Foreign
Iranian Australians celebrate death of supreme leader and dream with ‘quiet anticipation’ of regime change
After Israel and US launch strikes against Iran, people in Australia fear for their loved ones, noting ‘missiles don’t understand who the enemy is’
The memories of all those murdered by the Iranian regime were at the forefront of Sahar Gholizadeh’s mind when she heard that the country’s supreme leader had been killed.
“I started shaking, and I started crying, remembering all of those beautiful lives that we lost, and all of those people that would be so happy to see this day,” she says on Sunday from Melbourne.
The Iranian Australian, who fled Iran’s theocratic regime almost 15 years ago, describes the news as a bittersweet but “big moment” for the country and its diaspora. “We’ve been waiting for this,” the 50-year-old says.
Those sentiments are echoed across Australia’s Iranian community following the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after Israel and the US launched strikes on the country.
Iranian Australian Sahar Gholizadeh described the news of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death as a bittersweet but ‘big moment’. Photograph: Sahar Gholizadeh
In Sydney and Melbourne, planned anti-regime rallies on Sunday became celebrations of the leader’s death, with thousands attending.
In Canberra, a few hundred people celebrated outside the now-closed Iranian embassy to cheer the death of the Ayatollah and praise Israeli and US leaders.
Iran state media confirms killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after US-Israeli missile strikes
Champagne was sprayed over the dancing crowd, as people prayed for a liberated Iran and the safety of their families there.
In Melbourne, members of Australia’s Iranian diaspora gathered in Federation Square and on the steps of parliament to celebrate after years of violence, most recently culminating in the regime’s brutal crackdown on protests, with up to 30,000 people estimated to have been killed.
Suren Edgar, the vice president of the Australia Iranian Community Alliance (AICA), says hearing of Khamenei’s death was the “best morning of my life”. “He destroyed our country, our culture, killed our people and pushed the ideology of terror to other countries,” he says.
Edgar, who migrated to Australia in 2014, says the community is hopeful after Israel and the US launched another attack on Iran after last year’s 12-day war.
“It’s not easy to watch your country under that attack,” he says.
“Missiles don’t understand who the enemy is and who are … ordinary people. So that’s why we are worried about our people. But on the other hand, we see them, they are happy, extremely happy.”
The US-based organisation Human Rights Activists News Agency on Sunday reported at least 133 civilians had been killed, with 200 injured, in the first hours of the Israeli-US attack.
Edgar says internet disruptions mean people in Australia are awaiting news from loved ones in Iran.
“I’m still waiting to hear from some … the psychological impact of silence can be as distressing as the crisis itself,” he says. “Being unable to connect with loved ones online creates a unique kind of stress and helplessness.”
Edgar says the diaspora community is celebrating Khamenei’s death, but remains unsure if there will be desired regime change.
“As long as the Islamic Republic is in power, it’s not done,” he says on Sunday.
Courtesy: Breaking News Australia
The man suspected in the White House correspondents’ dinner shooting wrote a statement saying he wanted to target members of President Donald Trump’s administration, according to two law enforcement officials familiar with the document.
Acting attorney general Todd Blanche said that the suspect in custody, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, appeared to be targeting members of the Trump administration, and potentially Trump, but that the information was “quite preliminary.”
Officials based their assessment on Allen’s writings, including a statement he sent to members of his family before the shooting, investigators said. D.C. interim police chief Jeffery Carroll said Saturday night that Allen was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and knives when he charged through a security checkpoint toward the ballroom at the Washington Hilton, where hundreds of journalists, politicians and celebrities were gathered for the dinner.
Culled: Washington
Post
By Wumi Tewogbade ,Abuja
The European Commission on Wednesday, announced €235 million in humanitarian assistance to support the most vulnerable people in West and Central Africa.
In a statement issued by EU, in Abuja, the organisation said the fund will support those affected by current conflicts and food crises, forcibly displaced people, host communities, and hard-to-reach populations.
Out of the money, Nigeria is expected to get €33 million.
The statement reads, “Out of the €235 million, €75 million will be directed to the Central Sahel, over €16.6 million to Cameroon, €22 million to the Central African Republic, over €72 million to Chad, €4.8 million to Mauritania, €33 million to Nigeria, and over €6 million to coastal countries.
