

>>14471808 Australia's Afghanistan evacuation mission ends amid Kabul airport suicide bombing - At least 60 people including 13 US troops killed in two bomb blasts orchestrated by Islamic State offshoot ISIS-K

>>14471822 Video: Prime Minister Scott Morrison mourns deaths of 'American and Afghan friends' in Kabul airport attack

>>14478728 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post: U.S. Marine Corps - 26 August 2021 - Statement from the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General David H. Berger: "It is with extremely heavy hearts that we learned several Marines and other service members were killed and wounded in the Kabul attacks today. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families as they are notified of this devastating loss."

>>14484206 Department of Defence Tweet: #HMASWarramunga has departed Fleet Base West and is en route to participate in #ExMalabar alongside key regional partners India, Japan and the United States.

>>14484210 The Royal Australian Navy will join key regional partners India, Japan and the United States for Exercise MALABAR 2021

>>14490267 Video: New Zealand needs to ‘lift’ in Five Eyes: Joe Hockey - Sky News Australia

>>14490534 US Embassy Canberra Tweet: #ExerciseMalibar: The (United States) and (Australia) join India and Japan for a joint naval exercise in the Philippine Sea. Malabar 2021 brings together the four #IndoPacific navies to strengthen their skills in maritime operations, fostering regional security and stability.

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2e5617  No.14789216

#18 - Part 3

Australian Politics and Society - Part 3

>>14490537 Australia, India, Japan, U.S. Kick Off Exercise Malabar 2021 - U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

>>14490548 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post: U.S.-Australian Integration - During Exercise Koolendong 21 the #Australian #Army integrated with Marine Rotational Force Darwin's #Marine Air Ground Task Force.

>>14495902 Conspiracy theorist Karen Brewer among 19 arrested in failed bid to overthrow Government - Scott Palmer - newshub.co.nz

>>14496037 To land of the free, we’re a weirdly authoritarian mob - Adam Creighton - theaustralian.com.au

>>14496084 U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Tweet: Spoke this evening with @MarisePayne to discuss the situation in Afghanistan and determine ways we can continue to work together to support those in need. We deeply appreciate Australia’s support during this challenging period.

>>14496084 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet: We continue to coordinate closely with our allies & partners on Afghanistan. We are focussed on next steps, which I discussed with @SecBlinken today. We continue to call on the Taliban to allow safe freedom of movement for those wishing to leave Afghanistan at this time.

>>14496109 U.S. Marine Corps Facebook Post: Bring the Rain - a simulated enemy target is about to meet its end in a unique demonstration of expeditionary, precision-strike operations by the United States Marine Corps and Australian Defence Force together.

>>14496113 MRF-D BRINGS THE HIRAIN TO EXERCISE LOOBYE - Capt. Thomas deVries, Marine Rotational Force - Darwin

>>14501858 Australia and US pay tribute to 70 years of ‘mateship’ - Australia and the US have celebrated the anniversary of their ‘unbreakable alliance’ during the most ‘challenging environment in decades’

>>14501878 U.S. Department of State Tweet: Video - .@POTUS Biden on the 70th anniversary of the ANZUS Treaty, highlighting the U.S.-Australia relationship: An enduring partnership to “strengthen the fabric of peace.”

>>14501879 U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Tweet: Today marks 70 years since the signing of the Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty. We’re proud to celebrate this significant milestone and keystone of our relationship with Australia, which represents an enduring force for stability in the wider region.

>>14501898 United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Tweet: Today we celebrate 70 years of #ANZUS and the U.S.-Australian #UnbreakableAlliance. Together, the United States and Australia are committed to the Alliance’s next 70 years and beyond.

>>14501898 Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on the 70th Anniversary of the ANZUS Treaty - AUG. 31, 2021

>>14501919 US Embassy Canberra Tweet: Our #ANZUS partnership is as essential today as it was 70 years ago, for the security and prosperity of both our countries, the #IndoPacific region, and the world.

>>14501931 US Embassy Canberra Tweet: Chargé d’Affaires Goldman joined Prime Minister @ScottMorrisonMP and Defense Min. @PeterDutton_MP today in a wreath laying ceremony to mark 70th anniversary of #ANZUS, and honor those men and women who have served our two nations, and fought for our ongoing freedom and prosperity

>>14501946 Defence Minister Peter Dutton Tweet: Today we mark the 70th anniversary of Australia’s most important strategic and military partnership, the US Alliance. This is a partnership based on our shared values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law and the right of all people and all nations to choose their own destiny.

>>14501956 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet: Today, the 70th anniversary of the #ANZUSTreaty, is a reminder that, as we continue to face new & emerging (global) challenges, our two nations do not stand alone. There are no greater allies & friends than Australia & the United States.

>>14502104 Video: Capability put to the test in Exercise Malabar - Department of Defence Australia

>>14502114 Video: United States Marines & ADF join forces in Exercise Koolendong 2021 - Department of Defence Australia

>>14507606 Victoria to be the first state to ban public display of Nazi symbols

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2e5617  No.14789220

#18 - Part 4

Australian Politics and Society - Part 4

>>14507713 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Tweet: Happy 70th anniversary of the ANZUS treaty #ANZUS #70years #mateship #australia #newzealand #unitedstates #alliesandpartners #FreeandopenIndoPacific

>>14507733 Video: Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post: U.S. Marine Corps and Defence Australia, stronger than ever - Australia and the U.S. have put on a spectacular display of their military might to mark the 10th anniversary of the Marine Rototional Force in Darwin. The unique partnership training our soldiers to be ready to respond to any crisis in the Pacfic region.

>>14509726 Video: Who set the Terror Police on friendlyjordies? - friendlyjordies

>>14513448 Australia in the US Tweet: Video: Yesterday @nypd officers incl. Det. Patrick McGee (who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery during 9/11) placed the (Flag of Australia) found at Ground Zero on public display at our Consulate-General in NYC. The (Flag of Australia) was found in the rubble of the north tower of the World Trade Centre.

>>14517606 III MEF Marines Tweet: Marines with @MrfDarwin and @AustralianArmy Soldiers conducted an air raid rehearsal during Exercise Koolendong.

>>14517617 U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Tweet: @PacificMarines with Company B., 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment (Reinforced), @MRFDarwin conduct exercise #Koolendong in Australia, demonstrating a shared commitment for a #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific

>>14517697 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post: Touch and Go - U.S. Marine Corps with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 363 (Reinforced), Marine Rotational Force – Darwin conducted aircraft carrier qualifications on Her Majesty's Australian Ship Canberra off the coast of Darwin, NT, Australia, Aug. 14, 2021

>>14517702 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post - Can’t you hear the thunder? Australian Army soldiers with 1st Armoured Regiment - Australian Army conducted a live fire range using weapons mounted to and part of their Australian Service Light Armored Vehicles during Exercise Koolendong 2021 at Bradshaw Field Training Area, NT, Australia

>>14526161 Fox News wants external inquiry into ABC’s Four Corners’ two-part series Fox and the Big Lie - Sophie Elsworth - theaustralian.com.au

>>14529131 Five Eyes invitation may come with costs - South Korea will have greater access to classified intelligence from the US but Chinese backlash seems inevitable

>>14529186 US alliance gives Australia prestige in Asia: Some argue that a close relationship with the United States limits our capacity to engage in our region. From experience, the opposite is true - Alexander Downer - afr.com

>>14533959 Free trade deal with India on the agenda as Payne, Dutton take Indo-Pacific trip

>>14534007 U.S. Department of Defense - Anniversary Marks 70 Years of Australia, New Zealand, U.S. Treaty

>>14534027 Japan Ministry of Defense/Self-Defense Forces Tweet: From August 23, #JMSDF @USNavy @IndianNavy & @Australian_Navy are conducting #Malabar2021 in the waters and airspace of Guam and Philippine Sea. Collaboration of (Japan, United States of America, India and Australia), who share fundamental values, is essential for upholding and reinforcing #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific.

>>14534035 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post: Join us on September 10 from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Robertson Barracks as 1st Brigade - Australian Army hosts a free display of military equipment and personnel at the parade field…Stay until the end for a late-afternoon ceremony where the leaders of MRF-D and 1st Brigade will give their thanks to the Darwin community and commemorate 10 years of Marines in Darwin.

