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New Zealand great Williamson says ‘right time’ to retire from international cricket

One of international cricket’s most respected modern stars and New Zealand’s all-time leading run-scorer Kane Williamson has shocked the global cricket community by announcing his immediate retirement from all forms of international cricket on Friday. The 35-year-old made the announcement mid-way through New Zealand’s ongoing three-Test series against England, just days out from the series’ second Test scheduled to begin at The Oval next week.

Williamson featured in the opening Test of the series at Lord’s last week, where the Black Caps fell to defeat, posting scores of 0 and 18 in the two innings. The veteran batsman explained that his decision to step away had come after months of reflection, and that the timing felt right to close out his 14-year international career.

“I’ve thought about it for a while, but over the last few days it’s become clear now is the right time,” Williamson said. “I’ve always felt a strong drive and hunger for international cricket, and I take pride in knowing I’ve given it my all in every match I’ve played for New Zealand. Continuing with anything less wouldn’t be right and I feel fortunate to step away on my own terms.”

The unexpected timing of the announcement, which came just one match into a planned series and with future home series against India and Australia already scheduled for the 2026/27 season, caught many fans and analysts off guard. But speaking to reporters in London after the announcement, Williamson said he was confident his departure would clear the way for the next generation of Black Caps talent to step up and thrive.

“When I look at the dressing room now and I see the talent, and the journey that I think this team’s looking to go on, it just feels like the right time for me to step away. I feel really good about it,” he added.

Widely regarded as one of the four best batsmen of his generation, Williamson is part of the so-called ‘Fab Four’ alongside modern greats Virat Kohli of India, Australia’s Steve Smith and England’s Joe Root. He made his international debut for New Zealand in 2010, and went on to represent the Black Caps across 378 matches, finishing his career with an unprecedented 19,346 international runs. His record includes 48 centuries and six double-centuries across all formats, making him New Zealand’s most prolific run-getter in the history of the sport.

In Test cricket, the format where he earned his greatest acclaim, Williamson played 110 matches, amassing 9,515 runs at an elite average of 54.06 with 33 centuries to his name. Beyond his on-field batting prowess, he earned widespread praise for his calm, thoughtful leadership, serving as captain across all three formats from 2016 to 2024, a golden era for New Zealand cricket. Under his captaincy, the Black Caps reached two 50-over World Cup finals, three World Cup semi-finals, and claimed the title of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship in 2021.

Current New Zealand head coach Rob Walter paid warm tribute to Williamson’s legacy, emphasizing that his impact extended far beyond his statistical achievements. “Anyone who’s had the privilege of working with Kane understands he is a very special player and person. His numbers and batting skills speak for themselves, but it’s what he means to this Black Caps team, as well as world cricket — that will be his legacy,” Walter said.

Walter acknowledged that Williamson’s departure would leave a gaping hole in the New Zealand line-up for the upcoming second Test against England. “You don’t lose Kane Williamson off the team sheet and get stronger, because he’s a legend,” he added. When asked who would replace Williamson in his traditional batting spot at number three for the Oval Test, Walter declined to confirm a replacement. The likely candidates are reserve batsman Henry Nicholls, who is already in the touring squad, or rising star Rachin Ravindra, who could move up one position from his current spot at number four.

Williamson’s career is decorated with some of the highest honours in the sport: he was named ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2015 and ICC Test Player of the Year in 2019, and won New Zealand cricket’s most prestigious domestic award, the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal, a record four times.

Sir Richard Hadlee himself, one of New Zealand cricket’s all-time greatest icons, issued a statement praising Williamson’s career and leadership. “He’s demonstrated a willingness to continually advance his game to the highest level in all three formats and he rightfully finishes as one of the best players of his era,” Hadlee said. “The way he prepared himself physically and mentally was perhaps the most impressive part. He was always committed to working hard and developing his technique to ensure he was ready to be a world class player. He’s been an unflappable leader and the architect of some of our greatest moments in cricket.”

12 6 月, 2026
Iran insists on nuclear enrichment under any deal with US

Fresh days after former U.S. President Donald Trump announced a final draft nuclear and war-ending deal with Iran was ready for signing, Tehran made its non-negotiable demands clear on Friday: the Islamic Republic will retain its sovereign right to enrich uranium and maintain full control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, no matter what final agreement is reached with Washington.

The current negotiations mark weeks of indirect diplomatic talks between the two nations, aimed at ending the full-scale conflict that erupted when U.S. and Israeli forces launched strikes on Iran on February 28. A ceasefire has been in place since April, but intermittent clashes have continued to stoke global fears of a resumption of open war, even as Trump has repeatedly claimed a final agreement is imminent.

Israel, a key U.S. ally in the region, has stated that Trump promised it any deal would require Iran to give up all of its existing enriched nuclear material. But Iran’s official IRNA news agency has flatly rejected this condition, saying such a concession is not even under discussion. According to IRNA, after both sides signed an initial memorandum of understanding, formal detailed negotiations will extend over 60 days, and Tehran will make its right to enrich uranium and retain enriched material a core priority for inclusion in the final text.

