Global Pulse

标签： Oceania

大洋洲

  • Australian tenants forced to swallow relentless rent increases as housing crisis deepens, finance expert warns

    Australian tenants forced to swallow relentless rent increases as housing crisis deepens, finance expert warns

    Australia’s rental market is facing escalating pressure, with finance experts warning that landlords are legally boosting rental prices exactly once every year, passing on the costs of rising interest rates and recent tax reforms to already vulnerable tenants. In Sydney, the country’s most expensive rental market, the median weekly rent has climbed to $824, leaving low-income and fixed-income households grappling with unbearable housing costs.

    Taylor Blackburn, a money expert at comparison platform Finder, explained that a combination of three consecutive Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cash rate hikes in early 2026 and federal government changes to negative gearing rules have pushed property owners to maximize returns on their rental investments as soon as legally allowed. In New South Wales, state legislation only permits landlords to increase rent once every 12 months, and Blackburn says many property owners are already issuing new rent increase notices exactly 365 days after their last hike, taking full advantage of the legal window to pass on higher ownership costs.

    “Property owners are looking to get the best possible return from their investment, and a severe shortage of quality rental stock in major capital cities gives them the leverage to do that,” Blackburn said. “When property owners face higher mortgage costs on their own homes, they offset that pressure by raising rents on their investment properties. That dynamic has been amplified by recent negative gearing changes, which push landlords to collect more rental income to keep their investment cash flow positive.”

    Australia’s negative gearing policy previously allowed residential property investors to deduct rental losses from their personal taxable income, reducing their overall annual tax bill. Changes passed in May restricted this tax concession exclusively to newly built residential properties, while also adjusting the 50% Capital Gains Tax discount that applies to profits from asset sales. Blackburn noted the reforms have had a clear, direct impact on landlords’ decisions to increase rental prices more consistently.

    The broader economic context has worsened the crisis for tenants. The RBA raised the cash rate three times between February and May 2026 for a total increase of 75 basis points, bringing the cash rate to 4.35%, where it has been held for three consecutive months. Following the rate hikes, financial conditions across the country have tightened, and economic growth has slowed, though RBA policymakers have emphasized that inflation remains well above target. Recent housing market downturn has been widely linked to these tax and interest rate changes by industry analysts.

    Latest data from property analytics firm Cotality shows national median rents rose 2.1% in the March 2026 quarter, pushing the combined capital city median to $724 per week. Darwin recorded the largest annual surge, with rents jumping 9.2% in the 12 months to March, while Sydney remained the nation’s priciest market at $824 weekly.

    Gareth Spence, senior economist at the National Australia Bank (NAB), explained that higher cash rates filter through to rental costs just as they do to home loan mortgage rates. He added that broader structural pressures have compounded the issue, with rental vacancy rates sitting at near-record lows across the country and property investors pulling back from new purchases.

    “The biggest challenge for renters right now is just how tight the market is,” Spence said. “We have extremely low vacancy rates, less investor activity, and that creates supply constraints that don’t just affect home purchase affordability – they make renting incredibly difficult for millions of households.”

    For tenants already living on tight budgets, the consistent annual rent hikes are pushing many to the brink. Finder’s research finds that more than 40% of Australian renters live paycheck to paycheck, with less than $1,000 in total cash savings to cover unexpected costs. For those living on fixed incomes, such as pensioners or low-wage workers, rental price growth is far outpacing any increases in income, leaving many at risk of housing instability.

  • Second Alan Jones alleged victim to give evidence in blockbuster trial

    Second Alan Jones alleged victim to give evidence in blockbuster trial

    One of Australia’s most high-profile former radio personalities, 85-year-old Alan Jones, is currently standing trial on dozens of sexual offense charges at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court, and the second of his six accusers is preparing to give evidence to the court this Friday. Jones has entered a firm not guilty plea to all 22 charges brought against him, which include 20 counts of indecent assault and two additional counts of sexual touching. He has repeatedly denied all claims that he kissed or groped any of the six male complainants, and is actively fighting the allegations in court.

    The complainant set to take the witness stand on Friday morning is only publicly identified as “Complainant C” to protect his privacy. Court documents and pre-trial proceedings have confirmed that C previously worked alongside Jones, and the veteran broadcaster faces eight separate counts of indecent assault connected directly to C’s accusations. Specific allegations laid out in the case include that Jones touched C’s penis over his clothing while C was driving Jones, that Jones kissed C in elevators at both Jones’ Circular Quay apartment building and his workplace, and that Jones carried out a similar sexual touch to C over his clothing at a restaurant in Mosman.