>>14538995 Peter Dutton’s US missile memo: share your know-how - “pool our know-how and resources” to develop new long-range strike weapons, offensive cyber and unmanned capabilities – including autonomous and “swarming” drones

>>14551779 Indonesian troops may regularly join training on Australian soil as defence ties deepen

>>14551785 France could access Australian military sites as countries look to boost ties

>>14551798 Display of Nazi symbols will attract jail time under NSW Labor draft law

>>14551801 Peterborough woman Teresa Van Lieshout arrested over fake Australian Federal Police badges, allegedly ordered as part of preparations to overthrow the government

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2e5617  No.14789224

#18 - Part 5

Australian Politics and Society - Part 5

>>14554461 Terrorists failed in their bid to crush us and our way of life - Scott Morrison, September 11 2021 - theaustralian.com.au

>>14557146 Scott Morrison set for first one-on-one with Joe Biden to talk China

>>14557296 Office of the Secretary of the Air Force Tweet: For 70 years, the U.S.-Australia alliance has been vital to Indo-Pacific prosperity. Today, SecAF Kendall met w/ @CAF_Australia Air Marshal Hupfeld to discuss deepening the robust & wide-ranging relationship between the Department of the Air Force & @AusAirForce. #OneTeamOneFight

>>14557688 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post: September 11, 2021, marks 20 years since the attacks at the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. These attacks shook the American people and many others around the world, and continue to serve as a day unforgotten by history.

>>14563305 Australia and India vow to strengthen military ties during first meeting of defence and foreign ministers

>>14563849 Narendra Modi Tweet: Was happy to meet Ministers @MarisePayne and @PeterDutton_MP. The 1st Ministerial 2+2 Dialogue between India and Australia was very productive. I thank my friend @ScottMorrisonMP for his focus on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between our nations.

>>14569170 Terror threats on rise following Afghanistan, coronavirus shutdowns: Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews

>>14569284 S. Korea, Australia vow to boost defense cooperation during ministerial talks

>>14569286 South Korean President Moon Jae-in emphasizes strategic communication with Australia over global issues

>>14569297 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet: As Australia & Korea mark 60 years of diplomatic relations, @PeterDutton_MP & I met with (South Korean) President Moon @moonriver365 to reflect on our rich history & discuss our cooperation to support regional security & #COVID19 recovery under a new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

>>14576884 Defence Minister Peter Dutton and Foreign Minister Marise Payne's South Korea talks boost military ties

>>14576908 Scott Morrison to meet with US President Joe Biden in Quad meeting next week, September 14, 2021

>>14576998 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet: The (Australia - South Korea) relationship was forged during the Korean War, when 17,000 Australians defended freedom on the Korean Peninsula. 340 made the ultimate sacrifice. Today, @PeterDutton_MP & I visited Australia’s Roll of Honour at the War Memorial of Korea to pay our respects to the fallen.

>>14577003 Defence Minister Peter Dutton Tweet: @MarisePayne & I laid wreaths at the War Memorial of Korea to remember the 340 Australians who lost their lives during the conflict. I thank the ROK for their commitment to help us recover & identify the remains of the Australian service personnel who remain unaccounted for.

>>14584745 Cyber new battleground as pandemic increases reliance on web: Australian Cyber Security Centre

>>14585927 Ministers granted border exemptions to attend urgent, top-secret meeting in Canberra

>>14586056 Biden to announce joint deal with U.K. and Australia on advanced defense-tech sharing - source says there is a nuclear-defense infrastructure to the three-way pact known as AUUKUS

>>14586170 Australia, US and UK to form AUKUS under a new nuclear defence pact

>>14592776 Video: US, UK, Australian leaders establish AUKUS partnership - Sky News Australia

>>14592826 Not in our waters: Ardern says no to visits from Australia’s new nuclear subs

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2e5617  No.14789229

#18 - Part 6

Australian Politics and Society - Part 6

>>14592862 Beijing views Australia’s US pact as a military threat: analysts

>>14592946 Minnesota Supreme Court overturns murder conviction of former police officer Mohamed Noor, in shooting death of Australian woman Justine Damond

>>14592993 Is Nancy Pelosi pulling General Mark Milley’s strings? - Miranda Devine - nypost.com

>>14593058 AUKUS another hostile signal to China, worsens Asia-Pacific security - Nuke sub deal could make Australia 'potential target in nuclear war' - Yang Sheng - globaltimes.cn

>>14593064 AUKUS to bring ‘nuclear-powered submarine fever’ across globe: Global Times editorial - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>14593101 Defence Minister Peter Dutton Tweets: It was an absolute pleasure to have met face-to-face with @SecDef at the Pentagon to discuss the Alliance, ANZUS, Australia-US defence cooperation & #AUKUS – an enhanced trilateral security partnership with the United States & United Kingdom.

>>14593108 United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Tweet: Video: It was my pleasure to welcome my Australian counterpart @PeterDutton_MP to the Pentagon today. The 70-year U.S. and Australia #UnbreakableAlliance is as strong as ever, and I'm greatly looking forward to #AUSMIN at the @StateDept tomorrow.

>>14593120 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet: Ahead of the 31st #AUSMIN2021, United States' Secretary of @StateDept @SecBlinken and I discussed the significance of #ANZUS70 & renewed our commitment to supporting an open, inclusive & resilient #IndoPacific region. There are no greater friends than (Australia and the United States).

>>14593120 U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Tweet: Foreign Minister @MarisePayne and I discussed our shared commitment to ensuring the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and discussed tomorrow’s Australia–U.S. Ministerial Consultations. #AUSMIN

>>14595363 Australia’s nuclear sub deal ‘gravely undermines regional peace’ says China

>>14600225 ‘Stab in the back’: French foreign affairs minister Jean-Yves Le Drian hits out at Aukus alliance with fears it threatens Indo-Pacific partnerships

>>14600341 Australian PM says he made clear to France possibility of scrapping submarine deal

>>14600380 China responds angrily to Australia-US joint statement a day after AUKUS submarine deal was announced

>>14600631 Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III Announces Increased Air Operations, Force Deployments to Australia

>>14600665 Video: Defence Minister Peter Dutton delivers a blunt warning over the prospect of conflict with China

>>14605002 Aukus: France recalls ambassadors in the US and Australia for consultations amid security pact row

>>14605060 OPINION: Morrison’s China ‘strategy’ makes us less, not more, secure - Kevin Rudd, Former Australian prime minister - smh.com.au

>>14605373 Marines rewarded for role in fighting December 2020 Puckapunyal Primary School fire - Master Sergeant John “Ricky” Farrell IV and Gunnery Sergeant Ryan Accornero awarded the US Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal

>>14605389 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post: 17 September 2021 - On #POWMIARecognitionDay, we honor the memory of Americans who were prisoners of war, and those missing in action who have yet to return home. Thank you to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency for their continuing efforts…You are not forgotten. Semper Fidelis #Marines #USMC #HonorThem #UntilTheyAreHome

>>14606882 Recalled French ambassador Jean-Pierre Thebault accuses Australia of ‘treason in the making’

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2e5617  No.14789230

#18 - Part 7

Australian Politics and Society - Part 7

>>14606888 Australia ‘regrets’ French ambassador recall but makes no apology for new subs deal

>>14612439 'Operation Hookless' - How Australia's nuclear-powered submarine defence pact was kept under the radar

>>14614162 Australia 'upfront, open and honest' with France about submarine concerns, Peter Dutton says

>>14614522 General Paul M. Nakasone Tweet: Yesterday, I had the honor of welcoming Australia’s Minister for Defence, @PeterDutton_MP. Strategic partnerships and alliances are a key element to our mutual success.

>>14621067 North Korea says Australia’s submarine deal could trigger ‘nuclear arms race’

>>14621075 PM heads to US for Quad leaders' summit

>>14627546 Defence Minister Peter Dutton Tweets: Over two decades ago, Australia stood with our close friends and allies, the United States, as they suffered their most devastating terrorist attack when almost 3,000 innocent lives were taken. On behalf of all Australians, I paid respect at the September 11 Memorial to those lives cut tragically short in the name of terror, including the brave first responders who risked their lives to save others. We also honoured the ten Australian lives lost on that day. We will never forget.

