Global Pulse

标签： Oceania

大洋洲

  • Iran offers new proposal amid stalled US peace talks

    Iran offers new proposal amid stalled US peace talks

    Nearly two months into a ceasefire between US-led coalition forces and Iran, hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough have moved forward slightly after Tehran delivered a new negotiating proposal to Washington via Pakistani mediators, Iranian state media confirmed Friday.

    According to Iran’s official IRNA news agency, the full text of the proposal was transferred to Islamabad for onward transmission to US officials on Thursday evening. This development comes after the only completed round of direct peace talks between the two parties ended without progress, even as a cessation of active hostilities has held since April 8. The conflict, launched on February 28 via a surprise joint strike campaign by the United States and Israel, has paused on the battlefield but left a tangled web of economic blockades that are roiling global markets.

    A key point of ongoing friction remains control of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for 20% of the world’s daily oil trade. Iran has continued its restrictions on commercial shipping through the strait, cutting off millions of barrels of oil, natural gas, and fertilizer supplies from global markets. In response, Washington has enforced a full counterblockade of Iranian ports. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that US President Donald Trump has instructed national security officials to prepare for the standoff to extend through coming months, a revelation that immediately pushed up global crude prices.

    Speaking in a video published by Iran’s judiciary website Mizan Online, top Iranian judicial official and senior cleric Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei reaffirmed Tehran’s position on negotiations this week. “The Islamic Republic has never shied away from negotiations,” he said, while adding that Iran would never accept externally imposed terms for a peace deal. Ejei also stressed that Tehran has no interest in resuming full-scale conflict. “We do not welcome war in any way; we do not want war, we do not want its continuation,” he added.

    Even with the ceasefire holding, global markets have remained roiled by the uncertainty of the prolonged standoff. Crude oil prices remain more than 50% higher than pre-conflict levels, as traders price in extended disruption to Hormuz shipping. The European Central Bank opted this week to hold interest rates steady, driven by new concerns that sustained energy price hikes could reignite global inflation.

    Domestically, the conflict has amplified political and economic pressure on both sides. In Washington, a bitter legal debate over war powers has broken out, centered on a 60-day deadline for the president to secure congressional authorization for military action under the War Powers Resolution. Trump administration officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, argue that the ceasefire has paused the clock on the deadline, claiming active hostilities that began on February 28 have formally ended for the purposes of the law. But critics have pushed back on the claim, and Trump faces growing discontent over the conflict, which has coincided with rising domestic inflation, slower-than-expected economic growth, and looming November midterm elections. US government data released Thursday put national inflation at 3.5%, well above policymakers’ target levels.

    For Iran, the conflict has compounded economic hardship that built up over years of harsh international sanctions. The US Pentagon reported this week that its counterblockade has prevented Iran from exporting $6 billion worth of oil since the conflict began. Iran’s national statistics center shows that domestic inflation, already above 45% before the war, has climbed to 53.7% in recent weeks.

    “For many people, paying rent and even buying food has become difficult, and some have nothing left at all,” Mahyar, a 28-year-old Iranian resident who spoke to AFP on condition of safety, said. He added that the private company he works for has laid off 34 staff, roughly 40% of its total workforce, amid the economic downturn.

    On the diplomatic front, Washington has moved forward this week with plans to launch a new international shipping coalition, branded the “Maritime Freedom Construct”, to restore commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has repeatedly criticized US allies for dragging their feet on coalition efforts to reopen the waterway. Previously, France and Britain had organized a broader international coalition that pledged to support reopening Hormuz only after a diplomatic peace deal is reached.

    After the US announcement of its separate coalition, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot sought to downplay tensions between the two initiatives during a visit to the Gulf this week. Barrot said the two coalitions have different mandates and will complement rather than compete with one another. “The US mission is not of the same nature as the one we established… it comes as a sort of complement,” he explained.

  • Rebels take key military camp in Mali’s north

    Rebels take key military camp in Mali’s north

    In a major escalation of armed opposition to Mali’s ruling military junta, a coordinated alliance of Tuareg separatists and al-Qaeda-linked jihadists has captured a key strategic military outpost in the country’s far north, after junta-aligned forces withdrew without major resistance.

    The fall of the Tessalit military base — a strategically critical installation nicknamed a “super-camp” located just kilometers from the Algerian border — was confirmed by multiple independent sources speaking to Agence France-Presse, following a wave of large-scale coordinated attacks across the West African nation that have already killed a top junta leader and left at least 23 other people dead.

