/qresearch/ -  Q Research

>>24505916

2/2

Mr Duggan’s wife Saffrine Duggan expressed how her family had been impacted by the decision.

“It has been 1,273 days of our family suffering terrible trauma since Dan was arrested in a supermarket carpark after dropping our kids at school,” she said.

“Since that day Dan has been locked up in maximum security. He spent 19 months in solitary confinement.

“He has missed so much – first and last days of school, sporting events, birthdays, Christmases, and wedding anniversaries.

“We are an Aussie family who had our husband, father, son-in-law, our property and our feeling of safety stripped away from us.

“Dan was an ordinary Australian, lawfully going about his business in Australia when he was arrested by a foreign power.”

Ms Duggan said they would continue to fight for Mr Duggan’s safe release on Australian soil.

“Today does not end our search for justice, for fairness and for the sovereignty that the Australian public expect,” she said.

“We are very disappointed by this ruling, and we will consider our options carefully.

“But make no mistake – we will not give up.

“We will continue to advocate for Dan.”

Legal clerk for Mr Duggan, Lynn Stocker, spoke outside court following the ruling.

“The (Federal Court) decision was made on solely a legal point, the merits issue has always been with the government,” she said.

“Now it is a decision for the Prime Minister whether he wants to send an Australian citizen who has already been in prison for three and a half years into the hands of the Trump administration who has taken a close interest in this matter.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/accused-military-man-daniel-duggan-loses-fight-to-stay-in-australia/news-story/dc4302b62216b16e9c612b0d0c0852ce

https://x.com/FreeDanDuggan/status/2044619443268202647

https://www.judgments.fedcourt.gov.au/judgments/Judgments/fca/single/2026/2026fca0445

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK9KVnc4XA8

https://qresear.ch/?q=Dan+Duggan

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

>>24505926

2/2

Greens Senator David Shoebridge has slammed the Albanese government over the saga, saying, "it's a scary sign of the price of our compliance with the USA".

"Dan Duggan is being extradited to the US for conduct that wasn't an offence here. That should trouble every Australian, regardless of what they think of the underlying allegations," Senator Shoebridge said in a statement.

"Australia should not be America's deputy sheriff, and we should not be acting as its jailer.

"Dan is paying the price for a government that puts America and its needs ahead of Australia's."

'He's missed so much'

Mr Duggan moved to Australia in the early 2000s and later became an Australian citizen.

He was arrested in December 2022 after Australia agreed to his extradition.

He has been in custody since, but the extradition has been delayed while the case works its way through the courts.

Outside court today, Mr Duggan's wife, Saffrine Duggan, said it had been "1,273 days of our family's suffering, terrible trauma since Dan was arrested in a supermarket car park after dropping our kids at school".

"Since that day, Dan has been locked up in maximum security, an ordinary Australian going about his business who broke no Australian law," she said.

"We do thank thousands of Australians who have continued our support for our fight for justice.

"He spent 19 months in solitary confinement, he's missed so much in our family, in our children's lives."

Ms Duggan described them as an "Aussie family" that had had "our feeling of safety stripped away from us".

"We are very disappointed by this ruling and we will consider our options carefully, but make no mistake: we will not give up," she said.

"We have been here for three years and we will continue."

She said they would "continue to advocate" for Mr Duggan, "especially with our government, asking them to protect Australians from … US overreach and malicious prosecution".

"This has gone on long enough. Enough is enough. I want to bring our family home and reunite us altogether."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-16/former-us-marine-pilot-dan-duggan-to-be-extradited-australia/106570508

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMV8Dv2Mos0

>>24334245 (pb)

>>24355021

>>24494419

>>24498482

>>24498508

Richard Marles nails colours to the mast: ‘it’s the time for allies and order’

NOAH YIM - 16 April 2026

Defence Minister Richard Marles has left the door open to a potential post-war role for Australia in the Strait of Hormuz, while launching an impassioned defence of the US alliance and the rules-based international order.

As Australia braces for further downstream impacts from the war in the Middle East, Mr Marles said that the temporary ceasefire under way marked a “critical opportunity to move back from the brink” and to “restore the global fuel supply chain and place events on a path to peace”.

“Australia will do all within its power to help make this temporary ceasefire permanent,” he said.

Australia has already sent a Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to the United Arab Emirates and incoming chief of the defence force Mark Hammond this week said the navy was “as ready as it ever has been” to deploy a warship to assist US-led efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Opposition defence spokesman James Paterson said the ­Coalition would be “very open” to Australian involvement in reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

“We should be very open to being part of a multinational ­coalition because it will be after the cessation of hostilities and because we do have an interest in the … free Strait of Hormuz,” he told ABC TV on Thursday.

While US President Donald Trump’s attacks on allies, including Australia, and threats that “a whole civilisation will die” in the Middle East have elevated doubts about the alliance, Mr Marles rejected suggestions the rules-based order was no more and stressed the ongoing importance of the US to the region.

“There is no effective balance of power in the Indo-Pacific absent the continued presence of the United States,” he said.

“The alliance remains critical to Australia’s national security and the government welcomes the United States’ 2025 national ­security strategy and national defence strategy, which set out a critical US commitment to the Indo-Pacific.”

Mr Marles defended a commitment to a rules-based international order going forward. “As the world enters this current period of disorder, some argue that the idea of the global rules-based order – an order where nations can pursue their security and economic interests, consistent with international law and free from coercion – is now extinct,” he said.

“I disagree. The global rules-based order provides a middle power like Australia with agency. A world defined purely by power and might does not.

“And it is most definitely against Australia’s national interest to rush – as some Australians have – to the conclusion that this order no longer has any role.

“For all the failings of the global rules-based order – and there have been many – we have been far better off with it than without it.

“Our challenge is not to discard the imperfect, but rather to make the promise of an ideal ­better, because if we let it go the world will deeply regret its disintegration.”

Mr Marles connected this back to the US alliance, saying the “global rules-based order would not have existed without American leadership based on an enlightened conception of its own self-­interest”.

The comments served as a rebuttal to Angus Taylor, who said last month that “the rules-based international order has been exposed as wishful thinking of a bygone and benign era”.

Mr Taylor said that instead, middle powers must “work together … act together … closer than ever on defence, on secure supply chains and sovereign capabilities, on maintaining free trade”.

The Opposition Leader said this was especially the case “in these times where autocratic ­regimes act with impunity”.

This comes after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney – an acclaimed centre-left global leader – came to Australia last month calling for a renewal of that rules-based international order.

“Middle powers like Australia and Canada hold this rare convening power,” he told the Australian parliament.

“Because others know we mean what we say and we will match our values with our actions.”

He said that while the world would always be “shaped by great powers”, he urged Australia not to discount the collective power of middle powers – like Canada and Australia – “that trust each other enough to act with speed and ­purpose”.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/defence/richard-marles-nails-colours-to-the-mast-its-the-time-for-allies-and-order/news-story/a76a8719fa15ac9148dcc69eed8ca0fc

Australia-Papua New Guinea Pukpuk treaty faces challenges, PNG soldiers confined to barracks amid unrest

BEN PACKHAM - 16 April 2026

Australia’s soon-to-be ally Papua New Guinea has ordered its military personnel to be confined to barracks for a month amid fears of unrest over nepotism and fraud allegations that forced the country’s defence minister to step aside.

The crisis comes as the Albanese government prepares to ratify the countries’ Pukpuk treaty and recruit Papua New Guineans to the Australian Defence Force.

PNG Defence Force chief Philip Polewara directed all bases to be closed and personnel be denied access to weapons and ammunition after soldiers set up roadblocks in Port Moresby in protest at courts-martial against up to five alleged whistleblowers.

Some soldiers in PNG’s second city of Lae defied the order, leaving the city’s Igam Barracks to demand the sidelined minister, Billy Joseph, be arrested.

Prime Minister James Marape assumed responsibility for the defence portfolio last week after Dr Joseph stood aside over allegations of recruitment “irregularities”. It followed the emergence of videos on social media of would-be recruits allegedly using fake documents to meet the force’s 25-year age cap. The applicants were allegedly known to Dr Joseph, who denies any interference in the recruitment process.

Senior ADF officers will support an independent inquiry into the matter by PNG’s chief secretary and state solicitor.

Mr Marape called for calm, warning those involved in unlawful or disorderly conduct risked disciplinary action and dismissal.

“Discipline is the foundation of our defence force, and any actions that undermine order and stability will not be tolerated,” the Prime Minister said.

He said he had asked Rear ­Admiral Polewara to pause an ­internal investigation into the ­actions of the alleged whistleblowers pending the results of the cabinet-ordered inquiry.

Australia last year pledged 3500 new automatic rifles for the PNGDF and improved armouries to prevent the weapons being stolen and used in tribal conflicts.

The ADF opened recruitment of eligible Papua New Guineans on January 1, though it is unclear whether any applicants have been accepted. It will draw its recruits from the ranks of school leavers and university graduates rather than the country’s military.

PNG Institute of National ­Affairs executive director Paul Barker said the PNGDF’s governance and standards had been allowed to deteriorate over the years and work was needed to rebuild morale and standards.

“In the old days you’d find the defence soldiers smart, washed and so on,” he said.

“Now they’re a lot more lackadaisical, not in every instance, but you do find standards, including levels of fitness, well below what people recall from older days.

“Obviously through the partnership (with Australia) you want to see those standards improved.”

Retired Major General Mick Ryan said the challenges made the Pukpuk treaty all the more important. “At times like this, when your friends are having trouble, that’s when you step up in the relationship,” he said.

“PNG is a consequential country for Australia, and we should stand by them.”

Australia will pour hundreds of millions of dollars into the PNGDF under the Pukpuk treaty, which requires each country to “act to meet the common danger” if there is an armed attack on ­either. It flags expanded defence co-operation through “through enhanced capability, interoperability and integration”.

The treaty was signed by Anthony Albanese and Mr Marape last October after initial headaches in getting the support of the PNG cabinet for the agreement.

It was a diplomatic coup for Labor, reinforcing Australia’s strategic buffer by sidelining China’s ambitions for closer ­security ties with Port Moresby.

Mr Albanese said at the time that the nations’ militaries would work more closely together than ever before. “The treaty … speaks about interoperability,” he said. “So, that means defence ­assets, but our greatest asset is our people.”

