On the opening day of Friday’s sitting of Australia’s Royal Commission into Anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion, the first witness to take the stand, a librarian identified only as Benjamin F, delivered a harrowing emotional testimony that laid bare the rising toxicity of anti-Jewish prejudice in the country. Raised in a Christian household, Benjamin shared that he faced surprisingly little hostility when he came out as gay to his loved ones, receiving widespread acceptance and support from friends and family that allowed him to live openly without persistent prejudice. That warm reception stood in stark contrast to the bigotry he encountered after he formally completed his conversion to Judaism in 2022, an experience he described as “horrific” as he choked back tears throughout his address. Benjamin told the commission that converting to his new faith has cost him decades-long close friendships, with many lifelong companions abandoning him entirely after learning of his religious choice. The isolation has left him feeling deeply lonely and adrift, he said, adding that the level of hatred directed at him since his conversion has been far more severe than any bias he faced after coming out. “I feel alone. There’s been times you’ve had life-long friendships that have disintegrated. It’s lonely,” he told the commission through sobs. He also explained that any mention of his Jewish identity or topics related to Judaism inevitably gets tied back to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by others, regardless of context. Beyond broken social bonds, Benjamin has faced direct verbal slurs and has even had the validity of his religious conversion repeatedly questioned by critics. The most striking moment of his testimony came when he described his experience attending a recent Sydney Mardi Gras parade, where he required police escort for his safety. He told the commission that he felt a genuine, unprecedented fear for his life during the event — a terror he never experienced even as a young gay man coming out in a less accepting era. Benjamin’s testimony marks one of the first firsthand accounts of rising anti-Semitism shared at the royal commission, which was convened to examine the state of religious prejudice and social cohesion across Australia. More witness statements and findings are expected to be released as the commission’s proceedings continue.
标签： Oceania
大洋洲
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New York governor orders US immigration agents to unmask
A high-stakes conflict over US immigration enforcement erupted this week after New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced sweeping new restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations across the state, including an unprecedented order requiring federal agents to stop concealing their identities during raids.
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AI actors not eligible for Golden Globes, say organizers
Hollywood’s awards season rulebook just got a clear new update on artificial intelligence, with Golden Globe organizers announcing Thursday that performances created entirely or substantially by AI will not be considered for the prestigious annual honors. The policy shift comes just days after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the governing body behind the Oscars, laid out its own restrictive AI rules for the film industry’s top awards, marking a unified industry stance on the hotly contested technology.
The new Golden Globe guidelines do not implement a blanket ban on all AI use in performances, however. Rulemakers have carved out exceptions for technical and cosmetic AI applications that enhance rather than replace human work. Uses such as AI-powered de-aging, aging effects, or minor visual adjustments to a performer’s on-screen appearance are allowed, as long as the core, underlying performance is delivered by the credited human actor, and AI does not fundamentally replace or alter the human’s creative work. Only submissions where the performance itself is primarily generated or created by artificial intelligence are marked ineligible.
This coordinated move by two of Hollywood’s most prominent awards organizations comes amid years of growing tension around AI in the entertainment sector. The issue was a core bargaining demand during the 2023 Hollywood labor strikes, which shut down most film and television production for months. Both acting and writing guilds argued that unregulated use of AI could displace human workers, erase creative credits, and threaten the long-term livelihoods of industry professionals.
The latest policy changes also follow a high-profile demonstration of AI-generated acting that sparked widespread industry debate. Last year, an AI-recreated version of late Hollywood star Val Kilmer was unveiled at a gathering of cinema chain owners, one year after Kilmer’s death. The digitally de-aged Kilmer appeared in a trailer for the upcoming archaeological action film *As Deep as the Grave*, delivering a full line of dialogue to another character. The project was developed with the full support of Kilmer’s family, who granted creators access to the actor’s extensive personal video archives to recreate his likeness and performance at multiple stages of his life. Even with family approval, the project renewed urgent conversations about how AI should be regulated in professional entertainment and awards recognition.
