Global Pulse

标签： Oceania

大洋洲

  • Virgin Australia unveils Toy Story 5 themed aircraft ahead of Disney Pixar film release

    Virgin Australia unveils Toy Story 5 themed aircraft ahead of Disney Pixar film release

    Australian airline Virgin Australia has launched its first co-branded aircraft livery in nearly a decade, teaming up with Disney and Pixar to roll out a one-of-a-kind Toy Story 5 themed Boeing 737-800 that will traverse the country’s domestic network ahead of the animated sequel’s theatrical premiere on June 18. The airline officially revealed the custom-painted plane on Monday, which features beloved franchise characters Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear across its entire exterior, kicking off a months-long cross-platform marketing campaign that brings the Toy Story magic to every step of the passenger travel journey.

    This large-scale collaboration marks a celebratory milestone for the Toy Story franchise, which first captured audiences’ hearts more than 30 years ago. The custom aircraft is projected to be seen by hundreds of thousands of travelers, including international visitors exploring Australia, turning the plane itself into a flying billboard for the upcoming film. Beyond the eye-catching exterior livery, the partnership includes a full slate of themed activations rolling out across airport terminals, Virgin Australia lounges, and onboard domestic flights through mid-July.

    Starting June 1, young passengers traveling with the airline will receive complimentary Toy Story 5-branded giveaways, including custom coloring activity packs. The airline’s inflight entertainment system will also add the entire existing Toy Story film collection to its library, alongside more than 60 other popular Disney movies for travelers to enjoy during their journey. Between June 15 and July 19, domestic passengers will be able to participate in a branded inflight game, with one grand prize winner receiving a Pixar-themed trip to Tokyo for up to four people.

    One of the most charming additions to the campaign is Virgin Australia’s new “Toy Tickets” initiative, which lets children request personalized, official-looking boarding passes for the teddy bears and soft toys that accompany them on their trips. The concept for this unique offering was inspired by a real customer incident: a young child who accidentally left their beloved teddy bear on a Virgin Australia flight, and was reunited with the toy after the airline helped track it down.

    Exclusive perks are also being offered to top loyalty program members: selected Velocity Frequent Flyer Platinum Plus members across Australia will receive access to special private screenings of Toy Story 5 ahead of its wide release.

    Libby Minogue, Virgin Australia’s chief marketing and customer operations officer, explained that the partnership was designed to weave the beloved film franchise into the entire travel experience, creating memorable moments for guests of all ages. “Toy Story has always been about more than just characters, it’s the nostalgia and joy it holds for so many people,” Minogue said. “Through our partnership with The Walt Disney Company Australia, we’re bringing the magic into the travel experience, creating moments of surprise and delight for our guests in a way that is distinctly Virgin Australia.”

    Minogue added that the collaboration aligns with the airline’s ongoing goal of reimagining air travel for modern passengers, while delivering enhanced value to its loyalty program members: “We are always looking for new ways to bring wonderful to flying and this partnership with Disney is the start of something magical and allows us to reimagine the travel experience in new and engaging ways, while delivering greater value for our Velocity Frequent Flyer members.”

    Kylie Watson-Wheeler, senior vice-president and managing director of The Walt Disney Company Australia and New Zealand, echoed that excitement, noting that the collaboration lets fans of all generations celebrate the launch of the new sequel. “We’re thrilled to see Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5 take flight with Virgin Australia in this special celebration of the film,” Watson-Wheeler said. “Our iconic Toy Story characters and story have a special place in the hearts of generations. We can’t wait to see all the magical ways this collaboration brings joy to Virgin Australia customers.”

  • Senegal parliament speaker steps down in political crisis

    Senegal parliament speaker steps down in political crisis

    A fresh escalation of Senegal’s simmering political crisis unfolded Sunday, when National Assembly Speaker El Malick Ndiaye announced his resignation just 48 hours after his close political ally, former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, was removed from office by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. The unexpected departure opens a direct path for the ousted premier to seek the speaker’s position, a move that would put Sonko at the head of the legislature and escalate his power struggle with President Faye.

    An official government notice released late Sunday confirmed that all members of parliament have been called to an extraordinary plenary session scheduled for Tuesday morning. The session’s agenda includes two critical votes: first, to restore Sonko’s parliamentary membership, and second, to elect a new speaker to fill Ndiaye’s vacant post.

