标签： Oceania

大洋洲

‘Escalating tensions’: ASX, oil prices jump on Middle East fears

Against a backdrop of rising military friction between the United States and Iran that has sent global risk assets swinging sharply, Australia’s domestic sharemarket has closed out a surprisingly positive trading session on Wednesday, defying widespread investor anxiety over potential geopolitical fallout.

The benchmark ASX 200 index gained 49.10 points, or 0.57%, to settle at 8653.30, while the broader All Ordinaries index added 32.20 points, equivalent to a 0.36% rise, to close at 8857. The Australian dollar edged slightly lower, dipping 0.06% to trade at 70.20 U.S. cents by market close.

Out of the 11 tracked market sectors, eight finished the day in positive territory, with consumer staples and consumer discretionary stocks leading the upward charge. The only notable drags on overall market gains were the technology and materials sectors, which both recorded an average 2% drop across the board.

Domestic supermarket giants Woolworths and Coles continued their strong streak of performance on Wednesday, capping off a week of double-digit near gains. By closing bell, Woolworths jumped 3.15% to hit $37.63 per share, while Coles rallied 4.95% to reach $23.73. Drinks and hospitality affiliate Endeavour Group also followed the upward trend, surging 5.39% to settle at $3.13. Over the past five trading days, Woolworths’ shares alone have rallied nearly 9.58%, putting the retail giant among the top performing large-cap stocks on the exchange this week.

Other major consumer discretionary firms also posted solid gains: Wesfarmers, Australia’s largest retail conglomerate, climbed 4.25% to $83.39, electronics retailer JB Hi-Fi gained 3.50% to close at $76.02, and home goods chain Harvey Norman jumped 4.39% to $4.76.

On the losing side, technology stocks bore the brunt of investor risk aversion. Cloud accounting firm Xero fell 2.04% to $76.82, network infrastructure provider Megaport slumped 5.20% to $18.05, and data center operator Next DC closed down 4.12% at $15.14.

Commodity markets moved sharply in response to escalating Middle East tensions: Brent Crude oil prices rose 2% to $93 U.S. per barrel (equivalent to $132 Australian), a move driven by fears of disrupted supply through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy chokepoint. Contrary to typical safe-haven trends, spot gold prices fell to $4200 U.S. an ounce, as the precious metal has faced sustained downward pressure since the outbreak of the latest Middle East conflict. Persistent high inflation and expectations of further U.S. interest rate hikes have made yield-bearing assets like government bonds and savings accounts more attractive to risk-averse investors compared to non-yielding gold.

The escalation of hostilities came after the U.S. carried out strikes on Iranian sites near the Strait of Hormuz, a move U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed was retaliation for Iran shooting down a U.S. Apache helicopter in Omani airspace. Iran responded with retaliatory strikes targeting locations in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.

Marc Jocum, senior product and investment strategist at Global X, noted that conflicting risk pressures have defined market activity this week. “Escalating tensions in the Middle East following U.S. military air strikes pushed oil prices higher and reminded investors that geopolitics remains an ever-present wildcard,” he explained. “At the same time, markets are nervously awaiting tonight’s U.S. inflation data following last week’s stronger-than-expected jobs report, with concerns that sticky inflation could keep the Federal Reserve in tightening mode for longer.”

In individual company news, several high-profile stocks made sharp moves on Wednesday. Sigma Healthcare, the parent company of Australian pharmacy chain Chemist Warehouse, slumped 5.48% to $2.76 after confirming it had entered early exploratory discussions for a potential takeover of U.K.-based health and beauty retailer Boots. The company emphasized that talks remain preliminary, and there is no guarantee the transaction will be finalized.

Mining firm Northern Star Resources saw its shares fall 3.54% to $18.54, after the company released an open letter to shareholders confirming it had rejected a sale proposal from U.S. hedge fund Elliott Investment Management, which holds a 3-4% stake in the miner. IGO Limited also dropped 6.01% to $8.44, after a fire broke out Tuesday at the Chemical Grade Plant 3 facility at its Greenbushes lithium operation, one of the world’s largest hard-rock lithium mines.

There were also bright spots in individual trading: newly listed defence technology firm Boresight surged 67.50% on its market debut, after raising $8 million through an initial public offering priced at 20 cents per share. The stock closed at 33.5 cents by the end of trading. Insurance firm Steadfast Group also soared after receiving a public takeover bid priced at $6 per share, a 51% premium to its previous closing price. The stock settled at $5.38 by market close on Wednesday.

