Global Pulse

标签： Oceania

大洋洲

  • Disgraced celebrity manager Ralph Carr’s life behind bars after rape verdict

    Disgraced celebrity manager Ralph Carr’s life behind bars after rape verdict

    A pre-sentence hearing at Victoria’s County Court this week has shed new light on the harsh prison conditions and plummeting mental health of disgraced former celebrity talent agent Ralph Carnovale-Carr, who was found guilty of rape and sexual assault last month. The 66-year-old high-profile industry figure, who built a 35-year talent management business representing some of Australia’s biggest sports and entertainment names, was convicted by a Melbourne jury on July 28 following a two-week trial.

    Jurors heard that Carnovale-Carr assaulted a woman decades younger than him after a night of drinking and cocaine use in March 2023. After the verdict, he was taken into custody immediately, and new details from his three weeks behind bars were presented to the court on Monday.

    According to defense barrister Dermot Dann KC, who is representing Carnovale-Carr, the former agent has been confined to his cell for up to 23 hours every day, a situation he described as “terrible” for a defendant who continues to maintain his innocence. Citing a forensic psychiatric assessment completed by Dr. Jacqueline Rakov, Dann told the court that Carnovale-Carr experiences three to four panic attacks daily, struggles with chronic insomnia and recurring nightmares, and engaged in self-harm shortly after entering custody, overwhelmed by what Dann called the “dizzying” shock of the guilty verdict and incarceration.

    Dr. Rakov’s assessment confirms that Carnovale-Carr, who was previously diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, and an anxiety disorder, has seen a severe escalation of his mental health conditions since the criminal proceedings began. She warned that incarceration poses a “clinically significant and dynamic” risk to the former agent, noting that custody is likely to trigger further deterioration of his mental state. Carnovale-Carr has been under Dr. Rakov’s care since November 2023, and has already been admitted to inpatient psychiatric care multiple times as his symptoms worsened during key stages of the court process. His condition is now far more serious than it was at the start of proceedings, Dann argued.

    In an August 12 meeting with Dr. Rakov, Carnovale-Carr shared that he believes his decades-long career and personal reputation have been completely destroyed by the conviction. He also told the psychiatrist he feels like he is “dying” amid ongoing complications with high blood pressure and his daily medication regimen.

    Dann told the court that his client pinned all his hopes on securing a stay of sentencing while he pursues an appeal against his conviction, noting that Carnovale-Carr’s assessment that his career is over is not undue pessimism, but a realistic reflection of his current position. “If that goal, that hope is removed, we would say the situation is particularly concerning, particularly dark,” Dann told the court.

    In addition to outlining his client’s current struggles, the defense emphasized Carnovale-Carr’s personal background: the son of working-class immigrant parents, he built his successful talent management company from humble beginnings, ran the business successfully for 35 years, and helped launch the careers of dozens of young aspiring performers and athletes. Thirteen people, including several of Carnovale-Carr’s family members, have submitted character references to the court on his behalf. High-profile client Dustin Martin, a retired star Australian Rules footballer with the Richmond Tigers, cut professional ties with Carnovale-Carr immediately after the guilty verdict.

    For three years during the progression of the case, Carnovale-Carr’s identity was kept hidden from media reports via a series of suppression orders granted on mental health grounds. The final suppression order was lifted by Judge Frank Gucciardo just days after the jury returned its guilty verdict. The pre-sentence hearing is ongoing.

  • ‘No-brainer’: Cameron Munster backs ‘brainiac Bill’ to nail next role as Cameron Smith emerges as favourite to coach Queensland

    ‘No-brainer’: Cameron Munster backs ‘brainiac Bill’ to nail next role as Cameron Smith emerges as favourite to coach Queensland

    Nearly a decade after lifting a premiership trophy together as teammates, a potential reunion of Cameron Munster and Billy Slater at the Melbourne Storm is now the subject of rampant rugby league speculation, following Slater’s sudden resignation as head coach of the Queensland Maroons State of Origin side.

    Queensland Rugby League made the announcement last Friday that the Maroons legend would step down from the role after five consecutive Origin series in charge, triggering widespread discussion across Australian rugby league about what the 2024 premiership-winner will do next. Among the most eye-catching rumors to emerge is a possible return to Melbourne to replace the club’s iconic long-term head coach Craig Bellamy when he retires in 2028. Melbourne Storm CEO Justin Rodski addressed the speculation publicly over the weekend, though no official confirmation has been provided by either party.