    Prosecutors from the Crown have previously informed the court that they plan to call approximately 20 separate witnesses to testify in relation to C’s allegations, marking a key phase in what has become one of the most closely watched criminal trials in New South Wales this year. Jones has maintained a consistent, strenuous denial of all accusations from the six complainants since the charges were first brought, rejecting every claim of inappropriate sexual contact made against him.

  • ‘How many will die?’: the mysterious ailment killing Kenyan elephants

    ‘How many will die?’: the mysterious ailment killing Kenyan elephants

    Beneath the shadow of snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, one of Africa’s most iconic wildlife landscapes is now grappling with an unexplained crisis that has conservationists and local communities on edge. In Kenya’s Amboseli ecosystem, a still-uncharacterized ailment has claimed the lives of at least 19 elephants since June, leaving experts and local authorities at odds over what is triggering the deaths.

  • Henriques chasing ‘cricket nirvana’ with Portugal

    Henriques chasing ‘cricket nirvana’ with Portugal

    At 39 years old, fresh off retiring from Australian domestic cricket this past July following a 420-match career across all formats, veteran all-rounder Moises Henriques is embarking on one final, deeply personal cricket adventure. The former Australian international, who earned 44 caps for his adopted country between 2009 and 2021 across Tests, ODIs and T20Is, has switched national allegiances to represent his birth nation Portugal — and he says guiding the small European cricket program to its first-ever men’s T20 World Cup would be the crowning achievement of his late career.

    Henriques will lead Portugal as captain at the European sub-regional T20 World Cup qualifier kicking off Friday in Finland, a tournament that marks the first step on the long road to the global showcase. Born in Funchal on Portugal’s Madeira Island, Henriques moved to Sydney with his family at the age of two, when his father — a former second-division Portuguese footballer — relocated to Australia in search of better professional opportunities. Growing up with an unfamiliar given name and limited English skills in his Australian primary school, Henriques credits cricket with helping him find confidence and a sense of belonging, eventually working his way up to the highest level of the sport, wearing Australia’s iconic Baggy Green Test cap.

    It has been just five years since Henriques even learned that Portugal fielded a national cricket team, but he says he has been stunned by the depth of talent assembled in the current squad. Henriques pointed to Italy’s run earlier this year, where the European side qualified for their maiden T20 World Cup after starting their campaign at the same sub-regional stage that Portugal enters this week. That precedent is exactly what he is targeting, he told the BBC Stumped podcast in an interview.

    “Obviously, the ideal, the nirvana, would be to replicate what Italy have done,” Henriques said. “Whether that’s realistic for this World Cup, or the following, I don’t know. We’ll only be able to tell in a couple of games. I’m sure there’s a lot of opposition that feel that they might be able to do something similar.”

    Portugal, currently ranked 37th in the global T20 rankings, is drawn into Group B of the 10-team Finland qualifier alongside Czech Republic, Germany, Greece and Israel. If they advance out of this week’s tournament, they will move on to a European final regional qualifier next year, where they will face off against Scotland, Jersey and Denmark for a spot in the T20 World Cup.

    While Henriques notes that representing Australia and earning a Baggy Green will always be a hard achievement to top, he says pulling on Portugal’s national shirt as captain carries a unique, special meaning. He reconnected with his birthplace during a visit to Madeira last year, and says the experience deepened his connection to the country. “When I played for Australia, my family also felt I was representing them as well. I’m representing the motherland, so to speak, and it’s going to feel somewhat similar,” he explained. “Hopefully we can make a positive impact trying to grow the sport in Portugal and probably Europe more broadly as well.”

    Madeira’s most famous native son is global football icon Cristiano Ronaldo, who has the island’s airport renamed in his honor. When asked about the possibility of similar recognition if he pulls off a World Cup qualification, Henriques joked that he would be happy to get a helicopter pad named after him.

    Henriques is far from the only high-level professional in Portugal’s squad, a fact that has surprised even him. South African batter Cameron Shekleton, who has played first-class cricket and featured for the Proteas A side, is part of the roster, while former New Zealand Under-19 captain Craig Cachopa, who has represented Sussex, Auckland and Wellington at the domestic level, also joins the group. “I was quietly and pleasantly surprised with the quality of cricketers that we’ve got in the team,” Henriques said. “There’s a lot of high-level cricketers going around, which I probably wasn’t expecting a few years ago when I first started entertaining the thought of playing.”