    A senior official with the Tuareg-dominated separatist Front for the Liberation of Azawad (FLA), the group leading the rebel advance, confirmed that all remaining Malian army troops and their Russian mercenary allies surrendered the camp and retreated southward ahead of rebel forces entering the area. A security source based in Gao, the largest city in northern Mali located south of Tessalit, confirmed no significant armed clashes broke out during the capture, as regular Malian forces had fully evacuated the base before rebel fighters arrived. A locally elected official in the region further confirmed that Russian mercenary personnel, who have been embedded with Malian troops across the country to counter insurgent movements, also abandoned their positions at the outpost.

    Geopolitical and military analysts have underscored the outsize strategic importance of the Tessalit base. Originally constructed by French colonial authorities, the installation features a well-maintained airstrip capable of accommodating military helicopters and larger fixed-wing aircraft, and its isolated position in the far northern Sahara offers unobstructed monitoring of cross-border movement across the entire Sahara region. Prior to its capture, the base hosted a large contingent of Malian army troops and Russian mercenary allies, and stocked a substantial arsenal of military equipment.

    The capture of Tessalit comes as the culmination of a series of coordinated rebel offensives that mark the most significant armed challenge to Mali’s junta in nearly 15 years. Last weekend, separatist FLA fighters and jihadists from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) — an al-Qaeda-affiliated insurgent group — launched coordinated large-scale fatal attacks across multiple key junta strongholds across the country. The attacks included a car bombing at the residence of Mali’s defense minister Sadio Camara, a core leader of the 2020 junta, in the garrison town of Kati near the capital Bamako. Camara, 47, died of his wounds from the attack, and the junta held an official state tribute for him earlier this week. During the weekend offensive, rebel forces also seized full control of the major northern city of Kidal, and FLA leaders have publicly predicted their alliance will soon take control of all of northern Mali and topple the junta entirely.

    Just one day before the fall of Tessalit, JNIM launched a full road blockade of the capital Bamako, permitting only exit for residents already inside the city and cutting off most inbound supply routes. This is not the first time the group has targeted the Malian economy with blockades: late in 2024, JNIM imposed widespread blockades on imported gasoline and diesel trucked into the country from neighboring Ivory Coast and Senegal, in an attempt to cripple government revenue and basic services.

    Mali’s current political trajectory has been shaped by its 2020 military coup, which brought the current junta to power. In the years following the coup, Mali joined neighboring junta-led Burkina Faso and Niger in cutting all diplomatic and security ties with former colonial power France, and aligned closely with the Russian government. Russia has deployed thousands of mercenary fighters to the three Sahel states to support counter-insurgency operations against jihadist groups. Earlier this year, the three nations formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a joint security bloc with a stated combined force of 15,000 troops. Late Thursday, the government of Niger announced that the AES had launched intensive air campaigns across Mali in response to last weekend’s rebel attacks.

  • Turkish police fire tear gas, arrest hundreds at Istanbul May Day rallies

    Turkish police fire tear gas, arrest hundreds at Istanbul May Day rallies

    On Friday, thousands of workers and activists across Turkey took to the streets for annual May Day demonstrations, with the most intense confrontations unfolding in Istanbul, where security forces deployed tear gas and detained hundreds of participants seeking access to a iconic protest site.

    Taksim Square, a public space that has long been a flashpoint for anti-government demonstrations in Turkey, was locked down by police overnight ahead of the planned rallies. Two groups of protesters had explicitly announced their intention to march to the sealed square on the city’s European side, triggering a swift, heavy-handed response from law enforcement.

    AFP journalists on the ground confirmed that riot police used vehicle-mounted tear gas launchers to disperse crowds gathered in Istanbul. Data collected by the CHD Lawyers’ Association, which had legal observers present at the demonstrations, puts the number of arrests in the city at a minimum of 370 as of 11:00 GMT, a figure that approaches the 400+ detentions recorded at 2023’s Istanbul May Day protests. Footage broadcast by opposition broadcaster HALK TV showed Turkish Workers’ Party leader Erkan Bas directly targeted with pepper spray during the clashes.

    Speaking before the confrontation, Bas emphasized the core purpose of the demonstration: “Those in power already speak 365 days a year, so let workers talk about the hardships they face at least one day a year.”