    While Slater has previously stated he has no interest in taking a full-time NRL head coaching role, current Queensland captain and Melbourne Storm five-eighth Cameron Munster says the idea of Slater leading his old club makes perfect sense. Speaking on the speculation, Munster highlighted Slater’s unparalleled rugby league acumen, honed through a decorated career as a player and more recently as a commentator for Nine Network. “There’s probably no better brainiac than Bill when it comes to footy,” Munster said. “He’s footy mad and dissects the game so well. You could see that in the way he had some great years for Queensland as a player and coach, and it shines through in his commentary work too. Whatever he decides to do, I’m sure a lot of people will be lining up for his services, and why wouldn’t you?”

    Munster also expressed understanding for why Slater chose to step down from the Maroons job, noting the former fullback’s overlapping commitments with commentary and multiple side businesses left him unable to dedicate his full attention to the Origin role. “He had too much on his plate, and he doesn’t want to do a disservice to Queensland. He’s got his fingers in other pies and businesses, so he felt like he wasn’t going to be fully in with Queensland,” Munster explained. “Knowing Billy, if he’s not fully in with something then he won’t take it up.”

    Despite that understanding, the Queensland skipper made clear the entire squad is disappointed to see Slater depart. “It’s very disappointing. We all have a lot of love and admiration for him, and he’s done a lot for me and my game as both a player and coach. It’s very disappointing for Queensland, but someone else gets the chance to coach Queensland,” he said.

    Attention has already turned to potential candidates to fill the vacant Maroons head coaching role, with Storm Immortal-in-waiting Cameron Smith emerging as the early bookmakers’ favorite, alongside North Queensland Cowboys legend Johnathan Thurston. For Munster, opening talks with Smith about the job is an obvious next step for QRL. “When you look at guys like him and JT and Bill, they’re guys that have been in that arena for a long time and had a lot of success,” Munster said. “It would be a no-brainer having a chat with Smithy. I’m not sure if he wants to do it, but I’m sure they won’t have any bad suitors or anyone who can’t do the job. It’s an exciting time for Queensland. Whoever takes it up will do a great job.”

    The coaching speculation extends beyond Queensland, as it could also shape Munster’s own long-term future at Melbourne. The 31-year-old will become eligible to negotiate with rival clubs from November 1, and his contract beyond 2027 remains unresolved. Munster has previously stated he will stay at the Storm as long as Bellamy remains head coach, and any move by Slater to take over from Bellamy in 2028 could influence his decision to re-sign. He has also been linked with a potential career-ending move to a Papua New Guinean side in recent months.

    Melbourne has repeatedly stated it wants to retain Munster, who has spent his entire career at the club after making his debut in 2014, though young prospect Hayden Watson has turned heads with strong recent performances, giving the Storm depth at five-eighth if Munster does depart.

    Speaking on his own future, Munster said coaching will play a role in his decision, but family priorities will ultimately be the deciding factor. “The coach does play a part, but the coach also wants to have me here as well,” he said. “We’ve got some good young kids coming through our pathways, but also I love the club and have so much respect for them. They were the club that gave me my first chance, and I’m all about giving back to that. I probably could have gone to other clubs for more money, but I’ve also got to make sure I do the right thing for my family. I’ve got three young kids, they need to go to school and get a better education than me, so I’ve got to put them first. If that’s the right opportunity to stay here, then I’d love to stay here. But I’ve got to talk to the board and recruitment team here and see if it’s the best thing for my wife and kids.”

  • Perth’s iconic C Restaurant to close after 20 years, as historic St Martin’s Tower gets hotel revamp

    Perth’s iconic C Restaurant to close after 20 years, as historic St Martin’s Tower gets hotel revamp

    After more than two decades of serving iconic skyline views and award-winning dining to Western Australia’s capital, one of Australia’s most famous revolving restaurants has announced it will permanently close its doors in early 2027, a surprise announcement that has left the venue’s close-knit team and local community grappling with sadness.

