A new report reveals a growing divide among U.S. allies over China.
Titled <a href="https://polaris-us.org/docs/stars-and-stragglers.pdf">Stars and Stragglers</a>, the report from Polaris National Security examined 20 countries across technology infrastructure, economic policy, military cooperation, and diplomatic positions.
&#8220;This report qualitatively assesses which U.S. allies and partners are doing the most to help or hinder America’s efforts to counter China’s economic, technological, military, and diplomatic influence,&#8221; the report states.
Ten of those countries are designated as &#8220;Stars&#8221; for taking concrete steps to limit Beijing&#8217;s power. The remaining nations are designated as &#8220;Stragglers&#8221; for strengthening their ties with China.
The report broke down &#8220;Stars&#8221; as &#8220;Allies and partners helping America counter Chinese aggression and influence.&#8221; &#8220;Stragglers&#8221; were &#8220;Allies and partners failing to counter China — and even undercutting U.S. efforts to do so.&#8221;
Australia was designated a &#8220;Star.&#8221; The nation banned Huawei, absorbed Chinese tariffs without folding, and, according to the report, &#8220;committed nearly $3 billion to expand U.S. and British submarine capacity.&#8221; It joined a critical minerals push with the United States and received a $400 million conditional loan for an aerospace and defense project.
Japan also received a &#8220;Star&#8221; designation. The report stated that &#8220;Aside from Taiwan, no U.S. ally sits closer to the front lines of China’s ambitions than Japan.&#8221; The Far East nation also views China as its &#8220;greatest strategic challenge.&#8221;
The remaining &#8220;Stars&#8221; are: India, Israel, Lithuania, Palau, Paraguay, Philippines, Taiwan, and Ukraine.
Nations designated as &#8220;Stragglers&#8221; are heading in the opposite direction. Brazil&#8217;s trade with China hit $171 billion — more than double its trade with the U.S., while Huawei holds about 44% of its 5G networks.
Canada cut tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles from 100% to 6% and set a goal of raising exports to China by 50%.
South Korea does roughly $340 billion in trade with China, and about half of its rare earth mineral imports come from there, per the report. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung president called the continued partnership with Beijing &#8220;irreversible.&#8221;
France&#8217;s President Emmanuel Macron has told audiences that China is welcome in Europe and has pushed for more Chinese investment in nuclear and artificial intelligence.
Thailand has approved a $10 billion high-speed rail project under the CCP&#8217;s Belt and Road Initiative that will eventually connect Bangkok to China. It also continues joint military exercises with Chinese forces.
Sebastian Borda, executive director of Polaris National Security, expressed what was at stake for the U.S.: “China is the defining national security challenge of our time and the United States cannot meet it alone.”
He added that “many allies are stepping up but others have yet to match that resolve.” Borda said U.S. allies face a choice to “share the burden of deterring China or leave America to shoulder it alone.”
<section></section>

A US and a Chinese flag wave outside a c

Some U.S. Allies Are Selling Out To China

Australia

China

National Security

Taiwan

Tariffs

A video of an Australian nurse using his 10 years of training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) to fend off a crazed patient at the Brisbane hospital has gone viral this week.
Daniel Nelson, who is registered in the Australian Army, posted the security camera footage of himself from October 2024 that shows the workplace violence that “many people never see.” The video, which Nelson posted on his LinkedIn account last week, shows the nurse fighting off an intoxicated patient at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, prompting him to use his decade of training in martial arts. 
Nelson explained that the patient was showing signs of intoxication while “verbally abusing staff, spitting on the floor, and behaving aggressively.” After the man was asked to leave, Nelson escorted the patient out before the apparently drunk man turned around and threw items at him and began punching him.
“Somewhere along the way, he decided assaulting the nurse was a good idea. … In a stroke of genius, he decided he wanted a cuddle,” Nelson wrote on the post. “Safe to say, it didn’t work out the way he expected.”
The nurse, who has <a href="https://www.news24.com.au/national/cctv-shows-brisbane-emergency-department-nurse-using-jiujitsu-to-restrain-attacker-in-shocking-footage/news-story/961c28ba6417e82a837523bad09ebcdf">served</a> the Australian Army for more than 21 years, used his 10-year “obsession” with BJJ to defend himself, wrestling the man and putting him in a choke hold until security arrived. 
While the training and quick reflexes benefitted Nelson, he explained that not everyone would have been capable of stopping the intoxicated individual.
“What if he had targeted a nurse half my size,” he said. “A new graduate? A student? Someone without the ability or confidence to physically defend themselves?”
He went on to write later in his post that situations like these with patients are actually very common and healthcare workers should not have to experience this kind of violence and harassment at the workplace.
“Violence against healthcare workers isn’t ‘just part of the job.’ It’s unacceptable and alcohol is no excuse,” Nelson stated. “To all my colleagues who continue to show up despite this sort of behavior: I see you and appreciate what you do every day.”
The nurse ended the post by explaining the man pleaded guilty to common assault and was fined $450.