    Shortly after publicly condemning the closure of Taksim Square to demonstrators, Basaran Aksu, a senior union official, was taken into custody by police. In remarks before his arrest, Aksu criticized the unequal access to the central public space, saying “You can’t close off a square to the workers of Turkey. Everyone uses Taksim, for official ceremonies, for celebrations. Only the labourers, the workers, the poor find the square closed to them.”

    May Day protests have drawn heavy police deployment in Turkey for years, with authorities routinely sealing off large swathes of central Istanbul around Taksim Square to prevent unauthorised gatherings. On Friday this year, the city’s central neighbourhoods were blocked off by metal barricades, with thousands of officers in full riot gear positioned to block access.

    In Istanbul’s Mecidiyekoy district, AFP reporters witnessed police use tear gas against a group that included members of the leftist HKP party, who attempted to break through police lines while chanting anti-government and anti-American slogans. In the Besiktas neighbourhood, officers surrounded demonstration zones and intervened violently whenever protesters began chanting, with multiple demonstrators seen being tackled and thrown to the ground by security forces.

    The 2024 demonstrations were organized by a coalition of trade unions and civil society groups under the unifying slogan “Bread. Peace. Freedom”, a call rooted in the country’s ongoing severe cost-of-living crisis. Official data puts Turkish inflation at 30 percent, but independent economic analysts estimate the real rate is closer to 40 percent, squeezing working-class households across the country.

    In the capital city of Ankara, around 100 coal miners joined the May Day march after staging a nine-day hunger strike to demand payment of long-overdue wages. The march in Ankara drew a notably large, young crowd, and was also closely monitored by a heavy police deployment, an AFP correspondent reported.

    The crackdown on Friday came days after Turkish authorities issued arrest and search warrants for 62 people, 46 of whom include working journalists, trade union leaders, and opposition figures. Authorities labeled the group “likely to carry out attacks” ahead of the May Day demonstrations.

  • French hub monitors Hormuz tensions from afar

    French hub monitors Hormuz tensions from afar

    Thousands of kilometers from the oil-rich waters of the Persian Gulf, a small team of 12 French naval analysts sits hunched over monitoring screens in a basement facility in Brest, tracking every blink of vessel activity signaling shifting danger near the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Since the outbreak of the Iran conflict in late February, this quiet outpost — the Maritime Information Cooperation and Awareness Center, or MICA Center — has become a critical lifeline for hundreds of civilian merchant vessels trapped in the Gulf amid escalating blockades and unpredictable attacks.

    Tensions between Iran and the United States have led to overlapping blockades of the narrow strait, a global energy chokepoint that carried roughly one-fifth of the world’s total crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before the conflict began. The standoff has left more than 750 civilian ships stranded on the Gulf side of the passage, with only a tiny number able to successfully exit in recent weeks.

    MICA’s core mission is to deliver real-time security alerts to commercial shipping operators across the globe. When the center’s team detects any sign of bombardment or imminent threat, it immediately dispatches an encrypted alert to all container ships, cargo vessels and cruise liners within a 50-nautical-mile radius of the danger zone. “We share the nature of the event, its context and exact position,” MICA’s commanding officer Thomas Scalabre told Agence France-Presse during an on-site interview. That advance warning allows vessels to react quickly: crews can steer clear of incoming fire or floating debris, or even disable their tracking transponders to avoid being targeted. For context, the strait measures just 29 nautical miles across at its narrowest point, making the 50-nautical-mile alert zone more than sufficient to cover the entire waterway.

    MICA’s monitoring data draws from multiple sources, combining high-resolution satellite imagery, automatic location signals transmitted by ship transponders, and on-the-ground reports shared directly by crews operating in high-risk waters. The center currently provides its monitoring and alert services to 85 major international maritime transport companies, including French shipping giant CMA CGM and Danish industry leader Maersk. While the Strait of Hormuz is currently MICA’s top priority, the facility also monitors security risks across all the world’s open waters, tracking Houthi rebel missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea, piracy operations off the coast of Somalia, and transnational drug smuggling routes.

    Since the outbreak of the conflict on February 28, Scalabre says MICA has documented roughly 40 separate security incidents in and around the Strait of Hormuz, 24 of which were direct attacks by Iranian forces on commercial vessels — some of which have resulted in fatalities.

