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#41 - Part 76

Australian Politics and Society - Part 34

>>23186853 USS America, USS San Diego, USS Rushmore arrive in Sydney with 31st Marines - The US Navy amphibious assault ship USS America has arrived in Sydney during a routine stop for troops from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. The flagship of the America Strike Group brings more than 2,500 sailors and marines to Sydney under a US scheduled port visit from 14 June. The ship brings significant capabilities to the region, including a detachment of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 242, equipped with the advanced F-35B Lightning II aircraft. “Sydney’s warm welcome has been exceptional,” according to USS America Commanding Officer Captain Ethan Rule. “This port visit provides a valuable opportunity to strengthen the bonds between our nations, experience Australia’s unique culture, and reinforce our shared values.” Royal Australian Navy Liaison Officer, LCDR Craig Hamilton is currently serving aboard USS America with the mission of fostering seamless cooperation and interoperability between the two navies. He will host Australian military and government officials for a tour of the ship, highlighting its capabilities and the close partnership between the US and Australia. “The US-Australia alliance is a cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific,” said Erika Olson, chargé d’affaires, US mission to Australia. “The arrival of America, USS San Diego and USS Rushmore marks the first time that the three-ship America Strike Group are together in Sydney. We are excited to have sailors and marines here, and warmly welcome them to Sydney.” America, San Diego, and Rushmore are part of the America Strike group, which is capable of responding to a range of military operations, including combat operations and humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

>>23186860 USS America docks in Sydney after 30 days at sea - "If you seem to be hearing a lot of American accents in Sydney this week, you’re not hallucinating. At noon on Saturday, the amphibious assault ship USS America steamed into Sydney Harbour with its crew of around 2500 American sailors and marines ready for a bit of shore leave after a 30-day cruise from their home base in Japan. As The Sunday Telegraph’s in-house American, I was offered the chance to chopper out to the ship aboard a Seahawk helicopter with a small delegation to meet the crew and check out life aboard the ship. After a quick but thorough safety briefing and the distribution of flotation devices and helmets (“cranials”, in navy-speak), our delegation was whisked via Seahawk helicopter to the ship as it steamed its way towards the Heads. Aboard, an atmosphere of tightly controlled chaos reigned as the crew readied the America for arrival at Garden Island, nimbly navigating the ship’s disorienting network of gangways, ramps, and stairs. Tilt-wing Ospreys sat arrayed towards the ship’s bow, further astern were a number of the Pentagon’s prized F35B fighter jets. Able to land vertically like a helicopter on the America’s relatively short flight deck, and equipped with impossibly advanced computer systems, one aviator would be heard to remark that there was “magic in those machines”. Elsewhere, excited sailors went about the business of bringing the ship in safely while also revealing their plans for their leave in Australia - almost all of them as first-time visitors." - James Morrow - dailytelegraph.com.au

>>23197979 Ghost Bat missile trial looms amid growing foreign interest - Boeing Australia’s MQ-28A Ghost Bat drone will be trialled as an armed platform later this year in a major leap forward for the program, as the government ramps up efforts to acquire lethal uncrewed aircraft. The developmental drone will test-fire an air-to-air missile after a successful trial last week in which two of the aircraft were operated simultaneously from an RAAF jet. The government, which has poured $1bn of taxpayers’ funds into the aircraft, had deferred plans to arm the Ghost Bat, intending to develop it initially for surveillance and electronic warfare missions. But there is growing confidence in the drone after the latest test at South Australia’s top-secret Woomera range, prompting the fast-tracking of the missile trial. “There will be an armed trial later this year,” Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said. “Boeing is working on plans that will involve an air-to-air weapons test.” Mr Conroy declined to say when the Ghost Bat was expected to enter service but said the program was running four months ahead of schedule and indicated it was in line for further funding when its budget was expended by the end of the year. He said the drone was one of the top five capabilities the government was marketing to foreign militaries, and was already attracting strong interest from potential overseas buyers.

#41 - Part 77

Australian Politics and Society - Part 35

>>23197936 Australia races to lock in new meeting with Trump to avoid second snub - Australia’s ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, is leading a diplomatic push to lock in a meeting for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with US President Donald Trump in Europe next week, which would force Albanese to depart Australia again just days after returning from his failed attempt to meet Trump in Canada. The president is scheduled to be at the NATO summit beginning June 24 in The Hague, and a meeting would give the prime minister a chance to press Australia’s case with the US on the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, defence spending and tariffs. But the risk that Trump could cancel to deal with escalating conflict in the Middle East presents a dilemma for Albanese, who has tried to brush off the blow of Trump cancelling their meeting at the G7 for the same reason. A day after saying he expected Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles would attend the NATO summit, Albanese changed his mind and said he could go. “Yes, that’s being considered,” he told reporters travelling with him at the G7 summit in Canada. Sources familiar with Australia’s diplomatic approach, who weren’t authorised to speak publicly, said Rudd was leading work on a potential meeting and that Albanese was unlikely to go to NATO unless time with Trump was certain. While Rudd is leading the push to secure the meeting, Albanese has also sought advice from Greg Norman about how to build a connection with Trump. The strategy mirrors the playbook of Malcolm Turnbull, who also turned to the professional golfer to get in touch with Trump in 2016.

>>23203238 Anthony Albanese seeks window for Trump sit-down - Anthony Albanese has left the door open for a last-minute dash to The Hague next week as he continues to seek his first face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump at the NATO leaders’ summit after the US President ditched their G7 talks. The Prime Minister was blindsided on Tuesday when the President cancelled their meeting and departed the G7 early following an escalation of the Israel-Iran war, forcing Mr Albanese to make his long-awaited pitch on the need for the US to lift its tariffs on Australian products to Mr Trump’s economic officials instead. After sitting down with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett, and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday (AEST), Mr Albanese revealed he had not heard from Mr Trump directly since the cancellation of their meeting, despite other leaders such as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum having received a call from the President. Mr Albanese - who is under pressure from the Coalition for being unable to progress his relationship with Mr Trump and secure wins on tariff exemptions and the long-term ­future of the $368bn AUKUS deal – said he had had discussions with a range of people in recent days including NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte. The Australian understands that several meeting scenarios are being explored and that Mr Albanese would not attend the NATO summit if there was no chance of a meeting. Should Mr Albanese attend NATO, the Labor leader would be exposed to the debate on what countries should be spending on defence, relative to GDP, with Australia having resisted calls from the US so far to lift spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP.

>>23212707 UK makes plans to welcome Albanese to London - The British government is making plans to welcome Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to London on a visit that could come as soon as next week if he attends Tuesday’s NATO summit in the Netherlands. The behind-the-scenes work to prepare for Albanese is the strongest sign yet that he will attend next week’s summit, which could provide a chance to make up for his failed attempt to meet US President Donald Trump in Canada. Sources familiar with the preparations, who were not authorised to speak publicly, said Albanese had not yet decided whether to attend the NATO event in The Hague in part because he was wary of Trump cancelling again. The prime minister’s office and the British High Commission to Australia did not respond to a request for comment, but by Friday government sources believed Defence Minister Richard Marles was more likely to attend the NATO summit in Albanese’s stead. Trump departed the G7 summit in Canada early to deal with the crisis in the Middle East, meaning Albanese’s first face-to-face meeting with the president was cancelled. Australia’s ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, is leading a diplomatic push to lock in a meeting for Albanese with Trump in Europe next week as the prime minister ponders attending the NATO event.

#41 - Part 78

Australian Politics and Society - Part 36

>>23212728 Rudd works overtime to secure Albanese an audience with Trump - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has decided against attending next week’s NATO summit in the Netherlands, dashing the slim possibility of a first face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump. Albanese’s attendance at the summit was probably 50-50 at best, but after being stood up by Trump at the G7 summit in Canada this week, the Prime Minister is facing scrutiny over whether Australia is “off” with the leader of our biggest ally. The snap 30-day review of the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine plan led by Pentagon official Elbridge Colby, an AUKUS sceptic; demands for Australia to lift defence spending; and a sense other countries have leaped ahead of Canberra to secure tariff concessions from Trump is also fuelling concerns. A government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Albanese had been contemplating going to NATO well before his Trump meeting fell over, rejecting the idea it emerged as a last-minute fallback. The sentiment was that with no guarantee Trump would go anyway, there are better places to meet and planning is underway for such an outcome. Late on Thursday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong spoke to her US counterpart, Secretary of State Marco Rubio. While the Middle East was the main topic, Rubio is the person the government needs to work on to get a meeting in Trump’s diary with Albanese, given his dual hats as both top diplomat and national security adviser. However there are rumours Rudd is struggling to make inroads with the White House, with loyalists such as Stephen Miller, who is the president’s deputy chief of staff, nursing a long memory over Rudd’s past take-downs of Trump.

>>23212786 High Court challenge: Ben Roberts-Smith wants ex-lover to give evidence about secret recording - Ben Roberts-Smith has asked the High Court to allow a new trial in his failed defamation case that would permit his former mistress to give evidence about her explosive secretly recorded conversation with Nine reporter Nick McKenzie. In an application to the court for special leave to appeal, Roberts-Smith argues that a new trial is required because cogent evidence from the woman about the conversation - in which the journalist claimed he had been “actively briefed” about Nine’s legal strategy – was concealed by the Nine newspapers. The former SAS soldier argues he was denied the presumption of innocence in the defamation trial and wrongly branded a serial war criminal, “a criminal condemnation of the most ruinous kind”. The High Court challenge is Roberts-Smith’s last chance of overturning the landmark finding by Judge Anthony Besanko that, on the balance of probabilities, the former SAS soldier was complicit in the murder of unarmed detainees in Afghanistan. The High Court has not yet agreed to accept the appeal, and may not announce a decision for several weeks. Last month the Full Court of the Federal Court upheld Justice Besanko’s verdict in favour of the Nine newspapers, and also rejected a claim by Roberts-Smith that he had been the victim of a miscarriage of justice after the release of a tape in which McKenzie claimed to have access to the former SAS soldier’s legal strategy.

>>23230188 Chalmers to push tariffs case on Trump team, still no meeting for Albanese - Treasurer Jim Chalmers will attempt to ward off tariffs and massive taxes on Australian superannuation funds investing in the US when he speaks to his American counterpart on Wednesday as the prime minister defends his absence from a key NATO meeting. Anthony Albanese has sent Defence Minister Richard Marles to the NATO summit in the Netherlands this week, where Trump had reportedly hoped to meet with the prime minister and other Asia-Pacific leaders. The prime minister has not met Trump face to face more than five months into the US leader’s second presidency, spurring demands from Opposition Leader Sussan Ley that Albanese attend the NATO gathering to make up for his cancelled meeting with Trump at the G7 in Canada. “Now is the time for Australia to stand with the United States, our allies and like-minded countries,” Ley said. “The prime minister should be taking every opportunity to do so.” But Albanese said other world leaders, including the president of South Korea and prime minister of Japan, were not at NATO despite reports Trump hoped to meet with them as a bloc and suggested his critics were being hypocritical. “I’ve been to the United States on five separate occasions … as prime minister,” Albanese said on Sky News on Tuesday. “And I do note that the same people who constantly say I should do more international travel, every time I do, are critical of it as well.”

#41 - Part 79

Australian Politics and Society - Part 37

>>23233237 Beyond Beyond Meat: Lab Grown Meat Has Now Arrived For Sale In 3 Countries - Australia just gave lab-grown meat the official thumbs-up, approving the sale of cultivated Japanese quail and joining the elite global club of… three. That’s right - only Singapore, the U.S., and now Australia are on board with selling meat that’s never had feathers, feet, or a heartbeat, Bloomberg wrote last week. Sydney-based startup Vow is behind the venture and says it’ll start serving up foie gras, parfait, and other fancy dishes made from quail cells in select restaurants within weeks. This follows a long-overdue tweak to the country's food standards code, years in the making. The science behind it? Cultivating animal cells in vats instead of raising entire animals, allegedly to save the planet and spare some lives. Noble goals, sure. But the cultivated meat industry hasn’t exactly been thriving. Funding is drying up, scaling remains a headache, and the political pushback - especially in the U.S. - has turned into a sideshow. “While other markets face regulatory uncertainty, Australia is embracing innovation and consumers are ready to try something new and delicious,” Vow CEO George Peppou said, clearly feeling good about being the new kid on the bioreactor block. Vow’s lab-grown quail will show up under its Forged brand at places like NEL in Sydney and Bottarga in Melbourne.

>>23234836 PM cannot say when he’ll meet Donald Trump - Anthony Albanese says his decision to not attend this week’s NATO summit in The Hague, which may have included a meeting with Donald Trump, was driven by other Indo-Pacific leaders also opting to miss the event. Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles will represent Australia at the summit and, while he refused to speculate whether he might break the ice by having an audience with the US president, government sources said it was highly unlikely. With Trump using the summit to pressure the 32 European members to lift their defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP, the US wants Australia to lift its spending from the current rate of 2 per cent of GDP to 3.5 per cent “as soon as possible”. Marles, if he meets Trump, is expected to echo the arguments Albanese made last week in Canada that Australia was pulling its weight because of the additional in-kind support provided to US forces operating out of Australian bases and ports. Asked by Sky News on Tuesday when he might meet Trump, to whom he has only ever spoken by phone, Albanese was unsure. “We have agreed that we will have a meeting and that will take place at a time that’s convenient for both of us. That will be a good thing,” he said. Albanese is hoping to meet Trump in September when he travels to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. After Trump cancelled last week’s meeting, Albanese secured a meeting with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trump’s principal economic adviser Kevin Hassett.

>>23234844 Anthony Albanese faces date with Xi before Trump as Marles NATO meeting hopes fade - Anthony Albanese could meet Xi Jinping for a fourth time before getting his first face-to-face talks with Donald Trump, amid preparations for a prime ministerial visit to Beijing around the middle of July. While the government is scrambling to secure a meeting between the US President and Mr Albanese in Washington in the coming weeks, plans for the Beijing trip are well advanced and the Prime Minister could head to China first. Meanwhile, world leaders have converged on The Hague for the NATO summit, with the NATO “family photo” mirroring the current gulf between the US and Australia on everything from defence spending to Middle East policy. Hopes of a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and the US President faded after Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba cancelled plans to attend, scuttling a scheduled session with Mr Trump and NATO’s Indo-Pacific partners. Multiple sources familiar with preparations for Mr Albanese’s China visit for the nations’ annual leaders’ talks were still waiting on final confirmation that the Prime Minister would proceed with the mid-July trip, despite the program having been largely finalised. The Prime Minister’s office declined to provide any details, while senior government sources said securing the Trump meeting was the priority. If those efforts failed and Mr Albanese headed to Beijing before Washington, it would underscore the current difficulties in the Australia-US relationship and potentially complicate his efforts to forge a personal relationship with Mr Trump, who is more hawkish on China than the Prime Minister.

#41 - Part 80

Australian Politics and Society - Part 38

>>23234869 Chalmers urges Bessent to reconsider ‘revenge tax’ on super funds - Treasurer Jim Chalmers has urged his US counterpart Scott Bessent to reconsider a controversial proposal that would raise taxes on super funds and companies investing in the US, as he pushed back on calls to increase Australia’s defence spending. Institutional investors are alarmed by section 899 of the Trump administration’s so-called “big beautiful bill”. The proposed law would give the administration scope to use “revenge taxes” on foreign countries that it deemed treated American firms unfairly, such as through digital services taxes. Australia could be in the firing line because of its news media bargaining incentive, which forces US tech giants to pay for local news shared on their platforms, and its adoption of the OECD’s global minimum corporate tax rate of 15 per cent. While some Australian companies are hit with a 30 per cent withholding tax on income sourced from the US, section 899 would see this jump another 5 percentage points for each year unfair duties are imposed by another country for up to four years. The bill would also remove the tax exemptions enjoyed by sovereign wealth funds and pension funds. That has alarmed players in the $4.2 trillion superannuation industry, which have almost $400 billion invested in the US, and generally do not pay capital gains tax from these investments. Chalmers said he had a productive discussion with Bessent on Wednesday morning, where he raised Australian investors’ concerns about section 899.

>>23239557 Video: ‘Daddy’ Trump takes centre stage as NATO bows to his demands - President Trump, the “daddy”, as Mark Rutte, NATO’s secretary-general, now refers to him, awoke on Wednesday after a night in the Huis ten Bosch palace, nestled in a forest on the edge of The Hague, in an “excellent mood”. For the diplomats, who had tailored the entirety of the NATO summit to Trump’s limited attention span and the need to avoid unscripted outbursts, it was a good sign for the day ahead. In a press conference ahead of a two and half hour meeting of the North Atlantic Council, the principal political decision-making body of NATO, the US president compared Iran and Israel to “two kids in a school yard”. In a long, rambling defence of his strikes against Iran, Trump boasted that he had stopped the longstanding conflict between Israel and Iran. “They’re not going to be fighting each other. They’ve had it. They’ve had a big fight, like two kids in a schoolyard. You know? They fight like hell,” he said. Interrupting him, Rutte said: “Daddy sometimes has to use strong language.” The comment was a reference to Trump’s outburst that the two countries “don’t know what the f*ck they’re doing” on Tuesday. In a press conference afterwards, Rutte brushed off a suggestion that his gushing praise of “daddy” might be seen as weak, adding that his remarks were a “question of taste”. “He’s a good friend,” he said of Trump. “Doesn’t he deserve some praise?”

