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Elite school headmaster resigns in the wake of damning exposé

<p>The headmaster at an elite Sydney school has resigned after a damning exposé about historic toxicity and sexism within the school. </p> <p>Cranbrook School headmaster Nicholas Sampson announced his resignation on Thursday night after an emergency meeting was called to discuss the serious allegations made by former staff members in an episode of <em>Four Corners</em>.</p> <p>In the damning episode, former staffers shared their experiences of the "toxic boys's club" and systemic sexism in the school, which the <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/elite-school-teacher-blackmailed-for-naked-photos-by-student" target="_blank" rel="noopener">female teachers</a> allege was swept under the rug by the headmaster and his deputy.</p> <p class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;">In a statement to the school community on Friday morning, the council said, "The circumstances of the matter and subsequently Mr Sampson's failure to disclose the matter to the current School Council in the context of this week's ABC <em>Four Corners</em> broadcast, have led to an irrevocable breakdown of trust between the Headmaster and the School Council."</p> <p class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;">"The School Council communicated this to Mr Sampson and this morning received his resignation."</p> <p><span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The council said it, "deeply regrets the distress to our students, our staff, our parents, our alumni and the broader Cranbrook family arising from the current circumstances".</span> </p> <p>Sampson's resignation comes after <span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">revelations he kept a teacher on staff after discovering he sent multiple graphic emails to a former female student. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif;">The teacher in question was still working at Cranbrook this week and had recently been promoted. Cranbrook confirmed on Friday he is now on immediate leave pending an investigation.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif;">Image credits: Cranbook School</span></em></p>

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Elite school teacher blackmailed for naked photos by student

<p>A teacher at an elite boys' school has opened up about her experience in the "toxic boys' club" that led to her being threatened by a student. </p> <p>Jasmin Hyde was a maths teacher at the elite Cranbrook School in Sydney's Bellevue Hill when she was blackmailed by one of her students in June 2020, according to ABC's <em>Four Corners</em>. </p> <div id="story-primary" data-area="story-primary"> <div> <p>A student at the school attempted to blackmail the female teacher, demanding she send him nude photos or he would accuse her of sexual assault. </p> <p>The incident is just one of a number of claims made on <em>Four Corners</em> about the allegedly toxic culture at Cranbrook School, one of the country’s most prestigious institutions where tuition costs up to $46,000 per year.</p> <p>The student in question was suspended and chose to leave the school for good, and later wrote an apologetic letter to Ms Hyde.</p> <p>“I have caused so much hurt and disappointment to you, my teachers and the wider school community, my friends and my family,” he said in the letter. </p> <p>But Ms Hyde was not happy with the school’s response, and took her complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission.</p> <p>“In my experience, Cranbrook did not have a safe, inclusive and supportive culture for me and its female teaching staff,” she told the commission in October 2023.</p> <p>“That must change. It must change for my sake, and it must change for the sake of your current and future teaching staff, and the many young girls who are about to embark on their studies at Cranbrook.”</p> <p>According to Ms Hyde, she was taken to a cafe by the headmaster and his deputy after she made the claims against the student, to which the deputy head of school suggested it was no surprise she received attention from the boys because she was good-looking.</p> <p>“Justifying sexual harassment empowers future abuse,” she told the commission.</p> <p>“This is the standard that Cranbrook management condones, the tone from the top — that young, attractive women at your school should not only expect but tolerate sexual harassment. I wonder how the parents of your future female students would feel about this.”</p> <p>Cranbrook reportedly apologised, saying in a statement the deputy never intended to offend and was “sorry if [he] has done so”.</p> <p>In the hours after the <em>Four Corners</em> program aired, Cranbrook School Council issued a statement saying it was “concerned by the allegations raised” in the program but “remains fully supportive of the headmaster and the school’s leadership”.</p> <p>“Cranbrook takes all allegations of abuse, and its duty of care to its students, extremely seriously and follows relevant and mandatory reporting processes in relation to these matters,” Cranbrook School Council president Geoff Lovell said.</p> <p>“We acknowledge survivors and their stories. No school is ever exempt from scrutiny or, where deserved, criticism. We offer sympathy to the grievances aired by former staff.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: ABC / Google</em></p> </div> </div>

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Elite school under fire over comments about Lilie James' suspected killer

<p>The recent <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/slain-st-andrew-s-staffer-identified" target="_blank" rel="noopener">murder of 21-year-old Lilie James</a> at St Andrew's Cathedral School in Sydney has raised profound questions about the nature of violence, the portrayal of perpetrators and the responsibilities of our educational institutions.</p> <p>What made this tragedy even more unsettling was a newsletter written by Dr John Collier, headmaster of the Shore School in North Sydney, <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">first <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-04/sydney-school-principal-lilie-james-murder-criticised-newsletter/103062628" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published by the ABC</a>, </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">in which he described the suspected murderer, Paul Thijssen, as "an absolute delight" and "not a monster". This statement has sparked a wave of controversy and calls for reflection within the community.</span></p> <p>The horrifying incident that unfolded at St Andrew's Cathedral School last week sent shockwaves throughout the community. The life of a promising young woman was abruptly cut short, and the alleged perpetrator, her former boyfriend Paul Thijssen, <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/lilie-james-grieving-family-breaks-silence-as-body-is-found-in-manhunt-for-suspect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was found dead</a> after an extensive police search. Dr Collier, who had served as headmaster of St Andrew's between 2010 and 2022, knew Thijssen during his time there and described him as a "fine student, a prefect, a role model".</p> <p>In his newsletter titled "Looking in the Face of Savagery", Dr Collier wrestles with the apparent contradiction between the image of Thijssen as a seemingly normal and well-adjusted young man and the heinous act he committed. Dr Collier's description of Thijssen as "an absolute delight" and "not a monster" has ignited a fierce debate about the language used to describe individuals who commit such acts of violence.</p> <p>"What is chilling about the tragedy which unfolded at St Andrew's, the shock and grief of which will cascade for a long time, is that the young man concerned was, in everybody's estimation, an absolute delight," Dr Collier wrote. "He appeared to be just like the best of us. An hour before he committed the atrocity, he was speaking in a relaxed, friendly mode with staff at that school.</p> <p>"He was not a monster; rather, in the last five hours of his life, he committed a monstrous act which was in complete contradiction to what everyone who knew him observed in the rest of this short life.</p> <p>"What led to his mental disintegration? Was it a psychotic episode which was deeply out of character?"</p> <p>Sexual consent advocate Chanel Contos pointed out to the ABC that this incident is symbolic of a more extensive problem that must be addressed. She argues that the normalisation of violence must be confronted and that we cannot simply classify such individuals as anomalies. Contos emphasises the importance of instilling a culture of respect and accountability, particularly within educational institutions.</p> <p>Schools like St Andrew's and Shore play a vital role in shaping the values and behaviours of young people. Shore acknowledged the criticism surrounding Dr Collier's newsletter and emphasised its commitment to building "good men" through character development programs that promote respect for women. However, this incident serves as a stark reminder that there is still much work to be done in addressing issues related to toxic masculinity, entitlement and violence.</p> <p>Lilie James's tragic death serves as a painful reminder of the urgent need to challenge harmful stereotypes, address toxic behaviours, and hold individuals accountable for their actions.</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

