Australian soldier Ben Roberts-Smith loses war crimes defamation case as judge calls actions 'callous and inhumane' - Sky News

One of Australia's most decorated living war veterans has lost a defamation lawsuit against three newspapers which accused him of war crimes in Afghanistan.

Ben Roberts-Smith had launched legal proceedings against The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Canberra Times over articles they published in 2018.

The papers ran articles accusing the 44-year-old former Australian SAS corporal of unacceptable use of force against unarmed Afghans.

Federal Court judge Anthony Besanko said on Thursday the newspapers had successfully established their reports were substantially true in relation to four of the six murder allegations - all denied by the former special forces corporal.

In one of the cases, the judge said Mr Roberts-Smith's actions were "callous and inhumane".

Mr Roberts-Smith had been seeking unspecified damages from the papers for portraying him as someone who "broke the moral and legal rules of military engagement" in Afghanistan where he served from 2006 to 2012.

He won several top Australian military honours, including the Victoria Cross, for his actions during six tours of Afghanistan before carving out a post-military career as an in-demand public speaker and media executive.

But according to the newspapers, he also played a part in the unlawful killings of six Afghans during his deployment.

The articles, citing other soldiers who said they were there, said Mr Roberts-Smith had shot dead an unarmed Afghan teenage spotter, and kicked a handcuffed man off a cliff before ordering him to be shot dead.

The papers also reported Mr Roberts-Smith had pressured a lower-ranking Australian soldier to execute an elderly, unarmed Afghan to "blood the rookie".

Judge Besanko said the papers had proved these accounts true.

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In another case, the papers reported that Roberts-Smith murdered an Afghan man who had a prosthetic leg and was then "so callous and inhumane that he took the prosthetic leg back to Australia and encouraged his soldiers to use it as a novelty beer drinking vessel", the judge said.

He said the papers also proved that allegation was true.

Publication of the judge's full reasons was delayed until Monday due to national security concerns.

The civil judgment is not a criminal finding of guilt.

James Chessell, managing editor of publishing at the newspapers' owner Nine Entertainment, described the verdict as "a vindication for the brave soldiers of the SAS who served their country with distinction and then had the courage to speak the truth about what happened".

Mr Roberts-Smith, who was not in court for the judgment, claimed the opposition witnesses were fantasists and disgruntled failed soldiers who were jealous of his accolades.

He also put forward former soldiers as witnesses who supported his actions.

His lawyer Arthur Moses told reporters: "We will consider the lengthy judgment that his honour has delivered and look at issues relating to an appeal."

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2023-06-01 07:51:54Z
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Ukraine war latest: Mother and child among dead as ballistic missiles strike Kyiv - The Telegraph

At least three people, including a child, have died in Kyiv after Russian ballistic missiles struck the city during the night.

A 9-year-old girl and her 24-year-old mother were among three people killed in the strikes. A 33-year-old woman also died, Ukraine’s national police said, adding that twelve others were injured.

The death toll was the highest in a single attack on the Ukrainian capital over the past month. The attack also damaged apartment buildings, a medical clinic, a water pipeline and cars.

Ukraine’s General Staff reported that the Air Forces intercepted all 10 missiles, which it identified as Iskander ballistic missiles.

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2023-06-01 08:22:01Z
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House votes to approve McCarthy-Biden deal as opposition collapses - The Independent

US debt ceiling clears key hurdle in the House

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The bipartisan agreement to raise the $31.4trn US debt ceiling forged by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy passed a final vote in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

The bill, which will also implement new federal spending cuts, cleared the chamber with 314 votes in favour of the legislation. It now heads to the Senate.

The narrowness of its passage from committee, which saw two Republicans break ranks to oppose it, underscored the need for Democrats to help it pass the House, where Republicans hold a slim majority of 222 to 213.

After 29 Republicans voted against the rules bill, Democrat lawmakers stepped in and added their votes to ensure that hurdle too was overcome.

Full congressional approval is required before Monday 5 June, when the Treasury Department could run out of funds to pay its debts for the first time in American history.