>>14627675 Construction tender awarded for $270m fuel storage facility at Darwin's East Arm to support US defence operations

>>14627685 Britain’s nuclear submarines to use Australia as base for Indo-Pacific presence

>>14627710 Philippines supports Australia nuclear sub pact to counter China

>>14627743 Australia PM says no opportunity for meeting with French president in New York

>>14635183 ‘Chance of significant aftershocks’: Victoria hit by magnitude 5.9 earthquake, warnings of more to come

>>14635212 Video: US has ‘no closer ally than Australia’, Biden says after Aukus pact

>>14635254 President Biden Tweet: It was great to meet with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison today in New York. Our nations have stood together for over 70 years — and we’re committed to working together to secure a free and open Indo-Pacific region and tackle the shared challenges we face.

>>14635254 Prime Minister Scott Morrison Tweet: Today I met US President Joe Biden in New York to mark 70 years of our ANZUS alliance and reaffirm our AUKUS partnership announced last week with the UK. We’re committed to working together to secure a free, open and resilient Indo-Pacific and tackle shared challenges.

>>14635259 Kevin Rudd sides with the French over ‘foreign policy debacle’

>>14635290 Prime Minister Scott Morrison launches US Congressional charm offensive to land subs pact

>>14637932 Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton working with the US and UK on options for nuclear submarines to operate in Australia six to eight years earlier than expected

>>14637994 ‘Absolutely disgusting’: protesters debase Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance in the worst civil rebellion at the national memorial since the Vietnam War

>>14641764 Scott Morrison meets Democratic majority Congressional speaker, Nancy Pelosi in Washington

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2e5617  No.14789233

#18 - Part 8

Australian Politics and Society - Part 8

>>14641767 Nancy Pelosi Tweet: Today, I was honored to welcome @ScottMorrisonMP, Prime Minister of Australia, to the United States Capitol ahead of a bipartisan leadership meeting.

>>14641767 Prime Minister Scott Morrison Tweet: Thank you for the warm welcome, @SpeakerPelosi. Great to be able to discuss our new #AUKUS partnership and progressing that forward across all levels of government.

>>14641885 Overseas Christmas trips to spread joy - Trade and Tourism Minister Dan Tehan believes the international border will be open by Christmas at the latest, urges Australians to get vaccinated to trigger the threshold necessary to resume flights overseas

>>14649123 Scott Morrison, Joe Biden, Narendra Modi and Yoshihide Suga gather for their first in-person Quad meeting

>>14649132 Prime Minister Scott Morrison Tweet: Great to meet with my good friend and a great friend of Australia, Indian PM @narendramodi, during my visit to the US. A wide-ranging and productive discussion ahead of the first in-person Quad meeting as we look to further deepen the partnership between our two countries.

>>14649132 Narendra Modi Tweet: It is always wonderful to interact with my good friend, PM @ScottMorrisonMP. We had wide-ranging deliberations on strengthening cooperation in the fields of commerce, trade, energy and more.

>>14649261 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post: Shoot for the Stars - U.S. Marine Corps with Alpha Battery, 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Platoon fire a FIM-92 Stinger missile at a drone during a live-fire training event at Bradshaw Field Training Area, NT, Australia. The range marked the first time Stinger missiles have been fired in Australia and consisted of Marines and Australian Army soldiers utilizing their respective missile systems to take down notional enemy surveillance drones.

>>14657185 Quad leaders press for free Indo-Pacific, with wary eye on China

>>14657225 Scott Morrison touts new global security alliances during UN meeting

>>14657414 Detained Australian Sean Turnell appears in Myanmar court on official secrets charges

>>14657564 Morrison wins over Biden’s White House, erasing doubts over Trump ties

>>14662393 President Biden Tweet: It was an honor to host the Prime Ministers of Australia, India, and Japan this afternoon for the first-ever in-person Quad Leaders Summit. We share a common vision for the future, and we’re coming together to meet the key challenges of the 21st century.

>>14662393 Prime Minister Scott Morrison Tweet: Excellent discussions at our first in-person Quad leaders’ meeting in the US. Honoured to meet with PM @sugawitter, PM @narendramodi & @POTUS on our shared vision of a free, open & resilient Indo-Pacific region & responding to the challenges we face in a complex & changing world.

>>14663996 Scott Morrison issues threat to premiers to open borders by Christmas

>>14664726 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post: Rocket Man - During Exercise Koolendong, U.S. Marine Corps Marines with MRF-D conducted emergency fires missions with the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System at Bradshaw Field Training Area, NT, Australia.

>>14670595 OPINION: Morrison is making an enemy of China – and Labor is helping him - Paul Keating - smh.com.au

>>14670606 OPINION: Paul Keating is wrong, AUKUS doesn’t turn Australia’s back on Asia - Marise Payne - smh.com.au

>>14670619 Opinion: Christopher Pyne - What the AUKUS pact means for Australia cannot be underestimated - adelaidenow.com.au

>>14684564 CNN denies Australians access to its Facebook pages, cites defamation risk

>>14684618 Turnbull accuses Morrison of damaging Australia’s national security with submarine deal

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2e5617  No.14789236

#18 - Part 9

Australian Politics and Society - Part 9

>>14684715 OPINION: A relic of a bygone age? I might be, but I’m not a defeatist - Paul Keating - smh.com.au

>>14684779 China's foreign minister says AUKUS deal is a danger to regional stability

>>14684852 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post: A Match to Remember - On Sep. 11, 2021, U.S. Marine Corps Marines with MRF-D participated in an annual rugby match against the Stray Cats, a local team in Darwin, Australia. The annual match was established after the first game played between the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Stray Cats on Sept. 11, 2001, right before the terrorist attacks, and has become a commemorative match for MRF-D since 2013.

>>14685250 Video: AUSSIES BRINGING THE THUNDER DOWNUNDER - WE ARE NO LONGER AFRAID - PATRIOTS FIGHT BACK - SonOfEnos

>>14687514 Victoria Police try to BAN media from filming their violent conduct - rebelnews.com

>>14687515 Video: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES - LT COL (RTD) RICCARDO BOSI - Monarchy Australia TV

>>14687516 Video: Riccardo Bosi Full Interview with Carnage House Productions - Carnage House Productions

>>14691561 AUKUS pact no threat to Indo-Pacific stability, U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, Sung Kim says

>>14691650 Peter Dutton tells Malcolm Turnbull, Kevin Rudd and Paul Keating to ‘move on’

>>14697903 NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian resigns over ICAC ‘breach of trust’ probe

>>14697914 Video: Berejiklian resigns as New South Wales premier - Sky News Australia

>>14698159 WA Premier Mark McGowan accuses eastern states of failing to appreciate China at WA event

>>14698167 ASIO director-general Mike Burgess backs Hamas terror listing

>>14702246 Australian Ministry of Defence letter shows no deception of French on submarine deal

>>14710089 PDF: Australia told French submarine firm it didn’t have green light to proceed hours before deal cancelled

>>14715759 Vatican drops its oar into Aussie bid for nuclear submarines - raises concerns about AUKUS, Australia’s defence collaboration with the US and Britain

>>14715775 Britain’s Foreign Secretary Liz Truss fires broadside at China and supports Australia in keynote party speech

>>14716396 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Facebook Post: Video - This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Australia New Zealand United States Security Treaty and the 10th Anniversary of Marine Rotational Force - Darwin, in Darwin, NT, Australia. The United States and Australia fought together in every conflict since World War I and continue to be trusted allies the Indo-Pacific region.

>>14730909 Video: Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy calls for Daniel Andrews to resign amid IBAC investigation into his conduct around a controversial firefighters union deal

>>14730973 British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace ‘confident’ Australian nuclear sub to be made in Britain

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2e5617  No.14789238

#18 - Part 10

Australian Politics and Society - Part 10

>>14731069 PDF: Win for Bernard Collaery derails former attorney-general Christian Porter’s attempt to cover up Timor-Leste bugging - Supreme Court of the ACT overturns secrecy orders demanded by Porter

>>14733561 Victorian IBAC threatening a political firestorm - Operation Richmond - Investigation into the relationship between the Andrews government and the United Firefighters Union

>>14738022 New Australian space radar project to monitor threats to military and commercial satellites

>>14744427 Video: SNEAK PEEK: All The President's Venom - 60 Minutes Australia - What happens when a President goes rogue? SUNDAY on #60Mins, inside Trump's final days in office that had his Generals sweating bullets. But could being a bad loser now make Trump a big winner?