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No apologies: Ben Roberts-Smith breaks silence

<p>Former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has returned to Australia for the first time since losing his defamation case against Nine newspapers.</p> <p>Roberts-Smith touched down in Perth on June 14 and said he was shattered by the outcome of his defamation case against The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Canberra Times.</p> <p>This is the first time he has spoken out publicly since the landmark ruling.</p> <p>"It was a terrible result and obviously the incorrect result. We will look at it and consider whether or not we need to file an appeal," Roberts-Smith said after landing in Perth.</p> <p>"There is not much more I can say about it ... we just have to work through it and I'll take the advice as it comes.”</p> <p>He was spotted checking into business class with his girlfriend in Queenstown, New Zealand prior to touching down in Perth.</p> <p>Roberts-Smith rules out apologising to families of the victims impacted by his actions in Afghanistan.</p> <p>"We haven't done anything wrong, so we won't be making any apologies," he said.</p> <p>As he was collecting his luggage at Perth airport, he was approached by a man who voiced his support for the former soldier.</p> <p>Roberts-Smith's return comes on the same day as reports that an Australian Federal Police investigation into his alleged war crimes had collapsed.</p> <p>The decision by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions not to prosecute Roberts-Smith based on evidence collected by the AFP has led to a new joint task force being assembled to investigate alleged executions.</p> <p>The task force is comprised of detectives from the specialist war crimes agency, the Office of the Special Investigator and a new team of federal police investigators not related to the abandoned AFP probe.</p> <p>Roberts-Smith did not appear in the Federal Court when a judge found allegations he murdered or was complicit in the killing of four unarmed Afghans while deployed overseas were "substantially true” in a bombshell defamation ruling.</p> <p>The former soldier insists there was never any foul play.</p> <p><em>Image credit: A Current Affair</em></p>

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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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Ben Roberts-Smith’s furious phone call to fellow soldier

<p>A livid Ben Roberts-Smith has berated a fellow soldier he believed had been speaking to the media about war allegations, demanding he “stick to the f**king code”, newly released audio has revealed.</p> <p>Nine’s 60 Minutes played a recording of the exchange between Roberts-Smith and a fellow SAS member known as “Soldier M” in 2018 amid a media frenzy.</p> <p>Soldier M is a relative of Australia’s most wealthy individual, billionaire Gina Rineheart, and prior to the phone call, Roberts-Smith had sent him a threatening legal letter, with the mining magnate CC’d in.</p> <p>“Yeah, it’s RS, mate,” Mr Roberts-Smith says in the audio.</p> <p>“Because I know you’ve talked s**t about me, right? I know that.</p> <p>“I’ve got no ill will towards anyone that has no ill will towards me, it’s real simple. So you know, like, I’m 100 per cent, I stick to the f**king code, mate, 100 per cent, and I have. So all the s**t that’s going on, I’m still probably the only c**t that hasn’t f**king spoken.</p> <p>“I don’t trust you, mate, I haven’t been able to trust you for a long time. You say we’re mates. We used to be actually, but for some f**king reason I’ve just become the centre of all evil for you and the group of people …</p> <p>“You’ve got a young child, I’ve got a f**king family, I want to move on, I’m so sick of f**king army, the unit and all the bulls**t. Just remember I was minding my own business, just trying to do my job, and I get attacked by all these f**king journalists. I haven’t spoken a word about it to anyone in the unit.”</p> <p>On June 1 Roberts-smith lost his lengthy defamation trial against Nine newspapers’ The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times.</p> <p>Following the verdict, The Australian War Memorial has faced calls to <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">remove the decorated soldier’s uniform</a> from its display.</p> <p>The 22-week trial saw 32 current and former SAS members provide evidence.</p> <p>One of the 32, known as “Person Y”, who has never spoken to the media, appeared anonymously on 60 Minutes on June 4.</p> <p>“You don’t win insurgencies on body counts, yet here is a guy who thinks he’s going to win the war by killing as many people as possible,” he told the program.</p> <p>“We are not above the law, we are not above the rules of engagement, but I think for him he felt he was above all that, that the rules don’t apply. Many people are having a hard time reconciling the fact that someone they thought was a national hero is in fact the complete opposite, proven to be a bully, a liar and a murderer.</p> <p>“It’s a tough pill to swallow, especially for a country that’s believed the lies for so long.</p> <p>“I think they thought they were above the law, that they were not going to be caught, that it was a free-for-all.</p> <p>“I think I could say on behalf of every guy who took the witness stand that none of us wanted to be there, that’s just not who we are.”</p> <p>One day after the verdict was reached, Seven CEO James Warburton revealed Roberts-Smith had resigned from the network.</p> <p>“We thank Ben for his commitment to Seven and wish him all the best,” he said.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

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"He was a mess": Harry's drunken behaviour outed by ex-soldier

