Decorated Australian veteran loses defamation appeal over Afghanistan killings
Three federal court judges unanimously rejected his appeal of a judge's ruling in 2023 that Roberts-Smith was not defamed by newspaper articles published in 2018 that accused him of a range of war crimes.
Justice Anthony Besanko had ruled that the accusations were substantially true to a civil standard and Roberts-Smith was responsible for four of the six unlawful deaths he had been accused of.
Roberts-Smith has never faced criminal charges, which must be proven to the higher standard of beyond reasonable doubt.
He was not in the Sydney court on Friday to hear the ruling and his lawyers refused to comment. They have a final option of appealing to the High Court.
Roberts-Smith, 46, is a former Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment corporal who was awarded the Victoria Cross and Medal for Gallantry for his service in Afghanistan. Around 39,000 Australians soldiers served in Afghanistan and 41 were killed.
His SAS colleagues are among those calling for him to become the first of Australia's Victoria Cross winners to be stripped of the highest award for gallantry in battle.
Roberts-Smith has been financially supported by Australian billionaire Kerry Stokes whose media business Seven West Media is a rival of Nine Entertainment that published the articles that Roberts-Smith argued defamed him.
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NBC News
8 hours ago
- NBC News
National Park Service closes D.C.'s historic Dupont Circle Park during WorldPride
The National Park Service and U.S. Park Police on Thursday evening closed Dupont Circle Park, widely known as the heart of Washington,'s LGBTQ neighborhood, ahead of the final weekend of WorldPride, an international Pride celebration being held in the nation's capital this year. This year's parade route was not set to go through Dupont Circle, but the park has traditionally hosted unofficial celebrations after Pride events. It was home to some of D.C.'s earliest Pride celebrations in the 1970s as well as major protests during both the LGBTQ rights and Civil Rights Movements. The park service said in a letter Wednesday that the park would be closed from 6 p.m. Thursday until 6 p.m. Sunday. The letter said the U.S. Park Police had determined that the closure is necessary to 'secure the park, deter potential violence, reduce the risk of destructive acts and decrease the need for extensive law enforcement presences.' Capital Pride Alliance, which organizes D.C. Pride and is hosting this year's WorldPride celebration, said Friday that it is 'frustrated and disappointed' in the park service's decision to close Dupont Circle during WorldPride. 'This beloved landmark is central to the community that WorldPride intends to celebrate and honor,' Capital Pride Alliance said in a statement. 'It's much more than a park, for generations it's been a gathering place for DC's LGBTQ+ community, hosting first amendment assemblies and memorial services for those we lost to the AIDS epidemic and following tragic events like the Pulse nightclub shooting.' The organization added that the 'sudden move' was 'made overnight without consultation with the Capital Pride Alliance or other local officials,' and that no WorldPride activities were planned in Dupont Circle and thus no official events would be affected. The park's closure comes after weeks of back and forth between D.C. police and federal officials. D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith requested a full closure of the park in April, and on Tuesday morning, the National Parks Service issued a statement that the park would be closed through the final weekend of WorldPride festivities due to the request from Smith and U.S. Park Police, NBC Washington reported. That same day, Smith rescinded the request after meeting with members of the community to talk about the significance of the park to the Pride celebration, according to NBC Washington, and Smith told two D.C. City Council members that the park would remain open for the weekend. Then, in a letter Wednesday, Major Frank Hilsher of the U.S. Park Police requested that 'anti-scale' fencing, which is designed to prevent people from climbing over it, be used to close the park. Hilsher's letter, which was included with the park service's letter, detailed a number of incidents that occurred in the park after formal Pride events over the years, including vandalism in 2023 that resulted in $175,000 in damage to the park's historic fountain. He added that open-source intelligence reporting has 'identified a local DJ advertising and selling tickets to an unpermitted gathering/party in Dupont Circle following World Pride events.' The event, Hilsher said, is not sanctioned by WorldPride and has not applied for a separate permit that would allow the park service to manage the event. 'This social media advertisement is stating that this is the same DJ and 'party' as the previous several years, which have resulted in the unsafe conditions and damages recounted above,' Hilsher said in the letter. Organizers of WorldPride estimated that as many as 3 million people could attend, though they also issued a warning to potential transgender attendees from outside of the U.S. to come at their own risk and consider travel advisories from some European countries. In just the first few weeks of his second administration, President Donald Trump issued several executive orders targeting trans people, including declaring that there are only two unchangeable sexes; prohibiting trans people from enlisting and serving in the military; barring trans girls and women from competing on female sports teams in federally-funded K-12 schools and colleges; and barring federal funding from going to hospitals that provide transition-related care to minors. As a result of Trump's executive order defining sex, federal officials have also scrubbed agency websites of any mention of transgender or intersex people. References to transgender and queer people were removed from the webpage for the Stonewall National Monument commemorating the site of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, widely considered a turning point in the modern gay rights movement. A web page dedicated to Frank Kameny, an LGBTQ rights pioneer, was also erased from the National Park Service website this year. The National Park Service's webpage for Dupont Circle Park also now says that the park 'has served as the anchor of a neighborhood of diplomats, government officials, war commemorations, and the LGB community for over 200 years,' removing transgender and queer from the LGBTQ acronym. Earlier this week, the Navy confirmed to NBC News that it would rename the USNS Harvey Milk, a fleet replenishment oiler named for the LGBTQ rights activist, Navy veteran and first openly gay man elected to public office in California.