Party leaders have expressed confidence they will get enough votes to prevail but, should they fail, the Treasury might not be able to cover its payments, or be forced to prioritise, triggering economic chaos.

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What you need to know about the debt ceiling bill?

Weeks of sniping back-and-forth between the White House and the Republican majority in the House of Representatives has finally yielded a deal: America will not default on its debt obligations, should Congress successfully pass the legislation this week.

The new compromise both touches on Republican priorities while also safeguarding Joe Biden’s legislative accomplishments.

As we inch closer to the debt limit deadline, John Bowden explains what leaders in Washington have come up with to break the deadlock.

Stuti Mishra1 June 2023 09:30

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'We’ll get it fixed in two years.': Trump responds to debt ceiling deal

Former president Donald Trump, in his first response to the debt ceiling deal passing, said he plans to get it "properly fixed" in two years, while also praising Kevin McCarthy for getting "something done".

Speaking at WHO radio in Des Moines, Iowa, as lawmakers were wrapping up debate on the House floor before the vote, the former president was asked what he thought about the deal.

“Well, it is what it is," he said in response, according to NBC news.

“It has passed. And I guess I knew it was going to passed … but we’ll get it properly fixed in two years,” Mr Trump added, as the deal was about to be passed.

Host Simon Conway asked Mr Trump about his statement earlier that he’d allow the country to default if there weren’t significant spending cuts.

Mr Trump said: “Well, I would have done that."

"I think it was an opportunity, but they got something done. Kevin [McCarthy] worked really hard," he added.

"I would have taken a different stance, but it’s done. … We’ll get it fixed in two years."

Stuti Mishra1 June 2023 08:30

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McCarthy suggests he'll push for more cuts and work requirements now

At a news conference, Kevin McCarthy suggested that his intention is to pursue additional spending cuts and implement new work requirements leveraging the fact that Democrats have voted for them in the broader debt ceiling deal.

"I think it’s wonderful that they voted for it, because they are now on record, so they can’t sit there and yell, 'This isn’t good.' So I’ll bring something back," he said.

"Let’s get the rest of the IRS agents, let’s get the rest of the work requirements, let’s cut more, because we are in a big debt," Mr McCarthy said.

"This is fabulous. This is one of the best nights I’ve ever been here. I thought it would be hard. I thought it’d be almost impossible just to get to 218. Now I've found there’s a whole new day here. We’ve woken them up."

Stuti Mishra1 June 2023 07:30

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Vote divides California’s Senate candidates

As our correspondent on the ground in the Capitol Wednesday evening points out here, the debt ceiling compromise may become an issue in the California Senate race after two of the leading Democratic candidates voted against the bill — while one, Rep Adam Schiff, supported it.

John Bowden1 June 2023 05:30

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Dan Bishop: Say goodbye to a unified GOP caucus

As the reactions roll in following the House’s passage of the debt ceiling hike, it’s becoming clearer and clearer that Kevin McCarthy has something to worry about.

“He’s blown Republican unity to smithereens,” said Rep Dan Bishop, a conservative member, of the Speaker. “You can put that in terms of trust… It’s just something that is functionally destroyed.”

John Bowden1 June 2023 05:10

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Conservative: My voters want me to oust McCarthy

If Kevin McCarthy is resting on his laurels after Wednesday evening’s vote, he should listen to what House conservatives are saying about his future.

Rep Ken Buck put it plainly to reporters after the debt ceiling compromise passed:

“My constituents are furious and you know what’s so interesting about the calls in the district? They are not only ‘vote against this bill,’ but they are ‘take McCarthy out.’”

John Bowden1 June 2023 04:50

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Biden issues statement on deal passage

President Joe Biden released a statement on Wednesday shortly following the passage of his compromise on the debt ceiling with Kevin McCarthy.

