Instagram is blocking posts that mention abortion from public view, in some cases requiring its users to confirm their age before letting them view posts that offer up information about the procedure.

Over the last day, several Instagram accounts run by abortion rights advocacy groups have found their posts or stories hidden with a warning that described the posts as “sensitive content.”

In one example, Instagram covered a post on one page with more than 25,000 followers that shared text reading: “Abortion in America How You Can Help.” .

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The post went on to encourage followers to donate money to abortion organizations and to protest the Supreme Court’s decision to strip constitutional protections for abortion in the US.

The post was slapped with a warning from Instagram that covered the post, reading “This photo may contain graphic or violent content.”

Berlin photographer Zoe Noble has run the Instagram page, which celebrates women who decide not to have children, for more than a year. Monday was the first time a post mentioning abortion was restricted by Instagram.

“I was really confused because we’ve never had this happen before, and we’ve talked about abortion before,” Noble said.

“I was really shocked that the word abortion seemed to be flagged.”

The platform offers no way for users to dispute the restriction.

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The Associated Press identified nearly a dozen other posts that mentioned the word “abortion” and were subsequently covered up by Instagram.

All of the posts were informational in nature, and none of the posts featured photos of abortions. An Instagram post by an AP reporter that asked people if they were experiencing the problem was also covered by the company on Tuesday, and required users to enter their age in order to view it.

The AP inquired about the problem on Tuesday morning. Hours later, Instagram’s communication department acknowledged the problem on Twitter, describing it as a glitch.

“We’re hearing that people around the world are seeing our ‘sensitivity screens,’ on many different types of content when they shouldn’t be. We’re looking into this bug and working on a fix now," the company tweeted.

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A spokesman for Instagram-owner Meta Platforms Inc. said in an email that the company does not place age restrictions around its abortion content.

Instagram's latest issue follows a Monday AP report that Facebook and Instagram were promptly deleting posts that offered to mail out abortion pills in states that restrict their use.

The tech platforms said they were deleting the posts because they violated policies against selling or gifting certain products, including pharmaceuticals, drugs and firearms.

The AP’s review found that similar posts offering to mail a gun or marijuana were not removed by Facebook. The company did not respond to questions about the discrepancy.

After 563 days of quiet, seven words broke the silence.

Q, the mysterious and shadowy figure behind the QAnon conspiracy movement, had suddenly emerged, surprising followers with a series of short posts.

The posts on far-right message board 8kun on June 24 were Q's first since December 2020, following Donald Trump's bitter and ugly US election defeat.

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"Shall we play a game once more?" said the first message, which was signed off by "Q".

According to the New York Times, the Q account on 8kun used a unique identifier linked to previous Q posts, known as "Q drops" to followers.

An 8kun forum user quickly asked why Q had been absent for so long, to which the account replied: "It had to be done this way."

That was then followed by a later post: "Are you ready to serve your country again? Remember your oath."

The unexpected Q drops, made on the same day the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, sparked a frisson of excitement among QAnon followers, who had rapidly grown in size heading into Trump's failed 2020 re-election bid.

Followers of the false QAnon conspiracy theory believe there is a "deep state" within the US government controlled by a cabal of Satan-worshiping, baby-eating paedophiles.

According to the theory, to which all references and groups were later blocked and banned on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, the cabal is largely run by Democratic politicians and liberal celebrities who traffic children.

In the minds of the QAnon self-styled "patriots", they would help Trump take down the evil cabal, and their work would culminate on a day known as "The Storm", when thousands would be arrested to face military tribunals and executions.

But after Trump's defeat, the failure of prophecies to materialise and Q's subsequent vanishing, the movement grew disillusioned and began to fizzle, but not before the January 6 Capitol insurrection when many so-called patriots joined the invading mob.

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Who is Q?

There has long been speculation about who is Q.

Patriots believed the person was part of Trump's innermost-circle, perhaps a US intelligence official with Q-level clearance which gave access to top secret, classified information.

Some theorised it was even Trump himself.

During his ill-fated 2020 campaign, Trump refused to publicly shut down the QAnon conspiracy and appeared to revel in stoking intrigue inside the movement.

However, in February, two separate companies in Europe using powerful algorithm-based machine-learning and stylometry – a forensic tool which can decipher writing styles – worked independently to analyse the writings of Q.

Swiss start-up OrphAnalytics and a French company of computational linguists both concluded that two people were likely behind Q.

The two men were Paul Furber, a South African software developer and tech journalist, and Ron Watkins, a former administrator of the notorious website 8kun, which is still owned by his maverick businessman father, Jim.

Watkins, who denies he is Q, is now running for Congress in Arizona.