Beyond its nuclear demands, Iran is also refusing to cede authority over the Strait of Hormuz, the critical global chokepoint through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies pass. Since the outbreak of the war, Tehran has blockaded most international traffic through the waterway, only allowing a small number of vessels to transit after receiving approval from Iranian armed forces. IRNA confirmed Friday that the current draft text contains no Iranian commitment to hand over management of the strait or restore pre-war access conditions.

Iran’s state Mehr news agency, citing an anonymous source close to the country’s negotiating team, published details of the draft agreement currently being finalized Friday. The draft would end hostilities across all fronts, including Lebanon, unlock $24 billion in Iranian assets frozen by international sanctions, suspend restrictions on Iranian oil and petrochemical exports, and lift the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports imposed in mid-April. It also requires the U.S. and its allies to pay war reparations to Iran and commit at least $300 billion to post-war reconstruction projects in the country. Final negotiations will not begin until half of Iran’s blocked funds are released, oil sanctions are suspended, and the naval blockade is lifted, the report added.

Trump’s announcement that a draft deal had been approved by Iranian leadership triggered immediate global market shifts: major stock markets rallied on reduced geopolitical risk, while oil prices dropped sharply in response to expectations that Iranian crude would soon return to global markets. The U.S. leader also canceled a planned wave of bombings on Iranian targets Thursday, saying the signing date and location would be announced shortly, and maintained that the fine print of the deal had been approved by the U.S. and its regional allies including Israel. When pressed Friday about whether Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had signed off on the draft, Trump reaffirmed his position, saying he understood the answer was yes.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, has pushed back against Tehran’s current demands. His office confirmed that Netanyahu had spoken with Trump, who repeated his vow that any final deal would include the removal of all Iranian enriched uranium and the dismantling of Iran’s missile infrastructure. “As long as I am the Prime Minister of Israel, Iran will not have nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu reiterated Friday.

Inside Tehran, ordinary Iranian citizens hold mixed views on the potential deal. Many expressed uncertainty over whether an agreement would improve their daily lives. “I don’t know if it will be good or bad for us,” a 29-year-old cafe worker told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear of government retaliation. “The main purpose of this war was for the US to remove the system and this did not happen. So what does a deal do?” Some locals fear any deal would only strengthen the hold of Iran’s current ruling establishment, leaving ordinary citizens with few tangible benefits.

12 6 月, 2026
British art ‘giant’ David Hockney dies aged 88

One of the most transformative and influential figures in modern global art, David Hockney, has passed away peacefully at his London home at the age of 88, just one month shy of his 89th birthday, his public relations representative Erica Bolton confirmed in an official statement released Friday.

Widely celebrated as a foundational pioneer of the 1960s Pop Art movement, Hockney maintained an unwavering commitment to creation, experimentation, and public exhibition of his work right up until his death. Across his 70-year career, he built a vast, diverse body of work defined by cross-medium experimentation, rigorous intellectual exploration of perception, perspective, and visual representation, and a lifelong celebration of the vibrancy and beauty of the world around him.

Born in 1937 in West Yorkshire, northern England, Hockney launched his artistic training at the Bradford School of Art before going on to study at London’s Royal College of Art, where he graduated with the institution’s prestigious Gold Medal distinction. A conscientious objector during the era of mandatory military service, he completed his alternative service working as a hospital orderly, and defied the conservative social conventions of post-war Britain from an early age: he lived openly as a gay man and dedicated himself fully to his artistic vision at a time when such openness carried significant risk.

By the mid-1960s, Hockney had emerged as a leading voice in a new generation of groundbreaking British artists. After relocating to California in 1964, his work captured the sun-drenched, carefree energy of 1960s West Coast life, alongside the rolling, bucolic landscapes of his native Yorkshire, and intimate portraits of the people and places that shaped him. His iconic 1972 work *Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)* made global headlines in 2018 when it sold at auction in New York for $90.3 million, setting a new record for the most expensive work sold by a living artist at auction — a title he held until 2019, when Jeff Koons’ *Rabbit* surpassed the mark.

A lifelong innovator never afraid to embrace new tools and technologies, Hockney worked across far more mediums than traditional painting and drawing: he built a celebrated body of work in printmaking, photography, and even stage design, and was an early adopter of digital art tools. When Apple first released the iPad in 2010, Hockney immediately adopted the device as a core creative tool, even collaborating with software developers to build custom art apps tailored to his creative process, according to a profile from the U.K.’s National Portrait Gallery.

Hockney earned global critical acclaim and formal recognition from both his home country and international governments throughout his career. In 1997, he was appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour by the British monarchy, and earlier this year, he joined the small ranks of non-French citizens awarded the Legion d’Honneur, France’s highest civilian honor.