    France and the United Kingdom have previously announced plans to form a multinational coalition to reopen the strait to safe commercial navigation, but the coalition will not be deployed until after a ceasefire is reached. To date, peace talks aimed at de-escalating the conflict have stalled in recent weeks, leaving merchant shipping in a state of ongoing uncertainty.

    In the absence of a clear resolution, “the rules Iran imposes on navigation remain very unclear and are constantly shifting,” Scalabre explained. This uncertainty extends to which vessels the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) may choose to target. “There isn’t necessarily any logic in the IRGC’s targeting policy. We’ve seen many different nationalities and types of vessels” targeted, he added.

    Even nations long viewed as friendly to Iran are not exempt from unprovoked attacks. According to security intelligence firm Vanguard Tech, IRGC gunboats opened fire on the India-flagged tanker Sanmar Herald on April 18 without any prior radio contact, despite India being counted among Iran’s close partners alongside China, Russia, Iraq and Pakistan. Iran has also publicly confirmed it has laid sea mines across the main channel of the strait.

    “What matters is the psychological effect. No one will take the risk of venturing there,” Scalabre said of the persistent threat. While Tehran retains the authority to grant individual ships permission to enter or exit the Gulf through the strait, even approved vessels are not guaranteed safe passage. “Even when they obtain it, the IRGC’s ‘mosquito fleet’ can emerge to block their way,” Scalabre added, referencing the IRGC’s fleet of small, fast attack speedboats that are used to intercept and harass commercial vessels.

    In his office, Scalabre pulled up a satellite image showing a swarm of these small craft moving in to intercept a target: a dozen patrol boats cutting through the water, leaving trails of white wake as they encircle and seize a commercial vessel before it can exit the Gulf. “They sometimes carry out indiscriminate attacks, whether the country is considered friendly or not,” the French naval officer said.

    For the Iranian government, controlling access to the Strait of Hormuz remains one of its most powerful leverage points, Scalabre noted: “For Tehran, controlling the Strait of Hormuz remains one of its trump cards to exert pressure and negotiate a way out of the conflict.”

  • UN troubled by rejected appeal of Cambodian opposition leader

    UN troubled by rejected appeal of Cambodian opposition leader

    In a move that has sparked widespread international condemnation from global human rights bodies, Cambodia’s appellate court has upheld a decades-long treason conviction for prominent opposition leader Kem Sokha, drawing sharp rebuke from the United Nations’ top human rights official.

    Seventy-two-year-old Kem Sokha, a co-founder of the now-banned Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), was first found guilty of treason in 2023 on allegations that he plotted to overthrow the government of long-serving former prime minister Hun Sen — who remains a powerful, behind-the-scenes political figure despite handing the top leadership role to his son. The conviction carried a 27-year sentence, though Kem Sokha has been allowed to serve the term under court-supervised house arrest in Phnom Penh since the original ruling. He has continuously denied all charges against him, which date back to a 2013 speech delivered during a trip to Australia, four years before his initial 2017 arrest.

    On Friday, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk confirmed he was deeply troubled by the Phnom Penh Appeals Court’s decision Thursday to reject Kem Sokha’s appeal and leave the conviction intact. The UN human rights chief also raised urgent alarms over a separate court ruling handed down Wednesday that convicted 33 additional Cambodian nationals, including opposition activists, independent human rights defenders and social media commentators.

    According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Phnom Penh First Instance Court handed down sentences ranging from 18-month suspended terms to two years of imprisonment. The charges stemmed from public comments the 33 individuals made in 2024 regarding the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area, a regional cross-border infrastructure and development project.

    OHCHR spokesperson Jeremy Laurence told reporters at a Geneva press briefing that the rulings in both cases directly contradict established international human rights law. He warned that the convictions risk amplifying what is already a severe chilling effect on open discourse across Cambodia, brought by broad, vaguely worded national criminal statutes that are frequently enforced in an arbitrary manner targeting civil society members, independent journalists and ordinary citizens.

    “Kem Sokha and the other 33 individuals were all exercising their internationally protected rights to freedom of expression,” Laurence said. “Their trials also raise serious, well-founded concerns about widespread violations of due process and fundamental fair trial rights.”

    Türk has called on Cambodian authorities to enact meaningful reforms to bring the country’s legal practices in line with international human rights standards, urging the government to protect legitimate political criticism and free expression rather than criminalizing dissenting viewpoints. He also called for safeguards to protect judicial independence, preserve open civic space and guarantee fair trial protections for all defendants.

