Max Walden

Iran's women's football team being held 'hostage' amid calls for them to remain in Australia The Iranian women's football team is facing an impossible situation. Return home, and possibly face punishment from the Islamic Republic regime for its silent protest, or stay in Australia and their f...

Amnesty International on Iranian women’s football team: “They should be granted asylum. There's no way that they can go back to Iran. The Iran Authority will detain them and prosecute them on arrival, and they've done that historically.” www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

This!

The deep secular vs religious between Australia and Indonesia is so underrated imo 'we need to know each other better' means understanding a dimension of religiosity that Australians are really disinclined towards.

Top Mamdani aide takes progressive project to the UK Morris Katz has been advising British progressives, showing how left-wing movements around the world are looking at Mamdani’s playbook for replication.

EXCLUSIVE: A top Mamdani aide traveled to the UK to advise British politicians looking to replicate the NYC mayor's campaign playbook.

Follow up: The world's most visited porn website PornHub is set to block Australian users before the Monday deadline for implementing age checking

Oscar-nominated Iranian dissident warns against 'repeat of the past' Mehdi Mahmoudian worries Iran could experience an endless cycle of violence unless — or until — it achieves democracy.

Mehdi Mahmoudian worries Iran could experience an endless cycle of violence unless — or until — it achieves democracy.

Families aboard Middle East flights criticise DFAT's Iran response Flights from Middle Eastern travel hubs are arriving in Australia half-empty despite thousands of Australians remaining stranded in the region.

Stranded Australians and their relatives are accusing the Albanese government of failing to offer genuine support during the Middle East conflict.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

'You are liars, you are frauds': Hezbollah faces reckoning in Lebanon Finding criticisms of the Islamist militant group and political party — an organisation once seemingly untouchable — on the streets of Beirut is much easier than it used to be.

'Suicidal' Hezbollah faces reckoning in Lebanon after joining Middle East war www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

Australians on US sub sat out operation to sink Iranian ship, PM says The prime minister has confirmed three Royal Australian Navy personnel were on board a US submarine that sank an Iranian warship earlier this week.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirms Australian navy personnel on US submarine that sank Iranian vessel www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

Opposed to the Church of England appointing a woman as its head for the first time, a group of conservative Anglican bishops announce creation of a new body to lead them.
u.afp.com/Su6i

Canadian PM Mark Carney and Albanese brush off calls for Middle East ceasefire Anthony Albanese and Mark Carney stop short of calling for a ceasefire in the Middle East as the war widens, with Iran launching missiles at Türkiye and a United States submarine sinking an Iranian na...

The prime ministers of Australia and Canada have brushed off calls for a ceasefire in the Middle East as the war widens, with Iran launching missiles at Türkiye and a United States submarine sinking an Iranian navy vessel off Sri Lanka.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

Iranian Australians say they are 'mentally living in a war zone' As US-Israeli strikes shake Iran, the Iranian diaspora describe a turbulent mix of relief, grief and helplessness as they wait in silence for news from loved ones.

Iranian Australians say they are 'mentally living in a war zone' www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

WATCH: How traffic dried up in the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran war began The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz is "about as wrong as things could go" for global oil markets. Iran achieved it not with a naval blockade, but with cheap drones.

The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz is "about as wrong as things could go" for global oil markets. Iran achieved it not with a naval blockade, but with cheap drones. n.pr/4lcJ9bF

Tehran feels like a ghost town, with residents who have not fled remaining shut away in their homes for fear of explosions from the US-Israeli bombardment.
u.afp.com/SuPP

US troops were told war on Iran was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’, watchdog alleges Religious freedom group says 200 troops sent complaints of superiors using extremist Christian rhetoric to justify war

US military commanders have been invoking extremist Christian rhetoric about biblical “end times” to justify involvement in the Iran war to troops, according to complaints made to a watchdog group. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

Girls' school not hit but 'mistakes' happen in war, Israel's ambassador says Israel's new ambassador to Australia seeks to discredit the United Nations by claiming the country "can't take them seriously".