Furber, a believer of the debunked Pizzagate conspiracy who lives in Johannesburg, has also rejected any assertion he is or was Q.

Speaking to 9news.com.au from an undisclosed base in Switzerland, OrphAnalytics founder Claude-Alain Roten said the four most recent Q drops over the weekend had a very "familiar" style and feel.

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OrphAnalytics was now analysing those posts.

Roten confirmed it would take "some weeks" to run the texts through his company's stylometric processes and reach a conclusion as to who was the most likely author.

He was, however, happy to offer his initial impression.

"The texts of the last four Q drops are written in a style familiar to us," Roten said.

Before the weekend, Q had not posted since December 8, 2020, when a Q drop linked out to a pro-Trump video featuring rebellion anthem We're Not Gonna Take It from the 1980s heavy metal band Twisted Sister.

But with so long between drops, some thought Q may have disappeared forever.

The Q drops first appeared on fringe messaging board 4chan in October 2017 but later moved to 8kun, which had changed its name from 8chan after the Christchurch mosque shooter had used it to post his shooting manifesto and live links to his attack.

Patriots believed the cryptic posts from Q, which numbered in total close to 5000, held secret messages which were feverishly picked apart and pored over by online armies of QAnon fanatics.

The Q drops succeeded in mobilising supporters in a remarkable way.

They emerged from the anonymity of the web's darkest reaches to form a genuine far-right public and political movement which staunchly idolised Trump.

Watching from Switzerland, Roten was disturbed by what he saw from QAnon as the 2020 election gathered steam and heat.

He said it felt "important" for his company, OrphAnalytics, to try and work out who was behind Q.

Even then, months away from the January 6 riots, Roten said he had a bad feeling.

"In our mind, it was clear that something very particular would happen after the election," he said.

It was analysis of Q's posts, using stylometry techniques first made popular by the FBI in catching the Unabomber, which saw OrphAnalytics decipher authorship of the messages and reveal the clues that led to Watkins and Furber.

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Key Q suspects narrowed to two men

In 2020, OrphAnalytics broke Q's texts into three-character sequences and tracked the recurrence of each possible combination.

A group of suspects who may have been Q were analysed, Roten said, including people mentioned in news investigations and high-profile figures inside the QAnon movement.

Statistical analyses by OrphAnalytics can establish an "individual signature" in the way someone writes, which much like a fingerprint can be used to pinpoint a suspect.

"Among plausible suspects, Ron Watkins is the most likely author for an overwhelming part of Q drops," OrphAnalytics said in a 2022 white paper revealing its findings.

But there was much more to QAnon, Roten said, explaining there appeared to be two distinct periods to the thousands of Q drops.

The first period ran from October to December in 2017 on the 4chan forum.

Analysis of those 4chan messages, Roten said, pointed to "possible co-authorship of QAnon seminal messages" by Watkins and Furber.

But Watkins' signature "becomes clearer" as time passes, OrphAnalytics found.

Using different methodologies, both OrphAnalytics and their French counterparts noted "a willing or unwilling collaboration" between Watkins and Furber as a plausible possibility while Q drops were appearing on 4chan.

But at the end of 2017, the Q drops suddenly moved to 8chan from 4chan.

During the second QAnon period, from December 2017 to November 2020, OrphAnalytics said Q drops on 8chan "unambiguously points to a single signature, namely Ron Watkins".

Of course, at the time, Watkins was an administrator of 8chan, which afforded him access to all parts of the site, its code and oversight of users.

Ghislaine Maxwell has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for helping the wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls.

The sentencing on Tuesday was the culmination of a prosecution that detailed how Epstein and Maxwell flaunted their riches and associations with prominent people to groom vulnerable girls and then exploit them.

Those crimes occurred even as the couple hobnobbed with some of the world's most famous and wealthy people, including former US presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump and England's Prince Andrew.

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US District Judge Alison J Nathan had earlier ruled the federal sentencing guideline she would rely upon in sentencing the 60-year-old Maxwell was a range between 15½ and 19½ years in prison, roughly half of the 30- to 55-year term sought by federal prosecutors. Defence attorneys wanted a five-year term.

The hearing was so long that Nathan called for a half-hour lunch break, unusual for such proceedings.

Maxwell, wearing a blue prison uniform with her ankles shackled and a white mask to conform with coronavirus rules, sat quietly through the first hour of the sentencing hearing as lawyers debated the law.

At least three of her siblings sat in a row behind her. Most of the others in the crowded courtroom were members of the media.

Several women who testified against Maxwell or released statements prior to sentencing also were in court. Two of them — Elizabeth Stein and Sarah Ransome — spoke to reporters outside.