    Perched 33 stories above Perth’s central business district inside St Martin’s Tower, C Restaurant first opened its doors to diners in 2001, taking over the historic revolving space that previously housed Hilite 33, the tower’s original restaurant tenant dating back to 1978. Over its 20-plus years of operation, C Restaurant grew to become a landmark of Perth’s hospitality scene, earning a reputation as one of Australia’s earliest and most beloved revolving dining venues. It has collected a long list of industry honors, including multiple Gold Plate Awards and a permanent spot on the Western Australia Good Food Guide Icons List, all while offering guests a slowly rotating panoramic view of the entire Perth skyline.

    The closure is tied to a planned redevelopment of St Martin’s Tower, which will see the entire building converted into a new hotel, forcing the long-standing restaurant to vacate its space by January 31, 2027. In an emotional statement released this week, owner Olivier Letrone described his decades leading the restaurant as one of the greatest privileges of his life. He shared that breaking the news of the upcoming closure to his 90-person team was one of the hardest conversations of his entire hospitality career.

    To his surprise and gratitude, every single member of the team has committed to staying with the restaurant through its final day of service, a display of loyalty Letrone called humbling, and the core reason the venue has thrived for more than 20 years. “We intend to finish the way we’ve always operated: as a family, and at the top of our game,” Letrone said.

    General Manager Ann-Marie Gill echoed that sentiment, noting that her years at C Restaurant have been some of the most rewarding of her professional life. “Working alongside such a dedicated team and helping create memorable experiences for our guests has been a real privilege,” she said. “Although it’s difficult to say goodbye, I’ll always be proud to have been part of C Restaurant’s story.”

    Even as the venue prepares for its final rotation in 2027, Letrone is already laying early plans to revive the brand at a new location, noting that the team’s shared passion for hospitality will not disappear when the St Martin’s Tower doors close. While he has not confirmed whether the new venue will retain the fine dining focus that defined the original C Restaurant, he confirmed that work to identify a new space is already underway.

    For the next two years, however, the team will remain focused on what they have always done best: delivering exceptional food, warm hospitality, and unforgettable experiences for every guest who walks through the door. Letrone extended an open invitation to Perth locals and past visitors to return for one final meal before closing day, to celebrate the decades of memories created 33 stories above the city. “While its doors will close on 31 January 2027, the memories made here will endure long after the restaurant completes its final turn,” he said.

  • Nearly 13,000 displaced after deadly Indonesian quake

    Nearly 13,000 displaced after deadly Indonesian quake

    Two days after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia’s Flores Island, more than 12,800 people remain displaced from their damaged or destroyed homes, waiting for critical emergency aid as hundreds of aftershocks continue to shake the region.

    The shallow quake, centered just off Flores’ north coast, hit early Saturday, leaving 53 people dead and more than 100 injured. As of Monday morning, Indonesia’s national disaster agency (BNPB) confirmed no additional missing persons, but the scale of displacement has risen steadily, with thousands of survivors now sheltering in public facilities including schools, police stations and government compounds, or in makeshift camps assembled from scrap materials.

    Reporters from Agence France-Presse visiting Mbay, the small town closest to the epicenter in Nagekeo Regency, observed survivors living in hand-built tents constructed from tarpaulin and scavenged poles. Thirty-two-year-old Mbay resident Junaidin, who shares his tent with roughly 29 other people, explained why survivors refuse to return to their properties: many structures have either fully collapsed or developed severe structural cracks that make them uninhabitable. “We only go back home to get water, clothes, pillows, and then we spend the nights here,” he told AFP.

    For many island residents, the fresh disaster triggers traumatic memories of an identical 7.7-magnitude quake that hit Flores in 1992, which spawned a deadly tsunami that killed an estimated 2,500 people. That collective trauma has left survivors too afraid to sleep indoors even after the initial shaking stopped, with many spending consecutive nights outside.

    Junaidin echoed a widespread frustration among survivors, noting that no government aid had arrived in his community as of Monday, while national Independence Day celebrations were held with large-scale ceremonies thousands of kilometers away in Jakarta. “As for help from the government, there hasn’t been any — no tents, no medicine, no food, no drinking water, nothing,” he said. “Please open your eyes, government. We are your people, we are part of you. So please look after us.”

    Thirty-one-year-old Siti Saudah Daso, a Mbay mother of three, described the panic of evacuation that left her family with nothing but the clothing they wore. “We fled with nothing. Just the clothes on our backs. We’re victims; we’re going through a disaster,” she said. While promises of aid have been made, she added, “there’s no proof. So honestly, we’re a bit upset, disappointed.”