    Laurence reiterated the UN body’s core demand: Cambodian officials should immediately overturn the latest convictions and sentences, and unconditionally release Kem Sokha along with all other individuals detained arbitrarily for exercising their fundamental human rights.

    Global human rights organizations have long documented patterns of the Cambodian government using politicized legal proceedings to silence opposition voices and quash legitimate political dissent. OHCHR confirmed it has repeatedly raised these systemic concerns directly with Cambodian authorities, highlighting broader patterns of repression targeting core rights including freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom of peaceful assembly across the country.

  • Oil steady after wild swing, stocks diverge in thin trading

    Oil steady after wild swing, stocks diverge in thin trading

    Global financial markets saw mixed movements on Friday as thin holiday trading amplified existing uncertainty, driven by simmering geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and ongoing digestion of the latest batch of corporate earnings results.

    Many of the world’s major financial centers remained closed for the May 1 international labor holiday, including key markets across mainland China, Hong Kong, France, and Germany, leaving thinner-than-usual trading volumes to amplify price swings across open venues. Among active exchanges, Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed up 0.4% at 59,513.12, while London’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.6% to 10,313.70, dragged down by NatWest. The British bank reported higher quarterly net profit but issued a cautionary note that domestic economic conditions are on track to deteriorate in coming months.

    Energy markets were the focal point of investor attention after a day of extreme volatility the previous session, with oil prices eventually stabilizing around $111 a barrel for international benchmark Brent crude. The wild swing was triggered by escalating fears of renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran, with no visible progress toward a diplomatic deal to de-escalate tensions. Investors are particularly concerned about the potential for a prolonged disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint that carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s daily global oil supplies.

    Earlier this week, Brent surged to a four-year high above $126 per barrel after Axios reported that former U.S. President Donald Trump would receive a briefing on potential new military strikes against Iran, compounding existing anxiety following warnings that a blockade of Iranian ports could last for months. This latest energy market shock has stoked broader fears of persistent global inflation, prompting major central banks around the world to hold interest rates steady this week as they monitor evolving economic risks. Both the European Central Bank and Bank of England kept borrowing costs unchanged on Thursday but left the door open for future rate hikes if inflation pressures do not abate, matching the cautious stance adopted this week by the U.S. Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan.

    Despite geopolitical headwinds, U.S. markets closed out Thursday at fresh record highs, with both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq notching new closing records, supported by stronger-than-expected corporate earnings and continued resilience in U.S. economic growth. “The latest U.S. earnings season has been robust, which has helped prevent global markets from suffering big losses despite the impact of the Iran conflict,” noted Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell. Big tech led the positive earnings momentum: Alphabet, Google’s parent company, jumped 10% after posting forecast-beating profits and solid revenue growth across all its core business units Wednesday, while Apple beat analyst expectations after Thursday’s market close, driven by surprisingly strong iPhone demand.

    In currency markets, the yen saw a slight weakening against the U.S. dollar one day after a sharp rally fueled by speculation that Japanese financial authorities had intervened in foreign exchange markets to prop up the slumping currency. Japanese officials have issued repeated public warnings in recent weeks about excessive yen depreciation, signaling their willingness to step in to stabilize valuations. As of 1025 GMT, Brent crude traded up 0.7% at $111.20 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained 0.3% to hit $105.39 a barrel. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed Thursday up 1.6% at 49,652.14, and the dollar traded at 156.50 yen, down slightly from 156.60 yen a day earlier.

    Analysts note that while near-term volatility is likely to continue as geopolitical risks unfold, strong corporate earnings have so far acted as a buffer for global equities. “If oil stays in the $100-a-barrel range for an extended period, the broader economic costs will eventually be harder to ignore,” said Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown. “But for now, earnings are the bigger fish, and markets are happy to keep swimming with the current.”

  • ASX 200 snaps losing streak as mining giants and Coles sales surge

    ASX 200 snaps losing streak as mining giants and Coles sales surge

    After eight consecutive days of declines — its longest losing stretch since 2018 — Australia’s benchmark ASX 200 notched a welcome rebound on Friday, driven by sharp gains across major mining stocks and a robust sales update from national supermarket chain Coles. The leading index climbed 64 points, or 0.74%, to close at 8729.80, while the wider All Ordinaries index followed suit, rising 67 points (0.75%) to settle at 8954.60.