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IS-linked Australian women charged with keeping slave in Syria
In a landmark counter-terrorism operation following the long-awaited repatriation of Australian citizens stranded in Syria, three women linked to the Islamic State (IS) terror group have been slapped with severe criminal charges, including allegations of crimes against humanity related to slavery.
Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed Friday that two of the women — a 53-year-old mother and her 31-year-old daughter — were taken into custody immediately after their Qatar Airways flight touched down at Melbourne International Airport Thursday evening. This marked the pair’s first return to Australian soil in almost a decade, after they were captured and detained by Kurdish forces in 2019 when IS’s self-declared caliphate collapsed across northern Syria. Before their repatriation, the two were held at the overcrowded, notoriously harsh Roj detention camp, where thousands of people with suspected IS ties are still held.
According to official police statements, the pair traveled to Syria in 2014 specifically to join and support the IS terror organization. The 53-year-old is accused of acting as an accomplice in the purchase of a female enslaved person for $10,000 USD, while her daughter is charged with knowingly holding that same woman as a slave in the IS-controlled household they shared. AFP counter-terrorism chief Stephen Nutt emphasized that the investigation into these grave allegations remains active and ongoing.
A third woman, 32-year-old Janai Safar, was arrested separately after her arrival in Sydney. Safar, who traveled to Syria in 2015 to join her IS fighter husband, faces charges of entering a declared restricted area and becoming a member of a listed terrorist organization. A fourth woman who traveled back with the group was not taken into custody upon arrival. In total, four women and nine accompanying children were on Thursday’s repatriation flight from the Middle East, which transited through Doha before reaching Australia.
The case has reignited long-running national debate over how Australia should handle citizens who left to join IS more than a decade ago. When IS seized large swathes of Syria and Iraq in the early 2010s, Australia criminalized travel to IS strongholds including Syria’s Raqqa province. Hundreds of Western women, many of whom followed partners who joined as jihadist fighters, migrated to the region during IS’s rise, and after the group’s territorial collapse, thousands of these citizens were left stranded in Syrian detention camps.
Countries including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom have struggled for years to reach a consensus on how to manage these remaining citizens. In Australia, human rights groups including the Australian Human Rights Commission have repeatedly urged the government to repatriate the roughly 34 women and children still stuck in Roj camp, arguing that stranded civilians, especially children, deserve the right to return home and face due process under Australian law. But critics argue that the women made a deliberate choice to abandon Australia and align with a terrorist organization, and should not be allowed to return, instead being forced to face the consequences of their decisions in the region.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke echoed this critical stance following the arrests, saying all four returning women had made “a horrific choice to join a dangerous terrorist organisation”. Thursday’s repatriation is not the first time Australian citizens have returned from Syrian camps: small groups of women and children were repatriated in 2019, 2022, and earlier this year, with many of those returnees facing criminal prosecution upon arrival.
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Arsenal sense Premier League glory as Spurs eye safety
With just four matches remaining in the 202X-2X English Premier League season, the final round of fixtures before the campaign’s climax brings high-stakes action across the table, from a historic title chase to a tense relegation battle and a fight for European qualification. This weekend’s slate of games will likely shape the final outcome of multiple key narratives that have defined the season’s closing stretch.
Arsenal’s Push For Historic Title Glory
Arsenal, the north London giants, have reclaimed full control of the Premier League title race, just four matches away from ending a 22-year wait for a top-flight crown and completing a historic domestic and European double. A win this Sunday against relegation-battling West Ham United at the London Stadium would put Mikel Arteta’s side on the cusp of a long-awaited trophy, a milestone the club has not reached since their iconic Invincibles campaign in 2004.Just one month ago, defending champions Manchester City fought their way back into title contention after a major mid-season slump from Arsenal. However, a costly 3-3 draw against Everton earlier this week has thrown City’s chances of retaining the crown into serious doubt. The Gunners have bounced back from their earlier wobble with consecutive league wins, and a recent 1-0 semi-final victory over Atletico Madrid at a raucous Emirates Stadium secured their place in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain, lifting the entire squad’s confidence heading into the final league fixtures.
