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#38 - Part 113

Australia / China Tensions - Part 4

>>21860582 Australia to ramp up missile production as Indo Pacific enters new missile age - Australia said it was boosting its missile defence capability amid "significant concerns" about China's test of an ICBM in the South Pacific, and will bolster weapons stockpiles and exports to security partners as the region enters a new "missile age". Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said in a speech on Wednesday that Australia was increasing its missile defence and long-range strike capability, and would cooperate with security partners the United States, Japan and South Korea, to contribute to regional stability. "Why do we need more missiles? Strategic competition between the United States and China is a primary feature of Australia's security environment," he told the National Press Club in Canberra. China test fired an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile in September that travelled over 11,000km to land in the Pacific Ocean to Australia's north-east. Conroy said the Indo Pacific was on the cusp of a new missile age, where missiles are also "tools of coercion". "We expressed significant concern about that ballistic missile test, especially its entry into the South Pacific given the Treaty of Rarotonga that says the Pacific should be a nuclear weapons free zone," he told reporters in response to a question. Australia was deploying SM-6 missiles on its navy destroyer fleet to provide ballistic missile defence, he added.

>>21874872 US' indoctrination leading Canberra astray: China Daily editorial - "In 2021, Australia's decision to join the United States and the United Kingdom to form the trilateral security alliance AUKUS triggered domestic and international concern about an accelerating arms race in the region and its consequences. This concern intensified when the three countries announced their agreement for Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines with the help of its two alliance partners. Now, the country has exacerbated the concern by announcing its intention to increase its missile defense and long-range strike capabilities. In a speech on Wednesday, Australia's Minister for Defense Industry Pat Conroy said Canberra would invest up to 18 billion Australian dollars ($12 billion) to boost its manufacturing of missiles, including making advanced guided missile systems in the country for the first time. The Australian defense industry chief justified the move by saying that strategic competition between the US and China has become a primary feature of Australia's security environment. In other words, as a close US ally, Australia is obliged to help its ally win this competition. As a country that comfortably sits tens of thousands of miles away from all the major global and regional hot spots, the acquisition of nuclear-powered subs and long-range missiles is beyond the country's defensive needs. This has called into question the purpose of AUKUS' and Australia's role in the grouping, which is displaying an increasingly aggressive character. Rather than continuing to wade into dangerous waters, Canberra should reflect on the fact that it is the US and its allies that are responsible for creating the "unbridled strategic rivalry" in the Asia-Pacific region as part of their efforts to curtail China's development momentum." - chinadaily.com.cn

>>21888295 ‘Job not done’: Don Farrell flies out to seal end of lobster, beef bans amid AUKUS concerns - Trade Minister Don Farrell has set off for Shanghai to press his Chinese counterpart to remove the remnants of Beijing’s $20bn trade coercion campaign as China’s state media fulminates over Australia’s “increasingly aggressive” AUKUS posture. Late on Sunday, Senator Farrell was set to meet with China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in Shanghai. The two-day trip closely follows a visit to Beijing late last week by some of corporate Australia’s most senior figures, who met with Chinese leaders in the Great Hall of the People. People familiar with the Trade Minister’s agenda said his top priorities were to get assurances that China would honour its deal to allow the resumption of Australia’s live lobster trade by the end of the year and to secure an end of bans on a clutch of Australian beef abattoirs. “We can’t rest on our laurels. The job is not done,” Senator Farrell said before flying from Australia early on Sunday. “I will continue to press for the full resumption of normal bilateral trade,” he said.

#38 - Part 114

Australia / China Tensions - Part 5

>>21906209 Chinese Commerce minister gives Don Farrell ‘personal assurances’ Australian beef, lobster bans to end - Don Farrell has declared trade with China could grow by another $75bn, as he called for more ambition in the economic relationship after receiving a “personal” assurance from the Chinese Commerce Minister that bans on Australian beef and lobster were likely to end before the federal election. Speaking exclusively to The Australian on the rooftop of Shanghai’s Peace Hotel, the Trade Minister outlined a bullish outlook that departed from the government’s previous focus on “diversification” from China. While Senator Farrell’s two-day China trip meant he missed the Adelaide event that kicked off Anthony Albanese’s re-election campaign, the factional heavyweight used the Shanghai backdrop to add to the Labor pitch. “Trade has been a great success story over the life of this government,” he told The Australian on Monday, adding that thanks to the Albanese government’s ­“patience and persistence”, Australia’s trade ties could grow significantly in the coming years. “It was $327bn last year. Why can’t it be $400bn?” he said. “We can do that, but simultaneously we can increase our ­exports to other countries as a defensive mechanism.”

>>21949056 Eavesdropping air fryers ‘sending data to China’ - Air fryers may be serving up a side of surveillance with your chicken and chips. Three makers of the popular kitchen gadget have apps that want to record audio on your phone and send your data to China, consumer group Which? has said. The consumer group tested four types of smart gadgets to see how invasive they were of users’ privacy. Air fryers made by Xioami, Aigostar and Cosori all wanted to record audio on users’ phones with no specified reason, as well as know the customer’s precise location, Which? said. The Aigostar and Xiaomi fryers both sent people’s personal data to servers in China and the Xiaomi app connected to trackers from Facebook and TikTok. Among other tested devices, the Huawei Ultimate smartwatch was classed as giving invasive access to parts of someone’s phone, including precise location, the ability to record audio, access to stored files and the ability to see all the other apps installed. All of the air fryers, watches, TVs and smart speakers that were tested required privacy consent to work properly. The researchers said that smart TV menus were “littered with ads and thirsty for user data”. Samsung’s TV app requested eight “risky” phone permissions, including being able to see all the other apps on a phone, second only to the Huawei smartwatch, Which? said. The Bose portable home speaker and app were “stuffed with trackers, including Facebook, Google and digital marketing firm Urban Airship”, it found. Trackers are software in an app that monitors data about your activity, including how you use the app, your location and the device you are using. This data is often sent to companies such as Facebook and Google, which use it to target users with personalised adverts.

>>21961394 Snubbed: Australia’s best friend in the Pacific gets cold shoulder from Canberra - Solomon Islands’ most strident anti-Beijing warrior watched last week, quietly seething, as surveyors began work on the first Chinese infrastructure project in the nation’s most populous province, Malaita. Before he was deposed as premier of Malaita last year, Daniel Suidani had banned Chinese companies from entering the province, putting him in open conflict with the pro-Beijing central government of Manasseh Sogavare, then prime minister. Suidani even blocked the installation of Huawei mobile phone towers in his one-man war against China’s most concerted bid anywhere in the South Pacific to exert its power. But now he sees young children being trained by Chinese police in martial arts. The rebellious Suidani believes the values of the Chinese Communist Party are irreconcilable with those of Solomon Islands and corrosive of democracy - a heretical stance that led to his dismissal from office in February last year for refusing to accept the country’s “one China” policy. In elections early this year the popular Suidani was swept back into parliament and Martin Fini, the pro-China premier who replaced him, booted from his seat. Hefty bribes paid to some of Suidani’s erstwhile supporters from a CCP slush fund, a trumped-up arrest and constitutional impediments have set back his plans to be premier again, but in the meantime he remains the most effective bulwark against Beijing’s encroachment into the sprawling archipelago. Which makes it all the more baffling that the provincial strongman is being blanked by the Albanese government.

#38 - Part 115

Australia / China Tensions - Part 6

>>21994109 China tells other world leaders: be like Australia’s Anthony Albanese - Beijing has nominated Anthony Albanese as the leader other American allies should emulate ahead of a meeting between the Australian Prime Minister and China’s President Xi Jinping in South America. In an editorial published on the eve of meetings of APEC and G20 leaders in Peru and Brazil, the China Daily praised the Australians PM’s “strategic autonomy” amid “unprecedented geopolitical complexity and uncertainty” after the election of Donald Trump. The party-state masthead, Beijing’s most authoritative English language masthead, offered the Australian Prime Minister as an exemplar for other American allies as they engage in the difficult “balancing act” between their security partner in Washington and their economic relationship with China. The party-state controlled masthead said hawkish picks in Trump’s cabinet would make this balance “not an easy one”, and suggested leaders could learn from Albanese who has talked up Australia’s trade relationship with China ahead of the summits. “Australia, however, might offer some useful reference for those struggling to strike such a balance,” the China Daily editorialised. “Australia’s ties with China deteriorated when the previous Australian government fell under Washington’s anti-China spell,” the masthead continued. “But Canberra has woken up to the significance of those ties under the Albanese government and set out repairing them. The strategic autonomy the Albanese government has displayed has proved that those ties are in both parties’ interests. It is also evident that economic ties with China and the US do not have to be mutually exclusive.”

>>22001931 ‘We have not changed our position’: PM brushes off China’s praise - Anthony Albanese has brushed-off praise from a prominent Beijing mouthpiece by declaring he does not “subscribe” to the state-owned China Daily, as Chinese President Xi Jinping skipped the first gathering of APEC leaders in Peru in favour of one-on-one meetings. With Mr Xi not turning-up to the first leaders’ sessions in Lima, the Prime Minister caught-up with outgoing US President Joe Biden, who is attending his final international summits before vacating the White House in January. Mr Albanese and Mr Biden, who have met formally 11 times since the 2022 election, were photographed grinning and shaking hands ahead of the APEC leaders’ informal dialogue, also attended by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Mr Albanese is expected to meet with Mr Xi at the G20 summit in Brazil. The likely Xi-Albanese meeting follows a China Daily editorial published on the eve of APEC and G20 summits praising the Australian Prime Minister’s “strategic autonomy” amid “unprecedented geopolitical complexity and uncertainty” following the election of Mr Trump. The editorial confirms that Beijing has nominated Mr Albanese as the leader other American allies should emulate as they balance relations with China and a second Trump administration.

>>22001948 ‘Meek and weak’: Former top diplomat blasts Albanese on China - Japan’s former top diplomat in Australia has launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, accusing him of being “weak and meek” in his handling of relations with China. Shingo Yamagami, who served as Japan’s ambassador in Canberra from 2021 to 2023, also welcomed Donald Trump’s US election victory, predicting he would help deter a Chinese invasion of the self-governing island of Taiwan. Yamagami’s comments preceded an expected meeting of Albanese and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Brazil in coming days, and a meeting between Defence Minister Richard Marles and his Japanese and US counterparts in Darwin on Sunday. “There’s no question that Anthony Albanese has been weak and meek vis a vis China. This is common knowledge in the international community,” Yamagami told this masthead. “Otherwise, how could China praise Anthony Albanese?” The state-owned China Daily newspaper urged Western leaders to emulate Albanese in an editorial published on Thursday, praising him for his “strategic autonomy” in balancing relations between Beijing and Washington. “He has done everything not to displease China and has hesitated in calling a spade a spade, which was really good for China,” said Yamagami, who previously served as head of Japan’s spy agency, the Intelligence and Analysis Service. Albanese should have more forcefully condemned China’s increasingly assertive conduct in the South China Sea and East China Sea, he said.

#38 - Part 116

Australia / China Tensions - Part 7

>>22008527 Donald Trump, tariffs to top Anthony Albanese’s G20 talks with Xi Jinping - Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a third bilateral meeting with Anthony Albanese at the start of the G20 summit, with the leaders expected to discuss the aftermath of Donald Trump’s election victory, tariff war fears and strengthening the China-Australia trade relationship. Just over 12-months after Mr Xi hosted the Prime Minister in Beijing for their second meeting, the pair will sit down in Rio de Janeiro at a time of heightened anxiety for China over the scale of Mr Trump’s threatened 60 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports. Mr Albanese, who is not seeking a meeting with Mr Trump following the G20 summit, will not hold formal talks with outgoing US President Joe Biden, who on Monday (AEDT) became the first American leader to travel to the Amazon. Amid concerns Australian products could be slugged with tariffs of up to 20 per cent, Mr Albanese has pledged to seek a positive outcome for local goods with a Trump administration, while not interfering between the US and China.

>>22014905 Xi Jinping moves to lock-in Anthony Albanese on trade at G20 - Xi Jinping has urged Anthony Albanese to join him in transforming the China-Australia relationship into a more mature, stable and fruitful partnership that will project “stability and certainty to the region and the wider world” in the wake of Donald Trump’s election victory. The Chinese President - who has assembled the Communist Party’s highest-ranking officials in South America to launch a charm offensive of world leaders at the APEC and G20 summits – told the Prime Minister that their discussions in Beijing last year had been “very productive over the past year and more”. Mr Xi and Mr Albanese met at the Chinese president’s Rio de Janeiro hotel, where the Communist leader is receiving world leaders offsite from the G20 summit. Mr Albanese was brought in to meet Mr Xi immediately after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The third bilateral meeting between Mr Xi and Mr Albanese ran for about 30 minutes before the leaders headed in their motorcades to the G20 opening session. Mr Xi’s diplomatic full court press comes amid fears in Beijing of a US-China trade war after Mr Trump pledged to impose 60 per cent tariffs on all Chinese products. Marking the 10th anniversary almost to the date since he addressed the federal parliament in 2014, Mr Xi told Mr Albanese “we have maintained close communications at all levels, actively promoting the implementations of our common understandings, and made positive progress. I wish to work with you, Mr Prime Minister, to make our comprehensive strategic partnership more mature, stable and fruitful and inject more stability and certainty to the region and the wider world.”