The PNGDF has been facing acute budget constraints in recent years. The Australian revealed last October that the force faced a shutdown in its food services over an unpaid $6.2m catering bill.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/defence/australiapapua-new-guinea-pukpuk-treaty-faces-challenges-png-soldiers-confined-to-barracks-amid-unrest/news-story/b169db8d78cc2764a3116f0baabedd2e

>>24505952

2/2

The Court of Appeal’s decision came two months after the February 9 demonstration at Sydney Town Hall in the CBD to protest Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit.

The protest took place while parts of Sydney, including the town hall, were under a public assembly restriction declaration that banned all moving demonstrations.

The town hall was also covered by a “major event” designation – which allows police greater powers to move people on or restrict access to parts of the city – made for Mr Herzog’s visit.

Dozens of arrests were made when hundreds of police and thousands of protesters clashed on February 9.

Police have since charged 26 people with offences including assaulting, resisting or intimidating officers, using threatening language in a major event area, and indecent behaviour within a major event area.

Mr Lees called for all charges against protesters to be dropped and for Mr Minns to resign.

“(Police) made dozens of arrests. They are still outrageously making arrests from that night to try to justify the shocking police brutality that they unleashed, that came directly from these laws,” Mr Lees said. “We demand all those charges now must be dropped … any failure to do so will be absolutely appalling.”

Hanna Legal principal Nick Hanna, who represented the activists, said the case was “one of the most important wins for civil liberties in our nation’s history”.

“Today’s decision makes clear that, in my view, it is inevitable that the prosecutions of every single person who attended that protest will be unsuccessful and they will be found not guilty if they proceed to hearing,” he said.

NSW Greens MLC Sue Higginson told reporters the decision was “a monumental win for our democracy” as well as a reminder of Mr Minns’ “failures” as Premier.

“(He) has failed the people, has failed to understand his job and has failed our democracy,” Ms Higginson said. “He now needs to take responsibility.”

Ms Higginson said there were “tens of millions of dollars of potential civil liability for the wrongs that have been perpetrated (against) peaceful, ordinary members of our community”.

NSW Council for Civil Liberties president Timothy Roberts told reporters he held the entire NSW Labor cabinet responsible for the laws and the police action carried out under them.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/postbondi-protest-laws-struck-down-by-court/news-story/c143298a8b78f9b37d7f9da0a0bc9abf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdTPYUXeby0

>>24498525

Angus Taylor hits back after Paul Keating accuses him of embracing ‘racism’ over migration policy

LACHLAN LEEMING and GREG BROWN

1/2

Angus Taylor has called scathing criticism of his immigration policy from Paul Keating a sign he is out of touch with Australian values, after the former Labor prime minister accused the Opposition Leader of embracing racism out of fear of losing votes to One Nation.

Mr Keating, in a blistering statement released on Thursday afternoon, claimed Mr Taylor had walked away from the “best instincts” of the Liberal Party, while also attacking former prime minister John Howard, who he described as “Mr Racial Opportunism himself”.

Mr Taylor hit back shortly after, saying he “always suspected that Paul Keating didn’t support Australian values, but now he has dropped any pretence”.

“To suggest it is ‘racist’ to put Australian values at the centre of our immigration policy shows just how out of touch he is with Australians, as is the Labor Party,” Mr Taylor wrote on social media.

Mr Keating, who lost the prime ministership to Mr Howard in a landslide election defeat in 1996, claimed in his statement that Mr Taylor’s policy echoed the “dumb bigotry” of One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.

“The Liberal Party, battling an extreme version of itself, One Nation, has again fallen back to its default political policy: racism,” Mr Keating said. “And, to hammer the point, sitting beside Taylor at his policy launch was Mr Racial Opportunism himself, John Winston Howard, late of anti-Asian migration in 1988.”

Mr Keating also accused Mr Howard of “wilful anti-humanitarianism (in) his electorally driven Tampa atrocity of 2001”, referencing the then Coalition government’s decision to refuse entry to a Norwegian-flagged tanker that had rescued a large boatload of asylum-seekers bound for Australia.

Mr Taylor in response invoked Mr Keating’s famous phrase about the 1990s recession – when Mr Keating labelled the downturn as “the recession we had to have” – by saying the Coalition’s immigration plan was the “policy we have to have”.

“Immigration numbers are too high. Immigration standards are too low. And both must change,” Mr Taylor said.

“It’s time for Paul Keating and the Labor Party to put Australians and Australian values first.”

Mr Keating stated the Coalition’s stance was “at primary odds with an immigrant nation”, adding the Labor leader’s plan would lead to “Trump ICE-style policies to weed and ‘boot out’ people who fail to adhere to ‘national values’”.

The former Labor prime minister also claimed that “by adopting racism with its shabby appeal to differentiation and primal instincts, Angus Taylor marks himself out as a political leader unworthy of the leadership of a party that has managed Australia for the greater part of the last century and which celebrated the country’s unifying values”.

Mr Howard declined to comment on the remarks from Mr Keating.

(continued)

>>24512128

2/2

The unveiling of the Coalition’s immigration policy comes as the party is consistently being outpolled by One Nation, while Mr Taylor next month faces his biggest challenge yet as Opposition Leader, when his party attempts to hold on to the southern NSW seat of Farrer.

The regional electorate has been held for 25 years by Mr Taylor’s predecessor as Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, who retired from politics after being rolled for the leadership by Mr Taylor in February. One Nation and teal independent Michelle Milthorpe, who finished second last election, are lining up against both a Liberal and a Nationals candidate, under Coalition rules that allow both to stand in a vacant seat.

Mr Taylor, in an interview this week, described many of One Nation’s voters as “our friends” whose trust had to be regained, something he conceded he was attempting to do through his immigration policy.

“And we want them to vote for us, let’s be clear,” the Opposition Leader said in an interview on Queensland radio 4BC on Wednesday.

“But they are our friends and we are conscious of that. And we want to regain the trust of those people who are thinking about voting One Nation in the future and I know we’ve got to do hard work to achieve that.”

Mr Taylor released the first tranche of the Coalition’s immigration policy on Tuesday, underpinned by pledges that migrants who didn’t abide by Australian values would be deported.

He also used the announcement to commit to the Coalition tracking down 65,000 holders of expired visas, while later planks of the policy would include social media screening of visa applicants becoming a standard vetting feature.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/paul-keating-accuses-angus-taylor-of-embracing-racism-over-migration-policy/news-story/f510bf1e49293a483dd0695f7c285db1

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/cowardly-and-racist-paul-keating-assails-angus-taylor-s-migration-policy-20260416-p5zohc.html

https://www.smh.com.au/interactive/hub/media/tearout-excerpt/56487/Liberalimmigrationpolicy160426_wj4ktiuh.pdf

https://x.com/AngusTaylorMP/status/2044677680138993871

>>24355021

>>24505851

>>24505893

>>24505908

Viva Energy denies delayed maintenance caused major Corio refinery fire

MOHAMMAD ALFARES - April 16, 2026

1/2

Viva Energy has moved to hose down links between delayed maintenance at its Corio refinery and explosions that tore through the plant.

Victorian fire authorities confirmed the inferno was likely sparked by an engineering fault, as questions intensify over the ageing facility and the circumstances that led up to the ­explosion.

Fire Rescue Victoria Deputy Commissioner Michelle Cowling said early assessments pointed to a “mechanical or engineering failure” within equipment in a transfer section of the plant, though she said the exact cause remained under investigation.

Viva Energy has blamed a gas leak.

“It appears to be a mechanical, engineering failure in some of the equipment,” Ms Cowling said, adding the blaze was brought under control within 13 hours.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has left open the prospect of escalating to stage three of the ­national fuel security plan following the fire at Geelong’s oil refinery, saying the impact on supply remained unclear.

Viva Energy’s general manager of energy and infrastructure Bill Patterson said the company had found no evidence linking postponed works at its 70-year-old refinery near Geelong to the incident. “There was no delayed maintenance in relation to this specific unit,” he said.

He acknowledged some maintenance had been deferred last month amid instability in the ­Middle East, but said it did not relate to the affected plant. “That maintenance didn’t relate to the integrity of equipment on the site,” he said. “There wasn’t a link between any delays of maintenance and this event that we know of.”

Mr Patterson repeatedly stopped short of ruling anything out entirely, emphasising a full forensic investigation was still in its early stages. “All aspects of the cause of the fire, both the release of flammable material and what caused it to ignite, will be part of that investigation,” he said.

While the damage has reduced some production capacity, Mr Patterson said it would not significantly disrupt fuel supply, insisting the company had sufficient reserves and alternative supply arrangements in place.

AMWU Geelong organiser Tony Hynds said maintenance of the refinery had improved in recent years and he did not believe maintenance issues were a contributing factor to the fire.

He said the company told him direct employees would be paid but it was a union ­responsibility to pursue contractors.

He said he told Viva that “no one is going back to work until everyone is paid. We’re not having people losing money out of this.”

“You walk around that place and you see some of the rusty shit around there and you think how can this be? Look at the rust on that. Look at the condition of the concrete foundations,” he said.

(continued)

>>24512142

2/2

“There’s been incidents there of leaks over the years because it’s an old place. It is 70 years old. They do shut downs and they repair things. They run on very small margins. They are up against international refineries where wages and conditions are a lot less.

“Labour’s cheap in those places (but) I couldn’t point a finger and say bad maintenance has caused this. They do small interventions. There might be some maintenance that needs to be done.

“They say, right, take that unit out for a day or two and throw labour into fix it. It’s not a real big shutdown. They canned all that (due to the fuel crisis).

“They had a shutdown coming up in the Mogas area where this fire started. That was going ahead in June, July, I think it was, and they were doing prework in there.

“If this had happened during the day, we’d be talking about a whole different outcome in terms of injuries and fatalities.”

Based on what unions had been told so far by workers, he said: “The operators noticed on their boards that there was a leak, a loss of pressure in a pipe. They were about to go and investigate it and then there was a large explosion.

“From what they told me there was a leak at a flange. It then ignited at a furnace and that’s what’s caused it all. And part of the investigation will be what happened. Did a pipe break? Did it snap under pressure? Did a gasket give away or the bolt give way or whatever.”

Ahead of a meeting on Friday, Mr Hynds said there could be no work for four days.

Under the four-stage framework agreed by Anthony Albanese and state leaders, Australia is currently operating at stage two. The Geelong refinery, which accounts for about 10 per cent of national fuel supply and half of Victoria’s petrol production, has heightened concern about potential shortages.

