Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Our CBR is the ACT Government’s key channel to connect with Canberrans and keep you up-to-date with what’s happening in the city. Our CBR includes a monthly print edition, email newsletter and website.
You can easily opt in or out of the newsletter subscription at any time.
Source: Tasmania Police
Issued: 9 Jun 2025
Fines have been issued and people received warnings during a crackdown on vehicle offences and other compliance issues in the region’s national parks and State forests.
In response to local community concerns around illegal motorbike usage, from the noise nuisance to environmental damage, rangers conducted targeted compliance operations.
Senior Ranger Greg reiterates that people should not think they can break laws including the road rules just because they have entered a State forest or national park.
The public are advised that they are responsible for their conduct.
“We will take appropriate compliance and enforcement action to any illegal and unsafe activities within Queensland’s protected areas,” Ranger Greg said.
“If you wouldn’t do it in the middle of Stanthorpe or the local botanic gardens don’t do it in a national park or State forest.
“Our number one priority is the safety of visitors and staff working on our protected areas, and to ensure all visitors can enjoy these natural spaces safely.
“Illegal riding of motorbikes not only endangers riders but also threatens the safety of visitors, our staff, wildlife, and the environment.
Rangers engaged with a number of people in Broadwater State Forest, Main Range National Park, Durikai State Forest and Girraween National Park in relation to unlawful camping, fossicking and other illegal conduct.
A 56-year-old Stanthorpe man was fined $1288 after he and his teenage son were found riding motorbikes in an area closed to all motorised vehicles. Concerningly, the teenager was riding an unregistered motorbike and due to his age didn’t hold a driver’s licence.
The operation also resulted in fines being issued for camping and fossicking offences, including:
Rangers are reminding all visitors that a fossicking licence for an individual currently costs $9.33 per month, and a camping permit currently costs just $7.25 per person per night with children under the age of five staying for free.
“We encourage the community to report any illegal activity to the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service or local police.”
Unlawful activity and antisocial behaviour in national parks and State forests can be reported anonymously by calling 1300 130 372.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
SAN DIEGO, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Turtle Beach Corporation (Nasdaq: TBCH, the “Company”), a leading gaming accessories brand, today announced that its Board of Directors (the “Board”) has approved the adoption of a limited duration stockholder rights plan (the “Rights Plan”) and declared a dividend distribution of one right (“Right”) for each outstanding share of common stock. The record date for such dividend distribution is June 23, 2025.
The adoption of the Rights Plan is intended to enable all stockholders to realize the full potential value of their investment in the Company and protect the Company and its stockholders from the actions of third parties that the Board determines are not in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. In addition, the Rights Plan provides the Board with time to make informed, deliberate decisions that are in the best long-term interests of the Company and its stockholders. The Rights Plan will expire, without any further action being required to be taken by the Board, on June 9, 2026.
The Rights Plan is similar to stockholder rights plans adopted by other publicly-held companies. Under the Rights Plan, the Rights generally would become exercisable only if a person or group acquires beneficial ownership of 10% or more of the Company’s common stock in a transaction not approved by the Board. In that situation, each holder of a Right (other than the acquiring person or group, whose Rights will become void and will not be exercisable) will be able to purchase, upon payment of the then-current exercise price, a number of shares of the Company’s common stock having a market value of twice such price. In addition, if the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination after an acquiring person acquires 10% or more of the Company’s common stock, each holder of the Right would thereafter be able to purchase, upon payment of the then-current exercise price, a number of shares of common stock of the acquiring company having a market value of twice such price. The acquiring person or group would not be entitled to exercise these Rights.
The Rights Plan includes a qualifying offer clause, which provides stockholders with the potential ability to call a special meeting for purposes of exempting a pending offer that meets certain qualifying criteria.
The Rights Plan has not been adopted in response to any specific takeover bid or other proposal to acquire control of the Company and is not intended to deter offers that are fair and otherwise in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.
Stockholders who currently beneficially own 10% or more of the Company’s outstanding common stock will not trigger any penalties under the Rights Plan so long as they do not acquire beneficial ownership of any additional shares of common stock on a cumulative basis, subject to certain exceptions as described in the Rights Plan.
Further details of the Rights Plan will be contained in a Current Report on Form 8-K and in a Registration Statement on Form 8-A that the Company will file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). These filings will be available on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. Copies will also be available at no charge at the Investor Relations section of the Company’s corporate website at corp.turtlebeach.com.
About Turtle Beach
Turtle Beach Corporation (the “Company”) (corp.turtlebeach.com) is one of the world’s leading gaming accessory providers. The Company’s namesake Turtle Beach brand (www.turtlebeach.com) is known for designing best-selling gaming headsets, top-rated game controllers, award-winning PC gaming peripherals, and groundbreaking gaming simulation accessories. Innovation, first-to-market features, a broad range of products for all types of gamers, and top-rated customer support have made Turtle Beach a fan-favorite brand and the market leader in console gaming audio for over a decade. Turtle Beach Corporation acquired Performance Designed Products LLC (www.pdp.com) in 2024. Turtle Beach’s shares are traded on the Nasdaq Exchange under the symbol: TBCH.
Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking information and statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Except for historical information contained in this release, statements in this release may constitute forward-looking statements regarding assumptions, projections, expectations, targets, intentions, or beliefs about future events. Statements containing the words “may,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “estimate,” “target,” “goal,” “project,” “intend” and similar expressions, or the negatives thereof, constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are only predictions and are not guarantees of performance. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, the statements regarding the anticipated benefits and expected consequences of the Rights Plan that the Company has adopted. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. The inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by the Company, or any person, that the objectives of the Company will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current beliefs and expectations, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management.
While the Company believes that its expectations are based upon reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurances that its goals and strategy will be realized. Numerous factors, including risks and uncertainties, may affect actual results and may cause results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements made by the Company or on its behalf. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the effectiveness of the Rights Plan in (i) preventing a third party from taking advantage of the onset of adverse market conditions or recent and potential short-term declines in the Company’s share price to acquire actual or effective control, in the open market or otherwise, of the Company’s common stock without paying a price that reflects the Company’s intrinsic value or long-term prospects, or (ii) providing the Board with an increased period of time to evaluate the adequacy of an acquisition offer, investigate alternatives, solicit competitive proposals, or take other steps necessary to maximize value for the benefit of all the Company’s stockholders, and other factors discussed in our public filings, including the risk factors included in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the Company’s other periodic reports filed with the SEC. Except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States and the rules and regulations of the SEC, the Company is under no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement after the date of this release whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
CONTACTS
Investor Information
ICR
646.277.1285
TBCH@icrinc.com
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
TORONTO, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Altus Group Limited (ʺAltus Group”) (TSX: AIF), a leading provider of commercial real estate (“CRE”) intelligence, today announced the winners of its 16th annual ARGUS University Challenge – a milestone that reflects both the longevity of the program and Altus Group’s continued leadership in the CRE sector during its 20th year as a public company.
The ARGUS University Challenge is an annual global competition organized by Altus Group to immerse university students in the complexities of CRE investment analysis. Students apply ARGUS software to tackle complex CRE investment cases, where they model financial projections, assess risk, and develop investment strategies for hypothetical CRE portfolios. Winners qualify for a scholarship and gain valuable industry exposure, along with the opportunity to showcase their skills to potential employers.
The 2025 winners were selected from more than 124 students representing 24 universities globally. The teams demonstrated their ability to identify and present compelling investment opportunities using industry-leading ARGUS Enterprise, now part of ARGUS Intelligence – which brings together data and advanced analytics for more powerful decision-making.
Each team was challenged to analyze a hypothetical real estate scenario and present a comprehensive investment case. Submissions were evaluated by a panel of industry experts on how effectively students applied ARGUS’ valuation modelling, discounted cash flow analysis, and performance forecasting capabilities – tools that shaped CRE performance analysis for over 30 years and are taught at more than 200 academic institutions worldwide.
“We’re proud to provide students with the opportunity to develop the real-world skills they’ll need as they enter the industry,” said Rich Sarkis, President of ARGUS Software and Data at Altus Group. “This year’s participants demonstrated how quality data and analytics are critical to effective investment decision-making. Our new ARGUS Intelligence platform was built with their generation in mind – designed for a new era of data-savvy professionals who demand deeper insights, faster workflows, and smarter decisions.”
The 2025 ARGUS University Challenge winners are:
1st place: IREBS, University of Regensburg
2nd place: University of San Diego
3rd place: NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate
4th place: London School of Economics and Political Science
The ARGUS University Challenge is part of Altus Group’s broader commitment to cultivating future CRE leaders. Through its academic program, Altus Group provides software and training to over 200 institutions globally, equipping students with the technical expertise and analytical mindset to thrive in a data-driven market.
For more information on the ARGUS University Challenge, please visit: https://www.altusgroup.com/education/argus-university-challenge/
About Altus Group
Altus connects data, analytics, applications, and expertise to deliver the intelligence necessary to drive optimal CRE performance. The industry’s top leaders rely on our market-leading solutions and expertise to power performance and mitigate risk. Our global team of ~2,000 experts are making a lasting impact on an industry undergoing unprecedented change – helping shape the cities where we live, work, and build thriving communities. For more information about Altus (TSX: AIF) please visit www.altusgroup.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Elizabeth Lambe
Director, Global Communications, Altus Group
(416) 641-9787
Elizabeth.Lambe@altusgroup.com
Source: US State of Maine
June 9, 2025
CONTACT:
Ground-level particle pollution concentrations are expected to be in the ‘Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups’ (USG) level according to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
Sunday, USG levels of particle pollution were recorded in the Southwest Coastal area. This morning, levels continue in the USG range. While levels may drop during the day, another plume of wildfire smoke is expected to move in from the east. This is a portion of the plume from the western Canadian wildfires that broke off over Newfoundland and Labrador. It has now moved south of Nova Scotia. Easterly winds are expected to push this plume toward the Maine & New Hampshire coast with the leading edge reaching the shoreline this afternoon.
Currently, smoke is expected to move out on Tuesday. DEP will continue to monitor the situation and update Tuesdays forecast this afternoon.
Smoke may return in the coming days as wildfires continue to burn across Canada.
At elevated levels of particle pollution, children, the elderly, and individuals suffering from respiratory or heart diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, or COPD can experience reduced lung function and irritation. In addition, healthy adults who exert themselves outdoors may also notice these health effects. Affected individuals may notice symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, throat irritation, and/or experience mild chest pain.
Some actions you can take to protect your health during periods of elevated particle pollution levels include:
Additional health information may be found on the following websites:
In addition to those in a sensitive group, others who are responsible for the welfare of people impacted by poor air quality are urged to use one of the listed tools to follow the Air Quality Forecast:
For more information go to Maine DEPs air quality web site.
For additional information, contact: David R. Madore, Deputy Commissioner david.madore@maine.gov
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his second term government is “focused on delivery” of its commitments, declaring this is important not only for the economy but also for Australians’ faith in our democracy.
In a speech to the National Press Club on Tuesday, partially released ahead of delivery, Albanese warns that the present era of global uncertainty reaches beyond just economic uncertainty.
“It is the more corrosive proposition that politics and government and democratic institutions, including a free media, are incapable of meeting the demands of this moment.
“Some simply dismiss such sentiment. Others cynically seek to harvest it. Our responsibility is to disprove it.
“To recognise that some of this frustration is drawn from people’s real experience with government – be it failures of service delivery, or falling through the cracks of a particular system.
“And to counter this, we have to offer the practical and positive alternative.To prove that a good, focused, reforming Labor government can make a real difference to people’s lives.”
Albanese’s speech comes ahead of his departure later this week for the G7 summit in Canada, where he is expected to meet US President Donald Trump on the sidelines.