9 6 月, 2026
Urgent warning issued after traveller dies in Western Australia from rare mosquito-borne disease with no vaccine

A fatal case of Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE), a dangerous mosquito-borne virus with no available vaccine or targeted cure, has prompted state and national health authorities in Australia to issue an urgent public alert for the Kimberley and Pilbara regions of Western Australia. The victim, identified as an out-of-region traveller, is believed to have contracted the virus from an infected mosquito while visiting the West Kimberley area, according to confirmation from WA Health.

Through ongoing routine surveillance monitoring, public health teams have detected active MVE virus circulation across both the Kimberley and Pilbara regions. Managed by the Australian Centre for Disease Control, the virus is classified as a rare but aggressive infection that targets the brain and spinal cord, with mortality rates as high as one in three among patients who develop symptomatic encephalitis. For those who survive the initial infection, nearly half face permanent long-term neurological damage that impacts quality of life permanently.

“There is no vaccine to prevent MVE, and there is no specific treatment available to address the infection once it takes hold,” the Australian Centre for Disease Control noted in its public guidance, adding that while outbreaks of the disease are rare, every recorded event carries severe public health risk.

Andrew Jardine, managing scientist for the WA Department of Health, emphasized that the current seasonal window puts local communities and visitors at elevated risk. “The wet season in northern Western Australia, and the period immediately following it, brings the highest level of mosquito-borne virus activity, and this elevated risk can extend all the way into July,” Jardine explained. He added that the only effective protective measure against infection is to avoid bites from infected mosquitoes, urging anyone in the high-risk regions to take consistent precautions.

Health officials have outlined clear early symptoms of MVE to help residents and visitors seek care quickly, including severe headache, slurred or confused speech, fever, drowsiness, stiff neck, nausea, and dizziness. In more advanced cases, the infection can trigger seizures, coma, permanent brain damage, and death. For young children, fever may be the only visible early sign of infection, so parents and caregivers are advised to monitor closely for any unexplained high temperature after potential mosquito exposure. Anyone experiencing matching symptoms is urged to contact a medical provider immediately for assessment.

To reduce bite risk, authorities recommend a multi-layered approach: using registered insect repellent consistently, wearing long, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing that covers arms and legs, fitting mosquito netting over infant prams, maintaining short grass and vegetation around residential properties to reduce mosquito breeding and resting spots, and emptying or removing any outdoor containers that hold standing water, which are common breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

9 6 月, 2026
Taxpayers potentially on the hook after government case dismissed in High Court immigration ruling

Australia’s federal Albanese government has suffered another costly legal defeat over its immigration detention policies, opening the door for Australian taxpayers to face compensation payouts that could reach tens of millions of dollars. The full bench of the High Court of Australia based in Canberra delivered its ruling on Wednesday in favor of Safwat Abdel-Hady, an Austrian national who has been in the country since he first arrived in 1997.

Abdel-Hady’s visa was canceled by former Immigration Minister Peter Dutton back in March 2017. Court documents confirmed that he lives with an aggressive form of thrombophilia, a blood clotting condition that makes air travel medically unsafe for him, leaving the Commonwealth government with no reasonable path to deport him from Australian territory. The executive branch already conceded that Abdel-Hady was unlawfully held in immigration detention between July 2022 and February 2024, but attempted to avoid civil liability for damages by claiming government immunity.

Commonwealth lawyers argued that the officers who detained Abdel-Hady acted in accordance with the Migration Act and legal precedents that were in place before the landmark 2023 NZYQ ruling, which first established that detaining any person with no reasonably foreseeable prospect of deportation is illegal under Australian law. They also maintained that officers had acted in compliance with all applicable Australian legislation.

However, High Court Justice James Edelman rejected the government’s immunity claim in his ruling, warning that granting immunity would create unequal treatment under the law between the Commonwealth, its executive officers involved in immigration detention, and all other Australian residents.

“If the Commonwealth were granted immunity, public officials would be protected from liability for false imprisonment when acting on a mistaken understanding of the law, while ordinary citizens would face no such protection,” Edelman wrote. “This unequal treatment directly contradicts the Diceyan principle of legal equality that requires all people to be held equally accountable under the law. All persons, regardless of their position, must comply with the law as properly applied to their conduct, and abide by court orders. Without explicit statutory authorization, there is no justification for treating the Commonwealth or its executive officers differently from any other person.”