    The veteran all-rounder will face one unusual challenge at the Finland qualifier: he has not played a competitive match on an artificial wicket in 25 years. Compounding that hurdle, he is just five months removed from back surgery, and navigating a full run-up on the synthetic surface while bowling will be his biggest physical test. “Obviously we train a lot indoors on synthetic wickets so hopefully I can make the adjustment,” he said.

    Following the conclusion of the qualifier, Henriques will next join Glasgow Cosmic for the inaugural season of the European T20 Premier League as he continues his work growing the sport across the continent.

  • Bangladesh dominate Australia despite Smith reprieve

    Bangladesh dominate Australia despite Smith reprieve

    The opening day of the first Test between Australia and Bangladesh in Darwin delivered an unexpected storyline full of drama, controversy, and a stunning underdog performance, with a controversial technology decision and a career-best bowling display shaping the contest. After Australia captain won the toss and opted to bat first, Bangladesh’s bowlers turned in a relentless, clinical performance that left the fancied hosts reeling by the close of play.

    The day’s biggest talking point emerged early in Steve Smith’s innings when Bangladesh pace bowler Ebadot Hossain delivered a ball that clipped the edge of Smith’s bat. Bangladesh immediately appealed for a caught-behind dismissal to on-field umpire Kumar Dharmasena, who ruled the batter not out. The touring side quickly called for a review, and even Smith himself began walking toward the pavilion, convinced he had edged the delivery. But to the surprise of Ebadot and the Bangladesh squad, Snicko — the edge-detection technology used to review close catching appeals — showed a completely flat audio line as the ball passed the bat. The original not out ruling was upheld, gifting Smith a reprieve when he had scored just seven runs.

    Speaking after the day’s play, Smith acknowledged the luck that came his way. “I think so, yeah. I was lucky? Yeah, it seems that way. You got to take it sometimes,” he told reporters. “Maybe I didn’t nick it. I don’t know. But I certainly felt something. If I’d been given out, I was going to walk off. But yeah, technology saved me today, I guess.”

    Smith went on to capitalise on his second chance, compiling a solid 71 runs before he eventually holed out a catch off the bowling of Hasan Mahmud. Notably, this was not the only let-off Smith received on the day; he was also dropped twice by Bangladesh fielders, allowing him to add crucial runs to Australia’s total. Even with Smith’s contribution, however, the rest of Australia’s batting line-up crumbled under pressure from Bangladesh’s attack.

    Mahmud, Bangladesh’s fast bowler, produced the performance of his career to date, taking a stunning six wickets for just 55 runs. His late wicket burst saw Australia collapse from 152-5 to 198 all out, losing their final five wickets for only 46 runs. It was a collapse that few predicted heading into the match, with Australia having never lost a home Test to Bangladesh, and only one loss across the six previous meetings between the sides (a 2017 defeat in Mirpur).

    The controversy around Snicko is nothing new for cricket in Australia, with the technology already at the centre of multiple high-profile disputes during the 2025 Ashes series. In that series, Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey was reprieved after an error by the Snicko operator, while England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith was involved in two separate contentious decisions tied to the technology. Unlike those earlier incidents, which stemmed from misaligned audio and visual data, this week’s controversy came from the complete lack of an audio spike on Snicko’s readout, despite Smith acknowledging he felt contact on the ball.

    By the close of play on day one, Bangladesh had responded strongly to Australia’s total, reaching 96 for the loss of one wicket. Opener Shadman Islam fell early to Mitchell Starc, edging a leading edge to the gully slip cordon, but batsmen Tanzid Hasan Tamim (32 not out) and Mominul Haque (35 not out) put on an unbroken 81-run partnership to steer the tourists to the close. At stumps, Bangladesh trails Australia by just 102 runs, with nine wickets in hand heading into day two of the five-day Test.

    This opening match is the first of a two-Test series between the two sides, with Bangladesh sitting in a strong position to push for a historic first win on Australian soil after a dominant opening day of play.

  • Maghreb sees demographic shift with fertility at historic low

    Maghreb sees demographic shift with fertility at historic low

    Across Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria, the North African Maghreb region is undergoing an unprecedented demographic transformation, as shifting social norms and mounting economic strain push growing numbers of couples to have fewer children, pushing regional fertility rates to all-time historic lows. This rapid decline is upending long-held cultural stereotypes of large, multi-child families that have long defined the region, mirroring similar global demographic shifts while unfolding at a faster, more sustained pace than many experts anticipated.