News of his death sparked an outpouring of tributes from art institutions and peers within minutes of the official announcement. Art historian Richard Morris paid tribute to Hockney on the social platform X, noting that his greatest achievement was making technically rigorous, groundbreaking painting look effortless. “He carried forward one of the most sustained investigations into vision, space and representation by any post-war artist. British art has lost a giant,” Morris wrote.

Paris’ Centre Pompidou, which collaborated with Hockney on two of his most iconic retrospective exhibitions, called him “unquestionably one of the major figures of contemporary art,” adding that the body of work he leaves behind remains “dazzling, alive and eternal.”

Remarkably, Hockney continued creating and sharing new work right up until his passing. London’s Serpentine Gallery is currently hosting the artist’s first exhibition at the institution, which was curated in close collaboration with Hockney himself and features a collection of his newest paintings. Upcoming retrospective exhibitions are already in development at London’s Tate and the Munch Museum in Oslo.

In addition to his unmatched artistic legacy, Hockney is survived by his long-time partner and companion Jean-Pierre Goncalves de Lima, two of his brothers, and a large extended family of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. Bolton’s statement noted that Hockney, who never lost his distinctive northern Yorkshire accent, remained a defiant, lifelong smoker who praised the pleasure the habit brought him, and continued smoking up until his death.

12 6 月, 2026
David Hockney: contemporary master of brilliant, bold colours

The global art community is mourning the loss of one of the most influential contemporary artists of the last two centuries, British icon David Hockney, who passed away peacefully at his London home on Thursday, just one month shy of his 89th birthday. Hockney leaves behind a sprawling, decades-spanning body of work defined by its bold, electrifying color palettes that transformed everything from sun-drenched California pools to rolling English countryside into unforgettable cultural touchstones.

Born to working-class parents in the northern English industrial town of Bradford in 1937, Hockney defied the rigid social conventions of post-WWII Britain from a young age. Openly embracing his identity as a gay man at a time when same-sex relations were criminalized and widely taboo across much of the Western world, he also committed himself early to a career in art, rejecting the expectations placed on working-class young men of his era. As a young adult, he served as a conscientious objector during military service, working as a hospital orderly before pursuing formal training first at the Bradford School of Art, then at London’s prestigious Royal College of Art starting in 1959.

Even in his student years, Hockney’s work broke new ground. His 1950s piece *We Two Boys Together Clinging* made an unapologetic, public statement about same-sex attraction at a time when such themes were excluded from mainstream galleries. It was his abstract work *Doll Boy*, a subtle tribute to his crush on pop star Cliff Richard, that first caught the attention of influential London art dealer John Kasmin, who purchased the piece for just £40. Kasmin later recalled reaching out to the young, shy, cash-strapped student — then recognizable for his black crew cut and National Health Service glasses — to invite him for tea, and began selling small drawings for just £7 to £8 apiece to launch his career. Shortly after Hockney graduated from the Royal College with a gold medal, Kasmin hosted his first solo exhibition, which sold out entirely. Almost overnight, Hockney emerged as a defining cultural figure, famous for his signature bleached blond hair, round-rimmed glasses, and bold, playful personal style.

In 1964, Hockney relocated to California, where he created the bright, sun-drenched, minimalist scenes that cemented his status as a leading figure in the global pop art movement. His 1967 masterpiece *A Bigger Splash*, which captures the split second after a diver disappears beneath the surface of a backyard swimming pool, remains one of the most iconic artworks of the 20th century. Over the following decades, his jet-set lifestyle took him across the globe, from the south of France to Morocco, New York, and London, and he painted intimate portraits of the designers, dancers, and artists that made up his wide social circle. By the end of the 1960s, the once shy art student had transformed into a global art star, moving in elite social circles while retaining the mischievous charm and occasional blunt combativeness that defined his personality.

A relentless innovator across mediums, Hockney’s work extended far beyond canvas painting. He designed stage sets for theater and opera, experimented with printmaking, and reimagined photographic collage in the 1980s with his invention of “joiners” — assemblages of slightly offset snapshots that created a cubist-inspired patchwork effect, echoing the work of his lifelong artistic hero Pablo Picasso. Always an early adopter of new technology, he embraced tools from Polaroid cameras to video recorders, and in his 70s began creating art on an Apple iPad. Large-scale prints of his tablet-created works headlined his 2012 *A Bigger Picture* exhibition at London’s Royal Academy of Arts.

Later in his career, Hockney returned repeatedly to his Yorkshire roots to care for his mother, and over time he began painting the region’s rolling, bucolic landscapes, reinventing himself once again as a leading contemporary landscape artist. After relocating back to the UK from the United States, he fell in love with the lush, green landscapes of northern France — the same region that inspired impressionist master Claude Monet — and moved there, where he created one of his late-career bodies of work, *A Year in Normandy*. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Hockney framed his enforced isolation as an opportunity, throwing himself into painting the unfolding spring season in Normandy with his signature explosive palette of bright hues. He told AFP during a 2021 Paris exhibition of his Normandy work, “If you look at the world, it’s very beautiful.”