<p dir="ltr">A former soldier has revealed Prince Harry accidentally triggered a panic alarm at St James’s Palace after a drunken night out.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Duke of Sussex reportedly stumbled into a sentry box when he returned from a night out, banging into the emergency response button.</p> <p dir="ltr">Three armed soldiers from the Guards Division dashed out to find Harry, who was 27 at the time, on the floor in a “mess”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Two armed police officers also attended the scene and helped carry the young prince back to his apartment.</p> <p dir="ltr">A former soldier, who served in the Guards Division and was part of the Quick Response Force that found Harry, revealed how the Prince was “blind drunk”.</p> <p dir="ltr">He recalled, “He was a mess, he was on the floor drooling on himself.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“When we tried to get him up he was uncooperative and abusive.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The ex-soldier, who did not want to be named, said, “It was around midnight. An alarm went off in the guard room, but we’d never heard it before.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“One of the senior lads said it was one of the sentry boxes.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Within a couple of minutes three of us who were in the QRF were out the door. There were two Met Police guys there as well.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“But instead of an intruder or terrorist, we found Prince Harry.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“He was slurring his words, not making any sense.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“When we tried to pick him up he started yelling, ‘Get off me, I don’t need any help’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“He was pushing us off and being very abusive.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The source said they took him inside and up to his apartment – which was in a “right state”.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said, “It was like student digs, it was sh*t.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“The double bed was unmade, there were clothes and socks over the floor, cans of lager and dirty coffee cups lying around and packs of cigs.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He said the team carried Harry to his bed where the royal “passed out” and was left to sleep it off.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said, “We all had a good laugh and a joke about it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The ex-soldier, an injured veteran with more than a decade’s service, came forward about the incident after becoming enraged by claims Harry made in his memoir <em>Spare</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said the Prince had a reputation among military circles for being a “social hand grenade” who would often make trouble with his drunken antics.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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“We will miss you brother”: Kiwi soldier killed in Ukraine identified

<p dir="ltr">A New Zealand soldier who died in Ukraine fighting alongside other foreign troops in the International Legion has been remembered by fellow soldiers as “strong, hardcore and handsome”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Corporal Dominic Abelen was fighting on the frontline in the east of Ukraine while on leave away from the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and not on active duty, as reported by the <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/russia-ukraine-war-off-duty-new-zealand-soldier-dominic-abelen-killed-in-ukraine/M45ZWJEZ47I2Z5XD4Q44KNJFD4/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 30-year-old soldier was based at Burnham Military Camp, outside Christchurch, with the Royal New Zealand Regiment’s 2nd/1st Battalion.</p> <p dir="ltr">“At this early stage, there is still more information to be gathered in order to understand the circumstances fully,” the NZDF said in a statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">Brigadier Rose King, the Acting Chief of Army, said <a href="https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/news/further-details-released-on-nzdf-soldier-reportedly-killed-in-ukraine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in a statement</a> that their efforts would be concentrated on supporting Abelen’s family and NZDF personnel.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Any loss of one of our whānau (‘family’) is deeply felt across the New Zealand Defence Force. We are concentrating our efforts on supporting Corporal Abelen’s loved ones and our personnel as they grieve,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">His family have requested not to be approached by the media, with his father, Bryce, sharing a statement with the NZDF.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Dominic was in the New Zealand Army for 10 years but never got to fight for his country,” Bryce said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He didn't tell us he was going to Ukraine until he was there. He knew we would talk him out of it. He also knew the risks of going there but still went to fight for them.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That is Dominic, always thinking of helping others.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We understand why he went and hold no grudge against the NZ or Ukraine Army and fully support what he did.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Dominic loved being in the army, the life-long friends he made there.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There has been relentless support from half the Burnham Military Camp that knew him, as well as personnel from overseas.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A kind, gentle man with the most infectious smile that you couldn't help but smile back.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He had a love of the outdoors and did a lot of tramping. He spent his holidays travelling around New Zealand and the world.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I'm extremely proud of my children and especially Dominic for standing up and doing what he thought was right. He leaves a massive hole in all our hearts.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Abelen’s siblings describing him as “the most amazing human being”, the “buffest” member of their family, and that he had “the biggest heart to match”.</p> <p dir="ltr">A former NZDF soldier who is also fighting with Ukraine’s International Legion paid tribute to his fallen comrade, describing him as “a warrior until the end”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The bro was anything but scenery. Strong, hardcore, handsome but extremely humble,” he wrote online.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Best believe he died doing what he loved and was extremely good at.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We will miss you brother. So much. You have left a hole that we are feeling and we could never hope to fill.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Sources have since told the <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/russia-ukraine-war-off-duty-new-zealand-soldier-dominic-abelen-killed-fighting-re-taking-trench-in-ukraine/26EVXCDFPOAROXLSARVPKIZSQU/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Herald</a></em> that Abelen was involved in a joint operation to retake the frontline of a trench network and was instantly killed in a firefight during a dawn assault.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another American fighter is also said to have died.</p> <p dir="ltr">Defence Minister Peeni Henare expressed his condolences to Abelen’s family, friends, and colleagues.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have been advised the New Zealand Army are supporting the soldier’s family through this difficult time,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Tenby Powell, the former commanding officer of the NZDF who is currently in Ukraine undertaking humanitarian work, said he was asked by Abelen’s family to bring him home.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though he didn’t go into the details surrounding the soldier’s death, he told Today FM that the family were distraught.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s a very sad day here in Ukraine, not just for New Zealanders but for everyone,” Powell said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve talked to a family member they have asked me and I have agreed to go and get him. We need to do this in a very respectful and expedient manner. I have given the family my assurances that he will be well looked after all the way back.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The critically-important thing is to ensure that he is recovered and brought back in a way where he is looked after for the entire trip back to New Zealand.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Powell intended to drape the New Zealand flag over the coffin for the trip home and ensure that Abelen had all the care a person serving in the defence force warranted.</p> <p dir="ltr">Abelen would be taken first through Warsaw, then Ukraine and on to New Zealand.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We are determined to bring him out. He will come out and he will be looked after all the way,” Powell said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The soldier’s passing comes after the New Zealand government announced that a further 120 NZDF personnel would be sent to Britain to help train Ukrainian soldiers, on top of the 30 personnel deployed in May.</p> <p dir="ltr">"New Zealand has been clear that we will continue to answer the call of Ukraine for practical support as they defend their homeland and people against Russia's unjustified invasion," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on August 15.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We know that one of the highest priorities for Ukraine right now, is to train its soldiers, and New Zealand is proud to stand in solidarity alongside a number of other countries to answer that call."</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-936352a7-7fff-fcbe-1d7f-0f92419aff13"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: NZDF</em></p>

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Senior soldier confirms Ben Roberts-Smith’s story, contradicts another