NBC News
9 hours ago
- NBC News
Former federal inmate pardoned by Trump tapped as Bureau of Prisons deputy director
A former federal inmate who was pardoned by President Donald Trump in his first term for drug trafficking crimes more than two decades ago has been tapped as deputy director of the federal Bureau of Prisons, according to bureau spokesperson Kristie Breshears. Joshua J. Smith, a Tennessee businessman who founded an inmate advocacy and rehabilitation nonprofit foundation, the Fourth Purpose, will be second in command in the bureau. The BOP has never had a formerly incarcerated inmate work as an employee at any level, according to a senior bureau official. 'Josh brings to this role something our agency has never had before at this level, a perspective shaped by lived experience, proven innovation and national impact,' Director William K. Marshall III said in a memo to staff Thursday. 'His firsthand understanding of our facilities — of the tension, the risk and the importance of trust — makes him uniquely positioned to advocate for the resources and reforms front-line staff need to do their jobs safely and effectively,' added Marshall, a former prison commissioner in West Virginia whom Trump selected as BOP director in April. Smith declined to comment when reached by phone Thursday. Trump granted a full pardon to Smith, who had been convicted of conspiracy to possess drugs with intent to distribute. Indictments were filed in 1997 for marijuana- and cocaine-related charges, and the court docket shows he pleaded guilty. The court recommended he go to the Federal Correctional Institution Manchester in Kentucky and boot camp for a 60-month sentence. He was also set to have five years supervised release, substance abuse treatment and a $12,500 fine. The bureau, in recent years, has been roiled by accusations of cronyism and corruption, widespread staffing shortages, and violence and misconduc t in prisons. Its leadership must manage a massive $8 billion-plus budget, more than 143,000 federal inmates across 122 prisons, and a workforce of more than 35,000 as the Justice Department's largest employer. In deciding to pardon Smith, the White House said in 2021 that, after his release from prison in 2003, he 'dedicated his life to his faith and to his community,' founded Fourth Purpose and 'mentored incarcerated individuals and taught business classes to those in prison — including at the prison where he was incarcerated.' Smith's pardon request was supported by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican. According to his online biography, Smith said he was raised by a single mother in government housing, was convicted of 10 felonies by the time he was 16 and entered prison at 21. While in prison, he said, he learned about Christianity and God and was mentored by white-collar criminals. He said he started a multimillion-dollar company that hired ex-offenders before becoming more active in prison reform. 'Today is a day of redemption that I attribute to God's grace,' Smith said after he was pardoned, adding that 'there are a lot of Josh Smiths in prisons across our country, and I am going to help as many as possible find a new purpose.' Smith's pardon was one of 74 that Trump granted on his last day in office during his first term, when he also pardoned former chief strategist and longtime ally Steve Bannon, who was indicted on wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges, and hip-hop star Lil Wayne, who pleaded guilty to weapons charges.
Scottish Sun
9 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Full tragic timeline of 3-week hunt for Pheobe Bishop – from airport disappearance to housemate arrests and horror find
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PHEOBE Bishop mysteriously vanished over three weeks ago in a gripping disappearance case which puzzled the world. The shocking story has been plagued by grim twists and heartbreaking pleas after the 17-year-old teenager went missing near an airport on May 15. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 16 Australian teen Pheobe Bishop disappeared over three weeks ago Credit: Facebook 16 Both of her housemates were arrested and charged with murder Credit: Queensland Police 16 An extensive search was launched in the weeks after she vanished Credit: 9 News 16 Her heartbroken mum made an emotional series of posts over the last three weeks Credit: Enterprise 16 Before she disappeared, Pheobe had been living in the town of Gin Gin, which is north of Brisbane in Australia. The sleepy neighbourhood has a population of about 1,100 people. The teenager had been living in a derelict pad - which had a foul smell and was very noisy according to neighbours. She lived there with two housemates: James Wood, 34, and Tanika Bromley, 33. On the day she went missing, Pheobe was meant to board a flight to see her boyfriend in Western Australia. Her housemates drove her to Bundaberg airport, but police said CCTV there never even saw her enter the terminal and she never actually checked in. She was on her way to Perth to visit her "high-school sweetheart" boyfriend. Pheobe reportedly made a last minute call to him at 8:30am mere moments before she was set to get on the flight to Western Australia. A family member said: "She didn't check in for her flight to visit her boyfriend who she spoke to on the phone at 8.30am." According to the Daily Mail, Wood said the couple had an explosive argument in the car with Pheobe over whether she could do her makeup before arriving at the airport. He said they pulled over just under a kilometre from