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Father of murdered Aussie soldier voices support for Ben Roberts-Smith

<p> The father of an Australian soldier murdered in Afghanistan has spoken out in defence of former SAS member Ben Roberts-Smith.</p> <p>Hugh Poate’s son, Robert, was playing cards with two other Australians when they were tragically shot by a rogue Afghan soldier named Hekmatullah in 2012.</p> <p>According to Poate, Roberts-Smith was simply following orders in a bid to apprehend Hekmatullah, who had brutally taken the lives of their son.</p> <p>Acting on intelligence, they were taken to the village of Darwan, where Roberts-Smith had allegedly kicked a farmer named Ali Jan off a cliff and ordered his execution.</p> <p>“These citizens in the village could well have been a civilian one day and pulling the trigger the next, that‘s the way the Taliban operated. This perspective should have been included to provide some balance and context,” Poate told the<em> Daily Telegraph</em>.</p> <p>The federal court <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/a-win-for-the-press-a-big-loss-for-ben-roberts-smith-what-does-this-judgment-tell-us-about-defamation-law" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissed</a> Roberts-Smith’s defamation trial against the <em>Sydney Morning Herald</em>, <em>The Age</em>, and the <em>Canberra Times</em>, with Justice Besanko concluding the various titles had substantially proven the former soldier unlawfully killed four unarmed Afghan prisoners during his service in the SAS between 2009 and 2012.</p> <p>The judgement also acknowledged instances of Roberts-Smith’s alleged bullying of fellow soldiers. However, the court dismissed two other murder allegations and an accusation that he had assaulted his mistress.</p> <p>In his thorough 736-page judgement, the judge determined that Roberts-Smith and four key witnesses called to testify were both dishonest and unreliable in their evidence.</p> <p>Following the release of the completed judgement, Roberts-Smith’s legal team is now closely inspecting the document to identify potential grounds for an appeal.</p> <p>Poate emphasised the fact that Hekmatullah was captured and convicted of war crimes and subsequently released. In comparison, Roberts-Smith <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/australian-war-memorial-urged-to-remove-ben-roberts-smith-s-uniform-from-display" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has not been convicted</a> of any war crimes. Potae perceives the treatment of Roberts-Smith as a case of double standards.</p> <p>Additionally, Poate asserted that the responsibility for any wrongdoing committed by the SAS in Afghanistan lies with others in the Australian Defence Force (ADF). By acknowledging the collective accountability within the organisation, Poate has suggested a wider perspective on the matter.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

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How satellites, radar and drones are tracking meteorites and aiding Earth’s asteroid defence

<p>On July 31 2013 a <a href="https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/fireballs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">constellation of US defence satellites</a> saw a streak of light over South Australia as a rock from outer space burned through Earth’s atmosphere on its way to crash into the ground below.</p> <p>The impact created an explosion equivalent to about 220 tonnes of TNT. More than 1,500km away, in Tasmania, the bang was heard by detectors normally used to listen for <a href="https://www.dfat.gov.au/international-relations/security/asno/Pages/australian-ims-stations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extremely low-frequency sounds</a> from illegal tests of nuclear weapons.</p> <p>These were two excellent indications that there should be a patch of ground covered in meteorites somewhere north of Port Augusta. But how could we track them down?</p> <p>My colleagues and I who work on the <a href="https://dfn.gfo.rocks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Desert Fireball Network (DFN)</a>, which tracks incoming asteroids and <a href="https://dfn.gfo.rocks/meteorites.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the resulting meteorites</a>, had a couple of ideas: weather radar and drones.</p> <p><strong>Eyes in space</strong></p> <p>Finding meteorites is not an easy task. There is a network of high-quality ground-based sensors called the <a href="https://gfo.rocks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global Fireball Observatory</a>, but it only covers about 1% of the planet.</p> <p>The <a href="https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/fireballs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US satellite data</a> published by NASA covers a much larger area than ground-based detectors, but it only picks up the biggest fireballs. What’s more, they <a href="https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/483/4/5166/5256650" target="_blank" rel="noopener">don’t always give an accurate idea of the meteor’s trajectory</a>.</p> <p>So, to have any chance to find a meteorite from these data, you need a little outside help.</p> <p><strong>Weather radars</strong></p> <p>In 2019, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology started making its weather radar data <a href="https://www.openradar.io/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">openly available</a> to researchers and the public. I saw this as an opportunity to complete the puzzle.</p> <p>I combed through the record of events from the Desert Fireball Network and NASA, and cross-matched them with nearby weather radars. Then I looked for unusual radar signatures that could indicate the presence of falling meteorites.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496384/original/file-20221121-22-iwtkve.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496384/original/file-20221121-22-iwtkve.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496384/original/file-20221121-22-iwtkve.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=334&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496384/original/file-20221121-22-iwtkve.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=334&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496384/original/file-20221121-22-iwtkve.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=334&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496384/original/file-20221121-22-iwtkve.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=420&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496384/original/file-20221121-22-iwtkve.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=420&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496384/original/file-20221121-22-iwtkve.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=420&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="An annoyed aerial photo showing the locations of the Woomera radar station and the falling meteorites." /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">The Woomera weather radar station captured reflections from the falling meteorites.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Curtin University</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure> <p>And bingo, the 2013 event was not too far from the Woomera radar station. The weather was clear, and the radar record showed some small reflections at about the right place and time.</p> <p>Next, I had to use the weather data to figure out how the wind would have pushed the meteorites around on their way down to Earth.</p> <p>If I got the calculations right, I would have a treasure map showing the location of a rich haul of meteorites. If I got them wrong, I would end up sending my team to wander around in the desert for two weeks for nothing.</p> <p><strong>The search</strong></p> <p>I gave what I hoped was an accurate treasure map to my colleague Andy Tomkins from Monash University. In September this year, he happened to be driving past the site on his way back from an expedition in the Nullarbor.</p> <p>Thankfully, Andy found the first meteorite within 10 minutes of looking. In the following two hours, his team found nine more.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496385/original/file-20221121-16-he3p7h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496385/original/file-20221121-16-he3p7h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496385/original/file-20221121-16-he3p7h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496385/original/file-20221121-16-he3p7h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496385/original/file-20221121-16-he3p7h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496385/original/file-20221121-16-he3p7h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496385/original/file-20221121-16-he3p7h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Photo of several people walking through a desert field looking at the ground." /><figcaption><span class="caption">A field team from Monash University searched for meteorites in the strewn field.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Monash University</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure> <p>The technique of finding meteorites with weather radars <a href="https://ares.jsc.nasa.gov/meteorite-falls/how-to-find-meteorites/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was pioneered</a> by my colleague Marc Fries in the US. However, this is the first time it has been done outside the US NEXRAD radar network. (When it comes to monitoring airspace, the US has more powerful and more densely packed tech than anyone else.)</p> <p>This first search confirmed there were lots of meteorites on the ground. But how were we going to find them all?</p> <p>That’s where the drones come in. We used a method developed by my colleague Seamus Anderson to <a href="https://gfo.rocks/blog/2022/03/14/First_Meteorite_Found_with_Drone.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">automatically detect meteorites from drone images</a>.</p> <p>In the end we collected 44 meteorites, weighing a bit over 4kg in total. Together they form what we call a “strewn field”.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496386/original/file-20221121-13-qssltc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496386/original/file-20221121-13-qssltc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496386/original/file-20221121-13-qssltc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496386/original/file-20221121-13-qssltc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496386/original/file-20221121-13-qssltc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496386/original/file-20221121-13-qssltc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496386/original/file-20221121-13-qssltc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496386/original/file-20221121-13-qssltc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="An aerial view of a desert field with a black dot (a meteorite) highlighted by a yellow square." /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">A machine-learning algorithm identified meteorites from drone photos.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Curtin Uni</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure> <p>Strewn fields <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/maps.13892" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tell us a lot</a> about how an asteroid fragments in our atmosphere.</p> <p>That’s quite important to know, because the energy of these things is comparable to that of nuclear weapons. For example, the 17-metre asteroid that exploded over Chelyabinsk in Russia in 2013 produced an explosion 30 times the size of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.</p> <p>So when the next big one is about to hit, it may be useful to predict how it will deposit its energy in our atmosphere.</p> <p>With new telescopes and better technology, we are starting to see some asteroids <a href="https://skymapper.anu.edu.au/news/great-balls-fire/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">before they hit Earth</a>. We will see even more when projects such as the <a href="https://www.lsst.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vera Rubin Observatory</a> and the <a href="https://atlas.fallingstar.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS)</a> are up and running.</p> <p>These systems might give us as much as a few days’ notice that an asteroid is heading for Earth. This would be too late to make any effort to deflect it – but plenty of time for preparation and damage control on the ground.</p> <p><strong>The value of open data</strong></p> <p>This find was only made possible by the free availability of crucial data – and the people who made it available.</p> <p>The US satellites that detected the fireball are presumably there to detect missile and rocket launches. However, somebody (I don’t know who) must have figured out how to publish some of the satellite data without giving away too much about their capabilities, and then lobbied hard to get the data released.</p> <p>Likewise, the find would not have happened without the work of Joshua Soderholm at Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, who worked to make low-level weather radar data openly accessible for other uses. Soderholm went to the trouble to make the radar data <a href="https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">readily available and easy to use</a>, which goes well beyond the vague formulations you can read at the bottom of scientific papers like “data available upon reasonable request”.</p> <p>There is no shortage of fireballs to track down. Right now, we’re on the hunt for a meteorite that was spotted in space last weekend before <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/19/science/fireball-asteroid-toronto-new-york.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blazing through the sky over Ontario, Canada</a>.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194997/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em>Writen by Hadrien Devillepoix. Republished with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-satellites-radar-and-drones-are-tracking-meteorites-and-aiding-earths-asteroid-defence-194997" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: NASA</em></p>