    The ongoing rupture between Faye and Sonko has thrown the West African nation, which is already grappling with a crippling national debt crisis, into unprecedented political uncertainty. The split comes just months after the pair led their shared Patriotic African Party for the People (Pastef) to a landslide victory in the 2024 general elections, running on a populist platform promising sweeping anti-corruption reforms and a break from the politics of the previous administration.

    Faye’s ascension to the presidency was entirely reliant on Sonko’s political clout. Sonko, a fiery populist who built a massive, passionate following among Senegal’s disillusioned young population, was widely expected to win the March 2024 presidential vote before he was barred from running over a controversial defamation conviction. He threw his full support behind Faye, his former protégé, clearing the way for Faye’s election victory.

    For months, simmering tensions between the two former allies boiled beneath the surface, until they spilled into public view and collapsed their governing alliance. Sonko launched repeated public criticisms of Faye, accusing him of failing to show leadership when Sonko faced pushback from political opponents. He also lambasted the slow pace of corruption investigations into senior officials from former president Macky Sall’s administration, a key campaign promise Pastef made to voters. The pair also clashed over fundamental policy approaches to managing Senegal’s crippling sovereign debt, deepening their rift. On Friday, Faye formally removed Sonko from his post as prime minister.

    Within hours of Sonko’s dismissal, hundreds of his loyal supporters gathered outside his Dakar residence to demonstrate their backing. Sonko remains the undisputed, popular leader of Pastef, which holds a commanding majority in the National Assembly – a fact that leaves Faye’s ability to govern in serious question.

    “Cohabitation between President Faye and the Pastef majority in parliament is going to be extremely complicated,” explained Babacar Ndiaye, research director at West African think tank WATHI. Ndiaye noted that Faye is required to nominate a new prime minister to replace Sonko, and that nominee must receive parliamentary approval within three months of their appointment. “If deputies choose to introduce a motion of no confidence against the new government, they have the numbers to pass it,” he added.

    Complicating the political landscape further, President Faye cannot dissolve the National Assembly until November 2026, two full years after the last parliamentary election. A recent electoral reform passed by parliament several weeks ago also overturned Sonko’s ineligibility for public office, meaning he is now legally allowed to run for president. This sets the stage for a potential head-to-head matchup between the two former allies in the next presidential election, if the rift is not resolved before then.

  • Spurs win to relegate West Ham as Guardiola, Salah say Premier League farewells

    Spurs win to relegate West Ham as Guardiola, Salah say Premier League farewells

    The final matchday of the English Premier League season delivered a rollercoaster of emotion on Sunday, as Tottenham Hotspur secured their top-flight survival at West Ham United’s expense, while two of the league’s most iconic figures said tearful goodbyes and Arsenal celebrated their long-awaited title win.

    Tottenham entered their final home fixture against Everton knowing even a single point would likely be enough to stay up, holding a two-point advantage over West Ham and a far superior goal difference that would swing survival in their favour if results finished level. It took until the stroke of halftime for the pressure that had built across the entire season for the north London side to break, when Joao Palhinha put Spurs ahead. The Portuguese midfielder’s initial header cannoned off the goalpost, but he reacted quickest to poke the rebound into the net, and was immediately swarmed by jubilant teammates.

    A few miles across east London, West Ham delivered a dominant 3-0 victory over Leeds United at the London Stadium, with goals from Valentin Castellano, Jarrod Bowen and Callum Wilson. But the three points proved too little, too late: Tottenham held on to their 1-0 lead, sending West Ham down to the Championship for next season alongside already-relegated Burnley and Wolves. The Hammers, who have been a Premier League mainstay since earning promotion in 2012, will now plying their trade in England’s second tier.

    “This day for us is much more than winning a game,” match-winner Palhinha told BBC Sport after the full-time whistle. “A lot of people depend their lives on this club. It was a tough season but I think this season can help for the future. We can take a lot from it even if we didn’t reach the level Tottenham should.” Tottenham, ranked the ninth-richest football club in the world, have enjoyed a late-season upturn in form under interim manager Roberto De Zerbi, who joined the club in late March as their third head coach of a turbulent campaign. For West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo, the disappointment was unavoidable after his side did everything they could to claw out survival. “We knew it was going to be difficult, it was not in our hands,” he told Sky Sports. “We did our part and we hoped for the best — it didn’t happen. We have to pass the sad moment that we are living.”