>>22014937 Penny Wong ‘gravely concerned’ as Australian Gordon Ng sentenced to seven years in Hong Kong pro-democracy crackdown - Australian Gordon Ng has been sentenced to more than seven years as part of the biggest crackdown on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement since Beijing imposed a national security law on the former British colony in 2020. Ng was one of 47 democracy campaigners - dubbed the “Hong Kong 47” - who were charged with conspiring to commit subversion for their involvement in an attempt to win a majority in the city’s local elections. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the Australian government was “gravely concerned” by the sentence, which was delivered in Hong Kong hours after Chinese President Xi Jinping told Anthony Albanese to take “great care” of relations with Beijing. “Australia has expressed our strong objections to the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities on the continuing broad application of national security legislation, including in application to Australian citizens,” Senator Wong said in a statement issued shortly after the sentencing on Tuesday. “We call for China to cease suppression of freedoms of expression, assembly, media and civil society, consistent with the Human Rights Committee and Special Procedure recommendations, including the repeal of the National Security Law in Hong Kong,” she said. “This is a deeply difficult time for Mr Ng, his family and supporters. Our thoughts are with them following the sentencing,” the Foreign Minister added. “The Australian government has advocated at senior levels in support of Mr Ng’s best interests and welfare and has sought consular access to Mr Ng. We will continue to do so,” she said.

#38 - Part 117

Australia / China Tensions - Part 8

>>22022557 Jimmy Lai tells HK court he was in the business of ‘delivering freedom’ as Canberra unites to condemn Beijing - Pro-democracy news publisher Jimmy Lai has told a Hong Kong court he was in the business of “delivering freedom” as he spoke for the first time in a foreign collusion case that has been condemned across Australia’s political spectrum. Speaking in court on Wednesday, the most high profile figure in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement said he started his media business after the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. “I thought it was a good opportunity for somebody like me, a businessman who has made some money, to participate in delivering information which I think is freedom,” Lai, 76, told the court. “To participate in delivering freedom was a very good idea for me at that time … the more information you have, the more you are in the know and the more you are free.” Lai is accused under the national security law Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in 2020 of colluding with foreign forces, a charge that could carry a sentence of up to life in prison. He has pleaded not guilty. The highly politicised trial in a territory once known for its respected legal system has drawn condemnation from liberal democracies around the world and across the full spectrum of Australian politics. In an unusual demonstration of cross party solidarity, Labor, Coalition and Greens senators joined to condemn Beijing for its persecution of Lai and called for his “immediate and unconditional” release. “I know that many Australians who have visited and grown to admire and love Hong Kong over the years … for its vibrancy, its energy and its entrepreneurialism and, most particularly, its liberal institutions and freedoms, are distressed by the path that Hong Kong is taking,” said Liberal senator Dave Sharma.

>>22042747 Japan hosts Five Eyes group meeting for first time - Japan hosted a gathering of senior enlisted service members from the Five Eyes intelligence partnership Wednesday, the first time a nonmember state has done so, in a move that highlights the growing cooperation between Tokyo and its Western allies amid shared concerns about a rapidly deteriorating international security environment. The meeting with members from the grouping - comprising the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – took place as part of a broader conference held in Tokyo among senior enlisted personnel from across the Self-Defense Forces. “We saw a great opportunity to invite the Five Eyes nations to this SDF gathering so that our enlisted leaders can broaden their understanding of the situation in other countries,” Air Self-Defense Force Chief Warrant Officer Osamu Kai, who represented Japan at the gathering, told the Japan Times, adding that another key goal was to promote Japan’s vision of a Free and Open Indo Pacific. While this marked the first such meeting outside a Five Eyes country, it wasn’t the first time Japan has been involved in such gatherings. For instance, SDF personnel were invited to a similar conference of Canadian senior enlisted members last month. As tensions rise between China and the West, experts have said that Japan - seen as standing on the frontlines of regional strategic challenges – can offer the intelligence grouping the use of its information-gathering capabilities, particularly in the field of electronic surveillance, along with its insight on Asian geopolitics.

#38 - Part 118

Australia / China Tensions - Part 9

>>22042753 Japan hosts Five Eyes intel meeting for 1st time; experts warn of Tokyo’s eagerness to become the ‘sixth eye’ - "The Five Eyes alliance hosted an intelligence group meeting in Japan on Wednesday, the first time that such a meeting has been held in a non-member country, a reflection of Tokyo's "critical position for gathering information on nearby China," Nikkei Asia reported. Chinese experts warned of Japan's eagerness to join the alliance, but suggested that as the Five Eyes countries are all of Anglo-Saxon origin, Japan will seem "an outsider." The group is only using Japan's zeal to serve their own hegemonic purposes, analysts said. The decision to hold the meeting in Japan reflects its "growing importance as an intelligence-collecting base in the Indo-Pacific region," Nikkei Asia reported. Japan has long sought to enhance its status by pursuing membership in the Five Eyes grouping. And to gain this position, Japan is striving to align itself more closely with the Five Eyes in various fields, including military, security, politics and culture, Zhou Yongsheng, a deputy director of the Japanese Studies Center at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Wednesday. While the possibility of Japan becoming the "sixth eye" is increasing, potential membership will depend on negotiations among member states, as the Five Eyes is not merely an intelligence sharing group, it is rooted in shared ethnic heritage and cultural ties, as all members are of Anglo-Saxon origin, Zhou said. In contrast, Japan does not share the same ethnic and cultural background with these countries, which will make it "an outsider" in this context, Zhou said." - Fan Anqi - globaltimes.cn

>>22042771 Video: Taiwan's president to visit remaining Pacific allies - Taiwan President Lai Ching-te will visit Taipei's three remaining diplomatic allies in the Pacific on a trip starting at the end of November, but the government has declined to give details on US transit stops. Taiwanese presidents usually use visits to allied countries to make what are officially stopovers in the United States, Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier, which frequently anger Beijing. On two occasions in the past two years China staged military drills around Taiwan after presidential or vice-presidential stopovers in the United States. On those stopovers, Taiwanese presidents often meet friendly politicians and give speeches. Reuters reported last week that Lai was planning to stop off in Hawaii and maybe the US territory of Guam while he was in the Pacific. Asked repeatedly by reporters at a news conference on Friday for details on the stopovers, Deputy Taiwan Foreign Minister Tien Chung-kwang said they were in the planning stages and would be announced at an "appropriate time". China would do all it could to stymie the trip - Lai's first abroad since being inaugurated in May - but Taiwan would not be deterred, he said. "We won't dance to their tune. We will do what we have to do and what we plan."

>>22049450 Lai authorities’ political manipulation activities using trips to countries having so-called ‘diplomatic ties’ with Taiwan region will lead nowhere: FM - "The one-China principle is a basic norm in international relations and prevailing international consensus. The Lai Ching-te authorities' political manipulation activities and provocations using trips to countries having so-called "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan will lead nowhere, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday, in response to reports that Taiwan regional leader Lai will visit three Pacific island nation "allies" at the end of this month in his first overseas trip since taking office. It will not shake the solid and strong international commitment to the one-China principle, or stop the overriding historical trend towards China's reunification, Lin said. "We urge relevant countries to see clearly the trend of history at an early date, and make the right decision that truly serves their fundamental and long-term interests," Lin told a routine press conference. In response to whether China demanded the US not to allow Taiwan's Lai to "transit" in US territory when he travels to the Pacific, Lin said that Chinese President Xi Jinping in the meeting between Chinese and US Presidents in Lima stressed that the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués are the political foundation of China-US relations and they must be observed." - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

#38 - Part 119

Australia / China Tensions - Part 10

>>22058546 Chinese ambassador tells Australia not to risk bilateral ties after Trump US election victory - China's ambassador to Australia has declared there's "no reason" that Donald Trump's return to the White House should damage the relationship between Canberra and Beijing. Xiao Qian struck a buoyant tone at the opening of a press conference marking the tenth anniversary of the Australia-China comprehensive strategic partnership, saying ties were "back to the right track" after being "derailed" under the Coalition. But the ambassador fielded multiple questions about the president-elect and what his return to power would mean for ties between China, the US and Australia. Mr Trump has appointed several China hawks to key positions in his administration, and some analysts predict he's likely to demand allies join US efforts to curb China's military and technological prowess. Mr Xiao said the bilateral relationship between Australia and China had to be handled "maturely" and both countries should try to protect its "foundations." "There are reasons for us to be responsibly managing relations bilaterally, well enough, maturely enough, so that our two peoples can continue to benefit," he said. "There is no reason to compromise our respective interests for the sake of a third party," said Mr Xiao. The US president-elect has also vowed to impose massive 60 per cent tariffs on Chinese goods, sparking fears of a global trade war which could inflict massive damage on Australia's economy.

>>22064745 Ex-Japanese ambassador Shingo Yamagami ‘called in’ to Penny Wong’s office over China remarks - Former Japanese ambassador to Australia, Shingo Yamagami, has revealed he was “called in” to Penny Wong’s office to be cautioned over public criticism of China even before Labor was elected in 2022 and she became the foreign minister. Describing the summons to an ambassador to be cautioned by “a heavyweight MP of the Labor left” who was not even in government as “extraordinary and unacceptable”, Mr Yamagami said it was not clear whether Senator Wong was speaking on behalf of the ALP or just expressing her own views. The then ambassador said he was told in 2021 to come to the parliamentary office “promptly”, where it was revealed he had to be cautioned because his “remarks were being used politically”. “In a plain language, it was meant to be that since my remarks are so controversial that I must shut up my mouth,” Mr Yamagami has written in a book in Japan. “The choice of the word ‘caution’ smacked of lecturing. As a general protocol of diplomacy, it was extraordinary and unacceptable for any ambassador representing his country to nod to such a message from somebody who is not even representing her country.” The summons followed a report in The Australian Financial Review calling for a unified policy on China based on Mr Yamagami’s public support for “policy co-ordination and harmonisation” between Australia and Japan on China policy.

>>22064750 China warns New Zealand against joining AUKUS - The Chinese ambassador to New Zealand says if New Zealand were to join security grouping AUKUS it would "inevitably" have negative consequences for the country's relationship with China. In a wideranging interview with state-owned Radio New Zealand released on Wednesday, Wang Xiaolong expressed significant concerns about the trilateral security pact between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. "AUKUS entails the transfer of weapons-grade nuclear materials from a nuclear weapon state to a non-nuclear weapon state for the first time in history," Dr Wang said. "If that is allowed to happen, it will raise serious questions about the integrity of the [nuclear] Non-Proliferation Treaty regime." Dr Wang's remarks follow comments from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who said earlier this month that any potential response from China, should New Zealand sign up to AUKUS, was "not a consideration for us". "Whether New Zealand gets involved or not is a conversation we continue to explore and get into," Mr Luxon said then. AUKUS is a two-stage defence pact formed in 2021 by the US, Britain and Australia as part of efforts to push back against China's growing influence in the Asia Pacific region. The first stage, or "pillar", of AUKUS is designed to deliver nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, while the second pillar is focused on delivering advanced capabilities and sharing technologies across a range of areas. When asked about the potential economic consequences if New Zealand joined Pillar Two, Dr Wang said: "Inevitably, that will have a negative impact on the relationship."

#38 - Part 120

Australia / China Tensions - Part 11

>>22069538, >>22069709 Darwin Port’s Chinese owner scrambles to stave off forced sale - The Chinese company that controversially purchased Darwin Port nine years ago is scrambling to offload assets and pay down debt to stave off creditors and avoid a forced sale of its key Australian asset. The Northern Territory government is so worried about the situation it has written to Landbridge seeking further information about the group’s ability to meet its financial obligations, and said it is reviewing its rights. The possibility Darwin Port could be taken back from its Chinese owner was welcomed by Coalition MPs who believe the most important maritime port in northern Australia should never have been sold to them. Shandong Landbridge Group defaulted on a 500 million yuan ($107 million) bond earlier this year, prompting auditors PwC to warn its local subsidiaries – which own the port and rely on the Chinese parent for ongoing funds – are in a precarious position. “In the event the parent entity is unable to restructure its debt, an insolvency event could occur,” PwC said in its financial report for the year ending June 30 filed with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. “A material uncertainty exists that may cast significant doubt on the group’s ability to continue as a going concern.” In 2015 Landbridge controversially paid $506 million to secure a Northern Territory government tender for a 99-year lease over the port, which the government considers a strategic maritime asset in northern Australia. The sale led former US president Barack Obama to express displeasure to then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull when the lease was first signed, given up to 2500 US Marines rotate through Darwin each year. In 2021, amid growing tensions between Canberra and Beijing, the Coalition ordered a review of the deal, citing national security concerns. The Defence Department review found there were insufficient grounds to scrap the lease.

>>22080769 Labor shrinks Australia’s diplomatic footprint in China - The Albanese government is closing Australia’s consulate in Shenyang, shrinking its diplomatic footprint in China for the first time since the Whitlam government recognised Beijing in 1972. The Australian can reveal that Australia’s consulate in Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning Province, will be closed next week on December 6. Chinese officials have been briefed on the impending closure, which will further the imbalance in diplomatic representation in the two countries. A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed the closure late on Friday. “The Australian Government continues to evaluate our diplomatic presence to ensure we are best positioned to advance Australia’s national interests, and deliver value for taxpayer money,” the DFAT spokesman told The Australian. The three staff in the consulate - which opened in 2019 in the Morrison era – will be relocated to Australia’s remaining missions in China. Along with Australia’s embassy in Beijing, Australia has consulates in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu on the Chinese mainland, as well as a consulate in Hong Kong. By contrast, the number and size of China’s diplomatic postings in Australia have continued to grow in recent years as the volume of Chinese international students has remained robust, and as tourists from China continue to far outnumber Australians visiting China. In addition to China’s embassy in Canberra, China has consulates in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide where its giant 5600 sqm compound was opened in 2021 in the midst of Beijing’s epic trade coercion campaign on the Morrison government.

