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>>7995098

Q Post #3821

>>7991360 (pb)

Who was the 17th Director of the NSA?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/pentagon-and-intelligence-community-chiefs-have-urged-obama-to-remove-the-head-of-the-nsa/2016/11/19/44de6ea6-adff-11e6-977a-1030f822fc35_story.html

Q

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Pentagon and intelligence community chiefs have urged Obama to remove head of NSA

November 19, 2016

The heads of the Pentagon and the nation’s intelligence community have recommended to President Obama that the director of the National Security Agency, Adm. Michael S. Rogers, be removed.

The recommendation, delivered to the White House last month, was made by Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter and Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr., according to several U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

Action has been delayed, some administration officials said, because relieving Rogers of his duties is tied to another controversial recommendation: to create separate chains of command at the NSA and the military’s cyberwarfare unit, a recommendation by Clapper and Carter that has been stalled because of other issues.

The news comes as Rogers is being considered by President-elect Donald Trump to be his nominee for director of national intelligence to replace Clapper as the official who oversees all 17 U.S. intelligence agencies. In a move apparently unprecedented for a military officer, Rogers, without notifying superiors, traveled to New York to meet with Trump on Thursday at Trump Tower. That caused consternation at senior levels of the administration, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal personnel matters.

The White House, Pentagon and Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment. The NSA did not respond to requests for comment. Carter has concerns with Rogers’s performance, officials said. The driving force for Clapper, meanwhile, was the separation of leadership roles at the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command, and his stance that the NSA should be headed by a civilian.

(continued)

Britain’s plan for post-Brexit union with Canada, Australia and New Zealand REVEALED

CANADA could formally propose a non-political union with Britain, Australia and New Zealand within just two years.

The plan, revealed by potential future Canadian PM Erin O’Toole MP on the weekend that Britain left the EU, would see Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK ease migration, bolster defence sharing and increase trade between the four Commonwealth nations. Together the “natural allies” of 136 million people account for more than £4.3trillion in gross national income and around 10 percent of the world’s wealth. They also share close strategic relationships with the US through the “Five eyes” intelligence community, the American, British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Armies' Program and a programme to provide interoperability between navies.

Because of their similar GDPs, the risk of “brain drain” and “wage dumping” caused by EU Freedom of Movement would not be there, say supporters.

The so-called Canzuk plan, an expansion of the Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement currently enjoyed between Australia and New Zealand, already has the backing of Boris Johnson, who last year said: “If we can do something better with Australia, Canada and New Zealand we certainly should.”

Last night Bob Seely MP, chair of the Canzuk All Party Parliamentary Group, confirmed the FCO had started to make plans.

Canada’s Conservative Party, currently in opposition, has already formally adopted the plans.

While Justin Trudeau narrowly scraped a victory in October’s elections, popularity for his Liberal Party minority government is waning, leading to the likelihood of a Conservative victory in 18 months.

Speaking on the weekend that Britain formally left the EU O’Toole, currently in a Conservative leadership contest, said: “There’s a real chance of another general election within the next 18 months. If I become PM I will prioritise Canzuk through PM Johnson and counterparts in Australia and NZ. There’s a potential this would form a very real working group and lead to substantive efforts right out of the gate.

“There is much interest across all four partners. With Brexit and PM Johnson’s majority, it would be likely well received in Britain."

Decisions over migration would be decided by a steering group which would “set the agenda”, he said, adding: “If we get a surge in LNG development in British Columbia, there night be an ability for specialised skilled labour from Britain and Australia and New Zealand. This would be mutually beneficial.

…..

In Australia Sen Eric Abetz, chairman of the foreign affairs committee, said: “I believe this would make us the envy of the world. We might in fact encourage Canzuk members to have reciprocal rights like the EU. For tourists and trade, given our commonality, there's a real scope to have greater free trade.”

He rejected any EU-style political merging between the four sovereign nations.

“This would absolutely not be a political union. I wouldn't want a Canzuk Human Rights court which would determine what Australia or New Zealand parliaments can legislate,” he said.

“We all want to avoid the diminution of democracy. that’s been the cause of so much concern in the UK and elsewhere in Europe about the impact of the EU.

“It’s within the national interest of all four countries to keep each other’s criminals out, or to prevent those who have other debts to respective governments from travelling, but this still leave massive opportunities for 99 percent.

“The more limited approach of Canzuk would get a lot of traction because people would see the many benefits but no downside. We’d continue to remain masters of our own destinies.”

In London Bob Seely MP, who co-authored a report on Cazuk with the Henry Jackson Society think tank, said: “This isn't to replace the Special Relationship with the US, UN or EU.

“This is about the future with four very modern multicultural nations which are very close. It’s about enriching our lives by re-investing in traditional alliances."

He added: “The Foreign Office is looking at it.

“We have the EU and US trade deals to focus on this year. But many of us in Britain and abroad would like to put this plan on the front burner.”

https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1236734/brexit-news-uk-trade-union-canada-australia-new-zealand-Erin-O-Toole-Canzuk-plan

Prince Andrew called his 'victim' Virginia Roberts 'a very sick girl': Duke made insensitive remark just days after she told of her abuse at hands of Royal's paedophile friend Jeffrey Epstein

Prince Andrew described his alleged victim Virginia Roberts as 'a very sick girl', The Mail on Sunday can reveal today.

The Duke made his insensitive remark in a message to a friend and business associate just days after Ms Roberts described the appalling abuse she had suffered at the hands of Andrew's paedophile friend Jeffrey Epstein.

Her shocking revelations – which came in this newspaper – were accompanied by the now-infamous photograph of the Prince with his arm around her waist.

The apparently dismissive comment to his friend – who had asked how Andrew was coping with the scandal –appears to question the mental health and credibility of Ms Roberts, who later claimed she was forced to have sex with Andrew from the age of 17 after being trafficked by Epstein.

Last night a lawyer for clients suing the Epstein estate said: 'Until Andrew talks to the FBI about his relationship with Virginia – and what he knows about the other victims and wrongdoers – it's his credibility at stake, not hers.

'Virginia's mental health is excellent and has been throughout, although it has been severely tested by Andrew and Epstein.'

The revelation comes as:

* The Duke faces mounting demands, including from Ms Roberts, to co-operate with an FBI investigation into Epstein's sordid activities;

* Four of Epstein's other alleged victims urge Andrew to talk to the FBI for the sake of 'your daughters and their children', warning him in a powerful open letter published in today's Mail on Sunday that 'the world is watching';

* This newspaper reveals that the Prince also sent the same associate a repellent 'joke' about breast cancer, raising serious questions about his judgment.

The Duke made both the bad-taste joke and his comment about Ms Roberts' health to his friend Jonathan Rowland in 2011.

The 'very sick girl' slur came in an exchange seen by the MoS. Mr Rowland, the son of controversial property tycoon David Rowland, had contacted Andrew, saying: 'Hope the press isn't getting you down to [sic] much.'

The Duke replied: 'Not at all!… She is a very sick girl apparently. The innuendo is the problem. But there is nothing that one can do for that! Shrug and move on.'

His comment appears to show little sympathy for Ms Roberts, who had bravely waived her anonymity to tell the disturbing story of the years she spent as Epstein's sex slave.

The Duke similarly failed to show sympathy for Epstein's victims during his disastrous BBC interview with Emily Maitlis in November that ultimately led to him quitting Royal duties. During the questioning, Andrew insisted he had no recollection of ever meeting Ms Roberts, now 36 and going by her married surname Giuffre.

But the messages between the Duke and Mr Rowland suggests that Andrew had spoken to someone – possibly billionaire Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell, who is alleged to have procured young girls on Epstein's behalf – about her claims.

Last year it emerged that the Duke asked for Ms Maxwell's help in dealing with Ms Roberts's claims in 2015. In an email uncovered by BBC's Panorama, the Prince wrote: 'Let me know when we can talk. Got some specific questions to ask you about Virginia Roberts.' Ms Maxwell replied: 'Have some info. Call me when you have a moment.'

The exchange with Mr Rowland is one of the few times Andrew has directly referred to Ms Roberts, who claimed she was forced to have sex with the Duke in London, New York and on a private Caribbean island owned by Epstein. She claimed that Andrew bought her alcohol in London's Tramp nightclub in March 2001, when she was 17, before they had sex at Ms Maxwell's home. The Duke, 59, has vehemently denied the allegations against him.

(continued)

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7956361/Prince-Andrew-called-victim-Virginia-Roberts-sick-girl.html

Review unearths years of sex abuse by Jesuits priests

Sex-offence allegations against 21 Jesuit priests and lay staff have been unearthed in an independent review into the society’s duplicitous handling of serial pedophile and former brother Victor Higgs.

Former Victorian Supreme Court chief justice Marilyn Warren said the 21 other offenders were accused of misconduct between 1968 and 1971, with Higgs transferred to Sydney’s St Ignatius at Riverview from Adelaide’s St Ignatius at Athelstone in 1970.

It is the first time the extent of offending across the order in the late 1960s and early 70s had been made public and was cited by Ms Warren as relevant to the society’s decision-making when dealing with Higgs.

Higgs, now in his 80s and in jail, was sent from Adelaide to Sydney despite the order’s hierarchy knowing that he had assaulted children at the Athelstone campus.

Ms Warren’s review into Higgs has revealed an extraordinary lack of documentation previously kept by the order in Australia, including three of its marquee schools — Riverview, Xavier College in Melbourne and St Ignatius in Adelaide.

She found that at least three complaints about Higgs’s behaviour were made to St Ignatius’s then Athelstone rector, the late Father Frank Wallace, before Higgs was shifted to Sydney in a state of internal disgrace.

Ms Warren found that the order’s then provincial, the late Father Francis Kelly, knew that Higgs had offended against children at the Adelaide campus.

Despite these complaints, Higgs was moved to Sydney, where his offending intensified while working at Riverview’s boarding school.

The current-day Society of Jesus provincial, Father Brian McCoy, told The Australian that anyone with complaints about wrongdoing should approach the order, stressing it had been a lamentable chapter in its history.

“Certainly we would want people to come forward and feel free to come forward,’’ he told The Australian.

The full report of Ms Warren’s review was sent to survivors of Higgs at the weekend and comes after relentless debate about what the order knew, and when, about his depraved ways.

Higgs was an overweight alcoholic who preyed on dozens of children in Adelaide and Sydney, despite authorities being told very early that he was an offender. He has been convicted in both states off multiple offences.

Higgs also worked at Xavier College in Melbourne and St Aloysius in Sydney.

Victims said Higgs was a voyeur who also touched them on their genitalia in the guise of monitoring their sexual development. He picked on sexually underdeveloped children.

In conducting the inquiry, Ms Warren has exposed a culture where the order in the late 1960s would deliberately leave out of meeting minutes discussion about pedophiles.

“In my view, the fact of these complaints was a factor in the decision to move Higgs from Athelstone to Riverview in 1970,’’ she found. She wrote to the society in December seeking more documents and answers in relation to the 21 other accused.

The first of the allegations relating to the 21 did not surface until decades after the offences occurred and not all allegations were substantiated or referred to police, sometimes because the accuser did not want to progress through the courts.

Only two of the 21 accused are still with the order, one having been exonerated and the other is on restricted duties.

Regarding Higgs, Father McCoy said: “I need to apologise. … We dropped the ball and people got hurt and they’ve carried the burden. We let people down. And, yes, we failed to keep records and I think that some of the Jesuits and others didn’t think it was as serious as it was.’’

Higgs pleaded guilty in 2016 to two counts of indecent assault at St Ignatius in Adelaide and was sentenced to 2½ years’ jail for ­offences between 1968 and 1970. In 2018, he was found guilty of 16 counts of indecent assault at Riverview against six boys.

The Warren review was set up by the Jesuits to determine what the order knew and when about Higgs. Father Wallace, now dead, was the principal at the school and the review found he had been told at least three times that Higgs was an offender.

(continued)

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/review-unearths-years-of-sex-abuse-by-jesuits-priests/news-story/b7500a93e102bc257627adc48ce5323d

Repost from Q Research General #10242

>>8002155 (pb)

Rabbi who crowned Netanyahu warns against Trump plan

"Somehow [Trump] has been misled to come to believe that a demilitarized Palestinian state is acceptable," said Australian mining tycoon Joseph Gutnick.

The Australian mining tycoon who helped Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu win his first election for prime minister in 1996 came out strongly on Sunday against Netanyahu’s endorsement of US President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan.

Netanyahu trailed incumbent Shimon Peres in that race but received a last-minute boost from the “Netanyahu is good for the Jews” campaign that was funded by Joseph Gutnick, a Chabad rabbi who made a fortune from taking the advice of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, to mine diamonds in Australia’s Northern Territory.

“With all the respect, recognition and appreciation to President Trump for all he has done for Israel and the Jewish people, somehow he has been misled to come to believe that a demilitarized Palestinian state is acceptable,” Gutnick said. “It would be catastrophic for the security of Israel, much worse than the Gaza Strip withdrawal and its terrible consequences.

“The Lubavitcher Rebbe warned for more than 40 years and 101 times the enormous dangers of any type of Palestinian state, and even talking about such a possibility,” he said. “The prime minister must realize that he is leading Israel into a dangerous trap if he continues talking about a Palestinian state in any form.”

Gutnick has maintained a close relationship with Netanyahu. He warned that if the prime minister did not clarify the issue of a Palestinian state immediately, it would cause him “serious, damaging results” in the March 2 election, because he will lose the support of opponents of a Palestinian state to other parties on the Right.

Asked if he has relayed that message to the prime minister, Gutnick said he spoke to him a few weeks ago and has warned him many times about the dangers of even a demilitarized Palestinian state. And he questioned Netanyahu’s motivations.

“How do you stop Islamic radicals from entering such a state?” he asked. “What stops another prime minister from making it into a militarized state, like we saw with Oslo? We have discussed all the dangers at length. I can’t fathom what he is doing and why. Will that be his legacy?”

When asked if Netanyahu will lose the election if he keeps promoting the Trump plan, Gutnick said that he is "not a prophet."

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Rabbi-who-crowned-Netanyahu-warns-against-Trump-plan-616195

Human trafficking cases on rise

Human trafficking referrals to the Australian Federal Police jumped from just two in 2013-14 to 33 last year.

Prosecutions have fluctuated, with two prosecutions launched in 2018-19 and eight new prosecutions for human trafficking and slavery offences launched this financial year.

Data obtained by The Australian shows the difficulty in obtaining convictions for these offences. The Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions prosecuted 36 cases between July 1, 2013, and January 21, 2020. In that time, it recorded eight convictions.

CDPP deputy director Mark de Crespigny said there were “significant issues” in addressing human trafficking and slavery in a criminal context.

He said prosecutions of human trafficking and slavery almost invariably relied on evidence of the alleged victim who would have to be willing to testify in court.

He said there was often limited evidence independent to the victim’s as to the nature of the interactions between the victim and the accused.

“These are very serious offences, which can result in very significant terms of imprisonment and need to be proved beyond reasonable doubt,” he said.

Australian Federal Police National Response Operations Detective Superintendent Joanne Cameron said it would be simple to put the increase down to a rise in offending, but she was more confident in saying the increase was because of the community becoming more aware of the problem and more confident in the justice system.

Superintendent Cameron said it was important to note that not all referrals result in a case following investigation and could lead to other action including referring the alleged victim to supporting agencies.

“At least we get them out of that exploitation and give them support,” she said.

She agreed with Mr de Crespigny that cases came down to witness statements, adding that there were similarities between dealing with trafficking victims and victims of family violence.

“You have vulnerable people and a criminal justice system that needs to be very aware of their vulnerabilities so they aren’t re-traumatised by the whole process of going to court,” she said.

Superintendent Cameron said trafficking may involve the victim entering Australia under a false identity or legitimately.

“A person gets duped into believing they’re coming into Australia for a reason, to do legitimate work,” she said.

‘‘When they get here … it’s possible they have their passport and identity documents taken.”

She said it was common for people to then be told they had to work off a debt whether in the sex industry, construction or working 12 hours a day on a farm.

“It is extraordinary wrong­doing and strikes at the heart of why a lot of people need police — to help victims,” she said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/human-trafficking-cases-on-rise/news-story/5c6bb19cc245f692fe7f0eb1dd317f03

Elon Musk's SpaceX clears first hurdle to Australian broadband market

Communications regulator allows Starlink satellites over Australian airspace, but Foxtel objects

Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellite broadband service has taken its first step into the Australian market. The communications regulator has added the company to a list of satellite operators allowed over Australian airspace.

But Foxtel has raised concerns the service might conflict with its subscription TV service.

The SpaceX Starlink currently has 242 satellites deployed above earth, which it plans to expand to a “constellation” of 7,518 low-earth orbit satellites.

The company launched 60 satellites into space last month, and plans to launch around 60 per fortnight in 2020.

It is aiming to have services operating in northern parts of the US and in Canada in 2020, and then “near-global coverage of the populated world” by 2021.

Late last month, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) added SpaceX and two other companies to the Radiocommunications (Foreign Space Objects) Determination that governs what satellite companies can operate in Australia.

Much remains a mystery about what Starlink’s internet services will be like in reality. In a November 2016 filing with the US federal communications commission (FCC), SpaceX said it would be able to offer speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second for users, at “low cost”.

SpaceX being added to the list of satellite operators in Australia is the first stage in the regulatory process. The company still needs to obtain more regulatory approvals, and eventually a licence to use spectrum for the satellites to communicate.

That licence is likely to be a matter of contention. Australia’s subscription television company has indicated it could potentially be in conflict with its own satellite TV service.

In a submission to the Acma’s proposal, News Corp-owned TV service Foxtel said it had “very high levels of concern” about potential interference of its service to satellite customers if SpaceX and another company, Kepler, are allowed to use the same Ku frequency band that Foxtel operates in.

“Given the potential catastrophic business impact of interference, the need to protect existing [geostationary orbit] systems from these new [non-geostationary orbit] constellations must be a priority for the Acma going forward.”

In its submission to the FCC, SpaceX said it would have “flexibility to share that spectrum with other licensed satellite and terrestrial users”.

The difficulty facing SpaceX is that customers will need to buy antennas to connect to the satellites, and some have questioned whether that would be affordable for most, or whether it would be commercially viable, given the project would not only compete with other satellite operators but 5G networks and fixed-line internet providers.

Musk has said they will be about the size of a pizza box, easy to install, and simple to use, and between US$100 ($149) and US$300 ($447). But one analyst, Tim Farrar, has suggested it could cost US$1,000 ($1,488) alone.

In Australia, the biggest competitor would be the government-owned NBN Co’s two satellites, currently servicing over 96,000 homes and businesses in regional and rural Australia. The speeds offered on NBN’s satellites are significantly less than that promised on Starlink.

The NBN satellites are currently five years into their fifteen-year lifespan. The company has flagged it will need to start considering options in five years for how to replace the satellites and has suggested it could consider a SpaceX-style system in the future.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/feb/04/elon-musks-spacex-clears-first-hurdle-to-australian-broadband-market

Thanks for all your hard work bakers.

POTUS and Q - thank you for saving us.🙏

Will rock these plates for you once a few more of my VIC frens wake up. Too dangerous right now. Surrounded by aggressive blue pills, unfortunately.

GOD BLESS AND GODSPEED

WWG1WGA!

🌎🌍🌏🕊️

Jeffrey Epstein victims’ lawyer claims she has a NEW witness who saw Prince Andrew with Virginia Roberts at nightclub

A LAWYER for Jeffrey Epstein's victims claims she has a NEW witness who saw Prince Andrew dancing with Virginia Roberts at the Tramp nightclub.

Lisa Bloom said the woman had been partying with a friend when she accidentally stepped on a fellow reveller's toes at the exclusive nightspot in London in 2001 - before realising it was the royal.

And the witness claimed she saw the prince with a young woman - since recognising her as a young Virginia Roberts, who claims she had sex with Andrew when she was a teen.