    The day was as much about emotional farewells as it was about league outcomes, as Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola took charge of his final match at the Etihad Stadium after 10 seasons of unprecedented success. The Catalan coach confirmed last Friday he would leave the club at the end of the season, bringing to an end a decade that delivered six Premier League titles, a Champions League trophy and a host of other domestic and European honours. Before kickoff, City fans unfurled a massive banner over the stands bearing Guardiola’s portrait, with the words “Game Changer” and “History Maker” emblazoned across it. The match ended in a 2-1 win for visitors Aston Villa, the newly crowned Europa League champions, who secured fourth place in the table and a spot in next season’s Champions League with two goals from Ollie Watkins after Antoine Semenyo put City ahead. Addressing the crowd after the final whistle, an emotional Guardiola said: “In the next years, if you see me in the streets in the United States or Europe or somewhere and you are a Man City fan, come to me and hug me. I will need it.”

    Guardiola was not the only Liverpool legend saying goodbye. Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson played their final match for the Reds, who finished fifth in the table after a 1-1 draw with Brentford, enough to secure the final Champions League spot for next season. Before kickoff, Liverpool’s coaching staff and squad formed a guard of honour for the pair, who were later embraced by club icons Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush. “I think I cried more than in my whole life,” Salah told Sky Sports. “I’m not really an emotional guy. We lived our youth here, sharing everything from the beginning to the end. We put this club back where it belongs.”

    For Arsenal, the final day was all celebration, as the Gunners lifted the Premier League trophy in front of travelling fans at Selhurst Park after a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace. It is Arsenal’s first Premier League title since 2004, ending a 20-year wait for the top-flight crown after three consecutive second-place finishes. Manager Mikel Arteta admitted he had doubted whether the club would break their drought during those near-misses. “That was beautiful,” he said. “Look at the joy of all of the people, they have been waiting for this for so long. We have had difficult moments along the way but it is all worth it when you see that kind of reaction.”

    Elsewhere, newly appointed Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso will have no European football to contend with next season after the Blues, playing with 10 men for much of the match, fell to a 2-1 away defeat to Sunderland. The win lifted Sunderland into next season’s Europa League alongside Bournemouth, while Brighton & Hove Albion will compete in the Conference League.

  • Dread and denial at heart of deadly DR Congo Ebola outbreak

    Dread and denial at heart of deadly DR Congo Ebola outbreak

    Deep in the mineral-rich hills of Ituri province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the town of Mongbwalu sits at the epicenter of a devastating Ebola outbreak that has already crossed international borders and triggered a global public health emergency. For many residents here, fear of the deadly virus is tangled up in decades of deep-seated distrust of the distant, corruption-plagued central government in Kinshasa, leaving communities split between open denial of the disease’s existence and angry criticism of an inadequate official response.

    Unlike many of her neighbors, 26-year-old Laureine Sakiya does not doubt Ebola is real—she has watched the virus kill people living near her home. Located just 100 kilometers from the Ugandan border and 200 kilometers from the unstable South Sudanese frontier, Mongbwalu is a bustling transit hub for gold miners, itinerant street vendors, and motorbike travelers navigating the region’s rutted, muddy roads, making disease surveillance and containment far more challenging.

    Within weeks of the first recorded case, the outbreak has spread to multiple neighboring provinces and reached Ugandan territory, prompting the World Health Organization to declare the epidemic a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Official data counts 322 suspected infections in Mongbwalu alone, with 86 confirmed deaths, and a national toll of more than 200 fatalities across the DRC’s 17th recorded Ebola outbreak. A critical gap in response remains: there are currently no approved vaccines or targeted treatments for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola driving this current epidemic, leaving medics scrambling to contain transmission with limited tools.

    At Mongbwalu’s modest local hospital, tucked into a hillside surrounded by tall grass and trees, healthcare workers in full head-to-toe hazard suits, goggles and face masks scrub down floors and walls with chlorine solution, the only standard decontamination measure available. Even basic infection control infrastructure is lacking: workers rely on plastic buckets for handwashing, a stark indicator of how under-resourced the response remains. Medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has stepped in to provide isolation tents for suspected cases, alongside local aid groups operating on the ground.

    “This epidemic is out of the ordinary,” explained Florent Uzzeni, MSF’s coordinator based in the regional capital of Bunia. Uzzeni warned that official caseload and death tolls are almost certainly significant undercounts, as testing capacity across the outbreak zone remains extremely limited.

    Previous Ebola outbreaks in the DRC’s remote regions have been fueled by community resistance, and this event is no exception. Many locals reject the existence of Ebola entirely, with some framing the outbreak as a “mystical malady” rooted in local spiritual beliefs. Early on, the spread was worsened by a misinformation chain that became known locally as the “coffin affair.”