Abdel-Hady had argued that his entire period of detention between 2022 and 2024 was unauthorized under the Migration Act, and sought full damages for unlawful false imprisonment, arguing the Commonwealth was vicariously liable as the employer of the detaining officer. Justice Edelman ultimately ruled that the Commonwealth is liable both directly and vicariously for the unlawful detention.

The ruling marks the latest major setback for the Albanese government’s immigration framework in the wake of the NZYQ decision. Opposition home affairs spokesperson Jonno Duniam slammed the government for failing to act after repeated warnings, calling the outcome “another NZYQ disaster for the Albanese Government.”

Duniam argued that the government’s mismanagement of the legal and practical fallout from the original NZYQ ruling has left taxpayers on the hook for potentially tens of millions in additional compensation claims. “Since the original NZYQ decision, Australians have been forced to watch dangerous non-citizens released into their communities, repeated legal setbacks, and a government constantly caught flat footed,” he said. “The Albanese government should be responsibly protecting the community, sensibly managing the immigration system, and ensuring the Commonwealth acts lawfully.”

This defeat is not the first for the Albanese government following the NZYQ ruling. The government previously attempted to implement ankle monitoring for detainees released after the decision, but that policy was also struck down as unconstitutional by the High Court in March 2024. It also negotiated a multi-billion dollar agreement with the Pacific island nation of Nauru to resettle a group of detainees, a program that has been mired in ongoing controversy.

In response to Wednesday’s ruling, a government spokesperson stated only that officials are “carefully considering the judgment and its implications.”

The decision has been broadly welcomed by refugee and migrant advocacy groups, who describe it as a critical step toward accountability for unlawful indefinite detention. Jana Favero, Deputy CEO of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, called the ruling a significant outcome that paves the way for other wrongfully detained people to finally access justice.

“We have always said that indefinite detention is harmful and comes at a devastating cost to people’s physical health, their mental health, and their overall wellbeing,” Favero said. “Families have been separated and people are still living with the consequences of having years of their lives stolen from them. The lesson from this case is clear – this harm should never have been inflicted, and the government must ensure it never happens again.”

Legal analysts note that the ruling sets a binding precedent that could open the door to dozens more compensation claims from other people who were held in unlawful indefinite immigration detention, driving the total cost to taxpayers well into the tens of millions of dollars.

9 6 月, 2026
Messi plushies see roaring trade as China firms get World Cup boost

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in North America this week, one unexpected winner is already emerging: Chinese sports merchandise manufacturers, who are capitalizing on massive domestic fan enthusiasm for global football to boost a struggling consumer economy. Even though China’s men’s national team failed to qualify for the tournament — marking its 24-year absence since its only World Cup appearance in 2002 — consumer demand for official football-themed memorabilia has hit unprecedented levels, turning small plush charms into unexpected bestsellers.

At a factory in Yiwu, eastern China’s renowned global wholesale manufacturing hub, workers are working around the clock to fulfill orders for one viral product: palm-sized plush goat keychains decked out in Lionel Messi’s Argentina national team number 10 jersey. The plush is a playful nod to Messi’s widely accepted nickname as the GOAT — short for “Greatest of All Time” — and designed to clip onto backpacks, purses, and keys for a subtle display of fan loyalty. This star product is just one line from All Star Partner, a Chinese licensed merchandise manufacturer that holds official branding contracts with top national teams including Argentina.

Company CEO Luo Bin told reporters that overall sales have jumped five-fold this year compared to volumes during the 2022 Qatar World Cup, a staggering growth that has exceeded all internal projections. The plush charm trend began organically a few years ago, when the company first tested the concept by dressing an ordinary plain teddy bear in a football kit. The product sold tens of thousands of units immediately after launch, convincing the firm that the niche had massive untapped potential. Today, the catalog extends far beyond Messi’s goats: shoppers can find soft toys modeled after Cristiano Ronaldo, fluffy roosters wearing France national team polos, and teddy bears clad in Spain’s iconic red kit, all competing for space in a market that also includes pop-culture hits like Pop Mart’s wildly popular Labubu collectibles.

Luo acknowledges that the tiny plush pendants offer little practical utility, which makes their sky-high popularity a telling sign of shifting consumer priorities in China amid a period of slowed economic growth. “Perhaps now because of the economic environment… people’s choices are no longer practical ones,” he explained. “People now care a lot about emotional value. That is, ‘I want to buy something that I really love. That, when I look at it, makes me really happy.’”