<p dir="ltr">A senior SAS soldier has testified in the defamation case launched by Ben Roberts-Smith, backing claims made by the veteran but contradicting another of his key witnesses.</p> <p dir="ltr">The soldier, referred to as Person 81, began his evidence in the Federal Court on Wednesday and is likely to be the last of 40 witnesses called by Mr Roberts-Smith in the year-long trial against Nine newspapers.</p> <p dir="ltr">The court heard that Person 81 was heading a patrol of a Taliban compound known as Whiskey 108 in Afghanistan’s Uruzgan province in 2009.</p> <p dir="ltr">The newspapers alleged in their defence that two men who were found in a tunnel in Whiskey 108 were killed, with one elderly man being shot by a “rookie” on Mr Roberts-Smith’s orders, and the other, who had a prosthetic leg, being shot by Mr Roberts-Smith with a machine gun.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, Mr Roberts-Smith denied the allegations as impossible and that “there were no men in the tunnel”. He said he shot and killed the man with the prosthetic leg, who was armed and running, outside the compound.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 43-year-old said the elderly man was also killed outside the compound by another soldier who was unknown to him.</p> <p dir="ltr">Person 81 backed up these claims, telling the court he heard no engagements at Whiskey 108 and wasn’t told of any insurgents being killed. He testified that he entered the compound after SAS troops stormed and secured the site, and that he saw Afghan civilians inside.</p> <p dir="ltr">He also said he saw “body parts” amongst “rocket paraphernalia” in the rubble.</p> <p dir="ltr">Defence barrister Arthur Moses SC, representing Mr Roberts-Smith, asked Person 81: “Did you see any engagements in the Whiskey 108 compound after the compound was declared cleared?”<br />“No,” Person 81 answered.</p> <p dir="ltr">Moses: “Do you recall hearing any engagements while you were in the compound?”<br />Person 81: “No.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Moses: “Do you recall reports of any engagements?”<br />Person 81: “No.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Person 81 also said he “would have reported it” when asked if any members of his troop had told him that unlawful activity had occurred that day, as reported by <em><a href="https://7news.com.au/news/crime/senior-sas-officer-backs-ben-roberts-smith-c-7017617" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though his testimony supports Mr Roberts-Smith’s claims, it contradicts evidence given by Person 5, Mr Roberts-Smith’s patrol commander, who said he heard gunshots from outside the compound during a “rendezvous (RV) meeting” with other patrol and troop commanders.</p> <p dir="ltr">Person 5 told the court he discovered Mr Roberts-Smith killing an insurgent, who was later discovered to be the man with the prosthetic leg, and returned to the meeting after he confirmed the man was killed in action (KIA).</p> <p dir="ltr">“When you went back to the RV meeting, did you say anything to Person 81 or anybody else?” Mr Moses asked Person 5 during his testimony.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I informed Person 81 there were two KIA on the north-west corner of the compound,” Person 5 said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though it is undisputed that the two men were killed during the raid on Whiskey 108, the question of whether they were legitimately killed or unlawfully killed as prisoners has become a point of contention during the trial.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Roberts-Smith and five other soldiers have said no men were found in the tunnel, while another five said there were men in the tunnel.</p> <p dir="ltr">Person 4, another soldier who is alleged to have shot the elderly men on Mr Roberts-Smith’s order, has also refused to testify on grounds of self-incrimination.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-668a94c1-7fff-8f9a-6e90-a35aed6d53e5"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Most of Person 81’s evidence was concealed behind a closed courtroom on Wednesday, and he is due to continue his testimony on Thursday before Justice Anthony Besanko.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Chloé: how a 19th-century French nude ended up in a Melbourne pub – and became an icon for Australian soldiers