Currently, Arsenal hold a five-point lead over City, who still have one game in hand, with remaining matches against West Ham, Burnley and Crystal Palace. While West Ham are fighting for their Premier League lives and have not beaten Arsenal at home in league play since 2019, Arsenal legend Thierry Henry — a core member of the 2004 title-winning side — has warned that Sunday’s fixture is a potential banana skin for the league leaders.
“I always thought that City might drop points against Everton and my worry was West Ham away,” Henry told Sky Sports. “So I’m going to stay in my lane and not celebrate too early because nothing is done, but I could see that happening.”
Tottenham’s Fight For Relegation Survival
On Monday night, Tottenham Hotspur will host Leeds United knowing that a win, combined with dropped points for West Ham, would pull them to the brink of Premier League safety at the end of a tumultuous campaign for the north London club.Since Italian manager Roberto De Zerbi took charge at the end of March, replacing interim manager Igor Tudor after a disastrous run of form under his tenure, Spurs have picked up seven points from three matches, a run of form that suggests the club may have turned a corner after months spent in the relegation zone. Despite the recent improvement, De Zerbi has refused to get ahead of himself, stressing that the job is not finished yet for his side.
“We can’t forget what was the situation before Wolverhampton (a 1-0 win last month),” De Zerbi told TNT Sports. “Before Wolverhampton it was a very sad situation and these memories have to stay in our head every day.”
Tottenham currently sit 17th in the league table, one point above 18th-placed West Ham, and after Monday’s clash with Leeds, they face tough final fixtures against Chelsea and Everton, both of whom still hold ambitions of securing European football next season. For Leeds, a victory on Monday would guarantee their own top-flight status for another campaign, and they could even secure safety before kickoff if other results go their way this weekend.
The Weekend’s Other Key Storylines
Elsewhere, Chelsea face a tough test against Liverpool as they look to halt a catastrophic late-season collapse that has dashed their hopes of Champions League qualification. The west London side have dropped to ninth in the table after six consecutive league defeats, and have not picked up a top-flight win since early March. In their past six league matches, Chelsea have scored just one goal, with their most recent result a 3-1 away loss to Nottingham Forest. Interim manager Calum McFarlane’s side can still end the season on a high with a win over Manchester City in the upcoming FA Cup final, but their recent league form has been an embarrassment for the historically dominant top-flight side.Liverpool, managed by Arne Slot, go into Saturday’s early kickoff close to securing their own Champions League place for next season, making them heavy favorites against a demoralized Chelsea side.
The full list of this weekend’s fixtures (all times in GMT) is:
Saturday (14:00 kickoff unless noted): Liverpool v Chelsea (11:30), Brighton v Wolves, Fulham v Bournemouth, Sunderland v Manchester United, Manchester City v Brentford (16:30)
Sunday (13:00 kickoff unless noted): Burnley v Aston Villa, Crystal Palace v Everton, Nottingham Forest v Newcastle, West Ham v Arsenal (15:30)
Monday: Tottenham v Leeds (19:00) -
Australian women linked to Islamic State charged with offences over Syria travel
In a high-profile counter-terrorism development that unfolded across two Australian states on Thursday, three women with documented connections to the Islamic State terror group have been taken into federal custody and formally charged just hours after touching down on Australian soil following years of detention in a Syrian displacement camp.