Screenshot from Daniel Nelson BJJ Video

WATCH: Nurse Uses Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Skills To Fight Off Crazed Patient

Fight

Violence

viral video

“Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe recently revealed what he considers the single most dangerous job in the world, one he said he would “never do again.”
The blue-collar work advocate and popular TV host discussed the topic during a recent podcast episode, saying out of all the disgusting, death-defying job sites he’s explored, one stands out as being particularly treacherous. That came when he was opal mining in Australia.
The question posed by podcaster Shawn Ryan mentioned how Allied soldiers during the Vietnam War called “tunnel rats” would volunteer to crawl into deep, pitch-black Viet Cong tunnel networks to find enemies, gather info, and clear booby traps. 
Rowe said the tunnel rat gig was “tough to beat” in terms of being terrible, but also was able to come up with a modern equivalent that he would never do again.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="&quot;I&#039;d Never Do It Again&quot; - Mike Rowe on the Most Dangerous Job in the World" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qEKai3zwbqg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
“Opal mining. In the Australian outback, in a little town called Coober Pedy. It was 129 degrees when I was there that day. This is the opal capital of the world &#8230; the city itself is underground. It’s too hot to live above,” Rowe said on “The Shawn Ryan Show” last week.
He said the way to look for opals is to dig prospect shafts up to 60 feet deep to start looking for the gemstones. He described being that far underground with nothing but a flashlight and a hard hat as being “in a grave.” 
“The opal miners, on the other hand, are kind of like crab fishermen in the desert, and on steroids. Because there’s no OSHA in this part of the world,” he went on, saying he’s been in all types of mines but none like this before. “The night before we got to Coober Pedy, I wanted to look at the opal fields because we were gonna be working there all the next day … and I’m a little worried. They [flew] me over the fields.”
“When you look down, there are thousands of these prospect shafts that have been dug over the years. None of them are filled in. … As I’m flying, the pilot’s like, ‘Yeah, it&#8217;s a hell of a thing &#8230; There’s a lot of wildlife out here. There&#8217;s emu, there&#8217;s ostrich, kangaroo. There are hundreds of them at the bottom of these shafts. They fall in all the time … and they die down there.’ I said, ‘Well, that’s terrible.’” 
Rowe also said he was told sometimes tourists die in the open shafts while trying to capture pictures of the sunset.

Mike Rowe

‘Dirty Jobs’ Host Mike Rowe Reveals Most Dangerous Job He Would Never Do Again

Jobs

In the final hours of an elderly Jewish man&#8217;s life at Melbourne&#8217;s Alfred Hospital, someone plastered anti-Israel stickers on the wall beside his deathbed — a Star of David with a red line slashed through it. He died staring at it.
That stomach-churning detail is buried inside a <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/how-did-hospitals-become-the-front-line-in-the-antisemitic-onslaught/news-story/8ca3ca29d2ad532776c0af3bad700038?amp">sweeping exposé</a> of rampant antisemitism festering inside Australian hospitals — and it lands like a gut punch just as a Sydney court handed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-most-explosive-evidence-in-the-anti-israel-nurse-case-tossed-out?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=11&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=The+Most+Explosive+Evidence+In+The+Anti-Israel+Nurse+Case+Tossed+Out">jaw-dropping legal victory</a> to two nurses caught on camera bragging about murdering Israeli patients.
A judge this week tossed the viral video of Ahmad Nadir, 28, and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, 27 — the Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital night-shift nurses who told Israeli influencer Max Veifer on ChatRoulette that they wouldn&#8217;t just refuse Jewish patients, they&#8217;d kill them. Nadir punctuated the point with a slow throat-slitting gesture and boasted about sending Israelis to hell.
Gone. Inadmissible. Because nobody asked their permission to record them.
Judge Michael McHugh of Sydney&#8217;s Downing Centre District Court acknowledged the footage was &#8220;at the very least likely highly disturbing to right-minded people&#8221; — then tossed it anyway, citing privacy concerns. The pair still face trial August 31, but without their own recorded words, prosecutors are fighting with both hands tied behind their backs.
The court bombshell arrives against a backdrop of documented, systemic Jew-hatred spreading through Australian healthcare like an infection since the October 7 Hamas massacre.
Doctors and nurses have shown up to work wearing &#8220;From the river to the sea&#8221; insignia. Hospital corridors and toilet stalls have been wallpapered with anti-Israel stickers. A Jewish ICU nurse quit after more than a decade on the job because management refused to act. A Jewish woman receiving cancer treatment suspects a nurse deliberately botched her IV four times, leaving her bruised for weeks — only connecting the dots after the Bankstown nurses story broke.
A Melbourne mother called a suicide hotline after learning two cousins were murdered in a Hamas kibbutz attack — and the counselor scolded her for not expressing enough sympathy for Gaza.
A conference on lifesaving gunshot wound treatment — techniques forged on actual battlefields — was canceled after anti-Israel medical workers threatened mass protests. Weeks later, a terrorist attacked Bondi Beach.
Meanwhile, activists, influencers, and pro-Palestine medical groups—including the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network—have mobilized to pressure Australia&#8217;s healthcare regulator, AHPRA. The coordinated campaign demands that the agency revoke its recent decision to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance&#8217;s definition of antisemitism.
The dying man at The Alfred Hospital had no one to protect him from the vile antisemitism he was forced to see before he died.
It’s no surprise.