    In response to the disaster, the Indonesian Air Force has mobilized three aircraft — two Hercules transport planes and one Boeing jet — to airlift 13 tons of emergency supplies including food, clean drinking water, clothing and medical equipment. Helicopters will also be deployed to deliver provisions directly to cut-off, isolated communities that are hard to reach by land, according to the commander of El Tari Air Base in Kupang, speaking to Indonesia’s state-run Antara News Agency. Military personnel have also been deployed to coordinate aid distribution in the hardest-hit areas, but survivors say the critical supplies have not yet reached them.

    Search and rescue operations are still ongoing across the affected zone, with teams conducting both ground and air sweeps to confirm no victims are trapped or unaccounted for. “There haven’t been any reports on missing persons, but we are still scouring the area just to be sure,” search and rescue official Fathur Rahman told AFP Monday morning.

    BNPB spokesman Berton Suar Pelita Panjaitan confirmed that at least 914 houses across Flores have suffered severe damage, with hundreds more sustaining minor structural harm. Dozens of public buildings — including schools, health clinics and government offices — have also been damaged in the quake. Non-governmental organization Save the Children warned Monday that more than 8,000 children in the affected region now face heightened safety risks and widespread disruption to their education.

    Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a geologically active zone that sees frequent seismic and volcanic activity. The country has suffered some of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history, including the 2004 9.1-magnitude quake off the coast of Sumatra that triggered a massive Indian Ocean tsunami, killing more than 220,000 people across the region, 170,000 of whom were in Indonesia.

  • ‘Doubt it’: Latrell Mitchell return delayed by another week as teammate shrugs off own calf issue

    ‘Doubt it’: Latrell Mitchell return delayed by another week as teammate shrugs off own calf issue

    As the NRL finals series draws near, South Sydney star Latrell Mitchell has taken a visible step forward in his injury recovery, making an appearance at Monday’s wet weather training session to complete light jogging drills – a development that has injected cautious optimism into the Rabbitohs camp around his potential return this season. However, his teammates have confirmed that a comeback for this weekend’s high-stakes clash against the New Zealand Warriors remains highly unlikely. Mitchell has been sidelined since South Sydney’s Round 11 defeat to the Dolphins on May 15, when a back injury triggered a lingering nerve issue that ultimately spread to cause a persistent calf complaint that has kept him off the pitch for months. Rabbitohs winger Campbell Graham, who is also managing his own calf injury, shared the latest update on Mitchell’s recovery after joining the star playmaker for his light training session Monday. “I can’t see him suiting up this week, and I don’t have a clear timeline for when he’ll be back, but whenever he’s available, we’ll welcome him with open arms,” Graham told reporters. “We only did a short session of jogging and stride outs, and I don’t have a full read on his physical readiness for match play just yet, but there’s definitely still hope he’ll pull through and get back on the pitch this year. It’s really good to see the big fella out there putting in the work – it’s clear he’s one step closer to a possible return. “Any time he can pull on the jersey for us is a win, and I’ve been really impressed with how he’s handled this whole tough period. I know firsthand how demoralizing it can be when you’re stuck on the sidelines, not knowing when or if you’ll be able to play again. It can feel like there’s no end in sight, but Mitchell has handled it like a true professional. He’s stayed in great shape even when he couldn’t do much on-field training, and he’s made all the right choices off the pitch to make sure he’ll be ready the second he gets the green light to return. His hunger to get back out there with the group is a really great example for all of us, too.” Graham is no stranger to the frustration of injury layoffs himself, after a calf injury forced him to miss South Sydney’s Round 23 win against Parramatta Eels. Initially, there were concerns the winger would be sidelined for multiple weeks, but he pushed through to return in last weekend’s critical clash against the Canterbury Bulldogs, a win that has all but locked in South Sydney’s spot in the 2024 NRL finals. “Coming back so soon did carry some risk, but this was such a big game for us, and I knew I had to be out there to help us get the result we needed,” Graham explained. “I’m just glad we walked away with the two points, and even happier that I got through the match without any new issues. “This is going to be an ongoing thing I manage through training load management for the rest of the season, but getting that first match back under my belt was a huge step in the right direction. I have full faith in our club’s medical staff to help me manage this moving forward, so I can stay on the pitch for the games that matter most.”