In 2023, Hockney returned to London to escape constant unwanted attention from visitors in Normandy. Even as his health declined, leaving him frail and reliant on a wheelchair, he remained actively engaged in curating a major retrospective of his decades-long career, which opened in Paris in April 2025.

Hockney’s place in art history was cemented in 2018, when his iconic work *Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)* sold at auction in New York for $90.3 million, breaking the record for the most expensive work sold by a living artist. His agent Erica Bolton remembered him this week as “one of the most important figures in contemporary art in both the 20th and 21st centuries,” while London’s Tate Gallery once called him “perhaps the most popular and versatile British artist of the 20th century.” Throughout his life, he retained the broad Yorkshire accent of his upbringing, and never lost his lifelong fondness for simple pleasures: fish and chips, and cigarettes, once joking in a 2015 interview with The Guardian, “It used to be you couldn’t be gay. Now you can be gay but you can’t smoke. There’s always something.”

12 6 月, 2026
From terror suspects to clothing designers: Aussies listed on Interpol’s red list revealed as James Dalamangas arrested

For nearly three decades, James Dalamangas avoided the long arm of international law, until Greek law enforcement officers detained the 55-year-old Australian earlier this week at a property in Aigialeia, central Greece. His arrest closes one of the longest-running fugitive cases in recent Australian history, tying back to the 1999 fatal stabbing of Sydney man George Giannopoulous at a nightclub in Belmore.

Dalamangas’ 27-year evasion raises two pressing questions: who are the other Australian-linked fugitives still at large overseas, and what strategies allow suspects to remain undetected for decades? Criminology associate professor Xanthe Weston from Central Queensland University told reporters that low-profile behavior and identity fraud were the core pillars of Dalamangas’ long run from authorities. “Over 27 years, he must have secured a new identity and deliberately avoided drawing any attention to himself,” Weston explained. Successful long-term hiding relies on blending into local communities, establishing a quiet routine, and never standing out enough to trigger suspicion from residents or officials, she added.

What may surprise many is that out of more than 3,000 suspects listed on Interpol’s global Red Notice – the organization’s official wanted person alert – only five have Australian citizenship or direct links to Australia. Weston says this tiny proportion is entirely expected, given Australia’s unique geographic and demographic profile. The country’s large landmass and sparse population, particularly in remote inland regions, make it an attractive hiding spot for fugitives fleeing other countries, rather than a place that produces large numbers of people fleeing overseas. “If you want to vanish, settling in a small outback village in Australia makes it surprisingly easy,” Weston noted. She added that while modern technological advances and the rise of social media have made long-term hiding far harder than it was in the 1990s, it remains possible for disciplined, low-profile suspects to stay off law enforcement radars indefinitely.

The five Australian-linked fugitives currently on Interpol’s Red Notice list cover a wide range of serious charges, from terrorism to drug smuggling and fraud:

The first is 45-year-old Meliad Farah, a Kogarah-born Australian who has been wanted for over 12 years for his alleged role in a 2012 suicide bombing in Burgas, Bulgaria. The attack targeted a bus carrying Israeli tourists departing Burgas Airport, killing five Israeli travelers and a Bulgarian bus driver, while injuring 32 more civilians. Farah, who also uses the alias Hussein Hussein, is accused of participating in planning the atrocity. Bulgarian authorities released his photograph in 2013 alongside co-accused Canadian Hassan al-Haj, and he is widely believed to be a Hezbollah operative.

Next is 44-year-old Melbourne-based fashion designer Qui Shan Lian, who counts some of the world’s most high-profile celebrities among her past professional connections. She has been wanted since 2017 on drug smuggling charges, after Chinese authorities requested Interpol issue a Red Notice for her arrest.

Third is 56-year-old Thi Hoa Trung Trinh, a Vietnamese national with confirmed ties to Australia who was added to the list four years ago. Limited public details are available about her case, but she is suspected of property misappropriation through breach of trust, and is wanted by Vietnamese law enforcement. She is described as 155cm tall, with black hair and dark brown eyes.

Fourth is 55-year-old Abdulzagir Medjidov, a dual Australian-Russian citizen born in Russia’s Dagestan republic. He has been wanted for 13 years, with an initial arrest warrant issued in 2013 on charges of attempted murder and criminal preparation. He is fluent in both English and Russian, and is wanted by Russian authorities.

The final fugitive is 65-year-old Australian national Thi Minh Phung Duong, who was born in Vietnam and has evaded capture for more than 12 years. Added to Interpol’s Red Notice list in 2011, she is wanted for fraud and property misappropriation through swindling, alleged to have committed her offenses in Vietnam. Few additional details about her case have been released publicly.

Dalamangas’ recent arrest after 27 years on the run underscores what Weston emphasized: even for the most careful fugitives, it is impossible to hide forever.