Prince Andrew has denied the allegations, stating he has "no recollection" of meeting Ms Roberts and was instead at a Pizza Express in Woking for a party on the night in question.

Speaking today, lawyer Ms Bloom said she had been approached by the witness after Prince Andrew's interview with Newsnight.

She said: "Her story is this - she was there in the nightclub and she stepped on the foot of somebody who was dancing next to her.

"She said 'I'm sorry', he said 'that's OK'.

"The friend she was there with said 'don't you realise you just stepped on the foot of the member of Royal Family - that's Prince Andrew'.

"(The witness) thought to herself 'oh my God I'm in the presence of a royal'.

"She had never been in the presence of a royal before, she never has been since.

"It was a very big moment to her."

Lisa added: "She says she frankly stared at him and gawked at him because he was a prince.

"After she was done staring at him, she looked at who he was with and it was a very young girl about her age.

"In the photographs she has seen since, she identifies that young woman, that girl I should say, as Virginia Roberts."

PIZZA EXPRESS CLAIM

Prince Andrew has denied claims he was ever at the nightclub on March 10, saying he had taken his daughter Beatrice to the restaurant.

He said: "I've only been to Woking a couple of times and I remember it weirdly distinctly.

"As soon as somebody reminded me of it, I went 'oh yes, I remember that'. But I have no recollection of ever meeting or being in the company or the presence."

But Lisa said the new witness was "incensed" by Prince Andrew's claims, saying: "She felt it was her obligation as a citizen to come forward."

She added the witness was now willing to speak to the FBI if they needed.

UNITED FRONT

Today, Lisa Bloom sat down with the spokesperson for the family of Harry Dunn, Radd Seiger, as they called on more to be done in both cases.

Harry, 19, was tragically killed near RAF Croughton in August last year, with suspect Anne Sacoolas - the wife of a US diplomat - fleeing the country.

Despite being charged, the 42-year-old has not returned to the UK.

An extradition request to the US was also turned down.

Both Ms Bloom and the Dunn family have demanded Ms Sacoolas return to the UK to face justice, while saying Prince Andrew should likewise answer questions from the FBI.

Ms Bloom said the "parallels between the two cases are eerie" and involved "everyday teenagers" who were "victimised".

She said: "Today we stand with the family of Harry Dunn and they stand with us. Both Mrs Sacoolas and Prince Andrew must cooperate with law enforcement.

"I call upon my government, the US to return Mrs Sacoolas to the UK to face justice."

US authorities recently claimed they had received "zero cooperation" from Prince Andrew despite him stating he was "willing" to speak with them about his friendship with paedo Jeffrey Epstein.

It has since been reported the FBI had been trying to interview the under-fire royal since November.

Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied any knowledge of Epstein's crimes.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10898997/jeffrey-epstein-lawyer-new-witness-prince-andrew-virginia-roberts/

'Like terrorists': Malcolm Turnbull assails Liberal climate deniers

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has likened climate change deniers within the Liberal Party to "terrorists", and argued for a "green new deal" to shift the economy off fossil fuels.

Speaking in Sydney at an event hosted by the Coalition for Conservation, Mr Turnbull and his wife Lucy said Australia should use the "black spring and black summer" of huge bushfires as a "turning point" to take serious climate action.

"If ever Australians were under any illusion that the consequences of a hotter and drier climate were not real, harsh and dangerous, those illusions have been shattered this summer. These bushfires are utterly without precedent in our history," Mr Turnbull said.

The Turnbulls, who were in south-east Asia during some of the peak of the bushfires, said the effect on Australia's image abroad had been profound.

"This has branded us in a way that we would never ever imagine could happen," Mrs Turnbull, who is also chair of the Greater Sydney Commission, said.

"We are seen as very behind….as a leader in a negative sense. That should really embarrass so many Australians."

Mr Turnbull, who was toppled as prime minister in August 2018, said Australia should "use this terrible summer as a turning point where we will embrace the reality of our obligation to cut emissions, our obligation to lead", and also stop burning coal and other fossil fuels.

What was lacking was political will but that would change when Australians demanded it, he said.

"When they recognise a political cost in not addressing climate change in an effective way they will change," Mr Turnbull said.

"The calculus that has been made by many people in the Coalition is that they can take many of their voters for granted."

Liberal Party MPs who were sceptical about climate change were "reinforced and amplified and nourished by the right wing media" particularly those of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, and "basically operates like terrorists".

"Basically they say, unless you give us what we want we will blow the joint up," Mr Turnbull said.

The Coalition for Conservation is a lobby group of mostly Liberal Party members who are pressing for a higher priority to be given to environmental issues, especially climate change.

Both Mr and Mrs Turnbull stressed the prospect of more jobs with renewables, including through lower electricity prices. The cost of large-scale solar photovoltaics with six hours of storage was now $40 per megawatt-hour cheaper than new black coal-fired power plants, Mr Turnbull said, citing figures from the Australian Energy Market Operator.

Mr Turnbull's backing of a "green new deal" echoed a similar call this week by new Greens leader Adam Bandt, in his first comments after securing the post.

"We are all custodians of future generations," Mrs Turnbull said. "We are all traumatised to some degree or another by this…black spring and black summer"

"We have to try our very best to do something about it. We owe it to ourselves and we owe it to the rest of the world," she said.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/like-terrorists-malcolm-turnbull-assails-liberal-climate-deniers-20200206-p53y6u.html

Pyne under fire for comments about cyber attack on Parliament

Former defence minister Christopher Pyne has been rebuked by Federal Parliament for suggesting a cyber attack was "much worse" than the public had been told.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Tony Smith condemned Mr Pyne's comments about the hack on Parliament's computer network in January 2019, saying any suggestion the public had been kept in the dark about the extent of the hack was "false".

In an interview with former Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Martin Parkinson on his podcast Pyne Time, Mr Pyne said the cyber attack was serious but he could never talk about the true extent of it.

"You and I know how much worse it all was, which we can never talk about," Mr Pyne said with a chuckle to Mr Parkinson.

Mr Smith told Parliament on Thursday he and Senate President Scott Ryan received detailed briefings from the Australian Signals Directorate and the Department of Parliamentary Services after the cyber attack that informed their public statements.

"Communication and management of the incident was guided by the information available to us as presiding officers in the context of the parliamentary computing network," Mr Smith said. "Of course, as we pointed out, our statements balanced the need for transparency with discretion on matters of national security.

"But any inference that our statements to the parliament to this issue were inaccurate or misleading as to the seriousness of the situation is false. I stand by the statements made by the President of the Senate and myself.

"I would just finally say the podcast also refers to a cyber intrusion at the Australian National University … So perhaps it shouldn't be inferred that the comments necessarily relate to the parliamentary network. The important point is the president and I have no further information or knowledge as to what Mr Pyne meant."

The comment has caused concern within senior levels of the government after Prime Minister Scott Morrison last year assured Australians the government had "chosen to be transparent" about the attack.

In a letter to Mr Smith, Labor's assistant spokesman for cyber security, Tim Watts, said Mr Pyne's comments risked undermining public confidence in the statements of the Prime Minister and presiding officers.

Mr Watts said he was conscious of the need to balance transparency with discretion, but Mr Pyne's comments that the incident was "much worse" than publicly revealed was "not easily dismissed".

"Given this, I am writing to you to seek your guidance about what steps you intend to take in response to Mr Pyne's comments to ensure the Australian public is able to have confidence in their understanding of the nature and extent of these attacks," Mr Watts said.

"As I know you are aware, cyber attacks on democratic institutions have become common place around the world in recent times. A common intent of these attacks is to undermine public confidence in the integrity of these institutions and democratic processes more broadly.

"In this context, it is a national security imperative that the public has confidence in what they are told about the nature and impact of cyber attacks on Australia's democratic institutions."

Mr Pyne was contacted for comment but had not responded by deadline.

Although the Morrison government has never publicly confirmed it, senior government sources have said Australian intelligence determined China was responsible for the malware attack.

Mr Parkinson told Mr Pyne he was "amazed" at how little concern was expressed by the public when cyber attacks were reported.

"Look at [the attack on] ANU … we should be appalled by this, look at what happened to Parliament House – we should be appalled," the former most senior bureaucrat said.

Mr Parkinson said there was "no question that the level of cyber attacks and political interference had "gone through the roof".

"And that's not good, that's eroding our sovereignty, and we must, and are, responding to that … but to then take it to the sort of level of hysteria where if somebody is a member of the Chinese diaspora, automatically they seem to have some sort of mark against them …" he said.

(continued)

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/pyne-under-fire-for-joking-about-cyber-attack-on-parliament-20200205-p53xxz.html

Julie Bishop says climate change has been 'weaponised' in Australian politics

Climate change has become a weapon with which to wage war over other issues in Australian politics, says former foreign minister-turned Australian National University chancellor Julie Bishop.

Ms Bishop also said she had no regrets about the Coalition's campaign against the Gillard government's carbon price.

But she did regret the dumping of the National Energy Guarantee, which triggered an internal party furore that ended close ally Malcolm Turnbull's prime ministership, and her 11-year tenure as deputy Liberal leader.

"It was a national energy policy – we do not currently have a national energy policy, as far as I can see," she said in her first series of interviews as ANU chancellor.

After leaving politics at the last federal election in May, Ms Bishop replaced former Labor foreign minister Gareth Evans at the helm of the ANU.

But during her first month in the job, the campus was closed due to bushfires and had important research destroyed by a violent hailstorm.

The university is also grappling with a travel ban from China due to the coronavirus, which is stopping thousands of Chinese students from flying to Australia before the start of the academic year on February 24.

Ms Bishop said Australia has been on the front line of extreme weather events and climate change, and it has "given many people cause for reflection".

She said the decision on emissions reductions for the Paris conference while she was foreign minister was "a unanimous position. We can agree, even though there might be different perspectives on how we achieve that."

But climate change had been weaponised, "ostensibly" costing a series of prime ministers since Kevin Rudd their job, she said.

"Julia Gillard lost her way when we – as a Coalition – mounted such an effective attack on the carbon tax that both Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull were subject to such discontent in the party room because there were not aligning with a particular view of climate change," she said.

"But I actually think many of those leadership tensions were related to other matters … as I said, weaponised."

Ms Bishop had no regrets about campaigning against the carbon price, even though it effectively reduced emissions.

"The fact is Julia Gillard as prime minister promised, 'there will be no carbon tax under a government I lead' – I can't believe I still remember that. Her government was always going to be held to account for that election promise.

"No I don't have any regrets that we held her to account. I do regret that the National Energy Guarantee did not become government policy, I believe it was an elegant solution.

"It was agnostic on how renewable or other forms of energy would be produced, as long as it was lower in price and accessible 24/7 and met our emissions reduction targets. I believe the National Energy Guarantee would do that."

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/julie-bishop-says-climate-change-has-been-weaponised-in-australian-politics-20200206-p53ygr.html

First stop White House as Australia’s new ambassador to US Arthur Sinodinos meets Trump

Australia’s new Ambassador to the United States Arthur Sinodinos says he is ‘humbled’ to represent his country in overseeing the relationship with its most important ally.

Mr Sinodinos, who arrived in the US this week, met with Donald Trump at the White House on Friday to present his credentials.

“It was an honour to present my credentials this morning, with my wife Elizabeth, as Australia’s Ambassador to the United States to President Trump,” the former Senator said.

“I could not be more proud or humbled to represent Australia as custodian of our most important bilateral relationship.”

Mr Sinodinos replaces former Ambassador Joe Hockey at a time when relations between the two countries are strong with no major bilateral disputes.

After initially clashing with then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull over the refugee deal in early 2017, Mr Trump has since adopted a positive view of the relationship with Australia.

In 2018 he exempted Australia from his new steel and aluminium tariffs and last year he threw a rare state dinner in Washington to honour Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Mr Sinodinos first came to public attention during his highly successful stint as chief of staff to the then prime minister John Howard from 1997 to 2006.

After several years in the business world, he was elected as a liberal Senator from 2011 to 2019 serving for awhile as a Cabinet minister in the Turnbull government.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/first-stop-white-house-as-australias-new-ambassador-to-us-arthur-sinodinos-meets-trump/news-story/54c77fe2ecb52080f19663c06b372251

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Arthur Sinodinos Tweet

Honoured to present my credentials as [Australian] Ambassador to the [United States] to President Trump with my wife Elizabeth.

I could not be more proud or humbled to represent Australia as custodian of our most important bilateral relationship

White House [photo]: Joyce N. Boghosian

https://twitter.com/A_Sinodinos/status/1225604800408104960

Hit peace on one of our good guys… They attack the ones that are [Their] biggest threat.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/07/psychiatrist-struck-off-for-posting-bizarre-qanon-conspiracy-theories

#QAnon currently trending on Twitter in Australia

5:45 pm

Friday, 7 February 2020 (AEDT)

https://trends24.in/australia/

Repost from Q Research General #10317

>>8060260 (pb)

When Australian news seems to get it more than a majority of the MSM in America…

https://twitter.com/M2Madness/status/1225763735358316544

Charged ALP lobbyist found dead

A Labor high-flyer and political lobbyist has died just months before he was due to face court on child sex charges.

Andres Puig was found dead at his East Melbourne home yesterday. Police confirmed the development and said a report would be compiled for the coroner.

“Police will prepare a report for the coroner following the death of a man in East Melbourne on Friday night,” Victoria Police said.

“The man was located deceased in his Powlett Street home shortly before 6.30pm. The death is not being treated as suspicious.”

Police charged Mr Puig, an influential political lobbyist with child sex offences and producing and possessing child pornography. The former assistant state secretary of the Victorian ALP with impeccable Labor connections has been listed to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court on April 16.

Mr Puig failed to respond to telephone and text requests from The Weekend Australian on Friday to detail the nature of the police charges.

The 44-year-old was charged by Footscray police after being investigated for the offences, allegedly committed last year.

The investigation ramped up last October, and it’s believed Mr Puig was more recently arrested and charged, before being bailed. “It’s very early in the legal process,” a source said.

In a statement, a Victoria Police spokesman said: “Police have charged a 44-year-old East Melbourne man with ‘enter agreement for child sex services’ and ‘produce and possess child pornography’. The charges relate to alleged offences in 2019. The man has been bailed and will appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court.”

Mr Puig built his reputation as a political machine man in the 1990s and 2000s. He is well connected within the union movement and rose to ALP assistant state secretary in the early 2000s.

After leaving the ALP, Mr Puig helped build Civic Group into a lobbying powerhouse across both sides of politics but appears to have cut ties with the firm. Company records reveal the Argentinian-born lobbyist ceased being a director of several Civic­related entities on October 10, 2019. “There’s no coincidence he disappeared from public life at this time,” a source said. “It’s the same time the investigation ramped up.”

A Labor source said Mr Puig had been keeping a low profile more recently. “He seems to have gone missing in the past few months,” the source said.

In the lead-up to Labor’s 2014 election victory, Mr Puig was embroiled in controversy when several staff within then opposition leader Daniel Andrews’s office broke ranks and raised concerns about his influence on policy. Three Labor staffers raised concerns there was a conflict with Mr Puig providing strategic advice to Labor, which went on to win the 2014 election, while representing developers who could benefit from policy decisions. “He’s everywhere,” one staffer said in 2014.

If you or someone you know may be at risk of suicide, call Lifeline (131114), Kids Helpline (1800 551 800), Beyond Blue (1300 224 636)

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/child-sex-charges-for-alp-lobbyist-andres-puig/news-story/0ea91b5b18be12c32978ec4bc88085ad

Pedophiles coerce kids as young as three to film themselves

There has been a spike in child sexual abuse videos and images being made by children themselves on their mobile phones under the instruction of pedophiles.

New figures revealed exclusively to The Weekend Australian by the eSafety Commissioner show a doubling in overall investigations into online child sexual abuse and other abhorrent violent material online, up from about 10,000 in 2018 to nearly 20,000 last year. Among the material, investigators say, they are seeing a higher volume of “coerced, self-generated child sexual abuse material involving children”, some as young as three years old.

The videos seen by investigators include many cases of children, either alone or in a group, recording themselves on their mobile phones or webcams taking off their clothes, and engaging in sexual acts.

The children are acting at the instruction of a person on the other end of the phone, who is recording it.

Many of these videos are then shared in pedophile forums on the clear or the dark web. “When we give a child a connected device, we are potentially allowing a stranger into their lives,” said Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant. “And our research reveals that 94 per cent of parents have given their child access to an online device by the age of four. In this context it is disturbing that we are seeing an increasing volume of coerced, self-generated child sexual abuse material online.”

Ahead of Safer Internet Day next Tuesday, Ms Inman Grant also endorsed a letter sent on Thursday to Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg from more than 100 child safety advocates and organisations urging him to ditch his plan for end-to-end encryption on all its platforms, including the popular Facebook Messenger. The groups are worried that encryption will increase the risk to children by allowing abusers to escalate their grooming activity without fear of detection.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/pedophiles-coerce-kids-as-young-as-three-to-film-themselves/news-story/a7bb98f52febb800a5dfa9c78c082123

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/policy/letter-to-mark-zuckerberg-february-2020.pdf

New George Papadopoulos Tweet

It’s now or never for the President to hold the U.K., Australia, Italy and Ukraine accountable for spying and attempting to sabotage the campaign. If they are not exposed now, this dark chapter in American history will repeat. Our democratic process is at stake.

https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1225922084217311232

Virginia Roberts Giuffre Twitter Thread

Ali @2013Gould

BS raises flag in UK for this Honourable Man yeah rite! If I hear one Bell chiming for 60th celebration Royal family need to understand the people know of Andrew it can not be brushed under the carpet. Stay Strong Virginia TWEET MORE!!

Virginia Giuffre @VRSVirginia

Thank you for being upset by this I’m bloody fuming!! We the people have to stand united in one belief that it IS NOT OK TO SEXUALLY ABUSE ANYONE- EVER!! Why that is so hard for anyone to understand is beyond me. #Justice #EnoughIsEnough #PrinceAndrew #DontRingTheBells

Duchess AdiosBogart @Meggone2

He isn't welcome in Australia anymore. No one wants to greet him. Your message has been received here loud and clear.

Virginia Giuffre @VRSVirginia

Thats because Aussies have a zero tolerance for anyone involved in sex crimes. Thank you Australia for being my sanctuary, a safe place for kids to grow up and my personal favourite, only 1 person turned out for his last visit.

https://twitter.com/VRSVirginia/status/1225684741703139328

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Lonely Prince Andrew in Australia: Few fans turn out to greet queen’s embattled son

The single fan who greeted Andrew at an event in Perth agreed that his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein had ‘marred his credibility,’ a report said.

October 4, 2019

The fan who greeted Andrew, school teacher Renae Grljusich-Poolman, told the Australian that the turnout for Queen Elizabeth’s second son was “disappointing.” But she agreed that concerns about Andrew’s friendship with the now-deceased sex offender Epstein had “marred his credibility,” the Australian reported.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/10/04/lonely-prince-andrew-in-australia-few-fans-turn-out-to-greet-queens-embattled-son/

Westpac knew anti-crime provisions were inadequate years ago, MPs told

Labor senator reads out secret report in parliamentary inquiry over objections from bank

Westpac knew its ability to fight financial crime was inadequate two years before legal action in November in which authorities accused it of 23m breaches of the law that included allowing customers to pay for child exploitation in the Philippines, federal parliament has heard.

The bank’s risk of breaching anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism finance (AML-CTF) laws was unacceptably high and the bank accepted it needed to improve its systems, the prudential regulator was told in a secret report delivered by accounting firm EY in 2017.

On Friday, Labor senator Deborah O’Neill read out sections of the report during a committee inquiry into auditors, steamrolling through objections from Westpac executives and warnings from the chair of the committee, Liberal James Paterson.

O’Neill also blasted Westpac for refusing to give the committee a list of documents she requested on 28 January, and only informing the committee of its position at 6.30pm on Thursday night.

The report was prepared by EY for the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (Apra) so that Westpac could comply with a prudential standard, CPS 220, that requires it to have systems in place to monitor and mitigate its risk.