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Australia is investigating whether ex-defence personnel provided military training to China. Would it matter if they did?

<p>Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles <a href="https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/statements/2022-11-09/statement-efforts-recruit-former-adf-pilots" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> he had directed the Department of Defence to investigate reports “that ex-Australian Defence Force personnel may have been approached to provide military related training to China”.</p> <p>This announcement comes just weeks after the British Ministry of Defence <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/top-guns-for-hire-british-pilots-training-chinese-military-slammed-as-morally-repugnant-20221019-p5bqvx.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> around 30 of their former military pilots had been delivering flight training services to members of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) through a company based in South Africa.</p> <p>Marles has <a href="https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/transcripts/2022-11-09/press-conference-parliament-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">committed</a> to conducting a</p> <blockquote> <p>detailed examination [of] the policies and procedures that apply to our former Defence personnel, and particularly those who come into possession of our nation’s secrets.</p> </blockquote> <p>He explained there’s a “clear and unambiguous” obligation on current and former Commonwealth officials to “maintain [government] secrets beyond their employment with, or their engagement with, the Commonwealth”.</p> <p>Australia’s highly trained defence personnel are a huge asset to us, as much as our cutting-edge physical assets and technologies. As far as possible, we should ensure these assets are protected. There should also be clear guidelines around how and when privileged information can be employed.</p> <h2>Impending investigation</h2> <p>According to Britain’s Minister for Armed Forces and Veterans James Heappey, their authorities had <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/top-guns-for-hire-british-pilots-training-chinese-military-slammed-as-morally-repugnant-20221019-p5bqvx.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">been aware of the situation for several years</a>. None of the pilots had broken existing British law.</p> <p>The BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-63293582" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> the British government issued this “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/oct/18/uk-officials-threat-alert-china-attempts-to-recruit-raf-pilots" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threat alert</a>” to deter other would-be trainers from taking up similar offers. There’s also an updated National Security Bill currently before the House of Commons, which seeks to “create additional tools” to address security challenges like this one.</p> <p>By comparison, it’s unclear whether any ex-Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel took up Chinese offers to train the PLA, or whether such an action would be considered a violation of the secrecy of information provisions of the Australian Criminal Code.</p> <p>Marles <a href="https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/transcripts/2022-11-09/press-conference-parliament-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a> the Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce is “currently investigating a number of cases” identified by the department’s initial inquiries.</p> <p>This investigation will also seek to determine whether current policies and procedures are fit for purpose when it comes to former defence personnel and the protection of official secrets.</p> <p>Taking such measures has bipartisan support. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton <a href="https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/peter-dutton-calls-on-albanese-government-to-tighten-up-laws-to-prevent-adf-personnel-spreading-australian-secrets/news-story/37ee6dc4c585922f7abf98edcc51b7b6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has indicated</a> “if there is a hole in the legislation now, the Coalition will support a change which will tighten it up”. He added that Australia “can’t allow our secrets and our methodologies to be handed over to another country, and particularly not China under President Xi”.</p> <h2>Exposing our tactics</h2> <p>Dutton’s comments highlight an important distinction: while the training of PLA (or any foreign) pilots by ex-ADF personnel may not necessarily constitute a disclosure of official secrets, it still risks exposing the ways in which the ADF is trained to fight to a potential adversary – what are referred to as its tactics, techniques and procedures.</p> <p>There are many exchange personnel from overseas embedded in the ADF (and vice versa). But given the sensitivities involved, these positions are typically restricted to close partners such as the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand or Canada. One of the benefits of close cooperation between militaries is that they can then operate more effectively alongside each other in the event of a conflict.</p> <p>But if ex-ADF personnel train the armed forces of potential adversaries, those opponents may be able to use this knowledge to better develop methods of their own to erode Australia’s military advantages.</p> <p>Professor <a href="https://twitter.com/alessionaval/status/1582232133086892032" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alessio Patalano</a> of King’s College London points out that</p> <blockquote> <p>skilled personnel are valued capabilities and this know-how is a national security resource, and for the same reason a potential vulnerability.</p> </blockquote> <p>He further <a href="https://twitter.com/alessionaval/status/1582230651834548224" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a> the “reverse engineering of professional skills” has a long historical tradition. That is, personnel undergoing this training would improve their skills, but could also work backwards from the instruction they receive to draw further insights into how the other state might operate in the event of war.</p> <p>For example, in the so-called “<a href="https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2019/december/jump-starting-japanese-naval-aviation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sempill Mission</a>” of British aviators to Japan in the 1920s, British personnel provided detailed instruction to their Japanese counterparts on how to conduct and train for aircraft carrier operations – at the time a brand new and rapidly emerging form of naval warfare. This training mission contributed significantly to the Imperial Japanese Navy’s prowess in aircraft carrier operations displayed in 1941.</p> <p>While foreign governments and intelligence services are always looking for opportunities to obtain classified information about Australia and its partners, the converse is also true.</p> <p>The Daily Express <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1686465/RAF-news-china-uk-nato-raf-pilots-british-security-agencies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> British intelligence services used their knowledge of these recent activities as an opportunity for some pilots to obtain information on the current state of the PLA.</p> <p>The pilots allegedly had first-hand experience flying China’s frontline combat aircraft, and relayed the information to British authorities on their return.</p> <h2>Protecting our assets</h2> <p>Nevertheless, despite the “clear and unambiguous” obligation for former Commonwealth officials “to maintain [Australia’s] secrets”, ex-ADF personnel have been engaged in training foreign militaries for many years. In an interview with the ABC, former Secretary of Defence Dennis Richardson noted his <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-09/ex-defence-secretary-dennis-richardson-adf-members-china/101635972" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surprise</a> “at some of the positions that some former ADF officers have occupied in other countries” and expressed his hope the government’s review “goes beyond China”.</p> <p>The most prominent of these figures is <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-14/former-australian-soldiers-caught-up-in-yemen-civil-war/7087566" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Major General (Ret’d) Mike Hindmarsh</a>, a former Commander of Australia’s Special Operations Command who was subsequently appointed as the Commander of the United Arab Emirates’ Presidential Guard.</p> <p>Australia already has <a href="https://www.defence.gov.au/business-industry/export/controls/export-controls/export" target="_blank" rel="noopener">export control</a> regulations, which limits the physical export and intangible transfer of controlled military and dual-use goods and technologies. Also, stringent <a href="https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/education/o-neil-alters-ministerial-sign-off-for-postgrad-students-20220630-p5axwq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">limitations</a> on international students undertaking postgraduate research in Australia on critical technologies were legislated in the last Parliament. However, these measures aren’t being currently being implemented until the government can more clearly define the relevant list of critical technologies.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-is-investigating-whether-ex-defence-personnel-provided-military-training-to-china-would-it-matter-if-they-did-194252" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p>