>>22080773 Ties between Australia, China 'back on track': Albanese takes care to rebuild relations derailed by previous govt, observers say - "The Australia-China relationship is back on track after a period of disruption, analysts said, citing the recent meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Both leaders reiterated their shared desire to build a mature and stable relationship. Analysts say Albanese has taken great care in rebuilding relations with China, which were derailed by the former conservative coalition government. This was echoed on Tuesday by China's Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian, when he said the year 2022, when Albanese was elected, was the "year of stabilization" in Australia's relationship with China. At a news briefing marking the 10th anniversary of the Australia-China comprehensive strategic partnership, Xiao said ties were "back on the right track". "We experienced a difficult time for several years until two years ago," he said. "Since then, we have successfully changed that situation."" - Karl Wilson - chinadaily.com.cn

#38 - Part 121

Australia / China Tensions - Part 12

>>22098847 China lifts trade ban on last two Australian meat processors - The last two meat processors barred from shipping produce to China have been granted re-entry after a diplomatic standoff that lasted more than four years. The abattoirs, both located in Queensland, were re-added to an official Chinese export-licence list on Tuesday, marking what the ­Albanese government billed as a “return to business as usual” for the $13.9bn export industry. The welcome move follows talks with officials in China this week and a positive meeting between Anthony Albanese and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Brazil last month. Brisbane-based Australian Country Choice and Warwick-based John Dee were the final two meat processors, from a list of 10, to be granted re-entry to the Chinese market. “This is great news for Australian exporters, producers and farmers,” the Prime Minister said on Tuesday. “Since we were elected we’ve worked tirelessly to resume trade and that’s exactly what we are ­seeing. “It’s a win for trade and a win for Australian jobs - something my government will always back.” Australia is forecast to export $2.2bn worth of beef into China this financial year, making it the second largest market for Australian beef after the US. Ostensibly the suspensions were put in place due to Chinese accusations of incorrect labelling and contamination of meat products. But the timing of the bans, in August 2020 for John Dee and October 2021 for ACC, came during heightened diplomatic tension between Canberra and Beijing after then prime minister Scott Morrison called for an investigation into the outbreak of Covid in Wuhan.

>>22098865 Video: Taiwan president stops in Hawaii during Pacific tour, drawing ire from China - The Taiwanese president, Lai Ching-te, has begun a two-day US stopover in Hawaii as part of a Pacific tour after declaring his democratically governed island a key force for promoting global peace and stability. The trip has sparked fury from China, which views Taiwan as its own territory and opposes any foreign interactions or visits by the island’s leaders. China’s foreign ministry said on Sunday it had lodged “serious protests” with the US. China has been stepping up military pressure against Taiwan, including two rounds of war games this year, and security sources have told Reuters that Beijing may hold more military exercises to coincide with Lai’s tour, which also includes a stopover in Guam, a US territory. It is Lai’s first foreign trip since taking office in May. After Hawaii, he will go to the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau, three of the 12 countries that retain formal diplomatic ties with Taipei and a part of the world where China has been exerting stronger influence. Speaking to reporters before his departure, Lai said: “Thank you to the US government for upholding the principles of safety, dignity, comfort and convenience for helping the smooth process of this trip.”

>>22098885 ‘Prevent war’ - Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s Pacific focus - Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te arrived in the Marshall Islands on Tuesday, after visiting the US on the first stop of a Pacific tour that has angered Chinese leaders. Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine extended Mr Lai a “very warm welcome” after his ­arrival in the capital, Majuro. “Taiwan and the Marshall ­Islands share a traditional Austronesian culture as well as the values of freedom and democracy,” Mr Lai said in his response. Mr Lai spent two days in the US, discussed “China’s military threats” towards Taiwan in a call with former US Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and met government officials and members of congress. China opposes any international recognition of Taiwan and its claim to be a sovereign state. It especially bristles at official contact with Washington, Taiwan’s most important security backer. The Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau are the three Pacific island allies Mr Lai will visit as part of his first overseas trip since taking office in May. They are among 12 nations, including The Vatican, that still recognise Taiwan’s claim to statehood after others were poached by China with promises of aid and investment. China, which insists Taiwan is part of its territory, has fumed over recent US arms sales to the island and Mr Lai’s stop in Hawaii, where he was welcomed with red carpets and garlands of flowers. Mr Lai and Ms Pelosi discussed “China’s military threats toward Taiwan”, presidential spokeswoman Karen Kuo said in ­Hawaii, describing the 20-minute call between the “long-time friends” as “warm and amicable”.

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>>22098914 Lai authorities, US seek ‘more provocative’ move; China vows strong countermeasures - "Secessionist authorities of Taiwan region and external forces are acting more provocatively during the power transition time in the US, with the Chinese mainland voicing strong opposition and vowing strong and resolute countermeasures, as Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te made a "stopover" in Hawaii during his trip to the Pacific, and the US announced another round of arm sales to the island. China firmly opposes official interactions between the US and Taiwan region, firmly opposes the leader of the Taiwan region making a "stopover" in the US in any name or under whatever pretext, a long-standing and clear position, Chen Binhua, a spokesperson of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office said on Sunday. Chen made the remarks in response to a media question on Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te's "stopover" in Hawaii amid his trip to so-called "diplomatic allies" in the Pacific. Chen noted that the Chinese Foreign Ministry has lodged serious protests with the US. "We urge the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, fully see the separatist nature and damage of Lai and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities, and handle the Taiwan question with prudence," Chen said. On the US arm sales, China will take strong and resolute countermeasures to firmly defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday." - Yang Sheng and Liu Xuanzun - globaltimes.cn

>>22104717 China ‘irrelevant’ to PNG NRL deal, minister says - Papua New Guinea will get an Australian taxpayer-funded NRL team without having to explicitly rule out a future security agreement with Beijing, PNG Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko has revealed, declaring the deal “has nothing to do with China”. Ahead of an announcement next week on PNG’s inclusion in the league from 2028, Mr Tkatchenko also revealed a secure fortress would be constructed in Port Moresby for the team’s players and their families, saying PNG would “do our utmost best” to keep foreign recruits safe. The Albanese government has committed $600m to underwrite the new PNG team over a decade, while PNG has backed tax-free status for players and announced PGK100m ($A37.5m) for accommodation, facilities and grassroots game development. The government is backing PNG’s NRL ambitions as part of a push to sideline China in the Pacific that also includes a planned new security agreement with Nauru. The Nauru deal, which the government hopes to finalise in coming weeks, is modelled on a landmark deal with Tuvalu that gives Australia a veto over the country’s future security agreements in return for permanent visas for Tuvaluans. Australian government sources said there was a “security element” to the PNG NRL deal. But Mr Tkatchenko said Australia had not insisted on any formal security undertakings by PNG in the final agreement. “It was discussed at the highest level, and we all said ‘It’s totally irrelevant to what we’re trying to achieve here’,” he told The Australian. “We don’t need to commit ourselves in that regard. You know, the game has nothing to do with China at all. “This is to get us into the NRL. This is to build up our relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea through sport. And we don’t want to get disrupted with geopolitics on this one.”

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>>22104758 Vanuatu and China's bilateral agreement for aviation development - The Vanuatu Government signed a bilateral agreement on Civil Air Transport and a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on Traffic Rights with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) yesterday to enhance bilateral ties in aviation, tourism and trade. CAAC Administrator Song Zhiyong shared that during the past two days, the two countries have prolonged in discussions and shared dialogues in relations to air transportation and how to strengthen them. “Vanuatu has long been a good friend of China in the South Pacific,” Mr. Song said. “Over the past 42 years, the relationship between the two resulted in something stronger, and we are appreciative of how Vanuatu has stood and supported the One-China Policy. Our aim is for both leaders to support the aviation impact at a national effort. During the past four months, we have maintained consultations between the countries to sign the Air Service Agreement and the Memorandum of Agreement on Traffic Rights to provide legal foundation for airline services to meet national and international demands.” Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Matai Seremaiah, conveyed his thanks on behalf of the Vanuatu Government and said it is the first time for the CAAC to foster a relationship with the Civil Aviation Authority of Vanuatu (CAAV). “Vanuatu is dependent on tourism, from a Government scale, we are committed to partake in the agreement to promote marketing and tourism in the country,” he said. CAAV Acting Director and Deputy Director Ellory Takiau said the MoA is to bind the agreement made during the Prime Minister’s visit to China this year to sign the Air Transportation Agreement which will allow Chinese planes to make direct flights between China and Vanuatu.

>>22128261 Boat carrying Chinese nationals said to have arrived in NT - Authorities are ­investigating the arrival of a boat carrying multiple Chinese nationals on a remote stretch of Northern Territory coastline. Multiple sources on the ground in the NT had received on Thursday similar accounts of a vessel making landfall near Maningrida in West Arnhem Land. If confirmed, it would be the latest in a growing line of boats to make it to the Australian ­mainland. According to one source, Chinese nationals called triple-0 upon their arrival and asked for police assistance. Road closures due to flooding in the area are said to have slowed the response. An Australian Border Force spokeswoman said the ABF did not comment on or confirm operational matters. The reports will add to growing concerns about the inflow of foreign vessels – mostly illegal fishing boats, but increasingly also people-smuggling ventures – making it to the mainland. Last week, the NT government issued a statement calling for a stronger federal response to the rising number of illegal vessels in the region. Members of the remote community of Gunbalanya in western Arnhem Land late last month found nine foreign nationals, all carrying Chinese passports, walking on a road towards the community. And less than a month ago, the Northern Land Council - which represents traditional owner communities across the top half of the NT – said Indigenous rangers had helped four foreign men they found at Croker Island. The NLC said the four told rangers they had paid $US6000 ($9317) to be brought to Australia. In May, five men believed to be from West Africa were found at Saibai Island, in the far-northern reaches of the Torres Strait.

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>>22128297 Australia ramps up policing and security assistance to Solomon Islands - Australia has agreed to ramp up policing and security assistance to Solomon Islands as the federal government prepares to unveil a slew of Pacific initiatives designed bolster its strategic position in the face of fierce competition from China. Earlier this year, the Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele declared that he wanted Australia's help to double the size of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) to about 3,000 officers. A source familiar with discussions told the ABC that Australia had now agreed to support a "substantial" increase in the size of the RSIPF, although it's not yet clear whether it has promised to fund a specific number of new officers. They said that Australia has also agreed to provide additional policing assistance in Solomon Islands by expanding its policing presence in the country, as well as ramping up the amount of equipment it provides to RSIPF. A spokesperson for the Foreign Minister Penny Wong declined to comment, citing ongoing discussions between Australia and Solomon Islands. The Australian Federal Police also declined to comment. Both Australia and Solomon Islands have been working towards an announcement next week, but the ABC has been told it's now likely to be pushed back - potentially until early next year. Mr Manele is also facing a no-confidence motion in parliament from prominent MP Gordon Darcy Lilo, with a vote expected in mid-December, which could also complicate the announcement and its timing. Solomon Islands has been beset with periodic civil unrest over the last three decades, and both Mr Manele and his predecessor Manasseh Sogavare have declared they need to bolster the country's policing capability to reduce tensions.

>>22134133 Scott Morrison says Labor must embrace AUKUS as a military deterrent against China - Scott Morrison says Labor must embrace AUKUS as a military deterrent against China to harness its full potential under a second Trump administration or risk undermining the appeal of the landmark agreement. The former prime minister said Beijing had changed tactics in its diplomacy with Australia - “using the carrot, not the stick” – but cautioned that China’s long-term objective remained the same: to isolate the US. Mr Morrison warned of risks to AUKUS in the stabilisation of ­relations with Beijing, saying Australia could not be “apologetic” about the purpose of the security agreement – especially given the sharp Republican focus on China as a strategic adversary. In comments that will put pressure on Australia-China relations, Mr Morrison said “in promoting AUKUS here in the US we need to appreciate that its primary reason for being is to provide a deterrent against adversarial threats. The primary one of those is China. And to pretend it’s not does not aid the argument well here”. “We must be conscious that support for AUKUS in the US, particularly amongst Republicans, is because it is a very successful partnership to provide a military deterrent to their biggest strategic rival. And don’t diminish that. Own it. Because it’s true. And if owning it means the Chinese don’t like it, well, too bad.” Mr Morrison said more effort should be directed to developing AUKUS pillar two, arguing it was the “reason for AUKUS” - to create “a single defence industrial base ecosystem between the three jurisdictions (US, UK and Australia) where there’s less regulation, there’s greater integration, there’s more innovation”.

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Australia / China Tensions - Part 16

>>22134163 Video: Australia inks treaty with Nauru locking out growing Chinese influence - Australia and Nauru have signed a landmark new treaty which will see the federal government provide $140 million in budget and security support to the Pacific Island country in return for gaining effective veto powers over many of its national security decisions. The government says Commonwealth Bank has also agreed to set up branch in Nauru to ensure the nation isn't left without a bank when Bendigo exits next year. In return, the government of Nauru has agreed with Australia that the country's critical infrastructure "shall not be used by any third party for security purposes". Australia will also be able to veto any engagements by third countries in Nauru's "security and key critical infrastructure sectors". The agreement is similar in some ways to the Falepili Union which Australia signed last year with the Pacific Island nation of Tuvalu. The pacts are part of a broader push by Australia to cement its strategic position in the Pacific in the face of increasingly fierce competition with China. Nauru switched recognition from Taiwan to China in January this year, and representatives from the Bank of China have visited the Pacific nation earlier this year to explore setting up a branch in the wake of Bendigo's exit. The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with Nauru's President David Adeang on Monday morning in Canberra to sign the new agreement, which will see the government hand over $100 million in budget support over five years, along with $40 million in security support. Nauru faces a deeply uncertain financial outlook, and Mr Albanese said Australia's ongoing budget support would "strengthen Nauru's longer-term stability and economic resilience" and "give the Nauru government the certainty it needs to make long-term investments for its citizens in areas like education, health and social services". Mr Adeang called Australia "not just a friend but a family" and said the treaty would "strengthen our own economy, enhance our mutual security and address critical challenges".