>>14744625 French ambassador criticises 'childish' Australia before return to Canberra, says trust issues go beyond scrapped submarine deal

>>14757758 Marking 10 years in Darwin, top US diplomat signals bigger US marine deployments in Top End

>>14757835 Huawei waves goodbye: Why the Chinese tech giant is pulling out of Australia

>>14757971 Crowds of 10,000 at Melbourne Cup carnival, live music to return as ‘vaccinated economy’ trial kicks off

>>14758151 Video: Scott Morrison thanks Australians for ‘phenomenal’ jab uptake, as NSW opens new chapter

>>14760150 Hekmatullah, the rogue Afghan army soldier who murdered three Australians in 2012, walked free in Qatar after Afghanistan fell to Taliban - Australian officials have no firm idea of his whereabouts

>>14763819 Victorian Labor MP Luke Donnellan quits after explosive IBAC claims during inquiry into allegations of Labor Party branch stacking

>>14770288 Video: Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews denies wrongdoing as IBAC investigates branch stacking in Labor Party

>>14770308 Video: Victoria's IBAC hears allegations of branch stacking in state Labor Party - 7.30/ABC News (Australia)

>>14776923 US Virginia-class submarines ‘best choice for nuclear fleet’: Richard Spencer, former US Navy secretary

>>14776926 All the way with USA the smart move for Australia - Richard V. Spencer - theaustralian.com.au

>>14777024 Australian Space Agency signs deal with NASA to be part of future Moon mission

>>14777078 Video: Virtual Self-Defense Forces Day 2021 - Embassy of Japan in Australia / Japanese Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo

>>14778782 Video: Marking 10 years of US Marines in the NT - ABC Darwin

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2e5617  No.14789241

#18 - Part 11

Australian Government Sexual Assault Allegations

>>14612675 Alexander Matters, 20-year-old Labor staffer for federal Labor MP David Smith fired after rape charges

>>14782495 Bruce Lehrmann: Ex-Liberal staffer accused of Brittany Higgins rape appears before court

#18 - Part 12

George Papadopoulos Tweets, Alexander Downer and SPYGATE Revelations

>>14600691 George Papadopoulos Tweet: When you connect the dots: Joseph Mifsud, Alexander Downer, US embassy London, Gina Haspel, Jim Comey, Perkins Coie, Steele, Clinton campaign and a politicized FBI under Comey willing to launch a scandalous and baseless investigation, it’s clear a conspiracy case is emerging

>>14648951 George Papadopoulos Tweet: (Stefan Halper and Alexander Downer picture)

>>14691668 George Papadopoulos Tweet: Australia is our warning

#18 - Part 13

Australian and Regional Resignations

>>14482027 Pope Francis accepts resignation of Australian Bishop investigated for sexual abuse, Christopher Alan Saunders

>>14606833 Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston steps down from board as court date looms

>>14614068 Christian Porter resigns from Scott Morrison's ministry after revealing he accepted an anonymous donation to help cover his personal legal fees

>>14697903 NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian resigns over ICAC ‘breach of trust’ probe

>>14697914 Video: Berejiklian resigns as New South Wales premier - Sky News Australia

>>14763819 Victorian Labor MP Luke Donnellan quits after explosive IBAC claims during inquiry into allegations of Labor Party branch stacking

#18 - Part 14

Malka Leifer Extradition and Prosecution

>>14569132 First of three accusers gives evidence against Malka Leifer

>>14569136 Malka Leifer excused from attending court so she can observe the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur

>>14584509 Malka Leifer’s second accuser giving evidence in sex abuse case

>>14592935 Cleaner Mario Toledo saw Malka Leifer at school with girls on Sundays, court hears

>>14600391 Closed court to continue as third Malka Leifer accuser gives evidence

>>14621097 Witness reluctant to make Leifer statement - Ex-school counsellor did not want to make a statement against former principal because she thought she could be pursued for money

>>14641923 Former Melbourne school principal Malka Leifer committed to stand trial over child sex abuse charges

>>14698011 Malka Leifer case: Dozens more charges approved by Israel’s Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar - Australian legal officials sought the minister’s approval to add another 20 counts of sexual abuse to Leifer’s indictment after the additional incidents came to light

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2e5617  No.14789246

#18 - Part 15

Julian Assange Indictment and Extradition

>>14684581 Australia reveals it raised case of Julian Assange with US, amid ‘kidnap plot’ claim

>>14697983 PDF: Julian Assange supporters write to Scott Morrison over reported CIA plot to kidnap or kill WikiLeaks founder

#18 - Part 16

Cardinal George Pell and Vatican Financial Scandal Allegations

>>14648895 Cardinal Pell says he 'never really approved' of Benedict XVI's decision to resign

>>14657285 Catholics should debate issues, not debase each other, Cardinal George Pell said at “The Church Up Close” seminar

>>14657313 Video: VII Edition - The Church Up Close - September 23 - santacrocevideo

#18 - Part 17

Australian Defence Force Afghanistan Inquiry and Ben Roberts-Smith Defamation Trial

>>14404558 SAS soldiers who faced the sack after extraordinary press conference accusing them of war crimes will FINALLY keep their jobs - and at least one is already back in Kabul saving Aussies from the Taliban

>>14461837 Defence Minister Peter Dutton apologises to any special forces troops wrongly accused of war crimes in Afghanistan

>>14490409 ‘Insensitive insult’: Fury over move to disband Aussie SAS unit, 2 Squadron

>>14490463 As Australia’s war crimes investigations drag on, misinformation is catching up - Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters - theage.com.au

>>14555183 SAS survives to fight another day as Defence Minister Peter Dutton blocks move to merge selection courses for Perth-based SASR and Sydney-based 2nd Commando Regiment from next year

>>14698105 Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial should be moved out of Sydney, lawyer says - Long delays and postponements mean former SAS soldier may not receive a fair trial, says his barrister

>>14716165 He’s Australia’s Most Decorated Soldier. Did He Also Kill Helpless Afghans? - Ben Roberts-Smith is suing three newspapers that accused him of unlawful killings in Afghanistan. But much more than the reputation of one soldier is at stake

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2e5617  No.14789247

#18 - Part 18

Australia / China Tensions - Part 1

>>14433434 (2020) Gladys Berejiklian’s lover Daryl Maguire urged her to meet with criminals as China security fears emerge

>>14433434 MP George Christensen slams Annastacia Palaszczuk over leasing of Keswick Island to China company

>>14433434 (2020) New information from ‘Chairman Dan’s’ meetings with China

>>14452221 US-led campaign targets Wuhan Institute of Virology with 'vague, misleading, mysterious' rumors - GT staff reporters - globaltimes.cn

>>14461827 Revealing four-step US misinformation campaign against China on virus origins tracing - GT staff reporters - globaltimes.cn

>>14477305 Wuhan lab leak plausible, Biden probe into Covid-19 origins finds - Sharri Markson - theaustralian.com.au

>>14483713 Chinese countermeasures surely await Australia in case of "forced labor" import ban - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>14490430 China launches live-fire drills as Australia joins The Quad allies for Malabar war games

>>14496025 How Hackers Hammered Australia After China Ties Turned Sour

>>14502065 China’s coercion is a bigger threat than another 9/11: Australia’s ambassador to the United States, Arthur Sinodinos

>>14507595 China on agenda in Payne, Dutton talks with US counterparts

>>14523513 Morrison leading Australia into a dead end on China: Former prime minister Paul Keating

>>14523526 Australia needs to heed rational voices and maintain independent foreign policy to fully realize strategic autonomy - Ning Tuanhui - globaltimes.cn

>>14526196 No retreat in face of China threat: Josh Frydenberg

>>14533934 Former Liberal candidate, Di Sanh 'Sunny' Duong will contest foreign interference charges

>>14533972 Australia seeks competition with China - Finding alternative markets is unrealistic: experts - GT staff reporters - globaltimes.cn

>>14539056 Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg's war-cry of decoupling from China economically unwise, strategically erratic - Chen Hong - globaltimes.cn

>>14539063 China won't buckle to so-called 'economic coercion' by Australia: Foreign Ministry - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>14539068 Transcript: Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on September 7, 2021

>>14539073 Chinese Consulate General in Sydney Tweet: Video: The root cause of the problems in China-Australia relations lies with the Australian side. Australia has reaped huge benefit from its cooperation with China and China has never undermined Australia's sovereignty. The label of “economic coercion” can never be pinned onto China.

