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  • ‘See what happens’: Matt Burton addresses Bulldogs future as club seeks answers following shock loss to Parramatta

    ‘See what happens’: Matt Burton addresses Bulldogs future as club seeks answers following shock loss to Parramatta

    The National Rugby League (NRL) side Canterbury Bulldogs are still searching for answers after their stunning upset defeat to the Parramatta Eels over the weekend, while star five-eighth Matt Burton has moved to shut down persistent speculation linking him to a future exit from the Belmore-based club.

    Burton, one of the Bulldogs’ most high-profile players, enters this week of competition with 12 months remaining on his current contract at Canterbury. However, industry whispers have persisted for months that a potential move to a Perth-based expansion side could materialize as early as 2026, a shift that would free up critical salary cap space for the Bulldogs to reshape their roster.

    Speaking to reporters at a public event on Monday, the left-footed playmaker declined to give further credence to the off-field rumours, emphasizing he remains fully focused on fulfilling his current commitments to Canterbury. He also reaffirmed his willingness to adapt his position for the good of the team, saying he would happily shift from the halves to left centre if the coaching staff required the adjustment.

    “Right now, my only priority is playing my best rugby for the Bulldogs, and we’ll see what the future holds down the line. I’ve left all contract discussions to my manager and the club’s leadership to work through,” Burton explained. “I don’t pay too much attention to the outside noise. I hear about the rumours from other people who follow the media, but I have a job to do here at Belmore, and that’s all that matters to me. Whatever position the team needs me to fill, I’ll give 100% effort – that’s the team-first culture we’ve built here, and I fully buy into it.”

    The Bulldogs’ backline structure is set to undergo a major shake-up this week ahead of their Friday night clash with the Brisbane Broncos, with the club set to confirm team selections on Tuesday afternoon. Skipper Stephen Crichton is widely expected to make his return from a short-term shoulder injury layoff, while starting winger Jacob Kiraz is poised to be sidelined with a knee injury.

    If Crichton is cleared for a full return, utility Bronson Xerri is expected to shift to right centre – a positional change that stirred internal tension earlier this season when Xerri was dropped from the starting side. Burton welcomed Crichton’s potential comeback, noting the leader’s impact on the team regardless of selection challenges.

    “I think he’s got a really good shot at playing this week, and it would be huge to have him back out there,” Burton said. “He’s such a massive boost for us if he’s available, but I know whoever gets called up to fill the gap will do the job required.”

    Regardless of the final team sheet, the biggest challenge for the Bulldogs this week remains addressing their frustrating inconsistency, which has seen the side deliver wildly contrasting performances over the past fortnight. In Round 6, the blue-and-whites pulled off one of the upsets of the season, ending reigning premiers Penrith Panthers’ long-running winning streak. Just seven days later, they turned in a disjointed performance to fall to a struggling Parramatta side missing multiple key starters to injury.

    Bulldogs head coach Cameron Ciraldo made his frustration clear in post-match press conference following the Eels defeat, but veteran forward Kurt Mann rejected claims that the side had grown complacent after their high-profile win over Penrith.

    “I don’t think complacency was the issue at all,” Mann said ahead of this week’s road trip to Brisbane to face an injury-depleted Broncos side. “We just made far too many unforced errors, and that put us under constant pressure playing out of our own end. We didn’t execute our game plan the way we planned to, and that hurt us.

    “When you give up field position and possession that cheaply, it’s almost impossible to stick to your game plan. It’s really disappointing – after the performance we put in against Penrith, to come out and play like we did is a letdown for all of us. We’re going to review every minute of this game, take the lessons on board, and move forward.

    “The NRL is all about consistency, you have to bring your best effort every single week. Right now, we’re up and down, and we’re still working to find that steady level of performance. We’re going to keep working on that this week, and all season long.”

  • Australia braces for 1970s-style stagflation amid Middle East fallout

    Australia braces for 1970s-style stagflation amid Middle East fallout

    Global banking giant HSBC has issued a stark warning that Australia may be just weeks away from entering its most damaging economic period since the 1970s, with a rising stagflation threat driven by spillover effects from the ongoing Middle East conflict. The bank’s official projection expects Australia to slip into an outright stagflation environment by the June quarter of this year, when official national economic data is scheduled for public release.