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"Shame on you!”: Dr Teo’s rumoured fiancée comes to his defence

<p dir="ltr">Dr Charlie Teo’s alleged fiancée and former patient has spoken out publicly in defence of the disgraced surgeon and slammed recent media reports.</p> <p dir="ltr">Traci Griffiths hit out at reports initiated through a joint investigation by <em>60 Minutes</em> and Nine newspapers, resulting in claims emerging from disgruntled patients and their families that Dr Teo offered them false hope in performing procedures. </p> <p dir="ltr">One patient claimed Dr Teo operated on the wrong side of her brain, but the 64-year-old surgeon has since rejected and corrected this claim.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-2b86c30b-7fff-18ee-8e25-082ef714f37b"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">In the aftermath of these claims, Griffiths took to social media to defend Dr Teo, sharing a quote from Mister Rogers: “Honesty is often very hard. The truth is often painful. But the freedom it can bring is worth the trying.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CkIaIK6p6IC/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CkIaIK6p6IC/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Traci Griffiths (@veganforearth)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The model, animal activist, and pet apparel designer also shared a screenshot of a 60 Minutes exclusive article with Dr Teo, adding to the caption: “I’m so proud of this extraordinary human! He shouldn’t have to spend his time and energy constantly refuting all this media BS! #ShameonyouAustralia!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Griffiths also shared a link to the full 60 Minutes interview, in which Dr Teo told host Tracy Grimshaw that a current project could see him operate again in Australia while avoiding the hospital system and “politics of medicine”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I do have a project going on at the moment … at Blacktown, where they may be building an institute in my name that will be a centre of excellence for neurosurgery and neurosciences,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If there’s a place in Australia that says, ‘We want you with open arms, we love what you’re doing, we’re going to support you’, I’ll take it in a heartbeat.”</p> <p dir="ltr">This comes after the NSW Medical Council ruled that Dr Teo couldn’t perform procedures without written approval from an independent neurosurgeon in 2021, and amid recent reports he has been performing surgeries in Spain.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Griffith’s comments come days after she was spotted leaving a Sydney Gala event hand-in-hand with Dr Teo and flashed a diamond ring.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d6feeef7-7fff-50d2-d693-d6333c6535af"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">While Dr Teo has denied rumours that the pair are engaged, Ms Griffiths has shared photos of the pair with hashtags including “#ilovemyfiance” and “#myfiance”.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cedf4vsJEmI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cedf4vsJEmI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Traci Griffiths (@veganforearth)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Ms Griffiths received treatment from Dr Teo in 2011 after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour.</p> <p dir="ltr">While Dr Teo has admitted he made mistakes during his surgeries during a recent interview with <em>A Current Affair</em>, an investigation by <em><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/some-people-pay-the-price-risk-and-reward-in-charlie-teo-s-world-20221027-p5btfi.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sydney Morning Herald</a></em> reported that several families were unaware that the surgeon made mistakes while operating on their family members.</p> <p dir="ltr">Prasanta Barman, an engineer from India whose four-year-old son Mikolaj was operated on by Dr Teo, told the outlet that he “could not sleep the whole night” after hearing the admission that Dr Teo’s surgery had injured his son.</p> <p dir="ltr">Following the operation, Mikolaj didn’t walk again or speak and died months later.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is totally new to me. He never told us that something wrong happened during surgery and that led to his critical condition. I came to know this only now and that also from the TV,” Mr Barman said.</p> <p dir="ltr">In October 2018, Mr Barman paid $80,000 for Dr Teo to perform a 10-hour operation on Mikolaj at a Singapore hospital. The surgeon then spent ten minutes telling Mikolaj’s parents he had removed 85 percent of the tumour and that it appeared benign.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, Mr Barman said that after the operation Mikolaj was “in the bed in a vegetative state, he cannot play, he can just blink his eyes, and say yes or no to us”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3beab975-7fff-6e24-9967-73f7ccfebdc2"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @veganforearth (Instagram)</em></p>

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Former Miss Ukraine joins the fight to defend her homeland

<p>A former Miss Ukraine is one of hundreds of local civilians taking up arms against invading Russian forces in Kyiv. This comes as satellite images show Vladimir Putin's army encircling the capital city.</p> <p>Anastasiia Lenna, 31, was pictured with a huge rifle, complete with a pink scope, as she warned in an Instagram post: 'Everyone who crosses the Ukrainian border with the intent to invade will be killed!'</p> <p>Ms Lenna usually works as a public relations manager in Turkey. She posted the image alongside two hashtags, reading 'stand with Ukraine' and 'hands off Ukraine'.</p> <p>It is not the first time she has been pictured with a gun and previous posts appear to show her training with weapons in wooded areas and indoor training grounds.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaSsOdyr4FA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px;"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent;"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaSsOdyr4FA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Miss Ukraine🇺🇦Anastasiia Lenna (@anastasiia.lenna)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>For weeks now, ordinary citizens across the country have been receiving basic combat training in everything from handling guns to making incendiary Molotov cocktails to tossing grenades.</p> <p>Even Ukrainians living abroad have even flown home to join the 'Territorial Defense Units' which have been trained by military personnel in wooded or abandoned areas on the outskirts of cities.</p> <p>The newly trained forces have been seen standing guard behind stacks of tires at checkpoints in the capital of Kyiv and patrolling its empty streets.</p> <p>Most wear street clothes with yellow arm bands to identify them as volunteer soldiers. It comes as satellite imagery showed a large deployment of Russian ground troops moving in the direction of the Ukrainian capital from approximately 40 miles (64 km) away.</p> <p>As another bout of intense battle looms, Kyiv's mayor was filled with pride over his citizens' spirit but remains anxious about how long they can hold out.</p> <p>After a gruelling night of Russian attacks on the outskirts of the city, mayor Vitali Klitschko was silent for several seconds when asked if there were plans to evacuate civilians if Russian troops managed to take Kyiv.</p> <p>The mayor confirmed that nine civilians in Kyiv had been killed so far, including one child. A Klitschko-ordered curfew began at about sundown on Saturday and is to extend until at least 8 am on Monday.</p> <p>'We are hunting these people, and it will be much easier if nobody is on the street,' Klitschko explained, saying that six Russian 'saboteurs' were killed Saturday night.</p> <p>'I just talked to the president [Volodymyr Zelensky]. Everybody is not feeling so well,' Klitschko said.</p> <p>In the last few days, long queues of people, both men and women, were spotted waiting to pick up weapons throughout the capital, after authorities decided to distribute weapons freely to anybody ready to defend the city.</p> <p>'To be honest, we don't have 100% control,' said Klitschko. 'We built this territorial defense in a short amount of time - but these are patriotic people.'</p> <p>'We are at the border of a humanitarian catastrophe,' he said. 'Right now, we have electricity, right now we have water and heating in our houses. But the infrastructure is destroyed to deliver the food and medication.</p> <p>Ukrainian forces in Kyiv had been optimistic on Sunday morning after surviving a 'brutal' night of shelling and destroying a column of Russian vehicles in the city's northwest.</p> <p>Meanwhile President Vlodymyr Zelensky repeatedly calls on citizens and foreigners to take up arms to defend the country. Ukraine's defence ministry echoed the call for foreigners to come forward to join its armed forces and fight back Putin's army.</p> <p>'Together we defeated Hitler, and we will defeat Putin too,' he said in a Twitter post this morning.</p> <p>President Zelensky has warned Russian plans on 'attacking everything' in the country in a bid to conquer the state.</p> <p>Ukraine's president said he was ready for peace talks with Russia just not in Belarus, which was a staging ground for Moscow's invasion.</p> <p>Speaking in a video message Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy named Warsaw, Bratislava, Istanbul, Budapest or Baku as alternative venues.</p> <p>Putin is said to be growing increasingly angry by his stalled efforts to conquer Ukraine. His fire and manpower vastly outnumbers that of Ukraine, and it is widely believed that Russia will eventually conquer its neighbour.</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

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Tributes pour in for soldiers killed in army vehicle rollover