    A new analysis from France’s National Institute for Demographic Studies (INED) confirms the downward trend is both exceptionally sharp and likely permanent, a shift Tunisian leading demographer Mohamed Ali Ben Zina has described as “profound” in its long-term implications for the region. Official demographic data collected across the three countries underscores the scale of the change: since the 1970s, average fertility rates have dropped by more than half across the Maghreb.

    As of 2024, Tunisia holds the lowest fertility rate in the region, with an estimated average of just 1.53 children per woman, down from 1.58 in 2023. Morocco follows with an average of 1.97 children per woman, while Algeria has the highest regional rate at 2.61.

    Interviews with residents and experts across the region point to a tangled web of interconnected factors driving the shift. Leading demographic researcher Hassen Kassar, based in Tunisia, notes deep structural social changes are at the root of Tunisia’s particularly steep decline: growing urbanization and the modernization of family structures have naturally reduced preferences for large household sizes, he explains.

    Generational shifts in outlook are striking. In Algiers, 66-year-old retired finance executive Said—who asked to not share his full name—grew up one of 10 children. “My father struggled constantly to put food on the table for all of us,” he recalled. “That experience is why I decided to stop at two children. What matters most is that they have enough to eat, proper clothes, and a stable, comfortable life.”

    Economic precarity remains one of the most commonly cited drivers for smaller families. Chaimae Drioui, a researcher and professor at Morocco’s National Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics (INSEA), frames declining fertility as a logical, calculated choice for modern families adjusting to new economic realities. For generations, many low-income Maghreb households viewed children as a long-term financial investment, counting on adult children to support aging parents. That conventional wisdom has flipped completely in recent years, Drioui explains: “Today, raising a child costs far more than any immediate or long-term economic benefit he or she can provide.”

    In Tunis, 42-year-old civil servant Nadia Jaouadi says she and her husband made the deliberate decision to remain childless 10 years ago, a choice she has never regretted. “There is nothing in this current climate that encourages people to have even one child,” she says, pointing to Tunisia’s ongoing deep economic struggles and unstable social environment as core reasons for her choice.

    Beyond financial pressure, growing awareness of the mental and physical toll of parenthood is also pushing many women to limit or forgo having children. Zina, a 42-year-old Algerian woman who had her only daughter at age 38, says she has no plans for a second child: “After giving birth, I understood just how much of a strain motherhood puts on both your physical and mental health.” In Rabat, 38-year-old public sector manager Kaouthar—who also requested partial anonymity—says she has chosen to remain permanently childless: “I opted for a calm life, free from the constant worry and stress that comes with raising a child.”

    Drioui emphasizes that expanding access to education and growing economic empowerment for women have been game-changing in dismantling traditional large-family norms. Longer educational pathways for women and rising professional ambitions have delayed childbearing and reduced the total number of children many choose to have, while rising divorce rates have also altered family planning patterns across the region.

    This dramatic demographic shift comes with far-reaching long-term consequences, most immediately a rapidly aging population across the Maghreb. In Tunisia, adults aged 60 and older already make up 17 percent of the total population, equal to nearly 2 million residents. The trend is less advanced in the other two countries: in 2023, adults 60 and older made up 10 percent of Algeria’s population, while the figure hit 13.8 percent for Morocco in 2024.

    A shrinking working-age population and growing cohort of retirees will put increasing strain on public pension systems and upend the balance between working contributors and retired beneficiaries, experts warn. If current trends hold and deaths begin to outnumber births, INED researchers note that only sustained immigration can prevent overall population decline. Foreign workers could also fill critical labour gaps as the working-age population shrinks.

    But opening borders to large-scale immigration remains a politically and socially sensitive topic across all three Maghreb countries. Even so, some experts say the region will have little choice but to embrace migration from neighbouring regions. Kassar says the writing is already on the wall: “We will need sub-Saharan migrants to address these gaps.”

  • Farage and Count Binface go head-to-head in snap UK poll

    Farage and Count Binface go head-to-head in snap UK poll

    Polling kicked off early Thursday morning in the high-profile Clacton by-election on England’s eastern coast, a deeply unusual contest that pits hard-right Reform UK leader Nigel Farage against an eclectic field of fringe candidates, headlined by satirical hopeful Count Binface. The election has turned into an extraordinary political spectacle after all major mainstream British parties opted to boycott the vote, dismissing the contest as a calculated political stunt.