O’Neill said: “EY’s overall conclusion was the design of Westpac’s risk management framework was overall adequate, appropriate and partially effective for an institution of the size and complexity of Westpac.”

However, EY found that “risk identification, assessment and management of non-financial risk was evaluated as partially effective and partially adequate”.

“Westpac has noted that financial crime is an area that requires improvement,” she said, reading from the report.

She continued: “The risk of breaching AML-CTF obligations has at times been outside of appetite and we observe there have been issues across several jurisdictions reflecting heightened regulatory expectations and an acknowledgment by Westpac that its current AML-CTF capabilities require improvement.”

“Outside of appetite” is a term meaning that the risk of a breach of the law was higher than management of the bank was willing to accept.

“Westpac are investing in the roll-out of a new transaction monitoring system … to enhance its financial crime capability,” O’Neill said, again reading from the report.

Westpac’s chief risk officer, David Stephen, who was giving evidence to the hearing, repeatedly complained that the report had been provided to the committee on a confidential basis.

He and the acting chief financial officer, Gary Thursby, declined to answer most of O’Neill’s questions on the basis that Westpac was facing multiple investigations and lawsuits over the breaches.

Australia’s financial intelligence agency, Austrac, launched federal court legal action against Westpac over the alleged breaches on 20 November last year, sending the bank’s share price into a steep decline.

While most of the 23m breaches alleged by Austrac relate to its treatment of international funds transfer instructions, the regulator also alleged it failed to stop a dozen customers making more than 3,000 low-value payments to the Philippines that were consistent with child exploitation.

These customers included six who had repeatedly travelled to the Philippines or south-east Asia and one who had a prior conviction for child abuse, Austrac said in court documents.

The lawsuit resulted in the former chief executive Brian Hartzer, chairman Lindsay Maxsted and the non-executive director responsible for oversight of risk, Ewen Crouch, tendering their resignations.

Thursby was elevated into his current role as a temporary replacement for Peter King, who is acting as CEO until a new boss is found.

O’Neill savaged the bank over its lack of cooperation with the committee, saying that despite its ability to command legions of lawyers it had failed to make a proper application for public interest immunity against production of documents.

“Your counsel simply doesn’t understand the rights of parliament to demand that information,” she told Stephen and Thursby.

Stephen apologised for the lateness of Westpac’s letter on Thursday night.

“With the benefit of hindsight that communication wasn’t appropriate,” he said.

(continued)

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/07/westpac-knew-anti-crime-provisions-were-inadequate-years-ago-mps-told

Anyone home?

Dassi Erlich Tweet

Tomorrow-bipartisan motion in Parliament will demand Leifer return to face justice! Important this issue remains outstanding in the minds of Israel legal & political establishment.

Validated this frustrating process will not be ignored by Au until extradition honoured by Israel.

https://twitter.com/dassi_erlich/status/1226299090301927424

>>8081538

Motion to be heard in Parliament

Labor MP Josh Burns and Liberal MP Dave Sharma will tonight (Monday) move a motion calling for the urgent extradition of alleged child sexual abuser Malka Leifer.

FEDERAL MPs Josh Burns and Dave Sharma will tonight (Monday) move a motion in Parliament calling for alleged child sexual abuser Malka Leifer to be extradited to Australia.

The bipartisan motion – which is expected to pass the house – will acknowledge “the bravery of Ms Leifer’s alleged victims – especially Dassi Erlich, Nicole Meyer and Elly Sapper for their tireless pursuit of justice”, and note that “over five years have elapsed, and over 60 court hearings have been held in Israel, since this extradition request was first lodged, without any significant progress having been made”.

It will also call for the “immediate extradition of Malka Leifer to Australia to face 74 charges of child sexual abuse”.

Alleged victim Dassi Erlich welcomed the motion, stating it was “important this issue remains outstanding in the minds of the Israeli legal and political establishment”.

She said she felt “validated this frustrating process will not be ignored” by the Australian government until extradition proceedings are honoured by Israel.

“To our friends in Israel we say: it is time to act. Do the right thing and support justice for victims in both our countries,” Sharma said.

“We have been exceptionally patient in this case, but enough is enough.”

“Allegations of interference in this case, especially by the Israeli Minister for Health, Yaakov Litzman, are shameful,” Burns added.

https://ajn.timesofisrael.com/motion-to-be-heard-in-parliament/

Court to decide if serial WA paedophile should remain in community

A former athletics coach who groomed and abused several young girls and breached his bail conditions three times after being released will remain in the community until the court makes a decision on his supervision order in June.

Ross Finch O'Brien, 68, was first sentenced to four years in jail in 2000 for abusing five girls aged between seven and 12 who he was coaching in a Little Athletics program.

Between 1991 and 1999, O'Brien befriended the parents of some children before touching the young girls over the clothing or near their genitals and kissing them on the mouth.

After taking part in a sex offender treatment program, O'Brien was released on parole in 2002 but was sent back to jail in 2007 after abusing two young sisters he was babysitting.

O'Brien, who had again befriended the mother of the girls, abused the sisters several times and on one occasion penetrated the eight-year-old. He also recorded and photographed the victims.

At the time of his arrest, police found more than 7000 images and video files of young children being abused as well as several short stories about child pornography in his computer.

He was sentenced to nine years and two months in jail but was released again in 2015 under a strict supervision order subject to 45 stringent conditions, including the prohibition to collect, in electronic or permanent form, images of children.

Shortly after being released, O'Brien breached his supervision order by going to the home of a sex worker to access her services.

He breached the order again a year later when he was found with several non-sexual images of children cut from magazines and newspapers stored along with his adult pornography.

O'Brien pleaded guilty of the offences at Busselton Magistrates Court in December 2016 and was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, suspended for two years.

While he hadn't committed any further offences since 2016, psychological reports showed O'Brien continued to have an "entrenched and ongoing sexually deviant interest in young girls".

Dr Gosia Wojnarowska, who diagnosed O'Brien with paedophilia in 2016, said the 68-year-old's behaviour could escalate once he felt "secure in his ability to deceive".

Dr Wojnarowska's findings were echoed in a report by psychologist Sarah Ballantyne in March 2019, which found O'Brien had a tendency to "test boundaries" and showed "resistance or rejection" to supervision.

She said O'Brien failed to take responsibility for his behaviour, and continued to fantasise about young women despite denying he had an interest in prepubescent girls.

"Though some improvement has been reported … he has failed to engage meaningfully with offence and risk-specific attempts to discuss his sexual functioning, interests and strategies for managing or appropriately meeting those needs," she said.

Both Dr Wojnarowska and Ms Ballantyne found O'Brien was a serious danger to the community and needed to remain under supervision.

The 68-year-old will undergo an examination by psychiatrist Dr Wojnarowska and psychologist Jule Hasson before facing the WA Supreme Court in June 3, when a decision will be made about extending his supervision order.

It is anticipated that O'Brien, who lives in Busselton, will move to Pinjarra to live with family.

https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/court-to-decide-if-serial-wa-paedophile-should-remain-in-community-20200210-p53zea.html

Sir Ron Brierley expected to plead not guilty to child abuse charges

Millionaire businessman and former corporate raider Sir Ron Brierley is expected to plead not guilty to charges of possessing hundreds of thousands of child abuse images and videos and "typed stories" about "the rape of children".

Sir Ron appeared at the Downing Centre Local Court on Monday using a cane for his first court appearance, less than two months after he was arrested at Sydney International Airport.

The 82-year-old was detained by Australian Border Force officials while attempting to board an early morning flight from Sydney to Fiji in December. Detectives seized his carry-on bags, laptop and electronic storage units and allegedly discovered more than 200,000 images and 512 videos.

He was subsequently charged with six counts of possessing child exploitation material.

The charges against Sir Ron include possessing images and videos of "young girls aged between approximately two and 15 years of age in sexually suggestive poses", court documents state.

Two of the charges relate to the alleged possession of documents, "being typed stories that spoke of the rape of children".

On Monday Sir Ron's defence lawyer Penny Musgrave told the court her client was intending to plead not guilty to the charges against him, however she said a plea was yet to be formally entered.

The matter returns to court on April 2, when Sir Ron has been excused from attending.

The investigation into the recently retired corporate titan was prompted by an anonymous tip to NSW Police in August last year. His airport arrest four months later came after a travel alert was issued by police. He has since been on strict conditional bail that requires him to live at his Point Piper mansion.

Sir Ron made his reputation in Australia and his native New Zealand by targeting poorly run and undervalued companies. He was worth nearly $200 million in the late 1980s and was widely considered one of the most admired and feared corporate raiders operating in Australia.

Born and raised in Wellington, Sir Ron had already made his mark in New Zealand business circles when he emigrated to Australia in the 1980s. By 1988 he had been knighted for his "services to business management and the community".

In December 2015, Sir Ron, through his new company, Mercantile Investment, launched a hostile takeover of Australian shipping company Richfield International. Late last year, he spearheaded a bid, through Mercantile, for Mark Bouris' wealth management company Yellow Brick Road. Mr Bouris rejected the bid as "grossly inadequate".

Sir Ron stepped down from Mercantile in June, citing "age and ill health".

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sir-ron-brierley-expected-to-plead-not-guilty-to-child-abuse-charges-20200210-p53z8i.html

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - Federation Chamber - PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Leifer, Ms Malka - SPEECH - Monday, 10 February 2020

Speaker Sharma, Dave, MP

Mr SHARMA (Wentworth) (18:46): I move:

(1) notes that Malka Leifer, the former Principal of the Adass Israel Girls School in Melbourne, fled Australia in 2008 as child sexual abuse allegations against her surfaced;

(2) reaffirms the formal extradition request that was filed by Australia in 2014 requesting she be returned to Victoria to face 74 charges of child sexual abuse;

(3) acknowledges the bravery of Ms Leifer's alleged victims - especially Dassi Erlich, Nicole Meyer and Elly Sapper for their tireless pursuit of justice;

(4) further notes that over five years have elapsed, and over 60 court hearings have been held in Israel, since this extradition request was first lodged, without any significant progress having been made;

(5) expresses regret and concern at the numerous attempts to prevent and delay Malka Leifer facing justice in Australia; and

(6) calls for the immediate extradition of Malka Leifer to Australia to face 74 charges of child sexual abuse.

I wish to address the House today about an important issue of justice. Ms Malka Leifer, who was principal of the Adass Israel School in Elsternwick, Melbourne, bolted from Australia in 2008, two days after she was sacked by the school board amid allegations surrounding inappropriate relationships with some of the pupils at the school.

In 2013, 74 charges of sexual assault were filed against Ms Leifer in connection with her time at Adass school. In 2014, Australia made a formal request for the extradition of Ms Leifer in order to face these 74 charges. In the same year, in August 2014, this extradition request was filed in the Jerusalem district court. I recall this well. I was living in Israel at the time, representing Australia as our ambassador. I distinctly recall receiving and formally conveying our extradition request. I expected it would be a straightforward case, that the wheels of justice would turn and that, within the space of 12 to 18 months, we would see Ms Leifer extradited to Australia in order to face justice for these most grave and serious charges levelled against her.

But I regret to report that in the five years that have elapsed since the extradition request was first made the wheels of justice have stalled. There have now been upwards of 60 court hearings in this case and yet only now are we just beginning, painfully slowly, to see the wheels of justice break free from their shackles and ever so perceptibly begin gradually to turn. The actual petition for extradition has in fact never been argued before the courts in Israel because, prior to each hearing, Ms Leifer would claim to be experiencing a psychiatric episode and fail to appear before the court. This behaviour is not only an affront to justice; it is deeply traumatic for the victims of this abuse, it is damaging to Israel's reputation and it is increasingly becoming a point of contention and friction in our otherwise positive and productive relationship with Israel.

…..

Members of the House would be aware that, in a further twist in this case, the Israeli police have recommended the indictment of the Health Minister, Yaakov Litzman, in Israel for allegedly pressuring the officials in his office to prevent the extradition. This is an exceptionally serious allegation. If true, this would be a gross interference in the course of justice. I hope and, indeed, I expect that it will be fulsomely and fearlessly investigated.

In December last year, the member for Macnamara, Josh Burns, and I met with Dassi Erlich and Nicole Meyer, two victims of Malka Leifer's abuse who came to personally lobby for fast-tracked extradition. The passion and determination that Dassi and Nicole and others have shown in continuing to fight for justice in this case is inspiring. Nicole said of her motivations:

We're trying to send a message to all survivors that even if you have been abused life can go on, justice can be served, and we want to stand strong on behalf of all others, not just ourselves.

(continued)

https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;db=CHAMBER;id=chamber/hansardr/be8a2537-4a84-4dc2-b27b-28f392b06329/0262;query=Id:%22chamber/hansardr/be8a2537-4a84-4dc2-b27b-28f392b06329/0262%22

>>8092565

Dassi Erlich Tweets

Update re the #bringleiferback motion.

With so many members of parliament from both sides of the aisle standing on behalf of the #bringleiferback the clock ran out, there was not enough time to pass the motion today. The motion will be resumed tomorrow.

https://twitter.com/dassi_erlich/status/1226790098198396928

—

I sat listening to MP after MP stand & speak in support of us.

Looked at my daughter listening to their words thru earphones & filled with a sense of hope & pride.

Hope we r creating a better world for her future. Proud our Gov stood together 2night 4 all survivors of sex abuse

https://twitter.com/dassi_erlich/status/1226790100387811329

Downer revelations could have put Five Eyes alliance at risk: Hockey

The revelation that a tip-off from Alexander Downer triggered the FBI probe into Russian meddling in the Trump campaign put the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing arrangement at risk, Joe Hockey has revealed.

The recently departed US ambassador stressed the importance of American intelligence to Canberra, warning the FBI and CIA were under "profound attack" over the former Australian foreign minister's tip-off to US authorities and "it could have gone really badly for us".

A move to downgrade the information-sharing arrangement would have been a significant blow to Australia, with US intelligence instrumental in stopping nine out of the past 13 foiled terror plots in the country.

The explosive revelations come amid uncertainty over what Britain's decision to allow Huawei into its 5G network means for the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing arrangement.

As Australia's ambassador to the US, Mr Hockey was key in calming tensions within the Trump administration when Mr Downer's unwitting role in sparking the FBI probe came to light in late 2017.

Mr Hockey, who was known to be close to US President Donald Trump, said the importance of the Five Eyes partnership could not be understated.

"I can't tell you how important the Five Eyes partnership is for us. US intelligence has been instrumental in thwarting nine of the 13 disrupted terrorist attacks in Australia," he said.

"Our role in Five Eyes is more valuable than ever because of the increasing importance of the Indo-Pacific. We are not under threat in Five Eyes, but we could have been."

Asked how Australia's role in the intelligence sharing alliance could have been under threat in the past, Mr Hockey said: "Australia was under pressure on Five Eyes because of the whole Downer issue."

"The FBI and CIA were under profound attack and the Downer issue could have gone really badly for us… I don't want to say anything more about that."

Mr Downer famously met with Trump campaign staffer George Papadopoulos at a London wine bar in 2016, where he was told the Russians had a dirt file on rival candidate Hillary Clinton in the form of hacked Democratic Party emails. He later relayed the information to Canberra via a diplomatic cable and then to the Chargé d’Affaires of the US embassy in London.

In a break with diplomatic protocol, Australia allowed the FBI to conduct a highly sensitive interview with the then-UK High Commissioner in London just hours after the probe opened in August, 2016, just as the US election was heating up.

Mr Trump was said to be infuriated by the Downer revelations, asking his Attorney-General William Barr to investigate how the Russia probe started and telling reporters "I hope he looks at Australia".

A report by US Inspector General Michael Horowitz later concluded that Downer's intervention was pivotal in the FBI's decision to launch "Operation Crossfire Hurricane", but did not include any criticism of his or the Australian government's actions.

John Blaxland, professor of international security and intelligence studies at the Australian National University, said revelations that US intelligence had been so integral to thwarting terror plots in Australia underscored the importance of the information sharing arrangement between the two countries.

“The current dynamics have undoubtedly generated unease and concern, and a desire to double down on ensuring the United States recognises what they’re doing for us," he said.

“Most people don’t appreciate the depth, breadth and intimacy of those ties – how much it is an arrangement of mutual benefit."

Australia, the US, Britain, Canada and New Zealand are members of the "Five Eyes" alliance that shares highly sensitive intelligence with each other.

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/downer-revelations-could-have-put-five-eyes-alliance-at-risk-hockey-20200210-p53zgn.html

New George Papadopoulos Tweets

(1/2) When you have an Australian diplomat, Alexander Downer, and his intermediaries meet with an advisor to two Presidential campaigns (Carson/Trump) between 2015-2016, record a conversation, and ask bizarre open ended questions about my personal business and public info on…

https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1226954581864632320

(2/2) Clinton and Russia after you have been summoned to spy on this advisor for the sole purpose to try and sabotage a rival presidential campaign with fake info, and then lie to the President, you can understand why Australia’s feet are to the fire now.

https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1226954887008677889

—

The Australian government was mocking candidate Trump to my face and spying on his team, the U.K. prime minister was the only leader who called him “stupid and wrong” and is also neck deep in the Halper crisis, Durham is probing both countries. The findings will change history.

https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1226958142078144512

—

The moment it’s clear that the “meetings” in London between myself and Downer/Halper were the same exact set up, the faster the investigations will proceed.

https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1227005292786806784

Struggling Biden touts experience, vows to rebuild Australia alliance

Manchester, New Hampshire | Former vice-president Joe Biden has rejected Donald Trump's aggressive transactional approach to geopolitics and vowed to restore America's alliances, including with Australia and others in the Asia-Pacific region.

As he battles for his political life against a upstart Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders - the independent senator who enters the final leg of the New Hampshire primary in the lead - Mr Biden touted his foreign relations experience, his biggest natural advantage over the rest of the Democrat field.

"The next president will inherit a world in disarray on day one," Mr Biden told a crowd of supporters in Hudson late on Sunday (Monday AEDT). "There will be no time for on-the-job training . . . . it's not like any other time in modern history."

Australia scored a rare mention in what has otherwise been a primary campaign season almost exclusively focussed on domestic issues, as Mr Biden name-checked it as one of his alliance priorities in office.

"The day he or she stands behind the podium, or behind that desk . . . . world leaders will have to know who that person is and understand him or her, and he has to demonstrate he knows them," Mr Biden said.

"I would be back on the phone to [Japanese prime minister Shinzo] Abe . . . I would be putting back the alliance between South Korea and Japan and Australia, because we need to.

"These are things I have done my whole career.

"And it is not because we are looking to go to war; we are looking to avoid going to war," he said.

Mr Biden's emphasis on his foreign policy credentials contrasts with most of his leading rivals, who have focused their campaigns on issues such as Medicare for all, gun control and grander pledges such as a "Green New Deal" on climate change and fee-free university education.

If he falters in coming weeks as the Democratic nomination heats up, the lack of foreign policy experience among many of the other candidates underscores the degree to which this year's election will affect Australia and other US allies, some of which are questioning Washington's resolve on key geopolitical issues.

"Biden is seeking to demonstrate to the region that the United States under his administration would be back in the multilateral security business," said Patrick Buchan, director of the US alliance project at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

"It's about seeking to signal to allies that the US sees its security best locked in through the alliance structure."

Mr Buchan said the former vice-president was also trying to differentiate himself from President Donald Trump in that he wants the help of "South Korea and Japan, in addition to the third key ally, Australia, in managing China", Mr Buchan said.

While Mr Biden's support for a return to strong US support for multilateral arrangements such as NATO would be welcomed in many western capitals, it's not clear it's the kind of message that will resonate with voters in New Hampshire. Nor would it win a presidential race against Mr Trump, whose aggressive "America first" stance is at the core of this political base.

A flurry of last-minute polls on Sunday showed Mr Biden struggling to break into the top three candidates in the state, the first in the nation to hold a primary. As in Iowa last week, Mr Biden is expected to come in fourth, with 12.7 per cent of the vote, according to polling tracker FiveThirtyEight.