Their talks are set to cover, in particular, the Albanese government’s bid for relief from the Trump tariffs and the president’s desire for Australia to significantly boost its spending on defence.
Australia is subject to both the general US 10% tariff and the separate tariff on steel and aluminium, which the president has just increased to 50%.
Australia will put on the table a proposal for arrangements on access to our critical minerals and rare earths, that will favour the US. The government has also been examining a way to give access to US beef, which currently faces an effective ban on biosecurity grounds.
Albanese has stressed that any change would not compromise Australian biosecurity.
The Trump administration has flagged it would like to see Australia boost defence spending to 3.5% of GDP. Albanese has said Australia makes its own defence decisions and that spending should be based on capability needs rather than a set percentage.
Albanese’s stress, in his speech, on “delivery” of commitments is partly to manage expectations in the wake of the government’s massive majority.
The unexpected election result has led to some pressures on the government to use its position to undertake a more radical agenda than the one it put at the election.
Albanese says: “Our government’s vision and ambition for Australia’s future was never dependent on the size of our majority.
“But you can only build for that future vision if you build confidence that you can deliver on urgent necessities.
“How you do that is important too – ensuring that the actions of today, anticipate and create conditions for further reform tomorrow.”
He says the government’s second-term agenda has been shaped by Australians’ lives, priorities and values.
“It is the mission and the measure of a Labor government to give those enduring ideals of fairness, aspiration and opportunity renewed and deeper meaning, for more Australians.
“To deliver reforms that hold no-one back – and drive progress that leaves no-one behind.
“This is no small task. It demands we aim high and requires us to build big.”
He points to the government’s promised big investment in Medicare as well as its commitments on housing and the energy transition.
“Our vision is for a society that is a microcosm for the world – where all are respected and valued and our diversity is recognised as a strength.
“Where our international relationships in the fastest growing region of the world in human history benefit us, but also provide a platform for us to play a stabilising global role in uncertain times.”
Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Albanese says the government’s focus on delivering commitments is essential to reinforce faith in democracy – https://theconversation.com/albanese-says-the-governments-focus-on-delivering-commitments-is-essential-to-reinforce-faith-in-democracy-257331
Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Everton Silva, Doutorando no Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA)
Despite serving as crucial guardians of biodiversity, traditional communities continue to be systematically excluded from developing and managing protected areas. This often subtle, silent exclusion has fueled persistent, complex socio-environmental conflicts, harming both conservation and the welfare of Indigenous peoples, riverside populations, Afro-Brazilian quilombola communities, and smallholder farmers.
A recent study, “Socio-environmental Conflicts and Traditional Communities in Protected Areas: A Scientometric Analysis,” published in the Journal for Nature Conservation, mapped how scientific literature has examined these conflicts over time.
Researchers from the Federal University of Western Pará (UFOPA), the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), the University of International Integration of Afro-Brazilian Lusophony (UNILAB), and the Vale Institute of Technology (ITV) collaborated on the study as part of the National Institute of Science and Technology in Synthesis of Amazonian Biodiversity (INCT-SynBiAm) and the Eastern Amazon Biodiversity Research Program (PPBio-AmOr).
The team reviewed 263 scientific articles published worldwide between 1990 and August 2024, sourced from Scopus and Web of Science. Their analysis revealed significant gaps in research on this topic and offered recommendations for more just, inclusive, and effective management of protected territories.
The research shows not only a rise in conflicts involving traditional communities and protected zones, but also their diversity. The main sources of tension are:
1. Access to subsistence resources: Local prohibitions—often unilaterally enacted—restrict fishing, hunting, gathering, and subsistence agriculture, all vital for food and income. These constraints sever longstanding traditions of sustainable resource use, leading to food insecurity and marginalization.
For example, in Ethiopia’s Nech Sar National Park, new conservation policies have curtailed local residents’ access to nature, sparking community tension and resistance.
2. Exclusionary management of protected areas: Community voices are rarely included in decisions about protected area creation or management. The absence of prior consultation and disregard for traditional knowledge often yield policies disconnected from local realities. Such centralized management breeds resentment and undermines conservation; participatory governance is essential to socio-environmental justice.
A study in Chile involving Aymaras, Atacameñas, and Mapuche-Huilliches communities found that while participatory practices and technical support from the CONAF forest agency improved perceptions, dissatisfaction persists due to initial exclusion. Many continue to assert ancestral land rights and demand meaningful input, highlighting the urgent need to build trust and align conservation with social justice.
3. Conflicts involving wildlife: Local communities contend with damaged crops, attacks on domestic animals, and even threats to personal safety. Large mammals such as elephants, lions, jaguars, and buffalo are the main culprits. Habitat loss and depleted food sources exacerbate these incidents. Peaceful coexistence requires inclusive, context-specific solutions.
A study from Ethiopia highlighted rising human-wildlife conflict in Chebera Churchura National Park: crop invasion, livestock predation and disease, and increased risks to human life were all reported.
4. Territorial disputes and land rights: Many protected areas overlap with territories long used by traditional peoples. Disavowed land rights provoke legal battles, forced displacement, and greater insecurity, compounding social challenges. Formal recognition of collective land title is key to reducing conflict and ensuring autonomy; these disputes exemplify the global fight for territorial justice.
In Mexico, a recent study documents the impact of land privatization, livestock expansion, plantations, and urbanization in the protected areas of Veracruz, Chiapas, and Morelos. It generated a land market that is disrupting Indigenous and peasant communities and threatening both their territories and forest conservation.
5. Cultural and socioeconomic disruption: Establishing protected areas can upend ways of life rooted in symbolic, generational relationships with nature. Prohibiting customary practices disrupts rituals, beliefs, and the intergenerational transmission of knowledge, silently eroding local cultures.
In the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, studies have noted frequent friction between Indigenous groups, recreational visitors, and managing agencies. Issues include access to sacred sites and resources on traditional lands, visitor infrastructure, permitted activities, and even place names.
6. Lack of recognition and real participation: When communities are denied a voice in decisions, historical inequities deepen, fueling conflict. Despite legal progress, many traditional groups remain excluded from governance. Without meaningful participation, environmental policy fails to address local needs—highlighting the urgent need for community leadership and real power-sharing in conservation.
Italy’s Monti Sibillini National Park in the Central Apennines offers an instructive case: rural depopulation has coincided with rising friction between environmental managers and locals. Imposed bureaucratic guidelines, unresponsiveness to community aspirations, and challenging collaboration between the park and municipalities have generated mutual frustration and hostility. This underscores the need for “knowledge democracy” and truly participatory stewardship that respects diverse ways of living on the land.
Within Brazil, the same types of socio-environmental strife observed worldwide are especially acute in national protected areas. Research shows that even in sustainably managed zones like Extractive Reserves, communities regularly face resource restrictions and limited decision-making power—a recipe for lingering resentment and compromised conservation. Centralized authority and denial of customary land rights often lead to drawn-out disputes, mirroring patterns across the Global South.
These findings highlight Brazil’s urgent need for strong co-management models—mechanisms that value local knowledge and foster territorial justice.
Such tensions cluster in nature reserves and national parks, where regulatory regimes often disregard local lifeways and worldviews. Although the law guarantees consultation and participation mechanisms like free, prior, and informed consultation, they are often ignored or implemented ineffectively.
Another key finding: 66.54% of studies focused on non-Indigenous populations, while only 16.73% examined Indigenous peoples exclusively. This imbalance exposes the under-representation of research attentive to the full range of traditional communities.
Such gaps hinder efforts to understand these peoples’ rich cultural and ecological realities—and in turn, weakens recognition of their expertise and the value of their knowledge for global biodiversity conservation. Scientific consensus now affirms the vital role these communities play in preservation, yet too often they are treated as problems to be managed, not as collaborative partners.
Ensuring traditional communities participate in planning and stewarding protected lands is not only a matter of justice, but fundamental to effective conservation. Sustainable outcomes depend on their involvement. This study underscores the urgent need for public policies that are both inclusive and tailored to local conditions, embedding traditional knowledge as an indispensable part of conservation solutions, not as an obstacle.
Worldwide, co-management experiments show that community involvement fosters compliance with conservation rules, improves governance, and delivers stronger socio-environmental benefits.
While most studies reviewed focus on countries in the Global South—like Brazil and India—research production is dominated by institutions in the Global North. This reflects persistent “parachute science”: fieldwork by foreign scientists in rich biodiversity zones, often excluding local scientists and communities from the research process. Such projects often leave little local benefit, treating Amazonian residents as data collectors or study subjects.
To address this, efforts must shift toward empowering Amazonian scientific institutions and researchers, strengthening their role in shaping conservation and research agendas, and realizing epistemic justice. Investments are especially needed in institutions serving remote, often overlooked regions of the Amazon.
With robust support, these institutions can fill crucial gaps—producing research attuned to local realities, expanding our understanding of Amazonian ecosystems, and inspiring new generations of scientists.
Researchers living and working in the Amazon possess deep, context-sensitive knowledge of the territory, enabling them to pose more relevant questions and craft solutions suited to regional challenges and opportunities. Their scholarship, in ongoing dialogue with both environment and community, enriches global science and yields practical advances that matter for daily life in the forest.
Proximity to Indigenous, riverside, and urban populations also enables more authentic community participation in research. When research projects originate from local priorities and perspectives, they strengthen communities, help protect biodiversity, and affirm the possibility of uniting science, social justice, and climate action.
Leandro Juen has a productivity grant from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), research projects funded by CNPq, the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), the Amazon Foundation for Studies and Research (FAPESPA) and the BRC Biodiversity Consortium.
Everton Silva, Fernando Abreu Oliveira, Fernando Geraldo de Carvalho, James Ferreira Moura Junior, José Max B. Oliveira-Junior, Karina Dias-Silva e Mayerly Alexandra Guerrero Moreno não presta consultoria, trabalha, possui ações ou recebe financiamento de qualquer empresa ou organização que poderia se beneficiar com a publicação deste artigo e não revelou nenhum vínculo relevante além de seu cargo acadêmico.
– ref. The path to conserving protected areas in the Amazon lies in uniting public policy with traditional local knowledge – https://theconversation.com/the-path-to-conserving-protected-areas-in-the-amazon-lies-in-uniting-public-policy-with-traditional-local-knowledge-258348
Source: City of Plymouth
Public health officials in Plymouth are warning people about blue tablets being sold illegally as Valium. These tablets may come in blister packs with Arabic writing.
This follows the news that three people died after taking what is believed to be these tablets.
Professor Steve Maddern, Director of Public Health for Plymouth City Council, said:
“Any loss of a life is a tragedy, and we want to prevent it happening to anyone else. We’re very concerned about these tablets. We cannot currently speculate about the content of these drugs whilst they are being tested, but we do want people to be aware. They might look like Valium, but they could be contaminated with another substance and therefore more toxic. If you or someone you know has these tablets, do not take them.”
What to do if someone becomes unwell
If someone has taken drugs and becomes unwell, call 999 straight away or take them to Derriford Hospital’s Emergency Department. Don’t wait—doctors and nurses are there to help, not to judge.
If the person is unconscious but breathing, put them in the recovery position. This helps keep their airway clear. You can find more advice on the FRANK website.
Reducing the risk
The safest option is not to take these pills at all. But if you do choose to use drugs:
Detective Inspector Michelle Dunn from Devon and Cornwall Police said: “We are currently investigating the unexplained deaths of three men in Plymouth which occurred over the weekend.
“At this time, the deaths are believed to be drug related and we are working closely with our partner agencies to establish the full circumstances.
“Anyone with information which may assist police is asked to call 101 or report via our website quoting reference 50250144278.”