<p>Chloé, the French nude by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Joseph_Lefebvre">Jules Joseph Lefebvre</a>, is an Australian cultural icon. </p> <p>Chloé made its debut at the 1875 Paris Salon and won medals at the 1879 Sydney and 1880 Melbourne international exhibitions. In December 1880, Thomas Fitzgerald, a Melbourne surgeon, bought Chloé for his private collection. </p> <p>Two years later, when Fitzgerald loaned Chloé to the National Gallery of Victoria, a furious debate erupted in the press. Public opinion was <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/224814361">sharply divided</a> over the propriety of displaying a French nude painting on the Sabbath.</p> <p>Chloé spent the next three years at the Adelaide Picture Gallery, before Fitzgerald <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/94392855">removed her</a> from the public gaze.</p> <p>After the surgeon’s death in 1908, Henry Figsby Young bought Chloé for £800 and hung the famous nude in the saloon bar of Young and Jackson Hotel, opposite Flinders Street Station in Melbourne. </p> <p>Enjoying a drink with Chloé at the hotel has been a good luck ritual for Australian soldiers since the first world war. </p> <h2>Longing for her lover</h2> <p>According to the 1875 Paris Salon catalogue, Chloé depicts the water nymph in “Mnasyle et Chloé” by 18th century poet martyr <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Ch%C3%A9nier">André Chénier</a>. Toes dipped in a puddling stream, longing and heartache etched on her lovely features, she listens for the voice of her lover. </p> <p>Chloé was created in the winter of 1874-75. France was still rebuilding after its defeat in the <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/the-franco-prussian-war-150-years-on">Franco Prussian War</a> and the Versailles government’s brutal repression of the revolutionary <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWrnGZ_975I">Paris Commune</a>. </p> <p>Newspapers in France and around the world described women who supported the Commune as lethal <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A9troleuses">pétroleuses</a>, or petrol carriers. The women were often blamed for destructive acts of arson carried out by Versailles troops during <a href="https://www.historytoday.com/miscellanies/paris-communes-bloody-week">The Bloody Week</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://index-journal.org/issues/identity/evanescence-of-an-artist-s-model-by-katrina-kell">Jules Lefebvre claimed</a> his working class model for Chloé was involved with former Communards. She may have fought alongside other girls and women, and witnessed the widespread bloodshed that stained the streets of Paris red in 1871. </p> <p>This volatile chapter in French history has been absent from <a href="https://index-journal.org/issues/identity/evanescence-of-an-artist-s-model-by-katrina-kell">Chloé mythologies</a>. But Chloé was painted in the wake of war and revolution and of women’s inspiring activism, as women challenged the class and gender barriers that had limited their opportunities.</p> <h2>Chloé and the Australian soldier</h2> <p>The ritual of having a drink with Chloé at Young and Jackson Hotel, opposite <a href="https://heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/get-involved/tours/melbourne-at-war-hidden-histories-1914-18-audio-tour/melbourne-at-war-stop-2a/">Melbourne’s busiest railway station</a>, began after <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89096318">Private A. P. Hill</a>, who was killed in action, put a message in a bottle and tossed it overboard. </p> <p>When the bottle was found in New Zealand in January 1918, his message read, "To the finder of this bottle. Take it to Young and Jackson’s, fill it, and keep it till we return from the war."</p> <p>The <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article148561880">hotel and Chloé</a> proved irresistible for returning soldiers.</p> <p>By the start of the second world war, Chloé and Young and Jackson’s were so enmeshed in military mythology they were included in the 2/21st Australian Infantry Battalion’s <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11305333">official march song</a>: "Good-by Young and Jackson’s, Farewell Chloé too, It’s a long way to Bonegilla, But we’ll get there on stew."</p> <p>Tragically, on February 2 1942, the B and C Companies of the 2/21st Australian Infantry Battalion were massacred by Japanese forces at Laha Airfield on the Indonesian island of Ambon. Those who weren’t killed became prisoners of war. </p> <p>After Japan’s surrender in 1945, the Australian prisoners’ hopes for liberation were frustrated when Japanese officers refused to give them radio access. </p> <p>When they finally got a radio transmitter their SOS message was received on the neighbouring island of Morotai. The men were asked questions to prove they were “dinki-di Aussies”. </p> <p>One of the first questions Melbourne soldier John Van Nooten <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23494802-ambon">was asked was</a> “how would you like to see Chloé again?” </p> <p>When Van Nooten replied “Lead me to her”, the operator asked “where is she?” </p> <p>Van Nooten responded with Young and Jackson’s, finally convincing the operator he was Australian.</p> <h2>A soldier’s consolation</h2> <p>In his 1945 article <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/38559150">Seein’ Chloé</a>, West Australian journalist Peter Graeme claimed, "Chloé is to Melbourne what the Bridge is to Sydney. From the soldier’s point of view of course. All over Australia you meet men who have seen her […] Chloé belongs to the Australian soldier."</p> <p>Graeme recalled meeting a soldier at Young and Jackson’s who drained three drinks in front of Chloé. When he asked the soldier why he drank the beers in quick succession, the soldier said he was honouring a promise he and two mates had made to Chloé. </p> <p>The three of them had pledged to have a drink with her when they returned to Melbourne. His two friends never returned, buried at Scarlet Beach in New Guinea.</p> <p>As Graeme concluded in his poignant tale, Chloé may have been, "the symbol of the feminine side of his life. That part which he puts away from him, except in his inarticulate dreams."</p> <p>The soldier’s grief for the mates he lost, and the comfort drinking with the painting gave him, seems to resonate with the longing in Chloé’s melancholy expression, and the war-torn history behind this celebrated Melbourne icon.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared in <a href="https://theconversation.com/chloe-how-a-19th-century-french-nude-ended-up-in-a-melbourne-pub-and-became-an-icon-for-australian-soldiers-180032" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation. </a></em></p>

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Russia 0, Door 1: Soldier’s shocking defeat blows up online

<p dir="ltr">As the Russian invasion of Ukraine wages on, a battle between a Russian soldier and a door has <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/russia-ukraine-war-hapless-russian-soldier-loses-fight-against-door/I246LNFUTCXAE3Q2OVUSJ34Y7A/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resulted</a> in a crushing defeat.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3530fd72-7fff-6d10-7117-ac550587562f"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">A clip of the incident from Yeshiva World News reported Moshe Schwartz has gone viral online, with the interaction dubbed the Battle of Techno House.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">At the Battle of Techno House, the door secured a decisive victory against Russian forces <a href="https://t.co/QnMowf5T7l">https://t.co/QnMowf5T7l</a></p> <p>— 🇺🇦 Sid Chambers, PhD 🇺🇦 (@ArtfulTakedown) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArtfulTakedown/status/1499180997526663174?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The soldier, reportedly in Kherson, Ukraine, is seen attempting to gain access into a store.</p> <p dir="ltr">When his first attempts fail, the soldier smashes the glass on the door but that also fails.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-9c2b14f1-7fff-8297-db3c-24dce3d9498e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Seemingly exasperated, the soldier tugs on the door handle before accepting defeat and walking away.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Geolocation confirmed.</p> <p>46.65046, 32.60758 <a href="https://t.co/bfjntnsPsG">https://t.co/bfjntnsPsG</a> <a href="https://t.co/fYUZxlLZGo">pic.twitter.com/fYUZxlLZGo</a></p> <p>— GeoConfirmed (@GeoConfirmed) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeoConfirmed/status/1499153094076153860?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The soldier, reportedly in Kherson, Ukraine, is seen attempting to gain access into a store.</p> <p dir="ltr">When his first attempts fail, the soldier smashes the glass on the door but that also fails.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3ae3c580-7fff-901d-3f62-401101382f21"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Seemingly exasperated, the soldier tugs on the door handle before accepting defeat and walking away.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/03/FM3zsz5WYA0bOOl.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="1176" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>A Wikipedia page was allegedly created documenting the incident. Image: <a href="https://twitter.com/SwarmDMX/status/1499122912493809670" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a></em></p> <p dir="ltr">The page said the incident ended with a “decisive” victory for the door, and that casualties and losses included “ammunition, pride and a window”.</p> <p dir="ltr">One video of the incident was viewed more than a million times in one hour and attracted thousands of comments joking about an otherwise grim situation.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-e6c0c3df-7fff-57b8-c599-f42aa0b7a7b1"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">It comes as Russian forces have captured the strategically significant hub of Kherson, the first to be captured since the invasion began last week.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

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SAS soldier claims Ben Roberts-Smith catapulted unarmed man off cliff

