Global Pulse

标签： Oceania

大洋洲

  • UK PM Starmer defiant as quit calls grow

    UK PM Starmer defiant as quit calls grow

    Less than a year after Keir Starmer took office as United Kingdom Prime Minister, the Labour leader is facing the deepest crisis of his premiership, with growing ranks of lawmakers and cabinet members demanding he step aside. During a high-stakes meeting with his top ministerial team on Tuesday, Starmer made his position clear: he would not voluntarily resign, and would continue fulfilling his governing mandate regardless of the mounting backlash.

    The first crack in the government’s junior ranks emerged Tuesday, when Miatta Fahnbulleh became the first lower-tier minister to resign from Starmer’s administration, joining the growing chorus calling for him to outline a clear timeline for his exit. In her resignation call, Fahnbulleh urged Starmer to “do the right thing for the country and the party” by paving the way for an orderly leadership transition. Starmer pushed back against the pressure during the closed-door talks, noting that Labour’s official internal process for ousting a sitting leader has not yet been activated.

    “The country expects us to get on with governing. That is what I am doing and what we must do as a cabinet,” Starmer told his ministers, on what has emerged as the most critical juncture of his premiership to date.

    As of Tuesday, more than 70 of Labour’s 403 sitting members of Parliament have publicly called for Starmer’s immediate resignation or a public timetable for his departure. Starmer’s Monday vow to fight on and disprove his critics did little to quell the growing unrest within the party. The most high-profile rebuke to date came late Monday, when UK media reported that Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood — the most senior government figure to break ranks so far — had advised Starmer to reconsider his position. Multiple national newspapers have also reported that other top cabinet members, including Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, have privately raised questions about Starmer’s future with the leader directly.

    The wave of pressure that has engulfed Starmer’s premiership was sparked by catastrophic local election results last week, where Labour lost hundreds of council seats to the hard-right Reform UK party and left-wing Green Party. The poor showing extended beyond local councils: Labour lost its century-long grip on power in Wales, and suffered a heavy defeat to the Scottish National Party in the devolved Scottish Parliament.

    The election results compounded what has already been a turbulent few months for Starmer. He was already mired in controversy over his decision to appoint, then quickly sack, Peter Mandelson as UK Ambassador to the United States, after Mandelson’s long-standing ties to convicted American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein became public. That controversy already forced Starmer to fend off earlier resignation calls earlier this year. Compounding these challenges, Starmer has also failed to deliver on his campaign promise of accelerated economic growth to ease the severe cost-of-living crisis that continues to strain British household finances.

    On Monday, Starmer attempted to shore up support by pledging that a Labour government under his leadership would deliver “better, bolder” policies to win over disillusioned voters who have grown impatient for meaningful change. Just 24 hours later, four more parliamentary private secretaries resigned their government positions, joining dozens of backbench Labour MPs in publicly calling for Starmer to step down. Joe Morris, former aide to Health Secretary Wes Streeting — a figure widely speculated to be weighing a leadership bid — wrote on social media platform X that “it is now clear that the prime minister no longer has the trust or confidence of the public to lead this change.”

    Despite the growing mutiny, a bloc of senior cabinet ministers has publicly reaffirmed their support for Starmer in the wake of Tuesday’s crisis meeting. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall confirmed the prime minister holds her “full support”, while Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle praised Starmer for “showing really steadfast leadership” amid the chaos. Housing Minister Steve Reed echoed the prime minister’s framing, noting that no formal leadership challenge has been triggered under party rules, “so we all intend to get on with our jobs.”

    Under Labour Party rule, any potential challenger to the sitting leader needs the backing of 81 Labour MPs — 20 percent of the party’s parliamentary caucus — to formally trigger a leadership contest. Starmer has already publicly vowed that he would fight any challenge that is brought, rather than step aside voluntarily. A formal contest would almost certainly plunge the party into damaging internal infighting, with left- and right-aligned factions jockeying to advance their preferred candidate or shore up support for Starmer’s retention of power.

    Speculation over potential successors has been swirling for months, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting and former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner widely named as the most likely candidates to launch a bid. Neither figure commands universal support across the fractious Labour party, however. Another popular contender, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, is currently ineligible to stand for leader because he does not hold a seat in Parliament, leading some of Burnham’s backers to push for Starmer to announce a delayed departure date that would allow Burnham time to win a parliamentary seat before a contest.