    By June, HSBC predicts Australia will see three core stagflation indicators align: a contraction in gross domestic product, sustained acceleration in cost-of-living pressures, and a noticeable uptick in national unemployment rates. Paul Bloxham, HSBC’s chief economist for Australia, noted in a client note that a stagflationary shock has already reached the country’s borders, and that the nation will experience stagflationary conditions in two of the next three quarters.

    “Could it be genuine stagflation – like the 1970s? This depends on how persistent it is. And, importantly, on what policymakers do next,” Bloxham wrote.

    Stagflation is widely recognized as the worst-case scenario for modern economies, characterized by simultaneous slowdown in economic activity and rising consumer prices that leaves policymakers with few viable policy options. Australia last faced a full stagflation crisis in the mid-1970s, triggered by a global oil price shock that mirrored the current market disruption. While Bloxham stopped short of declaring a full 1970s-style repeat is inevitable, he emphasized that risks are growing rapidly for Australian economic decision-makers.

    “Australia faces a stagflationary shock, and we expect that outright stagflation is a rising risk. The aim for policymakers ought to be to keep it brief and optimal policy settings could help to make it so,” Bloxham added.

    He explained that Australia entered the current crisis in a vulnerable position, with inflation already running well above the Reserve Bank of Australia’s 2-3% target at 3.7% before the Middle East conflict escalated. Unlike many other advanced economies, Australia’s domestic economy has little to no spare capacity to absorb external shocks, creating a higher risk that fuel-driven inflation will become embedded in long-term consumer and business inflation expectations.

    Against this backdrop, Bloxham projects that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will raise its official cash rate for the third consecutive month in May, completely undoing the three rate cuts implemented in 2025. If the forecast holds, the cash rate will climb from its current 4.1% to 4.35%.

    The current volatility stems from the escalation of conflict between US-allied Israel and Iran that began in late February, which has led to disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz – the critical global chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s daily oil supplies pass. Before the conflict erupted six weeks ago, global benchmark oil traded at roughly $US56 per barrel; it has since surged to around $US100 per barrel. For Australian consumers, every $US10 per barrel increase translates to an extra 10 Australian cents per litre of fuel at the pump, directly amplifying cost-of-living pressures.

    The threat of stagflation has already been acknowledged as a worst-case outcome by senior RBA officials. During a fireside chat with the Money Marketeers in New York, RBA deputy governor Andrew Hauser described stagflation as a “central banker’s nightmare” that complicates the central bank’s core mandate.

    “I don’t think those surveys tell you a lot about what consumption is going to do but, if they are right, we have a big income shock coming our way,” Hauser said. “It is the central bankers nightmare, you know, inflation up, activity down and judging the balance between the two is how we earn our money.”

    Hauser added that the Middle East-driven oil price shock has made it far more difficult for the RBA to return inflation to its 2-3% target range. “I wouldn’t say we have high confidence that we’ve set interest rates at the right level because you never do have that high confidence. But we’re going to have to monitor this new shock pretty carefully,” he said. “I think it is easy to see that upside inflation pressure. More important for us now is to think through what the medium-term impact might be.”

    A key variable that will determine how long any stagflation period lasts is the Albanese government’s upcoming May federal budget, Bloxham argued. He warned that expansionary fiscal policy, particularly broad-based cost-of-living support measures that are not targeted, would only worsen persistent inflation pressures by boosting aggregate demand at a time of constrained supply.

    Earlier this month, the government cut the national fuel excise by roughly 32 Australian cents per litre to ease pressure on motorists. Data from Westpac shows that total national fuel spending has increased by $236.7 million compared to the same period last year, and remains 16.2% higher year-on-year. While Westpac projects fuel spending growth will plateau as prices stabilize and households adjust their spending habits, Bloxham said the broad excise cut is actively worsening stagflation risks.

    “Recent cuts to fuel excise do exactly this – they support more spending by all households and lower the price of fuel when fuel is the product in short supply, preventing the price mechanism from working properly,” he explained. “Targeted, timely and temporary fiscal support ought to be deployed. Any more than a targeted approach will mean the RBA could need to set tighter monetary policy than otherwise.”

    Treasurer Jim Chalmers has acknowledged the extreme uncertainty created by the Middle East conflict, but says the government will strike an appropriate balance between near-term support for households and long-term fiscal responsibility in the upcoming budget. “We are putting together the budget in very uncertain, very unpredictable and very volatile global conditions,” Chalmers told reporters last Friday. “It will strike the right balance between the pressures on people in the here and now and our intergenerational responsibilities. I’m confident that we’ll get those balances right, but I’m not complacent about it because we are hostage to developments in the Middle East.”