The first two suspects, 53-year-old Kawsar Abbas and her 31-year-old daughter Zeinab Ahmed, were apprehended immediately upon arrival at Melbourne’s international airport. They are scheduled to make their first court appearance at the Melbourne Magistrates Court this Friday, barely 24 hours after their arrest. According to official charging documents released by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Abbas faces four separate counts of crimes against humanity. Investigators allege she relocated to Syria in 2014 alongside her husband and children, and directly participated in the $10,000 purchase of a female Yazidi slave whom she held captive in her household for years. Ahmed faces two matching charges of crimes against humanity, with police confirming she also accompanied her family to Syria in 2014 and knowingly assisted in holding the enslaved woman. Each of these charges carries a maximum possible sentence of 25 years behind bars if the pair are convicted.
Across the country in New South Wales, a third defendant, 32-year-old Janai Safar, was arrested and charged shortly after landing in Sydney. She arrived in the country accompanied by her young son, and is also set to appear in a local Sydney court on Friday. The AFP alleges Safar travelled to Syria in 2015 to join her husband, who had previously left Australia to pledge allegiance to IS. She faces two charges: entering and remaining in a formally declared conflict zone, and being a member of a designated terrorist organisation. Both offences carry a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment each.
Notably, another of Abbas’ adult children, Zahra Ahmed, also arrived in Melbourne on the same flight but was not taken into custody or charged by authorities.
The three women are part of a larger group of 13 Australian citizens that touched down in Australia on Thursday, nine of whom are minor children. This group forms a fraction of a broader cohort of 34 Australian women and children who have been held at the al-Roj camp in northern Syria since IS lost control of the territory it occupied in 2019. The group first attempted to complete their repatriation to Australia in February of this year, but were forced to return to al-Roj camp due to unresolved administrative technical issues, after the former Australian government repeatedly refused to approve their official repatriation. Earlier this year, one member of the 34-person cohort was issued a temporary exclusion order by the federal government, barring that individual from returning to Australia for a period of up to two years.
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WHO warns of more hantavirus cases in ‘limited’ outbreak
An emerging limited hantavirus outbreak tied to an international cruise ship has claimed three lives, prompting the World Health Organization to warn that additional cases may still surface in the coming weeks, even as global health leaders express confidence that widespread spread can be contained with targeted public health action. The outbreak, centered on the Netherlands-based expedition vessel MV Hondius, has already triggered an international contact tracing effort spanning five continents, as health officials work to contain the rare Andes strain of hantavirus – one of the few variants capable of spreading between humans.
As of Thursday, the WHO confirmed five positive cases and three additional suspected cases linked to the voyage, which departed the Argentinian coastal city of Ushuaia on April 1. The first fatality was recorded on April 11, when a Dutch male passenger died mid-voyage after contracting the virus. His wife, who disembarked with his body at Saint Helena and traveled to South Africa for repatriation, also fell ill and died 15 days later, with her cause of death confirmed as hantavirus on May 4. A third fatality, a German passenger, was recorded on May 2, and her body remains aboard the vessel as it sails toward its scheduled destination.
On Thursday morning, a fourth symptomatic passenger disembarked in Amsterdam, and the Leiden University Medical Center later confirmed the patient tested positive for the virus. The vessel, operated by Netherlands-based tour company Oceanwide Expeditions, currently carries 149 people including 88 passengers, and is anchored off the coast of Cape Verde en route to Tenerife in the Spanish Canary Islands, where it is scheduled to arrive Sunday for a full evacuation of all people on board. Company officials confirmed in a recent statement that no remaining symptomatic individuals are currently aboard the ship.
Speaking to reporters in Geneva Thursday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that the Andes strain of hantavirus has an incubation period of up to six weeks, meaning exposure that occurred earlier in the voyage could still lead to new confirmed cases in the coming weeks. “Given the incubation period of the Andes virus, which can be up to six weeks, it’s possible that more cases may be reported,” he said.
Despite the forecast of additional cases, WHO leaders emphasized that the outbreak is expected to remain contained, as long as cross-border public health precautions and contact tracing efforts continue. “We believe this will be a limited outbreak if the public health measures are implemented and solidarity shown across all countries,” said Abdi Rahman Mahamud, director of WHO’s emergency alert and response program.