Want to learn more or get support?
NAP Plymouth runs free monthly training on drugs and naloxone for anyone supporting people who use drugs. Find them on Facebook at NAP Plymouth 66 or email [email protected]
If you’re looking for help with your own drug use, contact Harbour on 01752 434343 or visit harbour.org.uk.
Hamoaze House offers support for anyone affected by someone else’s drug or alcohol use. Their Affected Others group meets every Friday from 1–3pm. Call 01752 566100 to get in touch.
Anyone with information about these pills are asked to contact police through their website, or call 101.
Source: New South Wales – News
Police are at the scene of a serious crash at Currency Creek.
The single vehicle collision occurred on Alexandrina Road, Currency Creek just after 9pm on Monday 9 June.
Motorists are advised to avoid the area if possible.
Traffic is being diverted around the scene via Airport Road.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Victoria Mapplebeck, Professor in Digital Arts, Royal Holloway University of London
Ten years ago I was at a preview screening at the British Film Institute (BFI) of short films shot and set in London. My smartphone-filmed short, 160 Characters, was part of the programme and told the story of me raising my son Jim alone.
I was excited to have my film included, but by the end of the night I was a little less euphoric. I was one of only a handful of women directors screening work that night and almost every film in the programme was set on a council estate, featuring one-dimensional characters who were either mad, bad or sad.
At the post-screening drinks, I met some of the male directors who’d written and directed those films. Several of them had put between £20,000 and £40,000 of their own money into their productions, hoping their short would be the calling card to their first feature. Having a “day job” was not a concept they seemed to have come across.
Flash forward a decade and I’m at a Reclaim The Frame preview screening of Daisy May Hudson’s feature drama Lollipop, watching her receive a standing ovation from an audience who – like me – were bowled over by the authenticity and power of her storytelling .
Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.
Lollipop is a BBC Films-funded feature drama which tells the story of Molly (Posy Sterling), recently out of a prison after serving a four-month sentence. She comes out to find she has lost her council housing and custody of her kids. Molly finds herself in the mother of all catch-22s: she can’t get housing because she doesn’t have her kids living with her, but she can’t get them back without a roof over her head.
On the surface, this film could read like another council estate melodrama. But Lollipop is the polar opposite of middle class fantasies of working class life. When Hudson was writing it she drew on her own experience of homelessness, explored in her debut feature documentary, Half Way (2015).
In Half Way, Hudson, her mum and her kid sister find themselves stuck in “half way” hostels in an endless battle with council bureaucrats who meet their escalating housing crisis with a continual chorus of “computer says no”.
There’s a great scene in which Hudson’s sister complains that the film is too heavy and that she’s sick of talking about their “trauma”. She jokes: “I was thinking we need to liven this documentary up, it’s really dull and miserable and boring, we just talk about doom and gloom stuff.” She goes on to mimic Hudson’s line of questions about how they’re all “feeling”.
Hudson’s decision to keep that scene in gave us a much needed reminder of how many documentary directors fall into the trap of “poverty porn” in which the money shot is the tear rolling down your protagonist’s cheek.
Watching Lollipop with an audience of mainly women, there were a lot of tears but also lots of laughter. Hudson continues to see the importance of humour in her stories as a way of enriching and empowering her characters. She explains in the film’s production notes: “Although Lollipop is grounded in real-life, I never want to see women as victims on screen, because we’re so full of life, there’s so much about us.”
In Hudson’s entirely female cast, Molly and her best mate Amina (Idil Ahmed) are fierce single mums who transform the challenges they face into laugh-out-loud moments of comedy. The film is about the power of their friendship, their love for their kids and their sense of humour.
When it came to casting, Hudson wanted to work with women actors – professionals and first timers – who could relate to what the characters were going through. In the film’s production notes, Hudson explains:
I come from a lived experience background, and it was really important to me that I worked with women with lived experience … women who felt full and rounded, not perfect. Every woman you see in the film is someone trying to do their best. We’re humans. We’re messy, and our beauty is in our messiness.
Hudson’s work is part of a new wave of film and TV drama and comedy written and directed by women who are empowered rather than disempowered by their messiness.
Cash Carraway’s Rain Dogs (2023), Sophie Willan’s Alma’s Not Normal (2020), Michelle de Swarte’s Spent (2024) and Charlotte Regan’s debut feature drama, Scrapper (2023) are all part of an emerging genre of stories in which we finally see working class characters who are well written and relatable. Every one of these directors has mined the highs and lows of their own lives to create these funny, flawed, complex and ultimately believable characters.
Rain Dogs*, for instance,* follows the roller-coaster journey of Costello (Daisy May Cooper), a single mum battling to find a permanent home for her and her nine-year-old daughter. Carraway has said of her series:
We don’t see interesting single mothers in TV. We don’t really see that many interesting people living in poverty. If we do, it’s always politicised. I wanted to make it entertaining.
Hudson echoes these sentiments. Speaking to me over the phone, she explains:
Lollipop isn’t issue-led. I don’t want to shout from the rooftops and talk about everything that’s wrong with the world. Yes, the context is these things that I care strongly about. But ultimately, I want audiences to come away, feeling: Wow, isn’t love a magical thing?“
Hudson’s mantra in both life and film is to: “Turn your pain into power and into medicine.” Her women characters have an alchemy and agency we rarely see in the black and white council estate films that became such a staple of UK independent films in the 80s and 90s. Hudson’s women aren’t victims or martyrs, the magic of Lollipop is that she has created fascinating real characters – and captured them in glorious technicolour.
Victoria Mapplebeck does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Lollipop: women have alchemy and agency in this council estate drama that’s the antithesis of poverty porn – https://theconversation.com/lollipop-women-have-alchemy-and-agency-in-this-council-estate-drama-thats-the-antithesis-of-poverty-porn-258123
Source: Scotland – City of Perth
These projects are a part of the Council’s and Scottish Government’s ongoing play area upgrade programme.
Four play parks, Langlands Park in Luncarty, The Well Green in Scotlandwell, Westfield Common in Rattray, and Greenloaning, have all undergone full upgrades as part of the council’s commitment to enhancing outdoor spaces for communities. On Friday 6 June, Langlands Park, The Well Green and Westfield Common were officially opened, with community celebrations at each location.
The upgrades include a wide range of new play equipment and surfacing, designed to make each park more fun, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable.
These improvements were shaped in partnership with community councils, local schools, and residents, ensuring the new spaces reflect the needs and aspirations of the people who use them most.
A unique feature of the project is the installation of commemorative boards at each site, combining printed acknowledgements with handwritten signatures from those involved creating a lasting tribute to the community spirit behind the transformation.
Local children also played a key role, contributing creative ideas, designing logos for park signage, and sharing their hopes for the future of their play spaces through a detailed consultation process.
Councillor Richard Watters, Convenor of Climate Change and Sustainability Committee said: “We are delighted to see these play parks transformed into vibrant, welcoming spaces for children and families.
“This investment reflects our ongoing commitment to improving local amenities and supporting healthy, active lifestyles. We hope these parks will be enjoyed by the community for many years to come.”
Combining a free draining circular pathway, the play areas contain soft fall areas of wood chip. A large climbing net and basket swing provides fun for the older children whilst a multi-unit, roundabout and springies keep the younger children engaged. A zip line also provides family fun on the other side of the greenspace. Coupled with the community run BMX track and MANTALK Blairgowrie garden this greenspace provides facilities for all.
Includes a thrilling new zip line, monkey bars, swings, and other modern play equipment. Located on the site of a freshwater well, the history of the site is noted in the entrance sign and was once used as an area to dry clothing lines manufactured from locally grown flax.
Features a hybrid grass surfacing that combines artificial and natural grass for a durable, safe play area. Aimed at the younger children, the play area was developed and relocated following consultation with the Community Council and local school. Combining the adjacent route to school with a line-marked cycleway helps provide the opportunity for young children to learn road safety skills at roundabouts and junctions. There is also a ‘hopscotch’ marked on the footway, which we are sure must be used by all age groups, sometimes ‘secretly!’
Located within the greenspace area of a housing estate this facility provides for all the family with picnic benches for family feasts and a range of play equipment for all ages. A rubber surfacing keeps the site useable in all weathers with the play equipment combining a range of vibrant natural colours. The equipment is manufactured from many recycled materials including ‘used fishing nets’ melted down and used in the production for the recycled plastic posts, guaranteed for life.
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
The results of the 18th All-Russian (with international participation) competition of social advertising “Exit” have been summed up. The competition has been held since 2007 on the basis of Lipetsk State Technical University. This year the festival was dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and the year of the Defender of the Fatherland.
The competition received over 300 entries. Projects by students majoring in Advertising and Public Relations at the State University of Management won a record number of prizes in various competition nominations.
Winning and prize-winning projects completed by student teams within the framework of the SUM project activities:
Nomination “PR-project”: Subject – Healthy lifestyle 1st place – “Mental Help – for your health” Project team: Victoria Vlasova, Victoria Dudetskaya, Valeria Solodkova, Sofia Zhigalkina (RISSO in business 2-3), manager – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
Valeriya Solodkova: “Our development is dedicated to the current topic of youth mental health. The target audience of our project is young people suffering from depression, anxiety disorders, phobias, stress disorders and other psychological problems. It is important for such people to monitor their health and condition. We have developed a concept and design solutions for a mobile application that is designed to support people with mental problems and improve their well-being.”
Theme: Strong family – strong state 1st place – “Babylon – the door to the diversity of the world” Project team: Chaleleshvili Mariami, Basencyan Meri (RISSO in business 2-3), leader – Timokhovich Alexandra Nikolaevna.
Basentsyan Meri: “In a modern multicultural society, people are not sufficiently informed about the culture and traditions of different nations and nationalities. The lack of a single platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience between representatives of different cultures makes it difficult to preserve and pass on cultural heritage to future generations. As part of the completed project solutions, we offer the audience not only to get acquainted with the culture of other peoples by providing information about traditions, languages, art, history, but also to exchange cultural samples, unite in communities of interest.”
2nd place – “VUZ Directions – your chance!” Project team: Anna Antipa, Olga Lazarenko, Ekaterina Zamordueva, Veronika Kviring, Maria Rasskazova (RISSO in business 2-3), leader – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
Olga Lazarenko: “In connection with the opening up of new technological opportunities, the structure of the labor market is changing. The problem of professional self-determination is becoming relevant. Teenagers often face the problem of choosing a future profession, since it is quite rare that young people in their youth are able to accurately determine in which professional field they would like to develop. Our project developments allow schoolchildren and their parents, as well as adults who want to change their profession, to choose a direction for study at a university or in additional professional education courses, and to decide on a future profession.”
2nd place – “Profor” Project team: Veronika Aparina, Kira Bogatkina, Anna Vaslyaeva, Ksenia Ignatyeva, Sofia Mazeina, Anna Shorohova (RISSO in business 3-1), leader – Elena Vadimovna Dianina.
Shorokhova Anna: “We thought for a long time about how to help schoolchildren with the choice of a university and profession, since we also faced this problem when entering. That’s why the idea arose to create a career guidance mobile application – “Profor”. We want the children to be able to understand their interests and find their favorite thing with the help of our mobile application.”
Subject: We are against crime and corruption 2nd place – “Connectify – there is a solution!” Project team: Angelina Igoshina, Victoria Zobnina, Ruslana Bulakh, Polina Savina, Lolita Krasotina (RISSO in business 2-3), leader – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
Bulakh Ruslana: “In the conditions of globalization of the labor market, the key factor of success is the ability to quickly find reliable business partners. We have developed a concept and solutions for a digital product that allows not only to quickly find the necessary professional contacts for business, but can be used as a network of professional connections necessary for career growth and professional self-realization.”