View of the Alfred hospital from the Fawkner park across the

The Last Thing A Dying Jewish Man Saw In The Hospital Was Anti-Jewish Hate They Put On His Wall

antisemitism

Melbourne

An Australian court has handed a stunning legal lifeline to two nurses who were caught on video bragging they would kill Israeli patients — ruling the damning footage <a href="https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/2026/06/23/nurses-anti-israel-video">can&#8217;t be used</a> against them at trial.
Sydney&#8217;s Downing Centre District Court Judge Michael McHugh dealt a potentially fatal blow to the prosecution Tuesday, tossing the viral video of Ahmad Nadir, 28, and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, 27, because it was recorded without their consent.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve come to the firm view that the video evidence must be excluded from each of the trials of the applicants,&#8221; McHugh ruled.
The footage — which sparked international outrage when it surfaced in February 2025 — showed the pair making chilling threats during a random online chat with Israeli influencer Max Veifer on ChatRoulette while working a night shift at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital in southwest Sydney.
In the video, Abu Lebdeh declared: &#8220;I won&#8217;t treat them, I will kill them,&#8221; when asked about Israeli patients. Veifer pressed her: &#8220;You&#8217;ll kill them? So if an Israeli is in Australia and God forbid something happened to him and he comes to your hospital, would you kill him?&#8221;
Nadir answered by making a throat-slitting gesture, then said: &#8220;You have no idea how many Israelis came to this hospital and —&#8221; before trailing off. He also told Veifer: &#8220;I am so upset that you are Israeli, eventually you are going to get killed,&#8221; and boasted he had sent many Israeli patients to hell.
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BREAKING NEWS: Australian courts just ruled that this video cannot be used in the upcoming criminal trial of the Sydney jihadist nurses.
Lawyers for the pair argued the nurses were recorded without their consent when they promised to kill Jewish patients.
We are one of the most… <a href="https://t.co/MH4WC3RRlj">https://t.co/MH4WC3RRlj</a>
&mdash; Drew Pavlou 🇦🇺🇺🇸🇺🇦🇹🇼 (@DrewPavlou) <a href="https://x.com/DrewPavlou/status/2069349232264515890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Nadir later tried to walk it back, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/australia-nurses-video-israeli-influencer-max-veifer-antisemitism/">telling</a> the Sydney Daily Telegraph it was &#8220;a joke, a misunderstanding.&#8221;
The judge acknowledged the obvious outrageousness of what was said — calling the nurses&#8217; alleged statements &#8220;at the very least likely highly disturbing to right-minded people&#8221; — but tossed the evidence anyway, citing both the privacy violation and the footage&#8217;s already-massive spread across social media and news outlets worldwide.
Prosecutors had argued the random, public nature of ChatRoulette meant the nurses had no reasonable expectation of privacy. &#8220;Not all private conversations are created equal,&#8221; Crown prosecutor Justin Hannebery KC said.
The pair, who pleaded not guilty, are still scheduled to face trial August 31. Both were fired and suspended indefinitely from practicing nursing anywhere in Australia after the video went viral.
Without the footage, the prosecution&#8217;s case faces an uncertain road ahead.