Speaking in Melbourne on Thursday afternoon, Ms Allan declined to rule out further escalation, including stage three measures that would include ­“voluntary practical measures to limit fuel use”.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/viva-energy-denies-delayed-maintenance-caused-major-corio-refinery-fire/news-story/30a2fae3f3526e0767d3e600a79bcfca

>>24355021

>>24505851

>>24505893

>>24505908

Fuel farce inflamed as Chris Bowen declares no crisis of petrol supplies

GREG BROWN - April 16, 2026

1/2

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen says a massive fire at one of the nation’s two oil refineries will not trigger an immediate escalation in the national fuel security plan nor lead to higher prices at the bowser, as he backs drilling for crude oil in Australia as long as projects stack up environmentally and financially.

Anthony Albanese has cut short his trip to Malaysia and will arrive at Viva Energy’s oil ­refinery in Geelong on Friday to ­receive an in-person briefing on the impact of the 13-hour fire, which began after a gas leak caused an explosion late on Wednesday night.

Speaking in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, the Prime Minister said the fire that consumed the Geelong refinery, which produces about 10 per cent of Australia’s fuel and about half of Victoria’s petrol, would have ­consequences for fuel supply but he was awaiting a “proper ­assessment”.

Energy experts are warning the fire is a major blow to the government’s aim to secure fuel supply if the Middle East war continues, predicting a hit to domestic production of petrol for at least three months, although there will be little impact on the refining of diesel and jet fuel.

Experts warned that the fire increased the risk of petrol and diesel rationing and required an even higher reliance on offshore fuel at a time of global shortages.

With the Iran war highlighting Australia’s lack of self-­sufficiency, Santos chief executive Kevin Gallagher said drilling oil out of Western Australia’s Bedout basin had “come very much to the top of our thinking” as long as it was supported by the government.

“What the current crisis has shown and highlighted is the importance of energy security and oil security,” Mr Gallagher said.

Despite this week declaring an expansion of fossil fuels was not a lesson from the Middle East war, Mr Bowen said he would welcome Santos’s proposal and the Queensland government’s push to drill in the Taroom Trough as long as the projects stacked up environmentally, economically and “in an engineering fashion”.

“Some people try and drag us to a culture war,” Mr Bowen said. “If there are sensible proposals to drill in Australia which will ­replace imports, great.”

Speaking in Malaysia as part of his Asian charm offensive to prevent Australia from being caught up in export controls, the Prime Minister revealed an extra 100 million litres of diesel had been secured under the government’s policy to underwrite the purchase of new fuel cargoes.

The Albanese government has also helped secure an extra 250,000 tonnes of agricultural-grade urea from Indonesia.

Mr Albanese and Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim signed a joint statement to continue energy trade on a “no surprise basis”, but Mr Ibrahim made clear he would prioritise the domestic market if there were shortages. “I did express our concern on the issue of diesel because our supply is inadequate in the medium term,” Mr Ibrahim said.

“Once the domestic requirements are met, there is clearly some excess (forecast). And we (have) given an assurance that the priority will be to Australia.”

Mr Albanese again played down the prospect of a gas tax in the budget that could hit existing export contracts, while several Labor sources have said it was unlikely there would be any changes to the taxation of the sector announced by Jim Chalmers in May.

The Treasurer on Thursday night said from Washington that the Viva refinery fire was a “serious setback” and felt like the “worst luck at the worst time”.

But Mr Bowen said the nation’s fuel supply was now guaranteed until June despite petrol production to be reduced at Viva ­Energy’s refinery. The Energy Minister said the fire limiting petrol production in the middle of a global oil supply crunch was “not a positive development” nor “good timing”, but played down the prospect of it directly forcing the ­nation into stage three of the fuel security plan.

Stage three of the plan would likely see more comprehensive but still voluntary requests to reduce fuel through working from home, catching public transport, car pooling and avoiding air travel.

“This is not a good development when it comes to what we’re managing, but we’re managing it,” Mr Bowen said. “This in and of itself – because Viva have told us that they’re very confident they can replace the petrol with imports – won’t lead to a change in the status of the four-point fuel plan.”

(continued)

>>24512222

2/2

Mr Bowen spoke after Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said there was “no doubt” the fire would need to be assessed against the national plan.

Ms Allan said it would only be known whether the nation would need to enter stage three measures once Viva undertook a full assessment of the damage. “We have a national plan in place should there be further pressures placed on supply about how we would work together to go to further stages in response,” the Premier said.

Viva Energy chief executive Scott Wyatt claimed production shortfalls of petrol could be offset by foreign imports. “We have a very strong import program right through the rest of the month and through May that we can then substitute lost production at Geelong and maintain supply to the market,” Mr Wyatt told Sky News.

He said units at the refinery unaffected by the blaze that produced diesel and jet fuel would operate at minimum capacity in the coming days, but argued it was not a “big loss of production in the scheme of things”.

Rystad Energy analyst Gero Farruggio said he did not think Australia could avoid entering stage three of the fuel security plan endorsed by national cabinet at the end of last month. “Getting any supplies are crucial right now and this is about 10 per cent of our domestic supplies,” he said.

Mr Farruggio said the government should move to the next stage “sooner rather than later” to ensure Australia had sufficient supply to weather conflict in the Middle East.

MST Financial energy analyst Saul Kavonic said Australia would have to attempt to source more fuel offshore at a time of global shortages. “The government will now have to scramble additional fuel imports at much higher prices, on top of their existing efforts just to maintain our normal fuel import levels which was challenging enough as it is,” he said. “This increases the risk of fuel shortages and the need for stronger demand management measures to be taken earlier.’’

Angus Taylor said the fire would “clearly” have an impact on fuel supply. “This makes the job of this government even more ­important, to get more shipments of fuel coming to this country,” the Opposition Leader said.

WA Premier Roger Cook said his state had to be prepared for level three under the fuel security plan. “My teams are working so hard now to understand what we need to do to make sure we protect Western Australia from this international fuel shock,” he said. “That includes making sure that we can play our part in the event that we have to go to level three. Now, I hope that we don’t.”

NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said the state government wouldn’t pressure their federal counterparts to move to the next step of the national fuel plan. “We will need to see the impact of the fire this morning (and) I agree with Minister Bowen that it’s likely to have an impact,” he said.

South Australian Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis said a decision on lifting the level of the national plan was a “matter primarily” for the commonwealth.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/chris-bowen-warns-refinery-fire-will-impact-nations-fuel-supply/news-story/4b1f0a9e9ea84f895c0cf12945313674

>>24355021

>>24494419

>>24494424

>>24498482

>>24505937

Australia banks on Ghost Bat and Ghost Shark in drone warfare shift

Annika Burgess - 18 April 2026

1/2

Australia is on a push to "maintain pace" with how rapidly drones are reshaping modern warfare.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East had shown the ability of drones "to generate significant asymmetric advantage against larger, more expensive platforms".

"Autonomous systems now are really central to how war happens," he said.

The government announced it would be investing $12–15 billion on drone and counter-drone technologies over the next decade.

It is an increase of between $2–5 billion since the release of the 2024 National Defence Strategy.

Central to the Defence Department's drone focus are its flagship Ghost Bat and Ghost Shark programs, which are both larger uncrewed military systems.

About $2.2–3.1 billion will be dedicated to smaller drones.

This is a look at some of the big-ticket technology and whether defence experts think Australia is on the right track.

A look at the Ghost Bat

As the name suggests, the MQ-28A Ghost Bat is made for the skies.

Developed for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), the autonomous drone was first unveiled in 2019 as the Loyal Wingman.

The new name was later chosen because the Ghost Bat is "an Australian native mammal known for teaming together in a pack to detect and hunt", according to Boeing.

The Defence Department says the Ghost Bat is "the first military aircraft designed and built in Australia in over 50 years".

The project has cost the government about $2.3 billion since 2019, including a $1.4 billion investment announced in December to fast track the acquisition of six fully operational aircraft.

The Ghost Bat has a range of more than 3,700 kilometres, and was designed to work in tandem with other piloted aircraft.

For instance, it can be deployed to protect and support traditional military assets, such as F-35 fighter jets, in contested environments.

Marcus Hellyer, head of research at defence think tank Strategic Analysis Australia, said having uncrewed aircraft such as Ghost Bats surrounding expensive jets would be beneficial.

"I'm quite open to options like Ghost Bat, because when you look at F-35s, they cost US$150 million a pop," he told the ABC.

"So anything we can do to generate a force multiplier effect is a good thing."

The government has described the drone as among its "low-cost, expendable" systems.

But Dr Hellyer flagged that Ghost Bats were still on the more expensive side compared to the cheap, mass-produced drones used in other conflicts.

A Ghost Bat reportedly costs between $12 million and $15 million per unit.

"So, we're not exactly talking the kind of mass-producible stuff that we are seeing in Ukraine and the Middle East," he said.

The Ghost Bat can perform intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, electronic warfare and strike operations.

It was designed to carry a range of payloads, which can be swapped out through its reconfigurable nose depending on the mission.

Overall, about $8 billion will be allocated to uncrewed air systems.

The MQ-4C Triton is among the other remotely-piloted aircraft Australia is investing in.

Developed by the US, the Triton is also a larger drone, with a range of about 15,000km.

"The endurance of the Triton means that it can stay airborne for longer than a traditional aircraft where the pilot is inside," according to the Department of Defence.

It will be used primarily to support maritime patrol.

The extra-large Ghost Shark

Resembling a mini submarine, the Ghost Shark is classed as an extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle (XLAUV).

But just how extra large the drone is has not been disclosed.

Other details, such as its maximum range, speed, and endurance, are also limited.

Jennifer Parker, a former naval officer and maritime security expert at the Australian National University National Security College, said the secrecy was intentional.

"One of the things you'll find about the Ghost Shark is there is not a lot of information about it," she said.

"That is intentionally kept secret behind closed doors, because we don't want our potential adversaries to know everything about its capability, including exactly how many we're getting."

(continued)

>>24512238

2/2

Development of the Ghost Shark began in Australia in 2022 for the Royal Australian Navy.

Last year, the Defence Department announced it was investing $1.7 billion on a fleet of the underwater drones, without specifying how many would be acquired.

The Ghost Shark is capable of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) and strike operations.

Ms Parker said the IRS capabilities would allow it to track what was happening underwater, and also potentially on land.

The Ghost Shark can also carry various payloads in a section of the drone that can be "readily reconfigurable", according to the manufacturer Anduril.

"They haven't said what type of weapons, but you can assume it has the capability to deploy torpedoes," Ms Parker said.

"So it would have the ability to take out ships and even submarines."

Ms Parker said the drones would be a beneficial addition to the navy.

The systems would not replace crewed submarines, but could create a broader range of capabilities to help understand what was happening below the water.