    The by-election was triggered entirely by Farage’s surprise decision to step down from the Clacton seat he won in the 2024 general election, a move he made in July amid mounting scrutiny of unreported political donations to him and his Reform UK party. Farage framed his resignation as a response to a partisan “stitch-up” by political elites, and quickly announced he would run to reclaim the seat, positioning the contest as a showdown between the people of Clacton and the established Westminster political order.

    “The people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions,” Farage stated in a pre-voting video released Thursday, after casting his own ballot in the coastal town of Walton-on-the-Naze.

    Mainstream parties rejected that framing, however, accusing Farage of calling the unnecessary by-election to pause ongoing parliamentary investigations into his financial dealings, and refused to field official candidates. That left Farage, the anti-immigration Brexit figure whose party led national opinion polls for 18 months before a recent slump in support, facing off against 33 alternative candidates. The most high-profile among them is Count Binface, a long-running satirical political persona created by comedian Jon Harvey.

    Count Binface, who bills himself as an intergalactic space warrior from the fictional planet Sigma IX and wears a repurposed rubbish bin as headgear, marked polling day with a characteristically playful post on social platform X, writing simply: “Bin Day cometh”. An AFP reporter on the ground observed that the sample ballot paper, listing all 34 candidates, is so long it towers over most adult voters at one Clacton polling station.

    The contest fits into a long British tradition of satirical candidates running in elections to poke fun at mainstream politics, and Count Binface is far from the only unusual entrant: the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, another long-running UK satirical political group, is fielding three additional candidates in the race. Almost all candidates in the by-election are standing as independents, marking the largest field of candidates in any UK parliamentary election.

    While leading political analysts widely predict Farage will hold the seat comfortably, recent polling suggests Count Binface could capture as much as 20% of the popular vote, a showing that would turn the joke candidate into a significant embarrassment for the Reform UK leader. The seat is a deeply pro-Brexit constituency, a fact that gives Farage a strong structural advantage: political scientist John Curtice told AFP it would be “astonishing” if Farage failed to win the contest.

    Even so, many political observers argue Farage’s gambit has already backfired, turning what he hoped would be a popular revolt against the establishment into a national joke at his expense. “Farage’s plan to turn this by-election into a serious political battle failed,” Stijn van Kessel, a politics professor at Queen Mary University of London, told AFP. The resulting spectacle, he added, “makes Farage look rather silly”.

    That sentiment was echoed by some local Clacton voters. Phil, a 50-something voter who spoke to AFP after casting his ballot, said: “It’s not going to change anything. I get what he’s saying, but we can’t decide.” He noted that if Farage wins as expected, the paused parliamentary investigation into his finances will simply resume after he retakes his seat.

    The controversies that sparked the by-election extend beyond the parliamentary probe. The UK’s parliamentary sleaze watchdog is currently investigating Farage and Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice over allegations they failed to declare large financial gifts, including a reported £5 million ($6.7 million) donation to Farage from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne. Both men deny any wrongdoing. Separately, London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed they launched an investigation in 2024 into unreported donations to Reform UK ahead of last year’s general election; UK media reports link the probe to non-declared support from convicted fraudster George Cottrell, a longtime Farage ally, and his mother.

    The string of scandals has coincided with a measurable drop in support for Reform UK and Farage personally, a figure who has remained deeply divisive across British politics for decades. Luke Tryl, head of the UK-based research non-profit More in Common, told AFP that Farage’s long-time core supporters “seem largely undeterred” by the controversies, but that more recent converts to the party “might now be wavering”.

    Polls are set to close at 10:00 pm Thursday, with counting starting immediately and a final result expected to be declared by around 7:00 am Friday. Turnout among Clacton’s roughly 80,000 registered voters is expected to be significantly lower than the 59% turnout recorded in the 2024 general election, a drop widely attributed to the absence of candidates from major mainstream parties. While Farage won 46% of the vote and an 8,405-vote majority in 2024 on his eighth attempt to win a parliamentary seat, analysts note comparisons to that result are complicated by the widespread boycott of this 2025 by-election.