  • Indigenous Australians win record A$150m after billionaire mined without permission

    Indigenous Australians win record A$150m after billionaire mined without permission

    After a nearly two-decade-long legal fight over unauthorized mining on sacred traditional land, Australia’s Federal Court has ordered mining magnate Andrew Forrest’s Fortescue Metals to pay Indigenous traditional owners a historic A$150.1 million compensation package, the largest native title payout in the nation’s history.

    The Yindjibarndi people, who hold exclusive native title rights to a 2,700-square-kilometer stretch of the mineral-rich Pilbara region in remote north-western Australia, launched their legal challenge in 2017. That challenge came five years after the court first formally recognized Yindjibarndi Ngurra Aboriginal Corporation (YNAC) as the legitimate holders of native title over the area. Fortescue, the iron ore mining giant founded by billionaire Andrew Forrest that has built its multi-billion-dollar empire on Pilbara iron ore extraction, had already developed its highly profitable Solomon Hub mines on the land by that point. While the company secured approval for the project from the Australian government and a competing local Aboriginal representative body, it never secured the required consent from YNAC, the legally recognized native title holders. Failed negotiations for a formal land use agreement between the two sides eventually led to the drawn-out court battle that concluded this week.

    In his ruling, Federal Court Justice Stephen Burley explicitly acknowledged the Yindjibarndi people’s unbroken “deep and visceral connection” to their traditional country, which shapes every dimension of their cultural and social life. He divided the compensation into two parts: A$150,000 for proven economic losses suffered by the community, and A$150 million for profound cultural harm. Burley defined the cultural compensation as payment for the erosion of the Yindjibarndi’s traditional attachment to their land, damage to their cultural heritage, and the loss of their ability to draw spiritual sustenance from their country. In their original claim, the Yindjibarndi had sought A$1.8 billion in total compensation, a figure the group calculated as 1% of the tens of billions of dollars in revenue Fortescue has generated from the site since mining began in 2013, plus compensation for the destruction or damage of approximately 250 sacred cultural sites across the lease area.

    While the ruling marks a landmark moment for native title rights in Australia — with the payout nearly tripling the value of the previous largest court-ordered native title compensation award — many Yindjibarndi community leaders have expressed disappointment with the final sum. Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom, Yindjibarndi elder Wendy Hubert dismissed the award as “peanuts” compared to the massive ongoing profits Fortescue continues to pull from the land. The Solomon Hub mine is projected to remain in operation and generate revenue for the company for at least another decade, with closure not scheduled until the mid-2040s. The case has reignited national conversations about resource sovereignty, the protection of Indigenous cultural heritage, and the fairness of native title compensation frameworks in Australia’s booming mining sector.

  • Attempted abduction near Sydney primary school

    Attempted abduction near Sydney primary school

    A primary school in Sydney’s upper north shore has issued an urgent safety advisory to parents, urging them to stop letting their children walk home unaccompanied, following a frightening attempted abduction of a student earlier this week. The incident, which unfolded around 3:15 p.m. Monday on Campbell Drive in Wahroonga, has sent ripples of concern through the tight-knit community of Warrawee Public School, which educates roughly 400 students between the ages of 4 and 11.

    In a circular email sent to all families on Tuesday, obtained by the Sydney Morning Herald, acting deputy principal Meriki Barnes outlined the allegations: two male youths in a passing car attempted to force a student walking home off the street and into their vehicle. The child managed to break free from the attackers and quickly alerted their guardians once they reached safety, the email confirmed.

    New South Wales Police have officially launched an investigation into the incident. Law enforcement has released a preliminary description of the suspect vehicle, noting it is a silver or light white sedan, likely fitted with red P-plates indicating a newly licensed driver. As detectives work through initial leads, they are calling on members of the public who were in the area at the time to come forward with any relevant footage, including CCTV from homes or businesses, mobile phone recordings, or dashcam footage captured across nearby streets — including Roland Avenue, Lucinda Avenue South, Rothwell Road, Mitchell Crescent and Fox Valley Way. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1800 333 000.