  • Blues blow: Payne Haas to miss Origin opener as Broncos reveal horror injury list

    Blues blow: Payne Haas to miss Origin opener as Broncos reveal horror injury list

    Defending National Rugby League premiers the Brisbane Broncos are facing an unprecedented injury crisis following their narrow one-point victory over the Wests Tigers in Campbelltown on Saturday night, with one of the sport’s biggest stars ruled out of the upcoming State of Origin series opener.

    Prop forward Payne Haas, widely regarded as the best forward in global rugby league, was forced off the field in the first half of Saturday’s clash after suffering a knock to his knee. Early assessments from club medical staff ruled him out of the remainder of the match immediately, and follow-up scans conducted in the days after the game confirmed the worst-case scenario: a full tear of his medial collateral ligament, classified as a Grade 3 MCL sprain.

    Medical experts confirm the injury will not require surgical intervention, as the MCL has strong natural healing potential. Haas will instead wear a locked knee brace that can be adjusted to different ranges of motion to support optimal recovery, according to sports physiotherapy specialists. Current projections place his recovery timeline at 6 to 8 weeks on the sidelines, which will see him miss the opening State of Origin match between New South Wales Blues and Queensland Maroons scheduled for May 27.

    The injury is a double blow for the Blues, who already lost Manly Warringah Sea Eagles superstar Tom Trbojevic to a hamstring injury last week. Trbojevic is also expected to miss up to two months of play, leaving the interstate representative side severely depleted ahead of the annual series.

    For Brisbane, Haas’ injury is just the start of a grim medical update released by the club on Monday. The defending premiers already entered Saturday’s match with a lengthy injury and suspension list: star fullback Reece Walsh, playmaker Ben Hunt, hooker Blake Mozer, winger Grant Anderson and five-eighth Billy Walters were already sidelined with injuries, while hardworking lock Pat Carrigan is still serving a one-match suspension that will keep him out of Brisbane’s next fixture.

    The new round of injuries leaves Brisbane incredibly thin on the ground for their upcoming Friday night showdown against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. In addition to Haas, the club confirmed three more key players have picked up significant injuries in the Campbelltown clash. Center Kotoni Staggs was diagnosed with a plantar fascia strain, while winger Jesse Arthars suffered a tear to his interosseous membrane. Both players are currently working with Brisbane’s medical team to map out their rehabilitation and confirm potential return-to-play timelines, which have not yet been finalized.

    The most serious of the new injuries is prop Corey Jensen, who underwent scans after Saturday’s game that detected a pulmonary embolism. Jensen remains hospitalized for treatment, and while his recovery timeline is still unclear at this early stage, the club confirmed he is expected to miss at least several weeks of competition as he recovers.

    The full extent of Brisbane’s injury crisis has left the NRL community shocked, with the defending premiers facing one of their most challenging stretches in recent memory as they navigate a stacked schedule without nearly half of their starting side.

  • North Korea uses cluster bombs in latest missile test: KCNA

    North Korea uses cluster bombs in latest missile test: KCNA

    In a recent series of provocative military moves that have stoked regional tensions, North Korea has officially confirmed it carried out a test of short-range ballistic missiles fitted with cluster munition warheads over the weekend, with leader Kim Jong Un personally overseeing the exercise. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Pyongyang’s official state mouthpiece, released details of the Sunday test on Monday, marking the latest in a steady stream of weapons trials conducted by the nuclear-armed East Asian nation in recent months. According to KCNA’s official statement, the drill was designed to evaluate the performance and destructive power of both cluster bomb warheads and fragmentation mine warheads integrated into the country’s domestically developed tactical ballistic missile system. This test follows just weeks after a string of other weapons assessments, including launches of longer-range ballistic missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles, and additional trials of cluster munition technology.

    The weekend test focused specifically on the Hwasongpho-11 Ra, a surface-to-surface tactical short-range ballistic missile developed by Pyongyang. KCNA reported that five missile projectiles were launched toward a target zone surrounding an island located roughly 136 kilometers (85 miles) from the original launch site. The warheads successfully covered an impact area ranging from 12.5 to 13 hectares with what the agency described as “very high density,” fully demonstrating the system’s operational combat capacity. Kim Jong Un expressed high satisfaction with the outcome of the test, noting that the advancement of cluster bomb warhead technology will dramatically strengthen North Korea’s military capabilities both for high-precision strikes and large-scale high-density attacks against designated enemy target zones.