    The Australian dollar edged slightly lower over the session, dipping 0.15% to trade at 71.89 US cents. Ten of the ASX 200’s 11 industry sectors finished the day in positive territory, with the materials sector leading the charge. Global oil prices pulled back from a recent four-year high of $US126 per barrel to $US111 per barrel, easing cost pressure on resource operations and lifting investor sentiment for major miners. BHP Group rose 2.27% to $54.94, Rio Tinto jumped 2.73% to $171.97, and Fortescue Metals closed up 1.83% at $20.01.

    Despite the near-term market bounce, AMP’s deputy chief economist Diana Mousina cautioned that geopolitical risks remain underpriced by markets, particularly in the global energy sector. While peace talks had previously showed tentative progress, negotiations have now stalled, leaving the region in a tense geopolitical standstill. “Markets clearly expect some sort of resolution will eventually be reached, especially as missile strikes have slowed in recent weeks,” Mousina explained. “However, we believe markets are underestimating the lingering risks, especially within the oil market.”

    The consumer staples sector also turned in a strong performance, almost entirely thanks to Coles’ upbeat trading update. The supermarket giant reported group sales revenue of $10.7 billion for the 12-week period ending March 29, sending its shares surging 3.66% to $22.92. Other consumer-facing stocks also posted gains: Endeavour Group climbed 2.09% to $3.42, while A2 Milk rose 2.68% to $7.27. Coles’ main rival Woolworths bucked the trend, however, slipping 0.70% to $34.15.

    Financials was the only sector to close the session in negative territory. ANZ Banking Group recorded a 9% half-year profit increase to $3.65 billion, but shares still slumped 2.84% to $35.61 after chief executive Nuno Matos warned that the ongoing geopolitical conflict would create greater economic headwinds for Australia. Matos noted that lower national growth, persistently high inflation, and ongoing interest rate hikes will create growing financial pressure for many Australian customers. “As Australia’s most international bank, we have a front-row seat to global developments,” Matos said. “Much of the potential impact of this crisis remains ahead of us, but the longer oil supplies remain constrained, the greater the chance the crisis shifts from primarily an inflation challenge to a much more serious supply and growth challenge.” Other major banks also posted small declines: Commonwealth Bank fell 0.36% to $173.04, Westpac dipped 0.13% to $38.45, and NAB slipped 0.13% to $39.83.

    In other corporate news, Qantas Airways gained 0.83% to $8.48 after announcing it would extend flight capacity cuts through to 2026-2027 in response to ongoing disruption from the Middle East conflict. Sleep and respiratory treatment manufacturer ResMed dropped 3.53% to $28.73 despite reporting an 11% year-over-year revenue increase to $US1.4 billion for its latest reporting period.

  • UK police charge man with stabbing attack on two Jewish Londoners

    UK police charge man with stabbing attack on two Jewish Londoners

    A 45-year-old suspect has been formally charged by British police in connection with a broad-daylight stabbing attack that injured two Jewish men in north London’s Golders Green, an incident that has deepened anxiety among the UK’s Jewish community and triggered urgent government action to address a documented surge in antisemitism.

    The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Friday that Essa Suleiman, a British national who was born in Somalia and moved to the UK during childhood, faces three counts of attempted murder and one charge of carrying a bladed weapon in a public space. One of the attempted murder charges stems from an unrelated altercation Wednesday in south London, where Suleiman allegedly confronted a flat occupant while armed with a knife. The remaining charges relate directly to the Golders Green attack, an area known for its large, long-established Jewish population.

    The stabbing left two men — a 76-year-old and a 34-year-old — with non-life-threatening injuries. Both were treated on-site before being transferred to hospital for further care. Police confirmed the younger victim has been discharged, while the older victim remains in stable condition. Counter Terrorism Policing is leading the investigation, which was immediately classified as a terrorist incident.

    “We are determined to get justice for the victims,” said Commander Helen Flanagan, lead of the investigation team, in a formal statement. “Now that a person has been charged, I would urge everyone to avoid any further speculation in relation to this case so that justice can run its course.” Suleiman is scheduled to make his first court appearance at Westminster Magistrates’ Court later Friday.

    The attack comes amid a sharp upward trend in antisemitic incidents across the United Kingdom, with monitoring groups recording a dramatic surge after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The incident sparked widespread anger from British Jewish communities, who have repeatedly accused the national government of failing to provide adequate protection for Jewish people and sites. When Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited the attack site Thursday, he was met with boos and heckles from attendees.