Nomination “PR-project”: Subject – Doing good 1st place – “Helping the tails” Authors: Ulyana Eremina, Elizaveta Patorova, Alexandra Podganina (RISSO in business 2-2), manager – Elena Vadimovna Dianina.
Topic — Live soberly! 3rd place — “Gambling is an irreversible choice” Authors: Violetta Vdovitsa, Alina Karpova, Shonia Sofiko (RISSO in business 3-1), leader — Elena Vadimovna Dianina.
Subject: We are against crime and corruption 3rd place: “Don’t tolerate! Don’t be afraid! Don’t be silent!” Authors: Bulakh Ruslana, Dudetskaya Victoria, Peldiakova Darya (RISSO in business 2-3), leader: Dianina Elena Vadimovna.
Topic — Social networks, or Where are you, our children? 2nd place — “Virtual shackles” Authors: Anastasia Lazinkova, Polina Pukhova, Maria Sineok (RISSO in business 2-3), leader — Elena Vadimovna Dianina.
3rd place – “Leaving Online 2.0” Authors: Marina Zotkina (PRK 1-1), Svetlana Akimova (RISSO in Business 4-2), supervisor – Elena Vadimovna Dianina.
Nomination “Audio Advertising”: Subject – Road Wars 1st place – “Faster Speed – Shorter Life” Authors: Daria Klyuzhina, Anastasia Morozova, Lyubov Savostyanova (Digital Marketing Communications 3-2), supervisor – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
3rd place – “Safe Path” Authors: Veronika Aparina, Sofia Mazeina (RISSO in business 3-1), leader – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
Topic: You need to live soberly 2nd place – “Every fifth” Authors: Egor Meshcheryakov, Violetta Evteeva, Artem Vozyakov (Digital Marketing Communications 3-2), supervisor – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
3rd place – “Make a conscious choice” Authors: Valeria Gusarova, Dmitry Dzhafarov, Ekaterina Kalchenko (RISSO in business 3-2), leader – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
Subject — Healthy lifestyle 1st place — “Beautiful jars are not for you” Authors: Ulyana Sorokina, Sofia Alekseeva (RISSO in business 3-3), leader — Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich
2nd place – “The Key to a Happy Childhood” Authors: Elizaveta Chabanova, Sofia Petrova, Diana Shakurova (Promotion of New Business 3-1), supervisor – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
Topic: A strong family means a strong country 2nd place: “Take a step towards happiness” Authors: Daria Barinova, Kristina Kazakova, Linara Valeeva (RISSO in business 3-2), leader: Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
Subject: Family and children’s problems 1st place – “It’s time to act” Authors: Elizaveta Ilyinichna Fedoseeva, Daria Aleksandrovna Yezhova (RISSO in business 3-1), supervisor – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
2nd place – “Don’t forget your elders” Authors: Dmitry Denisov, Pavel Polyakov, Riad Faig oglu Gubatov, Viktor Lozovsky (Promotion of new business 3-1), leader – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
Topic — Social networks, or Where are you, our children? 1st place — “Take a break” Authors: Anisimova Ioanna, Petrosyan Diana (Promotion of new business 3-1), supervisor — Timokhovich Alexandra Nikolaevna.
2nd place – “Protect yourself on the Internet” Authors: Salnikova Sabina, Karpova Alina, Korotkaya Daria (RISSO in business 3-1), supervisor – Timokhovich Alexandra Nikolaevna.
Subject: Ecoworld 1st place – “Take a pet from a shelter” Authors: Anna Badayeva, Ksenia Stavtseva (RISSO in business 3-1), leader – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
2nd place – “Don’t betray them” Authors: Elizaveta Zhazhina (Promotion of new business 3-1), supervisor – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
2nd place – “Let’s help together” Authors: Ksenia Kalichkova, Maria Vanyakina (Digital Marketing Communications 3-2), supervisor – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
3rd place – “Recycle for the sake of life” Authors: Ruslan Dasaev (RISSO in business 3-3), supervisor – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
3rd place – “Find a friend today” Authors: Maria Sitnikova, Nikita Anufriev (Digital Marketing Communications 3-1), supervisor – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
Nomination: “Outdoor and Print Advertising” Subject: Healthy Lifestyle 3rd place: “Live Here and Now” Authors: Stephanie Maria, Widow Violetta (RISSO in Business 3-1), manager: Timokhovich Alexandra Nikolaevna.
Congratulations to the winning teams and scientific supervisors!
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
TEL AVIV, Israel, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alarum Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq, TASE: ALAR) (“Alarum” or the “Company”), a global provider of web data collection solutions, today announced an update to its revenue and Adjusted EBITDA outlook for the second quarter ending June 30, 2025, driven by enhanced momentum and demand from several existing customers since the previous guidance date, which has led to a significant increase in usage – resulting in higher-than-anticipated consumption of Alarum’s data collection products and services.
The Company now estimates to report second quarter 2025 revenue of approximately $8.8 million ±3%, compared to its previous estimate of $7.9 million ±3%. In addition, the Company now expects to report adjusted EBITDA ranging from $1.0 million to $1.5 million, compared to $0.5 million to $0.8 million. As previously highlighted, the market in which the Company operates is still taking shape and at this point continues to be highly dynamic and unpredictable. Volatility may remain high, and the Company is planning accordingly.
The Company is unable to present a reconciliation of its estimated adjusted EBITDA to net profit as it is unable to predict with reasonable certainty, and without unreasonable effort, the impact and timing of certain expenses on the Company’s net profit. The financial impact of these expenses is uncertain and is dependent on various factors, including timing, and could be material to the Company’s consolidated statements of profit or loss and other comprehensive income (loss).
This update is provided in accordance with the Company’s internal policy of issuing an update as its current quarterly revenue outlook is expected to deviate by at least 10% from the previously announced average of the outlook.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates” and similar expressions or variations of such words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. For example, Alarum is using forward-looking statements in this press release when it provides updated estimates regarding second quarter 2025 revenues and Adjusted EBITDA, whether the recent surge in usage will continue in subsequent periods and potential volatility. Because such statements deal with future events and are based on Alarum’s current expectations, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties and actual results, performance or achievements of Alarum could differ materially from those described in or implied by the statements in this press release. The forward-looking statements contained or implied in this press release are subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in Alarum’s annual report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 20, 2025, and in any subsequent filings with the SEC. Except as otherwise required by law, Alarum undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. References and links to websites have been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such websites is not incorporated by reference into this press release. Alarum is not responsible for the contents of third-party websites.
The Company is providing revenue and adjusted EBITDA estimates in this press release, rather than final amounts, primarily because the financial closing process and review are not yet complete and, as a result, the Company’s final results upon completion of its closing process and review may vary from these preliminary estimates.
INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT:
Source: US State of Maine
June 7, 2025
CONTACT:
Ground-level particle pollution concentrations are expected to continue in the ‘Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups’ (USG) level according to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to move into the Northern Maine region with hourly monitored values of particle pollution in the USG range for the remainder of Saturday. With light winds forecasted, these higher values are expected to linger throughout the day. The remainder of Maine is projected to remain in the Moderate range. Meanwhile, ozone is expected to reach the Moderate range for the Southwest and Mid-Coastal regions and Good for the remainder of the state.
On Sunday, weather conditions are expected to remain consistent, and currently, air quality forecasters are not expecting wildfire smoke to move out of the Maine area. The Northern & Western Mountains regions are expected to be in the USG range. While the remainder of the state is expected to remain in the Moderate range for particle pollution since smoke can be slow to clean out. Ozone is expected to be in the Good range statewide.
On Monday easterly winds may push smoke westward and out of Maine. However, another plume may move down from Labrador and could impact Maine. Currently the forecast is Moderate statewide for particle pollution. The public is urged to check the DEP website later in the day as the forecast is expected to be revised late Sunday afternoon.
At elevated levels of particle pollution, children, the elderly, and individuals suffering from respiratory or heart diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, or COPD can experience reduced lung function and irritation. In addition, healthy adults who exert themselves outdoors may also notice these health effects. Affected individuals may notice symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, throat irritation, and/or experience mild chest pain.
Some actions you can take to protect your health during periods of elevated particle pollution levels include:
Additional health information may be found on the following websites:
In addition to those in a sensitive group, others who are responsible for the welfare of people impacted by poor air quality are urged to use one of the listed tools to follow the Air Quality Forecast:
For more information go to Maine DEPs air quality web site.
For additional information, contact: David R. Madore, Deputy Commissioner david.madore@maine.gov
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
In a remarkable push towards inclusive financial empowerment, the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) has sanctioned over ₹33.65 lakh crore in loans to more than 52.5 crore small and micro-entrepreneurs over the last eleven years — more than the combined population of the USA, Russia, and Australia.
Launched in 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the vision of “Funding the Unfunded,” PMMY has become a game-changer for first-time entrepreneurs, especially from marginalized communities. Of the total sanctioned loans, ₹11.58 lakh crore has been extended to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and OBCs, underscoring the government’s commitment to “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayaas.”
Women have emerged as the biggest beneficiaries, receiving 68% of the total MUDRA loans—over 35.38 crore loans worth ₹14.72 lakh crore—boosting their participation in the national economy and fostering a new generation of female entrepreneurs.
PMMY offers collateral-free loans under four categories:
Shishu (up to ₹50,000),
Kishor (₹50,000 to ₹5 lakh),
Tarun (₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh), and the newly introduced
Tarun Plus (₹10 lakh to ₹20 lakh), supporting businesses at various growth stages.
As India continues to strengthen its MSME sector, PMMY remains a key pillar in promoting self-reliance and entrepreneurship across every strata of society.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Shortis, Adjunct Senior Fellow, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University
“You just [expletive] shot the reporter!”
Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was in the middle of a live cross, covering the protests against the Trump administration’s mass deportation policy in Los Angeles, California. As Tomasi spoke to the camera, microphone in hand, an LAPD officer in the background appeared to target her directly, hitting her in the leg with a rubber bullet.
Earlier, reports emerged that British photojournalist Nick Stern was undergoing emergency surgery after also being hit by the same “non-lethal” ammunition.
The situation in Los Angeles is extremely volatile. After nonviolent protests against raids and arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents began in the suburb of Paramount, US President Donald Trump issued a memo describing them as “a form of rebellion against the authority of the government of the United States”. He then deployed the National Guard.
As much of the coverage has noted, this is not the first time the National Guard has been deployed to quell protests in the US.
In 1970, members of the National Guard shot and killed four students protesting the war in Vietnam at Kent State University. In 1992, the National Guard was deployed during protests in Los Angeles following the acquittal of four police officers (three of whom were white) in the killing of a Black man, Rodney King.
Trump has long speculated about violently deploying the National Guard and even the military against his own people.
During his first administration, at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, former Secretary of Defence Mark Esper alleged that Trump asked him, “Can’t you just shoot them, just shoot them in the legs or something?”
Trump has also long sought to other those opposed to his radical agenda to reshape the United States and its role in the world. He’s classified them as “un-American” and, therefore, deserving of contempt and, when he deems it necessary, violent oppression.
During last year’s election campaign, he promised to “root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country”. Even the Washington Post characterised this description of Trump’s “political enemies” as “echoing Hitler, Mussolini”.
In addition, Trump has long peddled baseless conspiracies about “sanctuary cities”, such as Los Angeles. He has characterised them as lawless havens for his political enemies and places that have been “invaded” by immigrants. As anyone who has ever visited these places knows, that is not true.
It is no surprise that in the same places Trump characterises as “disgracing our country”, there has been staunch opposition to his agenda and ideology.