  • Piastri and Norris harmony ‘wasn’t a given’ after title scrap, says boss

    Piastri and Norris harmony ‘wasn’t a given’ after title scrap, says boss

    The 2025 Formula 1 season delivered one of the most tense intra-team title fights in recent memory, as McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris locked horns repeatedly in their pursuit of the drivers’ world championship. Now, as the 2026 season gets underway under groundbreaking new technical regulations, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has opened up about the surprising shift in the pair’s dynamic, admitting that the strong working harmony they have built this year was far from guaranteed after last year’s on-track clashes.

    Piastri, the young Australian driver, held a commanding 34-point lead in the 2025 championship standings for much of the campaign, leading the field across 15 of the season’s 24 races heading into the final round at Abu Dhabi. But a late-season charge from both Norris and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen eroded his lead, leaving Piastri to finish the season third overall, while Norris claimed his maiden world championship title.

    The close title fight spilled over into multiple on-track incidents between the two McLaren drivers. Over the course of 2025, the pair collided at four separate Grand Prix venues: Montreal, Monza, Singapore, and Austin, forcing the McLaren team to repeatedly intervene with official team orders and internal guidelines dubbed “papaya rules” to manage their rivalry. Following such a season-long, high-stakes battle that went all the way to the final race, many expected lingering friction to damage the pair’s working relationship heading into 2026.

    Speaking at a recent public Q&A event hosted by the team, Stella shared that the opposite has occurred. Far from creating a rift, the 2025 title fight has actually strengthened the bond between Piastri and Norris, both with each other and with the broader McLaren organization.

    “An aspect I’m really enjoying about our drivers is the way they’re working together,” Stella told attendees. He noted that while Norris’ positive mindset after claiming his first title was perhaps predictable, Piastri’s response to finishing third after leading for most of the year was far more encouraging than the team could have anticipated. “Instead, (Piastri) has relied even more heavily on the team to accelerate his development, both on and off the track. It wasn’t a given that, after last year, when they found themselves battling for the world title right up to the final race, the harmony they’d built would remain intact.”

    Stella also praised both drivers for their rapid adaptability during the turbulent opening rounds of the 2026 season, which is being run under a sweeping set of new technical regulations that have reshaped car design and performance. For every driver on the grid, the shift to the new generation of single-seaters has required major adjustments, not just to driving style but also to how athletes approach understanding and unlocking the full potential of the all-new power units at the heart of the 2026 cars.

    “I am very pleased with how our driver line-up is performing in this early part of the 2026 season,” Stella added. As McLaren looks to defend its position as a title contender in the new regulatory era, the unexpected resilience of the relationship between its two star drivers has emerged as an unexpected early strength for the papaya-clad outfit.

  • Winning back walls from gangs, artists fill El Salvador’s towns with color

    Winning back walls from gangs, artists fill El Salvador’s towns with color

    Nestled amid mist-shrouded coffee-growing mountains in western El Salvador, the cobblestone lanes and terracotta-roofed homes of Concepcion de Ataco bear little resemblance to the tense, violence-plagued streets that once defined swathes of the small Central American nation. Today, the concrete walls that gangs once used to mark their violent territorial boundaries are covered in vibrant, sweeping murals: sleek jaguars poised in jungle undergrowth, delicate native wildflowers, pre-Columbian inspired portraits, and colorful tropical birds, all brought to life by dozens of spray paint cans in the hands of local and regional artists.

    This transformation is the work of Pigmen Trip, a traveling mural festival now in its eighth year, founded and organized by 31-year-old Salvadoran artist Isaac Sosa. For nearly a decade, Sosa and his fellow muralists navigated the constant threat of gang harassment and violence to bring art to marginalized neighborhoods. Working in gang-controlled zones was once a frightening high-stakes endeavor, but a dramatic nationwide shift in security has opened new possibilities for the movement.

    Since President Nayib Bukele launched a sweeping national anti-gang offensive in 2022, gang influence across El Salvador has collapsed dramatically. The crackdown has drawn sharp international criticism, however, with human rights NGOs documenting widespread allegations of arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial violence, and other abuses that may amount to crimes against humanity. Despite these controversies, for many Salvadorans living in former gang strongholds, the decline in gang activity has brought palpable new freedoms.