That sentiment resonates deeply with young Chinese consumers, who are increasingly turning to low-cost sports merchandise as an accessible outlet for stress and emotional fulfillment. On a recent weekday at a local All Star Partner retail outlet, casual shoppers browsed through rows of jerseys, plush charms, keychains, pet toys, and event-themed travel accessories. Football fan Fang Tian, who has followed the World Cup since 2014, noted that young people today face mounting social and economic pressure, and affordable fan merchandise provides both an emotional outlet and an accessible way to engage with the sport they love.

Influencer Zhu Hui added that the $11.60 Messi goats — which many buyers note look more like fluffy lambs than full-grown goats — are the undisputed top seller at the store. “I’ve found that Chinese people are actually highly enthusiastic about football stars, and (their enthusiasm) lasts a long time,” the 28-year-old said. “My friends are all willing to fight to stay up to watch the games.”

Data from FIFA backs up that observation: during the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Chinese users accounted for half of all global digital and social platform viewership, despite the absence of the home nation’s team. For long-time fans like 43-year-old Shang Jianxing, a self-described England superfan from Zhejiang, the growing popularity of football culture in China signals a shifting landscape for the sport domestically.

Shang, who chased his love for England stars David Beckham and Michael Owen to North London where he studied business between 2003 and 2008, has attended multiple World Cups in person and plans to travel to the U.S. to watch this year’s semi-final. He bought a Portugal-themed pet carrier for a friend ahead of this year’s tournament, and said he sees football slowly evolving from a niche interest to a widespread way of life for Chinese fans. Like many Chinese supporters, he watched the national team’s 2002 campaign — its only World Cup appearance to date, where it lost all three group matches without scoring a single goal — and holds out hope for a return to the global stage.

Shang points to the expansion of youth football development programs across China as a promising sign for the men’s national team, which has long faced widespread criticism for its poor international performance. “It’s a pity China has missed out on every World Cup except 2002, given football’s popularity at home,” he said. “I think sooner or later the Chinese team will play in the World Cup again.”

For now, though, Chinese merchants are reaping the benefits of that widespread passion, turning global football fever into a rare bright spot for a domestic economy that has struggled with stagnant consumer spending in recent years. What started as a small experiment with a plush teddy bear in a football kit has grown into a multi-million dollar business, proving that even without a national team in the tournament, China’s fan market remains one of the most lucrative in global football.

9 6 月, 2026
Sentence for Christopher Joannidis over crash that killed five upheld on appeal

One of Victoria’s deadliest road incidents in a decade has sparked renewed anger after the state’s highest court upheld a lenient prison sentence for the driver who caused the crash that killed five people, dismissing a prosecution appeal that argued the original penalty was far too low.

In January last year, 32-year-old Christopher Dillion Joannidis accepted responsibility for five counts of dangerous driving causing death, and was handed a total sentence of five-and-a-half years behind bars, with a minimum non-parole period of just three years. The fatal collision occurred on April 20, 2023, when Joannidis was driving his Mercedes-Benz along Labuan Road in Strathmerton, a small northern Victorian community located near the New South Wales border. When he reached the intersection with the Murray Valley Highway, he failed to give way to oncoming traffic and crashed directly into a ute.

The impact of the collision sent the ute spinning out of control, directly into the path of an oncoming heavy truck. The truck’s driver, Deborah Markey, and four visiting farm workers — Zhi-Yao Chen, Pin-Yu Wang, Wai Yan Lam and Hsin-Yu Chen — were killed instantly. Disturbingly, police had pulled Joannidis over just minutes before the fatal crash to issue him a speeding ticket, and explicitly warned him that the stretch of road was notoriously dangerous, with nine fatalities recorded in the area over the preceding 19 months.

During the original sentencing, Judge Gavan Meredith adjusted the penalty after considering expert testimony that a raised rail hump positioned just before the intersection on Labuan Road created a hidden safety hazard, blocking drivers’ view of traffic on the Murray Valley Highway and turning the crossing into what experts described as a “trap” for motorists.

Prosecutors with the Office of Public Prosecutions challenged the sentence before the Victorian Court of Appeal, arguing that the penalty was “manifestly inadequate” given the scale of loss of life, Joannidis’ clear culpability for the crash, and the need for a strong sentence to deter other motorists from dangerous driving behavior.