Ahead of him are Senator Elizabeth Warren (13.1 per cent), the Iowa winner Mr Buttigieg (20.9 per cent) and Senator Sanders (25.8 per cent).

Analysts have warned that another weak result in New Hampshire by Mr Biden could be the death of his 2020 campaign, which is his third attempt at the White House since 1988.

(continued)

https://www.afr.com/world/north-america/struggling-biden-touts-experience-vows-to-rebuild-australia-alliance-20200210-p53z92

>>8099739

Stop focusing on the errand boys like Strzok and Comey. Brennan was running this spying scandal against us along with Australia, the U.K., Ukraine and Italy. You want to hit back? Go after them.

https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1227421339943747591

>>8112891

Image attachment/display test…

Clearnet image upload test…

Australian MP Announces Visit to Belmarsh Prison Amid Rising Calls for Julian Assange to Be Freed

Pressure on Australian politicians to speak out in the case of Julian Assange continues to build following the surprise intervention by ex-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd who called the US prosecution against the WikiLeaks publisher "unacceptable" and "disproportionate".

Australian MP Andrew Wilkie announced that he intends to visit WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange in Belmarsh prison and “lobby for his release” in the coming days. The visit will be paid for by the MP himself and is scheduled to happen the weekend of 15/16 February 2020, according to a video released via social media on 11 February.

“The purpose of my visit is to check on Julian’s health and welfare, to see first hand the circumstances of his incarceration, and to reassure Julian that although he doesn’t have the support of the Australian government, he certainly does have the support of a great many people right around the world, especially in Australia”, Willkie says in the video.

Wilkie, a member of the Australian House of Representatives for Clark, Tasmania, says that the “substantive matter” regarding Assange’s case is that he “reported on and published information in the public interest, and in particular evidence of US war crimes”.

The lawmaker, who served as an infantry officer for over 20 years, and later worked as an intelligence analyst with Australia's Office of National Assessments (ONA), resigned from his position with the ONA in 2003, over the Australian government’s support for the US-led war on Iraq.

On the same evening as Wilkie’s announcement Australian senator Peter Wish-Wilson called on his government to “intervene to bring Julian home” on the basis that “journalism is not a crime”, during a parliamentary session.

The statements by both MPs represents the latest voices from Australian politicians to speak out on Assange’s case. In November 2019 Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called the prosecution of Assange “unacceptable” and “disproportionate”.

The publisher, editor and journalist, who recently won the Garry Web Freedom of the Press Award, faces up to 175 years in prison in the US. The charges all relate to his role in the publication of documents revealing alleged war crimes committed by the US military.

https://sputniknews.com/uk/202002121078297755-australian-mp-announces-visit-to-belmarsh-prison-amid-rising-calls-for-julian-assange-to-be-freed/

https://www.change.org/p/free-julian-assange-before-it-s-too-late-stop-usa-extradition

https://twitter.com/WilkieMP/status/1227382548289835008

https://twitter.com/SenatorSurfer/status/1227425696894443521

>>8132037

More image testing…

>>8138981

Well, can I post a picture here?

>>8134708

Parliamentary trip to UK cancelled after High Commissioner pens angry letter over Huawei leak

London: A planned visit to the UK by the Australian Parliament's powerful intelligence and security committee has been abruptly cancelled amid a diplomatic row over Boris Johnson's controversial decision to allow Chinese telco Huawei into its 5G network.

The committee was supposed to travel to Britain in late March and spend the first week of April meeting the House of Commons intelligence committee, Britain's security agencies and other high-level national security figures, as part of the countries' mutual links and membership of the elite Five Eyes spying club.

But The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age can reveal the trip has been suddenly cancelled.

It comes after the ABC revealed that the UK High Commissioner Victoria Treadell, a civil servant, penned an angry letter to two of Australia's most prominent MPs working in the national security space, demanding an explanation over an explosive leak revealed last week by the Herald and The Age that embarrassed the British.

While the leak caused upset in London, the disagreement had largely died down until Thursday, a week after the exchange took place, when Ms Treadall sent a stern letter to Liberal MP Andrew Hastie, who chairs the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, and Liberal senator David Fawcett, who chairs the Foreign Affairs committee.

Two sources familiar with the contents of her letter said it was the equivalent of a "dressing down" and that it was unprecedented for a UK civil servant to berate elected MPs in this way, particularly given the two men have served in the military.

Mr Hastie was an officer in the elite SAS for five years and served on the frontline in Afghanistan, while Senator Fawcett was an experimental test pilot.

Last week the Herald and The Age revealed the committee's deputy chair and veteran Labor MP Anthony Byrne rebuked the UK's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab during a face-to-meeting in Canberra. Mr Byrne told the British Secretary of State that letting China build Britain's critical national infrastructure was tantamount to allowing the Russians to construct it.

The confrontation underlined the deep tensions within the Five Eyes allies over Britain's green light for Huawei in defiance of Australia and the US' urgings to copy their bans on the Chinese vendor over fears of spying.

US President Donald Trump was reportedly "apoplectic" about Mr Johnson's decision on Huawei, while Mr Byrne's intervention was widely regarded as a reflection of Australia's position - something confirmed this week by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton in Question Time, who endorsed and praised the Labor MP.

"I don't think there's much that the member for Holt would say that anybody could argue against when it comes to these matters," Mr Dutton said.

"You [Mr Hastie and Mr Byrne] should both be commended for the leadership you provide [of the security and intelligence committee]."

The dispute over Huawei has also caused a serious rift between Mr Johnson and Mr Trump, with British tabloid The Sun reporting Mr Johnson had postponed a planned trip to the US.

Australia first banned Huawei from supplying equipment to the nascent National Broadband Network in 2012 under Julia Gillard, and in 2018, then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull banned the company from taking part in the 5G rollout, on security advice.

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/europe/parliamentary-trip-to-uk-cancelled-after-high-commissioner-pens-angry-letter-over-huawei-leak-20200211-p53zw4.html

—

Intelligence committee cancels UK visit amid diplomatic tensions over Huawei policy leak

Diplomatic tensions over Britain's decision to allow Chinese telco Huawei into its 5G network have boiled over after confidential discussions with Australia about the policy were leaked.

The ABC can reveal the UK's High Commissioner has taken the rare step of writing to the heads of two federal parliamentary committees to formally protest the leak of details of sensitive talks involving Britain's visiting Foreign Secretary.

One of those committees — Parliament's powerful intelligence and security committee — has now cancelled a planned visit to the United Kingdom amid the quickly escalating dispute between the allies.

MPs and senators were due to meet with Britain's security agencies and the UK Parliament's intelligence committee in March and April.

(continued)

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-15/huawei-leak-diplomatic-tension-uk-australia-dominic-raab/11967520

New George Papadopoulos Tweet

The errand boys like McCabe were never the target. Brennan was running this with Clapper. Be patient. Case is being built around them with the lower level grunts like Alexander Downer and others having already been interviewed.

https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1228478102331744256

Malaysian nationals detained in Perth, facing deportation, for allegedly exploiting foreign workers in sex and agricultural industries

Three Malaysian nationals have been detained in Perth and face deportation after allegedly exploiting foreign workers in the sex and agricultural industries.

Australian Border Force officers went to a home in Balga on February 13 to arrest a 25-year-old woman suspected of being ‘a key player’ in a syndicate making ‘significant profits through the exploitation of foreign women in the sex industry’.

Officers said they found approximately 500 phone SIM cards during the search.

The SIMS are suspected of being used to facilitate the buying and selling of sexual services in locations across Australia.

The woman’s partner, a 26-year-old man, was also detained and placed in immigration detention.

Both face being removed from Australia.

As part of a separate investigation, Australian Border Force Field Operations officers executed a warrant on a Belmont house on February 12 targeting a 43-year-old man suspected of money laundering related to the exploitation of foreign nationals in the agriculture industry.

His alleged crimes are specifically related to market gardens.

He was placed in immigration detention pending his removal from Australia.

None of the three had a valid Australian visa.

Acting ABF Commander of Field Operations, Sally McAuliffe, said the Australian Border Force would “continue to target criminal syndicates and unscrupulous individuals exploiting vulnerable foreign workers.”

“The individuals we are targeting in this operation are not those that are being exploited but those non-citizens that are facilitating illegal work and migration fraud,” she said.

“We encourage individuals who are being exploited, regardless of visa status, to come forward and provide the ABF with information so we can identify and take action against those involved in these practices.”

Visa holders who do not comply with their conditions due to workplace exploitation will generally not have their visa cancelled, be detained or removed if they come forward and assist with inquiries.

Anyone who is aware of an individual, business or employer who might be facilitating visa fraud or illegal work is urged to contact Border Watch at australia.gov.au/borderwatch

https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/malaysian-nationals-detained-in-perth-facing-deportation-for-allegedly-exploiting-foreign-workers-in-sex-and-agricultural-industries-ng-b881462458z

Judge takes rare step to help serve elusive Ghislaine Maxwell with lawsuit

Jeffrey Epstein crony Ghislaine Maxwell is so impossible to find that a Manhattan judge has taken the rare step of allowing her to be served with a new lawsuit — by email, according to a federal court filing Friday.

Lawyers for Epstein sex-assault-accuser Annie Farmer had griped to federal Judge Debra Freeman that they’ve been trying to find the disgraced British socialite to serve her with the complaint, filed in November, but that she’s done such a good job of hiding that they haven’t been able to get to her, court documents show.

“Plaintiff has attempted to locate and personally serve Maxwell to no avail. Her counsel has conducted extensive public records searches and located various addresses for Maxwell,” Farmer’s lawyers wrote in a Jan. 27 motion imploring Freeman to allow them to serve Maxwell using “alternate” means.

On Wednesday, Freeman granted the motion, acknowledging that Farmer has “adequately demonstrated that personal service would be impracticable” and ordered Maxwell to be served by email and through her lawyers representing her in a lawsuit involving another key Epstein accuser, Virginia Giuffre.

Farmer’s lawyers promptly emailed a copy of the summons and complaint to Maxwell’s email, as well as to the attorneys representing her in the Giuffre case.

“Ms. Maxwell, Please see the below text order granting our motion to approve alternate service on you in Farmer v. Indyke,” reads the email, which was filed to the court as evidence.

If Maxwell’s camp doesn’t respond to the suit by March 6, a default judgment will be placed against her, Freeman ruled.

Farmer’s lawyers have said they know she’s out there because she’s been “actively participating” in the defamation suit involving Giuffre, which was filed against her in the same court, and is “vigorously fighting” the release of documents in that case, the records state.

Farmer’s lawyers told The Post that they are elated to finally serve the elusive alleged abuser.

“We just don’t think she should be able to dodge the law,” said one of the lawyers, who asked not to be named.

Farmer’s suit alleges she met Maxwell and Epstein through her older sister, Maria, who’d been hired by the billionaire to purchase art for him.

Epstein began taking an interest in Annie when she was around 16 and eventually invited her to his remote New Mexico ranch, where Maxwell pressured her to get naked and then “touched intimate parts” of Farmer’s body and “groped her” under the guise of a massage, court documents allege.

Maria was also allegedly abused later on by both Epstein and Maxwell, but she is not named as a plaintiff in this suit.

Epstein died in federal lock-up in August.

Maxwell is facing at least one other civil suit in federal court in Manhattan, where her buddy Epstein had an Upper East Side townhome.

Her lawyers could not be immediately reached for comment.

Farmer is seeking undisclosed damages.

https://nypost.com/2020/02/14/judge-takes-rare-step-to-help-serve-elusive-ghislaine-maxwell-with-lawsuit/

https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/30934865/Farmer_v_Indyke_et_al

>>8142607

Annie Farmer Tweet

Grateful that Judge Freeman is not letting Maxwell's disappearance block this attempt to hold her accountable and grateful to all of the people out there offering their support!

https://twitter.com/anniefarmer/status/1228813800788414465

—

Virginia Roberts Giuffre Tweets

Andrew Zeglicki @AZeglicki

@VRSVirginia this…

Judge allows Ghislaine Maxwell to be served with lawsuit by email

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8007737/Judge-takes-rare-step-allowing-elusive-Ghislaine-Maxwell-served-lawsuit-email.html

Virginia Giuffre @VRSVirginia

Take her down @anniefarmer It’s time that spider gets served with a dose of justice!!

Cedric the Gentrifier @gentrifier_the

Virginia, do you think it's possible Ghislaine is dead? Asking sincerely

Virginia Giuffre @VRSVirginia

No- you can’t kill that kind of evil. She’s out there & I sincerely believe @NewYorkFBI knows exactly where she’s hiding. Unfortunately it’s up to us to keep the pressure on them to do the right thing and #LOCK them ALL up!! @MissingKids @EpsteinJustice

https://twitter.com/VRSVirginia/status/1228841595862048768

—

Patrick Stupfel @patrick_stupfel

Virginia! We have a major crisis on our hands!!! Sam Adams, the disgraced PEDOPHILE Mayor of the US capital for SEX TRAFFICKING, IS RUNNING FOR OFFICE! PLEASE CALL GLOBAL ATTENTION TO THIS IMMEDIATELY

Former Portland Mayor Sam Adams running for Commissioner Chloe Eudaly’s seat

https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2020/01/former-portland-mayor-sam-adams-running-for-commisioner-chloe-eudalys-seat.html

Virginia Giuffre @VRSVirginia

@SamAdamsPDX WE ARE ONTO YOU & WE ARE NOT GOING AWAY!! SEX OFFENDERS BELONG IN JAIL NOT IN POLITICS!! Sadly there is a horde of them already in our government- as our ol’ pal @realDonaldTrump would say “It’s time to drain the swamp”

https://twitter.com/VRSVirginia/status/1228825923996119041

Alexander Downer Tweet

In the end I guess the Democrats will choose Bloomberg and the race will be on! If they don’t then Trump will win. He might even beat Bloomberg.

https://twitter.com/AlexanderDowner/status/1228800394891055104

>>8142036

US praises Labor MP Anthony Byrne’s Huawei stance

US intelligence officials have contacted Labor MP Anthony Byrne and praised him for taking a stand against Britain’s decision to allow Huawei to take part in its 5G network.

Members of the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security said US officials had reached out to the committee’s co-chair after reports in Nine Newspapers took aim at Boris Johnson’s government.

Sources told The Australian PJCIS members had been contacted by foreign officials, including the US, to back Mr Byrne’s reported comments.

Mr Byrne criticised Britain’s decision in a meeting with the committee’s co-chair, Andrew Hastie, and British High Commissioner Vicki Treadell.

Ms Treadell later complained to the MPs in writing that the contents of the meetings had been leaked.

The committee is considering visiting the US after cancelling plans to meet MPs in Britain.

Mr Byrne declined to answer questions about conversations with US intelligence officials, saying only “our closest ally is the US”.

Mr Hastie said: “The US has been our most important strategic ally since the fall of Singapore in 1942.

“We value that special relationship above all else.”

Members of the PJCIS committee played down the link between the Huawei decision and next month’s cancelled trip to London.

Some committee MPs said the trip was cancelled because the relevant British committee did not have time to be constituted since Mr Johnson’s thumping election victory.

Another source said: “If that is what people want to believe, all the best. It’s horseshit. If people genuinely believe that, then they should wait for Father Christmas next year to turn up with their Christmas presents.”

Britain’s decision to engage Huawei was announced last month in defiance of advice from Five Eyes intelligence partners Australia and the US.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/us-praises-labor-mp-anthony-byrnes-huawei-stance/news-story/73385636c11ae7b184a599e819363861

>>8152327

New George Papadopoulos Tweet

This clown is about to get exposed in a spectacular fashion. I reported him to the FBI, Congress and he has already been interviewed by Durham.

https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1229091223912271879

Catholic Church creates one-stop shop for victims of modern slavery

Filipino community leader Roberto Lastica from St Joachim Catholic Church in Lidcombe has seen many cases of modern slavery across the country. Among them was a woman from the Philippines in her early 30s who arrived in Australia after responding to an advertisement for student nurses.

When she boarded her flight she discovered her visa described her as an architect instead of a nurse. Her recruiter told her the visa description would be corrected in Australia.

When she got here she was told she would be living in a Chinese restaurant, where she would also be working in exchange for food and accommodation, rather than wages.

Under a new Catholic Church initiative, victims of forced labour and modern slavery will be given access to free legal advice, housing assistance, health care, financial advice and welfare support.

The Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, said the national network would be linked to 45 Catholic schools, universities, dioceses, health and aged care services, social services and finance and investment services.

The network, named Domus 8.7, will target victims of modern slavery and those trapped in forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage or human trafficking.

"This service enables entities to have a safe, confidential conversation about situations of modern slavery and forced labour," Archbishop Fisher said.

"Domus 8.7 fills a gap in providing readily available support from a formal perspective, emergency assistance and addressing other needs for people trapped in modern slavery or facing exploitation in the workforce."

The name of the service is a reference to the Latin word "domus", meaning home, and the United Nations Target 8.7 sustainable development goal.

Mr Lastica said the new service would be a "breath of fresh air".

Mr Lastica has also helped Filipinos who worked on farms after entering Australia via Fiji or New Zealand.

"We try to give these people community support while seeking justice for them. Many are embarrassed to return home because of debts they have to pay," he said.

"Domus is a breath of fresh air. It promises to help people with accommodation and litigation services."

The Chair of the Archdiocese of Sydney’s Anti-Slavery Taskforce, John McCarthy, QC, Australia’s former ambassador to the Vatican, said the new centre would act as a central hub for advice and support for people trapped in slavery-like conditions.

"Australia currently has no mention of victim or survivor assistance in our modern slavery laws and instead victim assistance, such as immunity and witness protection, are based on whether victims speak with the police," he said.

"The new centre fills a real gap here in providing that confidential, easily available support to help meet the basic needs of those entrapped in modern slavery, such as providing them with warm clothing, addressing workplace problems and visa problems and concerns."

https://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/catholic-church-creates-one-stop-shop-for-victims-of-modern-slavery-20200212-p5402l.html

Dassi Erlich Tweets

Court hearing #64 and #65 will be held in the Jerusalem district court on the 26th and 27th of February.

Leifer is excused from attending and the hearing will be closed to the public.

These 2 hearings are to allow cross examination of the 3 psychiatrists who declared…

https://twitter.com/dassi_erlich/status/1229116554962292737

—

Leifer was not only fit to stand trial but unequivocally faked her mental illness to escape justice.

Since 1 panel member is having a medical proceedure on the 26th, cross examination of this psychiatrist will be further delayed till mid March.

#onitgoes #bringleiferback

https://twitter.com/dassi_erlich/status/1229116556447076352

Qanon hit piece from Channel 7 Weekend Sunrise, 16 February 2020.

TRUMP'S SECRET SIGNAL - THE RISE OF 'QANON' - 'QANON' A TERROR THREAT

—

QANON Conspiracy News Australia @realDonaldTrump @M2Madness @X22Report @andweknow @RedPill78 @pushforward40

https://twitter.com/Marina11Michel/status/1228839787232022529

—

QANON Australia Final bit this was live @realDonaldTrump @M2Madness @X22Report @andweknow @RedPill78 @pushforward40

https://twitter.com/Marina11Michel/status/1228843569110061056

—

Full interview in HD here

Weekend Sunrise - 16 Feb 2020

https://7plus.com.au/link/Episode/WSUN20-007

(Starts at 1:28:17)

>>8071627

We the people don't give a shit about this being in your closet. But we do give a shit if you have been hiding the truth of this global cabal of evil and how it operates.

General Motors cans Holden in Australia

The Holden brand will be retired from sales in Australia and New Zealand and local design and engineering operations will wind down by 2021, General Motors has revealed.

The company’s Commodore and Astra models were retired late last year amid waning sales.

Rich Australian history

The manufacturer says it is saddened to see the end of the vehicles’ 160-year history in Australia.

“Today’s announcement will be felt deeply by the many people who love Holdens, drive Holdens and feel connected to our company which has been with us for 160 years and is almost ubiquitous in our lives,” Managing Director Kristian Aquilina said.