11 6 月, 2026
The migration pact: What’s in the EU’s landmark asylum reform?

On June 12, a sweeping overhaul of European Union migration and asylum rules formally comes into force, marking the first time the bloc has established a unified, bloc-wide framework for managing irregular migration and border processes. According to EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner, the reform is designed to give individual member states greater control over cross-border population movements, ending years of fragmented national policies that have strained regional cooperation.

The new system introduces sweeping changes to how the EU processes people crossing its external borders illegally. Under the updated rules, all irregular arrivals will undergo mandatory identity and security screenings completed within a seven-day window. Biometric data, including facial scans and fingerprints, alongside basic identity documentation, will be stored in a centralized EU database. The primary goal of this screening is to triage applicants: sorting those eligible for standard or accelerated asylum processing from those who will be ordered deported to their country of origin or a prior transit country. Human rights organizations have already raised red flags, warning that the process will effectively result in widespread detention for most migrants, including unaccompanied minors, for the full duration of screening.

A core component of the reform is a new fast-track rejection pathway for applicants deemed to have low protection prospects or pose potential security risks. This includes nationals from countries such as Morocco and Bangladesh, where at least 80 percent of asylum applications are typically rejected by EU member states. These cases will be processed entirely in dedicated facilities located near the EU’s external borders—encompassing land frontiers, maritime ports and international airports—with a maximum processing timeline of 12 weeks. Rights advocates argue this compressed timeline will lead to rushed, flawed asylum decisions and extend detention periods for vulnerable people, while applicants from regions with higher approval rates will still follow the bloc’s existing standard asylum procedures.

For years, the EU’s original migration rules placed full responsibility for processing asylum claims on the member state where an irregular migrant first arrived. This system placed disproportionate burden on southern EU states including Italy, Greece and Malta, which have received the vast majority of sea and land arrivals over the past decade. To address this imbalance, the reform introduces a mandatory solidarity mechanism that requires all member states to contribute to sharing the burden. States can either agree to relocate a set number of asylum seekers from frontline border states, or opt to pay a contribution of 20,000 euros (equivalent to roughly $23,000) per asylum seeker to the receiving frontline country. The mechanism is designed to relocate at least 30,000 asylum seekers annually, though early negotiations have already hit major stumbling blocks: a first round of talks held last year saw multiple member states refuse to accept any relocation assignments.

The overhaul also includes a dedicated emergency response framework to address sudden, large-scale migration surges, similar to the 2015-2016 crisis that saw more than two million asylum seekers, most fleeing conflict in Syria and Afghanistan, enter the bloc. Under surge conditions, member states will be permitted to roll back standard asylum protections and hold migrants in external border detention centers for longer periods than the rules normally allow. The framework also applies to what the EU calls “instrumentalization of migration,” a practice the bloc has repeatedly accused Belarus and Russia of engaging in, claiming the two countries push irregular migrants across EU borders to destabilize the 27-nation bloc.

Despite the formal entry into force, major implementation challenges remain. A dozen member states have not yet completed necessary preparations, including building the border infrastructure required to carry out the new mandatory screenings. Other countries have already reported technical issues with integrating national systems into the new centralized biometric database. Public opinion across much of the bloc has hardened further on migration since the pact was agreed, pushing national governments to demand even stricter measures. Currently, an additional legislative package focused on expanding deportations of asylum seekers whose claims have been rejected is moving rapidly through the EU’s lawmaking process.

These developments have amplified concerns from human rights groups that European policymakers are prioritizing political expediency over basic humanitarian protections. Judith Sunderland, associate Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch, criticized the incoming rules, saying “The Pact takes a sledgehammer to the right to asylum at a time when the world needs Europe more than ever to champion human rights.”

11 6 月, 2026
Gavin Preston murder: Contract killer has kind compassionate nature, his mum tells court

On May 8, a Victorian court reached a guilty verdict in one of Australia’s most shocking recent contract killing cases: 25-year-old Jaeden Tito and 26-year-old Rabii Zahabe were convicted of the brutal murder of underworld figure Gavin Preston and the attempted murder of his companion Abbas Maghnie. As the sentencing phase of the trial gets underway, the case has drawn new attention for the heart-wrenching testimony from Tito’s mother, whose public conflict over her son’s actions lays bare the human fallout of gang-related violence.

The murder itself unfolded in broad daylight on September 9, 2023, at a popular suburban cafe called Sweet Lulu’s in Keilor, Melbourne. Preston, 50, was sitting outdoors eating breakfast with Maghnie when two masked gunmen, who had lain in wait for hours, opened fire. Preston was killed instantly in a hail of bullets, while Maghnie suffered life-threatening wounds. Investigators later confirmed Maghnie survived only by chance: one of the assassins’ weapons jammed mid-attack, stopping them from firing the fatal shot that would have killed him. To date, Maghnie has refused to cooperate with police investigations into the shooting. Both Tito and Zahabe have maintained their innocence throughout the trial, despite the jury’s guilty verdict.