On Wednesday, the three-judge panel led by Justices Stephen McLeish, Christopher Boyce and Terry Forrest issued their ruling dismissing the appeal. The panel acknowledged that the original sentence was indeed lenient, but concluded it did not fall outside the acceptable range of penalties available to the original sentencing judge.

“After anxious consideration, we have concluded that this appeal must be dismissed,” the justices wrote in their formal ruling. “Whilst lenient, the Director (of Public Prosecutions) has not demonstrated that the cumulation imposed and the consequent total effective sentence are manifestly inadequate.”

In their reasoning, the judges noted that Joannidis was not speeding at the time of the crash, nor was he impaired by alcohol or drugs. They also agreed that the pre-existing hazard at the intersection reduced Joannidis’ moral culpability for the deaths, noting “we may have imposed a longer sentence, but that it is only when a sentence is obviously wrong that an appeals court should intervene.”

Outside the courtroom following the ruling, Daniel Montero, son of crash victim Deborah Markey, said he was devastated by the decision and condemned the justice system as fundamentally broken. “This guy killed five people, and it doesn’t matter how you spin it, that’s what he did,” Montero told reporters. “It really has taken a massive impact on my life and my family’s, and today was just not the outcome that we wanted. I just need to try and move on with my life.”

9 6 月, 2026
Chemist Warehouse owner confirms talks to buy UK health giant Boots

One of Australia’s largest pharmaceutical powerhouses has launched a potential game-changing expansion into the United Kingdom’s retail health market, after confirming it has entered early-stage negotiations to acquire British health and beauty chain Boots in a deal valued at approximately $14 billion Australian dollars.

In an official statement filed with the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) this week, parent company Sigma Healthcare – which completed its $34 billion merger with Australian retail pharmacy brand Chemist Warehouse only last year – confirmed that “preliminary discussions” are underway regarding the sale process for Boots, the UK’s biggest independent pharmaceutical chain by market share.

“Sigma continuously reviews opportunities that would create value for shareholders and has engaged in preliminary discussions in relation to the sale process,” the statement read. A subsequent spokesperson for Chemist Warehouse also clarified that talks remain in the very early stages, and no final agreement has been reached regarding a potential transaction.

Per reporting from the Financial Times, Boots’ current owner, US-based private equity firm Sycamore Partners, has received expressions of interest from multiple retail groups across North America and Australia. Alongside Sigma Healthcare, Canadian supermarket giant Loblaws and national pharmacy operator Shoppers Drug Mart are also listed as potential bidders for the iconic British brand. Industry analysts expect the final sale price to land around $10 billion US dollars, equal to $14.3 billion Australian dollars.

Founded 177 years ago, Boots is a staple of British high streets, operating roughly 1,800 physical locations across the UK and employing more than 50,000 people. The brand has become a household name for both pharmaceutical products and general health and beauty retail, making it a high-value target for global retailers looking to break into the UK market.

If Sigma completes the acquisition, the purchase would mark the company’s second major investment in the UK in less than six months. Back in May, the Australian group purchased a 75% controlling stake in British pharmacy operator Greenlight Healthcare, which runs 22 community locations, in a move that first brought the Chemist Warehouse brand into the UK market. Beyond the UK and its home market of Australia, Sigma already maintains a presence across New Zealand, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates’ Dubai, as part of its ongoing global expansion strategy.

Shortly after the announcement of preliminary talks, Sigma Healthcare’s shares took a notable dip on the ASX, falling more than 7% to close at $2.72 AUD per share, as investors reacted to the news of the potential large-scale acquisition.

9 6 月, 2026
Former Liberal deputy leader Julie Bishop’s explosive ANU resignation letter revealed

A bombshell resignation letter from Julie Bishop, Australia’s former foreign minister and ex-chancellor of the Australian National University (ANU), has pulled back the curtain on a bitter regulatory conflict that has plunged the country’s top national research institution into deep governance turmoil. Bishop stepped down from the university’s highest ceremonial and governance post last month, capping a six-year tenure defined by growing friction and widespread backlash over a controversial $250 million austerity program. The text of her May 7 resignation letter, submitted to ANU Pro-Chancellor Larry Marshall and tabled before a recent Senate estimates hearing, pulls no punches in its criticism of external overreach.