    The first suspected case emerged in Bunia, Ituri’s provincial capital. After the patient died, his family transported his body 80 kilometers back to Mongbwalu for burial. The region’s notoriously rough, potholed roads damaged the casket during the trip, exposing the Ebola-contaminated corpse to the people transporting it. Initial tests conducted at a provincial laboratory failed to confirm Ebola as the cause of death, allowing the virus to spread silently through the community while panic grew unchecked. It was only when samples were flown 1,800 kilometers to the national biomedical research laboratory in Kinshasa that the outbreak was officially confirmed—by which point transmission was already widespread.

    Even traditional leaders and faith healers, who hold enormous sway in remote communities like Mongbwalu, have grown alarmed by the level of denial. “I worry about those who say that this disease is invented,” said Adam Hussein, 35, a representative for local traditional faith healers, who has urged all residents to follow public health precautions to slow transmission.

    As the outbreak continues to expand across borders, public health officials warn that deep community distrust and systemic gaps in the government’s response capacity could turn this into one of the worst Ebola outbreaks in recorded history.

  • Trump tempers expectations of a Middle East deal with Iran

    Trump tempers expectations of a Middle East deal with Iran

    Hours after top U.S. diplomat Marco Rubio suggested a historic deal between the United States and Iran to de-escalate regional conflict could be reached as soon as Sunday, President Donald Trump has cooled widespread optimism, saying he has instructed his negotiation team to avoid rushing a final agreement. “Time is on our side,” Trump wrote in a social media post, adding that the current U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports would remain fully in place until any accord is fully finalized, certified, and signed by all parties. This tempered announcement came just days after Trump himself indicated the bulk of the agreement had already been negotiated, with only final touches left to resolve between Washington, Tehran, and other participating mediator nations.

    A fragile bilateral ceasefire between the United States and Iran has been in effect since April 8, as international mediators work to lock in a permanent negotiated settlement. Despite the ceasefire, tensions remain high: Iran has implemented new shipping controls in the Gulf region, while the U.S. has maintained its strict port blockade of Iranian territory. Speaking to reporters during an official visit to India on Sunday, Rubio struck an optimistic note, saying “I do think perhaps there is the possibility that in the next few hours the world will get some good news.” He added that any final agreement would launch a process that fulfills the Trump administration’s core goal: eliminating the global threat posed by an Iranian nuclear weapon.

    Israeli leadership has echoed the U.S. commitment to full nuclear dismantlement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Sunday that he and Trump have aligned on non-negotiable terms for any final deal: it must completely eliminate the Iranian nuclear threat. A senior anonymous Israeli official told Agence France-Presse that Trump has made clear he will not back down from his longstanding demand that Iran fully dismantle its nuclear program and remove all enriched uranium from its territory, and no agreement will be signed without meeting these conditions.

    European leaders, who have pushed for a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to lower volatile global energy prices, were quick to welcome early signs of progress Sunday. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen publicly praised “progress towards an agreement,” while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to work closely with international partners to “seize this moment” for peace.

    Iranian officials have confirmed that a draft agreement exists, but clarified a key sticking point has been pushed back: negotiations over the U.S. demand to end all Iranian uranium enrichment will be deferred for 60 days after the initial ceasefire deal takes effect. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told state television that Tehran remains “prepared to assure the world that we are not seeking nuclear weapons,” though it remains unclear whether this assurance will be codified in the final text of the agreement.

    According to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency, the draft text includes major reciprocal concessions from Washington: the U.S. has agreed to release a portion of billions of dollars in Iranian funds frozen abroad under international sanctions, and end its naval blockade of commercial ships traveling to and from Iranian ports. In exchange, the draft outlines that shipping traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz will return to pre-conflict levels under Iranian management, and sanctions on Iranian oil, gas, petrochemicals, and related products will be temporarily lifted during the extended negotiation period to allow Iran to sell its exports freely on global markets.

    Prominent Iranian-American academic Vali Nasr has offered a cautious take on the current draft, noting that the terms on the table appear to favor Iran, but that excessive U.S. concessions have sparked deep suspicion among Tehran’s leadership. “The deal in play looks like a win for Iran. But Tehran is not convinced that it is not a dress rehearsal for war now or in 30 days,” Nasr wrote on social media. He added, “In fact, the more generous the terms for Iran the more the suspicion that the US is not serious about peace and wants to distract Iran ahead of another attack. Iran will be focused on evidence of US military backdown.”