"Today is a day I didn't think would ever happen, so for me it's a blessing. It really is. And I've prayed for this moment so hard and for so long," Ransome said.

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"It will be very vindicating to speak my statements and have her in the room to hear it," Stein said.

Prosecutors said Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial, sexually abused children hundreds of times over more than a decade, and couldn't have done so without the help of Maxwell, his longtime companion and onetime girlfriend.

In December, a jury convicted Maxwell of sex trafficking, transporting a minor to participate in illegal sex acts and two conspiracy charges.

"Maxwell's conduct was shockingly predatory. She was a calculating, sophisticated, and dangerous criminal who preyed on vulnerable young girls and groomed them for sexual abuse," prosecutors wrote in a court filing.

Maxwell denies abusing anyone.

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"The witnesses at trial testified about Ms Maxwell's facilitation of Epstein's abuse, but Epstein was always the central figure: Epstein was the mastermind, Epstein was the principal abuser, and Epstein orchestrated the crimes for his personal gratification," defence attorneys wrote in a court filing.

Epstein and Maxwell's associations with some of the world's most famous people were not a prominent part of the trial but mentions of friends like Clinton, Trump and Andrew showed how the pair exploited their connections to impress their prey.

Over the past 17 years, scores of women have accused Epstein of abusing them. Many described Maxwell as acting as a madam who recruited them to give massages to Epstein.

The trial, though, revolved around allegations from only a handful of those women.

Four testified that they were abused as teens in the 1990s and early 2000s at Epstein's mansions in Florida, New York, New Mexico and the Virgin Islands.

Three were identified in court only by their first names or pseudonyms to protect their privacy: Jane, a television actress; Kate, an ex-model from the UK; and Carolyn, now a mum recovering from drug addiction. The fourth was Annie Farmer, who identified herself in court by her real name after speaking out publicly.

They described how Maxwell charmed them with conversation and gifts and promises that Epstein could use his wealth and connections to help fulfil their dreams.

Then, they testified, she led them to give massages to Epstein that turned sexual and played it off as normal.

Carolyn testified that she was one of several underprivileged teens who lived near Epstein's Florida home in the early 2000s and took up an offer to massage him in exchange for US$100 bills in what prosecutors described as "a pyramid of abuse".

Maxwell made all the arrangements, Carolyn told the jury, even though she knew the girl was only 14 at the time.

The allegations against Epstein first surfaced publicly in 2005. He pleaded guilty to sex charges in Florida and served 13 months in jail, much of it in a work-release program as part of a deal criticised as lenient. Afterward, he was required to register as a sex offender.

In the years that followed, many women sued Epstein over alleged abuse. One, Virginia Giuffre, claimed that Epstein and Maxwell had also pressured her into sexual trysts with other powerful men, including Prince Andrew. All of those men denied the allegations and Giuffre ultimately settled a lawsuit against Andrew out of court.

Federal prosecutors in New York revived the case against Epstein after stories by the Miami Herald in 2018 brought new attention to his crimes. He was arrested in 2019 but killed himself a month later.

Eleven months after his death, Maxwell was arrested at a New Hampshire estate. A US, British and French citizen, she has remained in a federal jail in New York City since then as her lawyers repeatedly criticise her treatment, saying she was even unjustly placed under suicide watch days before sentencing.

Prosecutors say the claims about the jail are exaggerated and that Maxwell has been treated better than other prisoners.

Her lawyers also fought to have her conviction tossed on the grounds of juror misconduct. Days after the verdict, one juror gave media interviews in which he disclosed he had been sexually abused as a child — something he hadn't told the court during jury selection. Maxwell's lawyers said she deserved a new trial. A judge disagreed.

At least eight women submitted letters to the judge, describing the sexual abuse they said they endured for having met Maxwell and Epstein.

In letters to the judge, six of Maxwell's seven living siblings pleaded for leniency. Maxwell's fellow inmate also submitted a letter describing how Maxwell has helped to educate other inmates over the last two years.

Anne Holve and Philip Maxwell, her eldest siblings, wrote that her relationship with Epstein began soon after the 1991 death of their father, the British newspaper magnate Robert Maxwell.

They said Robert Maxwell had subjected his daughter to "frequent rapid mood swings, huge rages and rejections".

"This led her to becoming very vulnerable to abusive and powerful men who would be able to take advantage of her innate good nature," they wrote.

Prosecutors called Maxwell's shifting of blame to Epstein "absurd and offensive".

"Maxwell was an adult who made her own choices," they wrote to the court.