At the heart of Bishop’s anger is what she describes as repeated, unlawful interference by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) in core ANU Council functions, including the appointment of senior leadership, the selection of a new chancellor, and the confirmation of ministerially appointed council members. In the letter, Bishop argues that TEQSA’s regulatory overreach has severely undermined her ability to carry out her legal and statutory responsibilities to the university. She accuses the regulator of effectively seizing control of ANU’s governing structures under what she calls coercive threats to impose legally invalid new conditions on the university’s operating registration.

Bishop’s frustration boiled over after the full ANU Council refused to take coordinated action to push back against TEQSA’s encroachment. She writes that the regulator’s repeated interventions have fractured both the council and the wider ANU community, creating a regulatory regime that is disproportionate, unnecessary, and entirely without legal grounding, with ramifications that stretch across Australia’s entire higher education sector. Even amid her scathing rebuke, Bishop closed her letter with a note of encouragement for ANU students, affirming her belief that the institution has the potential to rank among the world’s top universities and urging students to seize the opportunities an ANU education provides.

The crisis extends far beyond Bishop’s departure, with multiple other ANU Council members having resigned in recent months over overlapping governance concerns, and senior opposition figures are now demanding full transparency from both the ANU leadership and the federal government. Liberal Senator Maria Kovacic has called for rigorous scrutiny of the allegations, noting that multiple high-profile, experienced figures including a former state supreme court chief justice have felt forced to step down over governance failures. Kovacic also pointed to troubling inconsistencies between the claims laid out in the resignation letters and testimony ANU representatives gave during the Senate estimates hearing, saying these contradictions demand clear, public answers. She added that blame for the institution’s cultural and governance problems should not be unfairly shifted onto any single individual.

Bishop’s letter also details the sharp escalation of TEQSA engagement that coincided with ANU Council’s controversial cost-cutting push. Bishop notes that in her first four years as chancellor, she received just one formal communication from TEQSA. But between late 2024 and early 2025, that number jumped to nearly 60 separate requests for input, which Bishop describes as persistent, unreasonable, and arguably vexatious. She also criticized the independent legal counsel ANU Council obtained to assess TEQSA’s authority, noting that the advice itself confirmed that acquiescing to TEQSA’s demands would amount to handing over core council functions in a direct violation of the ANU Act, the federal legislation that governs the institution’s operation. Andrew Metcalfe, ANU’s acting chancellor, defended the council’s actions during his own Senate estimates testimony, acknowledging that grave governance concerns exist but insisting all decisions were made lawfully and in the best interests of the university.

The other released resignation letters lay bare the depth of dysfunction at the highest levels of ANU leadership. Tanya Hosch, an Indigenous business leader and activist who stepped down from the council, apologized to ANU staff and students for the harm caused by months of sustained controversy. She also cited a persistent failure by the council to prioritize Indigenous voices in institutional decision-making, writing that she cannot accept that non-Indigenous leaders should have full control over setting the rules for Indigenous participation in governance. “I had hoped my departure from ANU could be under far more respectful terms,” she added.

Wayne Martin, a former Supreme Court chief justice and retired council member, described the council’s dealings with TEQSA as farcical, echoing Bishop’s accusation that the regulator has usurped the council’s core governance role and been allowed to take complete control of the institution’s leadership. Senior former public servant Padma Raman, another resigning member, wrote that trust within the council had withered completely over the past 18 months, and constant unapproved leaks had created an unsustainable working environment that made it impossible to commit sufficient time to council duties. Raman called for the entire remaining ANU Council to resign or be removed to clear the way for a fresh start for the iconic Australian institution.

9 6 月, 2026
AFL general manager Greg Swann flags a reinforcement to the goal review system

The Australian Football League (AFL) has locked in a concrete timeline to deliver long-awaited upgrades to its contentious goal review system, with high-performance new cameras set to launch before this year’s final series gets underway. AFL football chief Greg Swann confirmed the rollout plans in a recent media interview, addressing a string of controversial high-profile decision errors that have sparked widespread debate around the current system throughout the 2024 season.

Two major incidents have put the AFL Review Centre (ARC) under intense public and fan scrutiny this year. First, a delayed free kick call involving St Kilda player Rowan Marshall prompted early incremental adjustments to protocols. Just weeks later, umpires failed to detect a clear goal scored by Geelong’s Ollie Dempsey, a mistake that amplified calls for systemic overhauls. Swann noted that the Dempsey non-call stemmed more from umpires failing to initiate a full review than a flaw in the ARC infrastructure itself, but he nevertheless acknowledged the urgent need for technical upgrades to the current camera setup.