    In their official statement, police emphasized that the incident serves as a critical reminder for young people to maintain ongoing awareness of personal safety practices, most importantly to immediately report any suspicious interactions to trusted adults. Authorities also noted that parents and caregivers play a key role in reinforcing these habits through regular open conversations with their children.

    In line with the police advisory, Warrawee Public School has updated its guidance for families, asking that all caregivers collect their children directly from the school gate and hold conversations about protective safety behaviors at home. “We ask all families to review their child’s travel arrangements to and from school to ensure the highest possible level of safety at this time,” the school’s email read.

    Local parents have voiced significant anxiety over the incident, which has upended routine travel plans for many families. One parent, who requested anonymity to protect their child’s privacy, told the Sydney Morning Herald that the community is on edge. “This is the main route that dozens of kids take to walk home every day — the idea that it isn’t safe right now is terrifying,” they said. Another parent added that he is already reconsidering his longstanding permission for his 10-year-old son to make the walk to and from campus alone.

    This is not the first suspicious incident targeting children at the school in recent years. Last July, the school’s on-site after-care centre issued a similar warning to families after an unidentified adult male approached a child and attempted to convince them to leave with him. That child also immediately alerted staff, who contacted police right away, and no harm came to the student.

  • NSW Health issues measles alert after confirmed case linked to overseas traveller, multiple exposure sites listed

    NSW Health issues measles alert after confirmed case linked to overseas traveller, multiple exposure sites listed

    Public health officials in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, have issued a broad public health warning after a confirmed case of highly contagious measles was detected in an international traveller returning from a region with ongoing outbreaks. The case, which was confirmed earlier this week, has already been linked to dozens of exposure sites across greater Sydney, ranging from popular retail and community hubs to medical facilities and an international flight.

    NSW Health confirmed the infected individual had recently travelled through South and Southeast Asia, a region where health officials are currently reporting persistent measles outbreaks. The traveller remained infectious while moving through multiple NSW communities, leading authorities to publish an ever-expanding list of exposure locations that is updated regularly as contact tracing work progresses.

    Among the sites identified so far are well-trafficked locations including 7-Eleven Emerald Hills, Southgate Shopping Centre in Sylvania, Caringbah Auto Repairs and Service, Philter Brewery in Marrickville, as well as multiple medical centres, retail outlets, and major transport hubs across western, southern, and inner Sydney. A China Airlines flight travelling from Taipei to Sydney, which arrived at Sydney Airport on April 26, has also been listed as an exposure site.

    Officials were quick to clarify that the identified venues no longer carry an ongoing risk of transmission, but have issued urgent guidance for anyone who visited these locations during the active exposure windows to monitor their health closely for 18 days following potential contact. As of the latest update, 48 confirmed measles cases have been recorded in NSW since the start of 2026, leaving public health teams warning that the risk of further community spread remains significantly elevated.

    Dr Alvis Zibran, a public health staff specialist with the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, emphasized that ongoing vigilance is critical, especially for individuals who may have visited one of the listed exposure sites. “If you develop symptoms and have been at one of the locations during the specified times, contact your doctor or local health service, including an emergency department,” Dr Zibran advised. “Be sure to call ahead before you arrive to let providers know you may have been exposed to measles, that way you won’t wait in shared waiting rooms with other patients, and always wear a mask during your visit.”

    Dr Zibran outlined the key symptoms of measles that the public should watch for: initial symptoms typically include fever, irritated sore eyes, runny nose, and a cough, with a distinctive red, blotchy rash developing three to four days after symptoms first appear. The rash usually starts on the head and face before spreading outward to the rest of the body. Even people who have not visited any of the identified exposure sites should consider testing if they develop these classic symptoms, he added.

    Unlike many common infectious diseases, measles can take up to 18 days from the time of exposure for symptoms to emerge, meaning people who may have been exposed need to monitor their health for the full incubation window. The virus spreads easily through respiratory droplets that enter the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, making highly contagious in crowded indoor spaces.

    In addition to guidance for people who may have been exposed, public health officials are urging all community members to review their vaccination status to confirm they are protected. “One of the most important messages we can share right now is that people need to ensure their measles vaccinations are up to date,” Dr Zibran said. “Crucially, the measles vaccine can even prevent infection after exposure if it is administered quickly enough.”