    In response to growing public pressure, Starmer pledged a new wave of security enhancements for the UK Jewish community in a televised address from Downing Street. He called on all British citizens to stand together against antisemitism, saying, “everyone decent in this country to open their eyes to Jewish pain, Jewish suffering and Jewish fear.”

    Senior law enforcement officials have echoed warnings that antisemitism is becoming increasingly embedded in British society. Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley told Times Radio on Friday that the country is “facing a building pandemic of antisemitism in society.” He added that policing is only addressing the immediate outcomes of hate-based extremism, arguing, “We need work done upstream to tackle those attitudes in society which are far too prevalent.”

    The UK Home Office has already implemented urgent policy changes in response to the rising threat. Officials confirmed this week that the national terrorism threat level has been raised to “severe” — the second-highest tier in the UK’s five-tier classification system — meaning another attack is highly likely over the next six months. The government also allocated an extra £25 million ($33 million) to fund increased protective security for Jewish sites across the country, including synagogues, schools, community centers, and other places of worship.

    This latest attack comes nearly seven months after a fatal attack on a synagogue in Manchester, and follows a string of recent arson incidents targeting Jewish properties in north London. Monitoring groups note that alongside the surge in antisemitism, Islamophobic incidents have also risen sharply in the same period. Starmer is facing growing pressure from opposition and conservative voices to introduce tighter restrictions on pro-Palestinian protests, which critics claim have become a breeding ground for antisemitic rhetoric. His government already expanded police powers to regulate public demonstrations last year. Nigel Farage, leader of the hard-right Reform UK party, also visited the attack site Thursday, accusing authorities of being overly lenient on what he described as discriminatory chants at protests.

  • Victorian drivers tipped to save hundreds as government slashes vehicle rego costs by 20 per cent

    Victorian drivers tipped to save hundreds as government slashes vehicle rego costs by 20 per cent

    Household budgets across Victoria, Australia, are set to receive targeted relief, as the state’s Labor government has rolled out a new $750 million one-off rebate program that will cut car registration costs by 20 percent for eligible vehicle owners ahead of the 2025/26 registration period. The new support comes as global economic volatility, amplified by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, continues to push up everyday living costs for Australian families, prompting state leaders to roll out immediate, targeted relief measures. The 20 percent rebate marks the latest in a series of transport-focused cost cuts the government has introduced in recent weeks, following an earlier announcement that public transport fares would remain free for all users through the end of May, and capped at half price for the remainder of the calendar year. That existing initiative has already provided significant savings for commuters, and the new registration rebate expands that support to private vehicle owners across the state. Starting June 1, eligible vehicle owners will be able to submit applications for the rebate, which covers up to two passenger and light commercial vehicles registered under their name. The program applies exclusively to registration renewals or new registrations completed between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, with the application window closing July 31 of the same year. Eligible vehicles include standard passenger cars, motorcycles, utes, vans, and light trucks with a gross vehicle weight under 4.5 tonnes. For a single vehicle that currently costs a maximum of $930 to register, the 20 percent cut brings the total registration cost down to $744, translating to an annual saving of $186 per vehicle. Owners with two qualifying vehicles can claim the rebate on both, earning a maximum total saving of $372 — the top benefit outlined by the government. Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan defended the large $750 million investment, framing it as a targeted, one-off intervention to ease immediate cost-of-living strains hitting regional and metropolitan families alike. “Like cheaper public transport, this won’t fix everything, but it’s immediate action I can take to make a difference,” Allan said, confirming that the state budget can accommodate the one-time expenditure without long-term fiscal strain. The program builds on the state government’s broader strategy to offset global cost pressures that have pushed up household expenses across Australia, delivering tangible savings directly to Victorian motorists while continuing to support affordable public transport for commuters.

  • Australia faces 1970s-style stagflation threat as oil shock pushes inflation higher

    Australia faces 1970s-style stagflation threat as oil shock pushes inflation higher

    Fears of a return to the crippling 1970s-era stagflation are mounting among Australia’s leading economic experts, as skyrocketing oil prices driven by Middle East tensions push inflation to multi-year highs and threaten to push unemployment sharply upward. The core risk stems from ongoing disruptions to global energy supplies, centered on potential extended disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world’s daily oil shipments pass.