  • US ambassador denounces settler siege as Israel dispatches troops

    US ambassador denounces settler siege as Israel dispatches troops

    In a striking turn of events in the long-turbulent occupied West Bank, Israeli military forces launched a fresh operation against extremist rogue settlers on Thursday, responding to unusually blunt public condemnation from the United States ambassador. The operation comes on the same day that Israeli leadership inaugurated a new settlement built on the site of an outpost evacuated more than two decades ago, laying bare the deep internal and diplomatic tensions surrounding settlement expansion in the occupied territory.

    The crisis began last Sunday, when settlers in the area near Nablus imposed a total blockade on multiple Palestinian residential properties, including a home belonging to a United States citizen. Trapped residents report being completely cut off from access to food, drinking water, and critical essential supplies for days. In an extraordinary rebuke from a figure long known as one of the most vocal American backers of Israeli settlement activity, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee issued a scathing public denunciation of the siege on social platform X.

    Huckabee, an evangelical Christian pastor who has spent decades rejecting Palestinian statehood and openly supporting Jewish settlement across the West Bank, wrote that there is “no excuse for such thuggish behaviour”. He added that the intimidation and harassment targeting the besieged Palestinian families amounted to a horrific act of terror, calling the actions “disgusting”. The ambassador also confirmed that Israeli authorities launched the new operation at the explicit request of the US government, Israel’s closest and most critical international ally.

    The Israeli military confirmed that it deployed forces to the Qusra region for a second time overnight, dismantling two unauthorized settler outposts and taking one Israeli settler into custody. But local witnesses report that the majority of the settlers who participated in the blockade remain in surrounding areas near the Palestinian village. Aisha Hassan, a resident trapped inside one of the besieged homes, told reporters that the entire area remains completely sealed off, with no way for humanitarian supplies to reach trapped residents. “The settlers are spread out in nearby areas on the adjacent hill. So far, no one has been able to get food and supplies to us because the area is completely sealed off by the army,” Hassan said.

    Abdel Azim Wadi, mayor of the Palestinian village of Qusra, added that the Israeli military has issued temporary eviction orders for the blockaded Palestinian homes amid its operation to remove the rogue settlers. A day before the overnight deployment, troops had already dismantled most of a makeshift settler tent at the site, but settlers remained defiantly in place, using only blankets for shelter.

    The parallel push to remove the rogue blockade and inaugurate a new settlement underscores the conflicting political pressures facing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hardline government, just weeks ahead of October 27 national elections that current polling indicate will be extremely close. On Thursday, top Israeli officials including Defence Minister Israel Katz gathered to celebrate the reopening of the Ganim settlement in the northern West Bank, which was originally dismantled more than 20 years ago as part of a national disengagement plan designed to reduce friction with Palestinian populations by withdrawing from heavily Palestinian-populated areas. That 2005 plan also saw Israel withdraw all troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip, which later fell under the control of the militant group Hamas.

    The unprecedented criticism from Huckabee has sent shockwaves through the Israeli settlement movement, even among settlement leaders who recognize the ambassador as one of their most stalwart American allies. Oded Revivi, former head of the council for the moderate Jerusalem-area settlement of Efrat, argued that the rebuke from such a reliable friend should serve as a wake-up call for the entire settlement movement. “It is impossible to slap a leftist label on Ambassador Huckabee, the greatest friend of the settlement enterprise in the US,” Revivi said. “If a true friend like Huckabee has to bang on the table, then all of us need to stop and ask how it happened that we lost our way, and fix it immediately.”

    Settler violence against Palestinian communities across the West Bank has risen sharply since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that killed roughly 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Currently, more than 500,000 Israeli settlers reside in West Bank settlements that are widely recognized as illegal under international law, alongside an estimated 3 million Palestinian residents of the occupied territory.