>>23239568 Anthony Albanese looking at spending more on missiles and drones after pressure from Donald Trump - Anthony Albanese, Richard Marles and Jim Chalmers are actively considering increasing defence spending on missiles, drones, frigates and nuclear submarine facilities but will not bow to pressure from Donald Trump to lift Australia’s defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP. As the US President flew into the Netherlands for a royal reception amid rising hopes that his ­historic ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran would hold, Mr Trump was on the verge of another major foreign policy coup with NATO members set to increase defence spending to a total 5 per cent of GDP. The pledge - a response to ­repeated demands from the White House that Europe pay more for its own security – was celebrated by Mr Trump after he leaked a ­private text message sent to him by NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte, which lauded him for striking Iran’s nuclear facilities and his success in pushing allies to spend more on defence. The Albanese government, which is expected to announce spending boosts in coming months for the Henderson consolidation project and SEA3000 frigates program, has authorised major purchases over the past 12 months for US ammunition, rockets and guided weapons. As the US and key allies including Britain and Japan ramp up ­defence spending, senior government sources made clear they were exploring ­increased funding for specific ­defence capabilities and projects, which would lift overall defence spending levels. They also believe that the strategic advantage the US would gain from accessing Australian naval bases from 2027 was another major positive in the US-Australia defence relationship.

#41 - Part 81

Australian Politics and Society - Part 39

>>23248416 Doing enough: Anthony Albanese leaps to his own defence - Anthony Albanese has hit back at a fresh claim by the Trump ­administration that his government is not investing enough in defence, declaring the budget Labor took to the May election “received the overwhelming ­support” of Australians as he ­talked up spending on health, wages and paid parental leave. The Prime Minister would not say whether he feared Australia would face extra tariffs from the US if he did not increase spending on defence, after the US President threatened to double tariffs on imports from Spain for refusing to join other NATO nations in agreeing to lift yearly defence ­investment to 5 per cent of GDP. “I’m not going to comment on things between Spain and the United States. What my job is (is) to look after Australia’s national interests,” Mr Albanese said. After White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt on Friday (AEST) urged Asia-Pacific ­allies to increase ­defence spending in line with NATO nations, the Prime Minister said “we have lifted our spending”. When asked whether he would stick to limiting the planned increase in defence spending to 2.3 per cent so he could prioritise investment in programs such as Medicare and the NDIS, Mr Albanese said he would ensure Australia had “the capability that we need”. He said that, “in addition” to increasing spending on defence, the government was investing in paid parental leave and backing higher wages and superannuation payments.

>>23248432 Anthony Albanese catches diplomatic Spanish flu with defiance against Donald Trump on defence spending - "If Anthony Albanese is trying to get noticed in Washington, he is going the right way about it. But not for the right reasons. In leveraging his election victory and unprecedented domestic political capital to openly defy Donald Trump, the prime minister risks putting at stake something far greater. Suggestions that the US/Australia alliance is in peril might appear to be slightly hysterical. But this week has produced now a trifecta of further annoyances, including the delayed support for the US strikes on Iran and the admission it sought legal advice over it. And now a rebuff of Trump’s defence spending demands. That is not to say that elements of the alliance aren’t potentially at risk. And Albanese’s posturing suggests one of three things: he is either unaware of this, disbelieves it or isn’t bothered by it. The Prime Minister, emboldened and supported by a caucus moulded from his own liking, is trying to set the terms of the engagement with the US President with defence spending having become the crucible that now carries the relationship. But his attempt to project strength by appearing to poke Trump in the eye, is not without risk considering we are now midway through the 30 day Pentagon review of the AUKUS arrangements. Defiance of Trump might be more acceptable in Washington if Albanese was equally strident with Beijing." - Simon Benson - theaustralian.com.au

#41 - Part 82

Australian Politics and Society - Part 40

>>23248447 Reprieve for Australian super funds as US dumps 'revenge tax' - Australians investing in the United States will be spared from a tax of up to 15 per cent that the Trump administration was threatening to impose as "revenge" on countries that tax its tech giants. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he would ask that the tax be taken out of Mr Trump's "big, beautiful bill" after he secured an exemption from multinational tax rules. Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who had lobbied Mr Bessent about the tax earlier this week, said the decision was "a really welcome one for Australians". "I would like to thank the treasury secretary again for his time this week, where I was able to represent and raise those concerns with him directly," he said. "In that meeting, he said he was progressing what he could to try and resolve these issues and we're really pleased to see some of that progress." Government sources say Australia was not the main target of the tax, which was motivated chiefly by grievances with Europe resolved in G7 talks. But the legislation, which targeted countries with "discriminatory" policies and specifically taxes on "digital services", was likely to capture Australia's proposed tax on social media platforms, which is to apply to platforms that fail to pay for news. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer complained about that policy in a G7 meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week. The 15 per cent "revenge" tax would have applied to any Australian investors in the United States, with major implications for Australian super funds.

>>23248467 Nearly one-third of Tuvalu residents apply for Australian climate change visa program - Nearly a third of Tuvalu's citizens are seeking a landmark climate visa to live in Australia, as rising seas threaten the Pacific nation's palm-fringed shores. Australia is offering visas to 280 Tuvalu citizens each year under a climate migration deal Canberra has billed as "the first agreement of its kind anywhere in the world". More than 3,000 Tuvaluans have already entered a ballot for the first batch of visas, according to official figures on the Australian programme, almost a full third of the nation's population, according to official figures seen by AFP news agency. One of the most climate-threatened corners of the planet, scientists fear Tuvalu will be uninhabitable within the next 80 years. Two of the archipelago's nine coral atolls have already largely disappeared under the waves. "Australia recognises the devastating impact climate change is having on the livelihoods, security, and wellbeing of climate vulnerable countries and people, particularly in the Pacific region," Australia's foreign affairs department told AFP. Australia and Tuvalu inked the groundbreaking Falepili Union in 2024, part of Canberra's efforts to blunt China's expanding reach in the region. Under that pact, Australia opened a new visa category specially set aside for adult citizens of Tuvalu.

#41 - Part 83

Virginia Roberts Giuffre - Life and Legacy - Part 1

>>22959474 ‘Heroic, fierce warrior’:Family’s tribute to Virginia Giuffre- Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse, has died by suicide. “It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia,” her family said in a statement provided to The Australian. On Saturday in Perth, West Australian police confirmed the death. “About 9.50pm Friday 25 April 2025, emergency services received a report a woman had been located unresponsive at a residence in Neergabby,” police media said. “Police and St John WA attended and provided emergency first-aid. Sadly, the 41-year-old woman was declared deceased at the scene. The death is being investigated by Major Crime detectives; early indication is the death is not suspicious.” The family statement said Ms Giuffre had “lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking. Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors. Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure.” Ms Giuffre is acknowledged as the woman who undid Epstein and his racket in Nigel Crawthorne’s 2022 book, Virginia Giuffre: the extraordinary life story of the masseuse who pursued and ended the sex crimes of Ghislane Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein.

>>22959477 Q Post #4923 - https://twitter.com/VRSVirginia/status/1319071346282778624 - Dearest Virginia - We stand with you. Now and always. Find peace through prayer. Never give up the good fight. God bless you. Q - https://qanon.pub/#4923 - https://qanon.pub/#4568

>>22959480 Virginia Giuffre Tweet: (December 2019) I am making it publicy known that in no way, shape or form am I sucidal. I have made this known to my therapist and GP- If something happens to me- in the sake of my family do not let this go away and help me to protect them. Too many evil people want to see me quiteted - https://archive.is/20250426022544/https://x.com/VRSVirginia/status/1204620018035462144 - https://x.com/Venau/status/1915951801288863907

>>22959516 Video: Virginia Giuffre, accuser of Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew, dies by suicide - Virginia Giuffre, the American-Australian woman who accused paedophile Jeffrey Epstein of trafficking her, has died by suicide, her family confirmed. Ms Giuffre was found unresponsive in the Western Australian farming area of Neergabby, about one-hour north of Perth, where she had been living for the past several years. The family announced "with utterly broken hearts" that Ms Giuffre died on Thursday. - Sky News Australia

>>22959520 Video: Virginia Giuffre, prominent accuser of Jeffrey Epstein dies aged 41 - Virginia Giuffre, a prominent accuser of Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew, has died aged 41. - ABC News Australia

>>22959524 Video: Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein's most prominent abuse survivors, dies by suicide - Virginia Giuffre, one of the most prominent survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse, has died by suicide, her family said Friday. Giuffre, 41, was one of the earliest and loudest voices calling for criminal charges against Epstein and his enablers. Other Epstein abuse survivors later credited her with giving them the courage to speak out. NBC News' Stephanie Gosk reports. - NBC News

>>22959530 Video: Virginia Giuffre, accuser of Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew, dies at 41 - Virginia Giuffre, who accused Britain's Prince Andrew and other influential men of sexually exploiting her as a teenager trafficked by financier Jeffrey Epstein, has died. She was 41. - ABC7 USA

>>22959533 Video: Woman who accused Britain's Prince Andrew in Epstein sex trafficking scandal has died - Woman who accused Britain's Prince Andrew in Epstein sex trafficking scandal has died - WPBF 25 News USA

>>22959539 Video: Epstein and Prince Andrew Accuser Virginia Giuffre Dies At 41 - Virginia Giuffre the woman who accused Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew of sex crimes has died, aged 41. Her family has issued a statement, confirming she died by suicide at her farm near Perth overnight. They're remembering her as a fierce warrior in the fight against sex trafficking, and a champion for survivors. - 10 News First Australia

>>22959543 Video: Virginia Giuffre, who accused Britain's Prince Andrew in Epstein sex trafficking scandal, has died - Giuffre died of suicide at her home in western Australia, according to her publicist. - KTVN 2 News Nevada

#41 - Part 84

Virginia Roberts Giuffre - Life and Legacy - Part 2

>>22959549 Video: Virginia Giuffre, Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein accuser, dies - Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse, has died by suicide aged 41, her family has said. Ms Giuffre was one of the most outspoken accusers of convicted sex offenders Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, his former girlfriend. She alleged they trafficked her to the Duke of York when she was 17, which Prince Andrew has strenuously denied. Relatives said in a statement on Friday that she had been a "fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse", and that the "toll of abuse… became unbearable". - BBC News

>>22959575 Video: Virginia Giuffre, prominent survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse, dies by suicide - Virginia Giuffre, an outspoken survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse, has died by suicide, her family has reported. Giuffre was one of the first people to call for criminal charges against Epstein. Giuffre recounted how she was groomed by Ghislaine Maxwell to be sexually abused by Epstein. She once said Epstein passed her around “like a platter of fruit” to other men when she was a teenager. She also accused Epstein of trafficking her to Prince Andrew when she was 17, which the prince has denied. According to interviews and depositions, Giuffre said she was recruited to the sex ring in 2000 by Maxwell while working as a locker room attendant in Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago. She was 41 when she died at her farm in Neergabby, Australia. If you are based in the U.S. and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can also speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. - The Independent UK

>>22959582 Video: Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew's accuser, Virginia Giuffre, dies - Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse, has died aged 41. Ms Giuffre's family released a statement confirming her death at her property in rural Western Australia. - ABC News Australia

>>22959589 Video: Virginia Giuffre dies aged 41 - Giuffre’s family issue statement confirming she killed herself at her farm in Western Australia. - news.com.au

>>22959594 Video: Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault, has died, her family says - Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault, has died aged 41. In a statement to Sky's US partner network NBC News on Friday, her family said she took her own life in the Perth suburb of Neergabby, Australia, where she had been living for several years. Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK. - Sky News UK

>>22959601 Video: Virginia Giuffre dead: Prince Andrew accuser commits suicide after 'toll of abuse' became too heavy - 'Police have said there is nothing at this time to indicate anything suspicious.' Seven News Perth Reporter, James Carmody, discusses the death of 41-year-old Virginia Giuffre, who committed suicide after 'the toll of abuse' became too heavy. - GBNews UK

#41 - Part 85

Virginia Roberts Giuffre - Life and Legacy - Part 3

>>23024217 Video: Remembering Virginia Giuffre: The woman who helped bring down Jeffrey Epstein - Virginia Giuffre's life was never easy. She had overcome extraordinary tragedy - sexual abuse as a child, homelessness and multiple sex-trafficking rings - to become a powerful advocate for sex abuse survivors around the world. To her lawyer and friend Sigrid McCawley, she was lion-hearted. "I think Virginia's legacy is something that we haven't seen before in our history," McCawley told 60 Minutes reporter Tara Brown. "She has left us with a feeling that irrespective of whether you're a president, a politician, a billionaire, or a prince, that you can be held accountable. You are not above the law." Giuffre's loss will be felt keenly by the survivors of sexual abuse she had always supported. And for those who knew and loved her, there is now an aching hole. "I used to say that we had broken through the lawyer-client line because she would sign her emails, 'I love you Siggy'," McCawley said. "She was just a dear person in my life. And I think that the world will not be the same without her. It just won't be." - 60 Minutes Australia

>>23080024 Virginia Giuffre: Jeffrey Epstein survivor farewelled in private in Perth - Virginia Giuffre - a high-profile survivor of billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein who alleged she was sex trafficked to Prince Andrew - has been farewelled by her family in Perth. Ms Giuffre, 41, is believed to have taken her own life at her farm in Neergabby, about 80km north of Perth, last month. The West Australian understands Ms Giuffre was cremated in recent days at Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park in Padbury. Ms Giuffre’s death attracted worldwide headlines, but it is understood she was farewelled in private, with no funeral being publicly advertised. WA Police confirmed at the weekend that officers have concluded her death is not being treated as suspicious. Major crime detectives are in the process of preparing a report to give to the coroner. Police were called to Ms Giuffre’s property about 9.50pm on April 25 after she was found unresponsive. There was nothing that could be done to save her, and she was declared dead at the scene. Her death came less than a month after she posted to social media that she had just “four days to live” after a crash with a school bus near her home, which police later dismissed as a minor incident. Ms Giuffre shot to prominence in 2015 after filing a lawsuit in a New York court against Epstein’s longtime companion and confidante, Ghislaine Maxwell, alleging the pair kept her as a “sex slave” for the rich and powerful. She said she was recruited by Maxwell when she was 16 or 17 and working at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump’s club in Palm Beach. Ms Giuffre told the BBC in 2019 she was “passed around like a platter of fruit” to Epstein’s friends, flown around the world on private jets. Prince Andrew was among those powerful friends, and she claimed she was forced to have sex with him when she was 17. He strongly denies the allegations. A now-infamous photograph shows him arm-in-arm with Ms Giuffre yet in a television interview with the BBC, he said he had no memory of meeting her. When she died, Ms Giuffre was facing a charge of breaching a family violence restraining order taken out by her estranged husband, Robert Giuffre. The charge was discontinued earlier this month, with a court told the allegation related to claims she sent Mr Giuffre several text messages. The former couple moved to Perth from Cairns in 2020, buying a $1.9m six-bedroom, four-bathroom ocean-front property in Ocean Reef with her husband, Robert. Ms Giuffre left behind three children - Christian, Noah and Emily. Her family said holding her newborn daughter had inspired her to “fight back against those who had abused her and so many others”. “She was heroic and will always be remembered for her incredible courage and loving spirit,” they said. “In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight.”

#41 - Part 86

Julian Assange - Post-Plea Deal Freedom and Activism - Part 1

>>22959621 WikiLeaks Tweet: "Now Julian is free, we have all come to Rome to express our family’s gratitude for the Pope’s support during Julian’s persecution. Our children and I had the honor of meeting Pope Francis in June 2023 to discuss how to free Julian from Belmarsh prison. Francis wrote to Julian in prison and even proposed to grant him asylum at the Vatican." - Stella Assange

>>22959625 Video: Julian Assange joins mourners in Vatican City for Pope Francis's funeral - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was among thousands of mourners who gathered in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis. - Sky News Australia

>>22959629 Video: Julian Assange Seen at Vatican on Day of Pope's Funeral - Storyful News & Weather USA

>>22959632 Video: Julian Assange visits St Peter's square with family to attend funeral of Pope Francis - Julian Assange visits St Peter's square with family to attend funeral of Pope Francis - Global Pulse USA

#41 - Part 87

Julian Assange - Post-Plea Deal Freedom and Activism - Part 2

>>22981980 ‘He did right by me’: Julian Assange endorses Anthony Albanese - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has broken his silence to endorse a second term for Anthony Albanese as he praised the prime minister’s efforts to secure his release from prison. Assange, who attended Pope Francis’ funeral in the Vatican last week in a rare public sighting, has almost entirely avoided public commentary since his dramatic return to Australia last June after he struck a plea deal with the US Justice Department. He was detained for more than five years in London’s high security Belmarsh Prison after being charged with espionage and computer hacking for publishing hundreds of thousands of classified US military documents on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Albanese raised Assange’s case several times in his meetings with former US president Joe Biden, making clear his release was a priority for the Australian government and public. Assange said that, in the lead-up to Saturday’s federal election, many Australians had asked him whether Albanese’s role in his release had been overstated and whether he “has the backbone to stand up for Australians on other tough issues”. “The truth is, in what became an impressive field of advocates, Albo did more to secure my freedom than any other politician or public figure, even more than the late Pope, whose support was both moving and significant,” Assange said in a statement provided to this masthead. Assange said that Albanese had promised to lobby for his release when he was opposition leader and followed through on this pledge when he became prime minister. “Against all expectations for an Australian politician, once elected, he kept his word,” Assange said. Beyond advocating for his release, Assange said the Albanese government “has proven itself unusually capable of rescuing Australians caught up in sensitive political situations”. “Albo hasn’t just stood up to the US to end the political imprisonment of an Australian, he’s also intervened for other Australians detained in difficult circumstances, including in China,” he said, referring to the release of journalist Cheng Lei. “Does this mean Albo will put Australian interests first and skilfully navigate tensions between the US, EU, and China? I can’t say for sure. But I do know this: He can. Albo did right by me, and he is worlds apart from [Scott] Morrison. You don’t need to be a bully to have a backbone.”