    Regional security analysts point out that the 136-kilometer confirmed range of the tested missile system places both South Korea’s capital Seoul and major United States military installations across the Korean Peninsula well within Pyongyang’s striking range. Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Seoul-based Korea Institute for National Unification, explained that this new weapons platform is intended to fill a critical capability gap between North Korea’s existing multiple rocket launcher systems and its longer-range short-range ballistic missile arsenal. Yang Moo-jin, a professor of Korean studies at Seoul’s University of North Korean Studies, highlighted a notable shift from previous weapons tests: frontline corps commanders, rather than just weapons development researchers, were invited to observe the latest trial. Yang said this shift strongly indicates the system is approaching full operational deployment, and would be capable of being launched directly from forward-deployed positions against targets in South Korea and at U.S. military bases across the region.

    The United States maintains roughly 28,000 active-duty troops in South Korea as part of its long-standing security commitment to defend the South against potential Northern aggression. South Korea’s military first detected the launches on Sunday from the Sinpo area along North Korea’s eastern coast, and quickly issued a formal condemnation of the test. In an official statement, South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense said the country is maintaining a “firm combined defense posture” alongside the United States, and pledged an “overwhelming response” to any future provocation from the North. The statement called on Pyongyang to immediately end its series of successive missile tests that have sharply escalated regional tensions, and urged North Korea to engage constructively with the South Korean government’s ongoing diplomatic efforts to build lasting peace on the peninsula.

    Security analysts widely interpret the latest test as a clear signal that Pyongyang has rejected recent overtures from Seoul to repair long-strained inter-Korean relations. Earlier this year, Seoul issued an expression of regret over unauthorized civilian drone incursions into North Korean airspace in January, a gesture Pyongyang initially appeared open to before reversing course and once again labeling South Korea as its “most hostile” enemy. North Korea has long been subject to sweeping United Nations sanctions that ban all development of nuclear weapons and prohibit any work on ballistic missile technology, restrictions Pyongyang has openly and repeatedly violated in recent years as it expands its military arsenal.

    The latest missile test comes just weeks after another high-profile military exercise in April, when Kim Jong Un oversaw tests of strategic cruise missiles launched from a North Korean navy warship. Official photos from that April trial showed Kim observing the launches surrounded by top military officials. The cruise missile tests were conducted from the Choe Hyon, one of North Korea’s two newly commissioned 5,000-ton destroyers, both of which entered service last year. According to South Korean military sources, Pyongyang is currently constructing two additional 5,000-ton destroyers to expand its naval fleet. This month, a South Korean lawmaker cited recent satellite imagery collected by a U.S.-based private intelligence firm, claiming North Korea is “accelerating the modernization of its naval forces with support from Russian military assistance.” Observers widely believe North Korea has supplied thousands of artillery shells and ground troop support to Russia for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and in return is receiving advanced military technology and expertise from Moscow to advance its own weapons development programs. Notably, neither North nor South Korea has signed the 2008 Oslo Convention on Cluster Munitions, an international treaty that bans the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of the controversial weapons, which scatter submunitions across wide areas and often leave unexploded ordnance that poses long-term risks to civilian populations.