>>14551745 Chinese government lobbies Australian MPs to back its bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal

>>14557146 Scott Morrison set for first one-on-one with Joe Biden to talk China

>>14557263 Peter Dutton accuses China of aggression and is called 'extremely dangerous and irresponsible' by the Chinese Foreign Ministry

>>14557267 Transcript: Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on September 10, 2021

>>14557270 Video: The Australian side is really “bellicose and coercive” - SpokespersonCHN

>>14557275 Chinese Consulate General in Sydney Tweet: Video: We hope #Australian politicians will stop sensationalizing the so-called China threat theory and seeing China as the “imagined enemy”, or else the stone they are lifting will end up falling on their feet.

>>14563563 China slams Australia's 'China threat' rhetoric - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>14563605 Chinese academic Chen Hong accuses Australian government of not being transparent over visa cancellation

>>14576935 Exclusive: Chinese academic Chen Hong slams visa cancellation by Australia - Xu Keyue and Wang Panpan - globaltimes.cn

>>14579786 Revealed: US failed to act on Covid-19 intelligence, says Chinese defector Wei Jingsheng - Sharri Markson - theaustralian.com.au

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2e5617  No.14789252

#18 - Part 19

Australia / China Tensions - Part 2

>>14584669 Quad summit will see limited concrete outcomes as US, Japan, India, Australia are 'four ward mates with different illnesses': experts - Yang Sheng and Fan Anqi - globaltimes.cn

>>14584711 Chinese Consulate General in Sydney Tweet: Regional cooperation framework should not target a third party and damage its interests, Chinese FM spokesperson Zhao Lijian said after the #US announced to host a #Quad leaders' summit with Australia, India and Japan next week.

>>14592862 Beijing views Australia’s US pact as a military threat: analysts

>>14593058 AUKUS another hostile signal to China, worsens Asia-Pacific security - Nuke sub deal could make Australia 'potential target in nuclear war' - Yang Sheng - globaltimes.cn

>>14593064 AUKUS to bring ‘nuclear-powered submarine fever’ across globe: Global Times editorial - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>14595363 Australia’s nuclear sub deal ‘gravely undermines regional peace’ says China

>>14595380 Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on September 16, 2021

>>14600380 China responds angrily to Australia-US joint statement a day after AUKUS submarine deal was announced

>>14600381 Chinese Embassy Spokesperson's Remarks on AUSMIN Joint Statement - 2021/09/17 - "We firmly oppose and reject the unfounded accusations and erroneous remarks against China on issues related to the South China Sea, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other China-related issues"

>>14600665 Video: Defence Minister Peter Dutton delivers a blunt warning over the prospect of conflict with China

>>14604149 GT Voice: Naïve Australia foots the bill for US gambit - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>14604213 Chinese Consulate General in Sydney Tweet: Video: China strongly deplores and rejects the fact that the #US and #Australia colluded with each other to smear #China, meddle in its internal affairs and sow discord among regional countries, said Chinese FM spokesperson Zhao Lijian on the AUSMIN joint statement.

>>14604368 China trade pitch follows Australia’s AUKUS nuclear submarines deal - China formally applies to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)

>>14605060 OPINION: Morrison’s China ‘strategy’ makes us less, not more, secure - Kevin Rudd, Former Australian prime minister - smh.com.au

>>14606257 Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo backs probe into what US knew of Wuhan Covid-19 lab leak - Sharri Markson - theaustralian.com.au

>>14612337 Australia submarine pact targets China’s undersea weakness

>>14621067 North Korea says Australia’s submarine deal could trigger ‘nuclear arms race’

>>14621087 AUKUS gives Canberra special treatment, a psychological blow for Japan, India as Quad members - Yang Xiyu - globaltimes.cn

>>14635234 AUKUS deal to continue causing repercussions in transatlantic ties: EU to avoid being too close to US on core interests of China, Russia: expert - Yang Sheng - globaltimes.cn

>>14642036, >>14642039 Video: Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on September 22, 2021

>>14647744 Beijing barks as Australia, Japan, Canada support Taiwan CPTPP bid

>>14647766 Lijian Zhao Tweet: #Australian troops brutally killed prisoners of war & civilians by shooting or throat-slitting in #Afghanistan. Truth has come to light, but justice is yet to be upheld. Those who committed war crimes remain at large. Afghan lives matter. Australia owes the world an explanation.

>>14647775 Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on September 23, 2021

>>14649168 Quad ‘incapable of inflicting substantial harm to China’: Members to become US ‘cannon fodder’ to contain Beijing - Zhang Hui and Yan Yuzhu - globaltimes.cn

>>14649184 Quad mechanism turning into 'sinister gang of Indo-Pacific': Global Times editorial - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>14649193 Malaysia to seek China’s views on AUKUS as ASEAN countries fear nuclear proliferation, arms race - GT staff reporters - globaltimes.cn

>>14657185 Quad leaders press for free Indo-Pacific, with wary eye on China

>>14657204 Video: Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on September 24, 2021

>>14664241 1st Quad summit tacitly targets China but US 'can't coordinate members' differences, doomed to fail' - Liu Xin - globaltimes.cn

>>14677821 SPECIAL INVESTIGATION: What Really Happened in Wuhan (Full documentary) - Sky News Australia

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2e5617  No.14789253

#18 - Part 20

Australia / China Tensions - Part 3

>>14680443 Five Eyes nations set intelligence trap on Wuhan - Sharri Markson - theaustralian.com.au

>>14684779 China's foreign minister says AUKUS deal is a danger to regional stability

>>14684783 Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on September 28, 2021

>>14698159 WA Premier Mark McGowan accuses eastern states of failing to appreciate China at WA event

>>14716235 Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu warns his country is preparing for war with China, asks Australia for help

>>14731101 Tony Abbott in Taiwan to build support among ‘like-minded countries’

>>14731122 Taiwan’s Tsai turns to masters for help out of fear of catastrophic consequences: Global Times editorial - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>14737680 Former prime minister Tony Abbott arrives in Taiwan as the island democracy works with partners to defend itself from a campaign of military intimidation by China

>>14737694 China turns to stranded Australian coal to combat power crunch - releasing Australian coal from bonded storage despite a nearly year-long unofficial import ban on the fuel

>>14737878 Canberra’s provocative actions over Taiwan may render irreparable damage to China-Australia relations - Chen Hong - globaltimes.cn

>>14738120 Tony Abbott, in Taipei, says it’s time to end Taiwan’s isolation

>>14744516 Video: ‘The only drums we beat are for freedom’: Tony Abbott delivers sweeping critique of China in Taiwan address

>>14744543 Why solidarity with Taiwan is so important for a better world - Tony Abbott - theaustralian.com.au

>>14744564 U.S. troops have been deployed in Taiwan for at least a year

>>14744723 Taiwanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu Tweet: Good mate @HonTonyAbbott knows I have a kangaroo in my heart. JW

>>14748834 US’ revelation of troops in Taiwan will only hasten cross-Straits war: Global Times editorial - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>14750441 Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Commonwealth of Australia - Chinese Embassy Spokesperson's Remarks, 2021/10/09 - "Tony Abbott is a failed and pitiful politician. His recent despicable and insane performance in Taiwan fully exposed his hideous anti-China features. This will only further discredit him."