>>23067540 'Recovered' Assange promotes Cannes documentary - Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has "recovered" from his years in detention, his wife told AFP, as a new documentary about him premiered at the Cannes film festival on Wednesday. Assange is at the world's biggest film festival to promote "The Six Billion Dollar Man" by American director Eugene Jarecki but is not yet speaking publicly. After posing for photographers on Tuesday wearing a T-shirt with the names of killed Gaza children, he reappeared Wednesday for the red-carpet screening wearing a black tuxedo. The 53-year-old former hacker has declined all interview requests, however, with his wife Stella Assange saying that "he'll speak when he's ready." But she was upbeat about his health and said he was already thinking about his next steps. "We live with incredible nature at our doorstep (in Australia). Julian's very outdoorsy. He always has been. He's really recovered physically and mentally," Stella, a Spanish-Swedish lawyer, told AFP. Assange was released from a high-security British prison last June after a plea bargain with the US government over Wikileaks's work publishing top-secret military and diplomatic information. He spent five years behind bars fighting extradition from Britain and another seven holed up in the Ecuador embassy in London where he claimed political asylum. Award-winning director Jarecki said his film aimed to correct the record about Assange, whose methods and personality make him a divisive figure. "I think Julian Assange put himself in harm's way for the principle of informing the public about what corporations and governments around the world are doing in secret," Jarecki told AFP. Anyone willing to trade years of their life for their principles, "I think you'd have to look at that person as having heroic qualities," he added.

#41 - Part 88

The Transgender Agenda - Australia and Worldwide - Part 1

>>22964124 Video: Violent clashes in Melbourne after protesters descend on women’s rights rally - Out-of-control violence has marred busy CBD streets after protesters, who were left unaccompanied by police, clashed with passersby following earlier skirmishes with law enforcement in which four officers were injured. Earlier on Saturday, trans-rights activists and police clashed as protesters roamed the city after gathering to disrupt a women’s rights rally. Pro-trans protesters moved through the streets from Parliament House, where they played drums and chanted at the Women Will Speak event on the steps outside Victoria’s parliament earlier in the day. About 50 people attended the Women Will Speak event, which drew about 440 protesters, according to Victoria Police. “Around 40 people then conducted a march across the CBD, blocking intersections with wooden pallets and swarming local retailers,” police said in a statement. Major intersections, including the corner of Collins and Swanston streets, were blocked while demonstrators chanted anti-police sentiment and pro-trans slogans. Shouts of “quit your job” and “defund the police” could be heard as dozens of police formed lines to try to control the group’s movements. Melbourne’s Women Will Speak rally is part of the global Let Women Speak movement, which argues that laws promoting trans inclusion have eroded sex-based rights and intruded unreasonably into women’s spaces. It follows this month’s UK Supreme Court ruling, which decreed that for the purposes of Britain’s Equality Act, a woman is defined by her biological sex. Before the rally, Victoria Police enacted special search-and-arrest powers to deter neo-Nazis from gatecrashing the women’s rights rally and planned counter-protest by trans activists.

>>23076711 As Mel’s gender ‘ricocheted’, she went under a surgeon’s knife - A young woman who thought for years she was non-binary or a transgender man is suing two doctors and Monash Health for negligence, claiming gender treatment that included having both breasts surgically removed had caused her “significant injury”. Mel Jefferies, a 33-year-old who was born as female and is now living again as a woman, has launched the civil lawsuit in the Victorian County Court. One of the defendants in the case is Dr Jeff Willcox, a Melbourne GP with an “interest in gay men’s health, sexual health … and transgender health”. The others are Jaco Erasmus, a psychiatrist with a special interest in transgender health, and Victoria’s largest public health service, Monash Health. Jefferies’ statement of claim, recently lodged with the court, accuses all three of falling short of delivering professional standards of care, including those outlined by the widely recognised World Professional Association for Transgender Health. The claim says those standards require doctors to ensure that “anyone experiencing mental health conditions must have these well-managed and thoroughly controlled prior to the commencement of the testosterone treatment”. Jefferies says her years of mental health issues were not under control at the time of her treatment and were exacerbated by the testosterone prescribed by her doctors and surgery. Her statement of claim says she has a permanently “deepened voice, hirsutism, clitoromegaly [a clitoris significantly larger than normal], vaginal pain/discomfort, abnormal body odour and acne, and pelvic floor dysfunction (as indicated by urinary incontinence).” Under Australia’s current model of transgender treatment, known as “affirming care”, people’s gender identity is “affirmed and supported” when it conflicts with the gender they were assigned at birth. “For years I just kept getting affirmed by the medical fraternity and the trans community for something I wasn’t,” Jefferies told this masthead. “They kept telling me, ‘You’re non-binary, trans, maybe you’re non-binary’. I tried to pull away but they just kept pulling me back in … I never developed the discernment to say ‘this isn’t true’.” If Jefferies’ case proceeds to a judicial decision, it could represent a test case for the duty of care doctors owe towards people seeking affirming care. It comes as the number of young people seeking treatment for gender dysphoria has increased dramatically in the past decade.

#41 - Part 89

The Transgender Agenda - Australia and Worldwide - Part 2

>>23145527 Child gender-medicine:Family Court judge critical of Michelle Telfer over gender guidelines, evidence- Australia’s foremost gender-medicine expert and the lead ­author of the nation’s guidelines on gender-affirming care, Michelle Telfer, was excoriated by a Family Court judge for giving ­misleading evidence in support of a mother who wanted her child to be prescribed puberty blockers, in a judgment that has called into question the integrity of treatment of gender-dysphoric children. Judge Andrew Strum, who stripped the mother of custody and effectively blocked the 12-year-old from accessing treatment, criticised the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne for failing to give the child a formal gender dysphoria diagnosis until the court proceedings had commenced, despite having treated the child for six years. The hospital’s chief of medicine, Professor Telfer, he said, cheapened the suffering of victims of Nazism when she suggested a landmark review that recommended limitations on medication for gender-dysphoric ­children formed part of a wave of trans­gender oppression commencing with the Nazis. Justice Strum also questioned the Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines for Trans and Gender Diverse Children and Adolescents, authored by Professor Telfer, for not recognising children may not be capable of making life-altering medical decisions about their gender identity. The judgment, published in April, anonymised Professor Telfer as Associate Professor L and did not name the Royal Children’s Hospital due to statutory prohibitions preventing the identification of witnesses in Family Court proceedings. However, The Australian was on Thursday successful in petitioning the court to name ­Professor Telfer and her place of work, arguing it was in the public interest for the practices of an ­expert healthcare professional and a pre-eminent medical service to be transparent. “Nationwide News submits, and I agree, that the interests of the public are best served by members of the public having access to the entire context of Associate Professor L’s opinion or practice, so that it can be properly assessed,” Justice Strum ruled in approving the application. “Such transparency, including as to that expert’s identity, enables individuals to evaluate critically the validity, reliability and implications of that opinion and practice.” Justice Strum also agreed with The Australian’s submission that revealing Professor Telfer’s identity would assist parents, caregivers and their children in making informed decisions about their health.

>>23145583 ‘Public interest’: gender clinic’s practices should be open to scrutiny, judge rules - Michelle Telfer was a young paediatrician at The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne in 2012 when she was asked to make what would become a life-changing ­decision. A colleague heading into retirement approached her to take on his small number of young transgender patients requiring support for medical transition. It was a tempting offer to work in this developing branch of medicine. “I really didn’t have much experience working with trans and gender diverse young people. I didn’t have any actually,’’ Telfer, a Perth-born former Olympic gymnast and Commonwealth Games medallist, told the Emerging Minds podcast in 2019. “But when I started to meet these young people, I really ­enjoyed it and really felt that it was a worthwhile area to assist in.” Back in 2012, the service received just 18 referrals and Telfer was advised these patients would be a small part of her clinical practice. How wrong that prediction would prove. Each year since 2012, referrals have rapidly grown (to 473 by 2020) and the cause of trans and gender diverse young people has “actually taken over my life’’, Telfer, now one of Australia’s foremost child gender medicine experts, told The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health. She was instrumental in establishing the hospital’s gender service - the country’s first multi­disciplinary clinic for children and young people, which has been lauded internationally – and played a key role in developing Australian clinical guidelines for trans and gender diverse young people. Those say children should drive decision-making around medi­cal intervention and doing nothing, or withholding gender affirming care, was not a neutral option and may increase depression, anxiety and suicid­ality. Now Family Court judge Andrew Strum has heard testimony from Associate Professor Telfer and other experts. He has agreed she and the hospital should be identified by name. Justice Strum said airing of the entire context of Telfer’s opinion or practice would enable “individuals to evaluate critically the validity, reliability and implications of that opinion and practice.”

#41 - Part 90

The Transgender Agenda - Australia and Worldwide - Part 3

>>23145597 COMMENTARY: Doctor’s advocacy trumped duty to objectivity in court - "Medicalised gender change for distressed minors, driven by puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, is experimental treatment. Since 2019, jurisdictions as different as Finland, Florida, Sweden and England have independently put these hormonal treatments to the gold-standard test; in each case, systematic reviews of the evidence have shown it to be very weak and uncertain. So, there is no good-quality evidence to claim that paediatric medical transition benefits mental health, let alone prevents suicide. The known risks include brittle bones, cardiovascular problems, loss of fertility, sexual dysfunction and potential harm to the brain. And yet children’s hospitals and clinics across Australia continue to promote “gender-affirming care” as lifesaving. How was this allowed to happen? The public deserve an answer. We know this treatment was introduced as routine, bypassing the safeguard of clinical trials. The innovator was the gender clinic of the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, which launched radical treatment guidelines in 2018. Misleadingly badged as “Australian standards”, these low-quality guidelines have nonetheless become the de facto national blueprint for gender clinicians. There are serious questions whether normal governance processes were followed at RCH - or at myriad other institutions that proudly stated their adherence to the guidelines. Until recently, it was hard to find a single Family Court case in which the judges had decided a child was simply incapable of consenting to puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or a double mastectomy. And then, in April, the court handed down its ruling in re Devin, ordering that this 12-year-old boy be protected from puberty blockers at an unnamed children’s hospital gender service. Justice Andrew Strum’s decision in re Devin is the first detailed analysis by an Australian court of the fundamental flaws of the gender-affirming medical model. He was sharply critical of the doctor anonymised as “Associate Professor L”, who described herself as “an advocate for trans rights”. It is not a personal attack to name Dr Telfer or examine her role. In 2020, RCH claimed The Australian’s coverage of the issues was “targeted, personal, inflammatory and unprecedented,” but could not provide a single example. For some years, Dr Telfer courted uncritical media publicity. She was named in the celebratory re Kelvin ruling. She has been the central figure in the institution of gender-affirming care in Australia. When The Australian began its scrutiny of RCH, Dr Telfer was director of the country’s most influential gender clinic, first author of the de facto national guidelines and president of the activist Australian Professional Association for Trans Health; a recipe for conflicts of interest. Dr Telfer is still at RCH, as chief of medicine, and is still promoted on the gender clinic website. Just as she accepted plaudits in the past, she must be held accountable now." - Bernard Lane, writer of Gender Clinic News - theaustralian.com.au

>>23145628 ‘Vital’ to know who makes the calls on gender treatment: ex-judge - A former Family Court judge says it is “absolutely vital” jurists follow the example of judge Andrew Strum in making public the names of institutions treating gender dysphoric children, adding that it is critical parents are aware of the range of opinions on the efficacy of treatment. Stuart Lindsay, who presided in the Family Court from 2004-2014, praised Justice Strum’s ruling making public the identity of eminent gender-medicine expert and Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne chief of medicine Michelle Telfer, whom he had criticised for giving misleading evidence in support of a mother who wanted her child to be prescribed puberty blockers. Justice Strum, in his judgment, had also questioned the Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines for Trans and Gender Diverse Children and Adolescents, authored by Professor Telfer, for not recognising children may not be capable of making life-altering medical decisions about their gender identity. “These are cases that involve a highly controversial area of medicine and one that specifically impacts upon children, and one that a lot of practitioners in the area of medicine involved say if it’s not properly scrutinised is capable of doing great harm to children at a particularly vulnerable part of their lives,” Mr Lindsay told The Australian. “So it’s absolutely essential that people involved in making decisions or in giving advice to parents about appropriate therapy for children who might be experiencing gender dysphoria are aware of the range of opinions in relation to the efficacy of the treatment, and especially the dangers of the treatment.”

#41 - Part 91

The Transgender Agenda - Australia and Worldwide - Part 4

>>23212894 Video: Hawthorn's AFLW star Tilly Lucas-Rodd undergoes gender affirming top surgery - Over the AFLW off-season, Hawthorn star Tilly Lucas-Rodd underwent top surgery, a gender-affirming procedure that involves the removal of breast tissue in essentially a double mastectomy. "People often have asked me, 'How do I feel now that I've had it' - post surgery seeing myself," Lucas-Rodd told ABC Sport. "A lot of people [who've had the operation] have really big emotions and really big elation. But for me, it was like, 'this is how I've always looked when I saw myself' … This is what I've always thought and always seen internally." Lucas-Rodd had their nipples put back on with nipple grafts, which some people post-surgery choose not to. Before the surgery, the 29-year-old midfielder-turned-halfback would tape their chest or wear a really tight binder, including when they were playing footy. The compression would restrict their rib cage movement, make it hard to breathe and hurt their back. "But the alternative was to feel really uncomfortable on a national stage playing sport - and something that's so public," said Lucas-Rodd, who is an inaugural AFLW player, former Hawks captain and All Australian. Lucas-Rodd even played in a guernsey at least two sizes too big, to hide their body. "Last year I wore, I think, a size medium or large when I was previously an extra small," they said. "I had huge discomfort around my chest, huge dysphoria. It didn't match up with what I felt internally I should look like." Now, Lucas-Rodd beams when thinking about playing this season, which starts in August. "I've already felt that with training and being able to just be free, to not wear a sports bra, not wear a binder, just put my jumper on," they said. "Going out onto the track in our training guernseys or our singlets, I just feel so, so happy and so just like me."

>>23212910 Video: AFLW star Tilly Lucas-Rodd ‘so happy’ after gender-affirming top surgery - AFLW star Tilly Lucas-Rodd has revealed they are “so happy” and feel so much like themselves after having gender-affirming top surgery during the off-season. The 29-year-old Hawthorn star is the league’s first current player to undergo the surgery - which removes breast tissue in a similar way to a double mastectomy - and said they feel so much more comfortable. “People often have asked me, ‘How do I feel now that I’ve had it’ - post-surgery, seeing myself,” Lucas-Rodd, who identifies as non-binary, told ABC Sport. “For me, it was like, ‘this is how I’ve always looked when I saw myself’ … This is what I’ve always thought and always seen internally.” Prior to the surgery, Lucas-Rodd was taping or binding their chest and wearing a guernsey multiple sizes too large in order to reduce dysphoria. This practice however, was causing issues, sometimes restricting breathing and movement, and creating back pain. Since returning to training, however, Lucas-Rodd said they are relishing the freedom of not needing a sports bra or chest bindings. “Going out onto the track in our training guernseys or our singlets, I just feel so, so happy and so just like me,” they said. “I had huge discomfort around my chest, huge dysphoria. It didn’t match up with what I felt internally I should look like.” The halfback came out publicly as non-binary in 2023, saying at the time that they “don’t really identify strongly as my assigned gender at birth, which is female.” “I don’t really feel strongly that I fit into that label as a female, and at the same time I don’t feel like I’m a male, either. I guess I’m in between that,” they said in a video shared on the Hawthorn website. “So for me, the label ‘non-binary’ feels most comfortable about how I identify in terms of my gender.”