"Investing in larger uncrewed underwater systems like Ghost Shark is the right call," Ms Parker said.

"They give Australia greater reach and persistence in our maritime approaches without the cost and risk of deploying crewed submarines."

About $4.8-$5.8 billion is being dedicated to autonomous and uncrewed undersea warfare capabilities over the next decade.

On the smaller end of the spectrum, the navy has been acquiring dozens of Bluebottle uncrewed surface vessels.

The fleets are used for surface and sub-surface surveillance over extended periods of time, but can also carry payloads.

The Bluebottle is powered by the sun, wind and waves, and can cover long distances.

Drones still 'not the main game'

The use of drones by both sides in the war between Ukraine and Russia has reshaped the battlefield.

Cheap uncrewed aerial vehicles flood the skies on the frontlines and are used in long-range attacks across cities.

Ukraine's constant innovation in drone technology has given its military an edge, dealing major blows to Russia's army.

Iran has also been launching low-cost attack drones in large volumes, evading the US and Israel's sophisticated air defences across the Middle East.

University of New South Wales senior lecturer in aviation Oleksandra Molloy, an expert in drone warfare, said the government's drone announcements indicated a "necessary and positive shift".

But she hoped there would be more focus on building up Australia's smaller drone fleets.

"I want to see the balance between the systems," Dr Molloy told ABC Radio Sydney.

"So far, we do see investment into the large and exquisite systems like Ghost Bat and Ghost Shark, which are absolutely important.

"But after four years into the war in Ukraine, we see that not necessarily the expensive systems, but more mass, speed, and adaptability of larger and smaller cheaper drones of various types really make a difference."

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said with drone numbers, the "key thing is to get the balance right".

"The key thing is to develop the industrial capability in the country to produce them and to have a rapid turnaround cycle," he said in an interview with Sky News.

"We don't want to order hundreds and thousands of drones that then just sit on shelves."

Dr Hellyer pointed to the investment, saying the amount dedicated to boosting Australia's drone capabilities was minimal compared to other projects.

"You get the sense it's not the main game," he said.

"It's still sort of small change that's left down the back of the couch after we've paid this year's instalment on the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines or the Hunter Class Frigates."

He said he did not believe the Australian Defence Force should be replacing conventional military power with drones, but there needed to be a more balanced distribution of defence spending.

"Those traditional crude systems are still relevant, they're still important, but in order for them to do their jobs and to survive, they need to be surrounded by a constellation of uncrewed autonomous systems," Dr Hellyer said.

"You need those autonomous systems at scale."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-18/australia-military-drone-warfare-push-ghost-bat-ghost-shark/106563072

>>24474213

Ben Roberts-Smith granted bail in Sydney court

Michaela Whitbourn - April 17, 2026

1/2

Ben Roberts-Smith has been granted bail after being charged with war crimes over the alleged murders of five unarmed detainees in Afghanistan.

Judge Greg Grogin granted the former Special Air Service corporal bail after a hearing in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Friday. His release, after 10 days in custody, is subject to a series of strict conditions.

Roberts-Smith, dressed in prison greens, appeared at the bail hearing via audiovisual link from Silverwater’s Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre.

Outside Silverwater Correctional Complex, a lone Roberts-Smith supporter waved a placard at passing traffic. “Free Ben Roberts Smith,” the sign read.

Grogin said the court needed to be satisfied, in part, that there were “exceptional circumstances” justifying bail.

He said there was no dispute the offences with which Roberts-Smith were charged were serious and, if proven, would lead to a lengthy prison sentence.

But he made clear that bail was “not punitive in nature” and Roberts-Smith was entitled to the presumption of innocence.

The matter would take “years to get before the court”, Grogin said, and Roberts-Smith would “surely” spend years in custody if he was not released on bail.

He said Commonwealth secrecy provisions might “severely restrict” visits by Roberts-Smith’s legal team to a correctional facility, and “severely restrict access to material against” him.

Grogin said there was “no way anyone today can predict what the outcome of the trial would be”, when it would be, or “if” it would be.

Bail conditions were sufficient to ameliorate risks raised by Commonwealth prosecutors and there were exceptional circumstances, he said.

Roberts-Smith is subject to tight travel restrictions and is not to contact any prosecution witness directly or indirectly.

“One acceptable person is to enter into an agreement, and deposit security, to forfeit $250,000 if the applicant fails to comply with his bail acknowledgement,” Grogin said.

Roberts-Smith’s barrister, Slade Howell, had told the Local Court his client’s defamation proceedings, which resulted in findings on the balance of probabilities that he committed war crimes in Afghanistan, were “not criminal proceedings”.

The defamation case was “decided on a body of evidence that is likely to be nothing like the body of evidence in this case”, Howell said.

“By the time all the evidence is disclosed or otherwise produced, we say a very different picture may emerge as to the strength of this case.

“The court should be conscious of this because there are many unknowns at this stage.”

‘Substantial surety’ offered

Howell said Roberts-Smith’s father, former judge Len Roberts-Smith, was offering a “substantial surety with a deposit”. The suggestion the former elite soldier was a flight risk was “fanciful”, Howell said.

Howell raised the prospect the Supreme Court may be asked to consider whether “the extraordinary pre-trial publicity surrounding these allegations … means that a fair trial of the allegations is simply not possible”.

“The prosecution of these allegations will take many, many years and will have many twists and turns,” he said.

The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions opposed bail being granted. Barrister Simon Buchen, SC, appearing for the CDPP, said the application did not involve “wholly untested” allegations.

The charges were among “the most serious known to the criminal law”, Buchen said.

(continued)

>>24512269

2/2

‘Gravely serious’ allegations

The “gravely serious” allegations involved Roberts-Smith killing or directing subordinates to kill unarmed detainees who were under the control of Australian forces.

Buchen said Roberts-Smith had made “advanced plans to relocate overseas” and it “appears from the evidence that consideration was being given to moving to various destinations overseas”.

The evidence suggested Roberts-Smith was “on the cusp of attempting to relocate overseas and that a decision had been made to withhold that information from the authorities with whom he had been in contact”, he said.

While the CDPP did not concede that conditional bail should be granted, Buchen said prosecutors did not dispute the contention by Roberts-Smith’s legal team that “sufficiently stringent bail conditions could ameliorate the risk of flight”.

However, he said the evidence suggested there was a “risk that the applicant will interfere with witnesses or evidence”. The CDPP was of the view this could not be ameliorated with bail conditions, but Grogin disagreed.

Buchen said the “key difference” between the defamation and criminal proceedings was “what is at stake” for Roberts-Smith, and the “consequences are of a more profound gravity altogether”.

Roberts-Smith seeks public funding

Roberts-Smith applied for funding from the Afghanistan Inquiry Legal Assistance Scheme to cover his criminal defence, but has not yet received approval.

The legal assistance scheme is administered by the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department. It provides financial assistance for reasonable legal representation and related costs, such as administration costs and travel, to eligible members or former members of the Defence Force.

Roberts-Smith was arrested at Sydney Airport last Tuesday after a joint investigation between the Office of the Special Investigator (OSI) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

Those eligible for funding from the scheme include current or former ADF members “charged with a crime in relation to matters that are the subject of the AFP or OSI Afghanistan investigation”.

Caps apply to the amount that may be recovered under the scheme. According to the most recent rates available publicly, dated September 2021, the maximum rate for a senior solicitor including a partner is $550 an hour up to a maximum daily rate of $3000 for six hours.

Roberts-Smith was charged last week with five counts of the Commonwealth offence of war crime – murder over the alleged killing of five unarmed detainees while he was on deployment in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. The offences must be tried before a jury, and carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Three of the five counts involve an allegation of aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the offence of war crime – murder. In addition, he is charged with one count of war crime – murder, and one count of joint commission of war crime – murder.

Under the offence, the alleged perpetrator must cause the death of a person who was “neither taking an active part in the hostilities nor are members of an organised armed group”, when they knew or were reckless about the circumstances establishing that the person was not engaged in hostilities.

“Incidental” deaths that were not expected by the alleged perpetrator may not be caught by the offence.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/nsw/ben-roberts-smith-seeks-taxpayer-funding-for-criminal-defence-20260416-p5zogk.html

>>24512280

2/2

Prosecution case strong, court told

Simon Buchen SC, representing the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, relied on the seriousness of the charges, the number of charges, and the apparent strength of the Crown case as he opposed the bail application.

He told the court one of the allegations was supported by "numerous witnesses", including some from the Australian Defence Force.

The Crown accepted that Mr Roberts-Smith's lawyers made contact with authorities, prior to his arrest, indicating they were prepared to facilitate the charging process by going to a police station.

But Mr Buchen said the breadth of that submission was "difficult to reconcile" with evidence that Mr Roberts-Smith had considered moving abroad.

Mr Buchen also referred to the defamation proceedings and said the fact that Mr Roberts-Smith gave evidence in that case will "likely have an impact in terms of confining the evidentiary landscape".

He suggested the prosecution brief of evidence would be "substantially served" by the end of July, which Mr Howell refuted.

The Victoria Cross recipient appeared via video link in a Sydney court from Silverwater Correctional Complex, wearing a green prison jumper.

He sat quietly and listened to the bail arguments as his parents, Len and Sue Roberts-Smith, sat in the front row of the public gallery in court.

As his parents left the court, Mrs Roberts-Smith was asked how excited she was to see him.

"Very," she replied.

When asked what her message to him was, she said: "He knows, I love my son."

Supporters gather outside court

A number of supporters gathered outside Silverwater Correctional Complex and the courthouse on Friday.

Veteran Trevor Stewart said he believed the federal government did not support Australia's servicemen and women "as well as they should".

"I just think it is really unfair," he said of the proceedings.

"I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-17/ben-roberts-smith-bail-result-over-allegations-of-war-crimes/106572566

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

>>24512317

2/2

Along with his parents, who fronted the $250,000 surety for his release, Roberts-Smith was supported by a smattering of supporters inside the courtroom.

Walking out of court following the bail decision, his mother Sue Roberts-Smith told media she supported her son. “I love him,” she said.

Veteran and supporter Trevor Stewart, who attended the proceedings, criticised the cost of bringing the criminal charges.

“He was following orders,” Stewart said outside court, arguing the investigators looking into the allegations weren’t present.

Stewart said he was surprised there weren’t more supporters present, noting the issue had “divided” the veteran community.

A ‘different picture’

Roberts-Smith’s defence team argued he should be granted bail due to the complexity and potential delays in the proceedings, including the need to assess national security documents.