Judge’s Gavel

The Most Explosive Evidence In The Anti-Israel Nurse Case Tossed Out

Nurses

A conservative social media personality known for his outspoken support of President Donald Trump has landed a new role in the administration.
Nick Adams, an Australian-American commentator who frequently describes himself online as Trump’s “favorite author,” announced Tuesday that he has been appointed as “special presidential envoy for American tourism, exceptionalism, and values.”
The role comes after Adams’ reported nomination to serve as U.S. ambassador to Malaysia fell apart in recent months. “President Trump has appointed Nick Adams to the position of Special Presidential Envoy for American Tourism, Exceptionalism, and Values,” Adams wrote on <a href="https://x.com/NickAdamsinUSA/status/2036397725785178306">X</a>. “In this role, Mr. Adams will play a vital role in revitalizing America’s diplomatic position as a beacon of free speech, the freedom to worship, and a land of unlimited opportunity.”
Adams said he is “beyond honored” to serve, adding that he looks forward to acting as “America’s brand Ambassador” on the global stage.
“With America 250, the FIFA World Cup, and the Olympics coming up, the world needs to be reminded of all we have to offer,” he wrote. “I will be a tireless spokesman for American greatness, at home and abroad.”
In a video posted to social media, Adams expanded on that message, calling the appointment “the honor of a lifetime” and pledging to “reignite a love for America at home and relight the sacred beacon atop the shining city on a hill for the entire world to see.”
“The United States is a nation that, since its inception, was destined for greatness,” Adams said, adding that his role would be to ensure “the story of American greatness” is told around the world. He concluded, “Mr. President, I look forward to serving you in this vital role &#8230; I am now a deputy whose job it is to spread the message of American greatness and all it represents. Thank you, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It will be my honor to serve this country as Special Presidential Envoy for American Tourism, Exceptionalism, and Values.
I am deeply grateful for President Trump’s continued friendship and confidence in me to serve in this critical role.
I will thrust forward into this role… <a href="https://t.co/OYVwZjTxwv">pic.twitter.com/OYVwZjTxwv</a>
— Nick Adams (@NickAdamsinUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickAdamsinUSA/status/2036405164081553442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2026</a></blockquote>
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In a statement to The Daily Wire, Adams emphasized the administration’s focus on upcoming international events. “The President wants me to let the world know we are ready to welcome them to celebrate with us,” Adams said. “No one can put on a better show than this President. As the world knows, America does everything bigger and better.”
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said Adams is “an America First patriot who will represent our country well as we celebrate our Nation’s 250th anniversary of independence,” adding that the administration looks forward to working with him to “showcase and advance America’s excellence across the world stage.”
Adams rose to national prominence in conservative circles through his prolific social media presence, where he has built a following with a loudly pro-Trump persona and frequent commentary on American culture and politics.
His appointment to a newly-created envoy role highlights the administration’s continued focus on promoting American identity and influence abroad ahead of a series of major international events, including the country’s 250th anniversary, the FIFA World Cup, and the Olympic Games, where the United States is expected to take center stage.