>>22151657 Australia, PNG unveil deal for Papua New Guinea team to enter NRL in 2028 - Australia and Papua New Guinea have unveiled a long-awaited deal handing PNG its own NRL team, confirming the league's most ambitious expansion since formation, and notching what the federal government is hailing as a major strategic victory. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, his PNG counterpart James Marape and NRL rugby league boss Peter V'landys announced the agreement on Thursday morning in Sydney's CBD, with Mr Albanese declaring it a "great day" for both countries. "Rugby league is the national sport of Papua New Guinea and PNG deserves a national team," he said. "The new team will belong to the people of Papua New Guinea. It will call Port Moresby home. "And I know it will have millions, literally, of proud fans barracking for it from day one." Mr Marape also celebrated the announcement, calling it "monumental" for his country, saying it was "pivotal in anchoring the PNG-Australia relationship" and would help unify people across PNG. Under the agreement, Papua New Guinea will join the NRL in 2028 and will become the competition's 18th or 19th team, depending on what happens with other franchise bids before then. Mr Albanese confirmed that the federal government would provide $600 million over a decade to help make the team a reality. In return, Papua New Guinea has agreed to sign what has been called a "parallel" agreement on "strategic trust" between the two countries, which is designed to stop China from gaining a significant security foothold in the Pacific country. A Pacific diplomatic source told the ABC that Papua New Guinea understood that if it struck a policing or security agreement with China then Australia would be within its rights to sink the agreement and the NRL team. They also stressed that the Marape government had made it very clear to Australia that it had no intention of taking such a step.

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Australia / China Tensions - Part 17

>>22151668 NRL deal money well spent to keep China at bay - "Spending $600m over a decade on a Papua New Guinean NRL team is a stunningly good investment in Australia’s national security. Australian taxpayers shell out about that much on aid to PNG every year, but few could point to tangible benefits for the country where 40 per cent of people continue to survive on less than $5 a day. The NRL deal is an entirely different proposition. PNG is rugby league mad, and the sport is its national game. Its elevation to the NRL is a nation-building moment and binds the country to Australia more tightly than ever. As the deal was formally announced, James Marape called Anthony Albanese “my brother” and described him as a “visionary”, underscoring the immense gratitude in PNG that Australia has made this happen. Albanese shares Marape’s love of the game, but as he said in their joint press conference, the deal is also about Australia’s self interest. Australia could never tolerate a Solomon Islands-style security agreement between Beijing and its nearest neighbour, and the NRL deal ensures any such proposal would gain absolutely no traction with Port Moresby. Unlike recent deals with Tuvalu and Nauru, Australia will not have an explicit veto over PNG’s future security relationships. But clauses in the confidential NRL agreement make clear that it is contingent on ongoing “strategic trust” between the countries, and that Australia can terminate its funding for the PNG side at any time if that trust is undermined. China could offer PNG a fortune to try and gain a security foothold in the country, but no PNG prime minister in his right mind would entertain such an offer, because to do so would risk the country’s hard-fought participation in the NRL." - Ben Packham - theaustralian.com.au

>>22151670 ‘Better than a veto’: NRL soft power play packs a secret punch on China - "The setting of the press conference told the story. No footballs were thrown, no cheerleaders waved pom poms. The leaders, wearing suits and ties, stood beside each other at the formal, rather bland, Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices in Sydney. Not at one of the city’s top rugby league stadiums, as might have been expected. Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys hovered at the side of the podium, as if on the interchange bench rather than the field. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape were the stars of the show as they announced a PNG team would enter the NRL in 2028. The decision to eschew any kind of razzmatazz was a deliberate one by Albanese and his team. The message to Australians watching at home: this is a serious foreign policy initiative, not a matter of fun and games. The government is aware that, with many voters struggling to pay their mortgage or rent, many Australians could easily blanch at the idea of handing over $600 million over 10 years to set up a new rugby league team in the Pacific. “This isn’t about sport; this is about safety and security,” Pacific Minister Pat Conroy told talkback radio in Perth, where listener anger was apparently running hot against the deal. The strategic rationale for the deal is clear. PNG is easily the biggest nation in the Pacific and Australia’s closest neighbour. It’s in our national interest to stop it from falling under China’s spell, as the Solomon Islands did just two years ago. PNG’s leaders are understandably not enthused about highlighting the security side of the league deal. They are seeking deeper economic ties with China as a way to lift their citizens out of poverty and don’t want to offend Beijing. Senior Australian government sources, however, say the document contains a clear assurance that PNG will only partner with Australia and other Pacific nations on security matters. A policing deal between PNG and Beijing - like one Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pushed for during an April visit to Port Moresby – would be out of bounds, they say. So would a Chinese military presence in PNG." - Matthew Knott - smh.com.au

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Australia / China Tensions - Part 18

>>22202391 Video: China to stay in Solomons despite new deal with Australia - Chinese forces will not be required to leave the Solomon Islands as part of a new security arrangement agreed to by Anthony Albanese and Solomons leader Jeremiah Manele, with the deal struck between Canberra and Honiara on Friday to exist side-by-side the Pacific island nation’s controversial pact with Beijing. The agreement has been described by experts as falling short of what the government would “ideally” like to see – chiefly the end of a Chinese presence on the Solomon Islands – but as being likely to bring Chinese influence to “a stand still” and stop any further growth of its security arrangements with Honiara. In response to a request from the Solomon Islands, the Prime Minister announced Australia would pump $190m into a pact with the Solomon Islands to bolster the nation’s police force and provide Canberra’s Pacific neighbour with a sovereign security capability that would reduce “reliance on external partners over time”. But when asked on the 14 Chinese police officers currently in the Solomon Islands as part of the permanent rotating presence agreed to by Beijing and Honiara in 2022, Mr Albanese would not say whether Australia had an expectation that the Chinese forces would now pull out. “We have agreements with the Solomon Islands and part of that is making sure that Australia remains the security partner of choice,” he said. The Australian understands that while Canberra is concerned about the presence of Beijing in the Solomon Islands and throughout the Pacific, the government acknowledges the question of the enduring presence of Chinese police officers is a “sovereign decision” of Honiara.

>>22214343 Top Gun pilot to be extradited to US over claims he illegally trained foreign pilots - A former US marine pilot who became an Australian citizen nearly 13 years ago had been informed he will be extradited to the United States of America over claims he illegally trained Chinese pilots. Daniel Edmund Duggan, 55, has been in custody since October 2022 following a request from the US to extradite him for charges of conspiracy, arms trafficking and money laundering. American authorities allege he breached money laundering and arms export control laws while teaching foreign pilots at a flying academy in South Africa more than 12 years ago. The father-of-six is also accused of breaching US arms control laws by instructing pilots, including Chinese citizens, on how to land atop an aircraft carrier. The US authorities allege he was paid more than $110,000 for his expertise but he had not sought the government’s permission to undertake the role. Mr Duggan has consistently denied the allegations, which have not been tested in court. He and his family have fought for two years against attempts to extradite him to the US to face court over the allegations. On Friday, his wife and six children received a short letter informing them Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus had determined to surrender Mr Duggan to the US. In a short statement, Mr Dreyfus confirmed his decision, acknowledging the “public interest in the matter”. “I confirm that on 19 December 2024 I determined under section 22 of the Extradition Act 1988 (Cth) that Daniel Duggan should be extradited to the United States to face prosecution for the offences of which he is accused,” he said. “On 24 May 2024, Mr Duggan was found by a New South Wales Magistrate to be eligible for surrender to the United States. “Mr Duggan was given the opportunity to provide representations as to why he should not be surrendered to the United States. In arriving at my decision, I took into consideration all material in front of me.” Mr Duggan’s family were told he would be extradited sometime after December 30 and before February 17 next year.

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Australia / China Tensions - Part 19

>>22214384 Ex-US fighter pilot accused of training Chinese military to be extradited to the United States - A former US Marine accused of training Chinese military pilots will be extradited to face charges in the United States, Australia’s Attorney General confirmed Monday, dealing a blow to supporters who have mounted a public campaign for his freedom. Daniel Duggan, a naturalized Australian, was arrested in the state of New South Wales in 2022 based on a 2017 US grand jury indictment that accuses him of training Chinese military pilots in violation of a US arms embargo. Duggan denies the charges, claiming that US officials knew about his activities and that he was only training civilian pilots as China’s aviation sector boomed. Duggan has been in custody since his arrest in October 2022, just weeks after returning to his family in Australia from six years working in China. He was detained by Australian police acting on the request of US authorities. The 2017 indictment filed in the District of Columbia says that “as early as 2008,” Duggan received an email from the US State Department telling him he was required to register with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls and apply for permission to train a foreign air force. Instead, it claims he conspired with others - including the Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA) – to export defense services in violation of an arms embargo on China. In a statement to CNN in 2023, TFASA said it complies with the laws of every jurisdiction in which it operates. The statement said Duggan undertook one test-pilot contract for the company in South Africa between November and December 2012, and “never worked for TFASA on any of its training mandates in China.” Duggan moved to China in 2013 and renounced his US citizenship at the US embassy in Beijing in 2016, though it was backdated on a certificate to 2012 to reflect when he became an Australian citizen, according to his lawyers. In an 89-page submission filed to Dreyfus’ office in August, Duggan’s lawyers alleged the former US serviceman had become a political pawn during a time of heightened US-China tensions. It said that his case had been used to send a message to Western pilots that any dealings with China will not be tolerated by the US, or its allies.

>>22214410 Video: Wife condemns ‘inhumane’ extradition of former fighter pilot to US - A former US fighter pilot and Australian citizen accused of training Chinese fighter pilots will be extradited to the United States to face charges of arms trafficking and money laundering. Daniel Duggan was arrested in Australia in October 2022 at the request of the US after being accused of providing military training to Chinese pilots in South Africa between 2009 and 2012. His arrest came shortly after Australian authorities said they were investigating the practice of former military personnel being offered lucrative contracts to train pilots in China. In May, a Sydney court found that Duggan, 56, was eligible to be extradited to US, where he could face up to 60 years’ jail if found guilty. He has spent more than two years in detention in Australia, much of it in solitary confinement. Duggan has the option of appealing to the Federal Court against Dreyfus’ decision to approve the extradition. The father of six had made a last-ditch attempt to avoid prosecution in the US, sending an 89-page submission to Dreyfus outlining why the extradition should not go ahead. Saffrine Duggan, the pilot’s wife, said in a statement that she and the couple’s six children had been left devastated by the attorney-general’s decision. “We are shocked and absolutely heartbroken by this callous and inhumane decision which has been delivered just before Christmas with no explanation or justification from the government,” Saffrine said. “We feel abandoned by the Australian government and deeply disappointed that they have completely failed in their duty to protect an Australian family. We are now considering our options. It is very difficult to explain to the children why this is happening to their father, especially now, at this time of year. We are all terrified that we may not see him for a very long time. My children are very, very sad.” After serving for more than a decade in the US Marines, Duggan moved to Australia in 2005 and founded a flight school in Tasmania. He has been an Australian citizen for nearly 13 years but is due to be extradited by February.

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

>>21768314 Video: The Sydney airport arrest that unravelled a global crime ring and caught a ‘demon’ - The arrest of an Australian man at Sydney Airport has led to the unravelling of a global child abuse ring and the capture of its alleged leader, dubbed the “demon”. Queensland father Gary Richmond-Jones was jailed for two years in August for the planned abuse of a 12-year-old girl while on holiday in the Philippines with his wife and children. In a July investigation into Australia’s contribution to the insidious online child abuse trade, of which the Philippines is the epicentre, the Herald reported that a stranger had contacted Richmond-Jones on X advertising child abuse material and leaving a number. While in Manila with his family in 2022, the former car salesman from Mackay downloaded the encrypted messaging app Telegram to contact that person. He said he was interested in “real” underage Filipino girls, “took his pick” from sexual photos of several children and asked “what price” for a range of “services” which equated to various forms of sexual abuse. After organising a meeting spot, he decided not to go through with the abuse and stopped responding to the stranger. He later told a Sydney court he had an eleventh-hour realisation that “child abuse is never okay”. But his incriminating conversations, including the child abuse material, remained on his phone and were discovered by Border Force officials upon his return to Australia. The Australian Federal Police arrested him, sparking a Philippine National Police (PNP) investigation that discovered the alleged puppet master of the international paedophile syndicate, which sold child abuse videos to foreigners for as little as $13. Authorities say that man was Teddy Jay Mojeca Mejia, a Filipino fugitive who’d been hiding in Dubai since 2021. Thanks to the AFP’s arrest of Richmond-Jones and the intelligence it passed on to the PNP, Mejia was last month extradited to Manila and charged with offences relating to the alleged abuse of 111 children. The 32-year-old is accused of luring vulnerable children aged between nine and 11 into making sexual videos, which he sold online to at least 19 people from countries including Australia.

>>21781110 Alleged sex-cult leader James-Robert Davis jailed over domestic violence offences against woman he 'enslaved' - A New South Wales man accused of running a sex cult where women were allegedly kept as slaves has been sentenced to 25 months imprisonment for assaulting a former partner and another woman. James-Robert Davis appeared via audio-visual link in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday after last month being found guilty of seven offences, including assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Davis was arrested in March 2021 after a Four Corners investigation in which multiple women told the ABC that Davis had sexually or physically abused them. In sentencing remarks, Magistrate Clare Farnan described Davis's course of conduct as "a serious type of domestic violence because the offending had become normalised within a relationship". In 2021, Felicity Bourke told Four Corners she was subjected to months of psychological manipulation, coercive control and repeated physical and sexual violence perpetrated by her former partner, James-Robert Davis. Felicity described how she was told to sign a contract that would make her a "slave", was forced to wear a collar, and was tattooed with a number as part of what was pitched to her as a form of sexual role-play known as BDSM. At the time, Davis claimed that activity was consensual. In court, Magistrate Farnan found that the situation was properly characterised as one of domestic violence and the actions of Davis constituted a serious breach of the trust involved in this relationship. The court accepted that one count of assault involved Davis slapping Felicity so hard that it resulted in a burst eardrum. Another count of common assault involved Davis caning Felicity so hard that it left welts, which he claimed was consensual. The magistrate said that due to the nature of the relationship, it was difficult for Felicity to decline to consent to that type of activity. Davis's actions towards Felicity were "particularly concerning" because the power imbalance in the relationship "left [her] with little recourse", the magistrate added.