“Tonight, the House took a critical step forward to prevent a first-ever default and protect our country’s hard-earned and historic economic recovery. This budget agreement is a bipartisan compromise. Neither side got everything it wanted. That’s the responsibility of governing. I want to thank Speaker McCarthy and his team for negotiating in good faith, as well as Leader Jeffries for his leadership,” said the president.

“This agreement is good news for the American people and the American economy. It protects key priorities and accomplishments from the past two years, including historic investments that are creating good jobs across the country. And, it honors my commitment to safeguard Americans’ health care and protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. It protects critical programs that millions of hardworking families, students, and veterans count on,” his statement continues.

“I have been clear that the only path forward is a bipartisan compromise that can earn the support of both parties. This agreement meets that test. I urge the Senate to pass it as quickly as possible so that I can sign it into law, and our country can continue building the strongest economy in the world.”

John Bowden1 June 2023 04:30

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McCarthy: ‘This is one of the best nights I’ve ever been here'

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy projected an image of a politician on a victory lap at a late-night press conference Wednesday evening following the successful vote, and pledged to bring more funding cuts to the House floor for votes in the days ahead.

John Bowden1 June 2023 04:10

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Maxwell Frost comments on debt ceiling after voting for compromise legislation

Rep Maxwell Frost, a freshman congressman from Florida, spoke with The Independent after breaking with some other progressives and voting in favour of the debt ceiling compromise.

“It's a bill that, yes, it's gonna it's going to harm people and that's unfortunate but the Republicans put us in that situation,” he said.

He further contended that voters would be thinking about the concessions that Mr McCarthy extracted — including permitting reform for fossil fuel projects — come 2024.

John Bowden1 June 2023 03:53

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McCarthy snipes at Biden for weeks of stalemate

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy offered a brief comment to reporters after the vote passed Wednesday evening in which he urged Joe Biden to continue to negotiate with Republicans.

"I just hope he doesn't sit back and ignore people when they want to work with you,” he said.

John Bowden1 June 2023 03:16

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2023-06-01 07:30:14Z
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Kosovo clashes: NATO-led troops put up barbed wire barriers after protests in northern towns - Sky News

NATO-led peacekeeping troops have put up metal fences and barbed wire barriers in a northern town in Kosovo after clashes with ethnic Serbs left 30 international soldiers injured.

The barriers have been erected after hundreds of ethnic Serbs started gathering in front of the city hall in Zvecan, a northern Kosovo town 28 miles north of the capital Pristina.

NATO has decided to send 700 more troops to northern Kosovo to help quell violent protests after the clashes on Monday.

Violence initially broke out in the north of the country over the weekend after ethnic Albanian mayors were installed in Serbian-dominated areas.

They were elected in a vote overwhelmingly boycotted by Serbs.

Some in the country have since made repeated efforts to take over the offices in Zvecan, where the mayors took up their posts.

Kosovo police fired tear gas to disperse Serbs who tried to block officials from entering municipal buildings in the town last week.

This has lead to clashes with NATO-led troops that left 30 international soldiers injured.

Read more:
Why tensions have flared up between Serbia and Kosovo?
Novak Djokovic sends political message about Kosovo

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A statement on Tuesday by the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) said 30 soldiers - 11 Italians and 19 Hungarians - "sustained multiple injuries, including fractures and burns from improvised explosive incendiary devices".

Three Hungarian soldiers were "wounded by the use of firearms," but their injuries were not life-threatening, the statement added.

Serbia's president Aleksandar Vucic has said 52 ethnic Serbs have been injured in the clashes.

Meanwhile, ethnic Serbs have insisted that both ethnic Albanian mayors and Kosovo police must leave northern Kosovo.

Serbia has put its military on the highest state of alert and sent more troops to the border with the country.

A former province of Serbia, Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence is not recognised by Belgrade.

Ethnic Albanians make up most of the population of Kosovo, but the country has a restive Serbian minority in the north of the country.

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0:40

Violence breaks out during Kosovo clashes

NATO's secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg has condemned the violence in Kosovo, saying that "such attacks are unacceptable and must stop".