In an emotional letter to the court — drafted with assistance from ChatGPT — Levi Tito, Jaeden’s mother, opened up about the devastating impact of her son’s conviction on her family. One of six children, Jaeden grew up as a protective older brother to his siblings and a constant source of joy for the household, she told the court. “I do not write this letter to excuse his behaviour but rather to share with this court the person I have known,” she wrote. “Your Honour, I understand my son’s actions have had devastating consequences … I continue to see kindness, compassion and humanity within him.”

She added that even in custody, her son has kept in close contact with the family, sending regular letters and cards and taking up quiet hobbies like reading and colouring. These small acts, she said, confirm that the caring son and brother she raised has not disappeared entirely. “When we learned of his arrest … Our world changed completely,” she said. “We deeply long for the day he can come home to us but we understand that day is not near.” As Levi Tito spoke, Preston’s fiancee Lauran Howe, who was in attendance at the court, sat with her head in her hands, confronting the pain of losing her partner.

Prosecutors, led by senior counsel Kristie Churchill, are pushing for the harshest possible sentence: life imprisonment for both men, arguing that the pre-planned, public nature of the killing demands the maximum penalty. “We say this was a murder that was extensively planned, it was sophisticated,” Churchill told the court. “This was a public execution that exposed many members of the public going about their lawful business to the execution.”

Defense lawyers for both hitmen have pushed back against life sentences, noting that while the pair were convicted, there is no evidence they were the masterminds behind the plot. Paul Smallwood, representing Zahabe, argued that his client’s young age and the harsh conditions of his pre-sentencing custody should be taken into account. Daniel Sala, Tito’s attorney, echoed that point, emphasizing that the two men were nothing more than small parts of a larger criminal operation. “They are not the driving force behind it,” Sala said.

The court has heard that both men are currently being held in protective custody due to the underworld connections of the victim, which puts them at significant risk of attack from other inmates. While the identity of the person or group that ordered the hit has not been confirmed, prosecutors acknowledged during the trial that Preston had a long criminal history and no shortage of enemies who may have wanted him dead.

Justice Michael O’Connell, presiding over the case, noted that even if the pair were not the main organizers, they were fully aware of every detail of the plot. “Your clients seemed to know about all that planning and take advantage of it to make a getaway which enables them to get to Sydney within a couple of hours,” he said. The pair will return to court at a later date for their final sentencing, after the justice has considered all arguments from both the prosecution and defense.

11 6 月, 2026
‘Pressure cooker’: Crown alleges affair discovery led to Priscilla Brooten’s death

After seven days of dramatic evidence presentation in a high-profile Brisbane Supreme Court murder trial, both prosecution and defence have wrapped their cases, leaving the future of accused killer Mark Sheridan Waden in the hands of a 12-person jury set to begin deliberations Monday. Waden has entered a firm not guilty plea to the 2018 murder of Priscilla Brooten, a US citizen who disappeared without a trace from the Bracken Ridge home the pair shared, with her body never located despite years of investigation.

Crown prosecutors laid out a damning circumstantial case arguing the killing followed a volatile relationship that erupted into a fatal argument on July 5, 2018. Prosecutor Andrew Walklate told jurors Brooten discovered private Facebook messages showing Waden was carrying on a secret relationship with a younger female colleague, triggering a day of tense exchanges between the pair. Phone records, diary entries, and counselling documents obtained by the prosecution paint a picture of a relationship mired in crisis, described by Walklate as a “pressure cooker scenario” that had been building long before that fateful July day. Brooten’s own notebook, left behind at the home after her disappearance, contained a chilling entry: she wrote she had threatened to ruin Waden’s life by exposing his unlicensed marijuana business and publishing details of a prior assault where he had nearly killed her.

Walklate outlined that only four plausible explanations exist for Brooten’s complete disappearance: her former boyfriend Steven Thompson killed her, she remains alive in hiding, she died by suicide, or Waden killed her. He stressed that all available evidence points exclusively to the fourth scenario, adding that all evidence points to a deliberate killing rather than an accidental death. Notably, both the prosecution and defence have ruled out Thompson as a suspect, with Walklate describing him as a kind man who remained close to Brooten after their relationship ended and cared deeply for her well-being. Thompson was the one who first reported Brooten missing when all contact abruptly stopped, and spent months independently searching for clues about her fate.

Key pieces of the Crown’s case include the suspicious timing of a 4-metre trench Waden arranged to be excavated at his property just 24 hours after Brooten vanished. Walklate said the urgent excavation, booked through the gig work platform Airtasker, was intended to hide Brooten’s body, the murder weapon, or other evidence tying Waden to the crime. Prosecutors also point to a series of text messages sent from Brooten’s phone to Thompson the day after she was allegedly killed, which contained text saying Brooten was leaving and that Thompson should not attempt to find her. Walklate argued the messages were a fabrication sent by Waden to create the false impression Brooten had left the country voluntarily.