  • France summons Elon Musk over X probe

    France summons Elon Musk over X probe

    French judicial authorities have summoned billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk for a voluntary interview as part of a wide-ranging probe into his social media platform X, a case that has escalated into one of the highest-profile regulatory challenges facing the platform globally. As of Saturday, officials have not confirmed whether Musk will appear for the scheduled questioning in Paris, nor have they released details on the exact timing or location of the interview. The investigation into X first launched in January 2025, opening over initial claims that the platform’s recommendation algorithm had been misused to interfere in domestic French political processes. What began as a narrow probe quickly expanded to incorporate additional serious allegations tied to X’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, including the tool’s role in spreading Holocaust denial and non-consensual sexual deepfake content. In early February, French prosecutors executed a search of X’s Paris headquarters, an action the social media firm has repeatedly denounced. The company, which has forcefully denied any illegal wrongdoing, labeled the office search as a “politicized” raid and an “abusive judicial act.” During that same round of procedural actions in February, prosecutors issued the first summons for Musk and then-X chief executive Linda Yaccarino, identifying both as the de facto and de jure leaders of the platform during the period covered by the investigation. Musk immediately pushed back against the move, calling it a deliberate “political attack.” Yaccarino stepped down from her role as CEO in July of the previous year, after leading the company for two years following Musk’s acquisition of the platform, then known as Twitter. Prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed in February that multiple X employees had also been called to give witness testimony between April 20 and 24. In an update provided Saturday, the Paris prosecutor’s office noted that non-appearance by any of the individuals invited for voluntary questioning would not halt or slow the progress of the ongoing investigation. Beyond the allegations of political interference and harmful AI-generated content, the French probe also encompasses suspected involvement in two additional serious criminal offenses: complicity in the distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material, and denial of crimes against humanity. X has repeatedly characterized the entire investigation as politically motivated, pushing back against the allegations publicly in comments made in July. This French investigation is not an isolated action, but rather part of a growing international regulatory backlash against Grok and X. The controversy surrounding Grok erupted after watchdog groups documented that the chatbot could be prompted to generate sexualized deepfake images of women and children using basic, unfiltered text prompts. The London-based nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) released a bombshell report in late January finding that Grok generated an estimated 3 million sexualized images in just 11 days. The vast majority of the content depicted adult women, but the report also identified roughly 23,000 images that appeared to show minors being sexualized. Regulators across Europe and the United Kingdom have quickly opened their own probes in response to the revelations. In February, the United Kingdom’s national data regulator launched parallel investigations into X and Musk’s AI firm xAI, citing “serious concerns” about whether the companies violated national personal data protection laws when developing and deploying Grok for deepfake generation. The European Union followed suit shortly after, opening its own formal investigation into X over Grok’s creation of non-consensual sexual deepfake content targeting women and minors. The coordinated cross-national actions mark one of the most significant collective regulatory challenges Musk has faced since his 2022 acquisition of the social media platform, highlighting growing global scrutiny of the company’s content moderation practices and the unregulated rollout of its generative AI tools.

  • ‘It wasn’t trained’: Evolution of Roosters attack should terrify rest of NRL

    ‘It wasn’t trained’: Evolution of Roosters attack should terrify rest of NRL

    As the National Rugby League (NRL) 2024 season kicks into high gear, Sydney Roosters utility Hugo Savala has delivered a statement performance against the Newcastle Knights at Allianz Stadium on Sunday afternoon that has sent shockwaves through the competition. The 24-year-old’s off-script, game-changing play late in the first half has left rival coaches and analysts warning that the Roosters have a dangerous new weapon at their disposal.

    Savala’s role at the club has been the subject of intense speculation throughout the off-season. Following the high-profile signing of veteran playmaker Daly Cherry-Evans from Manly Sea Eagles, the young talent who anchored the Roosters’ push to the 2023 finals with his elite kicking game found himself without a guaranteed spot in the club’s halves pairing. For months, questions swirled around his future: would he shift to the forward pack, settle for a bench role, or depart the club entirely in search of a starting playmaking position elsewhere?

    On Sunday, Savala answered every single one of those questions with authority. Finishing the match with two tries and a rock-solid defensive effort that shut down Knights star Dane Gagai, it was his spontaneous decision to take up first receiver position in the final five minutes of the first half that stole the show. Moving from his starting spot at left centre to drift infield, Savala hesitated behind the ruck before executing two sharp plays that completely bamboozled the Knights’ defensive line, creating what should have been a try for Mark Nawaqanitawase – denied only by a marginal foot-in-touch call.

    Roosters head coach Trent Robinson was openly glowing about Savala’s initiative after the full-time siren. “I think that was an outstanding set of play,” Robinson said. “He goes down there, has a look down the short side, he sort of hesitates just behind the ruck … I’m not sure whether [halfback] Sam [Walker] said something or not. And then he plays two really clear plays about getting us into a point and then creating the opportunity on the next one. I love the fact that he had the confidence to do that, and then he also had the style of play to do that as well. I thought he was so good today out there at left centre and doing the role that he’s been asked to do there.”

    What makes the play even more remarkable? It was never drawn up in training. Savala explained after the match that the entire sequence was a spontaneous call based on what he saw unfolding on the field. “I saw Sammy take the hit-up there and go, and I just thought it was a good opportunity to get my hands on the ball and create a little bit of space for the boys out wide,” he said. “Honestly, it wasn’t trained all week; it was just off the cuff. I did that role last year, so I thought it would be a good time to use that. Teddy [skipper James Tedesco] and the leadership group give you a lot of confidence. A lot of the young boys get a lot of confidence from doing the reps in the week. They have the belief in all us young boys to do what we do. I’m just doing my job out there, and they believe in me, so I can just do my role and do it well.”