That opposition has coalesced in recent weeks around the activities of ICE agents, in particular. These agents, wearing masks to conceal their identities, have been arbitrarily detaining people, including US citizens and children, and disappearing people off the streets. They have also arrested caregivers, leaving children alone.
As Adam Serwer wrote in The Atlantic during the first iteration of Trump in America, “the cruelty is the point”.
The Trump administration’s mass deportation program is deliberately cruel and provocative. It was always only a matter of time before protests broke out.
In a democracy, nonviolent protest by hundreds or perhaps a few thousand people in a city of ten million is not a crisis. But it has always suited Trump and the movement that supports him to manufacture crises.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, a key architect of the mass deportations program and a man described by a former adviser as “Waffen SS”, called the protests “an insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States”. Trump himself also described protesters as “violent, insurrectionist mobs”.
Nowhere does the presidential memo deploying the National Guard name the specific location of the protests. This, and the extreme language coming out of the administration, suggests it is laying the groundwork for further escalation.
The administration could be leaving space to deploy the National Guard in other places and invoke the Insurrection Act.
Incidents involving the deployment of the National Guard are rare, though politically cataclysmic. It is rarer still for the National Guard to be deployed against the wishes of a democratically elected leader of a state, as Trump has done in California.
This deployment comes at a time of crisis for US democracy more broadly. Trump’s longstanding attacks against independent media – what he describes as “fake news” – are escalating. There is a reason that during the current protests, a law enforcement officer appeared so comfortable targeting a journalist, on camera.
The Trump administration is also actively targeting independent institutions such as Harvard and Columbia universities. It is also targeting and undermining judges and reducing the power of independent courts to enforce the rule of law.
Under Trump, the federal government and its state-based allies are targeting and undermining the rights of minority groups – policing the bodies of trans people, targeting reproductive rights, and beginning the process of undoing the Civil Rights Act.
Trump is, for the moment, unconstrained. Asked overnight what the bar is for deploying the Marines against protesters, Trump responded: “the bar is what I think it is”.
As New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie recently observed:
We should treat Trump and his openly authoritarian administration as a failure, not just of our party system or our legal system, but of our Constitution and its ability to meaningfully constrain a destructive and system-threatening force in our political life.
While the situation in Los Angeles is unpredictable, it must be understood in the broader context of the active, violent threat the Trump administration poses to the US. As we watch, American democracy teeters on the brink.
Emma Shortis is Director of International and Security Affairs at The Australia Institute, an independent think tank.
– ref. Trump has long speculated about using force against his own people. Now he has the pretext to do so – https://theconversation.com/trump-has-long-speculated-about-using-force-against-his-own-people-now-he-has-the-pretext-to-do-so-258471
Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Emma Shortis, Adjunct Senior Fellow, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University
“You just [expletive] shot the reporter!”
Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was in the middle of a live cross, covering the protests against the Trump administration’s mass deportation policy in Los Angeles, California. As Tomasi spoke to the camera, microphone in hand, an LAPD officer in the background appeared to target her directly, hitting her in the leg with a rubber bullet.
Earlier, reports emerged that British photojournalist Nick Stern was undergoing emergency surgery after also being hit by the same “non-lethal” ammunition.
The situation in Los Angeles is extremely volatile. After nonviolent protests against raids and arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents began in the suburb of Paramount, US President Donald Trump issued a memo describing them as “a form of rebellion against the authority of the government of the United States”. He then deployed the National Guard.
As much of the coverage has noted, this is not the first time the National Guard has been deployed to quell protests in the US.
In 1970, members of the National Guard shot and killed four students protesting the war in Vietnam at Kent State University. In 1992, the National Guard was deployed during protests in Los Angeles following the acquittal of four police officers (three of whom were white) in the killing of a Black man, Rodney King.
Trump has long speculated about violently deploying the National Guard and even the military against his own people.
During his first administration, at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, former Secretary of Defence Mark Esper alleged that Trump asked him, “Can’t you just shoot them, just shoot them in the legs or something?”
Trump has also long sought to other those opposed to his radical agenda to reshape the United States and its role in the world. He’s classified them as “un-American” and, therefore, deserving of contempt and, when he deems it necessary, violent oppression.
During last year’s election campaign, he promised to “root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country”. Even the Washington Post characterised this description of Trump’s “political enemies” as “echoing Hitler, Mussolini”.
In addition, Trump has long peddled baseless conspiracies about “sanctuary cities”, such as Los Angeles. He has characterised them as lawless havens for his political enemies and places that have been “invaded” by immigrants. As anyone who has ever visited these places knows, that is not true.
It is no surprise that in the same places Trump characterises as “disgracing our country”, there has been staunch opposition to his agenda and ideology.
That opposition has coalesced in recent weeks around the activities of ICE agents, in particular. These agents, wearing masks to conceal their identities, have been arbitrarily detaining people, including US citizens and children, and disappearing people off the streets. They have also arrested caregivers, leaving children alone.
As Adam Serwer wrote in The Atlantic during the first iteration of Trump in America, “the cruelty is the point”.
The Trump administration’s mass deportation program is deliberately cruel and provocative. It was always only a matter of time before protests broke out.
In a democracy, nonviolent protest by hundreds or perhaps a few thousand people in a city of ten million is not a crisis. But it has always suited Trump and the movement that supports him to manufacture crises.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, a key architect of the mass deportations program and a man described by a former adviser as “Waffen SS”, called the protests “an insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States”. Trump himself also described protesters as “violent, insurrectionist mobs”.
Nowhere does the presidential memo deploying the National Guard name the specific location of the protests. This, and the extreme language coming out of the administration, suggests it is laying the groundwork for further escalation.
The administration could be leaving space to deploy the National Guard in other places and invoke the Insurrection Act.
Incidents involving the deployment of the National Guard are rare, though politically cataclysmic. It is rarer still for the National Guard to be deployed against the wishes of a democratically elected leader of a state, as Trump has done in California.
This deployment comes at a time of crisis for US democracy more broadly. Trump’s longstanding attacks against independent media – what he describes as “fake news” – are escalating. There is a reason that during the current protests, a law enforcement officer appeared so comfortable targeting a journalist, on camera.
The Trump administration is also actively targeting independent institutions such as Harvard and Columbia universities. It is also targeting and undermining judges and reducing the power of independent courts to enforce the rule of law.
Under Trump, the federal government and its state-based allies are targeting and undermining the rights of minority groups – policing the bodies of trans people, targeting reproductive rights, and beginning the process of undoing the Civil Rights Act.
Trump is, for the moment, unconstrained. Asked overnight what the bar is for deploying the Marines against protesters, Trump responded: “the bar is what I think it is”.
As New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie recently observed:
We should treat Trump and his openly authoritarian administration as a failure, not just of our party system or our legal system, but of our Constitution and its ability to meaningfully constrain a destructive and system-threatening force in our political life.
While the situation in Los Angeles is unpredictable, it must be understood in the broader context of the active, violent threat the Trump administration poses to the US. As we watch, American democracy teeters on the brink.
Emma Shortis is Director of International and Security Affairs at The Australia Institute, an independent think tank.
– ref. Trump has long speculated about using force against his own people. Now he has the pretext to do so – https://theconversation.com/trump-has-long-speculated-about-using-force-against-his-own-people-now-he-has-the-pretext-to-do-so-258471
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Emergency Services responded to a fatal crash at a property in Girraween this morning.
Around 11:20am, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received reports of an off-road buggy crash at a property, involving two youths and one adult male.
Police and St John Ambulance attended and commenced CPR on the 40-year-old male; however, he was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Both youths were uninjured and did not require further medical assistance.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Our CBR is the ACT Government’s key channel to connect with Canberrans and keep you up-to-date with what’s happening in the city. Our CBR includes a monthly print edition, email newsletter and website.
You can easily opt in or out of the newsletter subscription at any time.
Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Henry Maher, Lecturer in Politics, Department of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney
A no-holds-barred and very public blow-up between the world’s richest man and the president of the United States has had social media agog in recent days, with each making serious accusations against the other.
And while tech billionaire Elon Musk appears to have cooled the spat somewhat – deleting some of his more incendiary social media posts about Donald Trump – the president still appears to be in no mood to make up, warning Musk of “very serious consequences” if he backs Democrats at the mid-term elections in 2026.
Tensions erupted over Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB). The OBBB proposes extensive tax cuts which could add roughly US$3 trillion (A$4.62 trillion) to the US national debt.
After stepping down from his role as advisor to Trump, Musk criticised the OBBB as “disgusting abomination” that would “burden America [sic] citizens with crushing unsustainable debt”. Trump returned fire, suggesting “Elon was ‘wearing thin’, I asked him to leave […] and he just went CRAZY!”.
In a dramatic escalation, Musk responded by calling for Trump’s impeachment. Musk also tweeted allegations that Trump was implicated in the Epstein files related to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He has since deleted those tweets.
Why has the much-hyped “bromance” between Musk and Trump suddenly ended? And what was the basis of their alliance in the first place?
Like many billionaires, Musk had previously been hesitant to get involved in frontline politics. He says he voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020, but claimed in 2021 “I would prefer to stay out of politics”.
In early 2024, Musk was still claiming to be politically non-aligned, suggesting he would not donate to either presidential campaign.
This apparent neutrality ended following the attempted assassination of Trump at a July 2024 campaign rally, with Musk immediately endorsing Trump.
In reality, Musk’s conversion to the MAGA movement long predated the assassination attempt. Musk’s hyperactive Twitter/X account shows a steady radicalisation.
Across 2020-2024, Musk engaged with accounts sharing MAGA and far-right conspiracy theories. These include the antisemitic Great Replacement Theory, and the related South African white genocide conspiracy. Musk’s posts also show the obsession with opposing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies characteristic of the MAGA movement.
After endorsing Trump, Musk spent US$288 million (A$444 million) supporting Trump’s election and appeared at campaign events around the country.
Musk’s support for Trump was both ideological and pragmatic.
From tax cuts to immigration restrictions to opposing DEI, there were clearly many ideological commonalities between Musk and Trump.
There were also clear practical benefits for both men. Trump gained the financial backing of the world’s wealthiest man. Musk gained not only unparalleled access to the US president, but also a role leading the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Early reporting on the second Trump presidency noted the omnipresence of Musk, who at one point moved into Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to be close to the president.
However, observers were sceptical about the potential effectiveness of DOGE, and Musk’s claim it would save the government US$2 trillion (A$3.02 trillion).
In the early months of the Trump administration, Musk cut government programs and employees at a remarkable rate. The USAID program was particularly hard hit, as were the Department of Education and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
As the spending cuts picked up pace, Musk began to attract more controversy. Critics questioned the apparent power wielded by the unelected billionaire. Musk’s ties to the far right were also in the spotlight after he appeared to perform two “Roman salutes”, which many observers believed to be a Nazi salute.
Musk’s apparent rampage through government did not last long. As Trump’s executive appointees assumed control of their departments, Musk and DOGE experienced increasing resistance. After a series of fractious cabinet meetings, Trump reportedly reduced the power of DOGE in March.
Political attention was also clearly affecting Musk’s businesses. The negative publicity has significantly damaged the Tesla brand, leading to declining sales around the world and repeated falls in Telsa’s share price.
On May 1, Musk announced he would be leaving DOGE, claiming the department had saved the government US$180 billion (A$277 billion) in spending. This number is likely an exaggeration, but still falls well short of his original target.
Musk has learned a harsh lesson in politics – that the complexities of government resist simple reform and cannot be easily rolled back in the way a CEO might slim down a company.
For Trump, his manoeuvring of Musk appears to be another smart political move. As the public face of DOGE, Musk bore the negative rap for early government cuts and chaos. Having used his money and reputation, Trump dispensed with Musk as he has with so many advisers and appointees before.
