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.

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

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

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


Australian Jewish teen attacked at Scouts camp, accused of 'murdering children'

The teenager, Joshua Levy, was attending the camp alongside over 1,500 scouts and volunteers in Victoria when he was attacked for wearing the Israeli flag.

Australian Jewry has been confronted by the reality that antisemitism never went away, Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler told the ‘Post.’ Here, protesters hold placards and flags during a rally against antisemitism at The Domain in 2024, in Sydney.

Australian navy ship crosses strategic Taiwan Strait, drawing Chinese military response

US warships traverse the strait every few months, enraging Beijing, and some US allies, such as France, Australia, Britain, and Canada, have also made occasional transits.

Royal Australian Navy vessel, HMAS Toowoomba, is docked at Changi Naval Base at the display of warships during IMDEX Asia 2023, a maritime defence exhibition in Singapore May 4, 2023.

Australia denies it is working to repatriate Islamic State family members

The 34 women and children were released on Monday from the camp in northern Syria, but returned to the detention center due to technical reasons.

Women and children queue in the rain during a joint security operation by Syria's Kurdish Internal Security Police Force, and the Kurdish-led SDF at Camp Roj where foreign relatives of people suspected of belonging to the Islamic State (IS) group are held, April 5, 2025.

Brisbane synagogue targeted in antisemitic hate crime, suspect arrested

A truck crashed into the gates of a Brisbane synagogue on Friday night, sparking an investigation into a suspected hate crime. Police swiftly arrested the 32-year-old suspect.

(Illustrative) Australian police patrol in central Melbourne, Australia, December 22, 2017.

Suspect charged for stealing Egyptian artifacts from Australia museum, citing church ties - report

The stolen artifacts included a 26th Dynasty rare painted wooden Egyptian cat figure, a 3,300-year-old necklace, a collar, and a mummy mask.

An ancient Egyptian collar stolen from the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology in Caboolture, Australia, February 20, 2026.

IDF confirms Gaza Commonwealth war cemetery damaged in operation to destroy Hamas terror tunnels

The IDF's operation to dismantle Hamas tunnels in Gaza has damaged a Commonwealth military cemetery, raising concerns about the preservation of war graves and the handling of sensitive sites.

Buildings lie in ruins amidst the rubble in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on December 8, 2025.

Australian who called Jews 'greatest enemy' of nation gets year in jail under new hate crime laws

"They [Jews] are an enemy to Western civilisation," said Brandon Koschel in an Australia Day speech, before being charged with publicly inciting hatred on the grounds of race.

Brandon Koschel delivering a speech in Sydney on January 26, 2026.

Australia issues temporary ban on citizen from Syrian camp amid terror concerns

Thirty-four Australians in a northern Syrian facility holding families of suspected Islamic State militants are expected to return home after their release was conditionally approved by authorities.

Members of the Syrian Kurdish Asayish security forces gather at the Kurdish-run al-Hol camp, which holds relatives of suspected Islamic State (IS) group fighters in the northeastern Hasakeh governorate, on April 18, 2025.

Herzog’s visit brought warmth to Australia's Jews - opinion

As antisemitism surges in Australia, President Herzog’s visit offered solidarity and reassurance that Jews living in the Diaspora are not alone.

President Isaac Herzog meets with Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, February 11, 2026.

Australia’s ISIS camp dilemma exposes Syria’s growing post SDF chaos - analysis

The ISIS detainees were mostly captured in 2019 when ISIS was defeated in its last enclave near the Euphrates River by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

People walk at the Kurdish-run al-Hol camp, which holds relatives of suspected Islamic State (IS) group fighters in the northeastern Hasakeh governorate, on April 18, 2025.