Australia ⁠has confirmed that two more members of the Iranian women’s football team have received humanitarian visas, after five players were earlier granted asylum over concerns for their safety should they return to Iran, following the team failing to simg their national anthem before a recent match.

A player and a member of the team’s support staff decided ⁠to stay ⁠in Australia after seeking asylum, Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke told reporters on Wednesday.

The pair has now joined five other team members granted humanitarian visas on Tuesday, Burke told reporters.

He said the pair sought asylum before the team departed the country late on Tuesday night, adding that all the women were taken aside individually by Australian officials and interpreters, without Iranian minders present, and offered asylum as they passed through security at Sydney airport.

“They were given a choice,” said Burke, who later posted images of the players on social media.

“In that situation, what we made sure of was that there was no rushing, there was no pressure,” he said.

Burke also said that some people linked to the team were not offered asylum, without providing details. One member of the delegation delayed boarding the departing flight from Sydney while they contacted family members and deliberated about staying in Australia, Burke said.The team’s departure from their hotel in Australia’s Gold Coast and arrival at the domestic airport in Sydney before their international departure took place amid protests, as Iranian Australians sought to prevent the women from leaving the country, citing fears for their safety in Iran.

“We weren’t sure which way that person would go,” he said. “That individual ultimately made their own decision.”

The seven team members who had requested asylum have received temporary humanitarian visas, which is a pathway to permanent residency in Australia, Burke said.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the visas offered to the team members are valid for 12 months and are similar to those granted to applicants from Ukraine, Palestine and Afghanistan.

The team’s departure from their hotel in Australia’s Gold Coast and arrival at the domestic airport in Sydney before their international departure took place amid protests, as Iranian Australians sought to prevent the women from leaving the country, citing fears for their safety in Iran.

Concerns about the players’ safety emerged after Iranian state television labelled the team “traitors” for refusing to sing the ⁠national anthem before their first Asia Cup match in Australia. The team later sang the anthem at other matches.

However, the office of ‌Iran’s ‌general prosecutor said on Tuesday that the remaining members of the team were invited home  “with peace and confidence”, Iranian media reported.

“These loved ones are invited to return to their homeland with peace and confidence, and in addition to addressing the concerns of their families,” the general prosecutor’s office was quoted as saying by Iran’s Tasnim news agency.

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, also urged the players to “come home”.

“To Iran’s women’s football team: don’t worry – Iran awaits you with open arms,” Baghaei wrote on X on Tuesday.

The Iranian team joined the Women’s Asian Cup tournament in Australia, just as the US and ⁠Israel launched their war on Iran, killing the country’s ⁠supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and many senior officials.

At least 1,255 people have been killed in the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has entered its 12th day and has seen devastating air strikes on the capital, Tehran, and other cities, as well as key infrastructure and civilian sites.

The high-profile offer of asylum to the football players also comes as the Australian government has moved to introduce legislation to ban people from certain countries traveling to Australia who authorities fear might overstay their visa due to the war in the Middle East.

According to the ABC, the proposed law would allow the government to stop people from nominated countries entering Australia for up to six months, even if they already have a valid temporary visa.

The Australian Greens party said on Tuesday that the law was “clearly aimed at preventing people from Iran from seeking safety in Australia”.

“We know who this is aimed at by Labor – it’s aimed at the people of Iran, the people of Lebanon, the people of Qatar and the entire Middle East. It is clearly designed to be a Trump-like mass visa freeze,” said Greens Senator David Shoebridge, referring to the governing Australian Labor Party and US President Donald Trump, who has also banned people  from certain countries from entering the US.

The Iranian team joined the Women’s Asian Cup tournament in Australia, just as the US and ⁠Israel launched their war on Iran, killing the country’s ⁠supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and many senior officials.

At least 1,255 people have been killed in the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has entered its 12th day and has seen devastating air strikes on the capital, Tehran, and other cities, as well as key infrastructure and civilian sites.

The high-profile offer of asylum to the football players also comes as the Australian government has moved to introduce legislation to ban people from certain countries traveling to Australia who authorities fear might overstay their visa due to the war in the Middle East.

According to the ABC, the proposed law would allow the government to stop people from nominated countries entering Australia for up to six months, even if they already have a valid temporary visa.

The Australian Greens party said on Tuesday that the law was “clearly aimed at preventing people from Iran from seeking safety in Australia”.

“We know who this is aimed at by Labor – it’s aimed at the people of Iran, the people of Lebanon, the people of Qatar and the entire Middle East. It is clearly designed to be a Trump-like mass visa freeze,” said Greens Senator David Shoebridge, referring to the governing Australian Labor Party and US President Donald Trump, who has also banned people  from certain countries from entering the US.

(Aljazeera)

WEATHER FORECAST FOR 11 MARCH 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 11 March 2026 by the Department of Meteorology

Misty conditions can be expected at some places in Western, Central, Sabaragamuwa and Uva provinces and in Galle and Matara districts during the early hours of the morning.

A few showers are likely in the Northern and Eastern provinces. Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Sabaragamuwa, Southern and Uva provinces and in Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts in the evening or night. Dry weather will prevail elsewhere over the island.

The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union (CEBEU) yesterday warned that uncertainty surrounding the ongoing restructuring of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) had forced many employees to refrain from performing their regular duties, raising concerns about potential disruptions to electricity sector operations.

The engineers’ union said the current situation had arisen due to what it described as either deliberate actions or extreme negligence in implementing the restructuring process, which has created significant confusion among staff who previously served under the CEB.

According to the union, although the state power utility has been formally restructured and new companies established, a large majority of former CEB employees have yet to receive official appointment letters, confirming their positions in the newly formed entities.

“The reality is that the institution, previously known as the Ceylon Electricity Board, no longer exists in its earlier form, yet most employees, who served under it, have not been issued proper appointment letters, or related documentation, assigning them to the newly established companies,” the CEBEU said.

The union said that while some workers had been issued “assignation letters”, those documents merely indicate the institution to which an employee has been attached and do not clearly define employment conditions, responsibilities, authority, or reporting structures.

“As a result, employees currently lack the necessary legal framework confirming their employment status, their duties, the authority under which they operate, and who they are accountable to within the new institutions,” the CEBEU said.

The engineers’ union emphasised that the current crisis was not created by employees but was the direct result of, what it called, shortsighted and questionable actions taken by those responsible for implementing the reforms.

It also expressed concern that the relevant Minister, appointed through the National List, had failed to hold meaningful discussions with employees, despite having previously advocated strongly for workers’ rights.

The union said trade union action had been launched only after months of unsuccessful attempts to resolve the issues through verbal requests and written communication with the authorities.

“Despite repeated appeals made over several months, there has been no satisfactory response. Decisions appear to have been taken under the assumption that a government with a strong mandate can proceed without proper consultation,” the union said.

However, the CEBEU stressed that employees engaged in essential operations—including power generation, transmission, and distribution—continue to work in order to ensure electricity supply to the public.

“These staff members are continuing their duties under considerable risk to prevent major disruptions to the electricity supply,” the union noted.

Nevertheless, the union warned that the prevailing uncertainty could affect certain operational activities, and restoration work following breakdowns may take longer than usual.

The CEBEU appealed to the public to understand the situation and expressed regret for any inconvenience that may arise.

“We request the public to understand the situation and cooperate with us during this difficult period. We sincerely regret any inconvenience that may be caused,” the union added.

By Ifham Nizam