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

>>21793516 Grant Harden: Pedophile soccer coach who abused seven boys has sentence reduced - A vile pedophile and volunteer soccer coach who sexually abused seven boys has had six months shaved off his lengthy prison sentence, with a court hearing he had been attacked in jail forcing authorities to move him to another prison. Grant Harden, of St Clair in western Sydney, was jailed after he filmed his sexual abuse of seven children and shared the videos online with a pedophile ring. Harden’s offences were described as “extreme” and the sick child abuse material he produced as being “of a most shocking kind” after he subjected his victims, who were as young as four, to horrific abuse. He was arrested in May 2020 as part of the AFP’s sweeping sting on a pedophile network before he was ultimately handed a crushing 30-year jail sentence. His non-parole period was set at 22 years and told he would not be eligible for release until May 2042 when he would be 51. However, this year, he launched an appeal, in part claiming his sentence was “manifestly excessive”. The Court of Criminal Appeal - comprising Justices Natalie Adams, Ian Harrison, Peter Hamill – dismissed two of the three grounds on which he appealed. “The possession and distribution of images of sexual abuse, torture and humiliation of very young children, including toddlers and babies constitutes serious offending,” Justice Adams said in a judgment published on Friday. They did find that his sentence was the subject of error because District Court Judge Sarah Huggett was given incorrect details by the prosecution about the maximum penalty for the child abuse material offences. The mistake at the time was not picked up by Harden’s lawyers either. In June 2020, the law was changed, increasing the maximum penalty for the offence of transmitting child abuse material using a carriage service from 25 years to 30 years. However some of Harden’s offending pre-dated the legislation being amended. His total sentence was reduced down to 29 and a half years, with a 21-year, six-month non-parole period meaning he’ll remain in jail until at least November 7, 2041.

>>21793646 Video: Vindication for victims as paedophile counsellor Allan Keith Huggins jailed for at least 20 years - When one of serial paedophile Allan Keith Huggins' victims first reported the abuse, police did not believe him. The then-teenager instead received a beating from his father for potentially ruining someone's career. Years later that victim, Garry Faint, described the experience as a "nightmare", saying his parents died without knowing the truth about Huggins. "They believed him over me," Faint said. Huggins today learned he would likely die in prison for sexually abusing multiple boys during the 1970s and '80s. The abusive former counsellor received a minimum 20-year jail term, backdated to 2020, making him first eligible for release in 2040, when he would be 92 years old. He was found guilty in August on 36 counts of molesting 10 young male patients in Armidale, in northern NSW, between 1977 and 1986. As the emotionless 77-year-old was led from the Sydney courtroom, his many victims and their supporters let out cheers and jabs of abuse. "Hope you rot now you bastard," one said. Another victim of Huggins' abuse, Phil Wright, said the outcome was better than many had expected and marked the end of a long journey after the crimes were first reported to police more than four decades ago. "It feels like an amazing vindication," he said. Both Wright and Faint reported the abuse to adults, including members of the Catholic church, but were either not believed or ignored, Judge Penelope Hock noted during sentencing. Faint went to police after fleeing an assault by Huggins, but was instead driven home by the officers to be dealt with by his parents. The officers had a brief conversation with his father, who later gave him "the biggest hiding of (his) life", leaving him with injuries including broken ribs. Before the beating, the court was told his father said: "You f-cking little bastard, you're going to wreck someone's career." "The police did not take any action," Judge Hock said. "This was no doubt in part because of the offender's respected position in the community."

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

>>21798551 How a ‘monster’ allegedly used popular gaming platform for sadistic sextortion plot - A “monster” who used popular gaming and social media platforms to groom a child into committing “sadistic” violent and sexual acts is part of a growing trend, NSW Police allege. Police will allege NSW man Jake Vandermeel connected with a “vulnerable child” on a social media platform in August 2023, and continued to converse with the girl on multiple platforms for nine months. The 28-year-old would play online games with the girl, aged 15, for up to six hours a day at times and would convince the child to commit sexual acts and self-harm for his own gratification. Police allege Vandermeel threatened the girl with rape, abduction and murder if she didn’t comply with his requests.The girl eventually reached out for help through Kids Helpline, who helped her report the alleged abuse to her family and police. Vandermeel was arrested on Wednesday at Safety Beach, around 30 kilometres north of Coffs Harbour, and charged with multiple child sex abuse offences, including using a device to engage in sexual activity with a child, to groom a child under 16 years old for sex and to cause a child to commit a sexual act. Vandermeel is allegedly part of a growing trend of “sadistic sexploitation”, a deviation of typical sextortion cases where instead of grooming the child for financial gain, the victims are being used for the offender’s own personal gratification. Sex crimes squad commander Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty described the alleged offending as “the most horrendous acts that anyone can perform against a child”. “For investigators to sit and read almost nine months of conversations where this man is manipulating and coercing this child to commit violent acts against themselves, filming them for him. It breaks your soul a little bit,” she said. “Yesterday, we arrested a monster.”

>>21803688 West Australian paedophile Dennis McKenna denied parole - One of Australia's most prolific child sex offenders has been denied an early release on parole. Dennis John McKenna, 79, abused dozens of boys from 1977 to 1990 at a student's boarding lodge in the West Australian town of Katanning. The Prisoners Review Board on Monday declined his bid for parole - two years ahead of his prison term ending. The board has said it would not make the reasons for the refusal of parole public for the best interests of McKenna's victims. Survivor Todd Jefferis praised the decision to reject parole. Mr Jefferis said McKenna should never be released, let alone allowed out on parole early, because of the severity of his crimes. "They were the most heinous crimes you can imagine committed against children," Mr Jefferis said. Mr Jefferis said he wrote a response to the board urging its decision makers not to release McKenna early. "We put in our submissions, and we campaigned pretty hard," he said. "Sometimes these people get it wrong … in this case, they've got it right, they've got it very right." McKenna's abuse sparked a state inquiry in 2012 which suggested more than 20 community figures ignored complaints or failed to act. His brother, Neil McKenna, was the senior supervisor from 1985-1990. He was found guilty in 2012 of three offences against a female student. The WA government announced in August that the hostel he managed, now called Katanning Residential College, would be demolished.

>>21906253 Sydney and Melbourne airports to tackle human trafficking and modern slavery in new campaign - Major Australian airports have banded together to target human trafficking as reports of modern slavery increase by more than 10 per cent. Sydney and Melbourne airports will now display images and messages about human trafficking on digital screens and billboards, encouraging people to report suspicious behaviour. Pairing with anti-human trafficking organisation A21, the “Can You See Me?” campaign will educate people on the signs of human trafficking. Signs at airports can include people avoiding eye contact and social interaction, not being in control of their own passport or documentation, acting unusually submissively, being unaware of their destination, having a language barrier with travelling companions, and wearing clothing that’s not appropriate. Melbourne Airport chief executive officer Lorie Argus said the partnership “goes beyond just airports - it’s about people’s lives”. “By joining forces with Sydney Airport, the AFP and A21, we’re taking a stand against modern slavery, a hidden crime that destroys people’s futures,” Ms Argus said. “Knowing that human trafficking is a real and daily threat, we feel a deep responsibility to protect our passengers.”

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Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 4

>>21906418 Video: Australia’s largest airports join forces in the fight against human trafficking - In an Australian first, Sydney Airport and Melbourne Airport have joined forces to launch a public awareness campaign to fight human trafficking. The country’s two largest international airports have partnered with anti-human trafficking organisation, A21, to run the “Can You See Me?” campaign, with guidance and input from the Australian Federal Police (AFP). This initiative will educate people on how to recognise and report the signs of human trafficking. From today, digital screens and billboards at both airports will display images and messages, stating that slavery still exists and urging people: “If you suspect it, report it.” QR codes also link to videos and information on how to identify and stop these crimes. Digital screens in key areas will display these messages, including check-in counters, gates and baggage carousels. Combined, Sydney and Melbourne airports cater for 68 per cent of Australia’s total international passenger traffic. While the “Can You See Me?” campaign runs over the next month, close to 7 million passengers are expected to pass through both the domestic and international terminals at the two airports. A21 has rolled out this program in high-profile spaces worldwide - from Times Square billboards, screens at Heathrow Airport, train stations in Thailand to inflatable screens in vulnerable Cambodian communities—reaching an impressive 3.4 billion people globally. Modern slavery is a growing issue in Australia, with the AFP receiving 382 reports in 2023/2024 financial year, a 12 per cent increase on the previous year. Cases include trafficking, forced marriage, sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, debt bondage, forced labour, deceptive recruitment and organ trafficking. The Global Slavery Index estimates 41,000 people in Australia live under conditions of modern slavery.

>>21949211 Video: Dozens of ex-staff at elite private school accused of historical sexual, physical abuse - More than two dozen former Carey Baptist Grammar School staff have been accused of molesting students on campus, at camps and in teachers’ cars over three decades. The Age early this year revealed that three survivors of alleged abuse had come forward with historical claims against three male teachers at the co-educational private school in Melbourne’s east. Now more than 30 people have come forward alleging physical and sexual abuse at the school from the 1960s to the 1990s, according to law firm Judy Courtin Legal. The firm confirmed 32 ex-pupils had contacted it about alleged abuse at the school, accusing 26 staff members – but not all have decided to take action. The alleged abuse took place at the school, in teachers’ cars, on school-run camps and during “unsupervised tutoring” both on and off premises, according to complaints. The firm is representing four former pupils who claim they were subjected to sexual abuse, grooming or serious physical assaults by former Carey staff. It said it was also in contact with two others considering taking action. One legal proceeding filed this year involves one teacher and another male associated with the school and is expected to go to trial in August 2025, according to the firm. An ex-student who is suing the school said the legal process added to the pain and trauma of survivors. “Sadly, this protracted legal process only adds to the pain and trauma caused, not only by the actual abuse but also now through the legal process by the institution that let us down so gravely in the first place,” she told The Age.

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>>21974814 Pedophile priest Bryan Coffey:‘Free pass for sexually abusive clerics’: Catholic Church not liable, High Court rules- A Catholic diocese in regional Victoria has been found not liable for the historical sexual abuse of a young boy by one of its priests, in a landmark decision that casts doubts over thousands of legal cases against religious orders nationwide. The High Court on Wednesday overturned on appeal a previous ruling by Victoria’s Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal that had found the Ballarat diocese was legally responsible for the misconduct of its former priest, Father Bryan Coffey. The relevant legislation did not provide a basis for imposing vicarious liability on the church because the priest could not be legally considered as an employee, the High Court found. The matter has already come to the attention of attorneys-general at state and federal levels, with the High Court conceding that “reformulation of the law of vicarious liability is properly the province of the legislature,” according to the judgment. The diocese and its current bishop, Paul Bird, were sued in the Supreme Court of Victoria by a man who said he was sexually assaulted by Coffey at his parents’ home in Port Fairy in 1971. The man, known in court documents as DP, was five years old at the time of the abuse. Coffey, who is now deceased, received a three-year suspended sentence in 1999 after being convicted of charges including false imprisonment and the indecent assaults of males and females under 16.

>>21974828 Pedophile priest Bryan Coffey:‘High Court limits church liability for child abuse- Australia’s highest court has freed the Catholic Church of liability over some cases of child sexual abuse by priests, potentially destroying claims by victim-survivors. The High Court on Wednesday overturned on appeal a previous ruling by Victoria’s Supreme Court that the diocese of Ballarat was vicariously liable. It found the relevant legislation did not provide a basis for imposing such responsibility because the priest was not a direct employee of the church. The diocese and its current bishop, Paul Bird, were sued by a man who said he was sexually assaulted by Father Bryan Coffey at his parents’ home in Port Fairy in 1971 when he was five years old. Coffey, who is now dead, received a three-year suspended sentence in 1999 after being convicted of charges including indecent assaults of males and females under 16 and false imprisonment. The man, known as DP in court documents, didn’t tell anyone except for his partner about the assault until 2018. DP made a claim for more than $1.5 million for loss of earnings as a result of the assaults, a figure described by Justice Jack Forrest in a December 2021 decision as “bold”. Justice Forrest ultimately found the church had vicarious liability because of the close relationship between the then-bishop, diocese and community, ordering DP receive $200,000 in damages for pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment of life, $10,000 for medical expenses and $20,000 in other damages. The principal issue in the High Court appeal was whether the diocese could be held vicariously liable for abuse committed by Coffey, despite the priest not being formally employed by the diocese. That form of liability is usually reserved for employers responsible for the wrongful or negligent actions of their employees, regardless of whether the organisation was at fault. The Victorian courts had extended that to the church, finding Coffey was still a “servant of the diocese” and through the role had the “power and intimacy” to abuse children. But Wednesday’s decision ruled the lower courts had overreached. The High Court said it has repeatedly refused to extend the boundaries of vicarious liability to include independent contractors. “Expanding the doctrine to accommodate relationships that are ‘akin to employment’ would produce uncertainty and indeterminacy,” the judgment summary read. “As the priest was not an employee, there could be no finding of vicarious liability on the part of the diocese.”