#41 - Part 92

The Transgender Agenda - Australia and Worldwide - Part 5

>>23230223 Royal Children’s Hospital board must not ignore judge’s trans case findings - "Justice Andrew Strum, who recently decided the case of Re Devin, was so concerned about the evidence he heard from a clinician at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne he prohibited a mother from taking her son back to its gender service unless the father agreed. Justice Strum also considered it in the public interest to name one of the experts, the hospital’s chief of medicine, Michelle Telfer, who has been Australia’s foremost leader in promoting what some call “gender-affirming care”. In the way the best judges do, he delivered a carefully reasoned explanation about why he found the RCH’s practices so disturbing, based on the trial evidence that had lasted four weeks. At the heart of his concerns was that Telfer - and the other expert witness who was identified only as a “senior clinical psychologist” – did not offer the court a coherent justification for their clinical practice. Telfer and the senior clinical psychologist, the judge noted, believe gender identity is “internal and immutable” and not open to external influence. But he observed “neither of those experts were able to point to any empirical or substantive basis for their opinion but, rather, only to anecdotal reports from transgender adults”. According to Justice Strum, Telfer made assertions that seemed to contradict the idea that a child’s gender identity is immutable. Neither clinician could say at what age children have the capacity to know their “true” gender identity, but both were confident that in this case the child could do so when he was only six years old. After an experienced and highly respected judge has so strongly criticised the hospital’s chief of medicine, and called into question the clinical practices at its gender service, one might expect the chief executive or the board to announce the hospital was treating the issues raised with the utmost seriousness. In a similar situation, other hospital boards might well have announced a formal independent inquiry. Instead, the hospital released a statement saying its gender service delivers a “world-leading, multidisciplinary model of care”. The RCH’s reputation is on the line. The situation in Victoria is no doubt complicated by the position of its government, which has championed the practices of the RCH gender service and incorporated the underlying beliefs of the transgender movement into its educational policies and programs. But this is an issue about whether the RCH is practising evidence-based medicine. It is also a child protection issue, for the consequences of providing unnecessary and irreversible treatments to children, with such adverse and lifelong effects, could be grave. This is a board responsibility now. It must not shirk it." - Patrick Parkinson, emeritus professor of law at the University of Queensland - theaustralian.com.au

>>23230227 U.S. Study on Puberty Blockers Goes Unpublished Because of Politics, Doctor Says - The leader of the long-running study said that the drugs did not improve mental health in children with gender distress and that the finding might be weaponized by opponents of the care - Azeen Ghorayshi, Oct. 23, 2024 - nytimes.com

#41 - Part 93

AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 1

>>22968851 AUKUS Milestone: First Royal Australian Navy Enlisted Students Graduate Nuclear Power Training - The first eight enlisted sailors and five additional officers from the Royal Australian Navy graduated from the U.S. Navy’s Nuclear Power Training Unit (NPTU) Charleston as part of the Australia, United Kingdom, United States (AUKUS) trilateral security partnership. The graduates, who trained alongside U.S. Navy personnel, began the rigorous naval nuclear power training pipeline in October 2024. The curriculum encompassed a wide range of critical subjects, including mathematics, nuclear physics, reactor principles, and nuclear reactor technology. This achievement marks an important step in Australia’s development of a sovereign, conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine (SSN) fleet. “This graduation marks a significant step forward for our Navy,” said Royal Australian Navy Commodore Daniel Sutherland, Commander Submarine Force. “Having naval nuclear power-qualified officers, and now sailors, is critical in meeting our goal of operating conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines.” NPTU trains officers, enlisted Sailors and civilians for shipboard nuclear power plant operation and maintenance of surface ships and submarines in the U.S. Navy’s nuclear fleet. “I remain impressed with the quality of Australian submariners who come through the naval nuclear propulsion training pipeline,” said Capt. Robert Rose, Commander, NPTU Charleston. “Six officers previously completed prototype training, each performing exceptionally well. I fully expect these recent graduates, especially our first enlisted personnel, will excel in the fleet.” “The opportunity for our U.S. Navy students to train alongside their Australian counterparts is beneficial to both our countries’ Sailors,” said Master Chief Ed Jackson, Engineering Department Master Chief for Naval Reactors. “These Royal Australian Navy sailors will now transition to our submarines to continue their training and qualifications in operating naval nuclear propulsion plants.”

>>22977683 Video: Malcolm Turnbull: Trump 'enormous disruption', AUKUS 'absolute shocker' - In an interview on Q+A with Jack Tame, former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said both New Zealand and Australia needed to do more to ensure their defence capabilities are “sovereign”, and not controlled by another country. “For countries like Australia and New Zealand, we are confronted with a United States with whom we shared the same values for 80 years now no longer sharing those values,” said Turnbull. He said Trump instead believes in the ethos of “might is right”, and that should be very concerning for smaller countries that rely on the rules-based international order. Turnbull cited the bullying of NATO members Canada and Denmark in an attempt to annex Canada as the 51st state, and Greenland as American territory, as examples of how the United States has dramatically changed. “We have to be clear-eyed about this - this is not the United States we grew up with. Trump’s values are more closely aligned with Vladimir Putin than they are with any of his predecessors – Democrat or Republican.” “This is a time of enormous disruption, and I think the challenge for Australia and New Zealand - we have to look to a world where there is no longer American leadership.” Turnbull argued the AUKUS deal, in which Australia is scheduled to receive nuclear-powered submarines, puts Australia in a dangerous position and potentially without any submarines at all. He added Australia's submarine deal as part of Pillar 1, however, is a "massive mistake" and an "absolute shocker". Turnbull explained that Australia’s existing fleet is coming to the end of its life, and under the terms of the AUKUS agreement, the Virginia-class submarines can only be given to Australia if the USA has sufficient reserves, which is very unlikely to be the case in the coming decades.

#41 - Part 94

AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 2

>>23058451 AUKUS: Donald Trump’s billionaire envoy joins Keir Starmer in show of force for nuclear submarine pact - British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer declared AUKUS as central to his government’s defence policy, pledging unprecedented investment and warning that the UK must treat defence as “the first thought in the morning and the last at night”. Starmer was joined by new US ambassador Warren Stephens - a billionaire private banker and big Republican donor – who threw his full support behind the AUKUS pact at a packed event inside the Palace of Westminster on Monday night (Tuesday AEST), calling it “vital” to global peace, security and prosperity. “This is not just a project,” Starmer told MPs, diplomats and defence leaders in a surprise appearance at the gathering. “It is a national endeavour … AUKUS strengthens the bonds between our three nations, and it shows that when we talk about security and stability, we mean it - in the Indo-Pacific and here at home.” The All-Party Parliamentary Group on AUKUS event at the House of Lords marked Stephens’ first public appearance since his arrival in London. He used the opportunity to send a clear message: Donald Trump backs AUKUS. “The vital partnership of our three countries cannot be overstated … President Trump, and I know this to be true as it has been repeatedly proven throughout history.” Stephens said AUKUS could also drive prosperity through an innovative private sector, adding that government works best when “we get out of the way and let our businesses innovate, compete and collaborate to improve people’s lives”. The remarks from the banker-turned-diplomat, who gave at least $US6 million ($9.3 million) to Trump’s election campaign, appeared as a clear pitch to those concerned about the pact’s future after the president’s return to the White House. “This alliance enjoys broad bipartisan support,” said the former chief executive of financial services company Stephens Inc. “I’m sure that you all are aware that bipartisanship is certainly not always the case in American politics these days. However, it is when it comes to AUKUS.”

>>23087088 AUKUS in space: Scott Morrison proposes ‘Pillar 3’ for defence pact - Scott Morrison - the founder of the landmark AUKUS agreement – has proposed taking the security partnership into the space domain to bolster its effectiveness as a military deterrent and make Australia a more valuable ally. The former prime minister said he would support a new AUKUS “Pillar 3” aimed at helping Australia develop a stronger space capability that could complement US, Japanese, as well as European and UK systems. This would bolster deterrence, with Mr Morrison noting that space was “now a frontline in US-China strategic rivalry.” But he also said it would send a valuable signal to the private sector about the important role it had to play. “The blurred lines between civil and military domains created by the dual use space technologies makes this even more challenging to contest,” he said. AUKUS - the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the UK and the US – offered a chance to harness the power of the private sector in the space domain to “deliver strategic advantage over potential adversaries.” In a speech to the 2025 Australian Space Summit in Darling Harbour on Tuesday, Mr Morrison said that “Australia can and must stand out as a rising actor with the potential to plug important holes in allied capabilities.” He warned that China was “advancing, especially in satellite manoeuvrability, launch, and spaceplane tech,” while Russia was “reportedly developing a space-based nuclear anti-satellite weapon.” As space became “more enmeshed in geopolitical rivalry,” Mr Morrison said the allied network needed to function as a “cohesive whole, just as it has in all other domains for decades.” “By 2030, with deliberate development, Australia can offer unique contributions: southern-hemisphere sensors watching the skies, a strategic location for space operations, and additional resilient satellites and launch options,” he said.

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AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 3

>>23115853 Video: AUKUS partnership: UK unveils radical defence overhaul as Starmer eyes Russian threat - Britain says it will radically change its approach to defence to address threats from Russia, nuclear risks and cyber attacks by investing in drones and digital warfare rather than relying on a much larger army to engage in modern combat. Responding to US President Donald Trump's insistence that Europe must take more responsibility for its security, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged the largest sustained increase to UK defence spending since the end of the Cold War. The UK government's strategic defence review, published on Monday, local time, included plans to increase the size of its nuclear-powered attack submarine fleet. The new submarines will be a model jointly developed by the UK, US and Australia under the security partnership AUKUS. "We know that threats are increasing and we must act decisively to face down Russian aggression," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said in a statement. Britain will build up to 12 of its next-generation attack submarines - which are nuclear-powered but carry conventional non-nuclear weapons — to replace the current fleet of seven by the late 2030s, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. But with limited finances, the government's overall plan to boost the UK's defence capability envisages making the army more lethal, not larger, by learning from Ukraine where drones and technology have transformed the battlefield. The government has promised to raise defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027, and target a 3 per cent level over the longer term.

>>23125063 Video: AUKUS has serious problems, Australia probably won't receive any submarines: Malcolm Turnbull - Malcolm Turnbull, former Prime Minister of Australia, says that AUKUS wasn't a very good deal for the country and that he thinks President Trump would love the deal as the U.S. would receive money without necessarily having to deliver anything in return. - CNBC International Live

>>23144688 Little penguins loom as a potential torpedo for AUKUS works - Little penguins could prove to be a big headache for Australia’s AUKUS program. Work on the key infrastructure needed to support the first Australia-based nuclear-powered submarines will be just one broken wing away from being forced to stop, at least temporarily, under conditions imposed on the project by Environment Minister Murray Watt. A single squashed skink would similarly bring work on the all-important upgrades at the HMAS Stirling naval base, on Garden Island off the coast of Rockingham in Western Australia, according to Senator Watt’s decision. Defence needs to carry out a series of upgrades and new installations at HMAS Stirling in preparation for the arrival in 2027 of the first submarines under AUKUS. The US and, later, British nuclear-powered submarines will be based out of HMAS Stirling as part of Submarine Rotational Force West as the program’s first major step. But the wildlife of Garden Island is proving a complicating factor. The main colony of little penguins on the island sits immediately southwest of HMAS Stirling’s main Diamantina pier in Careening Bay, while smaller colonies sit immediately northeast. All of them fall within the main “proposed action area” where the infrastructure upgrades will occur. The order requires Defence to “immediately initiate a stop-works procedure” in the event any little penguin, Perth slider (a type of skink) or marine mammal is found killed or injured in the area, under the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s conditions. Defence will also be responsible for arranging veterinary care or assistance “from an experienced wildlife carer” for any native terrestrial or marine animal” found injured. Among other conditions imposed on the work is a ban on dredging or disposing of spoil in Careening Bay during the little penguin’s breeding or moulting periods, “or as otherwise advised by a suitably qualified seabird conservation ecologist”.

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AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 4

>>23163733 Alliance assessment:Pentagon launches review of Aukus nuclear submarine deal- The Pentagon has launched a review of the 2021 Aukus submarine deal with the UK and Australia, throwing the security pact into doubt at a time of heightened tension with China. The review to determine whether the US should scrap the project is being led by Elbridge Colby, a top defence department official who previously expressed scepticism about Aukus, according to six people familiar with the matter. Ending the submarine and advanced technology development agreement would destroy a pillar of security co-operation between the allies. The review has triggered anxiety in London and Canberra. While Aukus has received strong support from US lawmakers and experts, some critics say it could undermine the country’s security because the navy is struggling to produce more American submarines as the threat from Beijing is rising. Australia and Britain are due to co-produce an attack submarine class known as the SSN-Aukus that will come into service in the early 2040s. But the US has committed to selling up to five Virginia class submarines to Australia from 2032 to bridge the gap as it retires its current fleet of vessels. That commitment would almost certainly lapse if the US pulled out of Aukus. Last year, Colby wrote on X that he was sceptical about Aukus and that it “would be crazy” for the US to have fewer nuclear-powered attack submarines, known as SSNs, in the case of a conflict over Taiwan. In March, Colby said it would be “great” for Australia to have SSNs but cautioned there was a “very real threat of a conflict in the coming years” and that US SSNs would be “absolutely essential” to defend Taiwan. Sceptics of the nuclear technology-sharing pact have also questioned whether the US should help Australia obtain the submarines without an explicit commitment to use them in any war with China.

>>23163745 US launches AUKUS review to ensure it meets Donald Trump's 'America First' agenda - The Pentagon is reviewing the AUKUS security pact between Australia, the US and the UK to ensure it aligns with President Donald Trump's "America First" agenda, a US defence official told the ABC. But Defence Minister Richard Marles said he remained confident the pact would remain intact, and a review was a "perfectly natural" thing for a new administration to do. The news follows US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's recent request for Australia to significantly boost its defence spending "as soon as possible". The US defence official said the review "will ensure the initiative meets … common sense, America First criteria". "As Secretary Hegseth has made clear, this means ensuring the highest readiness of our service members, that allies step up fully to do their part for collective defence, and that the defence industrial base is meeting our needs," the official said. Under the AUKUS pact, Australia would be armed with nuclear-powered submarines at a cost of more than $350 billion. Elbridge Colby, who is the under secretary of Defense for Policy and has voiced scepticism about AUKUS, is leading the review, according to the UK's Financial Times. Last August, Mr Colby tweeted he was an AUKUS "agnostic". "In principle it's a great idea. But I've been very skeptical in practice," he wrote, but added he'd become "more inclined based on new information I've gleaned".

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AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 5

>>23163758 ‘Save Australia from itself’: Paul Keating fires up as Trump administration announces review into AUKUS deal - America’s bombshell review into the future of the AUKUS nuclear power submarine deal could be the “moment Washington saves Australia from itself”, former Prime Minister Paul Keating has said. Australia made its first AUKUS down payment to the US in February, transferring nearly $800 million to help boost the country’s submarine production. Overnight, the Trump Administration announced its biggest AUKUS sceptic Elbridge Colby will head a review into whether the US should pull out of the submarine deal with Australia. Former Prime Minister Paul Keating has joined the chorus of Australia’s own AUKUS sceptics, saying the move “might very well be the moment Washington saves Australia from itself … from the most poorly conceived defence procurement program ever adopted by an Australian government”. In a statement, Mr Keating described AUKUS as being “hurriedly scribbled on the back of an envelope by Scott Morrison, along with the vacuous British blowhard Boris Johnson, and the confused president, Joe Biden - put together on an English beach, a world away from where Australia’s strategic interests primarily lie”. “The Albanese government had the chance to undertake a review on its own terms when first elected to office in May 2022, but denied itself the opportunity for fear of being seen as dodgy on the alliance,” Mr Keating said. “Now President Trump’s Pentagon, as it is entitled to do, is subjecting the deal to the kind of scrutiny that should have been applied to AUKUS in the first instance. The review makes clear that America keeps its national interests uppermost. But the concomitant question is: why has Australia failed to do the same?”

>>23163785 ‘Time to wake up’: Turnbull, opposition seize on Trump’s AUKUS review - Defence Minister Richard Marles and AUKUS architect Scott Morrison have insisted they are confident the United States will keep supporting the $368 billion submarine deal despite the Trump administration’s decision to review the security pact to ensure it puts “America first”. The United States on Thursday confirmed it was conducting a 30-day review into whether the AUKUS submarine deal should be changed or scrapped, throwing into doubt Australia’s future maritime defence and adding a pressure point to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s expected meeting with US President Donald Trump on the G7 sidelines in Canada next week. Former prime ministers Paul Keating and Malcolm Turnbull, both prominent AUKUS critics, said the US review gave the Albanese government cause to revisit the deal. But Marles downplayed the situation and revealed the government had known about the review for weeks. Keating said the review gave Australia an opportunity to forge a new path on national security and accused the Labor government of avoiding its own review “for fear of being seen as dodgy on the alliance”. Turnbull also questioned why Australia had not reviewed the scheme. “The UK is conducting a review of AUKUS. The US … is conducting a review of AUKUS,” he said on X. “But Australia, which has the most at stake, has no review. Our parliament to date has been the least curious and least informed. Time to wake up?”

>>23174371 Anthony Albanese’s mission: save the AUKUS pact - Anthony Albanese is preparing a series of major defence funding announcements and will ensure Australia delivers on its pledge to service US nuclear submarines from 2027, as his government scrambles to lock in support from Donald Trump on the $368bn AUKUS pact. The Prime Minister on Friday will fly from Canberra on a critical one-week overseas trip that will bring him face to face with the President for the first time, amid concerns from the US that AUKUS will force it to deliver major funding and defence capabilities to a country that has not committed to support Washington in a conflict over Taiwan. Ahead of Mr Albanese travelling to Fiji, the US and Canada, the Pentagon on Thursday announced a snap 30-day review of the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, led by influential Defence Under Secretary for Policy, Elbridge Colby, who has expressed concerns about Australian defence spending and American industrial shipbuilding capacity. As G7 leaders prepare to gather in the Canadian town of Kananaskis over the weekend amid rising tensions between the US and Iran, The Australian understands Mr Trump is yet to lock in any bilateral meetings with counterparts including Mr Albanese.