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tributes have flooded in for a man who died after an army vehicle rolled over near Townsville, with friends and family remembering him for his “heart of gold”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Brendon Payne has been identified as one of the two Australian Defence Force personnel who perished following the Monday afternoon crash.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">His 40-year-old colleague is yet to be identified, and the pair were members of the Brisbane-based 7th Combat Brigade.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emergency services responded to reports of the single vehicle crash on Dotswood Road, west of Townsville, with forensic investigators also attending the scene.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the efforts of both paramedics and Defence rescue and medical teams, both soldiers died at the scene.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Police and the Department of Defence are investigating the incident.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Payne’s friends and family shared their heartbreak and tributes to the 29-year-old on social media.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Words cannot express the heartache my family and my brother and his family losing his 1st born,” Mr Payne’s aunt wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Our beautiful aimee brendons wife and best friend know that we love you so very much and thankyou for coming into our lives but mostly for making our brendon the happiest man ever.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A friend said: “My brother I can’t even speak it’s like [a] dagger gone into my heart you are honestly one of my best friends my brother in arms you are and always will be my brother.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another said Mr Payne would “stay with us all forever”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“His beautiful smile and gorgeous soul. We’re heartbroken,” she wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A third described Mr Payne as having a “heart of gold”.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:374.51171875px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843598/e50f501b206613a117551c6c51725e59.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/19462bfd73984876b5de5281815115e4" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Facebook</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Queensland Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk expressed her sympathies to the families of the two men on Tuesday.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I extend my sincere condolences to the family, friends and entire defence force community mourning the loss of two of their own in an army vehicle rollover in North Queensland yesterday,” she wrote on Twitter.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Army Chief Lieutenant General Rick Burr said: “This is a tragic accident and our deepest sympathies go to the families and loved ones of our soldiers.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Defence Minister Peter Dutton shared the tragedy in Parliament on Monday, and Shadow Defence Minister Brendon O’Connor shared his deepest sympathy on behalf of Labor.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This is tragic news and we extend our condolences to their family, friends, and colleagues for this devastating loss,” he said.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Facebook</span></em></p>

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In Defence of the Fifth Estate: Just Who Is Propagating Disinformation?

<p>The term fake news was popularised by now defunct US president Donald Trump in the days after he took office in early 2017.</p> <p>The notorious billionaire used it to describe the way in which the press reported on him, while others used it to describe disinformation circulating on the internet during the 2016 campaign that led to his election.</p> <p>The great irony is that while Trump repeated “fake news” to such an extent that it became everyday parlance, he was sitting in the most reputable seat in the US spitting out disinformation on a daily basis, which was especially damaging when it came to his pandemic denialism.</p> <p>Along with fake news, the terms misinformation and disinformation get bandied about a lot, often as though they’re interchangeable. However, misinformation usually means false information, whereas disinformation is false information with an intent to deceive, such as propaganda.</p> <p>The charge of spreading fake news is usually laid at the feet of the Fifth Estate: the growing body of bloggers and journalists publishing on websites and social media. This is distinct from the Fourth Estate, which is a term used to refer to the traditional mainstream media.</p> <p>Following on from this assertion about fake news, establishment figures – conservative politicians and the press – have been attempting to rein in the Fifth Estate. Yet, more often than not, this is due to these nontraditional new sources exposing the holes in their previously unchallenged agendas.</p> <p><strong>Rupert champions diversity</strong></p> <p>The dominance of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp in the Australian media landscape goes back decades. These days, it controls 59 percent of national and metropolitan print media, and it’s a top player as far as radio and television goes as well.</p> <p>“The predominance of News Corp in cross-media settings is unprecedented in liberal democracies,” stated GetUp in April this year.</p> <p>In its 2018 submission to the ACCC’s digital platform inquiry, News Corp slammed Facebook and Google for spreading fake news to generate profit, as well as damaging trust in publishers due to their “rapid spread of misinformation” and causing a reduction in media diversity and original content.</p> <p>However, more to the point would be that the Murdoch Empire with its near monopoly on news, is accusing these digital platforms with the very crimes of which it’s culpable of, in an effort to discredit these tech companies as they’re eroding its dominance and impacting its profits.</p> <p>Indeed, the ACCC digital platform inquiry led the Morrison government to draft laws that – since passed last February – require these social media companies to pay News Corp and other traditional outlets a fee for hosting their content.</p> <p>So, after discrediting these online platforms as lawless zones where anything goes, News Corp was quite happy to be the first local mainstream media outlet to strike a deal with Facebook, so the tech company now pays for the use of its content, following Morrison having paved the road with gold.</p> <p><strong>Making it up as you go along</strong></p> <p>Distrust in the Murdoch media is rampant in this country, and that’s due to a growing understanding that it is – and long has been – a purveyor of disinformation.</p> <p>Greenpeace’s Burnt Country report outlines that during the 2019/20 bushfire season that saw 20 percent of mainland forest perish, News Corp was making a concerted effort to downplay the obvious connection that the unprecedented crisis had to the heating of the planet.</p> <p>Report researchers found that News Corp published 75 percent of all articles denying climate change having anything to do with the bushfires, whilst the media outlet only published 46 percent of all articles dealing with the fires and climate over that period.</p> <p>The Greenpeace report further found that News Corp attempted to place the blame for the fires upon a lack of backburning and arson, despite any evidence of this. And this led to one of the biggest social media disinformation campaigns of recent times, that being #ArsonEmergency.</p> <p>News Corp also runs Sky News, which was just suspended from posting its news content on YouTube for a week, as the digital platform found the television broadcaster was spreading disinformation about the current COVID pandemic, including advocating unapproved treatments for the virus.</p> <p><strong>Which evil one?</strong></p> <p>Scott Morrison, though, takes his dislike of the Fifth Estate to another level. The PM asserted during a speech to a Pentecostal congregation in April that social media is “a very evil thing”. He said online platforms can be used by the “Evil One” and “spiritual weapons” must be used against them.</p> <p>However, distorting the truth for political gain is par for the course with Morrison. Just this week, he told the nation that due to the new IPCC report outlining that the planet is on the brink of a climate catastrophe, he suggests facilitating the expansion of the fossil fuel industry globally.</p> <p>Well known to be in bed with this industry, the PM suggests we should enhance fossil fuel use – the reason for the climate crisis – as then we can develop technologies to get us out of this predicament.</p> <p>Yet, renewable energy technologies already exist, and Morrison refuses to invest in them, although he’s happy for Singapore go green on Australian soil, as it moves to build the largest solar energy farm on the planet in the Northern Territory.</p> <p>To have the head of state blatantly spreading disinformation, not only leads to some citizens walking around with distorted ideas, but it further spreads distrust amongst those who see through his lies, which isn’t helpful when the government is asking people to buckle down for a pandemic.</p> <p><strong>Changing of the guard</strong><strong> </strong></p> <p>Just prior to the invention of the internet, Edward S Herman and Noam Chomsky warned that disinformation had long been used by government and the mass media to shape public opinion in their landmark work Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media.</p> <p>The main issue the mainstream media and government have in relation to the Fifth Estate is that it permits a diverse range of voices to express points of view that are often silenced by the establishment in order to suppress the truth and advance their own agenda.</p> <p>A point in case is the recent assault upon Gaza by the Israeli government, as while there were widespread complaints about how the mainstream media presented a pro-Israeli version of events, the Palestinian side was well represented via emerging online news sources.</p> <p>And another indication that the spread of fake news is not the real issue is when digital platforms have moved to shut down pages on their sites over mounting pressure from the campaign against disinformation, what has often occurred is reputable sources were actually targeted for takedown.</p> <p>The ongoing campaign against the Fifth Estate is predicated on the idea that these independent media organisations can’t be trusted as they’re just being run by regular people.</p> <p>Yet, Rupert was just a regular guy who took over his father’s newspaper company, and he’s a lot less credible a source than many of the new editors and journalists operating within the Fifth Estate.</p> <p><em>Written by Paul Gregoire. Republished with permission of <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/in-defence-of-the-fifth-estate-just-who-is-propagating-disinformation/" target="_blank">Sydney Criminal Lawyers. </a></em></p>

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Jacqui Lambie blows up over Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide

<p>The Tasmanian Senator shouted her questions at Attorney-General, Michaelia Cash, during question time on Tuesday, demanding to be told why the royal commission had been delayed for quite a few months.</p> <p>Senator Lambie – a veteran herself - asked: “You already decided you were having a royal commission back in April. Why couldn't you have asked for (legal) tenders back then?”</p> <p>“Why can't the government walk and chew gum at the same time?”</p> <p>Then she shouted: “Why are we so far behind?”</p> <p>Senator Cash said she didn’t agree the commission was falling behind and she said the government “recognises the importance of those engaging with the royal commission”.</p> <p>But Senator Lambie asked for more information – especially for those taking part in the commission. She questioned Senator Cash about what legal financial support would be provided to veterans.</p> <p>“They want to be called to give evidence at the hearing. But before they can do that, a lot of them need funding for legal advice,” Senator Lambie said.</p> <p>“It's been three months since the prime minister announced the royal commission. When will people know what the plan of attack is here?” she added.</p> <p>Senator Cash confirmed a legal financial assistance scheme would be provided for those who engaged with the commission, but as it was independent from government, the commission itself would ultimately determine how hearings would be run.</p> <p>This only seemed to frustrate Senator Lambie more and she retaliated: “To save everyone some hurt here – we just want to know: if we get called up in front of the royal commissioner will we have funding to use our own lawyers?”</p> <p>“That is what I would like answered, please. We need to know this!” she said.</p> <p>But the Speaker cut Senator Lambie off before she could say any more.</p> <p>Senator Cash then said that along with legal financial assistance, counselling and support services would also be made available to people engaging with the royal commission.</p> <p>Senator Lambie has been a vocal supporter of defence veterans having been discharged from the Australian Corps of Military Police herself after her career ended because of a spine injury.</p> <p>The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide was established in July after many people said it was necessary to address the high rates of mental illness and suicide among Australia’s returned servicemen and servicewomen.</p> <p>The commission will be required to deliver an interim report by August next year and a final report by June 2023.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Christian Porter moves to strike out sections of ABC defence

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>Former Attorney-General Christian Porter's lawyers have applied to keep radio and television broadcasting company<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-06/christian-porter-applies-strike-out-parts-abc-defence-defamation/100122360" target="_blank"><em>The ABC</em>'s</a><span> </span>defence confidential.</p> <p>There's also a hearing into whether parts of the<span> </span><em>ABC's<span> </span></em>defence should be struck out entirely.</p> <p>Porter is suing the<span> </span><em>ABC<span> </span></em>as well as journalist Louise Milligan in the Federal Court after a story about an anonymous letter being sent to the Prime Minister contained a historical rape allegation from 1988.</p> <p>The article did not name the Attorney-General as the subject of the complaint, but Porter's team claimed that he was easily identifiable.</p> <p>Nearly a week after the article was published, Porter came forward and identified himself.</p> <p>The woman who made the claims has since taken her own life.</p> <p>As the case is being heard in Federal Court, Porter can ask the court to strike out parts of the<span> </span><em>ABC's<span> </span></em>defence on a range of grounds, including that the defence contains scandalous, frivolous or vexatious material or is likely to cause prejudice or embarrassment.</p> <p>The<span> </span><em>ABC<span> </span></em>filed its defence with the court on Tuesday, but it has not yet been made public due to Porter's lawyers applying to have some of the material omitted.</p> <p>In a statement, the<span> </span><em>ABC<span> </span></em>says it "supports having all materials in these proceedings, which are in the public interest, open to public scrutiny".</p> </div> </div> </div>

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Why you should care about the rise in China's defence budget

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>China's 6.8 per cent increase in military spending next year confirms how important China is to shaping Australia's defence strategy.</p> <p>As tensions continue to rise with China in an ongoing trade war started by Beijing almost a year ago, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is taking action.</p> <p>Analysts believe that Australia will boost its military budget by more than $11 billion a year by 2025 to defend itself against a possible war with the superpower.</p> <p>Australian security expert Sam Roggeveen explained to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/china-increases-defence-budget-amid-pandemic/324fcf1f-bf80-496e-9fed-b994bafc902e" target="_blank"><em>nine.com.au</em></a><span> </span>that China's military expansion is the major factor shaping Federal Government Policy.</p> <p>"China is absolutely critical to shaping our defence policy in the years ahead," Dr Roggeveen, Lowy Institute director of international security, said.</p> <p>Dr Roggeveen said that the modernisation and aggressive expansion of Chinese maritime forces is a concern.</p> <p>"China now has the largest navy in the world in terms of ships, even thought some are of variable quality," Dr Roggeveen said.</p> <p>However, he is also worried about the South China Sea, as that's where China is asserting itself.</p> <p>"Expanded maritime air power has also been increased over recent years," Dr Roggeveen said.</p> <p>"China has built land-based medium-range bombers that can reach targets thousands of kilometres away."</p> <p>This is backed up by defence analyst Vera Lin.</p> <p>"China's military assertiveness in the South China Sea and expansion of spheres of influence in the surrounding region through commercial avenues such as pipelines and ports is supposedly creating a threat for Australia," defence analyst Vera Lin said to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9344811/Australia-predicted-boost-military-spending-11billion-year-prepare-war-China.html" target="_blank"><em>The Daily Mail</em></a>.</p> <p>"Australia is preparing itself for the possibility of conflict with a greater military power, which requires a focus in long-distance deterrence such as ballistic missile defence and investment in hypersonics research."</p> <p>Australia has been punished by China over a series of diplomatic issues, as Australian officials were vocal about Beijing's crackdown on democracy advocates in Hong Kong as well as the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang Province.</p> <p>In response to these criticisms, the Chinese government imposed soaring tariffs on a number of Australian exports, including wine, barley, coal and beef.</p> </div> </div> </div>

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Dramatic fallout follows release of War Crimes Report

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>An Afghanistan report into alleged Australian war crimes has found "deeply disturbing allegations of unlawful killings".</p> <p>The inquiry uncovered high numbers of instances of unlawful killings as well as inhumane treatment of detainees.</p> <p>The Chief of the Australian Defence Force, General Angus Campbell, spoke about Inspector General of the inquiry Justice Paul Brereton's findings.</p> <p>Since 2016, Brereton examined allegations of war crimes by Australian special forces in Afghanistan.</p> <p>Brereton interviewed more than 400 witnesses and examined tens of thousands of documents, where he alleges "possibly the most disgraceful episode in Australia's military history" occurred in 2012.</p> <p>However, the details of this episode have been redacted for legal reasons.</p> <p>“He [Brereton] found there to be credible information to substantiate 23 incidents of alleged unlawful killing of 39 people by 25 Australian Special Forces personnel, predominantly from the Special Air Service Regiment,” Campbell said.</p> <p>“He found none of the alleged unlawful killings were described as being in the heat of battle,” General Campbell said.</p> <p>“These findings allege the most serious breaches of military conduct and professional values.</p> <p>“The killing, the unlawful killing, of civilians and prisoners is never acceptable.</p> <p>“It is my duty, and that of my fellow Chiefs, to set things right.</p> <p>General Campbell released a redacted form of the inquiry report to "ensure the procedural fairness of potential future investigations and possible court proceedings". </p> <p>It has been heavily redacted for "security, privacy and legal reasons".</p> <p>General Campbell was asked about chapter 2.50 in the first part of the report.</p> <p>“What is described in this chapter is possibly the most disgraceful episode in Australia’s military history, and the commanders at troop, squadron and task group level bear moral command responsibility for what happened under their command, regardless of personal fault”, the report states.</p> <p>General Campbell said he couldn't speak on that particular aspect of the report.</p> <p>“But Justice Brereton does describe something that is utterly disgraceful,” he told reporters.</p> <p>“It is right that it needs legally to be redacted.</p> <p>“In time, in the time of history to be written, it is shameful.”</p> <p>He has also "sincerely and unreservedly" apologised to the people of Afghanistan for any wrongdoing by Australia soldiers.</p> <p>“Such alleged behaviour profoundly disrespected the trust placed in us by the Afghan people who had asked us to their country to help them,” he said.</p> <p>“It would have devastated the lives of Afghan families and communities, causing immeasurable pain and suffering.”</p> <p>“I can’t imagine the pain, the suffering and the uncertainty that that loss has caused, both at the time and that continued uncertainty of how this happened,” General Campbell said.</p> <p>“My sincere apologies to them and a desire to find a way to make recompense.”</p> <p>He also apologised to Australians for any wrongdoings by members of the Australian Defence Force.</p> <p>“I am sincerely sorry for any wrongdoing by members of the Australian Defence Force,” he said.</p> <p>“You’re right to expect that your Defence Force will defend your nation and its interest in a manner that accords with our values and laws.”</p> <p>Campbell has said that the conduct in the report is "greatly at odds" with the Australian Defence Force, as well as damaging to the moral authority of the ADF.</p> </div> </div> </div>