Confirmed and suspected cases are currently isolating or receiving treatment in five countries: the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and South Africa. One of the most urgent contact tracing efforts is centered on a commercial Airlink flight carrying 82 passengers and six crew that the deceased Dutch woman took from Saint Helena to Johannesburg while already showing symptoms; South African health officials are working to identify and monitor all people who shared the flight with her.
Authorities in Saint Helena have moved to reassure local residents, noting that more than 95 percent of the island’s population has had no close contact with passengers or crew from the MV Hondius, putting them at extremely low risk of infection. The WHO has notified 12 national governments whose citizens disembarked from the vessel at Saint Helena, to coordinate national tracing and monitoring efforts.
Argentine health authorities are planning to test local rodent populations in Ushuaia, after investigators determined the initial case was likely infected by rodents before boarding the cruise, with subsequent spread occurring between passengers on board. Hantavirus is a rare respiratory infection that is most commonly transmitted to humans from infected rodents, and can cause severe respiratory distress, cardiac complications, and hemorrhagic fever. Currently, there is no licensed vaccine for hantavirus and no specific cure for the infection. Unlike COVID-19, hantavirus is far less contagious, which has led health officials to downplay fears of a global pandemic from the current outbreak.
Health officials in Chile have already ruled out the country as the site of initial infection, noting that the two deceased Dutch passengers traveled through Chile at a timeline that does not align with the virus’ maximum six-week incubation period. Oceanwide Expeditions said it is working to trace all passengers and crew who have boarded or disembarked the MV Hondius since March 20, to ensure all potentially exposed people are monitored for symptoms.
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William, Catherine and children name baby kangaroo at Australia Zoo
A charming new chapter in global wildlife conservation has emerged from Queensland’s Australia Zoo, where the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children have bestowed a heartfelt Welsh name on a young eastern grey kangaroo: Cwtch, which translates to “cuddle” in the Celtic language. The announcement was made in a joint Instagram post from the Wales family and third-generation conservationist Robert Irwin, son of the late legendary crocodile hunter Steve Irwin, who has carried on his family’s legacy of wildlife protection at the iconic Queensland zoo.
Standing surrounded by a mob of gentle kangaroos in a video message shared to mark the occasion, Irwin expressed gratitude to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis for picking the affectionate name that fits the tiny joey perfectly. “It’s the absolute perfect name for a joey kangaroo, because at this age, they love a cuddle and they spend most of their time inside that pouch with their mum,” Irwin explained in the clip. “Cwtch is now proudly part of our family here at Australia Zoo.”
Pronounced “kutch”, the name carries both personal and conservation purpose: Irwin extended the naming invitation to the British royal household specifically to draw global attention to the critical role kangaroos play in Australia’s native ecosystems, and the growing threats they face. Eastern grey kangaroos, one of Australia’s most recognizable native species, act as ecosystem engineers that maintain balanced habitats for countless other native plants, insects and animals across the Australian bush. Yet despite their cultural and ecological importance, the species continues to face mounting pressure from habitat destruction, accelerating climate change and unregulated human activity.
“Thank you for your support with our wildlife conservation efforts. It is so important that we conserve all of our animals, including the icons, the kangaroos,” Irwin said. “These guys play a very important role in the Australian bush, and out there in the ecosystem, they are just crucial. With all of the animals that we support and all of the wildlife conservation efforts that we have around the world, it is all about making sure we give back to the wildlife and the wild places where they live.”
The collaboration between Irwin and the Prince of Wales is far from a one-off gesture: Prince William has long been one of the world’s most high-profile advocates for global conservation, most notably as the founder of The Earthshot Prize, a landmark global initiative that funds and scales innovative solutions to the planet’s most urgent environmental challenges. Irwin has partnered with the prince on multiple nature protection and restoration projects, work that aligns closely with the mission of his global conservation nonprofit Wildlife Warriors, which carries on the Irwin family’s decades-long work to protect endangered species and wild habitats across the globe.