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AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 6

>>23174548 Give Trump ‘a new Pine Gap’, say experts claiming AUKUS go-slow - Slow progress on new submarine bases is fuelling calls to offer the US “another Pine Gap” in Western Australia, as defence and diplomatic heavyweights claim a lack of urgency on AUKUS is giving Americans reasons to doubt Australia’s seriousness about the pact. Defence analyst Michael Shoebridge and Yaron Finkelstein, who was chief adviser to former prime minister Scott Morrison when he signed up to the AUKUS pact, said the US had doubts about how much Australia valued the program. Shoebridge said AUKUS was a “gift to the Albanese government that let them wave this totem around” to demonstrate national security credentials at a time when Australia was spending “almost nothing” in the next 10 years and deferring big-spending decisions. Finkelstein, Morrison’s former principal private secretary, said the Biden administration also had concerns about what it perceived as Australian delays in pushing ahead with AUKUS. “There’s a bit of a legacy, a perception, about [whether] our heart is in it,” he said on Sky News. “They had a view that maybe we don’t want this as much as when we first started.” One solution Shoebridge and former Home Affairs chief Mike Pezzullo endorse is a joint submarine base in Australia. The prospect of a US submarine base in Australia is highly contentious, with union and Labor left figures arguing nuclear submarines are dangerous.

>>23174595 Video: Malcolm Turnbull wants Australia to invest in alternative defence capabilities as US reviews AUKUS agreement - Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull says the Australian government is misinformed when it comes to the AUKUS deal and the United States' ability to provide nuclear submarines. Mr Turnbull, a longtime critic of the defence pact, claimed Defence Minister Richard Marles made an incorrect statement on 7.30, on the same day the US announced a review of the deal. Mr Marles said he was confident the US could increase its production capacity to two boats per year to honour the deal. "We need to get to that point in the early 2030s. That's the time frame," Mr Marles told 7.30. "Right now, we are confident that we can meet that. And we are seeing real progress." Mr Turnbull said Australia's defence minister was "misinformed". "Richard Marles said that the rate of production of Virginia-class submarines is increasing. That's not true," Mr Turnbull said. "The latest numbers given to the Congress by the navy on 11 March this year was that the rate of production is 1.1 per annum. They need to get to two by 2028 to be able to meet their own requirements, and to 2.33 to meet their own, plus Australia's. And they have not been able to lift production rates despite the expenditure of over $10 billion over the last six or seven years. So, they've got a real problem."

>>23174623 Paul Keating is right, US AUKUS review might very well ‘save Australia from itself’ - "The Financial Times cited six sources on Wednesday reporting that US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby is leading a review of the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal with the UK and Australia to determine whether the US should scrap the project. The report noted that this move has triggered anxiety in Canberra. Some Australian media outlets were quick to respond with headlines like "not to worry" and "not a harbinger of collapse." The eagerness to defend the project instead made the anxiety quite obvious. However, other voices emerging from Australia have proven more compelling and harder to ignore. Australian former prime minister Paul Keating issued a statement on Thursday, saying that "the review makes clear that America keeps its national interests uppermost. But the concomitant question is: why has Australia failed to do the same?" Perhaps some organizations and individuals may express disappointment or even shock over the US review, but clear-headed Australians have likely breathed a quiet sigh of relief. For those anxious about the US review, this may also be an opportunity to confront the reality that Australia has always been the party paying the highest price with little gain in this deal. China certainly is not a fan of AUKUS, as it undermines peace and stability in the region. However, China is far from alone; many countries across the region have also voiced concerns or outright opposition to the pact." - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

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AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 7

>>23182448 ‘Pillar 1 problematic, Pillar 2 great’: Inside Colby’s AUKUS mind - If US Under-Secretary of Defence for Policy Elbridge Colby’s personal views on AUKUS come to fruition, then Australia’s largest ever military project won’t be happening in its current form. A review is now being conducted by the Pentagon so it’s wait and see, but in a long interview conducted with Mr Colby just before he was hand-picked by Donald Trump for the Pentagon, he conveyed his view on the two pillars of AUKUS, approved by Congress, and subject to Presidential authority. “Pillar I is very problematic, Pillar II is great, no problem,” Colby said. Pillar I involves the US selling nuclear-powered submarines to Australia in the early 2030s. Pillar II is about other military intelligence sharing including the development of artificial intelligence. Colby scuttled several positive takes I posed about the sale of nuclear submarines to Australia. “How are we supposed to give away nuclear attack submarines in the years of the window of potential conflict with China?” he asked me back. “A nuclear attack submarine is the most important asset for a western Pacific fight, for Taiwan, conventionally. But we don’t have enough, and we’re not going to have enough,” Colby said. America is nowhere near producing enough of its own submarines. so why would they sell any to Australia?

>>23182504 Video: PM locks in meeting with Trump to discuss AUKUS, tariffs - Anthony Albanese will meet Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit to discuss the long-term future of the $368bn AUKUS deal, the strategic importance of the US-Australia relationship in the Indo-Pacific and why Australian companies should be exempt from the US President’s tariffs. The Prime Minister on Sunday (AEST) confirmed he would hold formal bilateral talks with Mr Trump at the Kananaskis summit in Alberta, where leaders of the world’s most powerful western democracies will gather in the next 24-hours under the backdrop of wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. Mr Albanese, who has spoken three times with the US President since his return to the White House, said while Mr Trump was dealing with major global and domestic issues he expected to have a “constructive engagement” with him. The meeting is expected to occur overnight Tuesday (AEST). “Obviously we will raise tariffs, we will raise the importance of AUKUS. And we will have a discussion as two friends should,” Mr Albanese said. Under pressure from US officials for Australia to urgently lift its defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP, Mr Albanese said the context of his AUKUS discussions would centre around what Australia contributes and the potential of the military pact in terms of benefits for the US.

>>23186828 Defence ties with Australia key to Albanese’s pitch in historic Trump meeting - Anthony Albanese will stare down Donald Trump’s demands for Australia to double its defence spending, but reassure the president the country is a trustworthy partner in the strategic contest with China as the prime minister works to safeguard the AUKUS pact. In a meeting with Trump this week that looms as among the most important of his three decades in politics, Albanese will put access to Australia’s critical minerals on the table as the Trump administration reviews whether AUKUS fits with its “America First” agenda. Asked whether Australia would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the US if China attempted to take Taiwan by force - a source of some concern in some parts of the Trump administration – Albanese did not answer directly on Monday. But the prime minister said AUKUS would play a key peace and security role. “Australia’s a trusted partner to promote peace and security in our region,” Albanese said. “We have been so forever. If you look at the role that Australia has played, [we] will continue to play an important role in the Pacific. The visit that I had on the way here to Fiji is another example and a reminder of the fact that Australia is a trusted partner in the Pacific.”

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AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 8

>>23192204 PM in subs, regional pitch to keep Trump sweet - Anthony Albanese will use the $368bn AUKUS nuclear submarine deal and Australia’s expanding role in the South Pacific to reassure Donald Trump’s administration that his government is committed to countering Chinese military aggression in the Indo-Pacific. Ahead of his critical first in-person meeting with the US President on Wednesday (AEST), which is scheduled for at least 20 minutes on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, Mr Albanese has launched a major defence of his government’s backing of the US in terms of military support and increased security co-ordination. Amid concerns about Xi Jinping’s military build-up in the ­region, there are now more US marines based in Australia than since the end of World War II, and joint defence and intelligence operations have been ramped up to unprecedented levels. The Australian Defence Force is preparing to host more than 30,000 military personnel from 19 nations next month as part of the 11th Australia-US led Exercise Talisman Sabre, which will for the first time include training sites in Papua New Guinea. The Australian understands the Prime Minister is preparing to green-light US access to Australia’s critical minerals as Western nations grapple with China’s dominance in the supply of the ­resources.

>>23192280 Anthony Albanese relies on Keir Starmer to secure Donald Trump’s backing for AUKUS - When it comes to AUKUS, Anthony Albanese is lucky to have Sir Keir Starmer in his corner. Australia’s Prime Minister has missed his chance, for now, to personally win Donald Trump’s direct support for the submarine pact, with the US President departing the G7 in Canada to deal with the Middle East war. But amid a snap 30-day review of AUKUS ordered by the Trump administration, the British Prime Minister appears to have secured presidential backing for the deal. Unlike Albanese, Sir Keir managed to get a meeting with Trump before he skipped town. Asked later at a joint press conference with the President whether the trilateral subs deal was proceeding, the pair looked at each other and nodded in agreement. Answering for them both, Sir Keir said: “Yep, we’re proceeding with that, it’s a really important deal to both of us.” While not quite from the horse’s mouth, the statement will be a relief for Albanese. Britain can build its nuclear submarines if need be, but Australia would be up the proverbial creek if the AUKUS deal fell over. The navy’s six Collins-class boats are on their last legs, even with planned life-extending upgrades. After having run down the clock with false starts on Japanese and French submarines, the collapse of AUKUS would leave Australia without a viable submarine force for decades. And as the government has warned, only nuclear-powered submarines offer the capability Australia needs to stealthily deter Chinese threats. The fact Albanese has to rely on Sir Keir to get Trump to endorse the AUKUS deal is somewhat embarrassing for him, but he’ll take any help he can get.

#41 - Part 101

AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 9

>>23197965 Scott Morrison calls for an AUKUS pillar 3 - the space frontier - Scott Morrison, the chief architect of the AUKUS pact has called for the military alliance to be expanded into space under a third pillar that would see Australia take a key role in the geopolitical deterrence in the southern hemisphere. The former Coalition prime minister has declared that space technology would become as critical to western defence architecture as the submarine program and could bring other nations including Japan and NATO into the alliance. With the AUKUS program now under review by the Pentagon, the extension of the program into a third pillar - space technology – would also provide the political incentive Donald Trump needs to put his own stamp on the AUKUS pact which was inked by Mr Morrison and former Democrat President Joe Biden and the UK’s former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. “As the Trump administration examines how to improve AUKUS, there’s another important factor - space,” Mr Morrison says in an opinion piece published in the US paper, The Wall Street Journal. “If our nations are serious about deterrence, then we must prepare for new theatres of geopolitical competition. The global space economy now exceeds $630 billion and is projected to nearly triple in value by 2035. But space is no longer a benign domain. Beijing is already operating dual-use, civil-military technology across its space sector, launching manoeuverable satellites, conducting co-orbital rendezvous operations, and testing systems capable of disabling adversary assets, such as its Shenlong spaceplane.”

>>23197971 How Donald Trump can launch AUKUS into space - "Time has borne out what I said to President Trump on the White House South Lawn in September 2019: While Australia may look to the US as a vital ally, we will never leave it to America alone to deal with security issues. In that spirit, in early 2020 as prime minister I assigned a small team to engage Washington about the possibility of Australia acquiring nuclear-powered submarine technology. Two years later the AUKUS agreement among Australia, the UK and the US was born, amid bipartisan support in all three nations. Now, it’s time for AUKUS to grow, and Mr Trump is the right person for the job. AUKUS is a platform for collective deterrence against an axis of autocratic regimes threatening global and regional security, especially in the Indo-Pacific. The agreement’s first pillar enables Australia’s acquisition of its first nuclear-powered sub fleet. Its second pillar facilitates cooperation on advanced military capabilities, from quantum computing to hypersonic missiles. The Chinese Communist Party opposed AUKUS vehemently - confirming its strategic value. No American president since John F. Kennedy has shown more commitment to space than Mr Trump, from backing the Artemis Moon to Mars program to creating the US Space Force and promoting commercial innovation through public-private partnerships and now the Golden Dome. That leadership makes him the natural champion of an AUKUS Pillar III that consolidates cooperation across launch systems, satellite architecture, cybersecurity, data integration and industrial innovation. This would enable better coordination of allied space policies and create shared standards across defense and commercial systems. It should also provide a platform for integrating non-Aukus allies such as Japan and NATO members into the same architecture. That would make clear that the allies’ space systems are resilient, interconnected and can’t be targeted in isolation. Establishing a Pillar III would ensure that space, the ultimate high ground, is secured by free nations, not our enemies. America and Australia have stood shoulder to shoulder on land, at sea and in the skies. Now we must do the same in orbit." - Scott Morrison, Australia’s prime minister from 2018-22 and vice-chairman of American Global Strategies - theaustralian.com.au

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AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 10

>>23212722 Albanese ‘must raise subs with Trump’ as AUKUS deadline looms - The waning possibility of Anthony Albanese landing a face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump in coming weeks has sparked alarm from the Coalition and defence ­experts, who have raised concern about the two leaders not meeting before Washington’s controversial AUKUS review concludes and instead leaving the outcome “to chance”. Despite indications from the Prime Minister that he may attend the NATO summit in The Hague next week - which Mr Trump may also take part in – The Australian understands that this option is becoming increasingly unlikely, amid questions over whether Mr Trump will be able to leave the US because of the Middle East crisis. Without meeting the President on the sidelines of NATO, the next best option being considered by the government is a sit-down ­between the two leaders on the sidelines of a UN summit in New York in September. That would be well after the Pentagon’s 30-day snap review of AUKUS concludes, which was ­announced on June 12. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor said the ­inability of Mr Albanese to put ­forward Australia’s case for the ­defence pact and Canberra’s ­defence spending - which the US has been demanding be lifted – was “disappointing”. “A face-to-face meeting is ­crucial to seek assurances on AUKUS,” he said. “Australia should be at the table engaging at the highest levels to advocate the importance of AUKUS and ensure our interests are understood and defended, not waiting on the sidelines. It is disappointing the Prime Minister appears unlikely to meet with President Trump before the Pentagon’s review into AUKUS concludes.”

>>23234931 US congressmen urge Trump administration to continue 'critical' AUKUS submarine deal to secure Indo-Pacific - US politicians who have championed AUKUS have stepped up lobbying efforts with the Trump administration, saying the defence technology pact is "critical" to deterring "Chinese aggression" and urging the White House not to dump it. The Trump administration said earlier this month it would conduct a 30-day review of AUKUS, with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth telling Congress last week his department would "make sure it fits the priorities of the president and that our defence and shipbuilding industrial base can support." The federal government has played down the impact of the review, saying it was confident the White House would continue to endorse the initiative. Five US congressmen who sit on multiple influential house defence committees have now written to the defense secretary to declare their support for AUKUS, saying it was a "critical mission" to "deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region." The five congressmen - including Republican and House Armed Services Committee chair Mike Rogers as well as Democrats Joe Courtney and Adam Smith — said in their letter that they were "confident in our ability to meet both US fleet requirements and our AUKUS commitments." The politicians said additional funding commitments from Congress, on top of Australia's payments, have allowed US shipyards to ramp up steel fabrication and increase construction pace. "Shipbuilders delivered two attack submarines in 2024 (USS New Jersey and USS Iowa), with two more slated for delivery in 2025 (USS Massachusetts and USS Idaho), and another two in 2026," they wrote. They argued that increasing capacity would "open a pathway to selling the Virginia-class submarines to Australia in 2032, 2035, and 2038", as planned.

#41 - Part 103

Australia / China Tensions - Part 1

>>22964070 Chinese envoy demands Australia stands with Beijing over US ‘bully’ - China’s ambassador to Australia claims US President Donald Trump is turning the world of international trade into a “lawless jungle”, and is demanding Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton stand with Beijing against the “bullying” of the White House’s tariff war. As Mr Trump moved to strike a deal with China and ease fears of a damaging global economic crisis, Beijing’s envoy Xiao Qian told Australia’s leaders the US-Australia alliance does not give the Trump administration a “free pass” on trade. Mr Xiao writes in The Australian that Beijing is ready to stand up to Washington, and suggests Australia as an independent nation should join the Chinese. “Faced with unilateral bullying, China will resolutely stand its ground, not only to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests but also to prevent the world from descending into a lawless “jungle” where might makes right,” Mr Xiao writes. “Both China and Australia are important countries in the Asia-Pacific region and beneficiaries as well as upholders of the multilateral system and free trade. Amidst the changing international landscape, China stands ready to work with all parties to resolutely oppose all forms of ­hegemony and bullying, firmly uphold the UN-centred international system and the international order based on inter­national law, and contribute to the prosperity and stability of the region and the world at large.”