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"This will be difficult and hard news for Australians"

<p><span>Scott Morrison has given the nation a grave warning to prepare for allegations of “serious and possibly criminal conduct” by Australia’s defence force in Afghanistan.</span><br /><br /><span>He says these allegations could see soldiers prosecuted for unlawful killings.</span><br /><br /><span>The Prime Minister revealed on Thursday that a special investigator will be appointed to consider allegations of war crimes by Australia’s soldiers in the Middle East.</span><br /><br /><span>This follows after the completion of a long-running defence investigation into the claims.</span><br /><br /><span>“This is going to be very difficult for Australians. It is going to be very difficult for our serving community and our veterans community,’’ Mr Morrison said.</span><br /><br /><span>“It is going to be difficult for all of us. But what we are seeking to do, as a government, I think what we have to do as a country, is to absorb this in a way that enables us to uphold the integrity of our justice system and uphold the integrity of our defence forces. We rely vitally on both of these institutions, absolutely vitally.</span><br /><br /><span>“Given the likely allegations of serious and possibly criminal misconduct, the matters raised in the inquiry must be assessed, investigated and where allegations are substantiated, prosecuted in court. To undertake this role, the government is establishing the Office of the Special Investigator.”</span><br /><br /><span>Defence Minister Linda Reynolds says that the scandal could mean some soldiers might be stripped of medals if misconduct is proven.</span><br /><br /><span>“The CDF is considering all of those options,’’ she said.</span><br /><br /><span>Senator Reynolds said 39,000 Australians had served in Afghanistan.</span><br /><br /><span>He says the report in “no way” worked to undermine any of the work from a vast majority of these soldiers.</span><br /><br /><span>“They served with great distinction and 41 Australians lost their lives in that process,’’ she said.</span><br /><br /><span>“Today we have, as minister, I could not be prouder of the work our men and women are doing on bushfire and COVID-19 assist.</span><br /><br /><span>Mr Morrison said the unredacted report is a disturbing read.</span><br /><br /><span>Australian Defence Force is set to release a redacted version as soon as next week.</span><br /><br /><span>“There is some disturbing conduct here, but we cannot then take that and apply it to everyone who has pulled on a uniform and if we did this, that would be grossly unjust, grossly unjust,’’ the Prime Minister said.</span><br /><br /><span>“I know that wouldn’t be the view of people here or in government or anywhere else. We all share a deep respect for our defence forces, but we also share a deep respect for justice. It is about managing those two issues to the highest standards I think we place on them in Australia.”</span><br /><br /><span>Mr Morrison said the soldiers would be dealt with through “Australian justice” if charges are to be recommended.</span><br /><br /><span>The Prime Minister confirmed soldiers might not be called before The International Criminal Court since they would be dealing with “this as Australians.”</span><br /><br /><span>“We believe so, yes. That is the important advice we have taken on this. We need to deal with this as Australians, court our on laws, through our on justice processes and we will and I think that will say a lot about Australia,’’ he said.</span><br /><br /><span>“Of course this report will be difficult news and all of our partners must be assured and those around the world who rightly hold the Australian defence force in high regard, I believe by the process we are outlining to you today shows why that is the case, that in</span><br /><br /><span>The report will not be providing a brief of evidence, but the Prime Minister describes the appointment of the special investigator as the “next step” rather than a new process.</span><br /><br /><span>“Some very serious issues were raised regarding conduct by some members of Australia’s special operations task force in Afghanistan. It is our Australian way to deal with these issues with a deep respect for Justice and the rule of law, but also one that seeks to illuminate the truth, but also seeks to understand it because that is what must drive our response,’’ Mr Morrison said.</span><br /><br /><span>The Prime Minister said the process will be given as much time as it needs to work through the legal issues involved.</span></p>

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Sailors rescued from tiny island after writing giant "SOS" in the sand

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>Three missing sailors have been found on a tiny island in the western Pacific after a desperate message saying SOS in the sand that was spotted from the air. </p> <p>The men were found on Sunday after they had been missing for three days, and were reportedly "in good health", according to the Australian Defence Ministry. </p> <p>Their call for help was written on the beach of Pikelot Island, 190 kilometres west of where they had set out and was seen by Australian and US aircraft.  </p> <p>A ship, the HMAS Canberra, headed to the sailors' aid and a helicopter landed on the beach. </p> <p>The ship brought water and food for the men as well as carrying out identity and health checks. </p> <p>The men were reportedly sailing between the atolls Poluwat and Pulap, a journey of 42 kilometres when they veered off course and ran out of fuel. </p> <p>A Micronesian patrol vessel, FSS Independence, is heading to the island to pick up the men. </p> <p>Canberra's Commanding Officer Captain Terry Morrison said the response by the ship's company to the operation was outstanding. </p> <p>"The ship's company responded to the call and had the ship quickly prepared to support the search and rescue," Captain Morrison said. </p> <p>"In particular, our embarked MRH90 helicopter from No. 808 Squadron and the four armed reconnaissance helicopters from 1st Aviation Regiment were instrumental in the morning search that helped locate the men and deliver supplies and confirm their welfare. </p> <p>"I am proud of the response and professionalism of all on board as we fulfil our obligation to contribute to the safety of life at sea wherever we are in the world."</p> <p><em>Photo credit: Australian Department of Defence</em></p> </div> </div> </div>

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The law, defences and penalties for making a false accusation in NSW

