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Australian bloggers held in Iran return home in possible swap

An Australian travel-blogging couple held in Iran on spying charges have been freed and returned home, authorities said Saturday, in a possible swap for an Iranian student wanted in the US.
Perth-based Jolie King and Mark Firkin had been documenting their journey from Australia to Britain on social media for the past two years, but went silent after posting updates from Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan about three months ago.
The pair, who have tens of thousands of followers on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, were alleged to have used a drone to take pictures of "military sites and forbidden areas", an Iranian judiciary spokesman said last month.
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said they were released after "very sensitive negotiations" and had been reunited with their family in Australia.
"We are extremely happy and relieved to be safely back in Australia with those we love," the couple said in a statement issued by the foreign ministry in Canberra.
"While the past few months have been very difficult, we know it has also been tough for those back home who have been worried for us."
Hours later, state media in Tehran said an Iranian student held in Australia for 13 months on accusations of circumventing US sanctions on military equipment had also been released and returned home.
Australia's attorney general Christian Porter confirmed in a statement that he had stopped the extradition of Reza Dehbashi to the United States.
But he dismissed "speculation" over the case, amid media reports including in the Sydney Morning Herald that it could be part of a prisoner swap involving the bloggers.
Porter declined to comment further "particularly when any such response from me may diminish our government's capacity to deal with future matters of this type in Australia's best interests."
State media in Tehran said Dehbashi, a PhD student at the University of Queensland, had been detained on allegations of "attempting to purchase and transfer advanced American military radar equipment via Dubai to Iran".
It said Dehbashi had dismissed the charges as "a misunderstanding".
- Emotional reunion -
An Iranian state channel showed footage of what it said was Dehbashi arriving at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport and hugging a tearful woman apparently from his family.
The Australian couple sought privacy, however.
They said in their statement that intense media coverage "may not be helpful" in the negotiations for the release of a third Australian detained in Iran in an unrelated case.
Melbourne University Academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who specialises in Middle East politics with a focus on Gulf states, had been detained for "some months" before King and Firkin were arrested.
Her case also came to light last month. Moore-Gilbert is accused by Iranian authorities of "spying for another country".
Negotiations over the fate of the university lecturer are "very long term", Payne said.
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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