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>>22002030 Gillard urges states to act after ‘deeply concerning’ ruling that Catholic Church is not liable in abuse case - Former prime minister Julia Gillard has called on Australia’s attorneys-general to urgently consider how to deliver justice to survivors of child abuse after the High Court ruled that a Catholic diocese was not liable for the historical sexual abuse of a young boy in Victoria. Gillard, who in 2012 established the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, said she was “deeply concerned” about the High Court ruling. The royal commission - widely considered among the most important decisions of Gillard’s period as prime minister from 2010 to 2013 – lifted the lid on decades of child sexual abuse that had occurred in Australian institutions. But the High Court sent shockwaves through advocates for survivors last week when it overturned on appeal a previous ruling by Victoria’s Supreme Court and its Court of Appeal that had found the Catholic Church’s Ballarat diocese was legally responsible for the misconduct of its former priest Father Bryan Coffey. On Wednesday, the High Court found that the relevant legislation did not provide a basis for imposing vicarious liability on the church because the priest could not be legally considered an employee. The diocese and its current bishop, Paul Bird, were sued in the Supreme Court of Victoria by a man who said he was sexually assaulted by Coffey at his parents’ home in Port Fairy in 1971. The man, known in court documents as DP, was five years old at the time of the abuse. Coffey, who is now deceased, received a three-year suspended sentence in 1999 after being convicted of charges including false imprisonment and the indecent assaults of males and females under 16. Last week legal experts warned that the landmark decision could cast doubt over thousands of legal cases against religious orders nationwide. Other common law jurisdictions, including Britain, Canada and Ireland, have developed the principle of vicarious liability to apply to religious orders. Gillard, contacted by this masthead for comment, made it clear yesterday that she was taken aback by the High Court’s decision. “I am deeply concerned about the implications of this High Court ruling, and I believe attorneys-general must urgently consider how best to ensure survivors can attain justice,” she said.

>>22008499 Video:Veteran broadcaster Alan Jones charged over indecent assault allegations- Veteran broadcaster Alan Jones has been charged for indecent assault and touching offences spanning more than two decades. NSW Police charged the former 2GB radio host with 24 offences against eight victims, after arresting him at his luxury Circular Quay apartment around 7.45am on Monday morning. Jones has been granted conditional bail, and will appear in the Downing Centre local court on December 18. The charges included 11 counts of aggravated indecent assault (victim under authority of offender), nine counts of assault with act of indecency, two counts of sexually touching another person without consent and two counts of common assault. Assistant commissioner in charge of state crimes Michael Fitzgerald revealed in a press conference the youngest of Jones’ alleged victims was 17 years old. “I wish to commend the victims and their bravery in coming forward,” he said. “They fully are aware, as are the investigators, that the hard work is just beginning, and they have given their statements fully aware that they will go before the courts.” Fitzgerald said police believe more people will come forward with allegations against Jones. “The strike force will continue, and (officers are) currently talking to people and will continue to talk to people,” he said. Police granted Jones bail under the strict conditions that he surrender his passport and not enter any airport. He is required to remain living in Sydney, and is not allowed to contact any complainant or witness in relation to the ongoing police investigation. He is also not permitted to disclose the identities of alleged victims to the media or any third party, except for his lawyers. Fitzgerald said police will allege Jones knew some of the alleged victims personally and some professionally.

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>>22008509 Video:Alan Jones charged with 24 offences against eight victims over two decades- Alan Jones has been charged with 24 offences against eight alleged victims spanning two decades after a lengthy police investigation into allegations of indecent assault and sexual touching. The broadcaster and former Wallabies coach was arrested at his luxury Circular Quay apartment at 7.45am on Monday over allegations he indecently assaulted, groped or inappropriately touched multiple young men. Jones was driven in an unmarked police car to Day Street police station, where he re-emerged hours later after being granted bail. Jones has been charged with 11 counts of aggravated indecent assault, nine counts of assault with an act of indecency, two counts of sexually touching another person without their consent and two counts of common assault. Police said Jones knew some of his alleged victims personally, some professionally, and in some circumstances the alleged abuse took place the first time they met Jones. The youngest of the alleged victims was aged 17 at the time of the alleged offences. At 5.10pm, a frail-looking Jones, flanked by his lawyers, was met by a waiting media pack as he left custody. Wearing a green tracksuit and matching shoes and using a walking stick, Jones did not answer reporters’ questions as he was ushered to a waiting car. His lawyer, Chris Murphy, told reporters Jones “denies any misconduct”. “Nothing has been tested. Nothing has been proven. Alan Jones will assert his innocence appropriately in the courtroom,” Murphy said. Jones was granted bail with restrictions on his travel and contact with alleged victims. He will face Downing Centre Local Court on December 18. For the past nine months, detectives from Strike Force Bonnefin, run by the State Crime Command’s Child Abuse Squad, have been conducting a top-secret investigation into Jones. The strike force was formed after a lengthy investigation by the Herald and The Age, which revealed in December that Jones had used his position of power, first as a teacher and later as the country’s top-rating radio broadcaster, to allegedly prey on a number of young men.

>>22008519 How Alan Jones rose to power grilling the most powerful - Who is Alan Jones? Over 35 years, Alan Jones established his position as Australia’s most influential radio host, quizzing eight prime ministers and 11 NSW premiers and dominating Sydney’s airwaves with 226 consecutive rating wins. He regularly courted controversy, clashed with politicians and wielded great power. On Monday Jones was arrested over allegations that he indecently assaulted, groped or inappropriately touched multiple young men. After a nine-month investigation by Strike Force Bonnefin, detectives swooped to arrest Jones at his Circular Quay home. The strike force was formed following a lengthy investigation by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, which revealed in December that the 83-year-old had used his position of power over an almost 60-year period to allegedly prey on a number of young men.

>>22022612 Video: Police investigate alleged abuse of boys inside South Australia’s notorious Magill Training Centre - A top-secret police investigation has been launched into alleged historical abuse against children inside South Australia’s most notorious youth prison. One alleged victim, who was held in the Magill Training Centre in the ‘90s when he was 10 years old, spoke to 7NEWS about his experience. Only now, decades later, does he feel strong enough to share his story. “They put the fear of God into us kids that were in there, so that we didn’t come forward,” he said. “We were too scared.” The boy was locked up with his alleged abusers and recalls being dragged from his cell in the middle of the night, bashed and repeatedly raped. “In my case it was three separate staff members, and it was more like a weekly thing or a couple of times a week,” he said. Dozens of former prisoners allegedly fell victim, with many now demanding compensation from the government. Andrew Carpenter from Websters Lawyers is representing at least six. “They all operated in code names, which goes to show what kind of paedophile ring was working there. They shut this centre down and then nothing,” Carpenter said. “Many people are coming forward from different decades explaining the same instances. I don’t think we’ve hit the tip of the iceberg.”

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Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 8

>>22064768 WA government rejects host of recommendations resulting from inquiry into institutional child abuse - Survivors of institutional child sexual abuse have been left disappointed after the WA government rejected a host of recommendations resulting from an inquiry aimed at improving support available to them, including allowing the names of known child abusers to be published prominently on church websites. Just 11 recommendations out of 33 made by a parliamentary committee were accepted by the government or accepted in principle, while 14 are under further examination, and eight were not accepted. Two recommendations were rejected relating to the contentious issue of permanent stays - where a court halts child abuse proceedings when it considers there is no possibility of a fair trial, due to the passage of time, deterioration of evidence, or death of the accused. The committee wanted applications for permanent stays in such cases only to be allowed after the end of the trial on the matter, and had also sought a reconsideration of any permanent stays granted against child sexual abuse claims prior to that judgement. But the government did not agree, suggesting this "would result in a court hearing a trial that was necessarily unfair or an abuse of process and could be constitutionally invalid." Terry Martino, an advocate from the group Survivors of Child Abuse (SOCA), lashed out at both the government’s response, and the fact his group only found out about the tabling of the report after a call from ABC News. "Survivors bared their souls at the inquiry, they shared the most intimate details of their abuse and the impact it's had on their lives," he said. "To find out that information was then used to form a report, that was then in large part, in many cases rejected by the government, it's actually quite cruel. It's appalling conduct. The report opens with the government stating that they acknowledge the strength of survivors. These are meaningless words that infuriate survivors."

>>22069752 ‘We invited him into our home’: parents and victims of Queensland paedophile Ashley Griffith decry ‘horrific abuse’ - Parents and victims who were raped and abused by former childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith have told a Queensland court about the “unimaginable pain” his crimes have caused. Griffith is being sentenced in the Queensland district court after pleading guilty to committing 307 sexual offences against dozens of children under his care in Brisbane and Italy between 2007 and 2022. Most of the victims are girls who were aged between three and five at the time. The court was told that Griffith “lacked empathy for his victims” and had attempted to justify his actions. He sat impassively in the dock, often wringing his hands, as victims and their parents spoke about the impact of his actions. A young woman, who was abused by Griffith on more than 50 separate occasions when she was three and four years old, told the court she grew up exhibiting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. She began self-harming at 12 years old and had panic attacks at school. “I will never know what my life could have been like,” the woman said. “I can never know what it would have been to grow up unafraid of people. He recorded himself abusing me and put recordings of me on the dark web. His actions have profoundly impacted my life. I have missed out on a normal childhood.” The woman’s mother said, as a five-year-old, the girl had withdrawn from speaking to adults. “She didn’t have the vocabulary to tell us why she was scared of adults. She just knew they were people to be feared. How were we to know the greatest danger to our child was the one entrusted with her care? How do you tell your child, who is also at crisis point, that you’ve been the victim of sexual abuse?”

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Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 9

>>22069791 Video: Victims of daycare paedophile Ashley Paul Griffith share impact statements as sentencing begins in Brisbane - A woman whose daughter was taught by Ashley Paul Griffith has described the emotional and psychological impact on her family after inviting him into her home for Sunday dinners, birthday parties and to play football with her teenage sons. Ashley Paul Griffith is being sentenced in the District Court in Brisbane after pleading guilty to 307 charges against 69 children at early learning centres in Brisbane and Italy. All victims were females aged between two and seven. The offences, which include rape, repeated sexual conduct with a child and producing child abuse material outside of Australia, happened between 2003 and 2022. The court heard the offending occurred while the children were awake, sometimes when they were distracted by devices that he provided them, and also when they were asleep. The mother of one of the victims, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, told the court how she first gave her child's kindergarten teacher a lift when she saw him walking by himself to a bus stop. "This friendship spilled over to the rest of our family and other parts of our lives," she said. The court heard the 46-year-old man became part of her family, and even attended her daughter's birthday party where he did face-painting for the guests. In her victim impact statement, the woman described how the betrayal has had an emotional and psychological impact on everyone in her family. "Our oldest son has lost trust in humanity. When we broke the news to him, his response was 'That is it, no one is allowed to come into our house anymore'." "You thought you were being Christ-like, but you literally invited the devil into our home."

>>22073254 Video: Woman who was charged after reporting Australia's worst paedophile faces court - Yolanda Borucki was the whistleblower who revealed the missed opportunities to arrest Ashley Paul Griffith sooner and today was her chance to try to clear her name in court.

>>22079573 Life Sentence:Notorious daycare paedophile Ashley Paul Griffith sentenced to life in prison for abusing children in Australia and Italy- One of Australia's most notorious paedophiles has been sentenced to life in prison after confessing to raping and abusing scores of children in daycare centres in Australia and overseas. Former childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith pleaded guilty in September to more than 300 charges against 69 children in early learning centres in Brisbane and Italy over almost two decades. Griffith will have a non-parole period of 27 years, with Judge Paul Smith describing his offending as "depraved". He won't be eligible to apply until 2049. He appeared emotionless as he fronted the Brisbane District Court on Friday for the second day of sentencing. Judge Smith found "significant harm" had been caused by Griffith, "and significant harm will continue to be caused". He said Griffith's "risk of re-offending would be high" if he was released into the community. "This was very serious, offending in terms of length and scale. The victims were very vulnerable, and there was a significant breach of trust," Judge Smith said. "People expect their children will be protected in childcare centres." Judge Smith said the case warranted the maximum penalty due to the length of the offences, the number of victims, their age and vulnerability, the planning involved, and the fact that he uploaded the abuse online. Several people screamed at Griffith in the courtroom as his sentencing wrapped up.

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>>22079613 Australia’s worst pedophile sentenced to life in prison - A leading child safety advocate has questioned why Australia’s worst pedophile, childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith, was not given an indefinite life sentence after being found guilty of abusing 69 little girls. Griffith, 46, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 27 years on Friday, more than two years after he was arrested for crimes that spanned two decades across Queensland, NSW and Pisa, Italy. Griffith’s earliest release date is August 20, 2049. He will be 71. But advocate Hetty Johnston said that while she was grateful for the conviction, a more severe sentence was warranted. “It’s beyond my comprehension why he didn’t get an indefinite sentence, a life indefinite sentence, because he will always and forever be dangerous,” Ms Johnston said. In September, Griffith pleaded guilty to 307 offences against 65 girls in Queensland and a further four girls overseas. Most of his victims were aged between three and five, but the youngest was believed to be just one, and the oldest seven or nine. In the Brisbane District Court, Judge Paul Smith set the non-parole period beyond the usual 15 years to 27 years. He said the seriousness and gravity of the charges warranted the maximum penalty. Under Queensland’s Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders) Act, introduced in 2003 after being championed by Ms Johnston, judges can order offenders who have a high risk of reoffending to remain behind bars. “Like all legislation that’s in the view of some as too harsh, judges don’t like to give that sentence,” she said. “It’s defeating the intention of the legislation and the more it happens, the more precedence is on the books and it just gets dumbed down.”