We need a Gday Mate version of Trump

And we need him now

https://7news.com.au/business/holden-brand-and-local-design-operations-to-be-wound-down-in-australia-and-nz-c-701457

New Green Deal

Muh Climate Change!

Muh Fake News

FOLLOW THE MONEY

Muh Bernie @SenSanders

Fires threatening an entire continent are extreme—a Green New Deal to tackle the climate crisis is not.

Let us harness our skills, talents and enormous resources to protect the home we all share.

NYTimes

The End of Australia as We Know It

What many of us have witnessed this fire season feels alive and monstrous. With climate change forcing a relaxed country to stumble toward new ways of work, leisure and life, will politics follow?

https://twitter.com/sensanders/status/1229485107356078080?s=21

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/15/world/australia/fires-climate-change.html

(From QR #10452)

>>8162763

EX-PM Rudd flogging a dead car

Muh “New Car Plan 2009’ kek

@MrKRudd

Time for all of us to boycott GM brands. My stomach turns when I think of successive Labor governments working to build the car industry. Including our 2009 New Car Plan.All torpedoed by the Liberals decision to kill it in 2014 thru pure ideological spite.

https://twitter.com/mrkrudd/status/1229372117323407362?s=21

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51499775

>>8165309

>>8165230

Ugh forgot no jpegs, here are the pngs

New Q post referencing Australia

https://twitter.com/45HarisonHarold/status/1229591987369709568

Do people really believe this [attack] can happen against the President of the United States and nothing will happen?

Moves and countermoves.

Q

https://8kun.top/qresearch/res/8168472.html#8168706

—

Tweet by We The People, @45HarisonHarold

Is this who [GS] made puppet [Hussein] investigate?

I RAN..I WON..

I WAS INVESTIGATED and it could have been the UK, by AUSTRALIA, could have been by ITALY ….I WAS INVESTIGATED

BY THE OBAMA

ADMINISTRATION

#QAnon

https://twitter.com/45HarisonHarold/status/1229591987369709568

Retweeting Miguelifornia, @michaelbeatty3 - 5 Oct 2019

https://twitter.com/michaelbeatty3/status/1180155433668902912

>>8161354

Weekend Sunrise Australia - Qanon Hit Piece - 16 February 2020

Complete interview with Joe Uscinski, Political Scientist, University of Miami.

https://www.joeuscinski.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Uscinski

https://twitter.com/joeuscinski

—

>Define Conspiracy.

https://qanon.pub/?q=Define%20Conspiracy

New George Papadopoulos Tweet

There is a conspiracy case being built around Brennan. Lower level grunts like Alexander Downer have all ready been interviewed. Just a matter of time.

https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1229563348951453696

https://twitter.com/RepMarkMeadows/status/1229480911751786497

‘Something has to be done’: Trump’s quest to rewrite history of the Russia probe

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/something-has-to-be-done-trumps-quest-to-rewrite-history-of-the-russia-probe/2020/02/15/ea7a1b06-4f61-11ea-9b5c-eac5b16dafaa_story.html

>>8130996

Australian MPs say Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is 'a man under enormous pressure' following prison visit

Australian MPs Andrew Wilkie and George Christensen have raised concerns over Julian Assange's mental wellbeing after meeting with him in a British jail.

Mr Wilkie and Mr Christensen, who are both part of the Bring Assange Home parliamentary group, spent over an hour with the WikiLeaks founder at London's Belmarsh prison, where he is being held ahead of an US extradition hearing next week.

Assange has been held there since he was dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London last April and arrested for skipping bail.

Prior to that he had spent seven years inside the embassy after seeking asylum in 2012, and Mr Christensen said his lack of exposure to the outside world showed.

"It was kind of state you'd expect from a man who has been absolutely and utterly isolated and who doesn't know what has been going on," he said.

"It was clear to us that his mental state isn't good."

Mr Wilkie echoed Mr Christensen's assessment.

"I'm not a psychologist. but it was obvious that there's a man who's under enormous pressure," he said.

"Clearly his health and mental health has deteriorated during what is effectively years in captivity."

The 48-year-old is fighting extradition to the US, where he faces 18 charges including conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law, and Mr Wilkie said if Assange is found guilty it would almost amount to a death sentence.

"If he is convicted of those charges he faces up to 175 years in a US federal prison," he said.

"It's a life sentence and it could be said to almost a death sentence."

Mr Christensen said he believes information that will come to light during the extradition hearing may change people's views on Assange and he called on the Australian government to do more to bring him home.

"I think that there's information that I now know that will be known next week that will probably make people sit up straight and worry about this a hell of a lot," he said.

"I think now is a time that the Government that I am a part of needs to be standing up and saying to both the UK and the US, 'Enough is enough, leave our bloke alone and let him come home'."

Yesterday, Mr Wilkie met with UK Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, who said he has sensed a shift in the UK's view on extradition in the light of another high-profile case involving the wife of a US diplomat.

Earlier on Tuesday, WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson had said Assange's health was improving after he was taken out of solitary confinement.

"I saw him about 10 days ago," Mr Hrafnsson told a news conference ahead of an extradition hearing that starts next week.

"He has improved thanks to the pressure from his legal team, the general public, and amazingly, actually from other inmates in Belmarsh Prison, to get him out of isolation."

Assange's father, John Shipton, said his son's long confinement indoors had damaged his health.

"The ceaseless anxiety that Julian's been under for now 10 years has had a profoundly deleterious effect," he told BBC television on Tuesday.

"I imagine that he will be really worried because being sent to the United States is a death sentence."

Last November, more than 60 doctors wrote an open letter saying they feared Assange's health was so bad he could die in jail.

In the letter to British Home Secretary Priti Patel, the doctors say Assange suffers from psychological problems including depression as well as dental issues and a serious shoulder ailment.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-18/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-health-improving-in-prison/11978336

Judge in Malka Leifer case will allow private psychiatrists for defense

In January, a panel of three state psychiatrists appointed by the court found that Leifer was feigning mental illness and was fit for trial.

Judge Chana Miriam Lomp of the Jerusalem District Court has decided to allow private psychiatrists to testify in defense of alleged pedophile Malka Leifer that she is mentally unfit for trial.

The decision has generated outrage among activists due to the new delays this decision will cause in the nearly six-year-long case.

The Australian authorities have sought Leifer’s extradition since 2014 to stand trial on 74 counts of sexual abuse and rape against pupils in the school where she served as principal.

In January, a panel of three state psychiatrists appointed by the court found that Leifer was feigning mental illness and was fit for trial.

Lomp has acquiesced to Leifer’s defense attorneys’ request that they be able to cross-examine the state psychiatrists. Those hearings are scheduled for the end of this month. She also conceded to delay those hearings due to “scheduling conflicts” for Leifer’s attorneys.

The court has already heard from private psychiatrists brought by Leifer’s defense team who argued that she was mentally unfit for trial.

Further, the same psychiatrists, Prof. Moshe Kotler and Prof. Shmuel Tiano, who will testify, already gave testimony in this case last year.

Alleged victim Dassi Erlich reacted with anger to Lomp’s decision, which could delay a case that has taken more than five years and more than 60 hearings with no resolution in sight.

“We have been calm,” she said in a statement on Facebook. “We have tried to trust the Israeli court system and understand that this takes time. But when we go backwards and repeat a process that has already been endlessly delayed, we have had enough!!”

“In an unprecedented move, Judge Lomp has ruled that the defense can bring two of their psychiatrists, who have already testified, to give their opinion on a panel that she requested to make a final decision!!” Erlich said. “This panel unanimously decided Leifer is faking on Sept 23, 2019! Can anybody see the sense in this??? Psychiatrists for the defense will be cross examined on March 12th.”

Leifer fled from Australia to Israel in 2008 after allegations of sexual abuse surfaced against her. She has evaded extradition since 2014 with claims of being mentally unfit.

However, in 2018, Leifer was rearrested when evidence of her leading a normal life in the Samaria settlement of Emmanuel led to suspicions she was feigning mental illness to avoid extradition. Legal proceedings were then restarted.

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Judge-in-Malka-Leifer-case-allows-private-psychiatrists-for-defense-617956

>>8181387

Dassi Erlich Tweets

In an unprecedented move, Judge Lomp has ruled that the defense can bring two of their psychiatrists, who have already testified, to give their opinion on a panel that she requested to make a final decision!!

This panel unanimously decided Leifer is faking on Sept 23 2019!

https://twitter.com/dassi_erlich/status/1229692636820193281

—

We have been patient.

We have been calm.

We have tried to trust the Israeli court system, understand this takes time.

But when we go backwards, repeat a process already endlessly delayed we have had enoug!

Psychs for defense will be cross examined March 12

https://twitter.com/dassi_erlich/status/1229692638556639233

—

This is a completely unprecedented move - there has never been a case in Israel where a judge has allowed the defense to bring more witnesses after a court appointed expert panel made a final decision.

#bringleiferback

#EnoughIsEnough

https://twitter.com/dassi_erlich/status/1229727006289326080

Prime Minister spruiks Australian role in NASA's Mars plan at launch of space agency base

The Australian Space Agency has officially opened its new Adelaide headquarters, with the Federal Government predicting activities at the site will help to triple the size of the nation's space industry.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison opened the agency's new home this morning, saying it will provide local companies with opportunities to capitalise on Australian involvement in NASA's plans to launch human missions to Mars.

Head of the agency, Dr Megan Clark, said a small mission control centre inside the Australian Space Discovery Centre — which is based at the site — would open next year.

"What will be unusual is the mission control will be right here and we will have glass at the back so people can come in off the street and see what we are doing," she said.

"We want kids and people to be able to see what's happening on the lunar surface, to be able to see what's happening in real time on the lunar orbiter, and eventually to be able to come and say 'I wonder what's happening on Mars today', and come in and see people in action.

"No other agency has opened their mission control up in that way."

Deputy head of the agency Anthony Murfett said the mission control centre would also allow stronger collaboration with other space agencies.

"Our businesses will be doing their activities to control satellites right here in Adelaide," he told ABC Radio Adelaide.

"We will work with our international counterparts to show a feed of what is actually happening in space."

During a visit to the US last year, the Prime Minister committed $150 million over five years to help Australian businesses get involved in US President Donald Trump's plans for missions to the Moon and Mars.

Mr Morrison said the global space economy was forecast to be worth more than $1 trillion by 2040, and that Australia needed to position itself to take advantage.

"[The] space industry … is growing faster than the global economy, faster than our regional economy," he said.

"We're investing almost $700 million into the space sector, including $150 million into Australian businesses so they can pick up more work and support more jobs by partnering with NASA's Moon-to-Mars initiative."

Agency will help space industry 'triple in size'

Federal Science Minister Karen Andrews said the launch of the space agency would help deliver on previous promises of jobs.

"Currently the space industry in Australia employs about 10,000 people and is worth about $3.9 billion," she said.

"The plan that we have in place, that we are currently implementing, will grow the space industry here in Australia to triple in size to $12 billion and to employ an additional 20,000 people by 2030."

Ms Andrews said growth occupations would be diverse, and include astrophysicists, scientists, engineers and electricians.

Adelaide was revealed as the home of the new space agency in 2018, fending off strong competition from other states to secure the headquarters.

The agency is based at Lot Fourteen, the former Royal Adelaide Hospital site in Adelaide's CBD.

Mr Morrison toured the site this morning alongside Ms Andrews, Dr Clark and South Australian Premier Steven Marshall.

Mr Marshall said South Australia was now at the forefront of the nation's space endeavours.

"We are now, without a doubt, the space capital of the nation," he said.

"Young people from across the state have the opportunity to seize incredible jobs across the sector, right here in South Australia."

Despite these grand ambitions, Dr Clark said the agency would itself only employ a modest number of staff.

"We have 20 people here — we have 19 and we've got one more to go. Even on opening day we are almost full up there," she said.

"This is now a door that we can showcase when we have our international visitors.

"Opening that door internationally, with the United Kingdom, with France, with what we're doing with NASA on the Moon-to-Mars [initiative] … this is an important role."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-19/australian-space-agency-headquarters-open-in-adelaide/11978930

>>8112891

>>8112938

Kogarah dance studio rapist Anthony Sampieri to appeal life sentence

Convicted child rapist Anthony Sampieri will appeal the life sentence he received for his brutal attack on a seven-year-old girl.

Convicted child rapist Anthony Sampieri intends to appeal the life sentence handed to him over his attack on a seven-year-old girl inside a toilet at a Sydney dance studio.

Sampieri punched, bound and choked the girl for almost an hour while he filmed part of the ordeal and threatened to kill her at Kogarah in November 2018.

Sampieri pleaded guilty to 10 charges related to the attack and was sentenced to life in jail with no non-parole period in the NSW District Court on February 12.

The rapist also admitted to charges related to 94 sexually explicit and harassing phone calls he made to women in the months before the attack.

The 56-year-old has liver cancer and only a few years to live, and will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

He lodged a notice of intention to appeal with the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal one day after his sentencing.

Sampieri must outline his case for appeal by August 13.

His lawyer, Penny Musgrave, confirmed to AAP on Wednesday that Sampieri had lodged the notice of his intention to appeal, which gives him six months to decide whether he will go ahead with it.

Sampieri, who was on parole at the time for an earlier rape in Wollongong, was high on ice during the attack on the child.

Acting Judge Paul Conlon in sentencing said the attack could “only be described as any parent’s worst nightmare”.

He said it would have been terrifying and the girl would have held “grave fears” for her life.

The judge described mechanic Nick Gilio as brave for confronting the knife- wielding Sampieri after he found the girl in the toilets.

Mr Gilio suffered several large cuts during the confrontation, including a 14cm wound to the back of his head and cuts to his neck and abdomen.

https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/courts-law/kogarah-dance-studio-rapist-anthony-sampieri-to-appeal-life-sentence/news-story/1d3c0aec600ea7952aa333f15f9ad9ee

256 Australians spend more than $1.3 million watching child sexual abuse online

More than 250 Australians have spent more than $1.3 million to watch child sexual abuse, live streamed on the internet from the Philippines, over 13 years.

The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) compiled the data in a landmark study of criminal behaviour online and found the majority of the Australians paying for what has been dubbed "webcam child sex tourism" were aged in their 50s and 60s.

More than half had no criminal record and were from a range of occupations. They included aged care workers, gardeners and even one housewife.

The AIC matched more than 2,700 transaction records between 2006 and 2018, provided by the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC).

The financial details belonged to Australians linked to people arrested for child sexual exploitation in the Philippines.

Some payments to watch children being abused were less than $49.

The institute said the live streaming of child sexual abuse was "distinct from other child sexual abuse material shared on the internet due to the 'real-time' element".

"Offenders often request how they want the child to be sexually abused either before or during the live streaming session," the report said.

Of the 256 Australians who paid to watch children being abused, more than half made more than one payment, with the AIC stating there was "clear evidence of escalation in the frequency and potential severity of offending in the financial transactions made to [child sexual abuse] live stream facilitators".

The institute was unable to determine exactly what led to some transactions being worth more, but argued it could be a case of a higher price being charged for more egregious and sickening abuse.

The report, released today, coincides with an address to the National Press Club (NPC) in Canberra by the new Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, Reece Kershaw, AUSTRAC boss Nicole Rose and the AIC's chief Michael Phelan on countering child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Ms Rose said the Philippines was a "hub" for the live streaming of child sexual abuse.

"This can be sadly attributed to factors of poverty, a high level of English speaking, strong internet coverage and reliable services to facilitate payment," she said.

"It's alarming there's a continuing trend of Australians purchasing viewing and directing the abuse of children on the internet. While these offenders may try to stay under the radar at home, a pattern of crime escalation may compel them to travel out of the country to offend."

The trio are calling for stronger legislation to tackle encryption online, in a bid to pursue child abusers and paedophiles hiding in the darkest reaches of the internet.

"We are seeing more videos, younger children, more violence, we are seeing the rape and torture of our children all for sexual gratification," Commissioner Kershaw told the NPC.

"Australian offenders are involved in producing this material, they travel to impoverished places and they exploit vulnerable children.

"They use the dark web like a weapon, they use encryption like a sword and anonymity like a shield."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-19/australians-paying-to-watch-child-sex-abuse-online/11979844

—

Australians who view live streaming of child sexual abuse: An analysis of financial transactions

Australian Institute of Criminology

Abstract:

In recent years, there has been growing evidence of live streaming technologies being used to facilitate child sexual abuse (CSA). This study examined a sample of financial transactions made by a cohort of Australians who provided funds to known facilitators of CSA live streaming in the Philippines.

The results showed that these individuals were likely to be aged in their 50s or 60s and the majority (55%) had no criminal record. Ten percent had a sexual offence recorded in their criminal history.

Most CSA live streaming transactions involved a small proportion of individuals. Just three percent accounted for half of all transactions. In contrast, 25 percent of individuals made just three percent of transactions.

As individuals purchased more CSA live streaming transactions, the median amounts they paid increased and the transactions became more frequent. These two variables were significantly correlated. This may reflect an escalation in the frequency and severity of offending.

https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi589

Fresh charges for ex-Labor MP Orkopoulos

Convicted pedophile and former NSW Labor MP Milton Orkopoulos could be sent back to prison after being charged with three additional counts of breaching his parole conditions.

Orkopoulos will appear at Waverley Local Court on Thursday to answer the fresh charges, including being caught with an unapproved mobile phone.

The 62-year-old was already before the courts facing two counts of breaching his parole in January.

Orkopoulos was arrested at his Malabar home on Wednesday and taken to Maroubra Police Station where he was charged.

It was the second time the former Iemma government Aboriginal affairs minister had been arrested since his release from Long Bay jail in December after serving 11 and a half years for child sex offences.

Orkopoulos was previously detained on January 22 after allegedly setting up an Instagram account without informing police and talking to a child while on a phone call with one of his adult children.

He pleaded not guilty and remained on parole but now he's in danger of being sent back to prison.

Corrective Services NSW has written to the State Parole Authority asking for his parole to be revoked.

Orkopoulos did not appear on Wednesday when his matter was briefly heard in Waverley Local Court and adjourned until Thursday.

Orkopoulos's lawyer, Michael Vo, said outside court he would be making a bail application on Thursday, when police will apply for his client to be kept in custody.

The former state politician was jailed in 2008 after being convicted of 30 offences, including having sexual intercourse with a male aged between 10 and 18 years, possessing child pornography, and supplying cannabis and heroin.

Orkopoulos had 18 parole conditions imposed on him when he was released in late 2019 despite his head sentence not expiring until October 2021.

He was granted parole by the SPA after the Serious Offenders Review Council and Corrections recommended he be released on supervised parole.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6638439/fresh-charges-for-ex-labor-mp-orkopoulos/

St Kevin's headmaster Stephen Russell resigns over character reference for paedophile

Russell quits elite Melbourne school after revelations in ABC Four Corners program over former coach Peter Kehoe

The headmaster of St Kevin’s college in Melbourne has resigned after it was revealed he wrote a character reference for a school’s athletic coach after he was convicted of grooming a student.

In a letter to parents, headmaster Stephen Russell said he would resign immediately for the wellbeing of the school and students.

“I have a deep and abiding passion for this school community and am very grateful for the 24 years of nurturing I and my family have received,” he said in the letter.

“I extend my best wishes and encouragement to the current student body to be ‘good people’ the way so many who went before them have been across the decades.”

Former coach Peter Kehoe was convicted in 2015 for grooming then year 9 student Paris Street. According to the ABC when Kehoe was coaching Street, he sent him messages via Facebook which eventually escalated to the coach taking Street to his house and inviting him into his bed.

Russell and the school’s dean of sport, Luke Travers, came under fire after the ABC’s Four Corners program revealed Russell had provided a reference to Kehoe during sentencing, and Travers had provided a character reference before the trial.