“The prosecution of these allegations will take many, many years and have many twists and turns,” his barrister Slade Howell said.

The defence also said the information to emerge from the criminal trial would be vastly different to what was heard in the long-running defamation trial launched against this masthead.

“By the time all the evidence is disclosed or procured, we say a very different picture may emerge as to the strength of the case,” Howell said.

Roberts-Smith’s lawyers said their client was highly likely to comply with bail conditions, having known for “several years” that he was under criminal investigation and having always returned home after travelling abroad.

Howell suggested Roberts-Smith and his legal team be restricted from knowing details about witnesses and when they were providing statements, noting that more than one witness was “firmly in the prosecution camp” and had been given indemnity.

“If the applicant was foolish enough to attempt to contact, that would be quickly reported and the applicant arrested,” Howell said.

Barrister Simon Buchen, SC, appearing for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, said the prosecution relied upon the “gravely serious” nature of the charges, the maximum penalty of life imprisonment, and the strength of the Crown case to argue against bail.

“Forensic evidence, including marks on the wrists of detainees showing evidence of their detention prior to their execution, a large amount of documentation sourced from the Australian Defence Force, and evidence of conduct following the alleged five murders,” the prosecution said.

Grogin said the risks could be managed by the bail conditions, including restricting his travel out of Queensland unless for legal or medical appointments. Roberts-Smith has been restricted from contacting witnesses or those involved with the coming proceedings. He must surrender his passport and can only use one phone and one laptop, the details of which must be provided to police.

Grogin said Roberts-Smith had previously been placed under telephone intercepts, visual surveillance and monitoring that was likely to continue.

Roberts-Smith will next face court on June 5.

Outside Silverwater Correctional Complex, a lone Roberts-Smith supporter waved a placard at passing traffic. “Free Ben Roberts Smith”, the sign read.

The high-profile arrest

The decorated former special forces soldier was arrested on April 7 at Sydney Airport after his plane had touched down from Brisbane, before being transferred to Silverwater Correctional Complex. He had been travelling with his twin teenage daughters and girlfriend Sarah Matulin.

He was charged following a five-year investigation by the Office of the Special Investigator and the Australian Federal Police, examining allegations that Roberts-Smith had executed, or ordered the execution of, five Afghan prisoners and civilians between 2009 and 2012.

It’s expected two dozen SAS soldiers will be subpoenaed to give evidence for the prosecution in the Supreme Court of NSW.

Their testimony will be about what they knew of allegations that Roberts-Smith had executed, or ordered the execution, of five Afghan prisoners and civilians.

Others are also understood to be under active investigation for their own alleged involvement in the deaths crimes.

The court case is expected to proceed over the next two years or more.

The families of the alleged victims said they had lost faith in the Australian justice system for the delays in bringing charges but said last week they were “happy” justice was finally being done.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/roberts-smith-sat-impassively-as-judge-revealed-exceptional-circumstances-to-release-him-20260416-p5zoe7.html

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

>>24512324

2/2

Mr Howell pointed out that the case of Oliver Schulz – the only other former soldier charged with war crimes – was in the local court for over three years before it was committed for trial in the NSW Supreme Court.

“The allegations all involve highly contested matters of fact. They concerned events which took place overseas in a war zone between 14 and 17 years ago. There have been different things said about each of the incidents by different people at different times over many years,” Mr Howell said.

The body of evidence in the Federal Court defamation case brought by Mr Roberts-Smith would be very different from the evidence brought in the criminal case, he said.

“It’s not clear that the parties in the Federal Court even had the entire mission briefs, or any national security information designated highly sensitive or codeword information.”

Mr Howell said the prospect that Mr Roberts-Smith is a flight risk was “fanciful”.

“If he doesn’t have his passport, he isn’t going anywhere. For some time he had been offering to co-operate with the OSI (Office of the Special Investigator) by surrendering to them by appointment.”

It was difficult to see what advantage Mr Roberts-Smith would gain from attempting to interfere with witnesses because if he was “foolish enough to attempt to contact one or more of them, that contact would be promptly reported” and he would be rearrested, Mr Howell submitted.

The Commonwealth opposed bail on the grounds of the danger that Mr Roberts-Smith may attempt to contact witnesses.

Counsel for the Commonwealth, Simon Buchen SC, said the charges were “amongst the most serious known to the criminal law”.

He claimed that there was evidence that Mr Roberts-Smith “was on the cusp of attempting to relocate overseas” and had withheld that from the authorities.

Mr Buchen accepted the defence submission that sufficiently stringent bail conditions would ameliorate the risk of flight. but argued the evidence from the defamation case brought by Mr Roberts-Smith against the Nine newspapers demonstrated “a willingness and capacity on the part of the applicant to subvert court processes and to seek to conceal his conduct”.

“The examples include threatening or discouraging potential witnesses through third parties, colluding with potential witnesses, destroying evidence and using burner phones or encrypted communications,” Mr Buchen said.

“The prosecution submits that this evidence gives rise to a risk, which is an unacceptable risk which cannot be ameliorated by the bail conditions proposed.”

The prosecution did not concede that conditional bail should be granted but if it was to be granted then it should be on strict conditions.

In response, Mr Howell said the Commonwealth’s submission that a full breath of evidence could be served by July was “frankly extraordinary” given the amount of national security information to be dealt with.

Regarding the claims that Mr Roberts-Smith had used burner phones and acted in an improper manner, Mr Howell said that “must be understood as having been a reaction in large part to what the applicant perceived to be people telling lies.”

In granting bail, Judge Grogin commented that if Mr Roberts-Smith did approach witnesses, “his arrest would no doubt come very swiftly and he would find himself once again donned in green”.

The war crimes trial is unlikely to reach the NSW Supreme Court until at least 2029 because of the complexity of the issues.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/ben-robertssmith-fights-for-freedom-ahead-of-war-crimes-trial/news-story/f74ee71d41ae7b5030aa891dd9bb53c3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2osBCcj0HL8

>>24474213

>>24512269

‘Executions’ and immunity: prosecutors give soldiers deals to testify against Ben Roberts-Smith

STEPHEN RICE - 18 April 2026

1/2

In a stunning development in Ben Roberts-Smith’s impending war crimes trial, prosecutors have ­revealed that four Australian ­soldiers who have admitted ­complicity in executing detainees have been granted immunity from prosecution in return for their evidence.

The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions has provided formal undertakings to the four witnesses, three of whom – identified by the court pseudonyms Person 4, Person 56 and Person 66 – are directly involved in the Roberts-Smith prosecution.

The move to admit evidence from soldiers given immunity for their role in multiple murders is likely to be strongly challenged by Mr Roberts-Smith’s defence team. The revelations in the CDPP’s statement of facts came as the Victoria Cross recipient was granted bail after spending 10 days in Silverwater prison, following his arrest last week on five charges of murdering unarmed detainees during his service in Afghanistan with the SAS. Mr Roberts-Smith was released late on Friday, giving a thumbs up to waiting media as he was driven away from the Sydney prison by his smiling partner, Sarah Matulin.

While many of the allegations in the statement of facts were aired during the failed defamation case Mr Roberts-Smith brought against the Nine/Fairfax newspapers, the newly released document sheds light on the witnesses who will be central to the prosecution’s case.

It was alleged in the defamation case that Mr Roberts-Smith was directly involved in the “blooding” of several junior troopers, including Persons 4, 56 and 66, whose testimonies now appear to form the backbone of the prosecution. “Each of these witnesses has admitted their personal involvement in executing one or more detainees at the direction or with the complicity of Roberts-Smith,” the statement says. In each instance, Mr Roberts-Smith was their military superior.

“These witnesses have provided written accounts of their ­actions. Each details other murders they witnessed.”

Recollection key

The Office of the Special Investigator has acknowledged that the case will depend on the recollection of witnesses from a war zone almost 20 years ago in the absence of any forensic or crime scene ­evidence.

Person 4 was an SASR trooper on his first Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) deployment in 2009 and, as the junior member of his patrol, he was referred to as “The Rookie”.

During a mission to a compound named Whiskey 108 in April 2009, according to the statement of facts, an elderly Afghan man named Mohammad Essa and his son Ahmadullah, who wore a prosthetic leg, were discovered hiding in a tunnel and handcuffed.

Mr Roberts-Smith allegedly ordered Person 4 to shoot Essa, which he allegedly did, later boasting that they had “blooded the rookie”.

“Person 4 has made admissions to killing Mohammad Essa at Whiskey 108,” according to the statement of facts.

Person 4 was also present at another of the centrepiece allegations made by the Nine/Fairfax newspapers, that Mr Roberts-Smith had kicked a handcuffed villager named Ali Jan off a 10m-high cliff in the village of Darwan before the injured man was shot by another trooper.

Person 4 was not required to give evidence about the alleged killing at Whiskey 108 in the defamation case, but instead gave evidence about Mr Roberts-Smith’s actions in Darwan.

It appears Person 4 has been given immunity for his role in the alleged Whiskey 108 killing in return for his testimony about Mr Roberts-Smith’s actions in both incidents.

But Person 4’s credibility is likely to be challenged by the defence as it emerged during the defamation case that he has a long history of mental health issues and a long-held animosity to Mr Roberts-Smith.

Person 4 was said to be aggrieved because Mr Roberts-Smith was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at the battle of Tizak, where Person 4 also fought.

(continued)

>>24512331

2/2

‘Shoot him’

Person 66 was another junior soldier allegedly manipulated into committing a war crime on his first operational mission.

During a clearance operation in the village of Syahchow in October 2012, Mr Roberts-Smith is alleged to have commanded Person 66: “Shoot him.”

Person 66 then fired into the captive’s chest, killing him. To cover up the execution and simulate a legitimate engagement, Mr Roberts-Smith allegedly then tossed a fragmentation grenade at the bodies.

Person 66’s admission provides the foundation for the prosecution’s claim that official post-mission reporting for the Syahchow operation was deliberately fabricated.

Double execution

In September 2012, in a mission in the Shah Wali Kot area, two suspected Taliban insurgents were taken prisoner. They were moved to a nearby location where Person 56 was directed by Mr Roberts-Smith to execute one of the detainees and did so, according to the statement of facts.

Two months later Mr Roberts-Smith and his team were on a mission in Fasil when they were handed four detainees who had been intercepted in a Toyota HiLux.

Mr Roberts-Smith allegedly called Person 56 into a room in a compound with two of the detainees, where it is alleged Person 56 shot the older of the two at the direction of Mr Roberts-Smith, while Mr Roberts-Smith shot the younger man. As the older male had not been immediately killed, Mr Roberts-Smith then allegedly fired at him as well.