  • Taiwan says AI agents used in cyberattacks targeting island

    Taiwan says AI agents used in cyberattacks targeting island

    In a formal statement released Thursday, Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Affairs confirmed that a coordinated wave of cyberattacks targeting the island’s government agencies in July utilized artificial intelligence agents to boost the scope and efficiency of the intrusions. While Taipei has long pointed to Chinese actors as the source of the vast majority of the millions of daily cyberattacks that hit the self-ruled island, officials stopped short of naming a specific perpetrator in their update on this latest incident.
    Cross-strait tensions have risen steadily in recent years, as Beijing maintains its claim that Taiwan is an integral part of Chinese territory and has ramped up military, political and diplomatic pressure on the island. Taipei has repeatedly accused Beijing of leveraging a range of so-called “grey zone” tactics – actions that stop short of open military conflict – including persistent cyber intrusions to wear down and harass the island’s government and institutions.
    According to the ministry’s statement, affected agencies have already completed all necessary response and remediation measures to contain the breach. Officials did not, however, release additional details about the total scale of the attacks, the level of damage caused, or which specific agencies were targeted. What the ministry did outline is the novel hybrid approach attackers used: combining traditional hacking methods with AI agents, most notably the open-source AI agent platform OpenClaw, to streamline and scale their operations.
    “AI agents can rapidly chain together multiple attack techniques and use secondary systems — such as backup and testing systems — as jumping-off points, giving the attacks the characteristics of high speed, low cost, and large scale,” the ministry explained in its statement. Notably, Chinese technology firms have capitalized on growing interest in the open-source OpenClaw platform, offering low-cost, simplified installation and coding packages that help users deploy the platform’s AI agents on cloud servers, making these enhanced attack tools more accessible than ever.
    The ministry’s confirmation came in response to a recent report from the Financial Times, which first named Taiwan as the target of an autonomous AI-powered attack linked to suspected Chinese hackers. Citing researchers from Israeli artificial intelligence firm Dream, the FT reported that hackers built a fully autonomous attack tool using open-source AI agents, which deployed up to eight independent agents to map 21 separate government systems, identify unpatched vulnerabilities, and automatically adjust tactics when attempts to access systems were blocked. The outlet called the incident the first publicly documented attack of its kind.
    Kenny Huang, chairman of the Taiwan Network Information Center, noted that while AI integration in cyberattacks is not a new development, this breach marks the first publicly confirmed incident where multiple coordinated AI agents were used to carry out a large-scale intrusion against government targets. For years, the United States and other major powers have raised growing alarms over state-backed hacking operations attributed to Beijing that target government agencies, military infrastructure and private sector businesses around the globe. Beijing has consistently denied these accusations, maintaining that it formally opposes all forms of cyberattack and actively enforces crackdowns on malicious cyber activity.

  • Scott Pendlebury and Jordan De Goey cleared for blockbuster clash against Hawthorn

    Scott Pendlebury and Jordan De Goey cleared for blockbuster clash against Hawthorn

    Ahead of one of the most anticipated AFL matchups of the late season, Collingwood Magpies head coach Craig McRae has delivered a much-needed dose of positive news for the club’s fans: veteran star Scott Pendlebury and dynamic playmaker Jordan De Goey will both take the field against Hawthorn this Saturday. The announcement comes at a critical time for the Magpies, who have been decimated by a crippling injury wave that has sidelined several of their top players through the closing rounds of the campaign. High-profile names including captain Darcy Moore, Patrick Lipinski, Jeremy Howe, Brayden Maynard, Harry Perryman and Jamie Elliot all currently sit on the sidelines, leaving the club’s depth severely tested heading into the blockbuster clash. The return of the two experienced midfielders marks a substantial boost to a squad that has been forced to dig into its reserves in recent weeks. Pendlebury, a 440-game club icon, was forced to miss Collingwood’s away trip to Perth last round while managing a persistent calf complaint. Off the field, the veteran has been the subject of widespread speculation in recent days: the 2027 contract is still unsigned, and multiple rival clubs have been linked to a potential move for the champion midfielder, coming just days after fellow Collingwood legend Steele Sidebottom announced his retirement after an 18-year storied career with the club. Speaking to media this week, McRae made clear the club has no intention of rushing Pendlebury into a decision about his future, confirming the veteran will be given all the time he needs to make a call by the end of the season. Addressing recent reports suggesting Pendlebury intends to continue his playing career beyond this season, McRae noted that while he had not personally confirmed those reports, the widespread interest from other clubs comes as no surprise given the midfielder’s ongoing impact both on and off the field. “We’ve had Pendles as a core part of our group for the best part of a decade, and the value he brings to our club environment is incredible,” McRae said. “It makes total sense that other teams would see that same value. All the speculation right now is just around what he could bring to any playing group – the culture he builds, the leadership he provides, the way he mentors younger players. That’s a rare quality.” McRae, who has worked closely with Pendlebury since taking over as head coach in 2022, highlighted the midfielder’s unmatched impact on the club’s emerging talent, adding that his support for young players has become one of his most important contributions to the Magpies’ program in recent seasons.