    Right now, Savala is filling in at left centre while regular starter Billy Smith recovers from injury, a role he has embraced fully as he bides his time for another opportunity in the halves. For the upcoming Anzac Day blockbuster against St. George Illawarra Dragons, the towering utility is set to retain his spot in the centres, and he says he is fully focused on executing the job the coaching staff has given him.

    “I’m just working hard and still working on my skills. I’m still working on my kicking at training and my ball playing, but the majority of the time at training, I’ve been doing the role that I needed to do on the weekend,” Savala explained. “Robbo’s big on mindset and how you prepare for the game. He’s been really clear with us as a group, and I’ve been clear knowing that I’m playing left centre this week. That’s the role that I have to play. Obviously, there’s a half and a five-eighth inside me, but I was playing left centre today and that’s the role I was doing.”

    For the rest of the NRL, Savala’s combination of raw talent, adaptive versatility, and willingness to take spontaneous risks on the field makes him a nightmare to prepare for. With the Roosters clicking into form early in the season, their emerging utility’s breakout performance has confirmed they are a force to be reckoned with in 2024.

  • Who’s Bad? Not Michael Jackson in new big-budget biopic

    Who’s Bad? Not Michael Jackson in new big-budget biopic

    The highly anticipated big-budget Michael Jackson biopic, *Michael*, is set to hit cinemas worldwide this week, bringing the story of the King of Pop’s iconic rise to the big screen — but the tightly curated narrative has sparked intense backlash over its deliberate exclusion of the child sexual abuse allegations that shadowed the singer’s final decades.

    Produced by Graham King, the creative force behind the record-breaking Queen biopic *Bohemian Rhapsody*, the film tracks Jackson’s journey from his working-class childhood in Gary, Indiana, as part of the Jackson 5, through his evolution into a global pop phenomenon, culminating in showstopping performance footage from his legendary 1987 Bad World Tour. The $200 million production is backed by Lionsgate, which has set ambitious box office targets, hoping the film can approach the $910 million global haul of *Bohemian Rhapsody* — the current highest-grossing musical biopic of all time — and hit $700 million in worldwide ticket sales.

    In a surprising casting choice, the lead role is filled by Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s 29-year-old nephew who had never appeared on screen before taking the part. Speaking to *The Tonight Show* host Jimmy Fallon earlier this month, Jaafar described the daunting experience of stepping into his uncle’s shoes: “They threw me right in the deep end.” He added that he trained closely with Jackson’s original choreographers to master the singer’s iconic moves, calling the role “a surreal, spiritual moment.” Early reviews praise Jaafar’s convincing performance, noting that the high-energy concert sequences are crafted to delight diehard fans of Jackson’s landmark albums *Thriller* and *Bad*.

    The film’s close ties to the Jackson family have become its most contentious point. All of Jackson’s surviving siblings serve as executive producers, granting them full approval over the final cut ahead of the global release. Jackson’s sons Prince and Bigi, alongside brothers Jackie, Jermaine, and Marlon Jackson, turned out for the film’s red carpet premiere in Berlin on April 10, but one prominent family member has publicly disavowed the project: Jackson’s daughter Paris, who had no involvement in the production. Writing on Instagram last September, she argued that the narrative caters only to fans who refuse to confront the allegations against her father, saying: “The narrative is being controlled and there’s a lot of inaccuracy and there’s a lot of just full-blown lies.”

    According to entertainment industry outlet *Variety*, the omissions are not just a creative choice driven by the family. A full third of the original cut that explored the abuse allegations had to be cut and reshot after lawyers for the Jackson estate discovered a legal clause in a 1990s settlement with accuser Jordan Chandler that prohibits any mention of Chandler in the film. While Jackson was never convicted in any criminal or civil trial related to the allegations, multiple new lawsuits from alleged victims have been filed since his 2009 death from an accidental overdose at age 50, and several of those cases remain active.

    The production faced multiple delays, pushing its original 2025 release date forward by a full year to 2024. Critics of the film, including Duke University African and African American Studies professor Mark Anthony Neal, say the choice to whitewash the allegations fits a longstanding Hollywood pattern of sanitizing celebrity biographies to maximize commercial appeal. “I would love that the film would tell the most human story about Michael Jackson possible,” Neal told AFP. “But I also realise that we’re in a period of time where Hollywood does not deal with celebrities in that way.”