<p dir="ltr">A former SAS soldier <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-28/ben-roberts-smith-trial-hears-more-evidence-from-afghanistan/100856732" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has said</a> he witnessed Ben Roberts-Smith kick and “catapult” an unarmed, handcuffed Afghan man over a slope before he was killed while testifying before a Sydney court.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Roberts-Smith launched a defamation case against The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Canberra Times early last year over several articles he claims contained false allegations of unlawful killings, domestic violence, and bullying.</p> <p dir="ltr">The trial has continued with the testimony of Person 4, a former Special Air Services soldier who was with Mr Roberts-Smith during a 2012 September mission in Darwan, in relation to a central allegation in the case.</p> <p dir="ltr">Person 4 told the court on Monday that an Afghan man with a donkey was searched, questioned and taken prisoner, becoming a PUC (person under control) of the Australian soldiers.</p> <p dir="ltr">The witness said he later saw the handcuffed man being held by a colleague referred to in court as Person 11, with his back towards a slope.</p> <p dir="ltr">“At the same time, I noticed Ben Roberts-Smith, he had walked to a position maybe three to four metres away,” Person 4 said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As I was trying to understand what was happening, he turned around and walked forward and kicked the individual in the chest.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The individual was catapulted backwards and fell down the slope.<br />“I saw the individual’s face strike a large rock and sustain a serious injury. He had knocked out a number of his teeth, including his front teeth.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Person 4 said he was “in shock” and that the man, who was injured and lying at the bottom of the slope in a dry creek bed, failed to sit up.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said Mr Roberts-Smith directed him and Person 11 to grab the man “and start to drag him” towards a tree.</p> <p dir="ltr">At that point, Person 4 said Mr Roberts-Smith and Person 11 had a “quick conversation” which he didn’t hear and was followed by two to three shots.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though he didn’t witness the shots, Person 4 turned around to see Person 11 in a “position to shoot”.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said that when the man’s body was photographed, there was an ICOM radio next to him. However, he said he didn’t see how it got there and that the man didn’t have it when he was being questioned.</p> <p dir="ltr">When he noticed the radio was “slightly wet” and had a fogged-up screen, he said, “It dawned on me that I did know where it had come from.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Person 4 previously told the court that Mr Roberts-Smith took items off a dead enem prior to their arrival in Darwan, including a detonation cord and a radio - which he carried while crossing a river to return to the patrol.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Roberts-Smith has previously told the court that a suspected Taliban “spotter” was killed that day in a cornfield, but has denied other details including that he was kicked off a cliff.</p> <p dir="ltr">Person 4 claimed that Mr Roberts-Smith later outlined a “story” to him, Person 11, and a third colleague referred to as Person 56, about the man and the slope.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Your Honour, it was words to the effect of ‘the story is that we engaged a spotter whilst moving to our HLS’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The trial will continue before Justice Anthony Besanko.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Queen Elizabeth soldiers on despite Covid diagnosis

<p dir="ltr">Despite her diagnosis of COVID-19, Queen Elizabeth II is still performing her royal duties in a promising sign that her symptoms may not be too serious.</p> <p dir="ltr">The monarch <a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/royals/queen-elizabeth-tests-positive-to-covid-19-signs-personal-message-to-winter-olympics-team/385681fe-ab37-461e-98b4-1c88e9e56834" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tested positive</a> to the virus over a week after she was in contact with Prince Charles, who contracted Covid for the second time.</p> <p dir="ltr">Buckingham Palace released a statement confirming Her Majesty’s diagnosis over the weekend, noting she was experiencing “mild cold-like symptoms” so far.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week,” the statement read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Soon after the statement was released, Buckingham Palace also said the Queen had signed a personal message congratulating Team GB’s men’s and women’s Curling teams, after they claimed silver and gold respectively at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.</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/CaM99bnsoFf/?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/CaM99bnsoFf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“I send my warmest congratulations to the Team GB Women’s Curling team on your outstanding performance in winning the Gold Medal at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, following the Silver Medal achieved by the Men’s Curling team yesterday,” the Queen said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I know that your local communities and people throughout the United Kingdom will join me in sending our good wishes to you, your coaches and the friends and family who have supported you in your great success.”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to <em><a href="https://www.itv.com/news/2022-02-20/the-queen-tests-positive-for-covid-and-is-experiencing-mild-cold-like-symptoms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ITV</a></em>, several members of the Windsor Castle team have also been diagnosed with COVID-19.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 95-year-old monarch met with her son on February 8, two days before it was announced that he tested positive to the virus.</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/queens-health-fears-after-close-contact-meeting-with-charles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">At the time</a>, Buckingham Palace declined to confirm whether the Queen had tested positive or negative.</p> <p dir="ltr">She went on to hold various engagements, including a face-to-face audience with UK Defence Services Secretary Major General Eldon Millar and his predecessor where she appeared stiff on her feet and said she <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/i-cant-move-queens-first-visit-since-covid-scare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“can’t move”</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Queen is understood to be triple vaccinated and under the care of the Royal Household’s medical team, including Professor Sir Huw Thomas, head of the Medical Household and Physician to the Queen.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">I’m sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from Covid and a rapid return to vibrant good health.</p> <p>— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1495383017786945536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">British Prime Minister Boris Johnson took to Twitter to wish for the Queen’s swift recovery, writing: “I’m sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from Covid and a rapid return to vibrant good health.”</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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SAS soldier claims Ben Roberts-Smith threatened to shoot him in the head

<p dir="ltr">A former soldier who served alongside Ben Roberts-Smith <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/ben-roberts-smith-defamation-trial-new-witness-claims-bullying-death-threat/7df734b2-d86b-44c5-ab2d-a57f1e26a7d3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has testified</a> in the SAS soldier’s ongoing defamation trial, claiming Roberts-Smith bullied and threatened to kill him during their time serving together.</p> <p dir="ltr">The soldier, known as Person 1, told the Federal Court he was a victim of a seven-year intimidation campaign while giving evidence for Nine newspapers.</p> <p dir="ltr">During the trial, the court heard of a mistake Person 1 made during a 2006 mission in the Chora Valley, with the same mission seeing Mr Roberts-Smith receiving a Medal for Gallantry for single-handedly fighting off 16 Taliban insurgents.</p> <p dir="ltr">Person 1 admitted that his machine gun jammed at least three times during the mission because he forgot to bring his weapon oil.</p> <p dir="ltr">His error later prompted a commanding officer to issue him a warning for “not performing to standard”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The incident was followed by several alleged run-ins between Person 1 and Mr Roberts-Smith which the witness claimed became threats.</p> <p dir="ltr">“[He] said words to the effect of ‘if your performance doesn’t improve on the next patrol, you’re gonna get a bullet in the back of the head’,” Person 1 said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nine’s barrister Nicholas Owens SC <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-17/soldier-tells-oourt-ben-roberts-smith-threatened-to-shoot-him/100833982" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> the witness what he understood Mr Roberts-Smith to mean by that comment, to which Person 1 replied: “That he was going to shoot me in the back of the head on the next patrol if my performance doesn’t improve”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Person 1 told the court he lodged a formal complaint about the remark, which he said led to another confrontation.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If you’re going to make accusations **** you better have some f***ing proof,” he claimed Mr Roberts-Smith said to him.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Not only did I have to worry about the Taliban, but I also had to look over my own back at my own people,” Person 1 told the court.</p> <p dir="ltr">He also claimed that even after he switched patrols and climbed the ranks, Mr Roberts-Smith described him to other soldiers as “incompetent” and a “coward”.</p> <p dir="ltr">When they entered mediation in 2013, the soldiers agreed to disagree and shook hands.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Roberts-Smith has denied the claims while giving evidence last year and said Person “just wasn’t a very good soldier”.</p> <p dir="ltr">He also accused the witness of attempting to “cover up his poor performance”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The soldier’s testimony comes as part of Mr Roberts-Smith’s defamation trial, in which he is suing Nine newspapers over articles alleging he is a war criminal.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: 9News</em></p>