    Officials recommend that anyone born after 1965 confirm they have received two full doses of the measles vaccine. This check is especially critical before planning any international travel, as active measles outbreaks are currently circulating in multiple regions across the globe. In NSW, the combined measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is provided free of charge as part of the routine childhood immunization schedule, with doses given at 12 months and 18 months of age. The vaccine is also available free of charge to any person born after 1965 who has not yet received two doses.

    For children under 12 months of age who are travelling internationally, an additional early dose of the vaccine can be given as early as six months of age, though families are advised to consult with a medical provider before travel. For people who are unsure of their vaccination history, health authorities confirm that receiving an extra dose of MMR is completely safe, and eligible age groups can access the vaccine through general practitioners and participating pharmacies across the state.

  • Lego-hoarding mother begs court not to jail her after pleading guilty to $320k stolen haul

    Lego-hoarding mother begs court not to jail her after pleading guilty to $320k stolen haul

    In a case that has drawn widespread public attention, a 34-year-old mother of three in South Australia has pleaded guilty to theft-related charges after police uncovered a massive cache of stolen Lego estimated by prosecutors to be worth as much as $320,000, and is now begging the court to spare her a jail term for the sake of her children.

    The incident unfolded on March 31 this year, when officers from South Australia Police executed a search warrant at Dai Truong’s former home in Dudley Park. What they found exceeded expectations: countless boxes of unopened Lego, all hidden away in a garden shed on the property. The sheer volume of the stolen goods was so large that law enforcement needed 15 pallets and two large horse trailers to transport the entire stash out of the residence.

    On Tuesday, Truong appeared before the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court, where she entered guilty pleas to four charges brought against her: three counts of handling property without the owner’s consent and one count of unlawful possession. Court documents detail three proven instances of direct theft by Truong from a Kmart store located at the Marion Shopping Centre between September and November last year. Each time, Truong visited the store pushing a pram holding one of her young children. CCTV footage from the store captured her hiding boxes of Lego in the lower storage compartment of the pram, covering the stolen items with a blanket, and exiting the store without completing payment.

    The first recorded theft took place on September 11, when Truong stole four Lego boxes valued at a total of $600. Four days later, she returned to the same location and stole another four boxes worth $300. On November 7, she struck again, this time taking eight boxes with a combined value of $874. Prosecutors noted that these confirmed thefts only account for a small fraction of the total stash found at Truong’s home. The entire collection of Lego, all in unopened, brand-new condition, matches descriptions of Lego reported stolen in other open cases across the region, leading prosecutors to value the entire haul at roughly $320,000. Truong disputes this valuation, arguing the total worth of the collection is closer to $200,000.

    Truong’s legal defense team has made an impassioned plea to Magistrate Aaron Almeida to avoid imposing a custodial sentence, laying out the far-reaching consequences a jail term would have for the defendant and her family. The court heard that Truong is a Vietnamese national who relocated to Australia on a partner visa in 2017, and is the primary caregiver for three children aged 4, 7, and 10. Two of her three children have been diagnosed with autism and require specialized, consistent parental care that would be impossible to provide if Truong is jailed. Under Australia’s Migration Act, any prison sentence of 12 months or longer would result in the automatic revocation of Truong’s visa, which would lead to her deportation back to Vietnam. The defense argues this outcome would be catastrophic for the children, all of whom have grown up in Australia.

    When asked by Magistrate Almeida to explain what led Truong to commit the offenses, her solicitor described the offending as a series of escalating bad decisions. “It started as a stupid decision,” he told the court. Truong noticed how popular Lego was at children’s birthday parties, and began stealing sets before the operation eventually grew into an enterprise for financial gain. The defense added that Truong has expressed full remorse for her actions and accepted complete responsibility for her crimes. In a statement relayed to the court, she promised never to offend again, saying “I acknowledge what I did was wrong and accept full responsibility for my actions. I promise I will not reoffend in the future and still have responsibility to care for my family.”

    After the conclusion of this week’s hearing, Truong left the courthouse with her identity concealed by a hooded coat, face mask and sunglasses. A separate unlawful possession charge laid against Thanh Van Ta, a 42-year-old man who shared Truong’s former address, has been withdrawn by prosecutors. Truong, who currently resides in Devon Park, will return to court next week for her final sentencing.