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Who is Kumanjayi Little Baby and why has her death caused outrage in Australia?
The tragic passing of a young Indigenous Australian girl, Kumanjayi Little Baby, has sent shockwaves across the nation, igniting public fury and reigniting long-simmering debates over systemic disparities and cultural respect for First Nations communities. As BBC correspondent Katy Watson unpacks the complex case, its roots stretch far beyond a single death, touching on deep-seated cultural sensitivities and ongoing failures of government and institutional systems to protect Indigenous Australians.
Kumanjayi Little Baby’s case has become a flashpoint because of how systemic neglect has intersected with profound cultural misunderstanding. For many Indigenous communities, the circumstances surrounding her death — and the lack of accountability that preceded it — are not an isolated tragedy, but a symptom of decades of marginalization that have left First Nations children and families disproportionately vulnerable to harm. The anger that has erupted across Australia also stems from long-unaddressed calls for systemic reform, from child protection services that have historically failed Indigenous communities to broader efforts to close the gap in life expectancy and safety between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
Cultural sensitivities have further amplified the public reaction, as missteps by authorities and media outlets in acknowledging Kumanjayi’s cultural identity and heritage have added insult to injury for Indigenous communities. Many have pointed out that repeated failures to center Indigenous cultural perspectives in cases involving First Nations people perpetuate the same disrespect that fuels systemic inequity. What began as grief over a young life cut short has now coalesced into a national movement demanding meaningful change, accountability, and a renewed commitment to upholding the rights and dignity of Australia’s First Nations peoples.
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Trump says he would not pay $1,000 to watch US at World Cup
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has added his voice to the mounting backlash against FIFA over exorbitant ticket pricing for the 2026 co-hosted World Cup, revealing in a recent interview that he would refuse to shell out more than $1,000 to attend the United States men’s national team’s opening match of the tournament.
In comments published by the New York Post on Thursday, the former president — who has long touted his role in securing the 2026 World Cup hosting rights for the North American bloc during his first term in office — acknowledged he was caught off guard by the steep ticket costs. “I did not know that number,” Trump told the outlet. “I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest with you.”
Trump’s criticism centers on the impact high prices will have on working- and lower-income Americans, a core electoral base that has backed him through multiple campaigns. He highlighted that his biggest disappointment with the current pricing structure is that it locks out the voters who supported him. “If people from Queens and Brooklyn and all of the people that love Donald Trump can’t go, I would be disappointed, but, you know, at the same time, it’s an amazing success,” he said. “I would like to be able to have the people that voted for me to be able to go.”
The former president’s public pushback marks a rare break from his close personal ties to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who defended the organization’s pricing model just days before Trump’s comments. Infantino argued that FIFA is legally required to allow third-party ticket resale under U.S. regulations, a system that has driven resale prices into the thousands of dollars above original face value. He also pushed back on critics by noting that more than 500 million fan requests for World Cup tickets have already been submitted — a massive jump from the combined total of fewer than 50 million requests for both the 2018 Russia World Cup and 2022 Qatar World Cup. To counter claims of widespread unaffordability, Infantino added that 25% of all group stage tickets are priced below $300.
But critics have pushed back against that defense, drawing stark comparisons between 2026 pricing and the 2022 Qatar tournament. For example, the most expensive face-value ticket for the 2022 World Cup final hovered around $1,600, while the equivalent 2026 final ticket carries a face price of roughly $11,000. The outrage over pricing extends far beyond Trump: U.S. lawmakers and international fan advocacy groups have already slammed FIFA for its tiered pricing structure, with European fan organization Football Supporters Europe calling the model a “monumental betrayal” of football supporters worldwide.
The 2026 World Cup, jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, is scheduled to kick off this coming June, and remains one of the most anticipated global sporting events of the year. But the ongoing controversy over ticket costs has overshadowed build-up to the tournament, turning pricing policy into a high-profile public debate that now draws input from one of the most influential figures in U.S. politics.