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Letter from soldier delivered to widow after 76 years

<p>After 76 long years, a heartfelt letter form the battlefield has finally been delivered.</p> <p>Angelina Gonsalves received the letter in an unexpected delivery form the US Postal Service, which was written by her late husband while he was deployed overseas in 1945.</p> <p>Written by 22-year-old Sergeant John Gonsalves while stationed in Germany, the soldier wrote the letter to his mother to check in on his family and let them know he was believed to be coming home to Massachusetts soon.</p> <p>The letter was dated December 6th 1945, and was never delivered to his mother.</p> <p>Instead, it was delivered to his widow 76 years and three days later.</p> <p>"I got to read it and it was wonderful," Angelina Gonsalves, of Woburn, Massachusetts, told CNN on Wednesday. "It is in really good condition. I was amazed by that myself."</p> <p>When John wrote the letter, he and Angelina has not yet met. </p> <p>The pair married in 1953, eight years after the war, and had five sons together, before John died in 2015 at age 92. </p> <p>In the two page letter to his mother, who shared the same name as his wife, John discusses the "lousy" options for food and the horrible winter weather, claiming where he was stationed has not seen the sun in weeks. </p> <p>He closes the letter by sending love to his family, before signing and sealing the note and attaching a six cent stamp. </p> <p>"It was a joy to see her face light up reading his words," Brian Gonsalves, Angelina and John's son, told CNN.</p> <p>"To be able to see her read something he wrote and look back at that history, it's something she'll always have now."</p> <p>It is unclear where the letter had been hiding all this time, but it was found at the USPS Pittsburgh processing centre late last year. </p> <p>Dedicated employees at the centre understood the importance of the late soldier's letter, and started to track down John's next of kin to deliver the piece of history. </p> <p>"We are aware of the passing of your husband in 2015 (our condolences)," reads a letter from the USPS, which was sent with John's letter.</p> <p>"By virtue of some dedicated sleuth work by postal employees at this facility, we were able to determine your address, hence this letter delivery to you, albeit 76 years delayed. Due to the age and significance to your family history, delivering this letter was of utmost importance to us."</p> <p>The letter was delivered to Angelina just before Christmas, which her son said made the perfect gift. </p> <p>"It felt like he came back for the holiday season," he said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: CNN</em></p>

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Ben Roberts-Smith’s ex-wife ‘caught lying under oath,’ court told

<p>Ben Roberts-Smith’s lawyers have told a court they have ‘proof’ his former wife, Emma Roberts, was lying about a crucial matter in his high-profile defamation case</p> <p>The former elite soldier is suing Nine newspapers for defamation over a series of articles alleging he committed war crimes in Afghanistan and domestic violence – all of which he denies.</p> <p>But Roberts-Smith is also suing his former wife in a separate case.</p> <p>Roberts-Smith claims his ex-wife released his private communications to Nine ahead of the defamation trial.</p> <p>Ms Roberts, in sworn affidavits, denied she had given her friend Danielle Scott access to the email accounts and leaked emails.</p> <p>But the SAS veteran‘s legal team this week told the Federal Court they had objective proof that was a lie.</p> <p>“The only person who had access to that (Roberts-Smith) email was an email address associated with Ms Danielle Scott or her husband,” the soldier’s barrister Arthur Moses SC said on Wednesday.</p> <p>“(Ms Roberts) has been caught out lying on the objective evidence,” he added.</p> <p>Mr Moses said Telstra and website records showed the email address from the Scotts was used to access the soldier’s email at least 101 times.</p> <p>This allowed Nine to become “armed” with “private and confidential” information for their defamation defence, Moses said.</p> <p><strong>The court may now bring Ms Roberts in for questioning</strong></p> <p>Moses told the court Ms Roberts may now be brought into court for examination.</p> <p>Ms Roberts’ own lawyer acknowledged there was evidence Scott had accessed the email but said there was no proof Ms Roberts had given Scott access.</p> <p>Further, her lawyer Jason Murakami told the court that Roberts-Smith had never been able to show what information had been leaked to Nine.</p> <p>“Never once has (Roberts-Smith) been able to refer the court to the confidential information he says he’s trying to protect,” Murakami said on Wednesday.</p> <p>The lifelong friendship between Scott and Ms Roberts has been an enduring front in the legal battle after it emerged Ms Roberts would testify against her former husband.</p> <p>Nine accused Roberts-Smith of burying USBs containing important evidence in the backyard of his matrimonial home and returning to collect them after separating from his wife.</p> <p>Last month the courts were shown images of what appeared to be freshly disturbed earth at the Roberts-Smith Queensland home.</p> <p>The court was told Scott and Ms Roberts had dug up the USBs and copied their contents.</p> <p>Text messages between Scott and Ms Roberts have also been aired in court showing intimate discussions of Roberts-Smith’s relationship with another woman.</p> <p>The SAS veteran denies it was an affair, insisting he struck up the chaotic relationship with the woman as his marriage quietly disintegrated in 2017.</p> <p>Nine claims Roberts-Smith pressured his wife to lie about the time they separated to protect his public image.</p> <p>The defamation trial is expected to resume in November after being delayed because of Sydney’s COVID outbreak.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</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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Army puts 13 soldiers on notice over war crimes report