  • Michael Voss breaks silence after immediate resignation as Carlton coach

    Michael Voss breaks silence after immediate resignation as Carlton coach

    In his first public comments since resigning as senior coach of the Carlton Football Club, Michael Voss has laid out the chain of events and internal reflections that led him to walk away from the role, revealing that a pivotal meeting with club executives left him certain his tenure was drawing to a close.

    A former champion player for the club, Voss met with Carlton CEO Graham Wright and club president Rob Priestley for an informal dinner ahead of his final game in charge. Speaking exclusively to AFL.com.au, Voss explained that the unspoken cues from that meeting made it clear his position was unstable. “I think your read in these situations is often what they don’t say, not what they do say,” Voss said. “I read enough into what they didn’t say, it was on shaky ground and the inevitable was starting to become clearer.”

    Even with that clarity, the competitive instinct that defined Voss’s playing and coaching career pushed him to consider holding onto the role longer. “But the fighter in you and competitor in you wants to take it as far as you can,” he added.

    It was not until last week, after reflecting on the team’s recent performance, the current state of the playing group, and the club’s long-term goals, that Voss decided to proactively advance discussions about his future. He met with his agent in Brisbane last week to formalize his choice to step down, making the call before his final scheduled match against his hometown club Brisbane Lions. Voss emphasized that he chose to decide early to avoid letting the emotion of the final game cloud his judgment.

    “I didn’t want the result, whether we got the result done or we didn’t get the result done, to be the emotional or acute response to change my mind,” he explained. “Maybe if you won under those circumstances… you sort of think, ‘I’ve been swept up in that emotion and maybe I hang a little bit longer’. But I didn’t want the game to do that, if I was feeling that, which was the first time I felt that, I was getting to a point where a decision had to be made.”

    After settling on his choice, Voss contacted Carlton’s general manager of football Chris Davies, who initiated the official process to confirm the departure. Rather than joining a joint press conference with club leadership on Tuesday, Voss chose to share his perspective directly with AFL.com.au. He noted that while he is at peace with his call to resign, breaking the news to the Carlton playing group remained a difficult conversation.

    “I had a few days to think about it and then you get the final pieces of the puzzle but there’s one thing knowing it and another saying it,” Voss said. “Today you obviously get to say it.”

  • Banks and technology stocks drag ASX 200 down on Tuesday

    Banks and technology stocks drag ASX 200 down on Tuesday

    Australia’s benchmark stock index, the ASX 200, has extended its recent downward trend, closing lower on Tuesday to mark its 15th decline in 19 trading sessions. The slump was fueled by two key pressures: investor jitters ahead of a highly anticipated federal budget packed with potentially transformative tax and housing policy changes, and fresh geopolitical volatility stemming from shifting U.S. rhetoric on a Iran ceasefire. By the closing bell, the ASX 200 shed 26.6 points, or 0.3%, to settle at 8675.2, hitting a five-week low in the session. The broader All Ordinaries index followed suit, dropping an identical 0.3% to close at 8912.9, with 7 of the 11 tracked market sectors ending the day in negative territory.

    In a detailed market analysis published Tuesday afternoon, IG market analyst Tony Sycamore outlined the dual drivers of the market’s cautious sentiment. Ahead of Tuesday night’s federal budget, policymakers are widely expected to introduce major adjustments to Australia’s negative gearing rules and capital gains tax regime — changes that market participants have already begun pricing in amid fears of unforeseen ripple effects across the property and financial sectors. Sycamore emphasized that this budget stands out as the most impactful in recent memory, with structural policy shifts already roiling investor confidence. Compounding these domestic jitters, comments from former U.S. President Donald Trump labeling the U.S.-Iran ceasefire as “on life support” reignited geopolitical risk, stoking anxieties around global fuel security and energy supply chains.

    The banking sector led the market downturn, as investors assessed the potential impact of housing-linked policy changes on the country’s largest lenders. All four major Australian banks closed in negative territory: ANZ fell 2.12%, National Australia Bank dropped 2.09%, Commonwealth Bank eased 1.4%, and Westpac slipped 1.37%. Sycamore warned that banks’ heavy exposure to residential housing lending means any disruption to property markets would directly flow through to the broader financial system, a particularly worrying outcome against Australia’s already muted economic outlook. “You don’t really want to weaken your banking system given the outlook here in Australia isn’t particularly flush,” he noted.