>>22964078 COMMENTARY: America’s tariffs are turning the world back to ‘law of the jungle’ - "Recently, the United States has indiscriminately imposed tariffs on all its trading partners, coercing them into initiating so-called “reciprocal tariff” negotiations and demanding each country make significant concessions. The international community must remain highly vigilant against such actions. If the US is allowed to act with impunity, the world will revert to the “law of the jungle” where the strong prey on the weak, and all countries will become victims. Today, the US, obsessed with the supremacy of power, brazenly imposes tariffs on the entire world, pursues hegemonic politics and unilateral bullying in the economic and trade fields, and places American interests above the common interests of the international community, making the entire world, including its “allies” and “partners”, pay the price for its selfishness. This has subverted the existing international rules and order, and will bring the international community back to the “law of the jungle”, with small and weak countries bearing the brunt of the consequences. China is a steadfast defender of multilateralism and the international rules-based order, consistently advocating for the resolution of differences through dialogue and negotiation. However, the US, wielding the “big stick”, has indiscriminately imposed exorbitant tariffs on countries around the world. Both China and Australia are important countries in the Asia-Pacific region and beneficiaries as well as upholders of the multilateral system and free trade. History has repeatedly proven that a powerful country is not an almighty talisman, and alliance is not a free pass. On issues concerning principles and fundamental national interests, only by making independent decisions based on the interests of one’s own country and people can a nation secure a brighter future." - Xiao Qian, China’s ambassador to Australia - theaustralian.com.au

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Australia / China Tensions - Part 2

>>22964082 COMMENTARY: Sorry, Ambassador Xiao Qian: Beijing is no defender of the free world - "If hypocrisy had a house style, the Chinese ambassador’s latest dispatch in these pages would be its template. Xiao Qian’s essay attacking the US measures the gulf between Beijing’s words and deeds in seven-league boots. In his telling, China is the guardian of global order. While there’s every reason to be disturbed about the recent actions of the US President, choosing a world run with Chinese characteristics demands a serious character check. The ambassador would have us believe Xi Jinping is a safer option than Trump. But it is not a real choice at all, only the illusion of one. There are still checks and balances on an American president; in China, only one man is truly free. Trump disrupts the order. Xi bends it to his will and wants to make us slaves to it. Xiao would have us forget what China has done and focus only on what it says. Perhaps he thinks we’re stupid and, as a close observer, probably sees our election campaign as proof of that point. No doubt the usual chorus of useful idiots will amplify the ambassador’s talking points. No doubt our government will run its usual lame line that we will co-operate where we can and disagree where we must, as China continues to push and we retreat. Still, it is good that Xiao was given space in a national newspaper to share his views. It exposes the strategy Beijing uses in every possible forum: take a sliver of truth, distort it and deploy it to undermine trust in open societies. And the courtesy of free speech might give the ambassador pause to consider this: in what Chinese paper would a foreign critic be given the same freedom? Where are the Chinese publications that dare to criticise the Communist Party? That is what makes our system and America’s better than his. The right to disagree isn’t punished with imprisonment or death. Some may see free speech as a small thing; I see it as the only thing that stands between us and tyranny. I am happy to see it extended even to someone who, if his world were realised, would take it from me. Chinese diplomats often season their rhetoric with Confucian platitudes, the moral maxims the Cultural Revolution once tried to erase from history. Here’s one from our side: the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour. But, frankly, that is too mild. In the days when China was hitting Australia with trade sanctions, there was talk of Beijing seeking a demonstration effect - a warning to other impudent countries – captured in an old idiom: kill the chicken to scare the monkey. In that spirit, I offer this ancient Australian riposte: I wouldn’t trust Beijing to run a chook raffle."'' - Chris Uhlmann - theaustralian.com.au

>>22998144 Relief in Canberra as Solomon Islands PM Jeremiah Manele averts no-confidence vote - Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has averted a high-stakes no-confidence vote led by his pro-Beijing predecessor Manasseh Sogavare after a day of political manoeuvring that had the capital Honiara on high alert and Canberra braced for a potential setback in its Pacific strategy. The move by at least 10 defector MPs, including four-time former prime minister Sogavare, threatened to plunge the Pacific Island country back into political turmoil and derail the Albanese government’s flagship $190m policing program for the Solomons designed to limit China’s growing reach in the country’s security sector. The rogue group - which included key opposition figures Matthew Wale and another former prime minister, Gordon Darcy Lilo, who tabled the no-confidence motion in parliament last week – claimed to command a slim majority in the 50-seat parliament. But Mr Manele appeared to have headed off the putsch by Monday night when he released a photo which showed him standing with 27 MPs, suggesting he had coaxed several back into the government fold. By Tuesday morning it became clear the no-confidence motion had been omitted from the day’s parliamentary schedule, prompting speaker Patteson Oti to adjourn parliament until 2pm (local time) when he announced the vote had been withdrawn. That will have come as a relief to the Albanese government, which has worked well with Mr Manele since he replaced the combative Mr Sogavare last May.

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Australia / China Tensions - Part 3

>>23007467 OPINION: A pragmatic China policy can provide Australia the certainty it seeks - "Recently, discussions within Australia have intensified regarding the trajectory of China-Australia relations, as various voices attempted to offer "road maps" for the direction the Anthony Albanese administration should take. Last week, the Australian Labor Party secured a decisive victory in the federal election, with Albanese becoming the first Australian leader in 21 years to be re-elected. Consequently, the state of China-Australia relations under Albanese 2.0 has become a focal point of public discourse. For instance, a Lowy Institute article on Wednesday suggested that Canberra should "speak up" about Beijing's "human rights issues." Similarly, the infamous Australian Strategic Policy Institute continues its anti-China agenda by labeling China "the most active state engaged in hybrid threats targeting Australia." These perspectives underscore a segment of Australian discourse that views China through a confrontational lens and aims to increase suspicion and hostility toward the country. At a time when the global economy is slowing and geopolitical tensions are rising, China and Australia - both major players in the Asia-Pacific - should continue to choose the path of dialogue and cooperation. A sustained pragmatic and rational approach to China under Albanese 2.0 will help take the bilateral relationship to a new level of mutually beneficial cooperation, which would not only serve both countries' interests but also support stability and development in the region. Experience in recent years has shown that blindly following Washington's lead and treating China as a strategic adversary has harmed Australia's diplomatic independence and dealt real blows to its economy. Learning from those lessons and continuing to pursue a pragmatic and balanced China policy is the right strategic path for Australia." - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>23012508 China criticises Australia over joint exercises with Philippines, US in South China Sea - China's Foreign Ministry has sharply criticised Australia after it conducted another joint military exercise in the South China Sea with the US and the Philippines, accusing all three nations of trying to "create trouble." The Royal Australian Navy's destroyer HMAS Sydney joined a guided missile frigate from the Philippine Navy and aircraft from both the US and the Philippines last week to conduct the drills. Clashes between China's coast guard and vessels from the Philippines have intensified over the last 18 months, and several countries - including the US, Japan, Australia and Canada — have responded by stepping up joint military exercises with the Philippines in the contested waters. China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing that the United States was using the Philippines as a "pawn" against China, and that Manila had "brought in and collaborated with forces outside the region to create disruptions and flex military muscles". "The US and other countries outside the region have patched up small groupings in the South China Sea to stoke confrontation in the name of cooperation, flex military muscles in the name of freedom, and create trouble in the name of upholding order," he said. "They are the biggest source of risks undermining the peace and stability in the South China Sea." China claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea as its territory, and has ignored a 2016 ruling which found that claim had no basis under international law. Australia hasn't responded directly to China's most recent criticism but the Department of Defence said last week the joint exercise was aimed at "build(ing) mutual understanding and interoperability between nations and armed forces."

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Australia / China Tensions - Part 4

>>23032055 Xi congratulates Anthony Albanese, calls on PM to work with China to promote ‘world peace’ - President Xi Jinping has congratulated Anthony Albanese on his re-election, saying he wants to work with the Australian Prime Minister to strengthen their relationship and promote “world peace and stability”. In a written message delivered on Tuesday as the Prime Minister was sworn in by Australia’s Governor-General, the Chinese leader said he had engaged in “in-depth discussions on strategic, comprehensive and directional issues” in his three meetings with Mr Albanese. “These discussions led to important consensuses that have provided strategic guidance to improve and grow bilateral ties,” Mr Xi said, according to Chinese newsagency Xinhua. The Chinese president said he was ready to work with Mr Albanese to “advance the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership in a steady fashion”. “Strengthening co-operation between China and Australia is of great significance for achieving shared development and promoting world peace and stability,” said Mr Xi in comments that were also run on the front-page of Wednesday’s People’s Daily, the Communist Party’s leading newspaper. China’s Premier Li Qiang also sent a congratulatory message, according to Xinhua, saying he wanted to work with the Prime Minister on promoting a “more mature, stable and fruitful China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership”. The Prime Minister is expected to visit China later in the year. The warm comments underscore the notable improvement in the diplomatic relationship since 2022, even as polls find actions by China continue to stoke anxiety among a majority of Australians.

>>23032067 OPINION: Why stable China ties are vital for Australia - "In an uncertain world, people crave stability, and Australian electoral behavior is no different: In challenging times, voters tend to stick with the incumbent government. Over the past three years, the Albanese administration has been defined by cautious steadiness. It's fair to say that stabilizing relations with China has emerged as one of Labor's standout foreign policy achievements. Since Albanese's Labor Party came to power in May 2022, it has rolled back the previous Coalition's anti-China stance and taken proactive measures to enhance dialogue with Beijing. Under the direct engagement and strategic leadership of both countries' leaders, China-Australia relations have bottomed out and rebounded, warming across the board. Exchanges in various fields have taken positive strides, and economic and trade flows have fully recovered - earning widespread support on both sides. Throughout the election campaign, Labor, as the governing party, maintained continuity in its China policy and generally adopted a rational, restrained tone in all China-related statements. This pragmatic, steady approach won the trust of voters. In this election, the Australian people ultimately chose the Labor Party, the side of certainty facing an uncertain world, based on their expectations of policy stability and continuity. The Labor government now has more reason to adhere to an independent foreign policy and to work toward the steady and sustained growth of China-Australia relations. In this way, the two countries can provide a more stable and favorable policy environment for mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation, striving to bring more tangible benefits to both countries and their people." - Wang Zhenyu - globaltimes.cn

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Australia / China Tensions - Part 5

>>23045815 Video: AFP will train Pacific peacekeepers to help counter China’s influence - The Australian Federal Police is boosting its role in the Pacific in the face of growing competition from China by agreeing to train Pacific island police to become UN peacekeepers. The move comes at a time when China is aggressively trying to strike police co-operation deals with Pacific Island nations as a means to gain leverage over their strategic direction. In response, the AFP is boosting its policing engagement across the Pacific Island region as part of Australia’s broader diplomatic push to prevent China establishing footholds in the region. Beijing has criticised the AFP for having an “impure motive” to “contain China” in its growing push to forge closer links with ­Pacific island nations. As part of its attempts to sideline China and forge closer relationships with the Pacific, the AFP is hosting the world’s first UN Police Peacekeeping Training course tailored specifically for the Pacific region. The course, which started in Brisbane this week, brings together 100 police officers from across the Pacific and East Timor and aims to build a deployable, Pacific-led UN peacekeeping capability. AFP Assistant Commissioner Nigel Ryan said the course would help “reinforce Australia’s role as a preferred partner of choice in the Pacific for sustained peace, security and prosperity in the region”. Mr Ryan said the AFP’s presence in the Pacific had grown “exponentially” in recent years, and despite growing competition from China he believed that Australia was still the partner of choice in policing and security. “It’s no secret that China has ambitions to increase their presence in the Pacific in the security space,” he told The Australian. “But we’ve got longstanding relationships going back decades with our Pacific partners, and they’re very strong relationships. “We are part of the Pacific family and Australia is recognised as the partner of choice, particularly in the security space.”

>>23045840 Taiwan urges Australia to defy China on Trump-proofing trade pact - Taiwan is urging Australia to stare down opposition from Beijing and support its admission to a sweeping regional free trade pact to help buffer it from the volatility of Donald Trump’s tariff gyrations. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced during a visit to Jakarta on Thursday that Australia will back Indonesia’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), but Taiwan’s request to join the pact has been stalled since 2021. Australia is serving as the rotating chair of the 12-nation grouping this year, giving it responsibility for guiding the group’s activities and priorities. “We definitely call for Australia’s support of Taiwan’s accession to the CPTPP, which we see as the gateway to future trade,” Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to Australia, Douglas Hsu, said in an interview with this masthead. Australia does not recognise Taiwan as a state, meaning its top envoy is known as the head of its economic and cultural office rather than an ambassador. “Australia and Taiwan have a complementary trade partnership, we believe that we can meet the high standards of the CPTPP regulations and we have a good track record dealing with other trading partners. “The CPTPP is a trade mechanism, so we definitely will urge all the members to review Taiwan’s case based on the merits instead of the geopolitics.”

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Australia / China Tensions - Part 6

>>23062845 Anthony Albanese to visit China for second time amid Xi Jinping's push for 'mature' ties with Australia - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will travel to China later this year to meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, marking his second official visit to China in two years. The ABC understands the prime minister will attend the Annual Leaders' Meeting, part of a resumed high-level dialogue last held in Canberra in June 2024 during Mr Li's visit to Australia. The trip follows a warm personal letter from Mr Xi congratulating Mr Albanese on his re-election. In the message, Mr Xi highlighted China's interest in "promoting a more mature, stable and productive" relationship with Australia, a deliberate nod to Beijing's desire to build sustained engagement with the Labor government. The second visit places Mr Albanese among a small group of Australian prime ministers to be invited to Beijing so frequently. He made stabilising ties with China a core foreign policy priority during his first term, resuming ministerial dialogue and steering the relationship out of a prolonged diplomatic freeze. During his first trip to China, in November 2023, Mr Xi invited him to return and see more of the country, reinforcing what both sides now describe as a "comprehensive strategic partnership". The trip was widely seen as a diplomatic breakthrough, not only securing the release of detained Australian journalist Cheng Lei after three years in custody, but also resulting in the removal of all remaining trade impediments imposed on Australian exports during the Coalition government. The date of the meeting is yet to be announced by Mr Albanese.

>>23076633 Cheap Aussie ‘Mozzie’ all the buzz to replace global market-leading Chinese drones - An Australian technology company is poised to meet a critical challenge for the nation’s security, designing a $5000 drone for military use with domestically sourced parts and those from friendly countries. The only Chinese component in Grabba Technologies’ Mozzie drone is its electric motor, and the company is working with two local firms that are close to producing Australian-made alternatives. The privately owned Brisbane company was selected for the challenge by Defence’s Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator, which needed an affordable multi-mission drone under 2kg for use by the Australian Defence Force and national security agencies. The locally made drone gives Australian and allied users a trusted alternative to Chinese drones that dominate the global market. The ASCA challenge followed the removal from service of more than 800 Chinese-made drones that had been operated by the ADF, and 41 in use with the Australian Border Force. The Mozzie, which can undertake surveillance missions or drop bombs on enemy soldiers, will meet US “blue list” guidelines for technology products with entirely friendly-nation supply chains. The explosion in drone warfare seen in Ukraine has piled pressure on the Australian government to bring uncrewed systems into service as rapidly as possible. Grabba Technologies is set to sell 260 of the drones to Defence for testing by the army, navy and air force, and hopes to sell tens of thousands more to the ADF and allied militaries, and law enforcement agencies.

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Australia / China Tensions - Part 7

>>23083159 Chinese ambassador Xiao Qian hits out over ‘ethically questionable’ Port of Darwin lease buyback - The Chinese ambassador to Australia says Anthony Albanese’s promise to boot a Chinese company from operating the Port of Darwin is “ethically questionable,” urging the government to honour the 99-year lease. In a statement released by the embassy on Sunday night, Xiao Qian criticised Australia’s “ethically questionable” behaviour and said port owners Landbridge Group had made “significant investments” after winning a 99-year lease in 2015 for $506m. The comments follow an election promise to buy back the lease, with the Prime Minister threatening direct intervention if the government is unable to find a new buyer. “These efforts have brought remarkable improvements to the port, turning its financial situation from losses to profits and contributing positively to local economic and social development,” Mr Xiao said. “Such an enterprise and project deserves encouragement, not punishment. “It is ethically questionable to lease the port when it was unprofitable and then seek to reclaim it once it becomes profitable.” Mr Xiao said Landbridge Group had undertaken an “open and transparent bidding process” to secure the commercial contract and urged the Australian government to honour its binding commitments. While he acknowledged that Australia and China were “comprehensive strategic partners”, Mr Xiao said the countries needed to “foster mutual trust”. “We hope the Australian side will view the Darwin Port project objectively, honour its binding commitments under the contract and respect the autonomous decisions made by businesses based on development needs,” he said. “We hope the Australian federal government and the Northern Territory government will create a fair, transparent, and predictable business environment for Chinese enterprises operating in Australia.”

>>23083164 Chinese ambassador blasts Darwin Port lease plan as 'ethically questionable' - China's ambassador to Australia has fired a warning shot to the Albanese government over its plans to take back the port of Darwin, describing the move as "ethically questionable". The strategically important northern Australian port has been a hotly debated national security issue since it was leased to Chinese firm Landbridge by the NT government for 99-years in 2015. During this year's federal election campaign, both Labor and the Coalition made duelling pledges to get the port "back into Australian hands". Federal Labor has not given a firm indication of exactly how it will do that, but has repeatedly said it has been speaking with Australian firms to possibly take over the lease. Ambassador Xiao Qian published a statement on his website on Sunday, days after making a trip to Darwin where he said he visited the port and met with staff at Landbridge. "A decade ago, the Landbridge Group secured the lease for the port of Darwin through an open and transparent bidding process, fully compliant with Australian laws and market principles," he said. "Over the past 10 years, Landbridge Group has made significant investments in maintaining and building Darwin Port's infrastructure, optimising its operations and management, and expanding its customer sources. These efforts have brought remarkable improvements to the port, turning its financial situation from losses to profits and contributing positively to local economic and social development." Mr Xiao also called on the Northern Territory and federal governments to "honour its binding commitments" under the contract and "respect the autonomous decisions made by businesses made by development needs". "Such an enterprise and project deserves encouragement, not punishment. It is ethically questionable to lease the port when it was unprofitable and then seek to reclaim it once it becomes profitable." Members of the previous NT government that leased the port to Landbridge have said the decision was made to lease it after the federal government of the day failed to fund needed infrastructure upgrades.