    On Saturday, a broad coalition of regional leaders joined a call with Trump to discuss the ongoing negotiation efforts, including the heads of state of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain, plus senior representatives from Turkey and Pakistan. Pakistan, which mediated the landmark first face-to-face talks between U.S. and Iranian delegations in April, is already positioning to host the next round of negotiations “very soon,” according to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Sharif added that Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir, who just completed a two-day visit to Tehran last week, participated in Saturday’s call, which provided a “useful opportunity… to move the ongoing peace efforts forward to bring lasting peace in the region.”

    Even as diplomacy moves forward, hardline Iranian military leadership has struck a defiant posture. In a rare public appearance at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla mosque covered by state media, Ali Abdollahi, head of Iran’s central military command, reaffirmed that the country’s armed forces remain on high alert. “We are on a war footing and all our armed forces are fully ready, with all their resources and equipment, to confront any enemy,” he said. The warning comes as simultaneous Israeli strikes targeting southern Lebanon sent smoke billowing over the village of al-Mahmoudiye on May 23, underscoring the persistent volatility across the Middle East even as major power talks progress.

  • Retirees set to convert super into ‘lifetime income’ with major bank’s new program

    Retirees set to convert super into ‘lifetime income’ with major bank’s new program

    One of Australia’s big four financial institutions, AMP, is set to launch an industry-first initiative on Monday that will allow retirees to convert their superannuation savings into guaranteed lifetime income, addressing widespread uncertainty among older Australians approaching their post-work years.

    The new product, named Lifetime Super Boost, is available to all existing AMP Super members. The program operates by creating a special concessional balance behind the scenes of a member’s account, which is calculated using the federal government’s official deeming rate — currently set at 2.75%. Over time, this concessional balance falls below the member’s actual total superannuation balance.

    When members reach retirement age, they have the option to transfer a portion of their super savings into an AMP Lifetime Retirement Income account. When Centrelink assesses eligibility for the government aged pension, the assessment is based on the lower concessional balance rather than the full value of the investment. This structure can potentially help retirees qualify for a larger government pension payment, while also allowing them to draw additional income from their separate Flexible Retirement Income account, according to AMP’s explanations of the program.

    The launch comes amid new internal data from AMP highlighting severe anxiety among Australians nearing retirement. The firm’s research found that 54% of Australians aged 58 to 60 report frequent stress or overwhelm around their retirement planning, with the same share — 50% — of 61 to 65-year-olds reporting identical negative feelings.

    Julie Slapp, AMP’s Director of Growth and Customer Solutions, noted that too many working Australians approaching retirement remain uncertain about the adequacy of their savings and how long their funds will last through their retirement years. “Australia has built one of the world’s strangest super systems,” Slapp explained. “The unmet challenge is helping members confidently turn their super into income they actually use. This offering provides the confidence of income for life, the potential for higher income, and the guidance members need to make informed decisions.” Slapp added that superannuation was “never meant to be just a balance on a screen”.

    Beyond retirement income products, AMP’s research also shines a new light on widespread concerns over aged care costs across Australia. The survey found that seven in 10 Australians over the age of 65 worry about how they will afford aged care support, as the national system currently faces an average 12-month wait for government-funded aged care services. According to AMP, for retirees eligible for high-level in-home care, the new structure could boost their total annual income by as much as 20% over two years, while helping them navigate the long waiting period for public aged care services.

    The issue of aged care access has become a high-profile political issue in Australia in recent months. Major populous states including New South Wales and Queensland have repeatedly raised alarms over hospital bed blocking, a crisis where public hospital beds are occupied by elderly patients and National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) recipients who cannot access appropriate community or aged care supports after treatment. Earlier this month, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park revealed that as many as 1,200 public hospital beds across the state are taken up by these patients — a number he said equates to the entire capacity of two large, busy Sydney hospitals.

    On the federal level, the Albanese government has made reform of the aged care sector a key policy priority, while also pursuing major cost-cutting changes to the NDIS program to address long-term budget pressures.

  • Kostyuk dedicates opening Roland Garros win to Ukraine

    Kostyuk dedicates opening Roland Garros win to Ukraine

    Twenty-three-year-old Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk turned a moment of personal terror into a powerful tribute to her homeland on Sunday, as she claimed a gritty first-round victory at the Roland Garros French Open just hours after a Russian missile landed just 100 meters from her family’s residential property in Kyiv.