    The technology sector, which has struggled through a weak start to the year, continued its downward trajectory on Tuesday. Supply chain software firm WiseTech Global plunged 5.39%, cloud accounting platform Xero dropped 3.85%, and connected safety firm Life360 tumbled 10.89% after the company downgraded its user growth guidance due to an unanticipated technical issue. DroneShield, a defense technology firm, dropped 9.92% after Australia’s corporate watchdog announced it had launched an investigation into corporate disclosures and trading activity surrounding a period of heavy insider selling at the company. The healthcare sector also posted broad losses, with biotech giant CSL falling 2.18% and medical device maker ResMed dropping 3.35%.

    Against the broad market downturn, the materials and mining sectors emerged as a rare bright spot, boosted by strong commodity fundamentals and a capital rotation out of the underperforming financial sector. Mining giant BHP climbed 2.49% to overtake Commonwealth Bank as the largest company on the ASX by market capitalization, a milestone that underscores the sector’s recent strength. Rival miners Rio Tinto gained 3.13% and South32 added 3.57% for the session. Sycamore explained that capital leaving the banking sector has increasingly flowed into resources, with rising copper and iron ore prices providing a strong tailwind for mining stocks. “It’s got to go somewhere,” he said of the capital shifting out of financials.

    The energy sector also posted modest gains, lifted by edging higher crude oil prices that responded to new geopolitical uncertainty around the Middle East. Brent crude rose 0.9% to settle at $US105.15 a barrel following Trump’s comments casting doubt on the Iran ceasefire. Australian energy producers Woodside Energy added 0.75% and Santos gained 0.53% in line with the crude price increase. Sycamore noted that the oil market is currently defined by conflicting pressures: geopolitical uncertainty is adding volatility to crude pricing, but tight supply dynamics have acted as a check on extreme price spikes, leaving what he called “an uneasy calm” over the market.

    Looking ahead, all market focus remains fixed on the incoming federal budget, with Sycamore warning that the major policy changes to be unveiled could have long-lasting ramifications for both Australian markets and the broader domestic economy. He added that the full impact of structural policy shifts can take months or even quarters to fully filter through the financial system, meaning market volatility tied to the budget could persist long after the announcement is made.

  • Japan baseball to punish dangerous swings after umpire hit

    Japan baseball to punish dangerous swings after umpire hit

    Nearly one month after a catastrophic on-field incident left a top Japanese baseball umpire fighting for recovery, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) has implemented sweeping new safety rules aimed at preventing similar tragedies, instituting formal punishments for dangerous bat swings that put players, officials and spectators at risk.

    The incident that sparked the rule change unfolded on April 16 during a Tokyo-based league game. While working behind home plate, 30-year-old umpire Takuto Kawakami was struck in the left side of the head by a loose bat that slipped out of the hands of Tokyo Yakult Swallows slugger Jose Osuna, a Venezuelan-born player. Kawakami collapsed immediately on the diamond and was airlifted to a nearby hospital for emergency neurosurgery, after which he was placed in intensive care. As of the latest official updates, Kawakami remains unresponsive and continues to receive ongoing medical treatment.

    In the immediate aftermath of the accident, NPB rolled out an interim safety mandate requiring all on-field umpires to wear protective helmets during games. Kawakami had only been wearing a standard face mask and baseball cap at the time of the impact, leaving his head critically unprotected. Last week, the Japanese baseball community showed public solidarity with the injured umpire, with all umpires across the country displaying Kawakami’s jersey number 29 on their new protective helmets.

    On Monday, NPB’s governing body formally approved a permanent rule change to codify penalties for dangerous swinging behavior, which will go into effect starting Tuesday. The new framework defines a dangerous swing as any instance where a batter loses control of their bat and releases it mid-swing, whether the slip is accidental or not.

    Under the new regulation, players who execute a dangerous swing that does not make contact with any person will receive an official formal warning. A second offense during the same game will result in immediate ejection from the match. Any dangerous swing that results in a person being struck by the loose bat will also lead to instant ejection, regardless of whether it is the player’s first offense.