Street’s lawyer, Judy Courtin, told ABC RN Breakfast on Wednesday that after the sentencing, Street was “forced” to have a meeting with Travers at the school, despite Travers being a friend of Kehoe. Courtin said Travers allegedly told Street in the meeting that he didn’t think he should have been convicted and would continue to be friends with Kehoe.

“That happened at school.”

Victorian education minister James Merlino has said the state’s education regulator, the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority, will review the school’s management of child abuse risks in the wake of the ABC report.

Courtin said she wasn’t convinced the review would recommend any changes.

“Here we have the Old Boys sticking by each other … Have all the policies you like, it doesn’t seem to stop this terrible culture that is psychiatrically harmful for the children.”

Blue Knot Foundation, the national centre of excellence for complex trauma, welcomed Russell’s decision to resign.

“His resignation hopefully represents the beginning of a critical change in child safety and accountability at St Kevin’s moving forward,” its president, Cathy Kezelman, said.

“It is not acceptable to ever ignore the suffering of victims and the impact of the crime of child sexual abuse in favour of institutions and their hierarchy.”

In a statement provided to the ABC last week, St Kevin’s College said Kehoe’s actions were “completely unacceptable” and strongly condemned. Kehoe was banned from entering the school after he was convicted.

Edmund Rice Education Australia, the governing body of St Kevin’s, said in a letter on Wednesday that Russell would be replaced by St Patrick’s College Ballarat principal John Crowley as acting headmaster for 2020.

Travers was also formally stood down pending further investigations of issues raised in the ABC report.

“During Monday’s Four Corners program, we heard from young people who shared their disturbing accounts of distress, pain and disempowerment,” executive director Dr Wayne Tinsey said in the letter.

“They made a plea for an education that empowers them to challenge what is dehumanising and wrong. As educators, we hear these voices and commit further to this empowerment of the young through the education we provide them.

“For most members of the St Kevin’s community, watching the program was a distressing and challenging experience.”

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/19/st-kevins-headmaster-stephen-russell-resigns-over-character-reference-for-paedophile

Repost from Q Research General #10474

>>8181960 (pb)

I think it's rather funny Twitter suspended Wikileaks account because it was said to be compromised. If you've been following Q's post about Wikileaks, the word "compromised" is rather fitting actually. Back in june 2018 Wikileaks openly attacked Qanon and Q hinted Wikileaks as an org is under C_A control but the source(Assange) is with the good guys.

https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/02/18/twitter-temporaily-locked-wikileaks-account-a-week-before-julian-assange-extradition-hearing/

Government considering bringing foreign cyber spy powers onshore to hunt Australian paedophiles

Australia's premier foreign cyber intelligence agency would be enlisted to help track down online paedophiles, terrorists and other serious criminals under a proposal being developed by the Federal Government.

The ABC understands the change could allow the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to call for assistance from the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) or extend the cyber capability of the AFP.

The ASD, whose motto is to "reveal their secrets, protect our own", is restricted under legislation to hacking, disrupting and destroying foreign criminal cyber activity.

The agency is banned from spying or hacking into online systems based in Australia.

This means that if cyber spooks working for ASD come across cybercriminal activity within Australia, its work must immediately stop, no matter how serious the offence.

For example, the ASD can hunt down sexual predators using overseas networks, but it cannot spy on them if the server is based in Australia.

"At the moment, if there is a server in Sydney that has images of a five- or six-month-old child being sexually exploited and tortured, then that may not be discoverable, particularly if it's encrypted and protected to a point where the AFP or the ACIC can't gain access to that server," Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton told the ABC.

"It can be a different picture if that server is offshore, so there is an anomaly that exists at the moment."

It is understood that the Government wants agencies to be able to develop cyber expertise or to enlist the skills of ASD by relaxing the restrictions governing the agency's remit.

While he wouldn't back the proposal outright, Mr Dutton made it clear he wants change.

"What I think is that there should be a public debate about whether we think it's acceptable for our society to tolerate the presence of these criminal networks right next door to us and yet we have no ability to do anything about it," he said.

…..

The AFP received 17,000 referrals for online child exploitation material last year, compared to just 300 a decade ago.

A referral doesn't mean a single image of a child, but potentially thousands of videos and pictures of children being sexually abused.

Security agencies argue that the online world, especially the largely ungoverned "dark web", protects those attempting to do harm and interception laws have not kept up.

Publicly, the agencies and Mr Dutton have complained that warrants allowing agencies to use ASD are too restrictive and criminal networks onshore are operating with impunity.

Mr Dutton wants to bring online warrants into the 21st century to keep up with evolving technology that has made it easier for criminals to hide.

He is pushing for the online warrants to mirror the process police are able to use when searching a house.

"I want to make sure that if they [the police] can get a warrant from a court and go to a paedophile's house and search that house for material … I want to make sure we have the same power to do that in the online life of that paedophile. Nothing more, nothing less," Mr Dutton said.

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said "perverted offenders" were using the dark web to evade law enforcement and commit "heinous crimes".

"We are seeing more videos, younger children … we are seeing the rape and torture of our children, all for sexual gratification," he told the National Press Club on Wednesday.

The search powers of AUSTRAC, the nation's financial intelligence unit that tracks money laundering and financial terrorism, allow it to conduct wide-ranging searches within strict rules to gather intelligence on an individual or group.

Mr Dutton has referred to those powers as an example of what security agencies hunting paedophiles online could have.

"[AUSTRAC chief executive Nicole Rose] has the ability to look at millions of transactions, to look for payments made from an Australian paedophile to a syndicate in the Philippines that is sexually abusing children," he said.

"She can look at the transactions and put together an intelligence picture. Nobody is asking for any more than that … it's a debate worth having."

(continued)

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-19/powers-for-asd-spy-dark-web-australians/11980728

Dana Rohrabacher denies offering Assange a pardon from Trump

A former Republican congressman has denied he offered a pardon to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on behalf of US President Donald Trump.

Assange's lawyer said Dana Rohrabacher claimed to be acting "on instructions" from Mr Trump in offering clemency.

In return, the president was said to have wanted Assange to say Russia was not involved in leaking emails during the 2016 US election.

But Mr Rohrabacher, a former California representative, rejected the claims.

"At no time did I talk to President Trump about Julian Assange. Likewise, I was not directed by Trump or anyone else connected with him to meet with Julian Assange," he said in a statement.

Mr Rohrabacher said he was acting on his own "fact-finding mission".

He said he told the Wikileaks founder that if he could provide evidence of who passed on the DNC emails, he would then call on the president to pardon him.

The White House called the allegation "a complete fabrication and a total lie".

What's the row about?

Leaked emails published by Wikileaks ahead of the 2016 vote contained embarrassing details about the Democratic Party, and were seen to have damaged its presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton.

Assange has previously denied receiving the material from the Kremlin, although Russian intelligence officials have been indicted in the US for the leak.

Assange is facing extradition to the US on 18 charges over earlier leaks of diplomatic cables.

He faces up to 175 years in prison if found guilty.

Where does the allegation come from?

The claim was made at a court hearing in London before a formal extradition request for Assange begins. He is wanted in the US on espionage charges.

Assange's barrister, Edward Fitzgerald QC, told Westminster Magistrates Court there was evidence that former congressman Rohrabacher made the pardon offer.

Mr Rohrabacher, known for his outspoken support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, visited the Ecuadorian embassy in August 2017, where Assange was staying, he said.

At the time, Russia was widely suspected of stealing embarrassing Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails, which were published by Wikileaks - although Assange has denied Russian involvement.

Mr Fitzgerald said a statement from Assange's lawyer Jennifer Robinson showed "Mr Rohrabacher going to see Mr Assange and saying, on instructions from the president, he was offering a pardon or some other way out, if Mr Assange… said Russia had nothing to do with the DNC leaks."

District Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled the evidence admissible in court.

What has the response been?

White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said: "The President barely knows Dana Rohrabacher other than he's an ex-congressman. He's never spoken to him on this subject or almost any subject.

"It is a complete fabrication and a total lie."

Mr Trump has previously praised him as "a great congressman" who "works hard and is respected by all".

The Wall Street Journal reported in 2017 that he had contacted the White House in an attempt to secure a pardon for Mr Assange.

The paper said that, under Mr Rohrabacher's terms, Mr Assange was required to provide "proof" that Russia was not the source of hacked emails published by Wikileaks during the 2016 US election.

(continued)

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51566470

—

My Meeting with Julian Assange

There is a lot of misinformation floating out there regarding my meeting with Julian Assange so let me provide some clarity on the matter:

At no time did I talk to President Trump about Julian Assange. Likewise, I was not directed by Trump or anyone else connected with him to meet with Julian Assange. I was on my own fact finding mission at personal expense to find out information I thought was important to our country. I was shocked to find out that no other member of Congress had taken the time in their official or unofficial capacity to interview Julian Assange. At no time did I offer Julian Assange anything from the President because I had not spoken with the President about this issue at all.

(continued)

https://www.rohrabacher.com/news/my-meeting-with-julian-assange

MPs astounded at further Malka Leifer extradition delay

Government and Labor MPs have hit out at an “astounding” decision from an Israeli judge which could further delay the years-long extradition process of a former Melbourne school principal accused of child sex abuse.

The concern from Labor MP Josh Burns and former Australian ambassador Dave Sharma follows the decision of an Israeli judge on Tuesday to allow psychiatrists for the defence to testify again that Malka Leifer is not mentally fit to stand trial for extradition to Australia, after a psychiatric panel in January determined she was feigning mental illness and was fit to stand trial.

A former principal of Melbourne’s ultra-orthodox Adass Israel girls school, Ms Leifer fled to Israel in 2008 as accusations against her surfaced. She has since been charged with 74 charges of child sexual abuse, with Australia lodging a formal extradition request in 2014.

The decision from Judge Chana Lomp comes months after an earlier psychiatric opinion that the principal was not fit to stand trial was thrown out over concerns Israel’s Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman had interfered with the assessing panel to influence their determination.

It is understood the decision to allow the psychiatrists for the defence to submit their opinions will force prosecutors seeking Ms Leifer’s extradition to cross examine them in hearings, which would further delay the case that has already run for more than 60 hearings.

Josh Burns, the Labor MP for Macnamara in Melbourne which takes in the Adass Israel School where Ms Leifer is alleged to have committed the abuse, labelled the court’s decision “astounding”.

“It is astounding that Judge Lomp is allowing additional psychiatrists to testify against the independent medical panel that she appointed and who unanimously found that Malka Leifer is fit to stand trial,” Mr Burns told The Australian.

“These seemingly endless delays and the allegations of corruption that have been made by Israeli police reflect extremely poorly on Israel and is exposing serious flaws in its justice system.”

Dave Sharma, Liberal MP for Wentworth and former Australian ambassador to Israel, told The Australian the case has “already been delayed for far too long”.

“I would be concerned by any steps which cause further delays in these proceedings,” Mr Sharma said.

Earlier in February Mr Sharma and Mr Burns moved a motion urging Israel to extradite Ms Leifer immediately.

Dassi Erlich, one of Ms Leifer’s former students and alleged victims, described the court’s decision as going backwards.

“We have been patient. We have been calm. We have tried to trust the Israeli court system and understand this takes time,” she wrote on Facebook.

“But when we go backwards and repeat a process that has already been endlessly delayed we have had enough!!

“Can anybody see the sense in this???”

Manny Waks, the head of Jewish child sexual abuse support organisation Kol V’Oz said the case had become “farcical”.

“This unprecedented decision continues to make a mockery of the Israeli legal system,” he said.

“Judge Lomp herself appointed this latest psychiatric panel, which has made a unanimous, unequivocal decision; that Leifer is faking her illness and that she is in fact fit to face justice.

“Why on earth does Judge Lomp need to hear from these psychiatrists again?”

The new psychiatric opinion will be submitted on Monday, with the next court date set for March 12.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/mps-astounded-at-further-malka-leifer-extradition-delay/news-story/a5a4e5bf58e02e7e2419d89bb6016551

Encryption laws haven't created weaknesses: ASIO boss

The nation's domestic spy chief says his agency's use of controversial encryption laws to access encoded messages has not introduced any systemic weaknesses to networks and devices as critics had feared.

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation boss Mike Burgess also revealed tech companies had not formally challenged his organisation's requests to establish new capabilities to intercept and decrypt communications, saying the process had been "very collaborative so far".

Under the Morrison government's encryption-subverting laws, security agencies can order a "technical capability notice" requiring service providers to create new capabilities to gain access to encrypted messages.

The tech sector has previously warned it is impossible to introduce selective backdoor access to an encrypted service without weakening the entire system and leaving users vulnerable to hackers.

Mr Burgess said all technical capability notices had been done in co-operation with providers and had not involved the development of any backdoors that might create systemic weakness in networks or devices.

"Our experience is we've not had an issue – it's been very collaborative so far," he told a hearing into the laws on Thursday. "I know that members of our society, depending on where you fall, will have a different view of what a 'systemic weakness' is.

"But that's in my mind when I consider this, because I have no intention of introducing something that breaks the internet, no intention of introducing something that actually means that whilst it gives me lawful access to target A, I've now put every Australians' private communications at risk …"

Mr Burgess said ASIO had used the new encryption laws within 10 days of them coming into effect last year.

With more than 95 per cent of ASIO's most dangerous counter-terrorism targets using encrypted communications, Mr Burgess said the laws had helped significantly in gaining targeted access to specific encrypted data and it was done "in a co-operative way".

The guarantee by the ASIO boss comes as calls grow from tech companies for more oversight of the encryption laws, including a requirement that security agencies must go before a senior judge before gaining access to encrypted messages.

The laws – which were hurried through Federal Parliament at the end of 2018 – are being reviewed by the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor, James Renwick, who has already suggested that some of his recommendations would include a senior judicial officer being involved in ticking off on encryption requests.

In his opening remarks to the hearing, Dr Renwick said it might be preferable for law enforcement agencies to go before a senior judge or the security division of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal to access encrypted messages. Currently, "technical assistance notices" (TANs) – which require service providers to hand over encrypted data – can be approved by an agency head or their delegate.

"Unlike the underlying warrants or authorisations, TANs are not granted by an eligible judge or independent tribunal member but are simply granted by the agency head or their delegate, a departure from the normal course of an independent eligible judge or tribunal member in relation to a coercive power affecting privacy," he said.

Dr Renwick said nothing he had seen in his review of the encryption laws so far amounted to "mass surveillance" of Australians, and they had instead allowed for existing powers to be used in a more targeted or limited fashion.

But he said many of the submissions had raised concerns about the laws creating systemic weaknesses or vulnerabilities in networks and devices, suggesting the definitions of these terms in the laws needed to be improved.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/encryption-laws-haven-t-created-weaknesses-asio-boss-20200220-p542ms.html

George Pell: High Court weighs details of witness testimony

The High Court is weighing up the importance of viewing the testimony of George Pell’s victim compared to just reading the transcript.

The court requested submissions on the issue this month and released the response from Pell’s legal team on Wednesday.

Pell’s barristers, Bret Walker SC and Ruth Shann, argue the majority opinion of the Victorian Court of Appeal last year took the wrong approach in assessing the impact of the demeanour of witnesses whose evidence was viewed.

The Court of Appeal sought submissions on this topic last year indicating it intended to view video recordings of the trial evidence of the victim and three other witnesses.

“The applicant submitted that … there was no necessity to watch any video recordings because the complaint of the applicant on appeal did not depend on the manner in which any witness gave evidence,” Pell’s counsel said in their High Court submissions.

“In particular, it was submitted that no matter how favourable a view was taken of the manner that the complainant gave evidence, it was not open to the jury, acting rationally, to conclude that the prosecution had eliminated all reasonable doubt due to the combined effect of the unchallenged evidence of other witnesses.”

The appellate court ended up conducting a view of St Patrick’s Cathedral, where the abuse took place, and video recordings of 12 witnesses.

Pell’s counsel said it was unnecessary for the appellate court to watch any recordings but it wouldn’t have been in any way determinative of the issues on appeal.

“This is because the issue for the court’s consideration remained whether it was sufficient for belief in the complainant to eliminate doubt otherwise raised and left by unchallenged exculpatory evidence unanswered by the evidence of the complainant,” they said in the response to the High Court.

Pell’s counsel argue the Court of Appeal majority, Chief judge Anne Ferguson and the president of the court Chris Maxwell, substantially based their conclusion on their favourable view of the victim’s manner despite saying they “bore in mind” caution from a previous High Court decision about too readily drawing conclusions about truthfulness and reliability solely or mainly from the appearance of witnesses.

“Many of the other matters considered by the majority to affect the complainant’s credibility were either viewed by the majority as not detracting from the favourable perception they had of his demeanour or are interpreted through the lens of having concluded he is credible and reliable because of his demeanour,” they said.

Dissenting Justice Mark Weinberg found the victim’s manner of giving evidence less compelling.

“Weinberg JA noted the risks of giving too much credence to matters such as demeanour when evaluating the evidence of a witness,” Pell’s legal team said.

“Weinberg JA stated that while demeanour must be ‘weighed in the scale’, it was to be considered in the light of the evidence as a whole.”

Pell’s counsel submitted Justice Weinberg adopted the “correct judicial method” compared to the majority.

The High Court hearing is listed for March 11 and 12.

Pell was convicted in December 2018 on one charge of sexual penetration with a child under 16 and four counts of indecent act with, or in the presence of, a child under 16, relating to two separate incidents at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne in 1996 and 1997.

The first incident related to choristers J and R who had left the procession and made their way to the priests’ sacristy, where Pell caught them drinking sacramental wine. Pell sexually abused the boys after mass in the sacristy.

The second incident involved Pell squeezing J’s genitals in a corridor. Prosecutors relied solely on evidence from J in the trial. The second choirboy, R, died in 2014 of a drug overdose.

Pell is serving a six-year sentence with a minimum of three years and eight months.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/george-pell-high-court-weighs-details-of-witness-testimony/news-story/f4694c6f9c91492421c7b3bf25aaf11a

>>8192296

Dassi Erlich Tweets

President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin is visiting Melb next week.

We requested to meet with him.

There have been many requests he meet with us, from Goverment officials to heads of several international jewish organizations.

We still do not have a meeting with @PresidentRuvi

https://twitter.com/dassi_erlich/status/1230389084499013632

—

This letter was written by the Members of Israel's Jewish Peoplehood Coalition.

We thank them and hope the President heeds their words.

Thank you Adam Segal for tirelessly advocating on our behalf.

https://twitter.com/dassi_erlich/status/1230389105525063680

—

Our response to President Rivlin's letter addressed to Ambassador @MarkSofer after repeated requests that we meet with the President while in Australia.

https://twitter.com/dassi_erlich/status/1230689780767182848

George Pell’s legal team argue DPP adopted a “piecemeal approach” in defending guilty verdict

The Victorian Director of Public Prosecutions has adopted a “piecemeal approach” in defending the guilty verdict of George Pell, submissions to the High Court from Pell’s legal team argue.

The High Court has now received the final submissions before the two-day full court hearing in March.

In Pell’s counsel’s reply to the prosecution, barristers Bret Walker SC and Ruth Shann claim the Court of Appeal majority, 2-1, didn’t independently weigh the combined effect of the evidence.

In their submissions, counsel make the point that the trial judge, Chief Judge Peter Kidd, “without demur from the prosecution” directed the jury that there was no evidence to support the prosecution case other than that of the complainant.

Counsel argue the victim’s description of the layout and features of the “wood panelled area” in the priests’ sacristy were not accurate and although he was correct about the location of the wine in a particular corner: “That was a simple fact that could only be speculated as incapable of recall from a tour.”

Counsel said that the evidence of two choristers who joined the choir in 1991 and 1993 that they had not been in the priests’ sacristy before, did not prove the victim didn’t enter the room on a tour when he joined the choir in 1996 nor the fact the room was off-limits to choristers on Sundays.

A further point is made that there is no positive evidence that Pell didn’t openly use the priests’ sacristy.