    Regardless of the controversy, industry analysts expect *Michael* to be a major commercial success, and it will almost certainly add to the lucrative Jackson family entertainment franchise. The Broadway production *MJ: The Musical* opened in 2022 and has since launched international tours, while Cirque du Soleil’s *Michael Jackson ONE* has been a staple Las Vegas attraction since 2013, generating steady revenue for the estate for more than a decade.

  • Key detail in Albanese government’s $1000 tax write-off pledge

    Key detail in Albanese government’s $1000 tax write-off pledge

    Over 6.2 million Australian taxpayers who were expecting to access a new $1000 no-receipt work expense tax deduction will need to adjust their expectations, after the Albanese administration confirmed the popular policy will not take effect for nearly two more years.

    The center-left Labor Party first unveiled the proposed tax relief as a key policy pledge in the lead-up to the 2025 Australian federal election, building anticipation among working people across the country. On Monday, Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers followed through on an earlier promise to publish draft legislation for the initiative on the same day he spoke to reporters.

    Under the terms of the plan, eligible working taxpayers can claim a $1000 standard deduction for work-related expenses without needing to save and submit individual purchase receipts, simplifying tax filing and delivering direct cash relief. Chalmers explained that the policy would translate to an average reduction of $205 in annual tax liabilities per taxpayer, with the maximum benefit reaching up to $470 for qualifying filers. “It’s a good symbol of what we are trying to do more broadly, cutting income taxes, cutting red tape, and helping out where we can,” Chalmers told reporters, framing the measure as a core part of the government’s broader tax relief agenda.

    Despite the release of draft legislation, the policy faces a lengthy delay before it impacts taxpayers: the $1000 instant write-off will not go into effect until July 1, 2026, meaning the deduction can only be claimed on tax returns for the 2026-2027 financial year, which ends June 30, 2027. It will not apply to the 2024-2025 financial year, which many taxpayers are currently preparing to file for.

    The delayed rollout comes as the Albanese government continues to weigh broader tax policy changes ahead of the upcoming May federal budget. Among the potential adjustments under review are cuts to the capital gains tax discount and revisions to Australia’s negative gering rules for property investment. Earlier this month, Chalmers signaled the government’s openness to large-scale change, noting he would be “pretty happy” if the 2026-2027 budget is remembered as a landmark “tax reform budget.”

  • Blue Origin launches rocket with used booster for first time

    Blue Origin launches rocket with used booster for first time

    Blue Origin, the private space exploration firm founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, has achieved a major technical milestone over the weekend: the company successfully launched its heavy-lift New Glenn rocket using a pre-flown, refurbished booster, and pulled off a controlled landing of the recycled first stage on an ocean floating platform. The milestone marks a long-awaited step forward for Blue Origin as it works to match SpaceX’s reusable rocket technology and ramp up its competitive position in the fast-growing global launch market.

    Sunday’s mission, which lifted off at 7:25 a.m. local time from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, marked the third overall flight of the 98-meter New Glenn rocket. The vehicle carried a commercial communications satellite built by AST SpaceMobile, which aims to deliver cellular connectivity to remote and underserved regions of the globe. Approximately nine and a half minutes after liftoff, the reused first stage completed its descent and touched down safely on the company’s landing platform stationed in the Atlantic Ocean, capping a process that had been years in development for Blue Origin.

    However, the mission hit an unexpected partial failure after stage separation. In a post-launch statement posted to the social platform X, Blue Origin confirmed that while the AST SpaceMobile satellite powered on successfully after reaching space, it was deployed into what the company described as an “off-nominal orbit” that does not match the mission’s planned orbital parameters. The company added that teams are still conducting assessments to determine the full extent of the anomaly and what impact the incorrect orbit will have on the satellite’s functionality.

    This milestone represents the first time Blue Origin has reused a New Glenn booster, after two earlier launches that exclusively used brand-new first stages. Prior to this, the company had only flown reused components on its smaller New Shepard suborbital rocket, a vehicle primarily used for short space tourism flights that presents far fewer technical challenges for reusability than orbital launch systems.

    Blue Origin first successfully recovered a New Glenn booster in November 2024, after a failed recovery attempt in January 2025 when the booster’s engines failed to reignite during its descent to the platform. The booster used in Sunday’s mission underwent extensive refurbishment following its previous flight, including a full replacement of all its engines and multiple other structural and system modifications to prepare it for reflight.