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Australia / China Tensions - Part 8

>>23083169 Chinese Ambassador urges Australia to objectively view Darwin Port project and honor contractual commitments - "When responding to the Albanese government's pledge during the Australian election campaign to revoke the operating rights of China's Landbridge Group over the Port of Darwin in a joint media interview, Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said that it is ethically questionable to lease the port when it was unprofitable and then seek to reclaim it once it becomes profitable. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese mentioned in April during the election campaign that his government was working on a plan to force the sale of Darwin Port from its Chinese owner on national interest grounds, Reuters reported. During an interview published on the website of the Chinese Embassy in Australia on Sunday, Xiao said that Chinese side has consistently maintained communication with both the Australian federal government and the Northern Territory government (where the port is located) through diplomatic channels. He elaborated that a decade ago, the Landbridge Group secured the lease for the Port of Darwin through an open and transparent bidding process, fully compliant with Australian laws and market principles. Over the past 10 years, Landbridge Group has made significant investments in maintaining and building Darwin Port's infrastructure, optimizing its operations and management, and expanding its customer sources, said Xiao. China and Australia are comprehensive strategic partners. The two sides should foster mutual trust, as mutually beneficial cooperation aligns with our shared interests. We hope the Australian federal government and the Northern Territory government will create a fair, transparent, and predictable business environment for Chinese enterprises operating in Australia, the ambassador noted." - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>23087093 US eyes Darwin Port prise from Chinese-owned company Landbridge Group - A US private equity firm with strong ties to the Trump administration is poised to make an offer to buy the Port of Darwin from its Chinese owner, in a test of ­Anthony Albanese’s resolve to bring the port back under ­Western control. The Australian can reveal New York-based Cerberus Capital Management is preparing a formal proposal to buy the port from Landbridge Group’s billionaire owner Ye Cheng, who is a close confidant of senior Chinese ­Communist Party figures. It’s understood the investment firm’s offer will be slightly above the $506m that Landbridge paid 10 years ago for its 99-year lease over the facility. The company says the facility is not for sale, but one source said the port operator was open to offers of about $1bn. The Prime Minister warned in the midst of the election campaign that Landbridge must either sell the port voluntarily or it would be forcibly acquired by the government. The US has had longstanding concerns over the port’s ­Chinese ownership, but Mr Albanese has been facing pressure from Beijing to back down on his pre-election pledge to strip Landbridge of the lease. Cerberus Capital Management was until recently run by co-­founder Steve Feinberg, who was appointed in March to be US deputy defence secretary. Representatives from the company met Landbridge Group and Northern Territory Treasurer Bill Yan last week. Chinese ambassador Xiao Qian said forcing the company to give up the lease would be “ethically questionable” given it had ­secured it through an open and transparent bidding process and made significant investments in the facility since then. “These ­efforts have brought remarkable improvements to the port, turning its financial situation from losses to profits and contributing positively to local economic and social development,” the ambassador said in comments posted on the Chinese embassy website.

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Australia / China Tensions - Part 9

>>23087100 Global Times editorial: If Australia forcibly takes back Darwin Port, it will leave behind enduring pitfalls - "As a port operation project obtained through a normal market-oriented and transparent bidding process - and one that has undergone at least three political and security reviews over the past decade unjustly - the Darwin Port operated by China's Landbridge Group has repeatedly become a "political football" in Australian domestic politics. Since the current election cycle, it has come under renewed pressure for destroying the contract and forced takeover by the Australian government. On this issue, Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian recently stated in an interview with Chinese and Australian media that China has maintained communication with Australian federal and local governments over the Darwin port through diplomatic channels. He also noted that "It's very morally inappropriate to rent out the port when it is in the red and take it back once it is profitable." It is well known that Darwin Port only became linked to so-called "national security" and subjected to a wave of political and security scrutiny after so-called "concerns" were voiced from Washington. However, recent Australian governments' review have all concluded that there were no so-called "national security risks" associated with the port. The latest review in 2023 even found "not necessary" to cancel or alter the lease. However, the recent surge in rhetoric about tearing up the deal - even being framed during the election campaign as a bipartisan "consensus" - clearly shows that the undercurrents of anti-China sentiment in Australia are once again resurfacing. The operation of Darwin Port is, at its core, a market-driven economic project and should operate within the framework of the rule of law and market principles. However, when pressure from Washington overrides Australia's own national interests, and rule-based commercial activities are trampled by political logic, what suffers is not only Australia's international credibility, but also the fragile foundation of mutual trust and its own strategic autonomy - a space that could have been preserved from external military rivalry. We urge the Australian government to prioritize the broader picture, uphold the spirit of contract, return to the rule of law, and stop distorting economic cooperation with political bias. Whether the Port of Darwin becomes a hub of prosperous trade or the eye of a geopolitical storm is not a difficult choice, but it does test Canberra's strategic wisdom." - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>23090704 Toll, super funds join suitors for Chinese-owned Darwin Port - Logistics powerhouse Toll is part of a US private equity fund’s bid to buy out the Chinese owner of the Port of Darwin, offering an Australian flavour to a transaction being driven by national security imperatives that superannuation funds are also weighing up. The partnership by Toll and Cerberus Capital Management is just one potential suitor for the port, which is effectively on the market after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged during the election campaign to terminate Chinese company Landbridge’s 99-year lease on the key cargo gateway for northern Australia. Superannuation funds are also running the rule over the port, sources familiar with the matter told The Australian Financial Review, after Albanese indicated he wanted them at the bidding table. Albanese’s promise to take the lease out of Landbridge’s hands is poised to revive diplomatic strains with Beijing after Chinese ambassador Xiao Qian warned it was ethically questionable and the company should not be punished. Two sources, granted anonymity to speak on sensitive matters, said Cerberus had partnered with Toll to take over the port and had already met with the Northern Territory government and political figures, as well as Landbridge representatives, as part of its pitch. Cerberus’ local representative declined to comment on its interest or confirm Toll’s involvement, citing commercial confidentiality. Toll did not respond to a request for comment. One of Australia’s major superannuation-backed asset managers, IFM Investors, also declined to comment on whether it was a prospective buyer. While Cerberus has links to the Trump administration through its co-founder Steve Feinberg, who was appointed to be deputy US defence secretary, the bid appears to have come independently of the US government.

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Australia / China Tensions - Part 10

>>23090715 ‘We want it in Australian hands’: Albanese cool on US bid to buy Darwin Port - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has insisted he wants the Port of Darwin returned to Australian ownership, as an American private equity firm makes a play to buy the strategically significant asset from its Chinese owners. Both Labor and the Coalition announced during the election campaign that they would move to strip Chinese firm Landbridge of its controversial 99-year lease of the port, which sits directly opposite Darwin’s Larrakeyah Defence Precinct. The prospect of a forced divestiture has angered Beijing, which feels Chinese companies are being unfairly singled out for punishment over national security concerns. Albanese also downplayed the prospect of joining any international effort to impose sanctions on leading Israeli politicians over the war in Gaza and settlement building in the occupied West Bank, despite a call from Labor elder statesman Gareth Evans to sanction Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and two of his far-right cabinet members. Asked if he would support a bid by US investment firm Cerberus to buy the port, Albanese told reporters: “We’ve said we want to see it in Australian hands. I notice this speculation which is there, but we’ll examine the process. We’re determined to make sure it’s in the national interest for it to be in Australian hands.” He left some wriggle room on overseas offers, saying: “But if there are other proposals, we’ll work those through. But we’ll work those through on a commercial basis.”

>>23094566 Pacific Island nations support China's Taiwan claims at high-profile foreign ministers' meeting - Pacific nations have backed China's claim over Taiwan during a high-profile meeting, but have shied away from directly endorsing Beijing's push to "reunify" the democratically ruled island with the mainland. China has also taken a shot at the United States over climate policy, promising to work with the region to combat climate shocks despite the Trump administration's decision to abandon the Paris Agreement. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi yesterday sat down with foreign ministers from eight Pacific nations - along with senior officials from three others — in the southern city of Xiamen. It's the third time China has held a meeting with Pacific foreign ministers, but it's the first time the event has been held in person rather than online, and Beijing has trumpeted the gathering as a major milestone. China has long been pushing to expand its influence throughout the region, and analysts say the Trump administration's sweeping global tariffs and aid cuts will open up more opportunities for it. Beijing has also been intent on building global support for its increasingly forceful stance on Taiwan, which it has pledged to bring under its control. A joint statement issued after the meeting declared that all the Pacific nations "recognise that there is but one China in the world, that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China". But the statement doesn't explicitly and directly endorse the Chinese government's push to take Taiwan, as Pacific nations like Solomon Islands and Kiribati did last year. It uses slightly softer language instead, reiterating China's determination to "realising national reunification" and saying this commitment "gained wide understanding and support at the meeting".

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Australia / China Tensions - Part 11

>>23120694 Beijing denounces Marles over ‘China threat’ as Farrell is welcomed to Shanghai - Beijing has denounced Defence Minister Richard Marles for spreading the “China threat” while inviting Trade Minister Don Farrell to visit Shanghai in November, as Canberra comes under pressure from Washington to ramp up its defence budget and reduce its economic ties with China. Late on Tuesday, China’s Foreign Ministry condemned the US, Japan, Australia and the Philippines after the four American allies met on the sidelines of a security conference in Singapore and discussed shared concerns about Beijing’s use of force and coercion in the East China Sea and the South China Sea. “The US, together with Japan, Australia, and the Philippines, brazenly spread the false accusation of (the) ‘China threat’ at the Shangri-La Dialogue and sought to use the East China Sea issue and the South China Sea issue to sow discord and incite confrontation between regional countries. China strongly deplores and firmly opposes it, and has made serious protests,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a press conference in Beijing. Hours later, in Paris, Senator Farrell was feted by his Chinese counterpart, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, who urged Canberra to “jointly safeguard the multilateral trading system” with Beijing. Senator Farrell accepted an invitation from the Chinese Commerce Minister to attend the China International Import Expo in Shanghai in November, according to a Chinese government readout of the meeting, which was held on the sidelines of the OECD. It will be the third consecutive year the Australian Trade Minister has attended the trade show, the most politically important in China.

>>23120778 Video: PLA, the People’s Liberation Army of China, Peace-Loving Army. - PLA, the People’s Liberation Army of China. Peace-Loving Army, for the Chinese people and people of the world. - SpokespersonCHN

>>23120783 Video: Archive: Chinese troops fire on protesters in Tiananmen Square - First broadcast 4 June 1989. Chinese troops opened fire on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Saturday evening. The collection of students and labourers had been occupying the site for several weeks. Despite the outbreak of "unremitting gunfire", the protesters refused to leave. The BBC's Kate Adie reports from the scene. - BBC News

>>23120792 Video: How NBC Covered Tiananmen Square In 1989 - Warning: Viewers may find some images in this video disturbing. On the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square uprising, we hit the archives and revisit our coverage. - NBC News

>>23120800 Video: Tiananmen Square Protests 1989: Chinese Soldiers Open Fire on Civilians - "World News" report from June 4, 1989: Chinese soldiers open fire on civilian, pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing. - ABC News

>>23120805 Video: Tiananmen Square: Watch The 1989 Report On The Crackdown - It's 25 years since protests in Tiananmen Square, China, were brought to a bloody end by soldiers who killed hundreds of unarmed civilians. - Sky News

>>23120815 Video: 1989: Tiananmen Square protests - Student protests in Tiananmen Square ended when Chinese troops fired on crowds, killing hundreds and wounding thousands. - CNN

>>23120830 Video: Man vs. tank in Tiananmen square (1989) - A CNN crew covering the June 5, 1989, protests in Beijing recorded a man stopping a Chinese tank in Tiananmen Square. The story behind the iconic 'Tank Man' photo. - CNN

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Australia / China Tensions - Part 12

>>23125045 ‘We stand with Australia’: PNG drives defence pact amid China push - Papua New Guinea’s push for a defence treaty with Canberra sends a message to all competing interests in the region that the ­Pacific nation “stands with Australia” and supports the international rules-based order, PNG’s Defence Minister said in a landmark speech that nails the country’s security ­allegiances to the mast. Speaking at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute defence conference in Canberra on Wednesday, Billy Joseph said the ­recent circumnavigation of Australia by Chinese People’s Liberation Army navy ships, which also entered PNG waters, had underlined the potential threats faced by Pacific nations. “We, like everybody else, have a very strong economic partnership with China,” Mr Joseph said. “And I’m sure Australia also has the same, same as the US and everybody. But when it comes to security, we choose our traditional partners, which is Australia (and the) US. For us, the economy and ­security are intertwined, and we can’t separate one from the other. Therein lies opportunity as well as risks … that countries can use economy as a means to push the security interest. And that’s ­already happening,” he added, in unusually frank comments about Chinese economic coercion in the region. Mr Joseph said Australia and PNG were “tied at the hips”, not only by their geographical proximity but by a shared history of hardship and resilience during World War II. “That is why we have proposed from the PNG side that we should have a defence treaty,” he said.

>>23125059 Video: Former Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull: I'm sure that Trump will not get his way with China - Malcolm Turnbull says that China's relatively consistent and measured approach compared to the U.S.'s erraticism will be welcomed by many countries, that it is dawning on Trump he cannot bully China, and that Trump's belief that "might is right" is very unattractive to middle powers like Australia who have to work together and stand up for their values. - CNBC International Live

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Australia / China Tensions - Part 13

>>23134162 Visa refusal sparks fresh concerns Solomon Islands may block Taipei from Pacific forum - The Solomon Islands government blocked a group of Taiwanese officials from entering the Pacific country earlier this year, stirring fresh concerns in Taipei that it might be locked out of a key regional meeting in Honiara later this year. Solomon Islands will host the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in September, and signalled last year that it might break with a long running precedent and refuse visas to Taiwanese officials who want to meet with their three remaining Pacific diplomatic allies on the sidelines. Both Australian and Pacific officials insist that the Solomon Islands government has given them private assurances this year that it will not take that step. But the ABC has been told that when a small group of officials from Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs applied to enter Solomon Islands in March - largely to begin planning the logistics for its PIF delegation — their visa applications were rejected. Australian government sources have said Solomon Islands has since reassured them again that Taiwan's representatives will not be blocked in September, but that this directive was still "working its way through the system", suggesting the decision was an error. A spokesperson from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) told the ABC it was "working closely" with Solomon Islands on preparations for the leaders meeting, "as we do with every host". "There has been no change to arrangements regarding Taiwan's engagement with the Pacific Islands Forum, which have been in place since agreed by leaders in 1992," they said.

>>23197948 G7: Anthony Albanese invokes concerns about China’s dominance of global critical minerals supply chains - Anthony Albanese has invoked concerns about China’s dominance of global critical minerals supply chains in his first speech at the G7 summit, warning that “critical minerals markets are concentrated and vulnerable to manipulation”. Speaking to G7 leaders in the Canadian Rockies town of Kananaskis, the Prime Minister spruiked Australia’s vast deposits of critical minerals and raised the perverse impacts geopolitical tensions are having on energy security and supply chains. Asked to address the summit by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Mr Albanese said over recent years “we have all felt the impact of conflict, non-market practices and unfair competition”. Mr Albanese did not mention China specifically but Xi Jinping’s Communist regime has overseen a domination of critical minerals supply chains. The US, Australia, Japan, South Korea and other regional allies have been working together to break Beijing’s stranglehold on critical minerals supply chains. “Critical minerals are the new drivers of energy security. Australia is blessed to have some of the largest critical minerals deposits on earth. But we are increasingly finding that critical minerals markets are concentrated and vulnerable to manipulation,” Mr Albanese said. “Producers struggle to remain competitive, and supply chains are affected by export bans and controls.” As the Albanese government progresses deals with the US and other allies to turbocharge Australia’s critical minerals market, Mr Albanese said “energy security underpins our growth and prosperity, and is essential for our economic resilience and national security”.

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Australia / China Tensions - Part 14

>>23198013 Top China military official disappears in latest purge under Xi Jinping amid rising factional politics - The disappearance of another high-ranking Chinese military official has demonstrated that no-one is indispensable to President Xi Jinping in achieving his goals. Even those among his closest allies. General He Weidong, China's second-ranking military official and co-vice chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), has not been seen in public since March 11. His name was also absent from the official list of attendees at the funeral of his former colleague, Xu Qiliang, who was also a co-vice chairman of the CMC. With silence often treated as confirmation in China's highly choreographed political system, He's ongoing absence confirms his removal from power. His disappearance follows a similar pattern of recent high-profile purges. Former foreign minister Qin Gang and former defence minister Li Shangfu also disappeared from public view before they were removed from their positions. He's dismissal comes after a longstanding personal and professional relationship with Xi. Xi and He both served in the local government of Fujian province in the 1990s and 2000s, with He promoted to "full general" - the highest military rank — in 2017 and eventually co-vice chairman in 2022. It's a position that granted him more than just command of the military. It also made him a member of the elite Politburo - the top decision-making body of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). His sudden fall just three years into the role underscores the intensity of internal instability within the CCP. Despite projecting a unified public image, the highest level of China's political system is a pressure cooker of competing ambitions, ideological divides, and factional loyalties. Xi's leadership has been marked by a relentless consolidation of power and a sweeping anti-corruption campaign, but the frequent removal of his own appointees suggests cracks in the system he has built.