He warned that NATO troops "will take all necessary actions to maintain a safe and secure environment for all citizens in Kosovo".

He urged both sides to take steps to de-escalate, refrain from "further irresponsible behaviour" and to return to EU-backed talks on improving relations.

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2023-05-31 08:25:12Z
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How Russia is expected to react to the drone attack on Moscow - The Independent

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Russia suffered a surprise attack in the early hours of Tuesday morning when as many as 30 drones zeroed in on Moscow, bringing Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine war to his own doorstep after 15 months of bloody conflict.

The country’s defence ministry has only admitted to sighting eight drones, all of which it says were shot down, causing only minimal damage and injuring just two people.

Even if that is true, the incident follows an assault on the Kremlin earlier this month and creates a problem for Mr Putin, who has so far largely been able to shield Russian citizens from the realities of the war.

Life has been allowed to proceed as normal in the capital but the sight of debris hitting some of the city’s most prestigious areas – including the grand Soviet-era Leninsky Prospekt Avenue and the Odintsovsky District, in which the wealthy elite, including Mr Putin, have residences – cannot have gone unnoticed.

Residents in southwestern Moscow reported hearing loud bangs at between 2am and 3am BST on Tuesday morning, followed by the smell of petrol, while some filmed the unmanned devices being downed in smoke over the city skyline.

“It is, of course, obvious that this is an attack by the Kyiv regime,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “And this must be absolutely clearly understood.”

Kyiv has itself been under siege from drone strikes by the aggressor in recent days, but Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak denied his side was behind the attack, adding drolly: “Of course, we are pleased to watch and predict an increase in the number of attacks.”

Mr Putin is said to have been briefed early on Tuesday about the strikes and continued working in the Kremlin, later saying only that the episode was intended to “intimidate” and “clearly a sign of terrorist activity”.

He will surely respond militarily, even if his initial instinct is to downplay the extent of the damage.

Writing on Telegram, Russian political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said the president’s eerie calm was about projecting the impression that he “isn’t afraid” because his control is “built on the idea that has been voiced more than once … [that Russians are] a patient people who will understand everything and endure everything”.

Mr Putin has so far left much of the sabre-rattling following the attack to others, such as lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein, who warned his countrymen: “The sabotage and terrorist attacks of Ukraine will only increase. It is necessary to radically strengthen defence and security measures, especially in terms of countering drones.”

Another politician, Andrei Kartapolov, told local media the attack was a Ukrainian endeavour “designed to create a wave of panic”.

Aftermath of Moscow drone attack

(Telegram)

Speaking to The Independent, Tim White, a Ukraine expert and journalist, commented: “Putin’s only response is violence, we’ve seen it time and time again.

“The problem is how much of his arsenal is left? I strongly suspect there was another large shipment of drones from Iran recently, hence the big uptick in drone strikes.

“But I believe this tactic is primarily to locate Ukraine’s air defence systems, especially its Patriot [missile] systems, and get Ukraine to exhaust its own air defence missile stocks. The Kremlin is not able to manufacture missiles as quickly as it is using them.”

Among the residents of Moscow, the episode is likely only to entrench existing attitudes towards the war, Mr White said, noting the stranglehold exerted by state media.

“I think opinion in Russia will be even more anti-Western rather than anti-Putin,” he said. 

“The absolute control of the media ensures most people believe the indoctrination, wrongfully describing Ukraine as a nation of Nazis.”

That observation has already been borne out, with one woman, Natalia, 59, telling news agency Reuters: “The Kyiv regime is already crossing all the lines. This is very sad, especially since they are directing these drones at residential buildings, at the city, at civilians, where there are no military facilities.”

More surprisingly, another resident told the same outlet: “All of this is because of our ruler. It’s no surprise it’s bounced back to here.”

As for what might happen next, Mr White is in little doubt that there will be a retaliation, perhaps targeting a region the Kremlin had expected to welcome its “special military operation” with open arms.

“My best guess is that there will be a strike on a city, masquerading as a military hit, with what we describe as ‘plausible deniability’,” he said.