    Seeded 15th in the singles draw, Kostyuk delivered a commanding 6-2, 6-3 win over Oksana Selekhmeteva, a former Russian player who recently acquired Spanish citizenship just four days ahead of the tournament, kicking off her Paris campaign with a result that carried far more meaning than a spot in the second round.

    In an on-court interview immediately after the match, Kostyuk opened up about the terrifying morning she endured before stepping onto the Paris clay. “This morning, 100 metres from my parent’s house, a missile fell,” she said. “I’m incredibly proud of myself today, I think it was one of the most difficult matches of my life. All my thoughts and all my heart were with the people of Ukraine today. My biggest example are the Ukrainian people today.”

    Speaking to reporters later, Kostyuk explained the strike was part of a massive, hours-long Russian air bombardment across Kyiv that unfolded overnight and into Sunday morning. While her family emerged unharmed, the experience shook the athlete deeply, even as she acknowledged the persistent uncertainty of life amid the ongoing invasion. “It was half of the night, it was happening throughout, like, four hours. (My family) feel okay. Obviously very scary, but, you know, it’s not the first very difficult night, not the last, so, you know, they are adapting,” she said.

    Kostyuk noted that the initial 2022 Russian invasion was defined by crippling uncertainty, but Sunday’s strike was one of the most harrowing events she has lived through since the war began. “Right now, I think it was just the closest that it has ever been to my house, and this what probably makes it the most emotional,” she said. “There are better days, worse days, but yeah, this one was, I would say top three worst ones, for sure.”

    Despite feeling physically ill with anxiety after receiving the news of the near-miss, Kostyuk said she never considered withdrawing from the tournament. She emphasized that so long as her loved ones remained safe, she felt obligated to compete. “Everyone is healthy, alive… So these things, you know, it’s difficult, but none of my close friends or people I know is injured or dead,” she explained. “I don’t want to think what I would do if something worse happened, but I knew that this is the day to go out and play, and it didn’t cross my mind today that I shouldn’t go out. There were obviously times in the match when I would go back to thinking about it, because most of the morning I felt sick just thinking that if it was 100 metres closer, I probably wouldn’t have a mom and a sister today.”

    Kostyuk has maintained a consistent, public stance against the war since the invasion began, refusing to shake hands with Russian-born players before and after matches. She also criticized the global professional tennis tour for sidelining awareness of the conflict in recent years. “I live it always, and I have also adapted to the fact that the tour forgot about it,” she said. “I’m still trying to do things that I can do and what I can to influence, and I use my platform, I use my speeches or, whenever I have a moment to remind about it, to remind of the horror of, you know, everyday lives of people. People adapt, people forget, people move on. There is a lot of issues in the world, a lot of wars, and things that people want to support or people are thinking about.”

    With her first-round win secured, Kostyuk will next face American player Katie Volynets in the second round, after Volynets defeated France’s home crowd favorite Clara Burel in straight sets.

  • Rescuers search for 20 missing after Philippine building collapse

    Rescuers search for 20 missing after Philippine building collapse

    In the early hours of Sunday, a catastrophic nine-story building still under construction collapsed in Angeles City, located roughly 80 kilometers north of the Philippine capital Manila, leaving one person dead, 20 unaccounted for, and triggering a urgent large-scale rescue operation that stretched into the night.

    Initial official updates confirm that 26 people trapped in the wreckage have been pulled out alive, but two construction workers remain pinned deep beneath the rubble, still conscious as rescuers work frantically to reach them. The only confirmed fatality is 65-year-old Mohd Rezal bin Abdullah, a Malaysian tourist staying at a nearby hotel that suffered collateral damage in the collapse. Acting Philippine fire chief Rico Kwan Tiu told reporters that Abdullah managed to contact rescuers by phone shortly after the structure fell at 3:00 a.m. local time (19:00 GMT Saturday), but his body was recovered without signs of life hours later.

    Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin noted that the timing of the disaster amplified its human toll: almost everyone inside the under-construction building was asleep when the collapse occurred, catching many off guard. Footage posted to the regional fire service’s Facebook page captures the intensity of ongoing rescue efforts: one clip shows a firefighter using a power cutting tool to reach a moaning worker in a blue shirt, trapped under a tangled mass of steel scaffolding and plywood, with the rescuer calmly urging the victim to stay calm. Other footage shows teams of rescuers in orange safety gear squeezing through narrow gaps in the debris to search for signs of other trapped people.