Further suspicious evidence cited by the Crown includes varying explanations Waden gave to friends and acquaintances for Brooten’s sudden absence – he claimed she had fled Australia over debt with dangerous criminal groups, that she had unresolved immigration issues, and that she had chosen to cut off contact. Prosecutors say these conflicting stories were part of a deliberate campaign to divert attention from the killing. They also point to a mysterious 2018 phone call to the US Consulate made by a man claiming to be Thompson, which alleged Brooten was being held against her will in the non-existent location of “Winchester, Maryland”. Thompson has denied making the call, and Walklate argued it was another false trail planted by Waden to confuse investigators.

Since July 2018, there has been no confirmed trace of Brooten: no banking transactions, social media activity, border crossings, hospital admissions, or credible sightings have been recorded. Walklate noted the complete lack of contact is especially notable because Brooten did not reach out even after her own mother died, an absence that would be unthinkable if she were still alive. Brooten left all of her personal possessions – including clothing, makeup, and identification documents – at the shared home, further undermining any claim she left voluntarily.

For the defence, barrister James Godbolt urged the jury to acquit Waden, arguing the entire case against his client is based entirely on circumstantial evidence that fails to meet the legal standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Godbolt reminded jurors that even if they suspect Waden may have killed Brooten, or think it is probable he did so, that standard is not sufficient for a guilty verdict. “If you don’t get to beyond reasonable doubt, Mark Waden should be acquitted of murder,” Godbolt told the court.

Godbolt pushed back against every key part of the Crown’s narrative, starting with the trench excavation: he said the work was part of a long-planned front-yard landscaping project, pointing out the illogic of burying a body in a front yard along a busy road when a private backyard was available. Testing of soil from the trench turned up no trace of human remains, and no forensic evidence linking Waden to Brooten’s death has ever been found, he added.

The defence laid out alternative explanations for Brooten’s disappearance, noting the US citizen had a long history of severe depression and self-harm, with expert assessment placing her in the severe to extreme range of the condition. Godbolt argued suicide remains a plausible outcome, or alternatively that Brooten – who had been living unlawfully in Australia using multiple aliases – chose to disappear and live off the grid to avoid authorities. He also heavily criticized the police investigation into Brooten’s disappearance, calling it “inadequate to the extreme” for failing to thoroughly explore alternative leads and the possibility she remains alive.

Justice Peter Callaghan is scheduled to deliver his final instructions to the jury on Monday, after which jurors will retire to decide whether the prosecution has proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.

11 6 月, 2026
‘Natural leaders’: Jake and Tom Trbojevic to serve as co-captains as Kieran Foran continues to make changes at Manly

The Manly Sea Eagles, one of the National Rugby League’s most storied franchises, have announced a major off-field shakeup to their leadership group, with head coach Kieran Foran confirming that club fan favorite Jake Trbojevic will step into a permanent co-captaincy role alongside his younger brother Tom.

Tom Trbojevic was named the club’s sole captain earlier this year, taking over from club legend Daly Cherry-Evans who departed for the Sydney Roosters at the end of the 2024 season. The star fullback has been sidelined in recent weeks with a hamstring injury, but is on track to make his return to the field next Thursday when Manly faces off against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.

The 2025 NRL season got off to a disastrous start for Manly: the club dropped its first three consecutive matches, resulting in the immediate dismissal of former head coach Anthony Seibold. Foran, who originally joined the club’s staff as an assistant coach, stepped into the interim head coaching role and quickly turned the team’s on-field fortunes around. Impressed by his rapid turnaround of the squad, Manly’s front office signed Foran to a three-year permanent head coaching contract just weeks into his interim tenure.

During Tom Trbojevic’s injury absence, Jake Trbojevic stepped up to lead the side with remarkable composure and results. That strong performance laid the groundwork for Foran’s decision to share the captaincy between the two brothers, a move that aligns with the team’s current chemistry.

In addition to the co-captaincy appointment, powerful back-rower Haumole Olakau’atu has been named the club’s sole vice-captain. The appointment comes at a pivotal moment for Olakau’atu, who was recently dropped from the New South Wales Blues State of Origin side and will be eager to prove his selection worth against the Bulldogs next week.

Speaking on the leadership changes, Foran emphasized that the move was a natural fit for the evolving squad. “Tom and Jake are the natural leaders of this group, and it makes sense to have them as co-captains,” Foran told reporters. “Jake has done an amazing job in Tom’s absence and we knew he would. He stepped up when the team needed him. That’s what leaders do. Haumole has also been wonderful this year, not only in his performances but also in the leadership he brings to the group.

Right now, what’s best for the team is to have both Tom and Jake sharing the captaincy, supported by Haumole as vice-captain. It’s a pretty straightforward decision to be honest. We are lucky as a group to have two legends of the club leading the way.”