Musk departed his role in a muted White House ceremony, where Trump thanked him for his service and presented him with a ceremonial “golden key” to the White House.
However, behind the public show of civility, tension was brewing over Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.
Trump and Musk had originally claimed that the US$2 trillion (A$3.02 trillion) in DOGE savings could be used to fund a substantial tax cut. With the efficiency savings not eventuating, Musk worried the OBBB would significantly increase US public debt.
Unable to convince Trump or other Republican legislators, Musk took to X, launching a “Kill the Bill” campaign that ultimately led to his incendiary showdown with Trump.
For his part, Trump has belittled Musk, suggesting Musk only opposed the OBBB because it cut subsidies for electric vehicles.
Though the subsidy cuts will affect Tesla, Musk has previously supported eliminating subsidies. Musk’s anger at the OBBB is more likely driven by the realisation he has been played by Trump.
Trump has used and discarded many other powerful figures in his chaotic political career. Musk has more power than most, and might be able to strike back at Trump.
Yet, with his public reputation and brands already tarnished, Musk would be ill-advised to pick further fights with Trump and his adoring MAGA movement.
Accordingly, Musk has indicated over the weekend he is open to a détente. Tesla investors will no doubt be relieved if Musk makes good on his pledge to step back from politics and return to his businesses.
More concerning are the prospects for democracy. With wealth and power continuing to concentrate in a handful of billionaires, voters appear reduced to the role of viewers forced to watch the reality TV drama unfold.
Though Trump appears to have won this round of billionaire battle royale, whatever happens next, democracy is the real loser.
Henry Maher does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. The blow-up between Elon Musk and Donald Trump has been entertaining, but how did things go so bad, so fast? – https://theconversation.com/the-blow-up-between-elon-musk-and-donald-trump-has-been-entertaining-but-how-did-things-go-so-bad-so-fast-258394
Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Katharina J. Peters, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong
Why do dolphins jump out of the water?
Charlize, age 8, Melbourne
Have you ever seen images of dolphins jumping out of the waves and performing impressive acrobatics in the air? Or maybe you’ve seen it in real life?
When a dolphin jumps, it can launch its whole body out of the water. While it looks like fun, it must also be hard work!
So, why do dolphins jump out of the water? There are several possible reasons. Let’s jump in and explore them.
Dolphins are social animals and live in groups. But it’s hard to see long distances underwater. So, they use the power of sound to stay in contact with each other.
Sound travels much farther underwater than through the air. When dolphins jump, the slap of the landing makes a loud noise, and would be heard some distance away.
Some species, such as spinner dolphins, use jumping to communicate their location to other group members, especially at night. This helps them keep track of each other.
As an aside, spinner dolphins are very skilled jumpers. As the name suggests, they spin up to seven times in the air before landing back in the water!
Have you ever tried to walk underwater? You will have felt how hard it is. That’s because water is more dense than air, which creates a “drag”, or resistance.
Dolphins have streamlined bodies to reduce drag, but they still feel it. So, if they want to travel quickly – for example, if they are trying to escape a predator or hunt fish – they sometimes jump.
While in the air, they travel faster than they would through water, and also save energy.
Some dolphins weigh less than 50 kilograms, such as the Hector’s dolphin. Others weigh several tonnes, such as an orca.
Either way, when a dolphin crashes back into the water, you can be sure it makes quite a noisy splash.
Some dolphin species, such as dusky dolphins, use this noise to herd fish at the surface to make them easier to capture.
Fish called remoras can attach themselves to dolphins using a sucker on their head. This is good for the fish, because it can keep them safe and they have plenty to eat, such as small parasites and old bits of dolphin skin.
While the remoras don’t hurt the dolphin, they probably slow it down. So dolphins may try to get rid of the little hitchhikers by jumping to dislodge them.
Dolphins are highly intelligent animals. They have big brains and can learn tricks and solve puzzles. With intelligence also come other traits: playfulness and social behaviour.
Sometimes, that social behaviour can end in a “fight”. Dolphin experts say two dolphins jumping around together might be actually trying to hit each other!
Dolphins also love to frolic – not just with each other but with other marine mammals such as whales and sea lions, with turtles – or even just a piece of seaweed! So they might jump as some sort of “game”.
As you can see, dolphins may jump for a range of reasons – sometimes just because it’s really fun!
Katharina J. Peters does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Curious Kids: Why do dolphins jump out of the water? – https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-why-do-dolphins-jump-out-of-the-water-256462
Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Rachael Murrihy, Director, The Kidman Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney
Many parents will be familiar with this situation: your child has a good or even best friend, but you don’t like them.
Perhaps the friend is bossy, has poor manners or jumps on your furniture. Maybe you don’t like the way your child behaves when they are with this friend.
For older children, your dislike might relate to the friend’s language, attitude towards school, or risk-taking behaviours. Maybe the friend is hot and cold and elicits more drama than Mean Girls.
What can parents do?
Read more:
How can you help your child make friends?
If you see your child being treated poorly, this can ignite a protective instinct in parents that manifests in a bodily “fight or flight” response.
This provides a rush of adrenaline, which can spur parents to take actions such as criticising the friend or even attempting to ban the friendship.
However, this approach can do more harm than good, particularly for adolescents who are hardwired to push back on their parents.
With younger children, clear boundaries can be set at the outset of a playdate. For example, “my bedroom is off limits for playing” or “we don’t jump on the couch”.
If kids are using mean or rude language around each other, you can say “we don’t use that word in this house, be kind to each other”.
Playdates can be moved outside, which can be particularly helpful if a child shows loud, destructive or rude behaviour. And if you can help it, organise fewer plays with that child.
But parents may also want to reflect on why this child rubs them the wrong way. Is the reaction warranted, or does it comes from your own biases and opinions? Your child’s friends do not have to be the friends you would choose.
To become successful adults, teens need to move through developmental milestones of becoming autonomous and self-reliant. Intervening in their friendships interferes with this vital process of developing independence and identity, which ultimately disempowers them.
In the 1960s, US psychologist Diana Baumrind published famous research on parenting. She found an authoritarian style – where the parent exerts complete control and does not listen to the child’s needs – results in a child with less confidence and independence than one brought up in a household that has rules but is also responsive to their needs.
Adopting an authoritarian approach to friends or potential partners also risks the “Romeo and Juliet” effect, whereby disapproval makes the child more attracted to that person.
So, for teenagers and their friends, the approach should be more nuanced. The primary goal is to encourage the child to see the parent as a person to come to when they have problems. If parents are tempted to be critical, they could ask themself: is it in the best interests of your child to be controlled?
It is important to let children make mistakes so they can learn from them. Learning about what they do and don’t want in relationships is a crucial life skill.
Read more:
‘How was school today?’ How to help kids open up and say more than ‘fine’
Fostering an open dialogue about friends and relationships can allow parents to have influence in a subtle and developmentally appropriate way.
For younger children, you could use a quiet moment to ask questions like “what can you say to Charlotte if you don’t want to play her game anymore?” or “what’s a good way to deal with it if she is being too bossy?”
For older children, ideally wait until your teen wants to connect, rather than launching into questions. Ask gentle, non-judgmental questions about their friendship, like “what do you like to do together?” or “tell me about what you have in common”.
If they seem upset or uncomfortable in some way, resist the urge to dismiss or solve the problem. Simply listening is the key to helping the child work it out, so they feel supported but not judged.
And remember, not all friendships last. As children move through school and grow, most will naturally make new friends and move on from old ones.
Clearly, one exception to adopting a teen-led approach is when safety is at risk. If they are being bullied or abused in any form – even if the child is opposed – parents should step in and speak to the school or other relevant authorities.
Read more:
What can you do if your child is being bullied?
Rachael Murrihy does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. What can you do if you don’t like your child’s friends? – https://theconversation.com/what-can-you-do-if-you-dont-like-your-childs-friends-257353
Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Meru Sheel, Associate Professor, Infectious Diseases, Immunisation and Emergencies (IDIE) Group, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney
Measles has been rising globally in recent years. There were an estimated 10.3 million cases worldwide in 2023, a 20% increase from 2022.
Outbreaks are being reported all over the world including in the United States, Europe and the Western Pacific region (which includes Australia). For example, Vietnam has reportedly seen thousands of cases in 2024 and 2025.
In Australia, 77 cases of measles have been recorded in the first five months of 2025, compared with 57 cases in all of 2024.
Measles cases in Australia are almost all related to international travel. They occur in travellers returning from overseas, or are contracted locally after mixing with an infected traveller or their contacts.
Measles most commonly affects children and is preventable with vaccination, given in Australia in two doses at 12 and 18 months old. But in light of current outbreaks globally, is there a case for reviewing the timing of measles vaccinations?
Measles is caused by a virus belonging to the genus Morbillivirus. Symptoms include a fever, cough, runny nose and a rash. While it presents as a mild illness in most cases, measles can lead to severe disease requiring hospitalisation, and even death. Large outbreaks can overwhelm health systems.
Measles can have serious health consequences, such as in the brain and the immune system, years after the infection.
Measles spreads from person to person via small respiratory droplets that can remain suspended in the air for two hours. It’s highly contagious – one person with measles can spread the infection to 12–18 people who aren’t immune.
Because measles is so infectious, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends two-dose vaccination coverage above 95% to stop the spread and achieve “herd immunity”.
Low and declining vaccine coverage, especially since the COVID pandemic, is driving global outbreaks.
Read more:
What are the symptoms of measles? How long does the vaccine last? Experts answer 6 key questions
Newborn babies are generally protected against measles thanks to maternal antibodies. Maternal antibodies get passed from the mother to the baby via the placenta and in breast milk, and provide protection against infections including measles.
The WHO advises everyone should receive two doses of measles vaccination. In places where there’s a lot of measles circulating, children are generally recommended to have the first dose at around nine months old. This is because it’s expected maternal antibodies would have declined significantly in most infants by that age, leaving them vulnerable to infection.
If maternal measles antibodies are still present, the vaccine is less likely to produce an immune response.
Research has also shown a measles vaccine given at less than 8.5 months of age can result in an antibody response which declines more quickly. This might be due to interference with maternal antibodies, but researchers are still trying to understand the reasons for this.
A second dose of the vaccine is usually given 6–9 months later. A second dose is important because about 10–15% of children don’t develop antibodies after the first vaccine.
In settings where measles transmission is under better control, a first dose is recommended at 12 months of age. Vaccination at 12 months compared with nine months is considered to generate a stronger, longer-lasting immune response.
In Australia, children are routinely given the measles-mumps- rubella (MMR) vaccine at 12 months and the measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV, with “varicella” being chickenpox) vaccine at 18 months.
Babies at higher risk of catching the disease can also be given an additional early dose. In Australia, this is recommended for infants as young as six months when there’s an outbreak or if they’re travelling overseas to a high-risk setting.
A recent review looked at measles antibody data from babies under nine months old living in low- and middle-income countries. The review combined the results from 20 studies, including more than 8,000 babies. The researchers found that while 81% of newborns had maternal antibodies to measles, only 30% of babies aged four months had maternal antibodies.
This study suggests maternal antibodies to measles decline much earlier than previously thought. It raises the question of whether the first dose of measles vaccine is given too late to maximise infants’ protection, especially when there’s a lot of measles around.
All of the data in this study comes from low- and middle-income countries, and might not reflect the situation in Australia where we have much higher vaccine coverage for measles, and very few cases.
Australia’s coverage for two doses of the MMR vaccine at age two is above 92%.
Although this is lower than the optimal 95%, the overall risk of measles surging in Australia is relatively low.