>>23239588 Australia to boost cyber security and provide vehicles for Solomon Islands Pacific Islands Forum - Australia will provide Solomon Islands with dozens of vehicles and cybersecurity support to help it host a high-profile meeting of Pacific leaders in September, as well as ramping up funding for aerial surveillance to track illegal fishing flotillas across the region. The Pacific Minister Pat Conroy is in Honiara on Thursday, where he will announce a $20 million support package for the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders meeting. Leaders at the meeting will grapple with a host of issues, including climate finance and Australia's bid to co-host a Conference of the Parties climate meeting, a new "Oceans of Peace" security framework championed by Fiji's prime minister, and a potentially contentious review of the Pacific's diplomatic architecture. But the gathering will also inevitably be seen as a litmus test of China's sway in Solomon Islands, where Beijing has rapidly built political influence since establishing ties with Honiara in 2019. Earlier this month China's ambassador to Solomon Islands handed Acting Prime Minister Fredrick Kologetoa a $US1 million ($1.5 million) donation to buy 27 vehicles which will ferry Pacific leaders around at PIF. Australia's $20 million package will be broader, providing funding for about 60 vehicles, cybersecurity, road upgrades and logistics support. Australia has not directly criticised China's contribution to the meeting, but Mr Conroy said the Pacific was "best served by Pacific-led institutions and processes". "Australia's commitment to Solomon Islands and the broader Pacific is steadfast. We are stronger together," Mr Conroy said. China is also expected to push for its policing teams to play a visible role providing security at the leaders meeting, something Australia will be keen to prevent, in order to burnish its credentials as a security partner for the Pacific.

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

>>23012542 FBI tip-off leads to arrest of Alice Springs man for child rape - An Alice Springs man has been charged with multiple child abuse offences - including the alleged rape of a child – following a referral by the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation. Earlier this week NT Police received an “urgent referral” from the FBI, via the Australian Federal Police, with officers executing a search warrant and allegedly seizing “large quantities” of child abuse material. Officers from the NT Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team, a joint child abuse taskforce comprising of the Australian Federal Police and NT Police, allege the man also sexually assaulted a child “under the age of five”, who was known to him. He has been charged with nine serious child abuse charges of sexual intercourse with child under 10, two counts of gross indecency with child under 14, three counts of produce child abuse material for use via a carriage service, possess or control child abuse material, access child abuse material and transmit child abuse material. NT Police Detective Superintendent Paul Lawson commended the “seamless collaboration” between NT Police, AFP and the FBI to bring the man before the courts. “If you allegedly abuse a child or procure, access and transmit child abuse material, we will find you, and you will be prosecuted,” Superintendent Lawson said. “We will continue to work tirelessly to protect children from harm.” Senior police warned that alleged “offenders cannot hide behind a screen” if they allegedly “carry out these reprehensible and hideous acts”. It comes just months after The Australian revealed a five-year-old boy had allegedly been raped in a remote Northern Territory community, with one advocate alleging half of the 20 remote communities she visited in 2024 had children as young as five exhibiting “harmful sexual behaviour”.

>>23016865 Aussie teen girl to speak at sentencing for sadistic cult ringleader Kyle Spitze - The FBI has asked an Australian teenager blackmailed into livestreaming self-harm and live sex shows to speak at the sentencing of one of the ringleaders of a sadistic extremist online cult. Kyle Spitze, 25, a notorious member of terror groups 764 and offshoot HarmNation - where offenders compete with each other to coerce kids to kill their pets and produce sexual and violent content – is due to be sentenced in a court in Tennessee in July. Among the heinous crimes he has agreed to plead guilty to are possessing child sexual abuse material - some were of a child aged 12 – and distributing ‘animal crushing’ videos. His charges relate to US victims, but the FBI have also found images of the Australian girl, who we are not naming, on Spitze’s phone. After being contacted by the FBI via the Australian Federal Police, both the Australian girl and her mother will give victim impact statements via video link at Spitze’s sentencing. A detective from the NSW police has been helping them with their statements. The mother said these predators were pure evil and her daughter, who was left suicidal, was “covered with scars that are visible, and those inside her that are not”. “She was made to mutilate her body and encouraged to starve herself, leading to a diagnosis of anorexia,” her mum said. She hopes being allowed to read her impact statement to Spitze will give her 18-year-old daughter, who was 16 at the time of the abuse, some power back. Spitze’s sick activities were exposed after a video he posted of his stepfather shooting him in the ear went viral and victims outed him as an abuser. An AFP spokesperson said intelligence sharing between international and domestic law enforcement partners has enabled them to identify and investigate online users linked to some of these extreme groups online.

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

>>23016875 Video: How gun-toting Texas mum Becca Spinks takes down online cult 764 - This is the gun toting Texan mum looking to take down a new wave of sadistic online abusers grooming Australian kids to livestream sick and twisted acts from their bedrooms. In July, the self-defence educator and independent investigator, Becca Spinks, hopes to be in court to watch 25-year-old Kyle Spitze, from Tennessee, get a hefty jail sentence after he agreed to plead guilty to charges of possessing child sexual abuse material and distributing ‘animal crushing’ videos. One of his victims is Australian. “I just want to look at him and see if there’s any kind of soul left,” Spinks said. “Every time I’ve seen him on video, in a picture, he just looks demonic. He looks evil.” None of Spitze’s charges relate to the NSW victim, now 18, but the FBI found pictures of her on his phone, and she alleges he and other members blackmailed her into doing livestream sex acts and self-harm shows. She was also forced to carve their names into her body with a blade. Spitze is a big scalp for Spinks, 40, who describes herself as “just a normal mum”, who hunts predators online in her spare time. His big mistake was posting a video of his stepfather shooting him in the ear in January 2024, which went viral. His victims, who saw the video, began outing him on social media as a pedophile and sadistic Satanist in an online cult called 764, and an offshoot group called HarmNation. “The day that video went viral, Kyle was on X threatening the girls who were trying to speak out against him, and his tag was Criminal764,” Spinks said. “We looked at his followers and we found all these other abusers.” Her online detective work, along with help from his victims, including the mother of the Australian teenager, played a significant role in bringing Spitze to the attention of the FBI. And it shone a light on these deviant misfits, some children themselves, who get off on torturing mainly young girls to take part in degrading sex acts, live ‘cut shows’, animal abuse - one victim bit off the head of their hamster – and where the ultimate prize is getting someone to livestream their own suicide.

>>23045901 Sex abuse survivor urges Timor-Leste president not to pardon paedophile ex-priest Richard Daschbach - A woman who survived sexual abuse at the hands of a convicted paedophile priest fears he will hurt her again if the Timor-Leste government succeeds in having him pardoned. Defrocked priest Richard Daschbach, a United States citizen, was convicted by a Timor-Leste court in December 2021 after being found guilty of sexually abusing orphaned and disadvantaged young girls under his care. The high-profile trial and conviction were the first of their kind in the staunchly religious nation, where about 97 per cent of the population identifies as Catholic. Daschbach, now 88 years old, has had the strong support of Timor-Leste's Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, who attended his 2021 trial and controversially celebrated Daschbach's birthday at the time. This week it was revealed Timor-Leste's government had proposed that the ex-priest be pardoned and released from prison. Mária, who Daschbach sexually abused when she was a child at the Topu Honis children's shelter in the country's remote west, is calling for Timorese President José Ramos-Horta to reject the government-backed proposal to release him. "If he gets out, he could commit his evil deeds to other women," Mária, who the ABC has given a pseudonym for safety reasons, said. "It looks like he will go back to the Topu Honis orphanage [where he committed his crimes] and could hurt our hearts as victims who have attended [his] trial in court." Mr Ramos-Horta must decide whether to grant Daschbach's release by Tuesday, to coincide with the country's annual Independence Day celebrations. It is a tradition for convicted criminals to receive pardons on that day. The proposal to pardon Daschbach only four years into his 12-year prison term has faced a backlash from both advocates of victim-survivors and opposition MPs. Legal aid groups in Timor-Leste have called on Mr Ramos-Horta to meet victim-survivors before making a decision on the matter.

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

>>23045988 Victorian sisters abused by paedophile priest say High Court decision has halted quest for compensation - Sisters Bernie and Trish have not had a restful night since they were abused by a paedophile priest in the 1970s. "You don't sleep afterwards like a normal human sleeps. You're never carefree again, Bernie said. To sleep soundly, the sisters need to know no-one can come through their bedroom doors, so their husbands made them special wooden jams to lock them in place. "You can have happy days, and you can do things, but you're not that innocent, Bernie said. "You never, ever become that carefree kid." The sisters were abused by notorious paedophile priest Bryan Coffey - who is now dead — and the pair are pursuing the Catholic Church for compensation. But the sisters' legal pursuit is in jeopardy after the High Court made it harder to find the church vicariously liable. Coffey was never convicted of the women's abuse, but Trish received a letter of apology from the Ballarat bishop's office in 2015. Another victim, known as "DP", was also abused by Coffey when he was a five year old in Port Fairy in south-west Victoria. In 2021, he was awarded $200,000 by two Victorian courts, which found the church was vicariously liable for the harm caused by Coffey. But the church appealed that ruling to the High Court and won, because Coffey was not an employee - instead, he had a relationship of a spiritual nature with the church. "This is people pushing words around on a piece of paper as if we don't even exist anymore. And we've felt insignificant for most of our lives," Bernie said. "It's really, really shit to do it when they have knowledge that he did this to us." The landmark decision late last year has placed pressure on state governments to retrospectively change the law. "We just need someone to listen to say that this is not right. We need to make these changes to help everyone. It's unfair that every time they find an avenue, a new lawyer finds a new way of doing things [to defend the church],'' Trish said.

>>23080012 Father of choirboy who claimed son was abused by Cardinal George Pell settles case against Catholic Church - The father of a dead choirboy who claimed his son was sexually assaulted by Cardinal George Pell has sensationally dropped his landmark legal case against the Catholic Church. The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal the man - known only as RWQ – has setlled a claim against the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne after a protracted three-year fight. It is understood the man is battling cancer and ended the claim a day before lawyers were due to record his evidence in a rare hospital bedside sitting. The terms of the settlement are unclear but it is understood the church admitted no fault or wrongdoing but will pay the man some of his legal costs but not damages. The man launched legal action after Pell, who died in 2023, was freed from prison following a successful High Court appeal that saw a string of convictions for child sexual assault quashed. The choirboy’s father was seeking damages for mental harm suffered as a result of being informed by police of the alleged abuse of his late son. Pell was convicted of abusing the choirboy, who cannot be identified, who died of a drug overdose in 2014 and never disclosed any allegations of abuse to his parents or authorities. But another choirboy, known only as Witness J, testified that both boys were both abused in the sacristy of St Patrick’s Cathedral after Sunday mass in 1996. After failing to appeal a string of convictions in Victoria’s Court of Appeal, Pell was ultimately acquitted by a unanimous 7-0 decision of the High Court. Despite ending his claim, RWQ’s case will leave lasting ramifications for other psychological injury claims in Victoria because of the Church’s efforts to knock it out of court. It led to a hugely significant High Court decision that ruled “secondary” victims were free to pursue damages in such claims. The Church unsuccessfully argued that parents, siblings, friends and families of abuse victims should be ineligible to launch claims. Legal experts warned the court decision would lead to a flood of claims by secondary seeking damages against a range of organisations for psychological injury. They could include the state government, WorkSafe, the TAC, schools, clubs, kinders, religious organisations and social and cultural groups. Before his shock death following complications from hip replacement surgery in January 2023, Cardinal Pell was preparing to give evidence in RWQ’s case.

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

>>23090760 Video: Darwin man, 68, allegedly livestreamed horrific acts of child sexual abuse - A Darwin man has faced court after allegedly exploiting six children in the Philippines by livestreaming sexual abuse online. The 68-year-old man appeared in Darwin Local Court charged with allegedly directing the sexual abuse of young children, as he watched the crimes live on video from another location. NT JACET, comprising members of Australian Federal Police and Northern Territory Police, started an investigation after Australian Border Force officers allegedly found child abuse material on his phone. He had been selected for a bag check on his arrival in Darwin on New Year’s Day when his phone was checked as part of the search. Police later found explicit videos and images of children, as well as video calls from the man to facilitators in the Philippines instructing them to livestream sexual abuse of children as young as six. Investigators executed a search warrant on January 3 at Dinah Beach where the man had been living in a vehicle and yacht and made the arrest. He first appeared in court on January 7 and was remanded in custody to reappear on May 27. NT JACET provided information to AFP members in Manila, which led to an investigation by Philippines National Police (PNP). Philippines authorities arrested two Philippine nationals and removed six children from harm in April. The Darwin man has been charged with two counts of sexual intercourse with a child outside Australia, two counts of sexual activity with a child outside Australia and one count of possessing child abuse material.

>>23103697 ‘Is your father your abuser?’ Breaking free of the shame of decades of sexual abuse - Beck Rogers’ case, according to experienced police officers, is the worst case of incest they have ­encountered. While sharing it with us, her health suffered. And yet she is resolute in the hope that her story will reach someone who is suffering in silence. The first step across the threshold of a police station is the hardest one to take for sexual assault victims. In April 2023, Beck Rogers trembled as she entered the Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT) office at Frankston in ­Melbourne’s southeast. Her husband, Will, had done the research. Don’t go to a police station, he told her. A Google search urged victims of sexual abuse to go directly to one of the 28 SOCIT offices in Victoria. Beck felt a wave of nausea and her head pounded, but she pushed on. She was ushered into an interview room. Her mind raced. Where to start? How to unravel 36 years of sustained torture? Beck had suffered a lifetime of ­protracted sexual abuse, emotional control and financial coercion committed wilfully and ­frequently by her father. In telling this story to The Australian ­Weekend Magazine, Beck Rogers has decided not to hide behind an alias. She is now 41, a wife and a mother. Not long ago, it would have been almost impossible to share her experience ­publicly in this way. She would have been tied up in suppression orders that ancient lawmakers had deemed were put in place for her own protection. Beck’s first memory of life was sitting in the bath at her Frankston home. She was three years of age and her father had touched her ­indecently. The last episode of sexual abuse would take place over three decades later. Beck’s story, according to experienced police officers, is the worst case of incest they have ­encountered. While sharing it with The Australian Weekend Magazine, the frequency of her seizures increased. Beck cannot drive a car and is unable to work. And yet she is resolute in the hope her story will reach someone who is suffering in silence. “I just want to help other people,” she says. “I often think if I had known about the stories of other people in similar situations, I would have come forward much earlier.” Having the courage to go to the police put an end to her father’s abuse forever. Her story is one of survival - and telling it is an extraordinary act of generosity and a signal to victims that sharing their truth can set them free.

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Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 5

>>23120730 Child abuse survivors pay tribute to Victorian detective Denis Ryan - Former Victorian police officer Denis Ryan has been remembered for his courage in attempting to prosecute paedophile Catholic priest Monsignor John Day in the 1970s. Mr Ryan died on Tuesday at the age of 93. He was a detective based in Mildura in north-west Victoria when he was forced out of Victoria Police in 1972 for attempting to prosecute Monsignor Day. A year earlier, he had learned of multiple allegations against the priest for child sexual abuse and began his investigation, but was told to stop by his superiors. A contemporary of convicted paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale, Monsignor Day has since been shown to be one of Australia's most prolific child sex abusers. Monsignor Day remained a priest until he died in 1978, aged 74. On Wednesday, Peter Hoysted - Mr Ryan's friend and co-author of the memoir Unholy Trinity: The Hunt for Paedophile Priest Monsignor John Day — led the tributes to Mr Ryan. "He was quite simply the best man I have ever met," Mr Hoysted said. "No sanctimony, a wicked sense of humour and courage to burn." It took more than 40 years for Victoria Police to apologise to Mr Ryan in 2016, but compensation was not made until two years later. "He never let up, refused numerous inducements offered which would have silenced him and allowed terrible crimes against children to remain in the shadows," Mr Hoysted said. John Fitzgibbon, who was abused by Monsignor Day, described Mr Ryan as "a great man" who validated the abuse local children had suffered. "He listened. [It was important] to be heard and believed because when we were younger, we didn't think anybody would believe it," Mr Fitzgibbon said. "But it was always Denis who was there for you. He believed it because he had statements from us younger ones." In 2015, Victoria Police admitted a conspiracy to cover up the crimes of Monsignor Day went right to the top, with Mr Ryan telling the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse that "a Catholic mafia" within Victorian Police had thwarted his attempts to charge the priest. "His determination meant a lot to us all," Mr Fitzgibbon said. "He's a chap that's going to be really missed in our community and missed by a lot of victims that he still had time for."

>>23248497 Paedophile priest Alexis Rosentool: The scandalous case that sank the Aussie Cossack revealed - A senior priest of the Russian church in Australia can be revealed as a paedophile after a court suppression order concealed his name from the public as he faced trial. Meanwhile, a devout Kremlin propagandist has chalked up 920 days hiding in Sydney’s Russian consulate after flagrantly breaching the same suppression order, having played a bizarre part in the priest’s downfall. Alexis Rosentool is a senior figure in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, a branch of the church that went into exile during the rise of the Soviet Union in 1920. Last week he was found guilty of four charges related to his abuse of three males, this masthead can reveal. Two male victims were indecently assaulted in the 1980s, and Rosentool had an “unlawful sexual relationship” with a child victim two decades later. Details of the crime are sparse because Rosentool’s name has been suppressed by the courts for years. The order suppressing his name only lifted as the priest was taken into custody to await sentencing. An unusual twist to the saga involves a Sydney-born, pro-Russian YouTuber who calls himself the “Aussie Cossack”, whose collaboration with police contributed to Rosentool’s arrest. However, Simeon Boikov’s involvement has also resulted in him spending time in jail before he eventually fled to the Russian consulate in Woollahra to avoid rearrest weeks after being released.