"She made the choice to sexually exploit numerous underage girls. She made the choice to conspire with Epstein for years, working as partners in crime and causing devastating harm to vulnerable victims.

She should be held accountable for her disturbing role in an extensive child exploitation scheme."

Israel has eased its regulations on abortion access in what the country’s health minister said was a response to last week's “sad” US Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.

The new rules, approved on Monday by a parliamentary committee, grant women access to abortion pills through the country’s universal health system and remove a longstanding requirement that women appear physically before a special committee before they are permitted to terminate a pregnancy.

The decision came after the US Supreme Court on Friday stripped away women’s constitutional protections for abortion, a fundamental and deeply personal change for Americans’ lives after nearly a half-century under Roe v. Wade.

EXPLAINER: In the wake of Roe v Wade, how is abortion handled under Australian law?

The decision has triggered protests across the US and set the stage for a wave of litigation.

Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz, who heads the small liberal Meretz party, said the US decision had turned back the clock for women’s rights.

“A woman has a complete right over her body,” he said. “The SCOTUS decision to negate a woman’s right to make a choice over her own body is a sad process of women’s repression, setting the leader of the free and liberal world a hundred years back.”

Abortion is widely available in Israel and far less controversial than in the US, but women still don’t automatically have the right to the procedure.

Under the new rules, Israeli women will now have access to abortion pills at their local health clinics. They also will no longer need to physically appear before an abortion approval committee, and the application form will be shortened and simplified.

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Abortion approval committees have been heavily criticised in Israel over the years. While most requests are approved, women have objected to being subject to bureaucracy and a humiliating and intrusive process. Women also can face long wait times before they can be seen by a committee.

Instead, the process will be digitised, and a requirement to meet with a social worker will become optional. The new regulations are set to take effect in three months.

“The reform we approved today will create a simpler process, that is more respectful, advanced, and maintains a woman’s right to make decisions over her own body – a basic human right,” Horowitz said.

DEB KNIGHT OPINION: America is no longer the land of the free or of the brave

A woman in her 50s has died after suffering a medical episode while snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef.

Police confirmed the woman had been on a snorkeling and boat tour in the Whitsundays when the episode occurred on Tuesday afternoon.

Emergency Services were called and the woman was transported to an Airlie Beach Marina.

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A Queensland Police spokesperson said police were notified of the incident around 12.45pm and attended the scene.

A report will be prepared for the coroner regarding the woman's death.

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Before and after photos offer glimpse into history of Sydney and Melbourne

The wife of a former bikie killed in a "targeted" attack in Sydney's Inner West last night witnessed the shooting.

Yusuf Nazlioglu, a former Lone Wolf bikie, was shot as he got out of his car in the underground car park of an apartment complex in Rhodes about 6.30pm.

His wife, who he married in January, was in the car with him and watched on as he was shot up to ten times.

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Confronting footage shows Nazlioglu badly injured as he is rushed away on a stretcher, being heavily monitored by paramedics as he was loaded into an ambulance.

The 40-year-old, who had recently been released from jail on weapons charges, was taken to hospital in a critical condition, where he died earlier this morning.

"The attack, in our view, was a targeted attack," Superintendent Martin Haysten said today.

"The person who approached the 40-year-old male and shot him clearly was there to do that."

Police have set up a crime scene in the area, and a vehicle was found burnt-out nearby a short time after the shooting.

INTERACTIVE: A timeline of Sydney's shootings

Nazlioglu was found not guilty in 2020 of the murder of former Comanchero boss Mick Hawi, who was gunned down outside a Rockdale gym in 2018.

His co-accused, alleged getaway driver Jamal Eljaidi, was also acquitted.

Police have appealed for witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage of the incident to contact them.

Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

New South Wales premier Dominic Perrottet has admitted he knew for months John Barilaro was in the running for a $500,000 a year trade role in New York. 

Barilaro's appointment as the NSW Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to the US, a position he created when he was trade minister, has come under immense scrutiny from ministers.

The former deputy premier's appointment to the sought-after role comes just six months after he resigned from politics.

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Perrottet today conceded Barilaro told him personally he wanted the role at a social function.

"In a social setting he may have said that he was applying for a position, for which there was an independent process," Perrottet said.

Perrottet claimed he gave Barilaro no feedback on whether he thought the appointment to the role was appropriate.

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He is also adamant that Barilaro was not promised the role when he was still in parliament. 

"John Barilaro is a former trade minister who went through an independent process," Perrottet said.

"There was no talk about a future job in terms of why he was resigning."

Perrottet has now ordered an independent review of the appointment process to provide "public confidence" in the government's decision-making.

Meanwhile, a parliamentary inquiry examining the hiring process begins tomorrow.

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