Nick Adams

Trump Picks ‘Alpha Male’ Nick Adams To Be America’s New Brand Ambassador

Executive

Politics

Social Media

Trump Administration

On Wednesday, a stunning piece of video footage emerged from Australia, capturing the frantic, humiliated retreat of the Iranian regime’s thugs after they realized they had lost their grip on the women’s national soccer team.
The video, which has quickly gone viral, serves as a visceral punctuation mark to a high-stakes international defection that saw five members of the squad vanish into the safety of Australian asylum, leaving their would-be captors scurrying in a panic.
In the footage, members of the Iranian security apparatus — tasked with ensuring no player escaped the regime’s reach — are seen running frantically down a flight of stairs. Their composure completely shattered, the men appear desperate and disoriented upon discovering that five of the women had successfully slipped away.
The scene was narrated by a local Australian whose scathing commentary provided a quintessentially Western backdrop to the regime&#8217;s failure. As the agents bolted, the Australian mocked their sudden loss of power, shouting, “It’s Australia now. You&#8217;re in Australia. You&#8217;re in Australia. You better run. Yeah, we&#8217;re going to get you now. You better run. Yeah, you&#8217;ve got no rights here. You&#8217;re in Australia! I know who you are! Get down the stairs, yes! You gotta run now. What cowards are you guys, running? Yeah, cowards. The news is going to love this. Get the f*** out of our country, IRGC.”
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WATCH: Fox News obtains footage from the high-stakes hotel getaway by the Iranian Women’s National Soccer team in Australia.
The video captures the moment Iranian handlers, security staff, and coaches scramble as they realize five of their stars had vanished from the premises. <a href="https://t.co/V3kY6KefKx">pic.twitter.com/V3kY6KefKx</a>
&mdash; FOX &amp; Friends (@foxandfriends) <a href="https://twitter.com/foxandfriends/status/2031711723745398807?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The incident follows a tense standoff during the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup. The team had already drawn the ire of Tehran by remaining silent during the national anthem in their opening match, a move that prompted Iranian state media to brand the athletes &#8220;wartime traitors&#8221; — a charge that carries the death penalty under the Islamic Republic’s draconian penal code.
The tide turned toward safety following a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-reveals-call-with-australia-pm-on-desperate-iran-womens-soccer-team-crisis?utm_source=chatgpt.com">direct intervention</a> by President Donald Trump. After initially criticizing Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a &#8220;terrible humanitarian mistake,&#8221; Trump revealed he had spoken with the prime minister to ensure the women were not forced back to certain death. “He’s on it!” Trump posted, confirming that several players had already been &#8220;taken care of.&#8221;
While some players felt compelled to return to Iran due to threats against their families, the video of the &#8220;minders&#8221; in full flight highlights a rare, public defeat for the IRGC.
In 2019, Sahar Khodayari, a devoted fan of the Esteghlal team, who became known as the &#8220;Blue Girl,&#8221;disguised herself as a man to enter a stadium (where women were banned). After being caught and facing a prison sentence, she set herself on fire in protest and tragically died. Her death sparked international outrage, forcing FIFA to pressure Iran into finally allowing women to enter stadiums for certain matches, though the &#8220;ban&#8221; is often still enforced or restricted through &#8220;selective&#8221; ticketing.
For a regime that relies on the &#8220;Blue Girl&#8221; legacy of fear and stadium bans to keep women suppressed, the sight of their enforcers running terrified down a staircase in a free nation offered a powerful symbol of the regime’s waning reach.

AUSTRALIA-IRAN-US-ISRAEL-WAR-FBL

WATCH: ‘You Better Run!’ Video Shows Iranian Regime Thugs Panicking After Soccer Stars Vanish

Iran

Women's Soccer

President Donald Trump intervened on behalf of the Iranian women’s national soccer team following reports that the players had been branded &#8220;wartime traitors&#8221; by Iranian state media.
The president revealed on Monday that he had spoken with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on behalf of the Iranian women&#8217;s soccer team, detailing the delicate situation for the young women.
&#8220;I just spoke to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, of Australia, concerning the Iranian National Women’s Soccer Team. He’s on it! Five have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way,&#8221; the president <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116200028617921781">shared</a>. &#8220;Some, however, feel they must go back because they are worried about the safety of their families, including threats to those family members if they don’t return. In any event, the Prime Minister is doing a very good job having to do with this rather delicate situation. God bless Australia!&#8221;
Just hours before the call, Trump had weighed in, insisting that the Iranian women&#8217;s soccer team be granted asylum in Australia.
&#8220;Australia is making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the Iran National Woman’s Soccer team to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed. Don’t do it, Mr. Prime Minister, give ASYLUM,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116199640636892669">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
The president immediately followed up that post by sharing further details on the threats leveled against the women who dared to protest the despotic regime. He captioned the Truth Social <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116199696068251039">post</a>, &#8220;ASYLUM!&#8221;
Less than two hours later, Trump had Albanese on the phone.
The 26-member squad, currently in Australia for the Women’s Asian Cup, sparked controversy during their opening match against South Korea by remaining silent during the national anthem. The act, widely viewed as a protest against the Islamic Republic, has triggered a vitriolic response from Tehran.
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3 days ago, Iran’s Women’s Soccer Team protested the Islamic Regime by refusing to sing the national anthem.
2 days ago, Iranian state media branded the women “wartime traitors.”
Today, the women were desperately begging for help from inside the team bus. They are being… <a href="https://t.co/bZgZ5XGo5B">pic.twitter.com/bZgZ5XGo5B</a>
&mdash; The Persian Jewess (@persianjewess) <a href="https://twitter.com/persianjewess/status/2030843399444865397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Mohammad Reza Shahbazi, a presenter on state-controlled television, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-06/iran-women-football-womens-asian-cup-state-tv-traitors/106425022">called</a> for the players to face &#8220;stronger consequences&#8221; for their &#8220;shameless betrayal.&#8221; Under Iran’s penal code, charges of treason can carry the death penalty. Concerns for the players’ safety have been further amplified by the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East, following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that began on February 28.
FIFPro, the global soccer players&#8217; union, has formally called on FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to ensure the team’s protection. &#8220;These statements significantly heighten concerns for the players&#8217; safety should they return to Iran,&#8221; the union said in a statement.
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FIFPRO Asia/Oceania has released the following statement calling on AFC and FIFA to ensure the safety and wellbeing of Iran&#39;s Women&#39;s National Team players. <a href="https://t.co/5izRBHvkOg">pic.twitter.com/5izRBHvkOg</a>
&mdash; FIFPRO Asia/Oceania (@FIFPROAsiaOce) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIFPROAsiaOce/status/2029861558722121815?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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On the ground in Australia, the team is reportedly under intense surveillance. Human rights advocate and former Socceroos captain Craig Foster <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/world/middleeast/iran-women-soccer-football-team-australia.html">said</a> it is &#8220;clear they are being silenced and coerced,&#8221; noting that regime-connected &#8220;minders&#8221; are embedded with the squad, restricting their movement and phone use.
While the players remained silent during their first match, they were filmed singing the anthem loudly during subsequent games against Australia and the Philippines. Local councilor Tina Kordrostami, who has been in contact with some players, said the shift was a result of extreme intimidation. &#8220;They are all terrified, particularly for the safety of their family members back home,&#8221; she said.
The Australian government has maintained a cautious diplomatic stance. Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed solidarity with Iranian women but <a href="https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/transcript/interview-david-speers-abc-insiders-1">declined to comment</a> on whether the government has had direct contact with the players or if they will be offered asylum. &#8220;We know this regime has brutally murdered many of its own people,&#8221; Wong <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/08/world-news/iranian-womens-team-may-face-jail-death-after-soccer-loss/">told</a> the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. &#8220;I don&#8217;t want to get into commentary about the Iranian women’s team [that might] put them or their families&#8230; in any greater danger.&#8221;
The team’s tournament concluded Sunday night on the Gold Coast. While some advocates have suggested Australia provide emergency humanitarian visas — similar to those granted to the Afghan women&#8217;s team in 2021 — sources close to the squad indicate many players fear that seeking asylum would lead to the imprisonment or execution of their relatives in Iran.