>>14757835 Huawei waves goodbye: Why the Chinese tech giant is pulling out of Australia

>>14763754 Abbott an 'Australian Pompeo' used by Taiwan secessionists - Lin Lan - globaltimes.cn

>>14766086 Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman lashes out at former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott over Taiwan

>>14766100 Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on October 11, 2021

>>14770219 Taiwan asks Australia to support its bid to join the CPTPP pan-Pacific trade pact

>>14770507 My message to Taiwan: get ready to fight - Tony Abbott - theaustralian.com.au

>>14770522 Abbott’s real message to Taiwan: fight for yourself and do not expect substantial protection from the US and its allies - Hu Xijin - globaltimes.cn

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2e5617  No.14789256

#18 - Part 21

Coronavirus / COVID-19 Pandemic, Australia and Worldwide - Part 1

>>14395525 AstraZeneca to change vaccine brand name to Vaxzevria in Australia, in line with name already in use in Europe and the UK

>>14404403 Sydney imposes nightly curfew as Australia battles Delta outbreak

>>14404481 Health Minister Greg Hunt’s family involvement in graphene and vaccines

>>14411862 Sydney police crack down on planned anti-lockdown protest, August 21, 2021

>>14412079 COVID-19 is accelerating the rise of conspiracy and sovereign citizen movements in Australia

>>14413607 Video: Police overwhelm modest Sydney anti-lockdown protest

>>14413620 Video: Anti-lockdown protesters clash with police in Melbourne

>>14422510 Australia's PM Morrison defends lockdown strategy until majority vaccinated

>>14433814 US gives Australia a cold shoulder on vaccines - Health Department confirms Australia has neither bought or received any shots from the US

>>14433953 Australia PM says pandemic focus must shift to reopening

>>14437099 Video: Scott Morrison persists with national reopening plan - 9 News Australia

>>14437099 Video: Scott Morrison challenges state leaders over ending COVID-19 lockdowns - SBS News

>>14437099 Video: Prime Minister Scott Morrison says COVID lockdowns can't last forever | 7NEWS

>>14443157 Scott Morrison’s blast for slow states as vaccine rates lag

>>14452019 Australia pandemic panel, the Doherty Institute backs reopening targets despite Sydney outbreak

>>14461699 Sydney hospitals erect emergency tents as COVID-19 cases hit record

>>14461797 Race on for new Wuhan inquiry - Scientists tasked by World Health Organisation to probe origins of Covid-19 pandemic call for urgent start to inquiry’s second phase, lest crucial evidence be lost

>>14477262 Rebel WA splits from national cabinet four-stage reopening plan amid health system fears - Premier Mark McGowan declares he will not “deliberately infect our citizens”

>>14477305 Wuhan lab leak plausible, Biden probe into Covid-19 origins finds - Sharri Markson - theaustralian.com.au

>>14483209 Australia logs record 1,126 COVID-19 cases, driven by New South Wales - epicentre of the Delta-fuelled outbreak

>>14483313 Video: Police on hunt for suspects after COVID-19 testing clinic set on fire in Sydney's west

>>14486968 Video: Special investigation into the origins of COVID-19 to premiere on Sky News Australia - Sky News Australia

>>14490294 A weary Australia plans reopening as COVID-19 death toll hits 1,000

>>14490309 US Republicans push for Wuhan report evidence - Sharri Markson - theaustralian.com.au

>>14490378 ‘What Really Happened in Wuhan’: Donald Trump among the insiders interviewed in new COVID-19 investigation

>>14495885 Half a million Pfizer doses from Singapore secured to help Australia's COVID-19 vaccine rollout

>>14496037 To land of the free, we’re a weirdly authoritarian mob - Adam Creighton - theaustralian.com.au

>>14501959 Coronavirus: Shadow puppet-mistress pulling protest strings - Karen Brewer – 'a delusional conspiracy theorist hiding out on a farm in New Zealand' - Stephen Rice - theaustralian.com.au

>>14501972 Australia aims to 'live with virus' instead of eliminating it

>>14513048 Australian PM flags quicker reopening after COVID-19 vaccine swap with Britain

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2e5617  No.14789259

#18 - Part 22

Coronavirus / COVID-19 Pandemic, Australia and Worldwide - Part 2

>>14513060 Morrison to travel to US for Quad talks after ‘warm conversation’ with Biden

>>14516333 Covid-19: US suspicious of Wuhan lab for years - Sharri Markson - theaustralian.com.au

>>14516341 What really happened in Wuhan: how China covered up the crisis - Sharri Markson - theaustralian.com.au

>>14523559 Interstate travel back for Christmas, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says

>>14526132 Fauci led push for research at Wuhan Institute of Virology - Sharri Markson and Liam Mendes - theaustralian.com.au

>>14529102 Sydney COVID-19 cases seen topping 2,000 a day as Australia ramps up vaccinations

>>14534232 Covid-19: Anti-vax doctor, Anaesthetist Paul Oosterhuis loses fight to practice medicine

>>14538978 Details of vaccine passport trial revealed amid plan to get Sydneysiders back into pubs

>>14551723 Australia's daily COVID-19 cases near 2,000 as Delta gains ground

>>14563275 Australia buys additional 1 million doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine

>>14569107 Australia's NSW state says coronavirus vaccination pace slows

>>14569170 Terror threats on rise following Afghanistan, coronavirus shutdowns: Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews

>>14592921 Australia COVID-19 cases rise but vaccination surge gives hope

>>14612578 Moderna confirms plans to bring Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing to Australia

>>14614122 Three vaccine jabs will soon become the norm, says Dr Fauci

>>14616878 Donald Trump blames Anthony Fauci for staying silent over Wuhan laboratory funding - Sharri Markson - theaustralian.com.au

>>14621022 Sydney COVID-19 cases fall as curbs ease in virus hotspots

>>14621196 Video: Construction workers protest outside Melbourne CFMEU office - 9 News Australia

>>14621199 Construction industry to be shut down for two weeks after clashes at CFMEU head office

>>14621237 How I scored Covid scoop with Donald Trump - Sharri Markson - theaustralian.com.au

>>14627653 ‘Dead bodies at Wuhan lab’: Donald Trump’s explosive revelation - Sharri Markson - theaustralian.com.au

>>14641885 Overseas Christmas trips to spread joy - Trade and Tourism Minister Dan Tehan believes the international border will be open by Christmas at the latest, urges Australians to get vaccinated to trigger the threshold necessary to resume flights overseas

>>14648886 Australia hits vaccine milestone as Melbourne cases hover near record levels

>>14664090 Video: Anthony Fauci to face the critics as documentary hits screens - National Geographic

>>14670385 Sydney's COVID-19 lockdown to end sooner for the vaccinated

>>14677513 Summer to herald the end of coronavirus lockdown calamity

>>14684555 Australia's federal govt to cut COVID-19 income support

>>14684632 Video: Australia's COVID response is 'off the rails': Florida Governor Ron DeSantis - Sky News Australia

>>14691549 Daniel Andrews insists Melbourne’s lockdown is working despite a ‘significant’ jump in new Covid-19 cases

>>14697941 Australia to ease international border restrictions from November

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2e5617  No.14789267

#18 - Part 23

Coronavirus / COVID-19 Pandemic, Australia and Worldwide - Part 3

>>14704494 Australia reports 2,355 new COVID-19 cases as vaccination push continues

>>14709981 Australia's Delta outbreak spreads to Tasmania and South Australia

>>14712070 Melbourne passes Buenos Aires' world record for time spent in COVID-19 lockdown - 245 days - longest cumulative lockdown for any city in the world

>>14724299 Video: ‘Save Australia’ protest erupts in New York - Aussie flags were flying in New York City overnight where demonstrators chanted “Save Australia” in an anti vaccine mandate march.