their destination. Pheobe Bishop cops arrest 34-year-old flatmate who was last to see missing Aussie teen on explosive journey to airport Wood and Bromley then allegedly walked off and were away from Pheobe and the car for five minutes, according to the 34-year-old. A missing person's report was issued for her one day later on May 16. Her worried sick sister, Kaylea Bishop, sent Wood and Bromley a simple text, demanding to know the whereabouts of her sibling. She said: "Where is my sister?" On the following weekend, her desperate mum Kylie Johnson made emotional pleas for anyone with information to come forward. By May 18, over 400 missing person posters with Pheobe's photo had been plastered across the Wide Bay region. The next week, on Monday May 19, police launched their search for Pheobe. It covered land along Bundaberg's Airport Drive and the surrounding areas. 16 The 17-year-old had been living in a derelict home Credit: Enterprise 16 Housemate Tanika Bromley, 33 Credit: Enterprise 16 Housemate James Wood, 34 Credit: Facebook 16 A shock change was discovered on Bromley's car Credit: Facebook But mysteriously, police didn't find any sign of the teen or her belongings. Police, along with Pheobe's mum, described her disappearance as out of character on May 20. They also asked the public for information about the 2011 grey Hyundai ix35 hatch, owned by Bromley, that had been seen around Airport Drive at the time of Pheoebe's disappearance. The next day, police updated the case and said they were treating Pheobe's disappearance as a suspicious. They also declared two crime scenes - one being the run-down home she was living at, and the other being the infamous Hyundai she was driven to the airport in. After inspecting the foul-smelling home, police found four dead dogs rotting inside. But it was later understood that these four pups died of natural causes. Airport Drive, Samuels Road and Gin Gin were also named as locations of interest. On May 22, Detective Acting Inspector Ryan Thompson stressed the importance of public information. In a chilling plea, he said: "People don't vanish." 16 The desperate search had previously been called off Credit: 9 News 16 Bromley's Hyundai was declared a crime scene Credit: 7 News 16 Pheobe's mum said the discovery of a body had ripped her apart Credit: Facebook The day after that, police revealed they were searching through bushland and waterways at Good Night Scrub National Park, near to where Pheobe was last seen. This scan went on for the next two days, during which police dogs joined the hunt. On May 25 Bromley was arrested in a major twist after police allegedly found weapons in her silver Hyundai. On May 26, the search area was expanded - before cops made a harrowing revelation. They believed evidence had been moved from the Good Night Scrub area before they arrived there. And on this same day, a new number plate was discovered to have been suspiciously painted and taped over the notorious Hyundai's original plate. The gruelling search effort in Good Night Scrub National Park then continued from May 27 for five more days. Disturbingly, the search appeared to lose hope as police said they would no longer be doing any more physical scans for Pheobe on Wednesday, June 4. They said they would restart any searches only when they had relevant information. But in a dramatic twist on the very same day - Pheobe's housemate Wood was arrested. 16 She had saved up for months to buy a plane ticket Credit: Enterprise 16 The teenager was set to board a flight on May 15 Credit: Enterprise However, no charges were made and he was released a day later on June 5. And in yet another turn in the tale - Wood and Bromley were then both arrested and charged with murder on the same day Wood was released - exactly three weeks after Pheobe went missing. They were each charged with one count of murder and two counts of interfering with a corpse. Shocking footage released on Friday showed the moment police arrested Wood and escorted him out of an RV for the "homicide of Pheobe Bishop". Both Wood and Bromley appeared at Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Friday morning. Outside the building, Pheobe's heartbroken sister Kaylea Bishop said her sibling was 'loved and missed' dearly. Kaylea and Pheobe had a close relationship and were planning to move in together last year. And in the latest heartbreaking update, human remains were found during a search for Pheobe. They are yet to be identified, but police have spoken to Pheobe's family regarding the harrowing discovery. The body was found close to Good Night Scrub National Park, near Gin Gin, on Friday, June 6 at around 2:30pm. 16 Pheobe was last seen with Wood and Bromley on May 15 Credit: Facebook 16 Police constantly pleaded with the public to bring forward any information Credit: Facebook Pheobe's mum then made a heartbreaking statement. She said: "I didn't think my heart could break anymore than it did when you went missing, or when the charges were laid but this. "This is ripping me apart." Pheobe had previously said online that she wasn't living with her mum, and that she had been "in and out" of home for years. Cops are now set to allege that Wood, Bromley and Pheobe were all in the car when it arrived at Airport Drive near Bundaberg Airport in the morning of May 15. They believe that the trio never actually left the car. Detective Inspector Craig Mansfield said: "Our evidence will outline the fact that three people arrived near to the airport, and three people never exited that vehicle." Wood and Bromley will appear in court on August 11.