The prosecution’s case will be that executions were followed by meticulous cover-ups, the deaths disguised as lawful engagements through the use of “throwdowns” – weapons or communication devices planted on bodies to manufacture compliance with the rules of engagement.

During his defamation trial, Mr Roberts-Smith vehemently denied any knowledge of war crimes, insisting he strictly adhered to the rules of engagement and trained his men to do the same.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/sas-soldiers-granted-immunity-for-alleged-murders-to-testify-against-robertssmith/news-story/48b9d2c7ff5c8aac3aacc0f34f2f9ae9

>>24474213

>>24512269

Ben Roberts-Smith prosecution for alleged war crimes complex, legal expert says

Victoria Pengilley - 18 April 2026

1/2

A legal expert says the criminal prosecution of former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith will test Australia's war crimes legal framework in ways never seen before, as the case moves towards a trial.

Australia's most decorated living soldier has been charged with five counts of war crime murder, alleged to have occurred during tours in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012.

Prosecutors allege the victims were unarmed Afghan nationals not taking part in hostilities, shot by Mr Roberts-Smith or by soldiers acting under his orders.

The Victoria Cross recipient consistently denied the allegations throughout a high-stakes civil defamation case against Nine newspapers, which he lost in 2023.

Mr Roberts-Smith was on Friday granted bail after a Sydney court found the potential risks of him leaving the country or interfering with evidence and witnesses could be addressed through strict conditions.

Local Court Judge Greg Grogin said it would likely take years to resolve the matter, which Mr Roberts-Smith's lawyers described as "unprecedented and unchartered legal territory".

First modern war crime trial in decades

Australian National University professor of international law Donald Rothwell said nothing like this had come before Australian courts for years.

"We haven't had a contemporary modern war crimes trial in Australia for decades," he said.

The charges were brought under a legal framework updated when Australia ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which expanded laws around the investigation and prosecution of war crimes.

Professor Rothwell said under that framework Australia was obligated to prosecute its own citizens for alleged war crimes rather than leave the matter to international bodies.

"Australia incurs obligations to prosecute Australians who have allegedly committed war crimes or crimes against humanity," he said.

Because Australia has established its own investigative and prosecutorial process, Professor Rothwell said the International Criminal Court (ICC) would have no jurisdiction over the case, even in the event of an acquittal.

Mr Roberts-Smith is the second Australian serviceman charged under that framework.

Former soldier Oliver Schulz was the first to be charged and faces trial in early 2027.

Professor Rothwell said both cases would break new ground in Australian legal history.

Civil versus criminal standard of proof

The Office of the Special Investigator led the investigation into Mr Roberts-Smith alongside the Australian Federal Police (AFP), which started in 2021.

It was one of more than 50 investigations involving alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, 39 of which were finalised.

Investigators were unable to access crime scenes, physical evidence, or witnesses on the ground in Afghanistan, with the prosecution expected to rely heavily on witness testimony.

"All of those factors add immense complexity to the prosecution and then, ultimately, for a judge and a jury in terms of being absolutely convinced beyond reasonable doubt," Professor Rothwell said.

He said each separate charge would require its own body of evidence, meaning the scale of the task facing prosecutors is significant.

"Each one of them will involve voluminous amounts of evidence," he said.

(continued)

>>24512339

2/2

Professor Rothwell also warned against drawing conclusions from the 2023 defamation case, where Federal Court judge Justice Anthony Besanko found that on the balance of probabilities, Nine's published allegations were substantially true.

"A great deal of caution needs to be applied in comparing the civil case to the criminal case," he said.

He said the defamation trial used a lower legal standard with a criminal trial requiring a higher standard of proof - beyond reasonable doubt.

"The civil standard is of a much lower threshold and most importantly, the judge in the civil case did not need to consider the breadth and depth of possible evidence that might have been available, most particularly evidence that might've been available in Afghanistan," Professor Rothwell said.

Mr Roberts-Smith has consistently denied the allegations, saying the allegations are egregious and spiteful.

Lawful or unlawful killing

Professor Rothwell said that the central argument the prosecution was likely to put forward was drawing a distinction between lawful combat and unlawful killing.

Court documents show two of Mr Roberts-Smith's charges relate to the deaths of two men in Uruzgan province in 2009.

Another charge relates to the death of a man in Darwan in 2012, who Mr Roberts-Smith is accused of aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring someone else to intentionally cause his death.

He is accused of being involved in two other murders at Syahchow in 2012.

Mr Roberts-Smith is yet to enter pleas to the charges.

As a soldier, Mr Roberts-Smith was legally entitled to use lethal force in an armed conflict.

But the charges allege that force was directed at civilians who posed no threat during hostilities, rather than at enemy forces.

That, Professor Rothwell said, would be the critical question put forward during trial.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-18/ben-roberts-smith-legal-case-explained/106571908

https://www.cdpp.gov.au/attorney-general-cth-v-benjamin-roberts-smith

>>24474213

>>24512269

The Ben Roberts-Smith photograph Corrective Services tried to stop

Riley Walter and Sam Mooy - APRIL 18, 2026

1/2

The arrival of a silver Audi SUV at Silverwater Correctional Complex was the first sign of movement.

For hours, a growing media pack had patiently waited outside the jail for a glimpse of Australia’s most decorated living soldier, seen only fleetingly since his arrest on war crimes charges on April 7.

When Ben Roberts-Smith’s girlfriend, Sarah Matulin, drove through the camera flashes and approached the designated pick-up point for released inmates, the moment seemed to have arrived.

But as reporters and photographers readied themselves, a cunning plan involving Corrective Services NSW officers to whisk Roberts-Smith out of the sprawling complex and away from the cameras was under way.

Throughout Friday, inmates released from Silverwater had discarded their prison greens, collected a small bag of personal belongings and trudged out of the western Sydney facility.

None were escorted out, and all were forced to make the long walk past the media pack on foot; no special treatment was offered. The same could not be said for the accused murderer.

Long before Judge Greg Grogin granted the 47-year-old bail during an hours-long hearing in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court, arrangements were being made to help Roberts-Smith give the media the slip.

A longstanding agreement allows media to wait at a designated point near the prison’s main entrance. Corrective Services NSW officers throughout the day asked members of the media, who obliged, to remain on grassed areas either side of the entry and exit to the facility and clear of nearby footpaths. Maintaining that position, they said, would ensure the safety of both the media and Roberts-Smith as he left the complex.

But just after 5.30pm – about 30 minutes after Matulin had driven into the gated section of the prison – officers formed a convoy and began escorting the disgraced former Special Air Service corporal out the back exit. Footage shows a vehicle carrying several Corrective Services officers preparing to escort Roberts-Smith from the facility.

Shortly after, several vehicles followed Roberts-Smith, sitting in the passenger seat of an Audi Q7 being driven by Matulin, out of the facility and along Jamieson Street – a public road – bordering Silverwater’s eastern perimeter. As Roberts-Smith left the complex, a white 4WD blocked off Jamieson Street, which leads to a public park on the banks of the Parramatta River, to prevent him from being followed. Footage shows the 4WD leaving the complex at the head of the convoy.

Media tracked Roberts-Smith’s exit via a live chopper feed. The Herald, suspecting the 47-year-old may try to evade media, was positioned on Jamieson Street as his taxpayer-funded convoy approached. A team of Herald photographers positioned at the front of the complex captured Matulin’s entrance and tracked the convoy’s exit.

As Roberts-Smith’s vehicle approached the end of Jamieson Street, a black ute that had exited Silverwater behind him veered off the road and into the path of the Herald’s moving vehicle, blocking it. As the Herald tried to manoeuvre around the vehicle, photographer Sam Mooy dashed towards Roberts-Smith, capturing an iconic photograph of the accused murderer.

(continued)

>>24512378

2/2

Mooy captured several exclusive images of Roberts-Smith and Matulin as they sat at an intersection, inadvertently blocked by a vehicle waiting to turn right, despite two correctional officers attempting to stop him photographing the 47-year-old. The Herald did not block Roberts-Smith’s path.

Footage of the interaction shows one officer physically pushing Mooy’s camera as she blocks his line of sight. “Stop, stop, you can’t take pictures,” an officer shouted.

After the Audi Roberts-Smith was travelling in turned left onto Holker Street towards Olympic Park, a convoy of several other cars followed the 47-year-old, attempting to stop media outlets from photographing him.

The white ute carrying the officers who had tried to block Mooy’s path escorted Roberts-Smith for several minutes after he had left the vicinity of the complex.

In response to questions about the escort, Corrective Services NSW said it was reviewing the handling of Roberts-Smith’s departure from Silverwater.

“Due to high levels of public interest and a large number of people surrounding the centre, a risk assessment determined the protocols and security measures required for the safe passage of the high-profile inmate from custody, ensuring the safety of both the inmate and the public,” a department spokesperson said, adding that community and staff safety was one of the department’s top priorities.

Corrections Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said he expected any breaches of policy or protocol identified in the review to be addressed appropriately.

“The arrangements in place were focused on reducing risk and ensuring everyone involved, including members of the public, remained safe,” he said.

It is unclear what reprimands officers involved in Roberts-Smith’s departure could face.

Roberts-Smith, who faces five counts of war crime – murder over the alleged killing of unarmed Afghan detainees, is required to report to police three times a week under strict bail conditions.

Roberts-Smith and Matulin did not fly out of Sydney on Friday night, instead they drove north for several hours. Roberts-Smith will next face court on June 5.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/the-ben-roberts-smith-photograph-corrective-services-tried-to-stop-20260418-p5zozl.html

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXQgCJ3kROF/

>>24512388

2/2

America’s top military commander, General Dan Caine, meanwhile, announced US warships would expand their policing operations beyond the strait and seize contraband, including weapons, metals and electronics that could aid the Iranian regime to wage war.

“The joint force, through operations and activities in other areas of responsibility, like the Pacific area of responsibility … will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran,” Caine told a press conference at the Pentagon.

“This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil.”

Although weapons and military equipment are absolute contraband, US forces could also seize oil, iron, steel, aluminium and other items as “conditional contraband” that could be used for both civilian and military purposes.

The move brought the war closer to the Indo-Pacific region and issued a warning to countries such as China, a major importer of Iranian oil, which has denied a media report that it planned to transfer weapons to Iran to help it rebuild its stock.

In a case of good cop, bad cop, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that the US would restart combat operations “at the push of a button” if Iran failed to come to a deal – only for Trump to say hours later the deal was close.