>>14730945 Australia reports easing in new COVID-19 infections as vaccinations rise

>>14737842 Sydney to exit COVID-19 lockdown next week after vaccination rate hits 70%

>>14757625 Australia braces for more COVID-19 infections as country moves towards re-opening

>>14757971 Crowds of 10,000 at Melbourne Cup carnival, live music to return as ‘vaccinated economy’ trial kicks off

>>14758151 Video: Scott Morrison thanks Australians for ‘phenomenal’ jab uptake, as NSW opens new chapter

>>14760127 Freedom: no turning back to stay-at-home orders, Josh Frydenberg vows

>>14763614 'Freedom Day': Sydney reopens as Australia looks to live with COVID-19

>>14776846 COVID-19 curbs in Sydney could ease early amid surge in vaccinations

>>14782462 Victorian Covid-19 lockdown on track to end next week

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2e5617  No.14789268

#18 - Part 24

Virginia Roberts Giuffre, Prince Andrew, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell

>>14386072 Prince Andrew is 'person of interest' in Epstein investigation - US prosecutors probing Ghislaine Maxwell's activities want to quiz Duke over friendship with paedophile billionaire

>>14404614 PDF: Prosecutors Ask Judge to Withhold the Names of Ghislaine Maxwell’s ‘Uncharged Co-Conspirators’ from Her

>>14472074 PDF: Ghislaine Maxwell used a cart of legal documents to barricade herself inside a video conference room in prison, prosecutors have alleged

>>14478140 PDF: ‘Firm trial date’ set for Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex crimes case - November 29, 2021

>>14496009 Prince Andrew’s Gilded Cage Closes in as Department of Justice Reiterates Desire to Speak to Disgraced Royal

>>14517184 PDF: Feds ordered to reveal names of Ghislaine Maxwell’s alleged co-conspirators

>>14545016 Prince Andrew has avoided NY sex accuser’s attempts to serve him legal papers

>>14554611 PDF: Prince Served: Lawsuit Accusing Andrew of Sexually Abusing Jeffrey Epstein Victim Reaches Embattled Royal

>>14557583 Video: Prince Andrew served lawsuit for alleged assault - 9 News Australia

>>14563656 SERVE RETURNED - Prince Andrew’s lawyers ‘claim Virginia Roberts sex assault papers NOT properly served and he’ll get case thrown out’

>>14563683 David Boies: The pit bull lawyer ruthlessly pursuing Prince Andrew

>>14569195 Prince Andrew’s lawyers snub hearing into sex assault claim filed against him in New York

>>14569204 Video: Brave Australian supermodel Bridget Malcolm exposes the dark side of Victoria's Secret - "behind the scenes, 'devils' were at work" - 60 Minutes Australia

>>14576927 Prince Andrew hires Armie Hammer’s lawyer to contest ‘baseless, non-viable’ US lawsuit

>>14584624 British judge 'could force Prince Andrew to testify in UK over US sex assault lawsuit'

>>14593039 Prince Andrew Suffers Setback in Bid to Avoid Epstein Accuser’s Lawsuit - British High Court will serve papers on the Prince if necessary

>>14604686 PDF: Sex-assault accuser blasts Prince Andrew, demands he stop hiding ‘behind palace walls’

>>14614226 Ball in Andrew’s court after copping a serve in sex case

>>14627887 PDF: Prince Andrew is served sexual assault lawsuit in United States

>>14641981 Defiant Prince Andrew to Stop Hiding and Fight Virginia Giuffre’s Claims

>>14657668 PDF: Britain's Prince Andrew accepts U.S. service of Virginia Giuffre's sexual assault lawsuit

>>14670712 Hide, fight, settle? The choices for an embattled prince - Prince Andrew must pick a strategy in his battle with Virginia Giuffre, who claims he sexually abused her when she was 17. What are his options?

>>14677565 EXCLUSIVE: Shukri Walker - Witness who 'saw Prince Andrew dancing with sex slave victim' will testify in court

>>14684689 PDF: Prince Andrew has October deadline to respond to Epstein accuser suit

>>14698140 PDF: Jeffrey Epstein’s Estate Agrees to Disclose Confidential Deal Requested by Prince Andrew, Court Docs Say

>>14737982 PDF: Prince Andrew can review 2009 Jeffrey Epstein settlement

>>14748965 The man Prince Andrew fears - He’s an 80-year-old US lawyer with the Queen’s favourite son in his sights. Who is David Boies and why is he so feared?

>>14763733 Video: Prince Andrew: London’s Met Police drop investigation into allegations of sex abuse

>>14782647 PDF: Ghislaine Maxwell wins fight to keep jury questionnaire under seal to avoid tainting jury pool ahead of her November 29 trial for sex-trafficking underage girls for pedophile Jeffrey Epstein

>>14782660 PDF: Ghislaine Maxwell Wants Closed Jury Selection in Sex-Trafficking Trial

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2e5617  No.14789273

#18 - Part 25

Child Exploitation, Pedophilia, Sexual Abuse and Human Trafficking Investigations - Part 1

>>14386067 Father Anthony Caruana’s abuse of NSW school children destroyed lives and tore families apart, court told

>>14412752 Crackdown on slavery after ‘evil and pernicious crime’ soars - Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews says the government has intensified efforts to detect and prosecute those who keep people trapped in slave-like conditions

>>14412760 Eight years a slave: Melbourne couple Kumuthini and Kandasamy Kannan’s shocking secret - A woman is kept as a slave for eight years by a couple in a suburban Melbourne home. How could this happen?

>>14443431 Millionaire Businessman Ron Brierley ‘scrubbed out’ after being caught with child abuse images

>>14482024 Pope Francis replaces Australian Bishop Christopher Alan Saunders in alleged misconduct probe

>>14482027 Pope Francis accepts resignation of Australian Bishop investigated for sexual abuse, Christopher Alan Saunders

>>14482035 HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE - Resignations and Appointments, 28.08.2021 - Resignation of bishop of Broome, Australia, and appointment of apostolic administrator sede vacante

>>14482035 Statement: Diocese of Broome - RESIGNATION OF BISHOP SAUNDERS - 28th August 2021

>>14482045 Q Post #2894 - Many more to come? Dark to LIGHT. Q

>>14495997 Questions cloud resignation of Bishop of Broome Christopher Saunders

>>14496003 Phillip James Scott - 'Pathetic' child abuser jailed in Tasmania

>>14507674 Suncorp Stadium partners with AFP to help solve child sex abuse crimes - Big screens at Suncorp Stadium to be used to promote an Australian first cold-case campaign

>>14507679 Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation - Stop child abuse - Trace An Object - We need your help in the fight against online child sexual exploitation - The smallest clue can often help solve a case - Can you help us recognise these objects?

>>14513194 RAAF Sergeant Jacob Donald Walsh abandons bid for bail, on child abuse charges, thanks to Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team

>>14513211 Brisbane man charged after allegedly uploading child sex abuse images to Instagram

>>14523376 How Australian police tracked Alladin Lanim, one of world’s most wanted paedophiles, to Borneo

>>14529254 Police call on community to help as online child abuse grows, “becoming more violent and more sadistic” as predators take advantage of young people’s online habits

>>14529254 Closing The Net - A podcast series that explores the world of the Australian Centre To Counter Child Exploitation - men and women policing the ‘borderless crime’ of online child sexual exploitation, their commitment to preventing abuse, and their dedication to seeking justice for the victims

>>14530937 Video: Closing The Net, Season 2 - Official Podcast Trailer - Australian Centre To Counter Child Exploitation

>>14533979 Covid-19 lockdown ‘hiding sexual predators’, says Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw

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2e5617  No.14789277

#18 - Part 26

Child Exploitation, Pedophilia, Sexual Abuse and Human Trafficking Investigations - Part 2

>>14538984 Notorious HIV-positive pedophile Jadd Brooker charged with 142 more child sex crimes

>>14541832 Victorian bill allowing families to publicly identify dead sexual assault survivors passes Upper House

>>14551809 Sydney man charged over alleged importation of childlike sex dolls - Authorities note a 653 per cent increase in the number of these products seized in the past two years

>>14551836 Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation Tweet: Join the fight to #StopChildAbuse. Do you recognise this rug? We specifically want to trace its location. Review all of the objects and submit a clue at accce.gov.au/trace

>>14557219 AFP warn parents about children falling victim to ‘capping’ - perverts force children as young as eight to perform live-streamed sexual acts

>>14584537 NSW pedophile priest Anthony Caruana believed own 'lies'

>>14584551 Tasmanian government sued over alleged abuse at Launceston General Hospital's paediatric centre - Two women claim they were sexually abused by pedophile nurse, James Geoffrey Griffin

>>14600499 SA pedophile Geoffrey William Moyle unmasked as infamous online child abuse criminal ‘Waka’ and finally jailed - Global law enforcement bodies have hunted this man for two decades

>>14600527 Author of Misery: How SA’s elite detectives led a global effort to bring down Geoffrey William Moyle, aka ‘Waka’

>>14607022 The Children in the Pictures, a harrowing must-see - Stephen Romei, Film Critic - theaustralian.com.au

>>14607022 "This is the most disturbing film I have seen, in any genre. We do see, recreated from evidence, what people ask for when they log on to paedophilia forums. “Make her scream.” The girl being abused was three. It is incomprehensible but it is happening."