>>22079621 Video: How Australia’s worst pedophile, Ashley Paul Griffith, exploited a broken system - Shocking failures to prevent and detect the sexual abuse of children in daycare centres have been revealed in court as the nation’s worst pedophile, Ashley Paul Griffith, was sentenced to life imprisonment. Griffith was able to abuse children at will as he repeatedly moved from one childcare centre to the next, despite concerns about his conduct and repeated workplace problems dating back two decades. He was free to regularly isolate girls and to brazenly abuse them while recording with multiple cameras including one set up on a tripod, the court was told. Sentencing remarks in Brisbane’s District Court on Friday painted a picture of an abject failure of child protection measures and a litany of missed opportunities to stop Griffith. No little girl was safe from the predator, who abused his victims when they were awake or asleep or in front of other children. Most of his victims were aged between three and five, but the youngest may have been just one. Griffith told police he had a sexual interest in older girls too but targeted those he thought were easier prey. Heart-wrenching victim impact statements from parents brought home the immense damage inflicted since. As devastated parents worry about the potential long-term impacts, some are tormented over whether to tell their daughters about the abuse when they appear to have no recollection of it. Griffith, 46, will have to serve at least 27 years’ jail before becoming eligible for parole. Prosecutors asked for a minimum of at least 30 years, but Judge Paul Smith took into account Griffith’s guilty pleas and assistance he offered police. There were 65 victims in Queensland and four in Italy, some abused over many months. Griffith now faces extradition to NSW to face justice for allegedly abusing dozens more girls at a single childcare centre in Sydney.

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Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 11

>>22079659 Video: Childcare inquiry urged after 'depraved, violent' rapist jailed for life - The parents of girls raped by one of Australia's worst pedophiles want an investigation into how childcare centres "betrayed" them by not detecting his depravity for almost two decades. Ashley Paul Griffith, 46, has been sentenced to life imprisonment over hundreds of sex offences against almost 70 girls while working in Queensland's childcare industry. He pleaded guilty to 28 counts of rape against girls primarily aged three to five at childcare centres in the state between 2007 and 2022. Brisbane District Court Judge Paul Smith imposed a non-parole period of 27 years on Friday, saying Griffith was "depraved and has a high risk of reoffending". "People expect their children will be protected in childcare centres and this will be a concern to every parent in this state," he said. Dozens of parents of victims and some of the victims themselves, now young adults, were in court for the sentencing. Some parents yelled obscenities at Griffith as he was taken back into custody, telling him to "burn in hell". Outside court, one mother welcomed the sentence, but felt anger at Griffith and the childcare centres which employed him. "We feel we have had some justice," she said. "When she is older I will be able to tell her (Griffith) got put into prison for life because of the actions of incredible Australian Federal Police agents." A father who spoke outside court thanked prosecutors and called for an investigation into the childcare centres. "There are businesses, staff and regulators who ignored the signs. They didn't follow through on reports and failed to supervise our children," he said. "We hope the department of education thoroughly investigates these centres."

>>22079670 Australia's worst pedophile:How Ashley Paul Griffith was caught as a pedophile on the dark web- Deep in the putrid bowels of a dark web society of pedophiles, where monsters relish in each other’s depravity, a user named Zimble posted a “how to” guide on molesting little girls. “Without knowing specifics about the child’s personality, is she shy or super affectionate?” he wrote. “My first priority would be to try to get her sitting on my lap. This can be very easy with some children.” He went on to describe in detail the incremental nature of his techniques, giving advice to other predators on what had worked in his “experiences”. It was 2014 and “Zimble”, one of the 45,000 members of a global online pedophile network called The Love Zone (or TLZ), had uploaded a catalogue of his perverse activities. Six little girls had been filmed and photographed by Zimble as he molested them. He uploaded ten videos and 46 photographs of his crimes against them and wrote to the site’s VIP area, asking to be considered for approval. Impressed, they gave it to him. Zimble didn’t know it, but his days rejoicing among his own kind were numbered. Lurking inside TLZ were investigators from the Queensland Police Service. They had infiltrated the site and from within, went straight to the top. The CEO of this cesspit was a predator named Skee. On June 10, 2014, they tracked him down to a suburban home in Adelaide. His name was Shannon McCoole - a 32-year-old child and youth worker who’d been abusing the foster children he’d been paid to protect. His arrest would spark a Royal Commission, but not before police walked into his house, opened his laptop and took over his account. They posed as him for months as they collected information and data, doing their best to arm themselves with what they’d need to track down predators and rescue their victims. When news of McCoole’s arrest and the take-down of TLZ became public, Zimble, like many of his cockroach-like friends, panicked. He cleared his hard drive and left his job in Pisa, Italy, where he’d been abusing more children, and fled to his home country: Australia. For years, Zimble and the little girls he’d filmed remained unidentified. But the images had given up enough clues to indicate they were in Australia. Clothing worn by the children was sold by major Australian retail chains. Chillingly, other items in the room suggested they were being molested within the walls of a childcare centre. Then, in August 2022, an investigator from the Australian Federal Police victim identification team watching one of the videos noticed something. A brand name on a blanket. A little digging determined it was a brand of blanket sometimes used in childcare centres. A little more digging gave them the names of those childcare centres who had purchased them. And more digging still would lead them to childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith.

#38 - Part 140

Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 12

>>22079717 Video: AFP Statement on the sentencing of a Gold Coast Childcare worker for rape and sexual assaults - "The AFP recognises that today is a deeply traumatic day for so many people whose lives have been permanently affected by the crimes of one man. As always, our thoughts are with the families and victims and we will continue to offer support to each and every one of them. The bravery of the victims and their families has humbled our investigators and we know any jail sentence will not be enough for those whose trust was breached in such an horrific manner. The AFP acknowledges the painstaking work done by so many of our skilled investigators and specialists that led to the offender being arrested, charged and jailed so he can no longer hurt children. This is a job nobody wishes we had to do, but unfortunately there are too many predators who prey on our children. About 50 AFP members have worked on this case since 2014 and I want to pay tribute to each one including our victim identification specialists and the Queensland Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team. We also thank our partners in the Queensland Police Service, New South Wales Police Force, Department of Home Affairs and our global law enforcement partners, who we have collaborated with since 2014, to bring this man to justice. As always, our thoughts remain with the victims and their families." - Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Justine Gough, 29 November 2024

>>22079717 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 - https://qanon.pub/#1735

>>22093221 Survivors of paedophiles working at Launceston General Hospital receive $7.85 million compensation after state settles claim - Survivors of alleged historical child sexual abuse at a Tasmanian hospital have received a combined $7.85 million settlement, with one claimant saying that while no money could remedy the abuse, it was "life-changing". Law firm Arnold Thomas and Becker has resolved five claims against the State of Tasmania or the Tasmanian Health Service, averaging over $1.5 million per claim. Another two in-principle settlements have also been reached, with another 20 claims underway. The claims allege abuse by former paediatric nurse James "Jim" Geoffrey Griffin and another nurse at the Launceston General Hospital (LGH) with some extending to other settings. Principal lawyer Kelly Schober said the health service and the hospital should have done more to protect the children while they were inpatients and had failed to provide a safe place. "As part of that, we say [they] knew, or ought to have known, that children at the hospital might be at risk of physical and sexual abuse, particularly by Griffin," she said. "We say, the hospital, they had received red flags for nearly 20 years in relation to various concerns of … grooming, sexual abuse or inappropriate conduct, and these were effectively ignored by the health system and also staff." Griffin worked as a paediatric nurse at the LGH between 2009 and 2019. He was charged with multiple child sex offences in October 2019, but died by suicide before the allegations could be tested in court. The revelations against him were one of the reasons the recent Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government's Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings was established, and the LGH was one of the key institutions probed into.

#38 - Part 141

Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 13

>>22104670 Explosive new documents reveal details of charges against Alan Jones - Former broadcaster Alan Jones is alleged to have fondled penises, stroked thighs, squeezed bottoms and pulled one man’s scrotum, according to explosive court documents obtained by this masthead. The charge sheets reveal details of the 26 allegations against Jones relating to nine complainants. The alleged offending took place between June 2001 and December 2019 and allegedly occurred at Jones’ former home in Newtown, his harbourside apartment, his farm at Fitzroy Falls in the Southern Highlands and other places across Sydney. Jones, who also coached the Wallabies, was arrested at his luxury Circular Quay home at 7.45am on November 18 and released on conditional bail that afternoon. The 83-year-old is charged with 11 counts of aggravated indecent assault, 11 counts of assault with act of indecency, two counts of sexually touching another person without consent and two counts of common assault. The identities of his alleged victims have been suppressed. The nine complainants are understood not to know each other. In the documents, filed to the court and obtained by this masthead on Tuesday, police claim the indecent acts included kissing on the lips, the corner of the mouth and “using his tongue”. Regarding three of the men, Jones is alleged to have touched, “fondled” or “rubbed” their penis. On one occasion, police allege Jones “touched [the complainant’s] penis, pulling his scrotum”. He is further accused of squeezing knees and bottoms, touching faces and legs, touching or stroking thighs - at one point “close to his [the complainant’s] groin” – kissed another complainant and “caressed his upper arm”. The charges follow a major investigation by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age which revealed allegations that Jones used his position of power to prey on a number of young men, indecently assaulting them, groping or inappropriately touching them without their consent.

>>22157857 $5.9m payout by Western Bulldogs to child sex abuse survivor Adam Kneale slashed by more than half - A record $5.9m compensation payout by the Western Bulldogs to a child sex abuse survivor has been slashed by more than half on appeal. But the AFL club failed to overturn a jury’s finding that it was liable for Adam Kneale’s suffering at the hands of fundraising volunteer and convicted pedophile Graeme Hobbs in the 1980s, which his lawyers hailed as a victory. A Supreme Court jury returned the landmark verdict last year, awarding Mr Kneale $5,943,151 in damages - the largest sum awarded by a jury to an abuse survivor in Australia and the first against an AFL club. The club appealed both the jury’s findings and the compensation payout. On Thursday, the Court of Appeal slashed the jury’s award for pain and suffering and economic loss, reducing the total payout to $2,637,573. But it upheld the jury’s finding that the club was liable for the years-long sexual abuse suffered by Mr Kneale as a teenager. Mr Kneale’s lawyer, Rightside Legal partner Michael Magazanik, said the ruling sent a strong message that organisations would be held to account. “The Western Bulldogs will pay a hefty price for their failure, but that’s nothing compared to the cost to Adam. The Club caused him massive pain and suffering but tried to avoid paying him anything,” he said. “The Bulldogs leadership in the 1980s and 90s had chances to stop the abuse, but a series of red flags was ignored. “And even now the club’s current leadership can’t or won’t face the music - it fought Adam to verdict at trial and lost. And now it has lost again.” Mr Magazanik said the revised sum of $850,000 for pain and suffering remained the highest award for general damages in Australian legal history. With interest, Mr Kneale will receive about $2.9m.

#38 - Part 142

Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 14

>>22157927 Clergy abuse survivors hit out at moves to ban protests outside Australian places of worship - Survivors of clergy abuse have expressed deep concern at proposals to ban protests outside places of worship, with lawyer John Ellis saying a blanket ban would have seen him arrested outside a Sydney cathedral last year. Anthony Albanese on Wednesday backed proposals in New South Wales and Victoria to ban such protests after an arson attack on the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne and antisemitic vandalism in Sydney. Speaking about the proposals, the prime minister said he “cannot conceive of any reason, apart from creating division in our community, of why someone would want to hold a demonstration outside a place of worship”. This rankled abuse survivors, particularly those who engaged in what they describe as a respectful demonstration outside St Mary’s cathedral in Sydney after George Pell’s death, and others who have tied ribbons on the fence outside St Patrick’s cathedral in Ballarat for years. Ellis was among those outside St Mary’s last year. “Had such a ban, as is now suggested, been in place a few years ago, I would have been arrested for being outside St Mary’s cathedral with other abuse survivors during George Pell’s funeral,” he said. Ellis was abused as an altar boy for years by a paedophile priest in the 1970s. When he sued the church and Pell himself, the Sydney archdiocese, under Pell’s leadership, took an aggressive approach in fighting his case despite internally accepting that Ellis had been abused and knowing of other complaints about the same priest. It successfully argued in NSW’s highest court in 2007 that, as an unincorporated association holding its assets in a protected trust, it did not legally exist and could not be sued. The defence came to be known as the “Ellis defence” and was used to thwart countless other claims until it was scrapped in 2019. Ellis, whose legal work predominantly involves abuse claims, is adamant that a blanket ban on protests outside cathedrals would have seen him arrested and suffer anew. “That would have been a great travesty and a kick in the guts to all abuse survivors,” he said. Ellis said he understood and supported the idea behind the ban proposal - the need to respect faith, including by ensuring it can be exercised without persecution or attack. But he said there were already laws designed to do precisely that, which target violent protest, offensive behaviour, racial abuse and discrimination. “A peaceful protest should never be unlawful. Full stop,” he said. “People should be allowed their voice and their truth, however uncomfortable that is for others.”

>>22162993 Child sex abuse victims rescued in the Philippines after Aussie men charged - Half a dozen children as young as two years old have been placed in the care of child welfare services in the Philippines after two Australian men and two Filipino women were charged with alleged child sex abuse offences. An international child sexual abuse investigation between the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) led investigators to arrest two women in the southern Philippines on November 14. Six children were removed from harm in the Cagayan De Oro region and transferred to the care of social services. The women, aged 23 and 43, were charged with a range of human trafficking and child abuse material offences. 9News understands the charges were triggered after two Australian men were charged for allegedly possessing and soliciting child abuse material connected to the young Filipino victims. The joint-investigation was launched after Tasmanian police arrested a 41-year-old man following a search warrant of his Kings Meadows home. During the search they allegedly found child abuse images and videos on the 41-year-old man's phone, along with a text conversation facilitating the sale of child abuse material. After further digital forensic analysis of the seized phone, AFP investigators determined that the facilitator and child victims were based in the Philippines. AFP Manila Liaison Officer detective sergeant Daisie Beckensall said the case was a "powerful reminder" of the importance of the AFP's relationship with international authorities. "These children's lives have been irrecoverably damaged and we know there are too many other children still at risk," Beckensall said. "That is why we will never give up our fight to keep children safe and stop those who try to exploit or abuse them."