    Following the April incident, Osuna issued a public apology for the accident, expressing his concern for Kawakami’s condition. “I’m very sorry about what happened today when my bat hit the main umpire. I hope he’s well, I’m really sorry,” he wrote in a public post on social media platform X shortly after the game concluded.

    The rule change marks one of the most significant updates to NPB’s on-field safety protocols in recent years, drawing widespread attention to the risks that loose bats pose to officials in professional baseball, a hazard that has long been underregulated in many global baseball leagues.

  • Israel takes the stage in semis of boycotted Eurovision

    Israel takes the stage in semis of boycotted Eurovision

    As the curtain prepares to rise on the first semi-final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna on Tuesday, all eyes are not just on the musical performances but on the unprecedented political crisis that has engulfed the world’s largest live televised music event. Israel’s participation this year has triggered the biggest boycott in the contest’s 70-year history, a controversy rooted in the ongoing Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

    Five countries have already pulled out of the annual glitzy extravaganza: Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Iceland, with Spain, Ireland and Slovenia going a step further by refusing to broadcast any portion of this week’s competition. The withdrawals have shrunk the total number of participating nations to 37, the smallest field since the contest expanded its entry pool in 2004. The lineup would have been even smaller if Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova had not reversed their initial plans to sit out the event, rejoining the competition at the eleventh hour.

    Martin Green, the director general of Eurovision, issued a statement on Monday reaffirming the event’s commitment to reconciliation, saying the organization would do “anything in our power to find a pathway back” for the withdrawing nations.

    The controversy extends far beyond non-participation. Pro-Palestinian activist groups have organized mass demonstrations set to coincide with Tuesday’s semi-final, with plans to place symbolic coffins in central Vienna to honor civilian casualties in Gaza. In a public statement, the activists criticized contest organizers, arguing that “despite its crimes, Israel has the opportunity to be celebrated this week in Vienna as a democratic and peaceful rainbow nation.”

    Beyond outrage over the Gaza war, withdrawing national broadcasters have raised two additional key concerns: first, widespread suspicion that the public televoting system was manipulated to artificially boost Israel’s standing at the 2025 Eurovision held in Basel, Switzerland, and second, violations of media freedom after Israel blocked international journalists from accessing the Gaza Strip.

    Israeli officials have pushed back hard against the boycott, framing the backlash as an expression of bigotry. Amichai Chikli, Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs, condemned what he called a “sharp and coordinated surge in antisemitic and anti-Israel discourse surrounding Eurovision 2026.” He added that the current unrest is a direct consequence of “the conduct of European governments and public bodies, which choose, in a hypocritical and weak manner, to boycott the competition.”

    This year’s contest is hosted by Austria, which earned hosting rights after Finnish operatic artist JJ took home the top prize at 2025’s Basel contest with his hit “Wasted Love”. This marks the third time Austria has hosted the event, following stagings in 1967 and 2015.

    Fifteen acts will take the stage at Vienna’s iconic Wiener Stadthalle for Tuesday’s first semi-final, with only 10 spots up for grabs in Saturday’s 25-act grand final. Early bookmaker odds mark Finland, Greece, Israel, Sweden and Croatia as the clear front-runners to qualify. Finland’s entry, performed by violinist Linda Lampenius and singer Pete Parkkonen, is the overall fan favorite this year with their high-energy track “Liekinheitin” (translated as “Flamethrower”).

    Lampenius told Agence France-Presse that the pair has stayed focused on their craft despite the surrounding political chaos. “We are so much into the music and what we are doing in the numbers, so that’s what we are actually always going for: the feeling. It has to come from here: from the heart,” she said.

    Israel’s representative, Noam Bettan, will take the stage with his multilingual entry “Michelle”, which blends lyrics in Hebrew, French and English. Bookmakers predict the toughest fights for qualification will come from San Marino, Georgia and Belgium. Belgian entrant Essyla said he has tried to tune out the outside noise and pressure, telling AFP: “The only stress I put on myself is to want to do things well.”

    The first semi-final will kick off at 19:00 GMT, with Moldova earning the honor of opening the show as it returns to the contest after sitting out the 2025 event. A second semi-final featuring another 15 acts will be held on Thursday, with another 10 acts advancing to the grand final.