    Eyewitness accounts paint a chaotic picture of the moments after the collapse. Thirty-year-old delivery rider James Bernardo told AFP he had just finished dropping off a food order on the same street when disaster struck. “A few seconds later, there was suddenly a loud noise in the area, and when I looked, I realised that (the building) had already collapsed,” Bernardo recalled, adding that at first witnesses assumed the shaking and noise was an earthquake. A video he captured, verified by AFP, shows the entire street blocked by a massive pile of twisted steel, fractured concrete slabs and downed power infrastructure, as bystanders documented the scene on their mobile phones.

    City information officer Jay Pelayo explained the unique challenges rescuers are facing: the building’s outer walls and supporting scaffolding buckled inward during the collapse, piling massive concrete chunks on top of anyone trapped. “There are big chunks of concrete and we need heavy equipment to lift them up. That is what’s challenging for the rescue right now,” Pelayo said. AFP journalists on site also confirmed that rescue teams lack powerful floodlights to illuminate the rubble field as operations continue overnight, forcing crews to rely on small handheld lights to search for signs of life.

    In response to the crisis, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority has dispatched additional support to the site, including heavy rescue equipment, police search dogs, life detection monitors, listening devices, and hydraulic spreaders to cut and lift heavy debris. Investigations into the root cause of the collapse are still in their early stages, and no official conclusions have been released about what triggered the structural failure.

  • GP bulk billing surges across Australia as Anthony Albanese bets big on health

    GP bulk billing surges across Australia as Anthony Albanese bets big on health

    Fresh official data released by Australia’s Department of Health has delivered promising results for the Albanese government’s ambitious Medicare overhaul, showing a national surge in general practitioner bulk billing rates across the first quarter of 2026, though one jurisdiction continues to trail behind the rest of the country.

    Between January and March 2026, the national average bulk billing rate for GP services climbed 4.6 percentage points to hit 81.9%, according to the official statistics. The Northern Territory recorded the most dramatic growth, with a 13.7 percentage point jump that pushed its total bulk billing rate to 89.8%, the highest of any Australian state or territory. New South Wales and Victoria saw moderate gains of between 4 and 5.5 percentage points, bringing their final rates to 83.7% and 85.6% respectively. Queensland’s rate rose 4.0 points to 79.5%, South Australia added 5.9 points to reach 80.4%, Western Australia gained 4.6 points to hit 74%, and Tasmania grew 5.7 points to 78%. The only outlier is the Australian Capital Territory, where growth stalled at just 1.4 percentage points, leaving the jurisdiction with a bulk billing rate of just over 54% — the lowest in the nation by a significant margin.

    Federal Health Minister Mark Butler framed the new data as clear proof that the government’s targeted investments to strengthen Medicare are delivering tangible results for Australian families. “This proves unequivocally that our policies are working,” Butler said. “We are transforming frontline primary care and helping households keep their health costs down — that benefits both public health and household budgets.” He added that the government has not only halted the steady decline of Medicare that occurred under the previous administration, but reversed that trajectory entirely, strengthening the public health scheme dramatically.

    A key driver of the growth, Butler noted, has been the rollout of Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, which have now hit a major milestone of three million total visits for non-life threatening urgent care cases. Currently, more than 3,800 bulk billing clinics operate across Australia, more than 1,400 of which converted from mixed billing models to full bulk billing under the government’s incentives. As a result, roughly 97% of all Australians now live within a 20-minute drive of a bulk billing clinic, expanding access dramatically for people across the country. Even for non-concessional patients, who typically face higher out-of-pocket costs, bulk billing rates have climbed 8.5 percentage points year-on-year to reach 72.5% in the first quarter of 2026.

    Alongside the positive bulk billing results, Butler has also launched Australia’s first ever national public health campaign focused on menopause and perimenopause, developed in response to findings from the Senate Inquiry into Menopause and Perimenopause. That inquiry uncovered widespread gaps in public knowledge, rampant stigma, and limited access to trusted support for women experiencing menopausal symptoms.

    Federal Women Minister Katy Gallagher explained that the new campaign is designed to address these gaps by delivering accessible, evidence-based information tailored to the diverse experiences of women across the country. “For far too long, silence and stigma have left women in the dark about menopause — it shouldn’t come as a surprise,” Gallagher said. “Every woman experiences perimenopause and menopause differently, so it is critical that this campaign meets diverse needs, makes information accessible, and ensures every woman feels seen and supported.” She added that raising awareness across the broader community, including families and workplaces, is also a core goal of the initiative, to improve outcomes for women’s overall health and wellbeing.

    The multi-channel campaign will run across digital platforms, television, cinema advertising and social media through to December 2026, reaching audiences across the country with evidence-based educational content.