Nonetheless, there may be a case for broadening the age at which an early extra dose of the measles vaccine can be given to children at higher risk. In New Zealand, infants as young as four months can receive a measles vaccine before travelling to an endemic country.
But the current routine immunisation schedule in Australia is unlikely to change.
Adding an extra dose to the schedule would be costly and logistically difficult. Lowering the age for the first dose may have some advantages in certain settings, and doesn’t pose any safety concerns, but further evidence would be required to support this change. In particular, research is needed to ensure it wouldn’t negatively affect the longer-term protection that vaccination offers from measles.
In the meantime, ensuring high levels of measles vaccine coverage with two doses is a global priority.
People born after 1966 are recommended to have two doses of measles vaccine. This is because those born before the mid-1960s likely caught measles as children (when the vaccine was not yet available) and would therefore have natural immunity.
If you’re unsure about your vaccination status, you can check this through the Australian Immunisation Register. If you don’t have a documented record, ask your doctor for advice.
Catch-up vaccination is available under the National Immunisation Program.
Meru Sheel receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Anita Heywood does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Measles cases are surging globally. Should children be vaccinated earlier? – https://theconversation.com/measles-cases-are-surging-globally-should-children-be-vaccinated-earlier-257942
Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Donald Rothwell, Professor of International Law, Australian National University
On October 7 2023, more than 1,000 Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel and went on a killing spree, murdering 1,200 men, women and children and abducting another 250 people to take back to Gaza. It was the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.
That day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the country, “Israel is at war”. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) immediately began a military campaign to secure the release of the hostages and defeat Hamas. Since that day, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children.
Israel has maintained its response is justified under international law, as every nation has “an inherent right to defend itself”, as Netanyahu stated in early 2024.
This is based on the right to self-defence in international law, which is outlined in Article 51 of the 1945 United Nations Charter as follows:
Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations[…]
At the start of the war, many nations agreed Israel had a right to defend itself, but how it did so mattered. This would ensure its actions were consistent with international humanitarian law.
However, 20 months after the October 7 attacks, fundamental legal issues have arisen around whether this self-defence justification still holds.
Can Israel exercise self-defence ad infinitum? Or is it now waging a war of aggression against Palestine?
Self-defence has a long history in international law.
The modern principles of self-defence were outlined in diplomatic exchanges over an 1837 incident involving an American ship, The Caroline, after it was destroyed by British forces in Canada. Both sides agreed that an exercise of self-defence would have required the British to demonstrate their conduct was not “unreasonable or excessive”.
The concept of self-defence was also extensively relied on by the Allies in the second world war in response to German and Japanese aggression.
Self-defence was originally framed in the law as a right to respond to a state-based attack. However, this scope has broadened in recent decades to encompass attacks from non-state actors, such as al-Qaeda following the September 11 2001 terror attacks.
Israel is a legitimate, recognised state in the global community and a member of the United Nations. Its right to self-defence will always remain intact when it faces attacks from its neighbours or non-state actors, such as Hamas, Hezbollah or the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
However, the right of self-defence is not unlimited. It is constrained by the principles of necessity and proportionality.
The necessity test was met in the current war due to the extreme violence of the Hamas attack on October 7 and the taking of hostages. These were actions that could not be ignored and demanded a response, due to the threat Israel continued to face.
The proportionality test was also met, initially. Israel’s military operation after the attack was strategic in nature, focused on the return of the hostages and the destruction of Hamas to eliminate the immediate threat the group posed.
The legal question now is whether Israel is still legitimately exercising self-defence in response to the October 7 attacks.
This is a live issue, especially given comments by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz on May 30 that Hamas would be “annihilated” unless a proposed ceasefire deal was accepted.
These comments and Israel’s ongoing conduct throughout the war raise the question of whether proportionality is still being met.
The importance of proportionality in self-defence has been endorsed in recent years by the International Court of Justice.
Under international law, proportionality remains relevant throughout a conflict, not just in the initial response to an attack.
While the law allows a war to continue until an aggressor surrenders, it does not legitimise the complete destruction of the territory where an aggressor is fighting.
The principle of proportionality also provides protections for civilians. Military actions are to be directed at the foreign forces who launched the attack, not civilians.
While Israel has targeted Hamas fighters in its attacks, including those who orchestrated the October 7 attacks, these actions have caused significant collateral deaths of Palestinian civilians.
Therefore, taken overall, the ongoing, 20-month military assault against Hamas, with its high numbers of civilian casualties, credible reports of famine and devastation of Gazan towns and cities, suggests Israel’s exercise of self-defence has become disproportionate.
The principle of proportionality is also part of international humanitarian law. However, Israel’s actions on this front are a separate legal issue that has been the subject of investigation by the International Criminal Court.
My aim here is to solely assess the legal question of proportionality in self-defence and international law.
Israel could separately argue it is exercising legitimate self-defence to rescue the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
However, rescuing nationals as an exercise of self-defence is legally controversial. Israel set a precedent in 1976 when the military rescued 103 Jewish hostages from Entebbe, Uganda, after their aircraft had been hijacked.
In current international law, there are very few other examples in which this interpretation of self-defence has been adopted – and no international consensus on its use.
In Gaza, the size, scale and duration of Israel’s war goes far beyond a hostage rescue operation. Its aim is also to eliminate Hamas.
Given this, rescuing hostages as an act of self-defence is arguably not a suitable justification for Israel’s ongoing military operations.
If Israel can no longer rely on self-defence to justify its Gaza military campaign, how would its actions be characterised under international law?
Israel could claim it is undertaking a security operation as an occupying power.
While the International Court of Justice said in an advisory opinion last year that Israel was engaged in an illegal occupation of Gaza, the court expressly made clear it was not addressing the circumstances that had evolved since October 7.
Israel is indeed continuing to act as an occupying power, even though it has not physically reoccupied all of Gaza. This is irrelevant given the effective control it exercises over the territory.
However, the scale of the IDF’s operations constitute an armed conflict and well exceed the limited military operations to restore security as an occupying power.
Absent any other legitimate basis for Israel’s current conduct in Gaza, there is a strong argument that what is occurring is an act of aggression. The UN Charter and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court prohibit acts of aggression not otherwise justified under international law.
These include invasions or attacks by the armed forces of a state, military occupations, bombardments and blockades. All of this has occurred – and continues to occur – in Gaza.
The international community has rightly condemned Russia’s invasion as an act of aggression in Ukraine. Will it now do the same with Israel’s conduct in Gaza?
Donald Rothwell receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
– ref. Can Israel still claim self-defence to justify its Gaza war? Here’s what the law says – https://theconversation.com/can-israel-still-claim-self-defence-to-justify-its-gaza-war-heres-what-the-law-says-257822
Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Mona Mashhadi Rajabi, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Technology Sydney
When US President Donald Trump introduced sweeping new tariffs on Chinese imports the goal was to bring manufacturing back to American soil and protect local jobs.
However, this process of re-shoring is complex and requires years of investment and planning – far too slow for the world of ultra-fast fashion, where brands are used to reacting in weeks, not years.
Many clothing companies started to move production out of China during Trump’s first term. They relocated to countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia when the initial China-specific tariffs hit.
This trend accelerated with the newer “reciprocal” tariffs. Instead of re-shoring production, many fashion brands are simply sourcing from whichever country offers the lowest total cost after tariffs. The result? The ultra-fast fashion machine adapted quickly and became even more exploitative.
Platforms such as Shein and Temu built their success by offering trend-driven clothing at shockingly low prices. A $5 dress or $3 top might seem like a bargain, but those prices hide a lot.
Much of Shein’s production takes place in the so-called “Shein village” in Guangzhou, China, where workers often sew for 12–14 hours a day under poor conditions to keep pace with the demand for new items.
When the US cracked down on Chinese imports, the intention was to make American-made goods more competitive. This included raising the tariff on Chinese goods as high as 145% (since paused), and closing the “de minimis” loophole, which had allowed imports under US$800 to enter tariff-free.
But these tariffs did not halt ultra-fast fashion. They just rerouted production to countries with lower tariffs and even lower labour costs. The Philippines, with a comparatively low tariff rate of 17%, emerged as a surprising alternative. However, the country can’t provide the industrial scale and infrastructure to match what China can offer.
Much of the cheap fashion previously bound for the US is now flooding other markets, including Australia.
Australia still allows most low-value imports to enter tax-free, and platforms such as Shein and Temu have taken full advantage. Australian consumers are among the most frequent Shein and Temu buyers per capita globally.
Just 3% of clothing is made in Australia and most labels rely on offshore manufacturing. This makes Australia an ideal target market for ultra-fast fashion imports. We have high purchasing power, lenient import rules and strong demand for low-cost style, especially due to the cost-of-living crisis.
The environmental impact of fast fashion is well known. However, amid the chaos of Trump’s tariff announcements, far less attention has been paid to how these policies – together with the retreat from climate commitments – worsen environmental harms, including those linked to fast fashion.
The irony is that the tariffs meant to protect American workers have, in some cases, worsened conditions for workers elsewhere. Meanwhile, consumers in Australia now benefit from faster delivery of even cheaper goods as Temu, Shein and others have improved their shipping capabilities to Australia.
Australian consumers send more than 200,000 tonnes of clothing to landfill each year. But the deeper problem is structural. The entire business model is built on exploitation and environmental damage.
Factory workers bear the brunt of cost-cutting. In the race to stay competitive, many manufacturers reduce wages and overlook hazardous working conditions.
Fixing these problems will require a global rethink of how fashion operates.
Governments have a role in regulating disclosures about supply chains and enforcing labour standards.
Brands need to take responsibility for the conditions in their factories, whether directly owned or outsourced. Transparency is essential.
Alternatives to fast fashion are gaining traction. Clothing rentals are emerging as a promising business model that help build a more circular fashion economy. Charity-run op shops have long been a sustainable source of second-hand clothing.
Australia’s new Seamless scheme seeks to make fashion brands responsible for the full life of the clothes they sell. The aim is to help people buy, wear and recycle clothes in a more sustainable way.
Consumers also matter. If we continue to expect clothes to cost less than a cup of coffee, change will be slow. Recognising that a $5 t-shirt has hidden costs, borne by people on the factory floor and the environment, is a first step.
Some ethical brands are already showing a better way and offer clothes made under fairer conditions and with sustainable materials. These clothes are not as cheap or fast, but they represent a more conscious alternative especially for consumers concerned about synthetic fibres, toxic chemicals and environmental harm.
Trump’s trade rules aim to re-balance global trade in favour of American industry, yet have cost companies more than US$34 billion in lost sales and higher costs. This cost will eventually fall on US consumers. In ultra-fast fashion, it mostly exposed how fragile and exploitative the system already was.
Today, brands such as Shein and Temu are thriving in Australia. But unless we address the systemic inequalities in fashion production and rethink the incentives that drive this market, the true cost of cheap clothing will continue to be paid by those least able to afford it.
Mona Mashhadi Rajabi receives funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand (AFAANZ), and a Business Research Grant from the University of Technology Sydney.
Lisa Lake previously received funding from NSW Department of Education Innovation and Collaboration grant to establish the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Fashion + Textiles.
Martina Linnenluecke receives funding from The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Australian Research Council. Her work is also supported by a Strategic Research Accelerator Grant from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).
Yun Shen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. How Trump’s trade war is supercharging the fast fashion industry – https://theconversation.com/how-trumps-trade-war-is-supercharging-the-fast-fashion-industry-257727
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
Carlos Alcaraz battled from the brink of a first Grand Slam final loss to outlast Jannik Sinner in a French Open title clash for the ages on Sunday and keep his crown, cementing his status as the Prince of Clay in Roland Garros’ post-Rafa Nadal era.
