Australia

Australian former soldier gets bail on Afghanistan war crime charges

Police arrested and charged Ben Roberts-Smith, 47, with five counts of war crimes last week over the murder of five unarmed Afghan civilians between 2009 and 2012.

|ByREUTERS
Former Australian Defence Force soldier Ben Roberts-Smith's parents, Len and Sue Roberts-Smith, leave the Downing Centre Courts after Ben Roberts-Smith was granted bail in Sydney, Australia, April 17, 2026.
Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, react after arriving at Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, following a sail on Sydney Harbour with veterans from the Invictus Australia community, in Sydney, Australia, April 17, 2026.

Prince Harry and Meghan meet survivors of Bondi Beach attack on final day of Australia trip

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke to several survivors, including 40-year-old Elon Zizer, who survived after being shot numerous times while shielding his children.

|ByREUTERS
PEOPLE ATTEND a vigil organised by the Campaign Against Antisemitism and Chabad UK to honour victims of the Bondi attack in Sydney and mark the second night of Hanukkah, in London, Britain, December 15, 2025.

Grapevine, April 10, 2026: Toxic antisemitism

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

|ByGREER FAY CASHMAN
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt points while she holds a press briefing at the White House, in Washington, DC, US, December 1, 2025.

'Victory for the US,' claims WH Press Secretary Leavitt, as world reacts to Iran ceasefire

"From the very beginning of Operation Epic Fury, President Trump estimated this would be a 4-6 week operation," Leavitt said. Countries like Pakistan, Australia, and Egypt welcomed the agreement.

|ByTOBIAS HOLCMAN, REUTERS

Bondi Beach terrorist Naveed Akram loses bid to give family anonymity

Naveed Akram is facing 59 criminal charges, including 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder, and a terror offense, after he opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration last year.

APRIL 2, 2026ByREUTERS
Leonie Gittani, instructing solicitor for alleged Bondi Beach gunman Naveed Akram, speaks to the media as she leaves Downing Centre Local and District Court with Senior Public Defender for New South Wales Richard Wilson SC, in Sydney, Australia, March 17, 2026.

Australian PM Albanese: War's economic shock will be felt for months, urges using public transport

Australia, which imports about 90% of its fuel, has seen petrol prices surge and experienced localized shortages as a result of the US-Israeli war on Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. 

APRIL 1, 2026ByREUTERS
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to the media during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, 30 March, 2026.

Long-term deradicalization in Gaza faces major hurdles - opinion

Efforts to deradicalize Gaza face geographical and political barriers, making lasting change unlikely.

MARCH 28, 2026ByMARTIN SHERMAN
Members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad stand on a street during Eid al-Fitr in Gaza City, last week.

Iranian women’s football team player says she rejected Australia offer

“My homeland is like my mother. If until yesterday, I had a duty to play on the field, from today I am obliged to be in the street beside the people of my country,” she said.

MARCH 22, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
MEMBERS OF the Islamic Republic of Iran team pose prior to the AFC Women's Asian Cup Group A match between South Korea and Iran at Robina Stadium on the Gold Coast, Australia, March 2, 2026.

PM Albanese heckled, booed at Sydney mosque during Eid prayers over Gaza stance

Video images showed protesters interrupting proceedings about 15 minutes after Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke joined worshippers at Lakemba Mosque.

MARCH 20, 2026ByREUTERS
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese leaves Lakemba Mosque after a visit for Eid al-Fitr in Sydney, Australia, March 20, 2026.

Family of Bondi Beach shooting suspect seeks gag order amid vigilante threats

Naveed Akram, 24, is accused of opening fire on a Hanukkah celebration on December 14 in Australia's worst mass shooting in decades.

MARCH 17, 2026ByREUTERS
Leonie Gittani, instructing solicitor for alleged Bondi Beach gunman Naveed Akram, speaks to the media as she leaves Downing Centre Local and District Court with Senior Public Defender for New South Wales Richard Wilson SC, in Sydney, Australia, March 17, 2026.

Iran's FM spox. calls Australia's offer for asylum to Iranian soccer players 'hypocrisy and deceit'

According to Iran Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Barghaei, "What happened in Australia was a clear example of hypocrisy and deceit."

MARCH 16, 2026ByTOBIAS HOLCMAN
Iranian players gesture from the bench during the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Group A match between South Korea and Iran at Robina Stadium on the Gold Coast, Australia, March 2, 2026.

Allies hold back on Hormuz mission as Trump urges coalition amid Iran war turmoil

"I’m demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory because it is their territory," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on the way from Florida to Washington.

MARCH 16, 2026ByREUTERS
US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One on a flight back to Washington March 15, 2026.

Two members of Iranian women's soccer team train at new Australian club after five forgo asylum

Australia had granted humanitarian visas to six players and one support staff member last week from the Iranian squad after they sought asylum over fears of possible persecution upon returning home.

MARCH 16, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS
Iranian Women's national soccer team captain Zahra Ghanbari looks on during the Women's Asian Cup Iran press conference at Robina Stadium on the Gold Coast, Australia, March 1, 2026.

How a US submarine torpedoed an Iranian frigate for first time since WWII during Iran strikes

The March 4 incident in the Indian Ocean marked the first time an American submarine had torpedoed an enemy vessel since the last days of World War II.

MARCH 15, 2026ByJOHN RUDDY/THE DAY/TNS
The US Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner fires a Tomahawk land attack missile in support of Operation Epic Fury attack on Iran from an undisclosed location March 1, 2026.