    “With this change, this rebirth we are experiencing as a country…it’s a different atmosphere, more peaceful, more enjoyable, and with greater freedom of expression,” Sosa said. Standing before a fresh canvas of concrete in Ataco, he added: “Years later, we won back the walls from the gangs.” For Sosa, mural painting is far more than public art—it is a magical tool capable of driving deep social transformation, turning symbols of intimidation into canvases that celebrate local identity and community.

    Since the festival’s launch, participating artists have created more than 200 murals across the country, bringing together creators from across Latin America, including Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, and Argentina. For veteran participants like 36-year-old Darwin Flores, the shift in security has transformed every step of the creative process. Before gangs were weakened, painting in so-called “hot zones” required extreme preparation: artists had to verify every detail of their location and their team to avoid running afoul of territorial rules. Now, Flores says he can walk into any neighborhood, even former gang strongholds like La Campanera, without fear.

    The new atmosphere has also opened opportunities for emerging creators like 29-year-old Cristian Juarez, who paints with a prosthetic after losing his right leg in an accident 11 years ago. Juarez echoes Flores’s experience: “It wasn’t so easy to paint back then, but now everything is very different.” Standing before his own mural—a striking portrait of a young woman in a feathered headdress—Juarez paused to mourn the many local artists who fell victim to gang violence and disappeared in recent decades.

    For long-time residents of the towns hosting the festival, the colorful new murals represent far more than aesthetic change. Cristian Lara, a 50-year-old local merchant, whose home now features a custom mural painted by festival artists, called the work a blessing for his community. “There are new winds of change in El Salvador,” he said, a sentiment shared by the artists who have turned symbols of fear into beacons of hope for a nation rebuilding.

  • SA man secures ‘life-changing’ Keno win, mystery $20m Hervey Bay winner found

    SA man secures ‘life-changing’ Keno win, mystery $20m Hervey Bay winner found

    Across Australia, three lucky lottery players have recently walked away with multi-million dollar windfalls, transforming their financial outlooks in an instant. The first of these new millionaires, a resident of Royal Park in Adelaide’s inner western district, secured a $1,244,714.30 Keno Spot 10 jackpot, and opened up about the surreal chain of events that led to his win.

    The winner shared that he had no inkling of his good fortune until he remembered to check his ticket after leaving the venue. When he pulled up his ticket details online and saw all his numbers matched, he immediately rushed back to the club to confirm the result, which turned out to be legitimate. The winning entry used a set of randomly generated numbers, a choice that ended up netting him one of the biggest Keno prizes in the region this year.

    Calling the unexpected windfall completely life-changing, the winner revealed he and his family have already consulted a professional financial advisor to map out long-term plans for the money. “Once it all settles and it feels real, we’ll be able to have more of an idea of what we’ll do,” he explained in an interview after the win.

    The winning ticket was purchased at Seven 22, a local community club in Beverley. Club manager Kelli Pearce said the entire venue erupted in excitement when the win was confirmed, with even all the kitchen chefs stepping out to congratulate the new millionaire. Notably, the staff member who processed the ticket initially misread the prize amount as $12,000, only to realize the actual total was more than 100 times that initial estimate.

    Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers north in Queensland, a Hervey Bay woman took home half of a $40 million Oz Lotto jackpot, splitting the top prize with a Hobart man for a $20 million individual payout. The woman checked her ticket while heading to work on a recent Thursday morning, and was stunned when she realized the prize value was far higher than she first thought.

    She explained that she stopped at a local store to check her ticket after seeing that an unregistered ticket had won the shared jackpot, and initially thought staff told her she had won $20,000, before noticing a handful of extra zeroes on the screen. The winner called her windfall a massive boost for her entire family, and despite now being a multi-millionaire, she says she has no plans to step away from her job. “I just can’t believe it. I’m not sure I can walk at the moment. My whole body is shaking,” she told reporters moments after confirming her win.

    A third winner from Brisbane also claimed a seven-figure prize in the recent Saturday Gold Lotto draw, taking home $1,086,418.14. This winner, who has played the same set of personal lucky numbers for years, said the win came as a complete shock, and he plans to use the money to improve the lives of his family and close friends. “I can do a lot for family and friends … it’ll make life easier for sure,” he said.