  • Possible Iran-US deal: What we know

    Possible Iran-US deal: What we know

    After weeks of heightened regional tensions that have sent shockwaves through global energy markets, indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran have edged closer to a preliminary agreement that could end the widespread conflict reshaping the Middle East. Top U.S. officials have signaled that a breakthrough is imminent, even as key sticking points continue to divide the two long-standing adversaries.

    U.S. President Donald Trump was the first to publicly confirm that a deal has been “largely negotiated”, confirming that one core provision of the agreement would be the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the critical chokepoint for 20% of the world’s daily oil trade that has been closed to civilian shipping since the war began. Following Trump’s announcement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters the global community could expect “some good news” in the near term.

    Iran has acknowledged the momentum toward detente, but stopped short of confirming a final deal is guaranteed. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told Iranian state television that while talks are moving in a positive direction, “it does not necessarily mean that we and the United States will reach an agreement on the important issues.” Under the current negotiating framework Iran has proposed, the two sides would first sign a non-binding memorandum of understanding to set core terms, with a final binding agreement completed within 30 to 60 days after the preliminary document is signed.

    Multiple key issues remain unresolved, with stark public disagreements over what has already been agreed:

    ### The Nuclear File
    According to Baqaei, Iran’s nuclear program will not be addressed in the initial framework agreement, and will instead be pushed to separate negotiations scheduled for a later date. However, The New York Times, citing two anonymous senior U.S. officials, reported that a central U.S. demand in the draft deal is that Tehran agree to give up its entire stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Details of how this transfer or dismantlement would occur would be hammered out in subsequent negotiations on the nuclear program, the paper reported.

    Iran’s semi-official Fars and Tasnim news agencies have directly contradicted this account, stating that Iran has made no commitments related to its nuclear program in the ongoing talks. “Iran has made no commitment in this agreement to hand over nuclear stockpiles, remove equipment, shut down facilities, or even commit not to build a nuclear bomb,” Fars reported in a statement. Both outlets confirmed that all nuclear-related issues will be negotiated within 60 days of the preliminary memorandum being signed, if a preliminary deal is reached at all.

    ### Reopening the Strait of Hormuz
    Control and access to the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as one of the most contentious issues in the talks, after Iran took full control of the waterway at the outbreak of the war and required all passing vessels to obtain approval from its armed forces to transit. Trump confirmed Saturday that the deal would see the strategic strait reopened, a move that would immediately ease pressure on global energy prices that have spiked since the waterway was closed.

    Iranian state media, however, has pushed back on claims that the strait will return to its pre-war status. Fars reported that any final agreement would retain Iran’s full regulatory authority over the waterway, while Tasnim added that “the status of the Strait of Hormuz would not revert to its pre-war situation.” The Iranian outlet also noted that under the draft framework, the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports must be fully lifted within 30 days of the preliminary deal being signed, a key Iranian demand.

    ### Frozen Assets and Sanctions Relief
    Tehran has made the release of billions of dollars in Iranian assets frozen by U.S. sanctions a non-negotiable condition for any preliminary agreement. According to Tasnim, Iran has insisted that “any initial understanding must be conditional on at least partial access to the assets” and that “there will be no agreement unless a specified portion of Iran’s frozen assets is released at the very first stage.” Iran is also demanding a formal, guaranteed mechanism to ensure the full release of all blocked funds over the course of negotiations. Tasnim’s source confirmed that disagreements over this provision are one of the main reasons a preliminary deal has not yet been finalized. Fars also reported that the draft deal calls for the U.S. to temporarily lift all sanctions on Iranian oil, gas, and petrochemical exports for the duration of the 60-day negotiation window.

    ### Ceasefire for Lebanon
    Israel has continued to carry out daily airstrikes in Lebanon targeting the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, despite a separate U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal, escalating the regional spillover of the conflict. Iran has repeatedly stated that any ceasefire agreement must cover all fronts of the regional war, including Lebanon, and Hezbollah has said it trusts Tehran to uphold its commitments to the group.

    Tasnim reported that the draft memorandum of understanding will explicitly call for an end to all hostilities across all regional fronts, including Lebanon. As a U.S. ally, Israel would be expected to halt its military campaign in Lebanon under the terms of the deal, the outlet added. Baqaei reaffirmed this priority in his remarks to state television, saying: “at this stage, we will not discuss the details of the nuclear issue… we have decided to prioritise an urgent issue for all of us: ending the war on all fronts including Lebanon.”