Israel's new ambassador to Australia has sought to discredit the United Nations by claiming the country "can't take them seriously".
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

As the laid off Middle East News Editor, I concur. Management eliminated the positions of every single staff correspondent and bureau chief in the Middle East.

Airlines take a hit from hostilities in the Middle East The war will hurt the Gulf carriers—and the whole industry too

Iran’s attacks on airports suggest it wants to inflict economic as well as physical damage on its neighbours. It clearly understands the economic importance of airlines to the UAE

Anwar calls for diplomacy amid US-Iran conflict, Prabowo 'prepared' to travel to Tehran for mediation talks The leaders' comments come after Israel and the United States launched an attack of unprecedented scale aimed at bringing down the Islamic republic.

Anwar calls for diplomacy amid US-Iran conflict, Prabowo 'prepared' to travel to Tehran for mediation talks

President Trump has ordered strikes in seven countries, in addition to his campaign against alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean, in his second term in office. https://wapo.st/47ewteg

America and Israel bomb Iran, aiming to topple its regime Donald Trump calls on Iranians to rise up. War could quickly engulf the Middle East

America and Israel have unleashed a mighty war machine, but Iran’s Islamic regime has also been preparing for this day. It is highly unlikely to leave without a fight

Trump shifts from ‘no new wars’ to Iran regime change From Mar-a-Lago, US president defied critics to launch his most high-stakes military intervention

Trump shifts from ‘no new wars’ to Iran regime change ft.trib.al/ncYeyua

US and Israel attack Iran: What we know so far The US and Israel bomb multiple Iranian cities, including capital Tehran. Iran hits back, launching missiles at Israel.

The US and Israel bomb multiple Iranian cities, including capital Tehran. Iran hits back, launching missiles at Israel.

Police foil alleged terror attack plan on public buildings Police have charged a 20-year-old man they allege was planning a "mass casualty" terror attack targeting public buildings and Muslim places of worship in Western Australia.

Police have charged a 20-year-old man they allege was planning a "mass casualty" terror attack targeting public buildings in Western Australia including parliament and mosques www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...

Modernisation is making South-East Asia more Islamic Economic growth in Malaysia and Indonesia has not led to secularism

Indonesia and Malaysia are challenging an assumption that modernisation naturally leads to secularisation. Despite their economic progress, religiosity is intensifying, not weakening

‘I’m a lots-of-feelings person’: Inside the world of ABC chair Kim Williams “Interventionist and elitist”, or “shy” and “sensitive”? ABC chair Kim Williams attracts strong opinions – and holds plenty of his own.

Interesting profile of ABC chair Kim Williams.

ABC broadcaster David Marr: “Kim is not the least bit afraid of Murdoch, and the days of being belted around by lobbyists are over. It’s a big shift at the ABC.” www.theage.com.au/national/i-m...

Australia lags behind NZ and Canada when it comes to one major problem The number of Indigenous people behind bars is rising. But some judges are bucking the trend by taking a different approach.

Despite the commitments from all Australian governments to reduce the number of First Nations people in prisons, the opposite is happening in almost every state and territory. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...

Nurul Amin Shah Alam, Blind Rohingya refugee dumped by CBP, dies in cold "They just left him."

Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a Blind, seriously ill Rohingya refugee from Burma who does not speak English, was found dead in Buffalo—five days after Border Patrol dropped him off on a street corner without notifying his family www.motherjones.com/mojo-wire/20...

In a Syrian refugee camp, children dream of tasting ice cream in Australia The children of women with ISIS links stuck in a Syrian refugee camp talk about their attempt to leave last week, saying they dream of one day buying toys and ice cream in Australia.

Children in Syrian camp for ISIS-linked families speak of hopes to return to Australia
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...

Exclusive | Bill Gates Apologizes to Foundation Staff Over Epstein Ties The Microsoft co-founder acknowledged he had two affairs and opened up about his mistake in associating with the sex offender.

WSJ reports Bill Gates acknowledged to staff of the Gates Foundation that he had two affairs with Russian women that Epstein later discovered, but that they didn’t involve Epstein’s victims www.wsj.com/articles/bil...