#38 - Part 143

Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 15

>>22163029 Sydney Swans, former development coach Mark Heaney sued over shock sexual abuse claims - A promising young footballer robbed of the chance to play AFL is suing the Sydney Swans after he alleges he was sexually abused by his development coach over a traumatic two-year period. Thomas Marino* (Not his real name) was only a boy when Mark Heaney, who spent the mid-2000s coaching junior footy players in Melbourne’s east, allegedly started grooming him after he was recruited to the Sydney Swans Junior Academy more than a decade ago. Mr Marino has now launched legal action against the Swans and Heaney, seeking compensation for “injury, loss and damage” he claims were caused by the club’s failures to keep him safe from a predator. “The purpose of bringing this claim is to seek justice for the harm and trauma I have endured, to hold those responsible accountable and to achieve a resolution that provides closure and supports my ability to rebuild my life,” Mr Marino told the Saturday Herald Sun. “This is about addressing the opportunities I lost - including the chance to pursue a career in the AFL — as a result of what I experienced.” In a Supreme Court writ filed this week, it is alleged Heaney took advantage of his position as a coach at the NSW academy to groom and sexually abuse Mr Marino. He is accused of pressing his penis against the boy when teaching him how to hold a football, stripping naked in front of him, watching him while he was showering, sending explicit photos and instigating sexualised conversations. “On several occasions, (Heaney) directed the plaintiff to remove articles of clothing during training sessions so that (he) had to train whilst wearing nothing but his underwear and boots … as punishment for the plaintiff having made errors during a training drill,” the writ alleges. “On at least 20 occasions, (Heaney) inappropriately slapped, smacked, touched or squeezed the plaintiff on his buttocks and penis.” In 2014, Heaney was jailed after pleading guilty to one count of using a carriage service to groom a person under 16 years after the boy told his parents about the explicit photos.

>>22184897 Video: Alan Jones pleads not guilty to indecent assault charges as alleged 10th victim revealed - Alan Jones has vowed to fight “baseless” allegations of indecent assault levelled at him by complainants who say the veteran broadcaster touched and kissed them inappropriately, as explosive new claims of indecent behaviour are levelled at the former radio superstar. Eight new charges related to a 10th complainant emerged early on Wednesday, in the hours before Jones was to appear in court for the first time since he was accused of indecent assault spanning nearly two decades. The charges were based on allegations Jones repeatedly assaulted the complainant, known as Complainant J, when squeezing his genitalia and kissing him in Sydney’s Southern Highlands during the early 2000s. Jones was swamped by a waiting media pack and members of the public when he arrived at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court flanked by solicitors Bryan Wrench and Chris Murphy. Outside court, Jones said he was “certainly not guilty”. “I will not be engaging in a running commentary in the media,” he said. “But I want you to understand that these allegations are all either baseless or they distort the truth and you should know that prior to my arrest I was given no opportunity by police to answer any of these allegations.” Jones said he had “never indecently assaulted these people”. “The law presumes that I am not guilty and I am not guilty. That’s all I can say at the moment,” he said. “But I am emphatic I will be defending every charge before a jury in due course.”

#38 - Part 144

Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 16

>>22202452 New Australian laws to stop child sex abuse, terror content among tech giants - Tech giants will have to actively prevent the spread and storage of child sexual abuse and violent terror content under world-first laws taking effect in Australia that do not require companies to weaken or breach encryption. Fines of up to $49.5 million await file and photo storage services like Apple iCloud, Google Drive and Microsoft One Drive, messaging apps like WhatsApp and social media platforms where messages are a prominent feature, such as Instagram, if they do not comply with the new standards taking effect on December 22. In an exclusive interview eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said she was confident Australia’s regulations “thread the needle” on protecting privacy - with no companies required to breach encryption — while ensuring abusive and harmful material was not proliferating online unchecked. “What we’ve done is ensured a broad range of rights are being protected, but technology companies will not be able to hide behind the shield of ‘I can’t see it, so I’m … turning a blind eye’,” she said. Ms Inman Grant said even though encrypted services had technological exemptions, they were not “absolved” from the responsibility to reduce the sharing and storing of child sex abuse and terror content. “We do not expect you to break or weaken encryption, but we do expect you to provide alternative plans of action in terms of how to disrupt and deter.”

>>22202569 Video: Yolanda Borucki cleared of computer hacking after media interview about Australia’s worst pedophile - Childcare manager Yolanda Borucki has been found not guilty of computer hacking after she went to the media about Australia’s worst pedophile, Ashley Paul Griffith, with a magistrate finding the prosecution failed to prove basic essential elements of the charge. Magistrate Kerrie O’Callaghan delivered the decision on Friday morning, 16 months after Ms Borucki’s home was raided by detectives from Queensland’s online child exploitation squad, Task Force Argos, following a complaint from her former employer, the Uniting Church “The prosecution has failed to prove the elements of the offence beyond reasonable doubt. I find Ms Borucki not guilty and the charge is dismissed,” Ms O’Callaghan said. Ms Borucki, 60, cried in court and hugged husband Victor, who, sitting in the Brisbane Magistrates Court public gallery, had clapped after the verdict was delivered. “I am relieved but exhausted too,” she said outside court. After the acquittal, her lawyers blamed the Uniting Church for instigating the failed prosecution, and criticised police for pushing ahead with it. The charge carried a maximum 10-year jail sentence. In the end the case fell well short, raising questions about why it was pursued amid powerful arguments from Ms Borucki’s lawyers that she had served the public’s interest in bringing to light details of a missed opportunity to stop Griffith from raping and abusing children in daycare. When the trial went ahead last month, defence barrister Mr McCafferty questioned if the hacking charge was an act of retaliation by the church. Ms Borucki had revealed in an interview on A Current Affair that Griffith was seen “kissing” a little girl in a fort at a Brisbane childcare centre run by the church in October 2021. Police dismissed the complaint against Griffith, and another complaint from a mother in April 2022, without searching his home or seizing his devices, and say they did not have enough evidence to do more than they did. After police dismissed the October 2021 complaint, Griffith returned to work at the Uniting Church daycare centre. Then, after he was told he was being made redundant, he raped a little girl at the same daycare centre before moving on to work at other centres where he abused at least three more girls. Griffith, now 46, last month was jailed in the District Court in Brisbane for at least 27 years for his abuse of 65 girls in Queensland and four in Italy. He now faces extradition to NSW for allegedly abusing dozens more girls at a single childcare centre in Sydney.

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Australian soldier Oscar Jenkins may have been 'missing' in Ukraine for months

Andrew Greene and David Estcourt - December 2024

Australian authorities were alerted to the "disappearance" of Melbourne man Oscar Jenkins weeks before a hostage video emerged of the captured soldier being interrogated by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.

The ABC has learnt that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) first learned of concerns for the welfare of the 32-year-old last month, with those close to the former teacher not knowing his whereabouts for months.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday refused to say if the government would consider a prisoner swap deal, but reiterated that they had made representations to the Russian government on Mr Jenkins's behalf.

An American soldier who previously served alongside Mr Jenkins in Ukraine's armed forces has also described his anguish at recently learning his friend had been captured by the enemy and his urge to want to run into battle to save him.

"First thought I wanted to do was get the f*ck up, find out how to f*cking get to him and be the f*ckng person to drag his ass out of prison camp," the US foreign fighter has told the ABC's AM program.

The American national, who asked to be identified only by his call sign "Forrest" because he was still serving in Ukraine, said his Australian comrade was a selfless soldier, willing to face danger and often gave away money to those who needed it.

"He was ready to go [to the] frontline with no armour, no weapon, and just there to kill Russians and keep Ukrainians safe, like, he was in it for Ukraine," Forrest said.

"He was very patriotic and he was the hell of a damn good soldier too … everything he did was to keep f*cking Ukrainians safe," he added.

Forrest, who only learnt of his Australian friend's capture after the publication of the Russian military's hostage video, told the ABC he was "just worried sick about him".

A diplomatic source familiar with Mr Jenkins's case said the Australian government did not doubt the authenticity of the hostage video that emerged on the weekend, but said authorities were yet to determine precisely when it was recorded.

Mr Jenkins's family in Melbourne declined to comment about his situation when contacted by the ABC on Monday but were receiving consular support from DFAT officials.

On Monday afternoon, Russia's ambassador to Australia, Alexey Pavlovsky, was called into a meeting at DFAT headquarters in Canberra for about half an hour but declined to comment as he entered and left the building.

Russia urged to adhere to international law

In a statement on Monday, Acting Foreign Minister Mark Dreyfus urged the Russian government "to fully adhere to its obligations under international humanitarian law, including with respect to prisoners of war".

"I reiterate the government's clear advice to all Australians — do not travel to Ukraine."

Shadow Foreign Minister Simon Birmingham welcomed the decision to call in Mr Pavlovsky for a meeting on Tuesday, but added that the government needed to explain what steps it was taking to locate Mr Jenkins and ascertain his wellbeing.

Australian pro-Kremlin propagandist Simeon Boikov — known by his online moniker Aussie Cossack — has reposted the apparent hostage video, stating that he should be part of a prisoner swap deal.

The outspoken social media figure is the leader of the Australian Cossacks, which styles itself as a military unit, and is holed up in the Russian consulate in Sydney to avoid an arrest warrant for an alleged assault.

Last week, prosecutors also revealed that a "significant volume" of foreign language material had allegedly been found on the devices of two accused Russian spies, Kira Korolev and her husband Igor, leading to delays in their espionage case.

At least seven Australians are believed to have died fighting in Ukraine since Russia's invasion began in 2022, but Oscar Jenkins is believed to be the first to be captured and held as a prisoner of war.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-24/australian-soldier-captured-in-ukraine-missing-months/104759098

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4yxTBBctaE

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Australian soldier Oscar Jenkins has been captured by Russia. What happens now?

Maddy Morwood - 25 December 2024

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This week, a hostage video emerged of captured soldier and Australian man Oscar Jenkins being detained and interrogated by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.

While diplomats say they are still working to confirm the 32-year-old's location and conditions, the ABC learnt that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) was alerted to concerns regarding his whereabouts last month.

Ukraine has been enlisting foreign volunteers into its international allegiance since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022.

At least seven Australians are believed to have died fighting in Ukraine since, but Mr Jenkins is believed to be the first Australian soldier to be captured and held as a prisoner of war.

So, what happens now? And what legal protection do people who joined Ukraine's forces have if they are captured by Russia?

What are the conditions of a POW kept in Russia?

Speaking to ABC's RN Breakfast on Tuesday, Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Birmingham said Russia should be treating all prisoners, including Mr Jenkins, "humanely and fairly, with respect and in accordance with the laws of war".

And while he said it was up to Russia to "live up to those standards", he acknowledged "far too many reports" have been seen of Russia failing to do so.

Mr Jenkins identified himself as a former teacher in a video posted by pro-Kremlin social media accounts on Sunday that shows a man with dirt across his face being interrogated and struck on the head by Russian captors.

The ABC also verified Mr Jenkins's identity independently.

Keir Giles, Russian military expert and senior consulting fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House, told RN Breakfast Mr Birmingham's expectations are "extraordinarily unlikely".

"As painful as it is to say, we have to face up to the unfortunate reality that it would be extraordinarily unlikely for Russia to do that," he said.

If a prisoner is not murdered immediately after capture — which is becoming increasingly routine — Russia follows a standard procedure of subjecting prisoners to extreme psychological duress and systemic physical torture, Mr Giles explained.

Through placing pressure on the families of those who have been captured, and on the Ukrainian government, Russia "incentivises prisoner exchanges".

"This is a tactic implied to by Russia to secure high-profile assets being returned from Ukrainian captivity," he said.

Could Australia and Russia perform a prisoner swap?

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday declined to say if the government would consider a prisoner swap deal for Mr Jenkins, but that they had made representations to the Russian government on Mr Jenkins's behalf.

He also refused to say when the government first became aware of the case.

Mr Giles said that Mr Jenkins, however, may have been captured at an almost "favourable time" due to the increased interest on the Russian side in negotiating swap agreements and to start negotiations with the Ukrainian side.

"It appears that Ukraine's incursion into the Kursk region of Russia has actually captured highly valuable Russian individuals they want back," he said.

"In terms of looking for opportunities for making exchanges, this is a good time. As soon as you get these people back, the less they suffer in Russian captivity."

Donald R Rothwell, professor of international law at ANU College of Law, said that Mr Jenkins would join a larger pool if Russia decides to treat Mr Jenkins as a prisoner of war.

The pool would consist of Ukrainian prisoners of war who "may be transferred for Russian prisoners of war during the conflict or at the end of the war".

"That is not a process Australia would be involved in as it is not a party to the war," he said.

Otherwise, any other form of prisoner swap would have to be done "through political means" which could include Simeon Boikov, Professor Rothwell said.

Known by his online moniker Aussie Cossack, Mr Boikov is an Australian pro-Russian influencer currently holed up in the Russian consulate in Sydney to avoid an arrest warrant.

Reposting the hostage video of Mr Jenkins, Mr Boikov stated that he should be part of a prisoner swap deal.

Mr Giles said that the swap would "solve quite a few problems" if Russia were willing to an exchange of that kind but "is fairly far-fetched" compared to the regular prisoner exchanges seen with Ukraine.

(continued)

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The Bike Boy Scandal (Dan Andrews Car Crash) - Christmas Message to Cath and Dan Andrews

Dec 25, 2024

A Christmas message to Catherine and Dan Andrews from the Bike Boy campaign

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc7mYlmocYw