    In a change designed to address long-simmering concerns about televote manipulation, this year’s semi-finals and final will combine public voting with scores from professional juries, marking the first time the combined system has been used since the 2022 contest in Turin. The so-called “Big Five” major financial backers of the contest — Britain, France, Germany and Italy — along with host nation Austria, have all received automatic spots in Saturday’s grand final regardless of semi-final performance.

    Organizers have drawn inspiration for this year’s production from one of Vienna’s most iconic cultural institutions: the classic Viennese coffee house. Michael Kroen, the executive producer of Eurovision 2026, explained the creative choice to reporters on Monday, noting that coffee houses have long served as hubs for creativity and intellectual exchange in the city. “The creativity and the intellectuality was based in the coffee houses, and very great people lived in Vienna at the same time and created a lot of good stuff for the world,” Kroen said. “This was our inspiration and we’re trying to uphold this story… and present you modern Vienna.” To bring the theme to life, each competing nation has been given its own dedicated coffee house space in the city where fans can gather to watch screenings and connect ahead of performances.

  • Albanese government to spend $600m on multi-year Bondi response

    Albanese government to spend $600m on multi-year Bondi response

    Nearly six months after the deadly December 14 terror attack at Bondi Beach that claimed 15 lives, most of them Jewish, the Albanese government has formally detailed a $604.2 million multi-year funding package in its 2026-27 federal budget, released on Tuesday, to boost Jewish community security, expand national counter-terrorism capacity, and combat rising anti-Semitism across Australia. The five-year allocation, which includes $8.1 million in permanent annual funding after the initial period, will be distributed across dozens of key stakeholders, from peak Jewish representative bodies and educational institutions to counter-terrorism police units and regulatory agencies. More than $120 million of the total package will be allocated over four years to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry to upgrade community-wide security infrastructure, with $22 million of that sum drawn from the Confiscated Assets Account established under the Proceeds of Crime Act over three years. An additional $46.7 million over the same four-year period will go toward upgrades for major Jewish communal and cultural sites, including the Hakoah Club and the National Jewish Memorial Centre, as well as a targeted non-competitive grant program for local projects led by Chabad of Bondi. Roughly $5 million in targeted support is earmarked for affected stakeholders including Lewis’ Continental Kitchen, a Jewish business that was firebombed in a separate earlier attack, Jewish youth camps across the state of Victoria, and directly impacted survivors and families of victims of the Bondi Beach attack. A further $42.9 million allocated over two years will fund immediate and accessible mental health support services for community members affected by the attack and rising hate violence. Ahead of the federal budget announcement, the government already revealed an $80 million two-year investment to establish a new national counter-terrorism center dedicated to addressing the growing crisis of online radicalization among young Australians. When combined with new allocations in the 2026-27 budget, total spending targeting anti-Semitism and violent extremism in this fiscal cycle tops $207 million. This allocation includes almost $70 million for the Australian Federal Police’s National Security Investigations teams, as well as sustained funding for cross-agency initiatives: a teacher resource hub managed by the Department of Education, and a hate group monitoring framework developed by the Department of Home Affairs. Another $32.6 million in 2026-27 will fund national public awareness campaigns designed to strengthen national security and reinforce social cohesion across diverse Australian communities. The long-running Together for Humanity interfaith education program will also receive a $20 million four-year investment to extend and expand its reach, while public broadcaster SBS will get $3 million over three years to continue its *SBS Examines* podcast series focused on hate and extremism. The newly launched Royal Commission on Anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion, which held its first public hearings last week, will also receive sustained resourcing, with more than $131 million allocated to the Attorney-General’s Department from the 2025-26 fiscal cycle to support the commission’s work. The budget also confirms continued funding for national firearms licensing reforms, though the government has declined to disclose the specific total amount, stating that public release would prejudice ongoing negotiations with state and territory jurisdictions over funding levels. In addition, the budget sets aside a contingency reserve for the stalled National Gun Buyback Scheme, which has faced significant delays and pushback from multiple state and territory governments since it was proposed. The scheme has already received partial funding, and the new contingency allocation aims to support its implementation moving forward.