<p><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7846859/British-student-faces-jail-Cyprus-urges-Boris-Johnson-intervene.html?ns_mchannel=rss&amp;ico=taboola_feed">It has been reported</a> that a 19-year old British student is facing up to 12 months in prison after being convicted of ‘public mischief’ for falsely claiming that 12 Israeli men gang-raped her in Ayia Napa, a resort town on the southeast coast of Cyprus.</p> <p>A Cypriot judge found that the woman had manufactured the claims due to her ‘embarrassment’ after being filmed by several of the men having consensual sexual intercourse with them.</p> <p>‘The defendant gave police a false rape claim, while having full knowledge that this was a lie’, the judge remarked, adding ‘[t]here was no rape, or violence’. He described the woman’s accusations as ‘grave’ and refused a defence request to adjourn her sentencing proceedings.</p> <p>But the woman’s supporters have questioned the verdict and called upon the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to intervene.</p> <p>She has been on bail since the end of August 2019 after spending a month behind bars.</p> <p>Her sentencing is scheduled to take place on 7 January 2020.</p> <p><strong>The crime of making a false accusation in NSW</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ca190082/s314.html">Section 314 of the Crimes Act 1900</a> (NSW) (‘the Act’) makes it an offence punishable by up to seven years in prison to make a false accusation.</p> <p>To establish the offence, the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant:</p> <ol> <li>Made an accusation against another person,</li> <li>By doing so, intended the other person to be subjected to an investigation,</li> <li>Knew accusation was false, and</li> <li>Knew the accused person was innocent.</li> </ol> <p>The offence encompasses situations where a person makes a <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/false-sexual-assault-allegations-ruin-lives/">false complaint to police</a>, knowing the person they are accusing is innocent of the accusation.</p> <p><strong>The crime of public mischief</strong></p> <p>Alternatively, <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/criminal/legislation/crimes-act/public-mischief/">section 547B of the Act</a> prescribes a maximum penalty of 12 months in prison for the offence of public mischief.</p> <p>To establish the offence, the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant:</p> <ol> <li>Knowingly made a false representation that an act had been done, or would been done, or that an event had occurred,</li> <li>The representation was made to a police officer, and</li> <li>The representation called for an investigation by the police officer.</li> </ol> <p><strong>The offence covers situations where:</strong></p> <ul> <li>The representation was made to a person other than a police officer,</li> <li>The nature of the representation reasonably required the person to communicate it to a police officer, and</li> <li>The person did communicate it to a police officer</li> </ul> <p>The charge may be preferred to one of ‘false accusation’ in situations where the prosecution is unable to prove that the accuser intended another person to be prosecuted, or knew the other person was innocent.</p> <p><strong>The crime of perjury</strong></p> <p>If the accuser testified in court or swore a statement under an oath or affirmation, they may be prosecuted for the offence of perjury under <a href="http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ca190082/s327.html">section 327</a> of the Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.</p> <p>To establish the offence, the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that he or she:</p> <ol> <li>Made a false statement under oath or affirmation,</li> <li>It was made in, or in connection with, judicial proceedings,</li> <li>It concerned a matter which was material to those proceedings, and</li> <li>The defendant knew the statement was false or did not believe it was true at the time it was made.</li> </ol> <p>The maximum <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/what-is-the-offence-of-perjury-in-new-south-wales/">penalty for perjury</a> increases to 14 years where the complainant intended to procure the conviction or acquittal for a ‘serious indictable offence’ – which is one that carries a maximum penalty of at least five years in prison.</p> <p><strong>The crime of perverting the course of justice</strong></p> <p>And section 319 of the Act prescribes a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison for <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/criminal/legislation/crimes-act/perverting-course-of-justice/">perverting the course of justice</a>.</p> <p>To establish that offence, the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant:</p> <ol> <li>Engaged in an act or made an omission, and</li> <li>By doing so, intended to pervert the course of justice.</li> </ol> <p>The definition of ‘<a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/what-is-perverting-the-course-of-justice/">perverting the course of justice</a>’ is ‘obstructing, preventing, perverting or defeating the course of justice or the administration of law’.</p> <p>Examples of perverting the course of justice may include:</p> <ul> <li>Attempting to bribe a police or judicial officer to avoid being prosecuted or punished,</li> <li>Falsely swearing or declaring that another person was responsible for an offence,</li> <li>Using a victim’s phone or email in an attempt to create a defence to a crime,</li> <li>Encouraging or bribing another person to plead guilty to an crime they did not commit, or</li> </ul> <p>provide a false alibi, or give false testimony in court.</p> <p><strong>Defences</strong></p> <p>A number of <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/criminal/defences/">defences may apply to the above charges</a>, including:</p> <ul> <li>Duress,</li> <li>Necessity, and</li> <li>Self-defence.</li> </ul> <p>Alternatively, it may be possible to have the charged <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/services/mental-health-applications/">dismissed on mental health grounds</a> under <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/drafting-section-32-applications-a-guide-for-criminal-lawyers/">section 32 of the Mental Health (Forensic Provisions) Act 1990</a>.</p> <p><em>Written by Ugur Nedim. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/the-law-defences-and-penalties-for-making-a-false-accusation-in-nsw/">Sydney Criminal Lawyers</a>. </em></p>

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Charlize Theron “not ashamed” to talk about her mother killing her father in self-defence

<p><span>Charlize Theron has opened up about the night her mother killed her father in self-defence.</span></p> <p><span>Speaking to <em><a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/12/16/786759703/charlize-theron-portrays-the-gray-area-of-sexual-harassment-in-bombshell">NPR</a></em>, the <em>Bombshell </em>actress said her father Charles grappled with alcoholism for all of her life.</span></p> <p><span>“It was a pretty hopeless situation. Our family was just kind of stuck in it,” the actress said. </span></p> <p><span>“The day-to-day unpredictability of living with an addict is the thing that you sit with and have kind of embedded in your body for the rest of your life, more than just this one event of what happened one night.”</span></p> <p><span>Theron was 15 years old when her drunk father came into the house with a gun on June 21, 1991. While she and her mother Gerda Maritz were leaning against her bedroom door to block his entry, he fired three shots through the door. </span></p> <p><span>“None of those bullets ever hit us, which is just a miracle,” Theron said. “But in self-defence, she ended the threat.”</span></p> <p><span>Maritz retrieved her own handgun and shot her husband, <em><a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=132413">ABC News</a> </em>reported. No charges were brought against Maritz.</span></p> <p><span>While she wished the incident had never happened, she said she is “not ashamed” to discuss the family violence she experienced.</span></p> <p><span>“I’m not ashamed to talk about it, because I do think that the more we talk about these things, the more we realize we are not alone in any of it,” Theron said.</span></p> <p><span>“I think, for me, it’s just always been that this story really is about growing up with addicts and what that does to a person.”</span></p> <p><span>Theron previously discussed the incident in a 2017 interview with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/25/movies/charlize-therons-sick-work-ethic-atomic-blonde.html">the <em>New York Times</em></a>.</span></p> <p>“I survived that, and I’m proud of that,” Theron said. “I’ve worked hard for that, too. And I am not scared of that. I am not fearful of the darkness. If anything, I am intrigued by it, because I think it explains human nature and people better.”</p>

News

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How adapting 4 easy self-defence tips can keep you safer

<p>Taking on a few simple concepts to help protect yourself will help you feel confident in every area of your life. Start today!</p> <p>Most of us think of learning self-defence to fight off an actual attack. However, there is much more to it than that. If you think about it, it is much easier to deal with an attack before it actually happens by preparing a safety strategy.</p> <p>Almost all people who fall victim to an attack, say they ‘felt’ that something was wrong sometimes long before anything really happened. Trust your feelings and act on them. And always put safely before ‘being polite’. Self-defence has a huge amount to do with confidence, assertiveness and taking action. The more you apply these principles in everyday life, the safer and happier you will be.</p> <p><strong>Tip 1: ABC of healthy habits</strong><br />a) When you are walking to your car have your mobile phone in your hand but don’t be on the phone speaking with someone or browsing the internet. Don't be paranoid or distracted, just be aware.</p> <ol> <li>b) Get into the habit of carrying your car and house keys in your hand so you can get inside quickly. And you can also use it as a ‘weapon' if needed.</li> <li>c) If you are feeling overly tired then give yourself a night off and stay in.</li> <li>d) If you come across someone in need who you don’t know then don’t feel embarrassed to keep your car door locked and instead phone for immediate assistance.</li> <li>e) Keep financial matters private and consider having a trusted locksmith install a deadbolt lock. Review your home safety and ensure there are no easily accessible points in your home such as windows.</li> </ol> <p><strong>Tip 2: Create a safety plan</strong><br />Start by thinking about easy ways you can stay safe such as taking the main street home in well-lit areas instead of the short cut. Or it may mean that you have someone pick you up after a night out or get a cab. Confidence is important so consider taking a short self defence course or taking up a regular exercise habit to strengthen you physically. Light weights are a great option. Speak to your health professional.</p> <p>It is important to remember that most people who are on the attack don't actually want to struggle. They don't want to fight. They want an easy ‘victim’. If you look like you'll put up a fight, in most cases, they will look elsewhere. Confidence, or the way you carry yourself is your first line of defence against an attack.</p> <p><strong>Tip 3: Trust your intuition</strong><br />We all have a very reliable ‘inbuilt alarm system’ that warns you of danger. It will tell you if you should be wary of your co-workers inappropriate remarks, or if they are harmless. To some degree it will let you know if it is safe to walk down this path or if you should consider crossing the street at the lights where there are plenty of people around. It tells you this by the way you feel. We all have it, but many of us have learned to override it because we learned to be ‘nice’ and we don’t want to be paranoid for seemingly no reason. It’s called intuition.</p> <p>An intuition is a feeling such as a hunch, a suspicion or even fear. It is a subconscious warning signal that tells us to investigate further, but without the logic or reasons behind it. It is there for a reason so don’t discard it blindly because someone ‘seems’ nice superficially.</p> <p>The huge benefit of an intuition is, that it gives us the opportunity to deal with a situation before it really becomes dangerous. Therefore, if you get a hunch that something is wrong, don’t just hope for the best, do something and protect yourself.</p> <p><strong>Tip 4: Put your safety ahead of ‘being polite’</strong><br />You need to be willing to make it clear that you are not a victim, that you will stand up for yourself and if necessary fight. If someone approaches you and you have a bad feeling about them you need to stand your ground. The earlier and the more convincingly you do this, the easier this will be. Don’t be embarrassed to get as loud and aggressive as you have to be or to get help from a helpful stranger. This still gives you a chance to defuse the situation early.</p> <p>Written by Otto Heutling. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/lifestyle/wyza-life/how-adapting-4-easy-self-defence-tips-can-keep-you-safer.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></p>