Trump also said Iran had offered not to have nuclear weapons for more than 20 years, and he was prepared to go to Islamabad to sign the deal. The first round of talks collapsed last Sunday after Iran refused to buckle to US demands to give up its nuclear program.

Oil prices fell on Friday and Asian stocks headed for a second week of strong gains on optimism the Middle East conflict could be nearing an end, even though the strait remained effectively closed.

A ceasefire in Lebanon went into effect on Thursday and Trump said he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese counterpart Joseph Aoun and planned to invite them to the White House for “meaningful talks” that could happen over the next week or two.

Iran has insisted that any peace deal should also cover the fighting in Lebanon. The ceasefire was part of an understanding reached with the US and mediated by Pakistan, Iranian media reported, citing a foreign ministry spokesperson.

https://www.afr.com/world/middle-east/us-threatens-to-seize-ships-supplying-iran-as-truce-reached-in-lebanon-20260417-p5zolg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlzz1DXWLwA

>>24355021

>>24494409

>>24512388

>>24512402

Australia joins UK-France military mission to police Strait of Hormuz

STELLA MCKENNA and LYDIA LYNCH - 18 April 2026

Anthony Albanese says Australia is prepared to support international efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz, warning the global crisis is already being felt at home.

Speaking in Sydney on Saturday, the Prime Minister said the government was “working around the clock” to shield Australians from the fallout.

“Australia remains prepared to provide assistance,” Mr Albanese said, confirming further talks in London would determine what military and diplomatic support the country may contribute.

His comments came after he joined a 49-nation summit led by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, where leaders pushed for de-escalation and the urgent reopening of the vital shipping route.

Australia has already deployed a Wedgetail E-7A aircraft to the region, supporting defensive operations and helping protect Australian citizens in the area.

Mr Albanese said there was a “consistent approach” among global leaders that the strait must remain open.

He warned the impact of the disruption would linger, with delays, damaged infrastructure and ongoing security risks continuing to weigh on global supply chains.

“We want de-escalation. We want safe and open passage of trade … that is in Australia’s interests and in the interests of the world.”

Sir Keir and Mr Macron hosted a virtual summit on Friday night AEST with counterparts from more than 40 countries, including Mr Albanese. Neither the United States nor Iran participated.

Sir Keir said “as soon as conditions allow” a defensive military mission would be launched to “protect freedom of navigation” in the strait, through which 20 per cent of the world’s oil passes in peacetime

He said “over a dozen countries have already offered to contribute assets” adding the operation would be “strictly peaceful and defensive as a mission to reassure commercial shipping and support mine clearance”.

“Reopening the strait is a global necessity and a global responsibility,” Sir Keir said.

Mr Albanese joined the meeting to warn of the far-reaching consequences the war was having on the global economy.

“Australia and our Indo-Pacific partners are experiencing first-hand the impact of unprecedented disruptions to energy supply chains and impact on oil and fuel prices,” he said.

“Here, in Australia, we are working around the clock to shield Australians from the worst of the impacts.

“Australia is calling for the Strait of Hormuz to be fully reopened for all countries.”

Asked earlier this week if Australia could play a role in helping secure trade through the strait with Britain and France, Mr Albanese said “there are discussions taking place”.

“We have said that we want the Strait of Hormuz to be open and we’ve been a signatory, along with other countries, to statements along those lines,” he said.

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has confirmed her country would contribute “naval units” to the “purely defensive” mission. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said it would be “desirable” to have US participation in any mission but his country would “take part in the further military planning discussions that are taking place”.

Shortly after the meeting ended, US President Donald Trump told NATO allies to “stay away” from the Strait of Hormuz.

“Now that the Hormuz Strait situation is over, I received a call from NATO asking if we would need some help,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“I TOLD THEM TO STAY AWAY, UNLESS THEY JUST WANT TO LOAD UP THEIR SHIPS WITH OIL.

“They were useless when needed, a Paper Tiger!”

While the virtual meeting was underway in Paris, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced the Strait of Hormuz would be been “completely open” to commercial shipping during the 10-day Israel-Lebanon ceasefire.

Donald Trump thanked Iran, but said the US navy blockade on Iranian ports would remain “in full force and effect” until his administration’s deal with the regime was “100 per cent complete”.

The Paris talks’ participants welcomed Tehran’s announcement of the strait’s reopening, but urged a “full, unconditional reopening by all the parties”, French President Emmanuel Macron said.

He said the announcement made the multinational mission “all the more important because it is what will allow these announcements to be consolidated in the short term and, above all, to have a chance of lasting.”

Mr Macron said the coalition would meet again next week.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/australia-could-join-ukfrance-military-mission-to-police-strait-of-hormuz/news-story/1e5d37e7faa08b05ba8fe10d923268d3

https://x.com/AlboMP/status/2045265967413113040

https://x.com/araghchi/status/2045121573124759713

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116420456436213944

>>24355021

>>24478341

>>24505912

Albanese and Anwar find common ground in defending the Pope against Trump

Lisa Visentin - April 16, 2026

Kuala Lumpur: Separated by religion but united in their support for the Pope, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese backed in his Malaysian counterpart’s veiled criticism of US President Donald Trump’s war on Iran and his attacks on the Catholic leader.

Albanese was in Kuala Lumpur for urgent talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on fuel and food security concerns, triggered by a worsening energy crisis as Iran and the US fight to choke the critical shipping lane through the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking at a joint media conference, the leaders found common ground in defending Pope Leo, who has ignited Trump’s rage for condemning the Iran war, even as the crisis has exposed their conflicting geopolitical leanings when it comes to relationships with Tehran and Moscow.

Albanese described the Pope as a “thoughtful, dignified, and extraordinary person” and a “very significant figure in global affairs” and said he was honoured to have met him last year.

The remarks will be widely interpreted as an implicit rebuke of Trump’s outburst this week when he denounced the pontiff on social media as being “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy”, and posted a since-deleted AI image of himself as a Jesus-like figure.

Anwar, citing his Muslim faith and Albanese’s Catholic upbringing, said the two leaders otherwise shared the Pope’s “desire for peace, for justice, and for an end to atrocities”.

“I think any reasonable or sane person, and even I as a Muslim and Malaysians generally, certainly support the position taken by the Pope,” Anwar said.

Both men refrained from directly condemning Trump for his decision to wage war on Iran in concert with Israel, underscoring the delicate geopolitical tightrope they are walking as they grapple with the downstream consequence of strangled access to oil, diesel, fertiliser and food.

Standing beside his Australian guest, Anwar said he had assured Albanese that Australia would be given “primacy” in access to excess fuel supplies through Malaysia’s state-owned oil giant Petronas, but with the caveat that his own country’s requirements must first be met.

He also defended Malaysia’s “good relations” with Russia and Iran, which have been heavily sanctioned by the US and its allies, when asked for his views on buying oil from the two countries.

“My priority is to protect the interests of the people of this country,” Anwar said.

Malaysia recognises only sanctions imposed by the United Nations, not sanctions imposed by individual countries. It imports hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Russian oil and fuel each year, some of which is sold on to Australia, undermining Canberra’s commitment to sanctions against Moscow for waging war on Ukraine.

Anwar said Malaysia was using its ties with Tehran to advocate for peace and an opening of the strait, but signalled support for Iran’s call for guarantees against future US attacks as part of the negotiations to end the war.

“Whilst supporting the position of freedom of navigation, we also want guarantee from countries, big powers included, to end that animosity and attack and even sanctions against other countries,” he said.

It is a contrast with Australia’s severed relationship with the Islamic Republic, which prompted Canberra to expel Iran’s ambassador last year over the government’s links to antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne.

In Muslim-majority Malaysia, Israel’s war on Gaza is a visceral issue. While Albanese’s decision last year to formally recognise the State of Palestine has been contentious domestically, particularly among Jewish groups, it has been welcomed by Australia’s Muslim Asian neighbours, and drew praise from Anwar.

“I appreciate Australia’s stance on Gaza, calling for an end to hostilities, supporting humanitarian assistance and working towards a lasting resolution. That position matters,” he said.

https://archive.vn/mpCqe

>>24512455

2/2

Families to be notified

“The review of seized imagery is in its final stages.

“If parents do choose to speak to their children, we ask that they speak to them in using open-ended questions and listening to their stories, not attempting to elicit any information.”

The man’s identity and employment history is protected by a non-publication order, and police did not say where the alleged abuse material was produced. He’s accused of years of abuse from 2009 to 2025.

“The AFP is following well-developed and practised processes to ensure that impacted families receive the support they need, while ensuring that evidence is obtained correctly and in the appropriate format for a successful criminal prosecution,” Mr Needham said.

“Further information will be provided directly to impacted families as soon as possible, and there will also be a secure victim portal to receive information, updates and access to support resources.”

An application for an apprehended domestic violence order brought against him ?by police on behalf of an individual? is pending.

The additional charges against the Sydney man come almost a year after Victorian childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown was accused of serial child abuse. The 27-year-old faces 156 charges including sexually penetrating children and producing child abuse material.

Queensland childcare worker Ashley Griffith pleaded guilty in 2024 to 107 offences against 65 Queensland children and was sentenced to life in prison, with a 27-year non-parole period, which he is appealing.

He is yet to face interstate charges for alleged crimes in NSW. The Minns government has lodged a prisoner transfer request for when the Queensland appeal is finalised.

High-profile cases of abuse in for-profit childcare centres drove the Albanese government to announce $189m in safety reforms including a national register of childcare workers. However it has stopped short of calling a royal commission or federal inquiry into the sector.

NSW established an early childhood education and care sector inquiry in March last year, while the Queensland government last December released its ‘In Plain Sight’ report on child safety failures.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/worst-nightmare-137-abuse-charges-hit-sydney-childcare-worker/news-story/f1b801ac9044a864970fb813a9bb1b0b

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kyVbJzDUIE

>>24386729

>>24463109

Australia and Japan seal $10 billion warship deal with 3 Mogami frigates ordered first

Associated Press - Apr 18, 2026

Australia and Japan signed contracts on Saturday to deliver the first three of a $10 billion fleet of Japanese-designed warships, with the first due for delivery in three years.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will build the first three Mogami-class frigates in Japan. Australia plans to build another eight in a shipyard in Western Australia state.

Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his Australian counterpart Richard Marles attended a signing ceremony aboard the Mogami-class frigate JS Kumano, which is part of the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force, docked off the Australian city of Melbourne.