Counsel said the DPP relied on the evidence of Monsignor Charles Portelli to establish Pell would have robed in the sacristy on 15th and 22nd December 23 “without confronting the tension between that reliance and the respondent’s assertion that Portelli’s memory is unreliable when he says that he was with the applicant when he robed and disrobed in that room on those dates”.

Counsel also argued the alibi provided for Pell by people like Portelli was “not anywhere near eliminated”.

Pell was convicted in December 2018 on one charge of sexual penetration with a child under 16 and four counts of indecent act with, or in the presence of, a child under 16, relating to two separate incidents at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne in 1996 and 1997.

The first incident related to choristers J and R who had left the procession and made their way to the priests’ sacristy, where Pell caught them drinking sacramental wine.

Pell sexually abused the boys after mass in the sacristy.

The second incident involved Pell squeezing J’s genitals in a corridor. Prosecutors relied solely on evidence from J in the trial.

The second choirboy, R, died in 2014 of a drug overdose.

R had denied being abused to his parents who weren’t called to give evidence at trial.

In their submissions Pell’s counsel argued the prosecution’s forensic choice not to call the parents “leaves as an uneliminated possibility that it was a true denial”.

“As the relevance of the denial of offending by the alleged co-victim is to determine if the complainant can be accepted beyond reasonable doubt, it is impermissibly circular to use belief in the complainant to eliminate the doubt otherwise raised by the denial,” counsel submitted.

Pell is serving a six-year sentence with a minimum of three years and eight months.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/george-pells-legal-team-argue-dpp-adopted-a-piecemeal-approach-in-defending-guilty-verdict/news-story/b1a2f7c0640df65b555bda282336bc96

https://www.hcourt.gov.au/cases/case_m112-2019

Scott Morrison flies to US spy base for first classified briefing

Scott Morrison has flown to the remote US spy base at Pine Gap for a classified briefing from US and Australian intelligence officials.

The visit this afternoon follows the prime minister announcement this morning of the $1 billion upgrade to Tindal RAAF base which will serve as the spearhead for USAF and RAAF operations in the Indo Pacific.

The announcement, signed off by the national security committee of cabinet last week, marks a significant expansion in the reach of air force capability into the region and signals a more assertiv­e Australia-US posture as China continues to expand its strategi­c footprint into the region.

“It will be integral to our alliance with the United States, and increase the reach of Air Force capabilities in the Indo-Pacific,” Mr Morrison said in a statement. Mr Morrison said RAAF Base Tindal would support critical Defence operations including air combat missions and responding to natural disasters. “This investment is all about keeping Australians safe and putting Australians in jobs,” he said.

The highly secretive base jointly operated by Australia and US agencies including the CIA and National Security Agency is a major hub for US global intelligence interception and satellite monitoring for military and nuclear missile threats in the region.

The controversial facility south west of Alice Springs is regarded as a key asset for Australia’s national security architecture as well as the US control centre for satellite surveillance operations over China, Russia and the Middle East.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/scott-morrison-flies-to-us-spy-base-for-first-classified-briefing/news-story/a019bf5f69f691e91f591fae1c7027fe

Julian Assange intends to seek asylum in France, lawyers say

Julian Assange's European defence team has said it will try to seek asylum in France for the WikiLeaks founder, whose full hearings for extradition to the United States on spying charges start next week in London.

French team member Eric Dupont-Moretti said Assange's case placed at stake "the fate and the status of all journalists".

"We consider the situation is sufficiently serious that our duty is to talk about it [with French President Emmanuel Macron]," the lawyer said.

He was one of a team of lawyers lined up at a Paris news conference to explain why they view the case against Assange as unfair, citing his poor health and alleged violations of his rights while in jail in London.

French members of the team said they have been working on a "concrete demand" for Mr Macron to grant Assange asylum in France, where he has children and where WikiLeaks was present at its founding.

"It is not an ordinary demand," lawyer Antoine Vey said, noting that Assange is not on French soil.

Baltasar Garzon, the Spanish coordinator of Assange's team, reiterated his client's plan to claim that the Trump administration offered him a pardon.

The alleged condition was that Assange must agree to say that Russia was not involved in leaking Democratic National Committee emails during the 2016 US election campaign.

Mr Garzon insisted that Assange was "pressured by the Trump administration" but resisted and "the order was given to demand the extradition of Julian Assange," he said.

The White House has firmly denied the claim. However, Mr Garzon said that both testimony and "documentary proof" of the claim will be offered to the court at the full hearing that opens on Monday.

Assange, 48, spent seven years in Ecuador's London embassy before being evicted in April 2019 for what the South American country's President called "spoilt brat" behaviour.

He was arrested by British police for jumping bail in 2012. In November, Sweden dropped a sex crimes investigation against him because so much time had elapsed.

(continued)

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-21/julian-assange-intends-to-seek-asylum-in-france-lawyers-say/11987470

44-year-old Queensland man charged with possessing child-like sex dolls

A man from Brisbane’s western suburbs has become the first person in Queensland to be charged for possessing child-like sex dolls under new Commonwealth laws targeting child abuse-related offences.

The 44-year-old man is due to appear in court today (21 February) after being charged by the Queensland Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (JACET) and faces a potential 15-year jail term if convicted of possessing the anatomically-correct doll.

The new offence came into force on 20 September 2019 as part of the Combatting Child Sexual Exploitation Legislation Amendment Act 2019.

The Queensland JACET launched an investigation into the 44-year-old’s activities after a child-like sex doll was detected in a shipment from China by Australian Border Force (ABF) on 20 January.

Investigators executed a search warrant at the man’s Riverhills home on 25 January where, it will be alleged, they seized two further child-like sex dolls, a laptop and tablet.

Police will further allege a laptop seized at the house contained child abuse material.

The man is due to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court today, charged with:

* Two counts of possessing a child-like sex doll or other object that resembles a child (or part of a child) under 18, and a reasonable person would consider it likely that the doll is intended to be used to simulate sexual intercourse, contrary to section 273A.1 of the Criminal Code Act 1995. The maximum penalty for this offence is imprisonment for 15 years.

* One count of attempting to possess a child-like sex doll contrary to section 273A.1 of the Criminal Code (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is imprisonment for 15 years.

* One count of possess child exploitation material contrary to section 228D of the Criminal Code (Qld). The maximum penalty for this offence is imprisonment for 14 years.

Research by the Australian Institute of Criminology has found that use of child-like sex dolls may lead to an escalation in child sex offences – from viewing online child abuse material to contact sexual offending.

AFP Assistant Commissioner Northern Command Lesa Gale said the dolls could desensitise people who used them to the physical, emotional and psychological harm caused by sexual abuse.

“These dolls are not harmless and do not prevent people from offending in the future,” she said.

“The Australian Federal Police will pursue any form of child exploitation or activity that reinforces the sexualisation of children. This includes sexual acts using items depicting children such as these dolls, which are legally considered child exploitation material.

“This arrest highlights the commitment undertaken by the AFP and its partners to protect children and identify and prosecute anyone who seeks to exploit and harm them.”

ABF Regional Commander for Queensland, Chris Waters said this arrest should serve as a warning to anyone who thinks they can import this kind of abhorrent material, that the ABF and its partner agencies will stop you and bring you to justice.

“Child sexual abuse is a rapidly evolving global issue and the ABF actively cooperates with our law enforcement partners to further investigate these matters domestically and internationally, to prevent any harm to children here or overseas“ he said.

Images of the dolls can be downloaded from the link below:

https://spaces.hightail.com/space/vZFO7wiJ5r

https://www.afp.gov.au/news-media/media-releases/44-year-old-queensland-man-charged-possessing-child-sex-dolls

Alexander Downer Tweet

“Mr Barr praised Australia’s role, saying the move by former Australian High Commissioner to the UK, Alexander Downer to tip-off the US about information he had obtained was the act of a close ally”.

https://twitter.com/AlexanderDowner/status/1230605441614438401

Julian Assange and his Australian lawyers were secretly recorded in Ecuador's London embassy

Barrister Geoffrey Robertson shuffles into the entrance to Ecuador's embassy in London, a camera recording the sound of his shoes echoing on the hard tiles.

It's just after 7:00pm on January 12, 2018.

The camera rolls as Robertson stops at the front door, unbuttons his overcoat and removes his cap.

Once inside the embassy, other cameras follow him as he's ushered into a meeting room, where the storied Queen's Counsel is offered a cup of tea.

After a few minutes, he is greeted by the embassy's most famous resident, Julian Assange.

The camera continues to roll, recording every word of the confidential legal conversation which follows.

While this may be typical surveillance at a secure diplomatic property, what Robertson did not know was he and a handful of other lawyers, were allegedly being targeted in a remarkable and deeply illegal surveillance operation possibly run at the request of the US Government.

And recordings such as Robertson's visit are at the heart of concerns about the surveillance: privileged legal conversations between lawyer and client in a diplomatic residence were recorded and, later, accessed from IP addresses in the United States and Ecuador.

Robertson was only one of at least three Australian lawyers and more than two dozen other legal advisers from around the world that were caught up in the surveillance operation.

Long-time WikiLeaks adviser Jennifer Robinson was one of the other Australian lawyers caught in the spying operation.

"It's important that clients can speak frankly and freely in a confidential space with their lawyers in order to be able to protect themselves and ensure that they have the best possible legal strategy and that the other side does not have advance notice of it," Robinson said.

Referring to a Spanish allegation that the US Government had advance notice of legal conversations in the embassy, she said: "That is … a huge and a serious breach of [Assange's] right to a defence and a serious breach of his fair trial rights".

On Monday evening (Sydney time), Assange will face an extradition hearing relating to US criminal charges against him for his role in the WikiLeaks releases of classified US Government material.

The extradition hearing comes amid a flurry of activity related to Assange: on Friday his legal team also confirmed they will try to seek asylum for the WikiLeaks boss in France, and on Thursday an English court heard that Assange was offered a US presidential pardon if he agreed to say that Russia was not involved in a 2016 leak of Democratic Party emails.

The offer of a pardon was allegedly made by the US congressman Dana Rohrabacher when he visited Assange in the embassy in August 2017. Rohrabacher has denied he was making the offer on behalf of Donald Trump.

'It's an occupational hazard for human rights lawyers'

The surveillance was uncovered via a very public investigation into the Spanish company contracted by the Ecuadorian Government to provide security at the embassy, UC Global.

WikiLeaks Spanish lawyer, Aitor Martinez, told the ABC the surveillance came to light after Assange was arrested, when former UC Global employees provided a large file of material.

"This consisted of recordings from cameras installed in the embassy and hidden microphones; recordings made with secret microphones placed inside the embassy; hundreds of secret copies of the passports of Mr Assange's visitors; multiple emails exchanged between the company owner and the employees," Martinez said.

The recording of lawyers and legal conversations was not accidental, according to the Spanish criminal case, which is now investigating UC Global and its owner, former Spanish Navy marine David Morales.

"David Morales was justifying himself by saying that he had been expressly asked for this information, sometimes referring to 'the Americans'," a UC Global employee turned prosecution witness said.

"He sent on several occasions — via email, by phone and verbally — some lists of targets in which we had to pay special attention … they were mainly Mr Assange's lawyers."

(continued)

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-23/surveillance-of-julian-assange-captured-lawyers-conversations/11985872

Study identifies 16 child sex abuse rings in Victorian Catholic Church

A three-year research project into paedophile Catholic clerics in Victoria has identified 16 child sex abuse networks operating over six decades involving 99 priests and Christian Brothers.

The investigation found that clergy paedophile rings shared patterns of behaviour with criminal gangs, the Mafia, terrorist cells, corrupt police, drug dealers, money launderers and price-fixing cartels.

The research showed their abuse was facilitated and reinforced by church hierarchy, including five successive archbishops of Melbourne from Daniel Mannix, appointed in 1917, through to George Pell (himself appealing against a conviction for child sex abuse) in 2001.

The researcher, Sally Muytjens, spent more than three years investigating "dark networks" of paedophile clergy in Victorian dioceses. She published the research late last year, receiving a doctorate from Queensland University of Technology.

Muytjens’ research found the largest and most active dark networks were at schools including St Alipius in Ballarat and Salesian College, Rupertswood, and orphanages including St Vincent de Paul’s in South Melbourne and St Augustine’s in Geelong.

One of the worst offenders, convicted paedophile and former Christian Brother Edward "Ted" Dowlan, was active in five of the 16 dark networks, she found.

Her study also identified Christian Brother Rex Francis Elmer as a member of two paedophile networks. The Sunday Age last week revealed that Elmer taught at Catholic schools in regional Victoria and Africa for decades after his order first knew he had abused children at a Melbourne orphanage.

In her thesis, Muytjens used a research method called social network analysis, which can reveal hidden patterns and ties between members of groups and provide insights into how they operate.

Using SNA enabled her to identify connections between clergy perpetrators and specific locations in Victoria from 1939 until 2000, unearthing what she described as a pervasive “sexual underworld” that had the potential to destroy Victorian dioceses.

Elsewhere, SNA has been used to map links between terror cells involved in the September 11, 2001, attacks and 2005 London bombings, and to track child sex trafficking networks in Britain, Italian money-laundering rackets and an Australian amphetamine trafficking ring.

It has also been employed to track the spread of contagious diseases, as well as population displacement after natural disasters.

Muytjens also drew on material from the Victorian parliamentary inquiry and the Commonwealth Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse, victims’ advocacy group Broken Rites and media coverage of criminal trials involving clergy, to map links between clergy child sex abusers in Victoria over six decades.

Her thesis examined the responses of the Catholic Church to such criminal activity, describing the institution as a "grey network" that repeatedly facilitated abuse.

“One of these patterns was promoting known clergy perpetrators of child sex abuse to senior positions which not only provided further access to victims but also placed them in positions where they were better able to protect the dark network from exposure,” she wrote.

The code of silence among Catholic clergy in Victoria mirrored patterns of behaviour exhibited by groups including crooked police and the Mafia, Muytjens added, and that “extended to a refusal to give evidence to the police". "Similar methods were utilised by clergy perpetrator networks within the Victorian Catholic Church to maintain silence.”

Documented clusters of paedophile clergy, including at St Alipius Boys’ School in Ballarat in the 1970s, showed they were “conducting illicit activity in an organised and co-operative way”, Muytjens wrote.

Dowlan and notorious paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale both had multiple convictions for sexually abusing children, including at St Alipius. Another four clergymen were each part of least two different clusters of abusers at different times, Muytjens found.

“Some [clergy] committed child sex abuse at institutions where they were the only known dark network actor … [but] they were also transferred to parishes where there were clusters of other known clergy perpetrators.

“These perpetrators were part of multiple clusters at different times … As [Ridsdale and Dowlan] were prolific perpetrators, it can be reasonably argued that [they] were transferred out of clusters when subject to complaints of child sex abuse but were returned to clusters where they could be better supported and protected through stronger ties.

(continued)

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/study-identifies-16-child-sex-abuse-rings-in-victorian-catholic-church-20200215-p54158.html

Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Roberts says EVERY SINGLE room of Jeffrey Epstein's $77million mansion had cameras and questions why the FBI still hasn't made any arrests

Virginia Roberts, who claims she was trafficked and forced to have sex with Prince Andrew, has said convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's house was crawling with cameras.

Roberts has said that she has seen images from the cameras and that they were fitted throughout his house.

'I've seen the video rooms,' she said on Twitter.

'EVERY SINGLE ROOM was being filmed. I've even seen some of the pics.'

Epstein's 'sex slave' Roberts, now known as Virginia Giuffre, claims she had sex with the Duke of York three times - once in London when she was 17, one time in New York and another at Epstein's private Caribbean island. The claims have been strongly denied by Prince Andrew.

Roberts' remarks come after a former acquaintance of Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of Epstein and his alleged 'madam', had 'everything on videotape'.

In an interview with the New York Post, socialite Christina Oxenberg, said Maxwell had told her about the cameras when they were alone.

'She said many things. All creepy. Unorthodox. Strange. I could not believe whatever she was saying was real. Stuff like: 'Jeffrey and I have everyone on videotape'.' Oxenberg said.

Several other sources have also claimed that Epstein secretly filmed his guests using hidden surveillance cameras in his Manhattan mansion, according to The Telegraph.

In response, Roberts question why there was a hold-up in the police investigation.

'Everyday I wake up hoping that someone has been help accountable and everyday I wake up disappointed,' she said.

Prosecutors in the US are investigating sex trafficking allegations and are looking at possible 'conspirators' who worked with Epstein,

Andrew has been accused of failing to respond to requests for an interview about the nature of his friendship with Epstein.

The duke has stepped away from royal duties following a disastrous Newsnight interview which probed his relationship with disgraced Epstein.

Andrew has 'emphatically' denied any relationship with Roberts, who is now 36 and a mother-of-three and living in Cairns in Australia, 'in any form'.

He says he does not recall a 2001 picture of him with Roberts, in which he appears to have his hand on her bare waist, and Ghislaine Maxwell being taken. He has questioned the authenticity of the picture.

The duke has also strongly denied claims he had been dodging an interview with authorities.

He also denies any knowledge that Epstein was abusing teenagers.

Epstein, who died in August 2019, was found dead in his New York jail cell aged 66 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges.

His death was ruled a suicide but this has been disputed by his lawyers.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8031577/Prince-Andrew-accuser-Virginia-Roberts-says-SINGLE-room-Epsteins-mansion-filmed.html

—

Virginia Roberts Giuffre Tweet

I’ve seen the video rooms- EVERY SINGLE ROOM was being filmed. I’ve even seen some of the pics- why are the feds taking so long with arrests. Everyday I wake up hoping that someone has been help accountable and everyday I wake up disappointed. #DoSomethingAlready

https://twitter.com/VRSVirginia/status/1231082812620460032

—

'Epstein and I have everyone on videotape' Ghislaine Maxwell alleged to have confided

Socialite with links to royal family reveals she has spoken to FBI about friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and Ms Maxwell

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/02/21/epstein-have-everyone-videotape-ghislaine-maxwell-alleged-have/

>>8219935

Witness claims he saw Prince Andrew kiss and grope Virginia Roberts on Jeffrey Epstein’s ‘paedo island’

A NEW witness sensationally claims he saw Prince Andrew “groping” Virginia Roberts.

Steve Scully, 70, says he saw saw Prince Andrew kissing Virginia Roberts and grabbing her bottom on paedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s Caribbean island home.

Scully, the tycoon’s former phone and internet specialist, said Andrew was with a young bikini-clad blonde by a pool on Little St James.

He said he later spoke to Andrew when he encountered the pair holding hands on a pathway.

Steve recalled: “I said, ‘Your Highness,’ and he said, ‘No, it’s Andrew’. I said, ‘I’m sorry, I really didn’t know how to address you.’.

He is convinced the young woman was Virginia —- who has claimed she was forced to take part in an orgy with the Duke of York on the tropical estate.

Steve is the first witness to come forward to say they saw Andrew with Virginia on the island.

Prince Andrew has emphatically denied a relationship with Ms Roberts and has said he cannot recall a 2001 picture of them together.

In a world exclusive interview, Steve told The Sun on Sunday that he saw Andrew and the young woman fooling around by the pool for several minutes.

Steve, 70, said: “He was grabbing her ass and stuff like that. They were kissing.

"He was grinding against her and groping her.”

Steve, who had been summoned to fix a phone jack, continued: “They were initially lying on lounge chairs by the pool.

“When they stood up, they were in between the chairs.

“She wasn’t resisting in any manner whatsoever. The look on Andrew’s face was excitement.

“They were bumping and grinding and fooling around for five, six, seven minutes and they then laid back down on the lounge chairs and continued.”

When he later bumped into the pair, Steve said that he introduced himself. “I said, ‘I’m Steve the phone guy’.

He said, ‘All right, Steve the phone guy. I saw you earlier…it’s certainly a lovely place to work isn’t it.’

'SHE WAS SO YOUNG'

“This is where it struck me as how young the girl was, because she stood like a kid would stand behind a parent.

"They walked off together and I went the other way.

“It was so obvious she was so young and she never said a word.

“I thought she looked particularly young. It bothered me. I thought that it wasn’t appropriate.”