    This streak of big wins cements Brisbane’s western suburbs as one of Australia’s luckiest regions for lottery players this year: this latest prize marks the fourth major jackpot win in the area in 2024, bringing the total collective winnings for local players to more than $43 million.

  • NSW government reveals ‘nation-leading’ data centre pathway

    NSW government reveals ‘nation-leading’ data centre pathway

    The New South Wales (NSW) government in Australia has announced a sweeping set of landmark reforms designed to accelerate approval for new data centre projects across the state, conditional on developers meeting rigorous public benefit and environmental standards that protect everyday consumers and local communities. Unveiled on Monday, the NSW Data Centre Policy Framework introduces a streamlined assessment pathway for proposals that align with six core principles, headlined by a requirement for operators to adhere to world-class environmental and energy efficiency benchmarks.

    Beyond environmental standards, approved projects will be required to cover all their own infrastructure costs without passing a net financial burden onto residents or local communities. Developers must also fully fund expansions to local water and energy supply networks, deliver upgrades to local community infrastructure and public amenity, invest in domestic supply chains, and commit to ongoing workforce training and local job creation.

    NSW already hosts 65% of Australia’s total existing data centre infrastructure and future development pipeline. State government officials argue that continued targeted investment in the fast-growing tech sector has been a key bulwark against economic recession, amid ongoing global economic turbulence triggered by conflicts in the Middle East. Currently, the state is home to 19 operational data centres valued at a total of AU$50.3 billion, with more than 60 additional facilities already under construction.

    However, the rapid expansion of the sector has not been without controversy. Proposed and existing projects across NSW have faced significant community pushback in recent years, driven by complaints over excessive noise pollution, environmental degradation, and strain on local public resources. High-profile areas facing community opposition include Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, North Sydney, and Moss Vale. Earlier this year, the NSW Parliament launched a formal inquiry into the sector’s impacts, holding public hearings through July.

    NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe emphasized that the new framework strikes a careful balance between enabling industry growth and upholding strong environmental protections. “In NSW, this is consistent with where the federal government is at,” Sharpe told reporters. “This is about renewable energy. We’re currently moving our energy system away from coal-fired power stations that are going to be retiring in the next 15 years.” Acknowledging that data centres are inherently large energy users, Sharpe noted that the new regulatory system is designed to manage that demand responsibly. The framework requires operators to develop formal drought contingency plans and prioritizes the use of recycled water for facility operations.

    NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey echoed the government’s commitment to ensuring the sector supports rather than burdens households. “Data centres need to pay their own way,” he said. “They need to bring additional power and additional water to offset the demand but also to pick up some of the slack that’s otherwise would fall to households.” Under the new guidelines, qualifying projects that meet all six principles will receive a final development assessment within 75 days, a dramatic reduction from the previous timeline that could stretch to two years. The state’s Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal will also conduct a separate review of water pricing frameworks for data centre operators to ensure fair cost allocation.

    In a complementary move to advance the state’s technology leadership, the reforms also include plans to establish a new AI Office within the NSW Cabinet Office. The new body will be tasked with strengthening and accelerating the government’s response to both the economic opportunities and regulatory challenges presented by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence technologies. The package of reforms positions NSW as a national leader in balancing tech sector growth with public accountability and environmental stewardship at a time of accelerating national transition to renewable energy.

  • Sabbath cafe clash lays bare Israel faultlines

    Sabbath cafe clash lays bare Israel faultlines

    On a recent Saturday in central Jerusalem, two competing crowds of Israelis faced off on a sidewalk outside Cafe Basimta, a small coffee shop whose decision to open on Shabbat — the weekly Jewish day of religious rest — has turned it into a flashpoint for decades of simmering tension between the country’s secular majority and growing ultra-Orthodox minority. For Alma Ronen, a 20-year-old soldier who has served continuously on Israel’s frontlines in Gaza and southern Lebanon for more than two years, the confrontation was personal. Dressed in casual civilian clothes rather than military uniform, she came to the counter-protest to demand the simple right to enjoy an outdoor coffee on her day off, pushing back against ultra-Orthodox objections to the cafe’s operating hours.