Islamic Republic of Iran v Australia – AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026

Trump Reveals Call With Australia PM On Desperate Iran Women’s Soccer Team Crisis

Australia Pressed To Save Women's Soccer Team Branded 'Traitors' By Iranian Regime

The Iranian women’s national soccer team made a statement Monday night as they stood silently during the playing of their country’s national anthem.
Their silence spoke volumes ahead of the opening match of the Women’s Asian Cup in Queensland, Australia. None of the women sang as the song was played, choosing instead to look ahead with serious expressions. The crowd applauded at the conclusion of the song, and the team manager, Marziyeh Jafari, was spotted smiling on the sidelines. 
She was later approached by reporters but had no comment, The Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/mar/03/iran-women-football-team-decline-to-sing-national-anthem-before-asian-cup-tie">reported</a>.
The team lost its game against South Korea 3-0, the outlet noted. This was their first game since air strikes began in the Middle East, killing the nation’s longtime Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“Our heart goes out to them and their families. It’s a difficult situation, and it’s really brave of them to be able to be here and to perform,” Australian player Amy Sayer said. “They put on a really strong performance, even with the political climate that’s going on and the struggles that they might be going through.”
President Trump has estimated that Operation Epic Fury could last four to five weeks, but has said it could continue longer to permanently eliminate Iran’s capacity to have a nuclear weapon. America’s intervention has had mixed reactions at home, but was celebrated in the streets of Iran after it was announced that Khamenei had been killed.
Many reactions to the women’s soccer team refusing to sing the anthem focused on how poorly the regime treated women of their nation, <a href="https://x.com/SamanthaTaghoy/status/2028624631922393332">noting</a> that their silent protest was what “real feminism” looked like.
“A defying silence… the Iranian women’s football national team REFUSED to sing the anthem of the Islamic regime. Side note: By the time their next game comes up, they probably don’t even have to wear those hijabs anymore,” one commenter <a href="https://x.com/Tarikh_Eran/status/2028539904230060340">wrote</a>.
“These brave women risk a lot with this display,” another person <a href="https://x.com/13jeep24Bob/status/2028822151395000355">chimed in</a>. “After having been treated worse than dirt for years by their country, thanks to President Trump, they may have a chance at a much better future. Meanwhile ‘freedom loving’ severe left wing women &amp; men in our country cheer for the oppressive Iranian regime who has murdered 10’s of thousands of their fellow countryman. What is wrong with this picture?”