<p>The Australian Army has issued 13 soldiers with administrative notices that could see their service with the military terminated over last week’s IGADF Afghanistan Inquiry.</p> <p>Chief of Army Lieutenant-General Rick Burr revealed that those who received a notice now have 14 days to respond to the claims.</p> <p>"Each matter and individual circumstance will be considered on a case-by-case basis," Lieutenant-General Burr said.</p> <p>"It is essential that privacy be respected and that procedural fairness is followed, and that no further comment be made until the process is complete."</p> <p>Last week the IGADF Afghanistan Inquiry found there was “credible information” that Australian special forces soldiers killed 39 civilians or prisoners in the Afghanistan War</p> <p>The Chief of Army was grilled during a press conference, with questions he declined to answer as reporters demanded to know whether he has plans to resign.</p> <p>“We have seen generals in Japan hanged for war crimes that they had no knowledge of,’’ the reporter asked. “Can you tell me why you shouldn’t resign?”</p> <p>But the Chief of Army chose not to answer the question.</p> <p>“There is a process to be followed here. We’ve received the inquiry one week ago,’’ he replied.</p> <p>“We need to follow a very deliberate, very methodical and very fair process, ensuring that we respect every individual’s privacy and right of reply. This will take time.”</p>

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Elite Sydney school issues “extraordinary” apology to student in newspaper

<p>An elite Sydney private school has issued a public apology to a student who was sexually abused by one of its teachers.</p> <p>Sydney Grammar School took out an advertisement on page three of the<span> </span><em>Sydney Morning Herald</em><span> </span>on Saturday, saying it was “deeply sorry” and to apologise “unreservedly” to the former student and his family.</p> <p>The teacher was found guilty in May 2017 for multiple counts of sexual intercourse with a student over a period of three months in 2016 when she was employed at Sydney Grammar School.</p> <p>She was sentenced to seven months behind bars in early 2018 and has since been released from custody.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">What an extraordinary apology on page 3 of the ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/smh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SMH</a>⁩ <a href="https://t.co/EwKZeGlDbg">pic.twitter.com/EwKZeGlDbg</a></p> — Kate McClymont (@Kate_McClymont) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kate_McClymont/status/1177712880193400832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">27 September 2019</a></blockquote> <p>In its apology, the school said that in reporting the abuse he dealt with, the student had shown “enormous bravery” and that it was grateful he had plucked up the courage in “impossible circumstances” to make sure other students remain safe.</p> <p>“The abuse of male students by female teachers is just as serious, and damaging, as the abuse of female students by male teachers,” it read.</p> <p>“The abuse … had and continues to have a profoundly harmful impact on the student.”</p> <p>The school revealed that they had reviewed their policies and procedures after the crime took place as they failed to recognise the abuse at the time.</p> <p>For legal reasons, the student’s identity remains undisclosed.</p> <p>Many have applauded the school for the move, saying it’s the perfect way to apologise for their mistakes.</p> <p>“This should become the benchmark for apologies,” said Kristin Ferguson, Deputy Chair and the ABC on Twitter.</p> <p>“A very effective example of acknowledging failings, articulating in detail why the victim was so brave &amp; the courageous steps he took, then detailing the changes they have made. I hope it serves as a future example for others.”</p>

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Australia’s most celebrated soldier under investigation over “appalling” allegations

<p><span>Australia’s most decorated former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith is under investigation by the Australian Federal Police for a potential war crime against an Afghan farmer.</span></p> <p><span>Roberts-Smith, a Victoria Cross and Medal of Gallantry recipient, has been accused of kicking handcuffed farmer and father Ali Jan off a cliff in the Afghan village of Darwan in September 2012, according to a report by <em>The Age, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/ben-roberts-smith-under-police-investigation-for-kicking-handcuffed-afghan-off-small-cliff-20190910-p52pys.html">The Sydney Morning Herald</a> </em>and <em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/ben-roberts-smith-australia-s-most-decorated-soldier-investigated-over-death-of-farmer-in-afghanistan/1283c713-63d8-48e0-a287-60ee39548e85">60 Minutes</a></em>. </span></p> <p><span>Sources from the Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) said Roberts-Smith was also present when the decision was made for another soldier to shoot dead the injured detainee.</span></p> <p><span>Two weeks before the farmer’s death, Afghan army sergeant Hekmatullah killed three Australian soldiers in a shooting.</span></p> <p><span>The SAS was searching for Hekmatullah in the Oruzgan province when the unit took fifty men, including Ali Jan, into custody for questioning.</span></p> <p><span>Reporter Nick McKenzie said a witness saw Ali Jan being taken from the compound before being placed on his knees near the edge of a cliff and getting kicked “like a scene from the movie <em>300</em>”.</span></p> <p><span>Under international law, detainees must be treated humanely and protected from violence.</span></p> <p><span>The AFP confirmed that it sent police detectives to Afghanistan earlier this year to collect eyewitness testimony on the role of Australia special forces soldiers in the alleged assault and murder.</span></p> <p><span>Ali Jan’s death is also being investigated by the Inspector-General of the Defence Force in a separate inquiry.</span></p> <p><span>Ali Jan’s wife Bibi Dhorko said the farmer was not involved in any violent crimes, and visited Darwan simply to obtain flour for his family.</span></p> <p><span>“He didn’t side with anyone and never had a gun. He was living in the mountain and doing his work, only going occasionally to the village if we needed any supplies,” she said.</span></p> <p><span>“He was not Taliban. There was no gun. He knew nothing about guns. He hated the Taliban.</span></p> <p><span>“I want justice because I have been widowed ... my children are now helpless.”</span></p> <p><span>Roberts-Smith said he was “<a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/vc-hero-robertssmith-denies-execution-claims/news-story/f14bdc94556bd43068a0ffed6b8aa145">appalled</a>” by the claims made against him and his colleagues in the program and launched a defamation proceeding against Nine as the publisher of the report. </span></p> <p><span>“I categorically deny the allegations made against me in tonight’s <em>60 Minutes</em> program,” he said in a statement.</span></p> <p><span>“I am concerned that tonight’s story and the previous publications by the <em>SMH</em>/<em>Age</em> are an attempt to improperly influence the outcome of the [Inspector-General of the Defence Force] inquiry.”</span></p> <p><span>He said he believed the sources quoted on the program had not witnessed the incident in person. “None of the witnesses on tonight’s broadcast provided any direct evidence of any sort to support their allegations,” he said.</span></p>

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