The Kumano had taken part in the recent Exercise Kakadu, biennial multinational maritime drills hosted by Australia.

Australia announced in August last year that the Japanese bid had won the contract to provide Australia's next generation of general purpose frigates over Germany's MEKO A-200 from Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems.

The deal gave a major boost to Japan's still-underdeveloped defence industry after it lost out on Australia's submarine contract to a French company in 2016.

The Japanese-designed fleet will replace Australia's ageing ANZAC-class frigates that are considered increasingly vulnerable to modern missile and drone attack.

Marles said the Japanese frigates were a major step toward delivering Australia with a larger and more lethal surface combat fleet. The first of the Mogami-class frigates is due to arrive in Australia in 2029.

"The timeframe that we've announced is the fastest acquisition of a surface combatant into service in the Royal Australian Navy ever, and so this is a very rapid timeframe," Marles told reporters.

Japan has been accelerating its military build-up while expanding its defence ties beyond its only treaty ally, the United States. It now considers Australia to be a semi-ally.

Marles said Australia welcomed Japan's relaxation of export controls on defence equipment and technology with "trusted partners like Australia".

"Japan is an industrial powerhouse and it offers so much opportunity for Australia and the development of our own defence industry as the Mogami project represents," Marles said.

Koizumi said that the introduction of Japanese vessels into the Australian navy meant "a major step is finally being taken to elevate our bilateral defence cooperation to a greater height".

He said Japan continued to be Australia's "indispensable partner" in a new Australian defence strategy announced this week, in which $53 billion will be added to the defence budget over a decade.

Koizumi said a "decisive factor" in Australia choosing the Japanese frigate was that it could be operated with just 90 personnel, around half the crew of Australia's current ANZAC-class version.

Australia says its Mogami-class frigates will be equipped with surface-to-air and anti-shipping missiles and could operate combat helicopters. They will be crewed by 92 sailors and officers.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/australia-japan-sign-historic-10-billion-warship-deal-with-3-mogami-frigates-ordered-first/0beac358-8c84-4faa-8f6f-01612f310767

>>23959526 (pb)

>>23959526 (pb)

>>24515545

Japan reportedly seals largest-ever postwar defense deal with frigate sale to Australia; move exposes Tokyo’s dangerous overconfidence, risks jeopardizing regional security: experts

Zhao Yusha and Xia Wenxin - Apr 18, 2026

1/2

Tokyo signed a contract on Saturday with Canberra to supply the first three of a planned fleet of 11 upgraded Mogami-class frigates to the Australian Navy, the largest defense export contract in Japan's postwar history, Japan Times reported, and the was described by Reuters as "Tokyo's most consequential military sale since ending a military export ban in 2014," which signals Japan's push away from postwar pacifism and a move "to counter China."

The sale deal risks intensifying an arms race in the Asia-Pacific, Chinese experts said, adding that Japan, by doing so, is misjudging the situation and being overconfident on its part in its capabilities and security environment—assuming it can expand its military role at will without jeopardizing its own security, Chinese experts said.

Australian defense minister Richard Marles and his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi signed a memorandum "reaffirming the Australian and Japanese governments' shared commitment to the successful delivery" of the warships, Marles said in a statement, per Reuters.

Japan's ministry of defense posted on X that "the two ministers confirmed their commitment to further strengthening Japan-Australia defense cooperation, taking into account the announcement of Australia's National Defence Strategy and the conclusion of the contract for Australia's Multi-Role Frigates, among other developments."

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is to supply the Royal Australian Navy with three upgraded Mogami-class multi-role frigates built in Japan from 2029. Eight more frigates will be built in Australia, Reuters reported.

Contracts were signed for the first three frigates, to be built in Japan, before there is a "transition to an onshore build" at the Henderson shipyard near Perth in Western Australia, Marles said, according to Reuters.

Reuters said the deal anchors Japan's push away from its postwar pacifism to forge security ties beyond its alliance with the US to counter China.

Under the current "three principles on transfer of defense equipment and technology", exports of weapons with lethal capabilities are restricted, but transfers are permitted if they are for the purpose of joint development and production. The new vessels are scheduled to be built in Japan initially, effectively amounting to an export of escort ships, Japan's Kyodo News reported.

Japan regards Australia, a US ally, as a "quasi-ally" and places importance on it as a partner in the Indo-Pacific region. Through the joint development of the new vessels, Japan aims to strengthen defense cooperation between the two countries, Kyodo News claimed.

Japan Times also reported that "in a major breakthrough for Japan's defense industry, Tokyo on Saturday reached a landmark agreement with Canberra."

For Japan, the ability to export offensive weapons marks a fundamental breach of the "three principles on transfer of defense equipment and technology", enabling a major step in exporting advanced arms and moving toward becoming a major arms exporter. If such vessels are deployed near the South China Sea, they could also affect China, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times.

It is actually Japan's ulterior motive to exporting weapons to China's neighbors to complicate regional security reality and indirectly counter China, Song pointed out, slamming Japan's dangerous militaristic resurgence.

However, Song believes by doing so, Japan is overconfident in its capabilities of managing the situation - assuming it can expand its military role without risking domestic security. Such misplaced confidence could lead to serious strategic misjudgment, Song added.

(continued)

>>24515562

2/2

It is reported that the Japanese government plans to revise the implementation guidelines for the "three principles on transfer of defense equipment and technology" this month to loosen restrictions on arms export.

On Japan's such attempt, Mao Ning, spokesperson from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on April 7 that China is gravely concerned about Japanese government's plan to revise the "three principles on transfer of defense equipment and technology".

"We urge the Japanese side to deeply reflect on its history of militarist aggression, honor its commitments and act prudently in military and security areas, and stop going further down the wrong path," spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press conference.

Japan has in recent years gradually loosened its arms export restrictions through a "salami-slicing" approach, moving step by step from non-traditional security equipment and radar systems to second-hand vessels, and now to advanced frigates, Zhang Junshe, another Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times.

Zhang said such changes carry notable risks, as fully lifting export controls could intensify an arms race in the Asia-Pacific, heighten regional tensions, and potentially exacerbate disputes by supplying weapons to countries involved in territorial or maritime conflicts. Given Japan's historical background, these developments have raised concern about their implications for regional peace and stability, he added.

Recently, Australia and Japan are eyeing to deepen cooperation on defense field. Last week, Marles and Koizumi held a meeting during which the two exchanged views on the current situation in the Middle East as well as regional circumstances, including those in the Indo-Pacific region, according to a press released published by Japan's ministry of defense.

When covering the deal, Australian news site News.com.au focused on the budget. It said that "Under the agreement, initially costing taxpayers $10bn, the Japanese shipbuilder will produce 11 Mogamis for the Navy…The total end cost of the agreement remains unknown."

Song said that under the umbrella of the US Asia-Pacific strategy, Japan and Australia are growing closer. However, Australia needs to recognize that if it chooses to interfere in East Asian affairs, a place far away from itself, by joining hands with Japan to counter China - it would be seen as a reckless and self-damaging move.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202604/1359211.shtml

>>24515570

2/2

Roberts-Smith thanked his family for their support, and the “millions” of Australians he said had “reached out to me, publicly and privately, to offer their support”.

“It means a great deal to me and is extremely humbling,” he said.

“I understand this is an unprecedented case, and the public interest is huge. The media has a job to do, which they should be allowed to do, but I would ask that the media please allow my family their privacy at this time, particularly my children, who have already unfortunately suffered through a deliberate, sensational arrest that was made last week. An unnecessary spectacle.

“I understand this journey will be long, I understand this journey will be difficult, but I can promise everybody that I have never run from a fight in my life. I will never give up, and I will always be in the fight.”

In granting bail on Friday, Judge Greg Grogin found the expected lengthy delays of the coming trial, coupled with issues conferring with his legal team and accessing sensitive documents from prison, meant Roberts-Smith should be released.

“There is no way anyone today can predict what the outcome of the trial would be,” he said.

His subsequent release from Silverwater is the subject of an internal review after Corrective Services officers actively blocked photographs being taken on the roadside, though NSW Corrections Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said the attempts to avoid media were “focused on reducing risk”.

In 2018, Roberts-Smith launched an unsuccessful civil defamation action against this masthead. The Federal Court determination, upheld by the Full Court of the Federal Court, was that Roberts-Smith had murdered unarmed detainees and civilians.

During Friday’s bail hearing, Roberts-Smith’s barrister Slade Howell said information to emerge from the criminal trial would be vastly different to what was heard in the long-running defamation case.

“By the time all the evidence is disclosed or procured, we say a very different picture may emerge as to the strength of the case,” Howell said.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/accused-war-criminal-ben-roberts-smith-categorically-denies-allegations-20260419-p5zp52.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3fgj5OS04Q

>>24515597

2/2

An application for a permanent stay would not be without precedent. Chris Dawson, the subject of The Australian’s The Teacher’s Pet podcast, argued his proceedings should be stayed on the ground the podcast could disrupt the impartiality of a potential jury.

The Supreme Court rejected that, saying the consequences of the podcast did not outweigh the public interest of a trial. However, the trial was delayed for nine months to relieve his concerns.

Former Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann tried to stay his criminal trial over the rape of Brittany Higgins, arguing the intense publicity meant it would be impossible to find an unbiased jury. His application was also rejected.

Mr Roberts-Smith’s barrister, Slade Howell, on Friday during the bail hearing foreshadowed a possible stay application, saying the Victoria Cross recipient’s case was “exceptional in the sense that it is out of the ordinary”.

“It is very likely in due course that a superior court or courts may need to consider whether the extraordinary pre-trial publicity surrounding these allegations, which has persisted for many years and still persist, means that a fair trial of the allegations are simply not possible,” he said.

“The prosecution of these allegations will take many, many years and will have many twists and turns.”

Mr Howell said the case of Mr Schulz was in the local court for more than three years before it was committed for trial in the NSW Supreme Court.

“The allegations all involve highly contested matters of fact. They concerned events which took place overseas in a war zone between 14 and 17 years ago. There have been different things said about each of the incidents by different people at different times over many years,” he said.

Mr Roberts-Smith is subject to strict bail conditions, including the provision of a surety of $250,000 and surrender of his passport. He is required to report to police three days a week.

He cannot leave Australia under any circumstances or leave Queensland except to travel to Sydney or Perth for the purposes of the case. He is not permitted to approach anyone he served with in Afghanistan.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/ben-robertssmith-to-make-first-public-statement-since-war-crimes-charges/news-story/9a753eaa0bdaaf87c571e719b57341cd

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