>>14607041 Video: THE CHILDREN IN THE PICTURES - Official Trailer - The Children in the Pictures takes us inside Task Force Argos – a world-renowned police investigative team dedicated to protecting children from online sexual abuse. From infiltrating global criminal networks to rescuing endangered children all over the world, the Argos team shine a light on the dark reality of online child sexual abuse and the fight we all face in stopping it.

>>14607028 Q Post #1735 - There is nothing more precious than our children. Evil has no boundaries…The choice to know will ultimately be yours…These people are SICK! To those who are courageous enough to speak out - we stand with you! You are not alone in this fight. God bless. Q

>>14614258 Survivors of child sexual abuse at Australia's only monastic town — New Norcia, WA — call for their damages claims to be fast-tracked fearing they will die waiting for an outcome

>>14614333 Senior Rugby Australia executive facing child abuse charges

>>14614341 Video: Operation Arkstone: Sydney man arrested for soliciting child abuse material

>>14621125 Male nurse ‘sedated, raped’ girl: further allegations against James Geoffrey Griffin at Launceston General Hospital

>>14621222 Jareth Thomas Harries-Markham: Babysitter charged with 194 child sex offences after advertising services online

>>14657618 Bid by Catholic church to stop child sexual abuse case rejected by NSW supreme court - Church tried to stop a woman from suing, despite its own records showing it knew Father Clarence Anderson was a paedophile

>>14670749 Jon Seccull - Former White Ribbon ambassador guilty of multiple rapes unmasked

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2e5617  No.14789280

#18 - Part 27

Child Exploitation, Pedophilia, Sexual Abuse and Human Trafficking Investigations - Part 3

>>14691637 Inside Argos, the police task force that has rescued thousands of children from their abusers

>>14698073 Paedophile who abused girlfriend's daughter jailed after responding to undercover officer's incest advert

>>14702449 Hillsong founder Brian Houston returns to Australia to face concealing sex abuse charge

>>14716293 Geelong College to pay $2.7 million over historical child sex abuse committed by woodworking department volunteer Bert Palframan

>>14724615 Hillsong founder Brian Houston to plead not guilty to concealing sexual abuse charge - Police allege megachurch founder was aware of information relating to the abuse of a young man in the 1970s by his late father

>>14738097 Video: Phillip Cooper - Victorian man who preyed on Filipino kids jailed

>>14750163 Andrew Rule: Depraved ogres lurking beneath the internet’s sparkly surface - Commercial child abuse is metastasising like cancer via the internet and involves evil beyond belief. But this crack team of specialist investigators are saving thousands of children - Task Force Argos

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2e5617  No.14789286

#18 - Part 28

Qanon / Conspiracy Theory Hit Pieces, Australia and Worldwide

>>14412079 COVID-19 is accelerating the rise of conspiracy and sovereign citizen movements in Australia - Eric Tlozek - abc.net.au

>>14422559 Cop who killed US Capitol rioter cleared - Brian Niemietz - thewest.com.au

>>14433988 Why QAnon followers are like opioid addicts, and why that matters - Sophia Moskalenko and Mia Bloom - nbcnews.com

>>14442992 Video: How Murdoch’s Fox News allowed Trump's propaganda to destabilise democracy - Four Corners / ABC News In-depth

>>14443440 Australian data reveals thousands of Covid QAnon conspiracies spreading online - Perry Duffin - dailytelegraph.com.au

>>14490556 Downward dog to anti-vax: Trendy yoga is starting to stretch the truth - Rosie Kinchen - theaustralian.com.au

>>14490562 Video: "It's been a slow death": Loved ones describe cutting ties with parents, siblings over QAnon conspiracy theories - cbsnews.com / 60 Minutes+

>>14492518 Video: Fox and the Big Lie: Trump returns to campaign trail amid 'stolen election' lawsuits - Four Corners / ABC News In-depth

>>14495902 Conspiracy theorist Karen Brewer among 19 arrested in failed bid to overthrow Government - Scott Palmer - newshub.co.nz

>>14501959 Coronavirus: Shadow puppet-mistress pulling protest strings - Karen Brewer – ' a delusional conspiracy theorist hiding out on a farm in New Zealand' - Stephen Rice - theaustralian.com.au

>>14517112 Jacob Chansley, 'QAnon Shaman' Capitol rioter pleads guilty - Mark Hosenball - thewest.com.au

>>14523729 Cullen Hoback Tweet: Anyone who still doubts Ron Watkins controlled Q hasn’t been following his Telegram. His range of topics, approach and knowledge base just reinforce that conclusion.

>>14523734 Shayan Sardarizadeh Tweet: Still cannot believe he let Q die. He had an army of millions around the world ready to do whatever he asked of them. The amount of power and influence he had amassed as Q he will never be able to achieve as just Ron Watkins, unless he's got other ideas still…

>>14526161 Fox News wants external inquiry into ABC’s Four Corners’ two-part series Fox and the Big Lie - Sophie Elsworth - theaustralian.com.au

>>14551767 ‘New World Order’: Conspiracy theorists unite as Australian health chief uses term at press conference - Dr Kerry Chant appeared to use the phrase innocently, referring to the post-Covid world we live in - Sam Hancock - independent.co.uk

>>14614385 The moment QAnon took the person I love most - Ashitha Nagesh - bbc.com

>>14648896 Video: The roots of QAnon run deeper than you think, tapping into centuries-old conspiracy theories with echoes of anti-Semitic and anti-Catholic bigotry.

>>14763660 Donald Trump will never be president again, says renowned pollster Frank Luntz - Latika Bourke - theage.com.au

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2e5617  No.14789360

File: 881a419cd129df2⋯.jpg (520.89 KB, 1024x682, 512:341, OZ_Damper.jpg)

NEW OZ BREAD

Q Research AUSTRALIA #19 - THE ONLY WAY IS THE MILITARY Edition

>>14789296

>>14789296

>>14789296

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2e5617  No.14789363

File: ef0ab8fe157e1f7⋯.jpg (96.56 KB, 1200x675, 16:9, https_cdn_cnn_com_cnnnext_….jpg)

Filling #18…..

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2e5617  No.14789365

File: 66eab79dee96931⋯.jpg (124.1 KB, 1440x1002, 240:167, 4269.jpg)

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2e5617  No.14789368

File: e77acae0728cbeb⋯.jpg (76.37 KB, 1440x960, 3:2, 3500.jpg)

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2e5617  No.14789371

File: 875621d7e612482⋯.jpg (96.4 KB, 1440x956, 360:239, 5051.jpg)

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2e5617  No.14789372

File: 7385f8b7f077957⋯.jpg (75.11 KB, 1440x960, 3:2, 4070.jpg)

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2e5617  No.14789375

File: 37b8d450217add6⋯.jpg (189.46 KB, 960x640, 3:2, photo_l.jpg)

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2e5617  No.14789376

File: d58a0046953d515⋯.jpg (40.29 KB, 1440x960, 3:2, 5132.jpg)

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2e5617  No.14789377

File: cbeb3d64e110c81⋯.jpg (135.98 KB, 1200x630, 40:21, NoCrowdA.jpg)

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2e5617  No.14789378

File: 84d6a2a141e2e57⋯.jpg (199.17 KB, 1280x720, 16:9, 03ed9692709d19f08f403a3532….jpg)

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2e5617  No.14789380

File: 2a64621c2b74d76⋯.jpg (109.2 KB, 770x513, 770:513, melbourne_on.jpg)

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2e5617  No.14789385

File: 9f9b4417d1078b5⋯.jpg (3.16 MB, 2800x2000, 7:5, Chairman_of_the_Joint_Chie….jpg)

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