“But it won’t be Kyiv, which is too well protected judging by the last month’s bombardment. Lviv is a target, but more at risk is likely to be Odesa or Mykolaiv in the south. These are areas that previously spoke almost exclusively Russian and Putin believed would welcome his illegal invasion.”

The Russian foreign ministry has already made threats to that effect, declaring: “Russia reserves the right to take the harshest possible measures in response to the terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime.”

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2023-05-31 07:55:32Z
2061729892

North Korea says spy satellite launch crashed into sea - BBC

Reuters

By Jean Mackenzie in Seoul & Oliver Slow in London

BBC News

North Korea has said an accident happened as it planned to send up its first space satellite, causing it to crash into the sea.

Pyongyang announced earlier it planned to launch a satellite by 11 June to monitor US military activities.

It now says it will attempt a second launch as soon as possible.

The launch sparked a false alarm in the South Korean capital Seoul, while in Japan a warning was issued to residents of Okinawa, in the south.

There was chaos and confusion in Seoul as people awoke to the sound of an air raid siren and an emergency message telling them to prepare for an evacuation - only to be told 20 minutes later it had been sent in error.

The stakes are high on the Korean Peninsula, where tensions have existed between the two countries for 70 years, and this false alarm could seriously damage people's trust in the alert system.

North Korea poses a threat to South Korea, and if there is an alert in the future one question being asked is whether it will be taken seriously, or brushed off as another mistake.

Kim, a 33-year-old mother living in Seoul, told the BBC she was "very scared" when she received the emergency alert and started packing her bags to evacuate.

"I didn't believe there would be a war, but after the war in Ukraine it made me think that North Korea or China might invade [South] Korea," she said, adding she thought Pyongyang had "lost its mind" and launched an invasion.

In a press conference, Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon acknowledged the emergency text "may have been an overreaction" but said "there can be no compromise on safety".

He said the city would improve its warning system to avoid confusion, AFP news agency reports.

South Korea's military said the rocket might have broken up in mid-air or crashed after it vanished from radar early. It released pictures of wreckage found in the sea.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said North Korea appeared to have fired a ballistic missile and that the government was analysing the details.

He added that there were currently no reports of damage following the launch. Japan said previously it was ready to shoot down anything that threatened its territory.

On Tuesday, Ri Pyong Chol, vice-chairman of North Korea's ruling party's central military commission, announced the launch plan, saying it was in response to "reckless military acts" by the US and South Korea.

He accused the countries of "openly revealing their reckless ambition for aggression".

The United States joined South Korea and Japan in condemning the launch, calling it a "brazen violation" of multiple UN Security Council resolutions.

"The door has not closed on diplomacy but Pyongyang must immediately cease its provocative actions and instead choose engagement," said Adam Hodge, National Security spokesman.

He added that the US will take "all necessary measures" to protect itself and its allies.

UN secretary general Antonio Guterres also condemned the move, saying any launch by Pyongyang using ballistic missile technology was "contrary" to the relevant security council resolutions.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has identified the development of military satellites as a key component of his country's defence.

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said the North Korean government "likely sees itself in a space race", and that whether or not its current satellite mission is a success it "can be expected to issue political propaganda about its space capabilities".

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Related Topics

• North Korea-US relations
• North Korea weapons programme
• Japan
• North Korea missile tests
• South Korea
• North Korea

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2023-05-31 04:45:39Z
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Ukraine war latest: Fire engulfs Russian oil refinery after drone attack - The Telegraph

A large fire that broke out at an oil refinery in southern Russia was caused by a Ukrainian drone strike, the local governor has claimed.

The fire at the Afipsky oil refinery was soon put out and there were no casualties, Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said.

The refinery is close to the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, near another refinery that has been attacked several times this month.

It comes a day after a suspected Ukrainian drone fleet hit Moscow’s wealthiest neighbourhoods in the first apparent attack on civilian targets since the war began.

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2023-05-31 07:09:59Z
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