“By August, ahead of the final round of regular season matches and leading into finals, we will roll out an entirely new suite of cameras,” Swann told SEN radio. “This upgrade should deliver faster processing and far sharper image definition, which will make the whole review process more efficient.”

Swann explained that common public criticism of the ARC often centers on how long reviews take, but added that the current system’s limitations are rooted in outdated hardware. With only 10 to 11 cameras currently covering goal mouth action, review officials often need to cross-check multiple angles to reach an accurate decision, a process slowed by the current hardware’s 50 frames per minute shutter speed. The upgraded cameras will boost that rate to 250 frames per minute, enabling clearer, faster analysis of contested goal line scenarios.

“I’ve looked at plenty of plays where one angle clearly shows the ball was touched, while another shows it missed by more than a meter,” Swann explained. “Getting the call right always takes time, but the new faster cameras will cut down that delay significantly. We may even introduce a formal time cap for reviews down the line, but one thing is certain: we don’t want reviews stretching out to 50 seconds anymore.”

Beyond the ARC upgrades, Swann also addressed growing scrutiny around umpiring decision-making, including a recent high-profile incident where Carlton forward Harry McKay took 41 seconds to complete a late-game set shot against Essendon, well in excess of the nominal 30-second rule. The incident reignited debate around how the game’s shot clock rules should be enforced.

Swann explained that current protocol requires players to begin moving toward the ball within 30 seconds of being given the all-clear to take a set shot. In McKay’s case, the forward initiated his walk at the 29-second mark before taking extra time to line up his kick from 60 meters out, finishing with a total time of 41 seconds. Swann acknowledged that an early hurry-up call may have been warranted, but added that enforcement ultimately falls under individual umpire discretion.

Crafting a one-size-fits-all hard rule for set shot timing has long proven tricky for the league, Swann noted, especially when accounting for variable game conditions. In windy venues like Tasmania or Ballarat, or for elite long-distance kickers like McKay, forcing a player to rush a shot from outside 50 meters can have an unfair impact on game outcomes. “It’s a really nuanced issue. This is the first blatantly obvious instance of this scenario we’ve had this year, so we’re not rushing to make knee-jerk changes. But we will continue monitoring similar situations for the rest of the season to decide if further adjustments are needed,” he said.

Despite the ongoing scrutiny of key decisions, Swann reaffirmed the league’s confidence in the overall quality of umpiring across the 2024 competition.

9 6 月, 2026
Salt: integral ingredient of sumo stars’ art

Next weekend, the streets of Paris will host a rare showcase of one of Japan’s most ancient and culturally significant martial traditions: professional sumo wrestling. While audiences will focus on the power and ritual of the competing rikishi (sumo wrestlers), an unexpected, unsung star of the two-day landmark event – the first major sumo tournament held in France since 1995 – is entirely homegrown: 200 kilograms of specially prepared Guerande salt harvested from France’s Atlantic coast.

For sumo, a sport deeply intertwined with sacred Shinto religious traditions, salt is far more than a random ceremonial accessory. It is a non-negotiable foundation of the sport, and no official tournament can proceed without it, according to David Rothschild, lead organizer of the Paris event.

Sumo competition is structured around a sequence of time-honored rituals rooted in Shinto spiritual beliefs. Each gesture carries deep symbolic meaning: when wrestlers clap their hands at the start of the pre-bout ceremony, they are calling on divine spirits to witness the match. The stamping of their feet is a deliberate act to drive malevolent demons from the ring. And the scattering of salt serves the critical purpose of purifying the dohyo – the 4.55-meter-diameter wrestling ring – clearing the space of any bad fortune that could bring injury, curses, or misfortune to the competitors.

Before every match, each rikishi throws a large handful of salt onto the dohyo in a practice that has become one of sumo’s most iconic and recognizable images. Throughout the tournament, the clay surface of the ring is kept dusted with a thin layer of salt, with yobidashi (ring announcers) regularly sweeping and replenishing the layer to maintain its purity. For the two-day Paris event, that adds up to a total need of 200 kilograms of salt for all the rituals and preparations.

When organizers reached out to Meredith and Gautier Ferard, third-generation salt producers based in the coastal French town of Le Croisic, the unusual large order caught them by surprise. “It’s definitely not the kind of request we get every day,” Meredith Ferard told reporters. “But I thought, why not take it on?”