“An additional €6.4 million will support projects with a regional scope.
“West and Central Africa is facing a storm of humanitarian crises, driven by conflict, poverty, hunger, instability, and climate shocks.” said Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management.”
Lahbib said in the statement, “Last year in Chad, I saw the human cost with my own eyes: families who had fled with nothing but the clothes on their backs, their homes lost, their livelihoods destroyed. For millions of people, humanitarian aid is not a choice. It is food on the table, clean water, medicine, shelter, and a chance for their children to learn again.
“The European Union will always stand with people in crisis, as a reliable and principled humanitarian partner, to save lives, ease suffering, and bring hope where it is needed most.”
It would be recalled that the West and Central Africa region is plagued by various humanitarian crises, with significant needs for humanitarian assistance.
The primary driver of these crises is conflict, further intensified by the adverse effects of climate change and a multitude of local factors related to governance, demography and access to land and resources.
The epicentre of these crises is in the Central Sahel and Lake Chad regions, with the Central Sahel conflict spilling over in the coastal countries, fuelling large-scale displacement both internally and across borders. The ongoing Sudan crisis is also severely impacting the resilience of Eastern Chad. In addition to these intertwined dynamics, standalone crises persist in North-West Nigeria, North-West and South-West (NWSW) Cameroon, and the Central African Republic (CAR).
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned “in the strongest terms” the damaging of a “Catholic religious icon” by an Israeli soldier in southern Lebanon.
It follows an image that emerged online appearing to show an Israeli soldier striking a statue of Jesus Christ with a sledgehammer.
In a statement on X, Netanyahu said he and “the overwhelming majority of Israelis” were “stunned and saddened” to hear of the incident.
He says military authorities are conducting a criminal investigation into the matter, and will take “appropriately harsh disciplinary action” against the offender.
“Israel is the only place in the Middle East that adheres to freedom of worship for all. We express regret for the incident and for any hurt this has caused,” he adds.
Earlier, the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, called for “swift, severe, and public consequences”.
Soludo’s 16.4km Road Project Ends Years of Suffering, Opens Up Anambra Communities
Spread the loveBy Wumi Tewogbade,Abuja Vice President of Boardwalk Group and Abuja-based real estate developer, Chief Obiageli Okwubanego, on Wednesday,...
Ekiti Church Attack: CAN Demands Action Over Killing, Abduction of Worshippers
Spread the loveBy Wumi Tewogbade, Abuja The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Wednesday, condemned the attack on a church...
EFCC Says 6 of 10 Nigerian Students are Fraudsters
Spread the loveBy Son Tertsea, Abuja The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Olanipekun Olukoyede, has raised the...
Opinion :History Will Never Forgive Obasanjo’s Culture of Impunity and Recklessness.
Spread the loveBy Solomon Adebayo The problem of Nigerians is forgetfulness, where a bad leader is rated higher above another...
Tinubu Charges New Envoys To Drive Investments, Unveils Reordered Foreign Policy Priorities
Spread the love… Tasks diplomats on “results-oriented” approach By Felix Umande from Makurdi President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed Nigeria’s...
Taraba Residents In Shock As Gov Kegbu Commissions N3.5b uncompleted 5km Ibi Road .
Spread the loveGovernor Agbu Kefas’ alleged sudden commissioning on Monday, the 27th, April. 2026, of an uncompleted N3.5 billion 5...
Bishop Murray Medical Centre Receives New Injectable Hiv Prep Drug, Awaits FG’s Go-ahead For Rollout
Spread the love… Drug hailed as “relief” for at-risk clients By Felix Umande from Makurdi Bishop Murray Medical Centre, Makurdi...
OPINION: Benue’s Mining Commission Law Is Constitutional Overreach
Spread the loveBy Felix Umande The Benue State House of Assembly may have meant well when it passed the “Law...
5 Hidden Infections People Ignore Until It’s Too Late
Spread the love1. Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)Many people think it’s just “normal burning” or “not drinking enough water.” But untreated...
Attack on Benue Settlement in Logo Claims 6, Many Injured, Hospitalized
Spread the loveBy Our Reporter At least 6 victims of alleged Fulani militia attacked Channel One, a border settlement in...