There is no suggestion that what Steve saw appeared non-consensual to him.

But Ms Roberts now says she was forced to take part in an orgy with the royal on Little St James — after having sex with him in London and New York in 2001.

Father-of-three Steve — who has not been paid for this interview — is making his astonishing claim publicly for the first time.

His wife Pamela and pal Bobby Gottlieb both confirmed he had told them what he saw at the time.

He said he ran into Prince Andrew one Saturday, sometime between 2001 and 2004, but never saw him or the blonde again.

He had been called to Little St James by Miles and Cathy Alexander, then caretakers of the island.

Steve said: “When Miles called, he said, ‘I had to fix Jeffrey’s favourite phone. It was on the front porch in front of the living room.”

Steve said he was warned by Miles there was a “special guest” on the 72-acre Caribbean paradise.

Once there, Steve went to the porch and saw Prince Andrew — about 50ft away from him — with the young blonde.

He said: “He turned toward me and I went, ‘Oh my goodness, British royalty. That’s amazing.’”

Last night Virginia’s lawyer David Boies described Steve as “a very significant” witness and was arranging to speak to him.

He added: “Virginia was with Prince Andrew on the island — it would have been in 2001 or the first half of 2002.

She doesn’t remember this particular incident — but she says she was groped by him on a number of occasions.”

Steve said he was prepared to give a statement under oath.

(continued)

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11021300/witness-prince-andrew-grope-virginia-roberts-claim/

Brisbane CBD stabber was on counter terror list, police reveal.

"The man shot dead by police after stabbing a young tourist in Brisbane's CBD this morning was on a counter terror watch list, police have revealed.

The 25-year-old was born in Afghanistan but had been living in Australia and was known to police, but detectives say at this stage they are not treating his actions as a terror attack.

The man, whose name has not yet been released, was shot by police after he stabbed an overseas tourist with a knife on Mary Street around 10am today.

The 26-year-old male victim was walking down Mary Street with a woman, at 10am when they were approached by the man, who they say was "behaving strangely".

He stopped in front of them and said nothing as he pulled a knife out of his bag, police say."

More:

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/brisbane-stabber-was-on-counter-terror-list-police-reveal/ar-BB10hlXW?li=AAgfIYZ

Repost from Q Research General #10538

>>8231074 (pb)

JA's mom fighting hard.

https://twitter.com/MrsC_Assange

New Oz $100 note covered in owls

Could they be more obvious?

New $100 note design revealed with added security measures

It’s a tiny feature, easily missed at first glance - but it makes our new $100 note almost impossible to counterfeit, the Reserve Bank says.

The Reserve Bank has revealed the design of the new $100 banknote which has new security features.

This little owl has a rolling colour effect when the note is tilted and is visible on both sides.

The four dots above the owl are raised bumps for people who are vision impaired.

The clear top to bottom window also has multiple security features - if you tilt the note you can see a three-dimensional fan with colourful lines and the colours change within the owl’s wings.

Other security features include tiny, clearly defined text in multiple locations on the banknote, and an owl and wattle branch that glow under UV light.

“Perhaps the most obvious is a clear top-to-bottom window that runs from the top to the bottom of the banknote,” Lindsay Boulton, Reserve Bank Assistant Governor, told Sunrise.

“There’s also micro-text on the banknote, so very small printing that is less than a quarter of a millimetre in height.”

As with the existing banknote, the new $100 features Sir John Monash and Dame Nellie Melba.

Governor Philip Lowe said Australians should feel proud of their banknotes.

“They are innovative and contain world-leading security features that keep the banknotes secure,” he said.

“The new $100 banknote celebrates the contributions that two outstanding Australians – Sir John Monash and Dame Nellie Melba – made to our society.”

The note features the Australian masked owl and Australia’s national floral emblem, the golden wattle, which is native to southeastern Australia and southern inland areas of NSW.

Existing $100 banknotes remain legal tender and can continue to be used.

https://www.news.com.au/finance/markets/australian-dollar/new-100-note-design-revealed-with-added-security-measures/news-story/1eabcf8306ed1ee17e561be9f2db79ee

New George Papadopoulos Tweet

The hunters have now become the hunted

https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1232158186867580928

Julian Assange an 'ordinary criminal' who put lives at risk, court told

London: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is not a free-speech champion but an ordinary criminal whose publication of secret documents put many people at risk of torture and death, a lawyer for the US government said on Monday as Assange's extradition hearing opened in a London court.

Assange's lawyer countered that the Australian computer expert was being victimised as a result of the "declaration of war on leakers and journalists" by the administration of President Donald Trump.

US authorities want to try Assange on espionage charges over the 2010 publication of hundreds of thousands of secret military documents and diplomatic cables. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison.

Lawyer James Lewis, representing the US government, called WikiLeaks' 2010 document deluge "one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States."

"Reporting or journalism is not an excuse for criminal activities or a licence to break ordinary criminal laws," he said.

Dozens of Assange supporters protested outside the high-security Woolwich Crown Court, chanting and setting off a horn as District Judge Vanessa Baraitser began hearing the case. Assange, 48, watched proceedings from the dock in the courtroom - brought there from Belmarsh Prison next door, where he has been imprisoned for 10 months.

Just before the lunch break, Assange complained that he was having difficulty concentrating and called the noise from outside "not helpful."

Assange has been indicted in the US on 18 charges over the publication of classified documents. Prosecutors say he conspired with US army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to crack a password and hack into a Pentagon computer and release secret diplomatic cables and military files on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Assange argues he was acting as a journalist entitled to First Amendment protection, and says the leaked documents exposed US military wrongdoing. Among the files published by WikiLeaks was video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists.

But Lewis said Assange was guilty of "straightforward" criminal activity in trying to hack the computer. And he said WikiLeaks' activities created a "grave and imminent risk" to US intelligence sources in war zones, who were named in the documents.

"By disseminating the materials in an unredacted form, he likely put people - human rights activists, journalists, advocates, religious leaders, dissidents and their families - at risk of serious harm, torture or even death," the lawyer said.

Lewis said some informants and others who had been assisting the Americans had to be relocated after the leak, and others "subsequently disappeared."

While acknowledging that US authorities could not prove that anyone had been killed, Lewis said WikiLeaks' information had helped America's enemies. Documents from WikiLeaks were found in al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan after he was killed in a US attack, the lawyer said.

Assange's lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald, said it was unprecedented in the United States for a publisher to be prosecuted for disseminating leaked material.

"Julian Assange has been made an example of," Fitzgerald said. "He was the obvious symbol of all that Trump condemned."

The extradition hearing follows years of subterfuge, diplomatic dispute and legal drama that have led the Australian computer expert from international fame through self-imposed exile inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to incarceration in a maximum-security British prison.

…..

An end to the saga could still be years away. After a week of opening arguments, the extradition case is due to break until May, when the two sides will lay out their evidence. The judge isn't expected to rule until several months after that, with the losing side likely to appeal.

If the courts approve extradition, the British government will have the final say.

Lewis, attorney for the American government, said it wasn't the role of the British court to determine whether Assange was guilty.

"This is an extradition hearing, not a trial," he said. "The guilt or innocence of Mr. Assange will be determined at trial in the United States, not in this court."

https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/julian-assange-an-ordinary-criminal-who-put-lives-at-risk-court-told-20200225-p543yj.html

ASIO boss warns of rising foreign interference and far-right extremism in Australia

Mike Burgess says ‘sleeper agents’ for foreign powers have lain dormant for years and threat from extremists is real and growing

Foreign interference in Australia is higher than it has ever been, and “sleeper agents” for foreign powers have lain undetected for years in Australia before being uncovered, the head of Australia’s domestic spy agency has warned.

In a wide-ranging annual threat assessment address delivered in Canberra on Monday night, the director general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Mike Burgess reiterated earlier security agency warnings that a terror attack in Australia is “probable”, and said that rightwing extremism, brought into “sharp terrible focus” by last year’s Christchurch massacre, was manifesting in “small cells” of adherents gathering to salute Nazi flags, inspect weapons and disseminate “hateful ideology”.

The intelligence chief said the threat of rightwing extremism was real and growing, and that the number of overall terrorism leads under investigation had doubled over the past year.

“Our view is that the threat of terrorism will remain a constant feature of the global security environment in 2020 and the threat to Australia and Australian interests will remain.”

Australia’s terrorism threat level remains at “probable” and would remain unacceptably high for the foreseeable future, Burgess said.

“The unfortunate reality is that, right now, terrorists are still plotting to harm Australians,” he said.

ASIO had discovered children as young as 13 being targeted by extremist recruiters.

“As a father, I find it truly disturbing to see cases where extremists are actively trying to recruit children who have only just started high school and are as young as 13 or 14,” Burgess said.

He said the level of threat Australia faced from foreign interference and espionage was unprecedented.

“It is higher now than it was at the height of the cold war.

“Indeed, some of the tactics being used against us are so sophisticated, they sound like they’ve sprung from the pages of a cold war thriller.”

The intelligence chief revealed for the first time the case of a “sleeper agent” sent to Australia by an unspecified foreign intelligence service.

“The agent lay dormant for many years, quietly building community and business links, all the while secretly maintaining contact with his offshore handlers,” Burgess said.

“The agent started feeding his spymasters information about Australia-based expatriate dissidents, which directly led to harassment of the dissidents in Australia and their relatives overseas.”

The ASIO chief said the agent was rewarded with “significant cash payments” in exchange for providing “on-the-ground logistical support for spies who travelled to Australia to conduct intelligence activities”.

“These are the sort of insidious activities ASIO works to detect and disrupt every day,” Burgess said, confirming ASIO had disrupted the operation.

ASIO has also uncovered cases where foreign spies have sought to establish sophisticated hacking infrastructure in Australia targeting computers containing sensitive and classified information. China has previously been blamed for large-scale hacking operations in Australia, including on the Australian National University.

Burgess said while violent Islamist fundamentalism remained ASIO’s primary concern, the threat of rightwing extremism – of the type espoused by the Australian-born Christchurch killer – was “real and growing”.

“In suburbs around Australia, small cells regularly meet to salute Nazi flags, inspect weapons, train in combat and share their hateful ideology.”

Burgess said Australians were signing up as members to international white supremacist hate groups such as The Base, where members use online platforms to share extremist rightwing ideologies and encourage each other into committing acts of violence.

“We expect such groups will remain an enduring threat, making more use of online propaganda to spread their messages of hate.

“While we would expect any rightwing extremist-inspired attack in Australia to be low capability, ie a knife, gun or vehicle attack, more sophisticated attacks are possible. And we also need to be mindful of state-sponsored terrorism as states seek to use terrorism to further their goals.”

(continued)

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/24/rightwing-extremism-a-real-and-growing-threat-ASIO-chief-says-in-annual-assessment

Director-General’s Annual Threat Assessment

https://www.asio.gov.au/director-generals-annual-threat-assessment.html

Alexander Downer Tweet

Catching up with a mate in London! A great man

https://twitter.com/AlexanderDowner/status/1232445427766530050

—

George Papadopoulos Tweet

The next clown that is going to have his true role exposed is Alexander Downer. His bizarre spying was so comical that I ended up reporting him to the FBI, Congress and Mueller’s team. Until they confirmed to me he was recording my convo! Australia was willfully interfering

https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1232369750694449153

Julian Assange was 'handcuffed 11 times and stripped naked'

WikiLeaks founder’s lawyers complain of interference after first day of extradition hearing

Julian Assange was handcuffed 11 times, stripped naked twice and had his case files confiscated after the first day of his extradition hearing, according to his lawyers, who complained of interference in his ability to take part.

Their appeal to the judge overseeing the trial at Woolwich crown court in south-east London was also supported by legal counsel for the US government, who said it was essential the WikiLeaks founder be given a fair trial.

Edward Fitzgerald QC, acting for Assange, said the case files, which the prisoner was reading in court on Monday, were confiscated by guards when he returned to prison later that night and that he was put in five cells.

The judge, Vanessa Baraitser, replied that she did not have the legal power to comment or rule on Assange’s conditions but encouraged the defence team to formally raise the matter with the prison.

The details emerged on the second day of Assange’s extradition hearing, during which his legal team denied that he had “knowingly placed lives at risk” by publishing unredacted US government files.

The court was told Wikileaks had entered into a collaboration with the Guardian, El País, the New York Times and other media outlets to make redactions to 250,000 leaked cables secret cables in 2010 and publish them.

Mark Summers, QC, claimed the unredacted files had been published because a password to this material had appeared in a Guardian book on the affair. “The gates got opened not by Assange or WikiLeaks but by another member of that partnership,” he said.

The Guardian denied the claim.

“The Guardian has made clear it is opposed to the extradition of Julian Assange. However, it is entirely wrong to say the Guardian’s 2011 Wikileaks book led to the publication of unredacted US government files,” a spokesman said.

“The book contained a password which the authors had been told by Julian Assange was temporary and would expire and be deleted in a matter of hours. The book also contained no details about the whereabouts of the files. No concerns were expressed by Assange or Wikileaks about security being compromised when the book was published in February 2011. Wikileaks published the unredacted files in September 2011.”

The Guardian’s former investigations editor David Leigh, who wrote the book with Luke Harding, said: “It’s a complete invention that I had anything to do with Julian Assange’s own publication decisions. His cause is not helped by people making things up.”

Assange, 48, is wanted in the US to face 18 charges of attempted hacking and breaches of the Espionage Act. They relate to the publication a decade ago of hundreds of thousands of diplomatic cables and files covering areas including US activities in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Australian, who could face a 175-year prison sentence if found guilty, is accused of working with the former US army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to leak classified documents.

(continued)

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/feb/25/julian-assange-handcuffed-stripped-naked-claim-lawyers

—

Julian Assange attempted to warn White House, Hillary Clinton of impending WikiLeaks release, lawyer says

Julian Assange tried to contact Hillary Clinton and the White House when he realised that unredacted US diplomatic cables given to WikiLeaks were about to be dumped on the internet, his lawyer has told his London extradition hearing.

Assange is being sought by the United States on 18 counts of hacking US government computers and an espionage offence, having allegedly conspired with Chelsea Manning to leak hundreds of thousands of secret documents almost a decade ago.

Outlining part of his defence, Assange's lawyer Mark Summers said allegations that he had helped Manning to break a government password, had encouraged the theft of secret data and knowingly put lives in danger were "lies, lies and more lies".

Mr Summers said Assange attempted to warn the US Government, calling the White House and attempting to speak to Ms Clinton, then-secretary of state, saying "unless we do something, people's lives are put at risk".

Mr Summers said the State Department had responded by suggesting that Assange call back "in a couple of hours".

(continued)

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-26/julian-assange-called-hillary-clinton-white-house-wikileaks-dump/12001286

>>8203889

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin pledge to intervene on Malka Leifer extradition: MP

The President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, has told Australian MPs he will personally intervene in the extradition process of former Melbourne principal Malka Leifer, charged with child sexual abuse, if her years-long legal process drags beyond this week.

As he met with Scott Morrison and a handful of other politicians in Canberra on Wednesday, Mr Rivlin faced questions on Leifer’s extradition which was raised by both the Prime Minister and other MPs from both sides of politics.

A former principal of Melbourne’s ultra-orthodox Adass Israel girls’ school, Leifer fled to Israel in 2008 as accusations against her surfaced.

She has since been charged with 74 counts of child sexual abuse, with Australia lodging a formal extradition request in 2014.

More than 60 hearings have since taken place, with her extradition stalling over claims she is mentally unfit to stand trial and serious allegations of corruption levelled against Israel’s Deputy Health Minister for attempting to influence psychiatrists testifying in her extradition.

The commitment from Mr Rivlin comes after local MPs hit out at an “astounding” decision from an Israeli judge last week which threatened to further delay the extradition process.

According to Labor MP Josh Burns — whose electorate of Macnamara takes in the school where the alleged abuse occurred — Mr Rivlin told him he would meet with Israel’s Chief Justice as early as next week to expedite proceedings should a scheduled hearing in Jerusalem this week not progress the matter.

“I raised the issue of the extradition of Malka Leifer with President Rivlin on behalf of my constituents, particularly Dassi Erlich, Nicole Meyer and Elly Sapper,” Mr Burns said, referring to alleged victims of Leifer’s.

“I was pleased that President Rivlin advised me that, if hearings scheduled this week do not see this matter progress towards Malka Leifer being extradited to Australia, he will personally meet with the Chief Justice of Israel to discuss how this matter can be expedited.”

“This matter has dragged on far too long. These victims deserve justice and I will continue to fight until Malka Leifer is back in Australia facing trial.”

The Australian has also obtained a briefing letter Mr Rivlin is handing out to politicians he meets in Australia, that acknowledges the extradition proceedings “have been undermined by Leifer’s fraudulent claims of severe mental illness”.

It is understood the Prime Minister discussed Australia’s “strong commitment to seeing justice in the case of Malka Leifer.”

Mr Rivlin drew frustration from Leifer’s alleged victims when he refused to schedule a meeting with them during his visit to Australia this week.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/israeli-president-reuven-rivlin-pledge-to-intervene-on-malka-leifer-extradition-mp/news-story/e3f668223a67e7194622cd2f5ae6322a

Trump wants stronger ties with India, Japan and Australia

President and Modi sign $3bn defense deal with China in mind

NEW DELHI – India and the U.S. on Tuesday finalized huge defense deals under which New Delhi will buy advanced American military equipment, including Apache and MH60 Romeo helicopters, worth over $3 billion.

These items are "the finest in the world," U.S. President Donald Trump said in a joint statement with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after talks at the end of his two-day visit. "These deals will enhance our joint defense capabilities as our militaries continue to train and operate side by side."

The purchases are expected to bolster India's defense capabilities against Pakistan and narrow the gap with China, the two neighbors with which New Delhi has had long-standing border disputes.

The deal came as both leaders hailed progress toward negotiating a trade agreement, a priority for Trump, who has in the past denounced India's tariffs on U.S. goods.

He said he discussed with Modi about the expansion of the so-called Quad cooperation to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific, the "importance of a secure 5G wireless network," and an economic relationship that is "fair and reciprocal."

The Quad is the economic and security dialogue spanning Australia, India, Japan, and the U.S. that began in 2007 and was revived in 2017 after a 10-year hiatus.

"Together, the Prime Minister and I are revitalizing the Quad Initiative with the United States, India, Australia, and Japan," Trump said. "Since I took office, we have held the first Quad ministerial meeting … and expanded cooperation on counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and maritime security to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific."

Trump received a warm welcome on arrival on Monday in Ahmedabad in Modi's home state of Gujarat where he addressed a rally of more than 100,000 in the world's largest cricket stadium.

In Ahmedabad, Trump said the U.S. was looking forward to providing India with some of the best and most feared military equipment on the planet. "We make the greatest weapons ever made: airplanes, missiles, rockets, ships," he said.

"And we're dealing now with India," he said.

On Tuesday, he said teams from both sides have made "tremendous progress on a comprehensive trade agreement" and that he was optimistic the two countries can reach a deal that will be of great importance.

At a news conference, Trump said if a trade deal happens with India it will be toward the end of the year.

"Previous administrations had no clue, they didn't know the problems," the president said. "We are being charged large amounts of tariffs."

Trump also mentioned that global energy major Exxon Mobil signed a deal with state-run Indian Oil Corp. to improve India's natural gas distribution network "so that the U.S. can export even more [liquefied natural gas] to India."

To further strengthen bilateral economic ties, he added the U.S. International Development Finance Corp., a government-backed lender, will be setting up a permanent presence in India.

"We are at a point where our relationship is so special with India. It has never been so good than it is right now," Trump said.

Modi said after talks with Trump that they have "agreed to start negotiations on a big trade deal."

Trade tensions between India and the U.S. have been on the rise since Trump took office in 2017. Trump labeled India the "tariff king," in particularly for its treatment of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, which the president mentioned again Tuesday. New Delhi took umbrage at Trump's additional levies on Indian steel and aluminum imports.