    The push for reusable rocket technology comes amid cutthroat competition between Blue Origin and SpaceX, the market-leading private space firm founded by Elon Musk, which has been flying and reusing orbital rocket boosters for more than a decade. The two firms are also direct competitors in NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return American astronauts to the lunar surface. Both companies are under contract to develop human-rated lunar landers for the program, which has a target of landing the first crew on the Moon by 2028, a deadline aligned with the end of U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term and set to outpace China’s own lunar landing ambitions.

  • Top boss vows ‘no sitting still’ as rugby bids to conquer US

    Top boss vows ‘no sitting still’ as rugby bids to conquer US

    Against a backdrop of rising challenges in rugby’s long-established traditional markets, World Rugby chair Brett Robinson has reaffirmed the governing body’s commitment to aggressive global expansion, singling out the United States — the upcoming host of the 2031 men’s Rugby World Cup and 2033 women’s edition — as a critical priority for long-term growth.

    In an interview with AFP on the sidelines of the Hong Kong Sevens tournament, the former Australian international player pushed back against growing narratives that rugby is facing a period of broad decline, arguing that the sport’s global foundations are stronger than critics claim. Recent high-profile setbacks have fueled public debate about the sport’s standing in the global pecking order, from folding professional franchises in Super Rugby to slipping public interest in traditional heartlands. Last week, All Blacks legend Michael Jones warned that rugby union is losing the battle for fan attention to rugby league in New Zealand, a comment that came just days after Auckland-based Super Rugby side Moana Pasifika announced it would cease operations at the end of the current season, becoming the second Super Rugby franchise to collapse in three years due to crippling financial pressure. In Wales, another historic rugby stronghold, the men’s national team has suffered a dramatic slump in on-pitch form, while football has overtaken rugby as the primary focus of public sporting interest.

    Robinson pushed back on this narrative of decline, pointing to global participation data that shows 2 million women playing the sport worldwide, making rugby a truly global game rather than one confined to a handful of historical markets. “We have to protect our core markets, but we can’t sit still and believe that the game will thrive if we don’t continue exploring new pathways for growth,” he said.

    That search for growth leads directly to the United States, which is set to become the first North American nation to host the men’s Rugby World Cup in 2031, followed by the women’s tournament in 2033. The upcoming 2026 men’s FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the US this summer, has already offered a preview of the logistical and commercial challenges awaiting rugby’s governing body, with soaring ticket and transportation costs drawing widespread criticism and raising questions about large-scale event delivery in the American market.

    Skepticism around the 2031 project has grown in recent months: Major League Rugby, the top domestic professional men’s competition, has shrunk to just six teams after four clubs exited the league in recent years, while the men’s national team has struggled with inconsistent performances. British media reports have also raised questions about the US’s ability to deliver a commercially successful 2031 World Cup.

    Robinson countered that World Rugby has laid out a long-term strategy to build fan momentum ahead of the 2031 tournament, rather than rushing to deliver a fully formed event overnight. “We have worked with top national unions to bring iconic, high-profile matches to the US over the coming years to build deeper connections with new fans,” he explained, noting that the governing body is currently evaluating 27 potential host cities, a list that will be narrowed to 12 to 14 ahead of a formal announcement following the 2027 World Cup.

    To build early excitement for the 2031 tournament, World Rugby has already arranged a blockbuster Test match between two-time world champions South Africa and three-time winners New Zealand in Baltimore this September, following on from a sell-out 2024 match between Ireland and the All Blacks in Chicago. “We’re working really hard to build a long-term play,” Robinson said. “We aren’t sitting still in terms of preparing, and we fully acknowledge that it’s a challenging market.”

    He added that the 2033 women’s Rugby World Cup will be a equally important milestone for the sport, noting that women’s rugby has seen rapid, sustained growth across North America in recent years.

    Looking ahead to the next major global rugby event, the 2025 men’s Rugby World Cup in Robinson’s native Australia, he shared that initial ticket sales have already “exceeded all expectations”, with more than 750,000 tickets sold for the expanded 24-team tournament, the largest edition of the competition in history. While Robinson acknowledged that global geopolitical uncertainty stemming from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has created some headwinds for major international events, he said World Rugby remains optimistic about the tournament’s success. “It’s a really good signal about the World Cup,” he said. “We’re really optimistic and excited.”