    In a stark analysis published in an investment note, Bob Cunneen, senior economist at MLC, warned that the ongoing conflict in Iran has created a dangerous dual threat of simultaneously rising inflation and rising unemployment — the toxic combination that defines stagflation. “The global economy currently confronts the prospect of both rising inflation and unemployment because of this Iran war,” Cunneen explained. “This stagflation mix of both higher inflation and unemployment creates a major policy dilemma for central banks, which are forced to choose between taming sky-high prices and preventing further job losses.”

    Stagflation is widely regarded as one of the worst possible scenarios for any modern economy, as it combines stagnant consumer spending and slowing growth with persistent accelerating inflation — a combination that leaves policymakers with few effective tools to address both crises at once. Australia last experienced a full stagflationary crisis in the mid-1970s, which was also triggered by a major global oil price shock.

    Before the escalation of Middle East tensions, global benchmark oil traded at roughly $US56 per barrel. In the weeks following the outbreak of conflict, prices spiked as high as $US120 per barrel, marking a 97% jump in crude prices in US dollar terms for the year to date. For Australian motorists, this translates to an extra 10 cents per litre at the fuel pump for every $10 per barrel rise in crude costs. While the Australian government has partially offset this pain by cutting fuel excise in half and returning GST windfall gains to consumers, the broader inflationary shock has already flowed through the entire national economy.

    Cunneen’s warning echoes a growing consensus among leading economic analysts. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham has projected that Australia will enter a stagflationary period for two of the next three quarters. “As we see it, a stagflationary shock has arrived,” Bloxham wrote in a note to clients. When asked whether this would mirror the extreme stagflation of the 1970s, Bloxham noted that the outcome depends heavily on the persistence of the energy shock and the policy choices made by Australian regulators. He added that outright stagflation is a growing risk, and policymakers should prioritize keeping the episode as short as possible through optimal policy settings.
    Bloxham pointed out that Australia entered this crisis already vulnerable, with inflation running above the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) target range at 3.7% even before the Middle East conflict escalated. “Because Australia’s economy has little or no spare capacity, there is a higher risk than in many other countries that the sharp fuel-related rise in inflation will more quickly end up in higher inflation expectations,” he explained.
    AMP chief economist Shane Oliver echoed that assessment, confirming that Australia is already experiencing a mild stagflationary environment, far less severe than the 1970s crisis but still damaging for households. “At this stage we are only expecting a mild form of stagflation with only slightly higher unemployment,” Oliver said. He did, however, warn that the risks grow sharply if the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted for an extended period: prolonged closure could push oil prices even higher, trigger fuel supply restrictions, and lead to a full recession with a significant jump in unemployment. If that scenario plays out, Oliver added, it would also create major headwinds for Australia’s already fragile property market.

    Official data released Wednesday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) confirms the severity of Australia’s inflation challenge. Headline inflation rose 1.1% in the March quarter, driven overwhelmingly by surging fuel prices, pushing annual inflation to 4.6% — the highest reading recorded since September 2023, when the Australian economy was still rebounding from post-Covid-19 disruptions. Even before the government cut fuel excise, national fuel prices rose 32.8% in the month leading up to the ABS survey.
    Morningstar market strategist Lochlan Halloway noted that Australia’s inflation problem is not just driven by global energy shocks — it is also deeply entrenched in the domestic economy. Even when stripping out the impact of the oil price jump, Australia’s trimmed mean core inflation rate still came in at 3.3%, well above the RBA’s target range. “That is still too high. And the fact that it held firm despite a significant external shock to household budgets tells you something about the persistence of the underlying problem,” Halloway said. He added that beyond energy prices, Australia urgently needs to boost lagging productivity growth to ease pressure on the economy: “Until we either lift productivity growth such that the economy gets a little breathing room, or, the more depressing outcome, squash demand back down again, this problem will keep re-emerging.”

    Westpac chief economist Luci Ellis has projected that inflation will peak at 5.4% in the June quarter, bringing even more cost-of-living pain for Australian households. In response to persistent inflation, she now expects the RBA to implement three consecutive 25-basis-point interest rate hikes at its May, June, and August policy meetings, up from earlier projections of a single hike. These higher rates are expected to slow economic growth, particularly household spending, and lead to net job losses across the country. Ellis now projects that Australia’s unemployment rate will peak around 5%, up from her earlier forecast of 4.7%, and warned that cost-of-living pressures will remain persistent until 2028, when inflation is finally expected to return to the RBA’s 2-3% target range.