Iran soccer team

Iranian Women’s Soccer Team Stands Silent During National Anthem

Iranian Women's Soccer Team Stands Silently During Islamic State's National Anthem

Operation Epic Fury

Sports

Women

World

An Australian political activist and online provocateur who mocked Billie Eilish’s anti-ICE rhetoric says he was deported from the United States after immigration authorities questioned him over social media posts joking about moving into the singer’s California home.
Drew Pavlou, 24, claimed in a series of X posts that he was detained for roughly 30 hours at Los Angeles International Airport before being denied entry into the country. Pavlou speculated that Eilish’s legal team contacted the Department of Homeland Security, prompting his removal.
“Billie Eilish got me deported from the US — I think her legal team contacted DHS,” Pavlou <a href="https://x.com/DrewPavlou/status/2022908458723590378">wrote</a>, posting a selfie with a police officer in the background. He said immigration officials repeatedly questioned him about posts in which he claimed he planned to fly to the United States and move into Eilish’s Malibu mansion, insisting the statements were satire.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
DREW PERFORMANCE ART UPDATE
Billie Eilish got me deported from the US &#8211; I think her legal team contacted DHS
I spent 30 hours at LAX immigration trying to explain that my shit posts were just a joke and that I didn’t actually plan to personally move into her mansion
Honestly… <a href="https://t.co/R4ynQEor3c">https://t.co/R4ynQEor3c</a> <a href="https://t.co/8eVCcBE5Jr">pic.twitter.com/8eVCcBE5Jr</a>
— Drew Pavlou 🇦🇺🇺🇸🇺🇦🇹🇼 (@DrewPavlou) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrewPavlou/status/2022908458723590378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“I spent 30 hours at LAX immigration trying to explain that my sh*t posts were just a joke and that I didn’t actually plan to personally move into her mansion,” Pavlou wrote. “Honestly most of the agents were nice and laughed at the idea but there was nothing I could do.”
Pavlou’s posts were a direct response to Eilish’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/billie-eilish-roundly-mocked-for-stolen-land-comments-at-grammys?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Billie+Eilish+Roundly+Mocked+For+%E2%80%98Stolen+Land%E2%80%99+Comments+At+Grammys">remarks</a> during her acceptance speech at the Grammy Awards, where she declared, “No one is illegal on stolen land,” before adding, “F–k ICE.”
In the days following the speech, Pavlou <a href="https://x.com/DrewPavlou/status/2018442764384637336">launched</a> a crowdfunding campaign claiming he would travel to the United States and attempt to move into Eilish’s home, echoing her “stolen land” framing. “I am flying to the USA next Friday to attempt to move into Billie Eilish’s beachside Malibu mansion,” he wrote, adding, “No human being is illegal on stolen land.”
The fundraiser was later <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/02/04/us-news/australian-activist-drew-pavlou-launches-campaign-to-move-into-billie-eilishs-la-mansion-after-stolen-land-grammys-rant/">removed</a> after the platform said it could not verify his plan or the recipient of the donations. Pavlou subsequently launched a new fundraiser on GiveSendGo seeking money to fly to California and “buy” the property.
The mansion Pavlou referenced was not owned by Eilish herself but by her brother, Finneas O’Connell, and had been sold in 2022 for $5.6 million, according to the Los Angeles Times. The home was later destroyed in the Palisades Fire. Pavlou said he was unaware of that fact when he created the fundraiser.
In follow-up posts, Pavlou leaned into the irony of the situation, mocking the outcome as an unintended endorsement of border enforcement by leftist figures.
“She literally said ‘no one is illegal on stolen land’ but called ICE on me,” Pavlou <a href="https://x.com/DrewPavlou/status/2023307696947310683">wrote</a>. “Honestly amazing performance art — I somehow managed to get Billie Eilish and American liberals to endorse border control and deportations.”
Pavlou also claimed immigration officials questioned him extensively about his past activism, including his opposition to the Chinese Communist Party, describing the experience as “legitimately insane.”
Neither Eilish nor her representatives have publicly commented on Pavlou’s claims, and DHS has not confirmed whether any contact occurred between the singer’s legal team and immigration authorities.
Still, the episode has drawn attention online as a case study in the tension between celebrity activism and real-world immigration enforcement — and as Pavlou framed it, proof that even slogans about “stolen land” have limits when it comes to the expense of the sloganeers.