Caring

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The defence mechanism most toxic for your relationship

<p><em><strong>Susan Krauss Whitbourne is a professor of Psychology and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She writes the Fulfilment at Any Age blog for Psychology Today.</strong></em></p> <p>From the standpoint of avoiding anxiety, it can be hard to beat a good old, ordinary, defence mechanism. If you’re angry at an important person in your life, displacement will let you take your emotions out on a safer target, such as a small rock that you kick out of your way in the sidewalk. If there’s an expensive piece of jewellery that you can’t stop thinking about, but can’t afford, repression will help you shove it out of your consciousness. There are countless other ways that defence mechanisms, when used in moderation, can actually be very adaptive.</p> <p>In your relationships, though, defence mechanisms can take an unfortunate turn if used in the wrong way. Your partner wouldn’t appreciate being the target of your displaced <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/basics/anger" target="_blank" title="Psychology Today looks at anger">anger</a></strong></span> and might not like it if you “repressed” your putting off unpleasant chores around the house. However, above and beyond these less than optimal uses of defence mechanisms, one stands out as particularly toxic. In the defence mechanism of projection, you attribute your own <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/basics/unconscious" target="_blank" title="Psychology Today looks at unconscious">unconscious</a></strong></span> anxieties and preoccupations onto another person. You then become, naturally enough, annoyed at that person for having those same emotions and thoughts that you reject in yourself.</p> <p>New research on social perception shows that projection can turn what should be empathy into an unfeeling lack of concern if your partner is in trouble. A study on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201806/8-ways-test-your-stress-mindset" target="_blank">stress mindsets</a></strong></span> by Tel Aviv University’s Nili Ben-Avi and collaborators (2018) shows what happens when your own attitude toward <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/basics/stress" target="_blank" title="Psychology Today looks at stress">stress</a></strong></span> makes you unsympathetic to a person who is clearly undergoing strain. In one type of stress mindset, or attitude toward the stressful events in your life, you find pressure to be exhilarating, and in the other, you find it to be debilitating. The Israeli researchers believe that the way you perceive stress in your life will, in turn, affect the way you perceive that of other people. If you’re of the belief that stress is good, you’ll regard it as silly complaining when it gets to your partner, who puts in long hours full of competing demands. If you regard stress as a frame of mind to be avoided at all costs, you’ll similarly feel that your overworked partner should find a different job or at least stay away from any work tasks in the evening and weekend hours.</p> <p>Ben-Avi and colleagues take an experimental social psychological approach, meaning that they don’t truly speak of “defence mechanisms” as having that same set of unconscious drivers as do psychodynamically-oriented theorists. Nevertheless, the idea of “social projection” seems to fit the classic defence mechanism approach, as you can see from this definition: “when people try to evaluate targets' thoughts, feelings, or behaviours, they often project their own corresponding states, thereby arriving at inaccurate social judgments” (p. 98). Believing that your partner feels the same way about stress as you do clearly fits into this definition of social projection.</p> <p>The Israeli study showed that people high on the “stress-as-exhilarating” mindset were less likely to see a fictitious target in an online scenario as suffering from the negative effects of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/basics/burnout" target="_blank" title="Psychology Today looks at burnout">burnout</a></strong></span>, and to suffer ill effects on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/basics/health" target="_blank" title="Psychology Today looks at health">health</a></strong></span>. They also were less likely to believe that the target should stay home when ill (“presenteeism”). The way participants viewed stress also affected the way that they would make personnel decisions about the fictitious employee. If they felt that they personally thrived on stress, then they believed that employees who didn’t share this mindset shouldn’t be promoted, as they did not view the employee as potentially suffering from burnout.</p> <p>An experimental manipulation that the authors conducted as part of their research involved <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/basics/priming" target="_blank" title="Psychology Today looks at priming">priming</a></strong></span> participants into one of the two stress mindsets by having them think either about a time in their lives when they felt overworked or, conversely, when they felt energized. This method showed that your stress mindset can be malleable. People operating under a stress-is-enhancing mindset perceived the target as experiencing less strain and therefore as in need of less help. They also saw the target as more promotable at work. As the authors conclude, there is a dark side and a bright side regarding the interpersonal implications of the idea that stress is enhancing. The dark side is that if you believe stress is good for you, you’ll also believe it’s good for someone else and will offer less help to someone who seems to be on the verge of extreme burnout. On the bright side, though, perceiving another person as operating under high levels of stress may make you see that person as better able to handle stress and so you’ll give that person more responsibility (and maybe a promotion).</p> <p>In terms of your relationships, though, the Israeli findings suggest that projection isn’t just a theoretical concept left over from the psychoanalyst’s couch. People judge others on the basis of their own preferences, self-assessments, and attitudes. As a result, it will be difficult for you to provide the kind of empathy that can help your partner feel supported and loved when work or family obligations make life particularly difficult.</p> <p>To overcome the projection you may feel toward your partner, take a page from the Ben-Avi et al’s playbook and try to recall the last time you felt the way you believe your partner to be feeling. Perhaps your partner seems overly sensitive to a mutual friend’s somewhat unfortunately sarcastic jokes. If you have a tendency toward the cynical, your partner’s sensitivity may seem to be too extreme. Try to recall a time when you were the target of a similarly unfortunately comment. That teasing really did hurt you. Just remembering that incident may allow you to see the world from your partner’s own eyes. This exercise might also help you see that you’re not quite as resistant to teasing as you thought you were.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/basics/happiness" target="_blank" title="Psychology Today looks at Happiness">Happiness</a></strong></span> in long-term relationships depends in many ways on being able to overcome your own tendency to impose your wishes onto your partner. Projection can prevent that open-minded <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/basics/empathy" target="_blank" title="Psychology Today looks at understanding">understanding</a></strong></span> that helps foster true communication with your partner. A simple self-check can help you avoid the projection trap and, in the process, help your relationship become that much more fulfilling.</p> <p><em>Written by Susan Krauss Whitbourne. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Psychology Today.</span></strong></a></em></p>

Relationships

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Aussie taxpayers to foot $100,000 bill for Cassie Sainsbury's legal defence

<p>Aussie taxpayers will foot the $100,000 bill for Cassie Sainsbury’s legal defence, after the 22-year-old was found guilty of trying to smuggle cocaine out of Colombia.</p> <p>The Adelaide resident was sentenced to six years’ jail yesterday and ordered to pay a $130,000 fine after she pleaded guilty to drug trafficking. While the Australian government won’t touch the fine, taxpayers will cover her legal assistance.</p> <p>“These people (like Cassie) are just victim of bigger criminals,” said Sainsbury’s Columbian lawyer, Orlando Herran, adding that he believed she deserved the money.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Convicted drug mule Cassie Sainsbury could walk free from a Colombian prison within three years. <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkWBurrows?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarkWBurrows</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9News?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9News</a> <a href="https://t.co/jWLD2EvpRg">pic.twitter.com/jWLD2EvpRg</a></p> — Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/9NewsAUS/status/925984664199741440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2017</a></blockquote> <p>Sainsbury is not the first convicted drug smuggler to have part of her legal bills covered by Aussie Taxpayers, with Schapelle Corby, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran receiving similar treatment from the Australian government.</p> <p>“Cocaine Cassie” was staring down the barrel of 30 years behind bars for trying to smuggle 6kg of cocaine out of Columbia on April 12, but thanks to a plea deal accepted by the Columbian judge she could be out in two-and-a-half years for good behaviour.  </p> <p>“She’s lucky because the amount of the drugs was very big,” Mr Herran told the Aussie journalists who had travelled to Colombia after the closed-door hearing.</p> <p>What are your thoughts? Do you think it’s unfair for Australian taxpayers to foot the bill for legal proceedings in cases like this? Or do we have a responsibility to protect our citizens overseas, even when they’ve put a foot wrong?</p> <p><em>Hero image credit: Twitter / The West </em></p> <p><em><strong>Have you arranged your travel insurance yet? Save money with Over60 Travel Insurance. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://elevate.agatravelinsurance.com.au/oversixty?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=content&amp;utm_content=link1&amp;utm_campaign=travel-insurance" target="_blank">To arrange a quote, click here.</a></span> Or for more information, call 1800 622 966.</strong></em></p>

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