The organizers provided extremely specific requirements for the custom salt to meet sumo’s unique needs. “They asked for a bright white salt, and above all, a very fine grain to avoid damaging the soft skin on the wrestlers’ feet,” Meredith explained. Natural sodium chloride crystals naturally form sharp, cubic shapes, and for wrestlers who carry massive body weights, walking across coarse, sharp grains could cause painful cuts and abrasions over the course of the tournament.

To meet these specs, the Ferards processed their 2024 summer-harvested fleur de sel through a months-long custom preparation process: after harvesting, the salt was stored, dried, dehumidified, sieved multiple times, and finally ground by hand to achieve the perfect fine texture.

While supplying salt for a sumo tournament is an unusual departure for their small business, Meredith notes that salt – often called “white gold” for its cultural and economic value across human history – carries sacred meaning in many global traditions, just as it does in Shinto.

“For us, this connection to sacredness is already part of our daily work,” she said. “My office looks out over the salt marshes that have been shaped by human hands for 2,000 years. Our product is entirely natural, entirely handmade. So it feels completely natural that our salt would take on this sacred role for the sumo tournament. I just hope it meets everyone’s expectations, that the wrestlers are happy with it, and that it fulfills its ceremonial purpose for their bouts.”

9 6 月, 2026
Messi set to return as Somali referee says World Cup dream over

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off this week across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the build-up to the historic expanded tournament has been marked by a mix of anticipation for Lionel Messi’s return and mounting off-field disruptions, ranging from a dashed referee’s dream to violent social unrest.

Messi, the 38-year-old Argentine icon who led his nation to a historic third World Cup title in Qatar 2022, is in line to make his first pre-tournament appearance against Iceland in an Alabama friendly on Tuesday, as he works to regain full match fitness following a late-May hamstring injury sustained while playing for club side Inter Miami. With Argentina’s opening group stage clash against South Africa (originally referenced as the 16th opening match context adjusted to 2026 timeline) looming, Messi started on the substitutes’ bench for the warm-up fixture, his first involvement in any of the national team’s preparation matches after the injury sidelined him for weeks.

Off the pitch, the largest World Cup in tournament history has been plagued by repeated controversies in the final lead-up. One of the most heartbreaking stories comes from Somali referee Omar Artan, who saw his lifelong dream of officiating at the World Cup ended abruptly when U.S. border officials denied him entry and removed him from FIFA’s official officiating roster for the tournament.

Speaking from Istanbul, where he was deported after being turned away at Miami International Airport, Artan described the devastating outcome. “I am very, very disappointed,” he told The New York Times. “I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup.” Artan recounted that he endured an 11-hour interrogation by border agents, followed by several hours of detainment in a holding cell before being put on a flight back to Turkey. He insists all his documentation, including his visa, was fully valid—a claim that has been corroborated by a senior advisor to the Somali government speaking to AFP.

Further unrest is unfolding in co-host Mexico, where organizers are working to contain the risk of disruption to Thursday’s opening match at Mexico City’s iconic Estadio Azteca. For hours on Tuesday, a massive teacher-led protest blocked a major avenue leading directly to the stadium, where Mexico will face Paraguay in the tournament’s curtain-raiser. The demonstration is the latest in a week of widespread industrial action across the capital, which Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has labeled a deliberate political provocation.

“[It is] as if to say, ‘Look at how bad the situation is in Mexico,’” Sheinbaum told reporters. While police established a cordon to stop protesters from reaching the stadium grounds, the left-leaning president has repeatedly ruled out using violent police force to disperse the demonstrations, even as she confirmed that security for the opening match is fully guaranteed.

In the United States, the final co-host, the national team is preparing for its opening match against Paraguay in Los Angeles on Friday, with one senior player acknowledging the side needs to improve its comfort with the unwritten “dark arts” of elite soccer. Following a 2-0 friendly defeat to Germany over the weekend, head coach Mauricio Pochettino urged his squad to “learn to play right on the edge of the rules” — a sentiment echoed by midfielder Cristian Roldan at the team’s training camp on Tuesday.

“I think that’s one thing that we can get better at, for sure,” Roldan told AFP. “I think being a little bit more savvy, understanding that being too honest at times is probably too much of a fault for us.” The reminder comes amid lingering tension between the U.S. and Paraguay, after a November 2025 friendly between the two sides ended in a full-time stoppage-time brawl.

9 6 月, 2026