68th GRAMMY Awards – Show

Australian Activist: ‘Billie Eilish Got Me Deported’

Activists

Billie Eilish

Grammys

Immigration

A 13-year-old Australian boy has gone viral after swimming for hours to get help for his family after they drifted out to sea.
The family was together using kayaks and paddleboards on Friday morning, but drifted too far offshore when weather conditions changed and were unable to make it back. This resulted in Austin Appelbee swimming 2.5 miles back to shore to get help, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/rescue-australia-swim-boy-c191a2f24e9aa594c073faa2d8c00086">reported</a>. 
“The waves are massive and I have no life jacket on. … I just kept thinking ‘just keep swimming, just keep swimming,’” Appelbee said of his amazing feat of strength and courage. “And then I finally, I made it to shore and I hit the bottom of the beach and I just collapsed.”
The teen originally tried to take one of the kayaks to go get help, but it began to take on water, and he had to abandon it. He was forced to remove his life jacket as well because it hindered his efforts to get back to shore.
Appelbee was able to alert authorities, who performed a helicopter rescue of his family members still adrift off the coast of Quindalup Beach in Western Australia. His mother, Joanne Appelbee, 12-year-old brother Beau, and 8-year-old sister Grace were all rescued hours after he left them. By the time of their rescue, the family had drifted 8.5 miles from the shore.
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t think I was a hero &#8211; I just did what I did,” he said of what happened, BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly3ezj3rg3o">reported</a>. &#8220;I was thinking about mum, Beau, and Grace. I was also thinking about my friends and my girlfriend &#8211; I have a really good bunch of friends,&#8221; Appelbee added. &#8220;When I hit the floor I thought, how am I on land right now &#8211; is this a dream?&#8221;
Appelbee’s mom said she didn&#8217;t have an easy time letting him go. “One of the hardest decisions I ever had to make was to say to Austin: ‘Try and get to shore and get some help. This could get really serious really quickly,’” she told reporters, per the AP.
“The actions of the 13-year-old boy cannot be praised highly enough — his determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings,” Inspector James Bradley of the South West District office said in a statement.  “This incident is a reminder that ocean conditions can change rapidly. Thankfully, all three people were wearing life jackets, which contributed to their survival.”
Rescuers called the teen’s heroic actions “superhuman.”
The family members were all evaluated and treated for minor injuries. None required hospitalization. Appelbee used crutches briefly due to having sore legs.

Geographe Bay

Heroic Teen Swam For Hours To Save Family Stranded At Sea

Hero Teen Swims For Hours To Save Family Stranded At Sea

Heroism

Rescue

France&#8217;s National Assembly on Monday backed legislation to ban children under 15 years old from social media on Monday, amid growing concerns about online bullying and mental health risks.
The bill proposes banning under-15s from social networks and &#8220;social networking functionalities&#8221; embedded within broader platforms, and reflects rising public angst over the impact of social media on minors.
Lawmakers voted 116 to 23 in favor of the bill. It now passes to the Senate before a final vote in the lower house.
President Emmanuel Macron has pointed to social media as one factor to blame for violence among young people. He is urging France to follow Australia, whose world-first ban for under-16s on social media platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube came into force in December.
Macron wants the ban in place in time for the start of the next academic year in September.
&#8220;With this law, we are setting a clear boundary in society and saying social media is not harmless,&#8221; centrist lawmaker Laure Miller told the chamber as she presented the bill.
&#8220;Our children are reading less, sleeping less, and comparing themselves to one another more,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;This is a battle for free minds.&#8221;
Australia&#8217;s social media ban is being studied in countries including Britain, Denmark, Spain and Greece.
The European Parliament has called for the European Union to set minimum ages for children to access social media, although it is up to member states to impose age limits.
There is broad political and public support in France for curbing minors&#8217; access to social media.
Far-right lawmaker Thierry Perez said the bill responded to a &#8220;health emergency.&#8221;
&#8220;Social media has allowed everyone to express themselves, but at what cost to our children?” Perez said.
The French ban would require platforms to block access to young teenagers through age‑verification mechanisms compliant with European Union law.
Enforcing such bans can be difficult. Australia&#8217;s government acknowledged the rollout of its ban would be bumpy after children claiming to be under 16 flooded the country&#8217;s social media feeds with messages gloating about their continued ability to access networks.
The French legislation also extends an existing ban on smartphones in junior and middle schools to cover high schools.
A Harris Interactive survey in 2024 showed 73% of the public supported a ban on social media access for under-15s.
Teenagers on the streets of Paris were split in their views. Some said they acknowledged the dangers associated with social media. Others felt a ban was excessive.
(Reporting by Leigh Thomas and Elizabeth Pineau; Editing by Richard Lough, Alex Richardson and Diane Craft)

Social Media And Messaging Apps

France’s National Assembly Approves Ban On Social Media For Those Under 15 Years Old

Big Tech

Emmanuel Macron

France

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