For Jake Trbojevic, the new role caps off a positive stretch that has cleared up uncertainty around his future in the NRL. Earlier this year, widespread speculation suggested 2025 would be his final season in top-flight rugby league, but the forward has confirmed he will remain with Manly through the 2027 season. A long-time fan favorite and one-club man, Trbojevic said he was eager to take on the new responsibility.

“I’ve just loved the past few months, and I’ll do whatever is best for the team,” he said. “If Foz (Foran) and Tom want this, then I’m all in. Leading this amazing group of players and playing for this great club is a privilege.”

11 6 月, 2026
‘It’s a fit man’s game’: How Cameron Murray changed Origin as calls grow louder for him to start for the Blues

Nearly a decade after he entered the National Rugby League, Cameron Murray has emerged as the public face of a sweeping transformation reshaping Australian rugby league’s most iconic competition, State of Origin. Once known as a proving ground for oversized power athletes, where 34 massive players from New South Wales and Queensland would trade brutal hits across 80 minutes of nonstop physical play, the elite representative series is now seeing a clear evolution: while team benches have grown in size, the average build of starting forwards has shrunk, with speed and endurance now prioritized over raw bulk.

When Murray made his NRL debut in 2017, he lined up alongside the sport’s signature giants: the 100+ kilogram Burgess brothers and other heavy-boned forwards who dominated the era. Just 20 years earlier, the 2006 State of Origin series featured a roster of legendary heavyweights including Steve Price, Willie Mason, Petero Civoniceva and Brent Kite, all tipping the scales well above Murray’s current listed weight of 96 kilograms. Today, that 96kg frame fits perfectly into the new-look game shaped by rule changes designed to speed up rucks and open up play.

Looking back on his career, Murray recalled early pressure to bulk up to match the sport’s old guard. “When I was coming in, it was the era of the Burgess boys, Ben Te’o, John Sutton and Dave Taylor — all big fellas,” Murray said. “In your mind, you’re like ‘I’ve got to put size on. I’ve got to make sure that I’m as big as these guys’. But as luck would have it, I came in at the right time. The fatigue and the speed of the game started going up, and it probably suited me a little better.”

Murray credits incremental rule tweaks over the past decade with shifting the sport’s trajectory toward a faster style of play that caters to smaller, more agile forwards. “Some little tweaks in the rules over the years and then the way that the NRL are wanting the game to be played now, they kind of catered that to suit the rules,” he explained. “It’s the way that they want the game to go based on the speed of the game and bringing back the smaller guys. I think that’s suited me well, so I’m not complaining.”

The impact of Murray’s unique skill set has not gone unnoticed among teammates and analysts. Former rugby league star Braith Anasta is among those calling for Murray to take the starting lock position for the NSW Blues, pushing current captain and long-time standout lock Isaah Yeo to shift to prop or move to the interchange bench. That arrangement already proved successful during the 2024 series, when Murray delivered a dominant performance wearing the number 13 jersey in games two and three.

Data from Fox Sports Lab underscores how transformative Murray’s presence is for the Blues: the team holds an undefeated 3-0 record when Murray starts at lock. Across 16 total Origin appearances for NSW, the Blues have outscored opponents by 174 points when Murray is on the field, while posting a negative 48-point differential when he sits on the bench. That gap was on full display in 2024’s game one, where Queensland jumped out to an 18-0 lead before Murray entered the game off the bench.

Even Yeo, who has been the Blues’ starting lock for six years, openly praised Murray’s game-changing ability. “He’s been outstanding for a long time, and we’ve definitely missed him in the Origin arena when he had the achilles (injury) last year and when he had a concussion in another game,” Yeo said. “He’s just one of those players who makes every team he’s in better, whether that’s at lock, coming off the bench or playing in the back row. He’s the ultimate professional. I thought what he and Victor Radley brought into the game off the bench was really important. They brought a point of difference for us.”

NSW halfback Nathan Cleary, who plays alongside Yeo weekly at club level and teams up with Murray annually for Origin, highlighted the unique dynamic the two forwards create. “The world’s best playmaker loves working with two of the most effective link men in rugby league, with Murray providing a point of difference that Yeo can’t match. He just adds a different type of leg speed,” Cleary said. “I’ve seen Cam play in the centres before, and that speaks volumes to what he brings with his leg speed. He’s got great ball-playing ability as well, so I think the mix of him and ‘Yowie’ is so dynamic. It’s a pleasure to play alongside those two guys.”

For Murray himself, the debate over whether he deserves a starting spot is irrelevant. His only goal is helping the Blues claim the State of Origin shield after an injury forced him to miss the entire 2023 series. “When I play Origin, I just try to be myself out there. I try to go out and play to my strengths and do what I know needs to be done to get the job done in Origin,” he said. “Origin’s all about effort and going out and doing your best for your teammate, and so that’s what I try to do. If I’m coming off the bench, then I try to bring energy. If I start, I try to start with a level head and I just go out there and try to be the best version of myself and play as best I can in a Blues jersey.”

11 6 月, 2026