    Since June, weekly protests have become a routine outside Cafe Basimta, which sits just a short distance from an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood. Dozens of ultra-Orthodox men and boys, clad in the traditional modest black garb of their community, march toward the shop each week, chanting “Shabbat!” as they go. Younger protesters often amplify the outrage, screaming and making dramatic gestures to signal their disapproval of the business opening on the holy day. Secular activists have shown up in equal force each week to counter the demonstration: they blow whistles to drown out religious chants, wear provocative pink pins displaying a middle finger, and hold up banners declaring “Our Holy Right to Drink Coffee.”

    This public street feud is far more than a local dispute over a coffee shop. It lays bare the deep cultural and political divides splitting Israeli society, just weeks ahead of the country’s October 27 parliamentary elections, which will serve as a critical referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decade-long leadership. For nearly 20 years, Netanyahu — though personally secular — has built his political power on a coalition alliance with ultra-Orthodox parties. As leader of the most right-wing government in Israel’s history, he has steadily expanded the community’s political influence and policy clout across the country.

    The most explosive point of tension for secular Israelis right now is the long-standing exemption of ultra-Orthodox students from mandatory military service, a policy that has been expanded under Netanyahu’s watch, and grants generous government stipends for full-time religious study. This exemption has become far more bitter in the year since Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack, which left Israel in a sustained regional conflict that has stretched its military thin and required widespread service from secular Israelis. “I feel anger in my heart that only some people must go to the army and serve,” Ronen said. “These people only care about their own lifestyle and are not open to any opinion but their own.”

    Amit Yair, a 77-year-old secular Israeli waiting in a growing line to order coffee at the shop, echoed that frustration in blunter terms. “The Orthodox are parasites. You can’t say any other word for this,” he said. “All they want is money from the government. They say it’s God’s land but they want to kill everything that is here to make it a Halachic state,” a government ruled exclusively by Jewish religious law.

    While the cafe was founded by a supporter of missionary activity aimed at converting Jews to Christianity, a movement widely condemned across Jewish communities, its secular customers say the owner’s identity is irrelevant to their fight. What matters, they say, is the principle of individual choice.

    For the ultra-Orthodox protesters, the fight is equally rooted in principle. One protester, who stopped to debate a counter-demonstrator, explained that his community chose to settle in the area to live a religious lifestyle, and public businesses open on Shabbat threaten that way of life. “I don’t want my kids to leave the house and see a coffeeshop open,” he said. “It’s not a matter of not respecting you, but this is attacking my family’s faith. When you say you’re a Jew, that means a commitment.” Most ultra-Orthodox protesters declined to speak to journalists, noting that engaging with media would itself violate the rules of Shabbat.

    Demographic and cultural shifts are amplifying this tension, experts say. A 2023 study from the Jewish People Policy Institute found that 53 percent of Jewish Israelis identify as either somewhat or fully secular, and Israeli society has gradually grown more liberal in recent decades: more businesses operate on Shabbat, public transit runs on the holy day in more areas, and LGBTQ rights have gained wider public acceptance. But at the same time, the ultra-Orthodox community has one of the highest birth rates in the developed world, meaning it makes up a growing share of Israel’s total population, shifting the demographic balance sharply in the opposite direction.

    Shlomit Ravitsky Tur Paz, head of the religion and state program at the Israel Democracy Institute, explained that public anger toward the ultra-Orthodox has surged because of their role in Netanyahu’s government. The prime minister pushed through a controversial plan to weaken the country’s judiciary last year, and has overseen the ongoing regional war since October 7. “The ultra-Orthodox sit in the government and they are part of the decision to keep the war going, but they’re not paying the price with their children being drafted or the blood of their children,” she said.

    Netanyahu’s main opposition challengers, led by former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot, have made ending ultra-Orthodox military exemptions a central campaign promise, tapping into widespread secular anger over the policy. Aya Lewkowicz, an activist with the secular Pink Front movement who traveled from the overwhelmingly secular city of Tel Aviv to support the cafe, summed up the opposition’s position: “Everyone should have the freedom to rest the way they want to rest and not have it be dictated by a small minority that gets backing from the government,” she said.

    After hours of noisy confrontation, the ultra-Orthodox protesters departed the area, with plans to return for another demonstration next Saturday. But as the cafe’s standoff gains national attention, the line of secular customers waiting to buy coffee grows longer every week, a quiet signal of how this local clash has galvanized resistance to growing religious influence across the country.