In a scintillating showdown between the torch-bearers of a new generation, the 22-year-old saved three match points in the fourth set to win 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(10-2) and continue his dominance over Sinner with his fifth straight victory and end the Italian’s 20-match winning run at the majors.
Alcaraz showed his steely determination to win the epic in five hours and 29 minutes – the longest final at Roland Garros – and soaked up the roaring ovation from a thoroughly entertained Parisian crowd long used to 14-times champion Nadal’s reign.
“I’m just really happy to be able to make history with you in this tournament,” Alcaraz told Sinner after collecting the Musketeers’ Cup.
“I’m sure you’re going to be champion not once, but many times. It’s a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament, making history with you.”
Victory made him only the second man since tennis turned professional in 1968 to win all of his first five Grand Slam singles finals after Swiss great Roger Federer but Alcaraz was more enthralled with an achievement he shared with fellow Spaniard and 22-times major champion Nadal.
“The coincidence of winning my fifth Grand Slam at the same age as Nadal, that’s destiny,” Alcaraz told reporters.
“It’s a stat I’m going to keep forever … It’s a huge honour. Hopefully it’s not going to stop like this.”
Alcaraz and Sinner, who have lifted seven out of the last eight Grand Slams to stamp their authority in the men’s game, were locked in a fierce battle full of dramatic momentum shifts in the first major final between two men born in the 2000s.
Sunday’s five-hour-plus fiesta was the second-longest Grand Slam final in the Open Era and marked only the third time since 1968 that a player saved a match point en route to victory in a Grand Slam final.
Alcaraz matched Argentine Gaston Gaudio’s 2004 French Open feat and Serbian Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon comeback in 2019.
Playing his first Grand Slam after serving a three-month ban after a doping case, top seed Sinner held serve in a tense five-deuce opening game lasting 12 minutes.
However, the 23-year-old was broken in the fifth game when he fired a forehand wide, before hitting back from 2-3 and going on to snatch an intense opening set following an unforced error by Alcaraz.
ON THE ROPES
Relentless pressure from the baseline allowed Sinner to go a break up early in the second set and the top seed began to apply the squeeze on Alcaraz, who was on the ropes trailing 1-4 on a sunbathed Court Philippe Chatrier.
An aggressive Alcaraz came out fighting and drew loud cheers when he drew level after 10 games and then forced a tiebreak but Sinner edged ahead with a blistering forehand winner and doubled his lead after the clock ticked past two hours.
Alcaraz, who had never come back from two sets down before, battled hard in the hope of avoiding heartbreak in a major final and pulled a set back before saving three match points at 3-5 down in the fourth, later restoring parity following the tiebreak.
He traded breaks in a high-quality decider but prevailed in the super tiebreak to become the third man to capture back-to-back Roland Garros titles this century after Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten.
“He was born to play these kind of moments,” said Alcaraz’s coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.
“Every time we were in these situations, even when he was younger in the challengers … he always went for it.”
Sinner was left to digest how he let slip a golden chance to win claycourt’s blue riband event following hardcourt triumphs at the U.S. Open and Australian Open.
Alcaraz fell to the red dirt before Sinner went over to his side of the court to congratulate him and the Spaniard then ran to the heaving stands to hug his team and celebrate.
“CARLOS II, PRINCE OF CLAY,” the French Open posted on X.
Sinner had a contemplative look, sitting on his bench as his rival rejoiced, and was gracious in defeat when he congratulated him during the trophy ceremony.
“We tried our best today, we gave everything … an amazing tournament even though it’s very difficult now,” Sinner said.
“It’s a big privilege for me to play here … I won’t sleep very well tonight but it’s okay.”
(Reuters)
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
Australia will have to dust off the cobwebs but are still fancied to successfully defend their World Test Championship crown against equally ring-rusty South Africa in the final at Lord’s, starting on Wednesday.
The five-day clash comes on the heels of a plethora of limited overs cricket over the last five months and both teams have been scrambling to prepare for a high-profile return to the red-ball game.
Australia have not played a test since beating Sri Lanka in Galle in February when they made sure of a top-two finish in the standings from results for the 2023-25 WTC cycle.
South Africa were assured of top place when they won their last test against Pakistan at home in January to book a first-ever finals appearance.
It came on the back of a run of seven successive wins, but the fact they did not play against the Aussies or England has seen their achievement dismissed as too easy.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan said they reached the final “on the back of beating pretty much nobody,” which was a result of the lopsided test schedule where Australia, England, and India dominate and South Africa elect to play more financially lucrative limited-overs internationals.
But an upset win for South Africa could change that.
“It’s the biggest thing in this team’s existence. It’s the biggest thing for South African cricket at the moment,” said their coach Shukri Conrad.
SELECTION CHOICES
Australia have been warming up with training sessions at Beckenham in Kent as they grapple with selection choices.
They must pick between Scott Boland or Josh Hazlewood to join skipper Pat Cummins, left-armer Mitchell Starc and spinner Nathan Lyon in the attack’
The top batting order is likely to be changed with Cameron Green set to return for his first test in more than a year. He will likely bat third with Marnus Labuschagne opening alongside Usman Khawaja, while Steve Smith will come in at No. 4.
South Africa’s planned four-day warm-up scrimmage with Zimbabwe at Arundel last week was largely washed out but did hint at Wiaan Mulder moving up the order to No.3 in a batting lineup that has been inconsistent over the last two years.
Their hopes rest instead on a fiery bowling attack where Kagiso Rabada features after serving a one-month ban for recreational drug use.
Australia won the last WTC final by beating India at The Oval two years ago. New Zealand were the inaugural winners in 2021.
(Reuters)
Source: Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE)
The Government’s Tourism Boost invested funding into Tourism New Zealand to drive international visitor numbers in the short term. This additional funding will encourage more visitors from New Zealand’s core markets of Australia, the United States and China over the medium to longer term.
This is the first investment in the Government’s Tourism Growth Roadmap, which sets the path for Government and industry to work together and double the value of tourism exports by 2034.
International visitors bring billions of dollars into the economy. This investment is expected to deliver an extra 72,000 international visitors, generating around $300 million in spending.
Funding comes from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) for 2025/26.
Read the Minister’s announcement:
Additional funding to attract 72,000 more visitors to New Zealand(external link) — Beehive.govt.nz
Source: New places to play in Gungahlin
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO), with support from Victoria Police, has seized and destroyed over 20 tonnes of illicit tobacco from a property North-East of Shepparton, Victoria.
On Thursday 5 June a search warrant revealed a mature tobacco crop spanning nearly 6 acres, the equivalent of approximately 456 tennis courts. Officers also seized several trays of tobacco seedlings from the property.
The estimated excise value of the illicit tobacco uncovered under Operation Ocean is $4.4 million.
ATO Assistant Commissioner Jade Hawkins commended the results of the operation, with the destruction of tobacco crops showing the ATO’s removing illicit tobacco from the community.
‘Detecting, disrupting and dismantling the illicit tobacco trade is a priority for the ATO.’
‘These operations are run by criminal syndicates, not farmers or producers. They put the Australian community at risk when they use profits from these activities to fund other serious crimes.’
‘Involvement in illicit tobacco production is a serious offence. There are hefty penalties for possessing, selling, buying, manufacturing, or producing illicit tobacco, including jail terms for up to 10 years imprisonment.’
‘This type of activity takes vital money away from the community and places it directly into the hands of organised criminals who mistakenly think they can sail under the radar,’ Ms Hawkins said.
Operation Ocean adds to the 90 completed illicit tobacco operational activities between 1 July 2018 and 30 June 2024.
‘A wave of illicit tobacco has been stopped in its tracks, with this warrant activity surfacing thanks to a tip-off from the community,’ Ms Hawkins said.
Community tip-offs are one of the ATO’s best sources of information as they provide crucial information to assist in the fight against illicit tobacco.
It’s illegal to grow tobacco in Australia without the appropriate excise licence and currently no one is licensed to do so.
Signs that land is being used to grow, manufacture or produce illicit tobacco include:
If you suspect that illicit tobacco is being grown, manufactured, or sold in your community, you can confidentially report it to the ATO online at ato.gov.au/tipoff, or phone 1800 060 062.
Visit ato.gov.au/illicittobacco to learn more about the signs of tobacco plants and what to look out for in your community.
Source: South Australia Police
Anna Speirs has been awarded the top honour at the City of Wanneroo Community Art Awards and Exhibition, receiving the grand prize for her captivating painting, Moonlight Solitude.
Anna was among 15 talented artists recognised in the 2025 Community Art Awards, sharing in a total prize pool of $19,900.
There were 135 entries to this year’s awards, which included 88 paintings, 21 works on paper, 13 photo, film and digital pieces and 13 sculptures.
This year’s judging panel included:
Sandra Murray, Artistic Director and Lead Curator for Sculpture and Bathers, was the Guest Curator for this Community Art Awards exhibition.
Mayor Linda Aitken said this year’s Art Awards once again highlighted the depth of creativity and talent within our community.
“We’re proud to host this exhibition each year, celebrating local talent and providing emerging artists the opportunity to showcase their skills and storytelling methods,” she said.
“Each piece tells a story and collectively, the exhibition reflects the diversity, imagination and passion of our community.”
Visit the exhibition on until Saturday 26 July 2025 at the Wanneroo Regional Gallery, open Wednesdays to Saturdays, 10am to 4pm.
Visitors can take part in the judging of the People’s Choice Award by nominating their favourite artwork, with the winner to be announced by mid-August.
PRIZES
City of Wanneroo Open Award (acquisitive)
Artist: Anna Speirs
Title: Moonlight solitude
Medium: oil on wood panel
Judges’ comments: This is a quiet, reflective work. The medium of oil paint has been lovingly applied with subtle gradations of light. Contemplative, this work draws you in to the space and beyond. A moment of stillness and solitude in a busy world. The window, as a devise in art history, is often used as a bridge between two worlds. In this instance the judges sensed the two worlds between the transition between childhood, adolescence into adulthood and this idea of indiscernible transitions.
Best City of Wanneroo Resident
Artist: Jeremy Blank
Title: Trail Walk to Yanchep
Medium: iPad drawing, digital print on archival cotton rag
Judges’ comments: Skilful use of iPad drawing creates layered composition relating to movement through the local landscape. The use of digital medium creates a fluid, embodied composition. Drawing on digital media to create this image, it has the sense of the haptic tradition of mark marking.
Highly Commended City of Wanneroo Resident
Artist: Veta Holmes
Title: Urban view
Medium: Linoprint on paper
Judges’ comments: This work appears to come from the graphic novel tradition where the landscape itself holds the drama of the narrative. This is the scene where it’s about to happen. An imminent moment, it has an emotional power. Technically proficient use of lino to create a dramatic scene and compelling image.
Painting Winner
Artist: Lucy Oosterhoff
Title: The Binge
Medium: Mixed media
Judges’ comments: All kinds of everyday objects, such as a fork or a glass, appear in a state of transformation. One has the feeling that the sitter is undergoing an emotional metamorphosis or change. The use of the light is powerful and skilfully executed. Lucy shows a growing understanding of the painting language, and the judges were highly impressed by her understanding of materials and composition.
Painting Highly Commended
Artist: Charlotte Robinson
Title: Ely
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Judges’ comments: Distorted image shifts our point of view pushing the composition towards abstraction. Part of what is interesting is the distortion of the face and the emotional interplay extending and becoming part of the external environment. The direct handling of the media, incorporating charcoal over acrylic, adds to the expressive qualities.
Sculpture Winner
Artist: Angela Delury
Title: Toby
Medium: Mixed media
Judges’ comments: The clever use of recycled materials manifests in a whimsical cross between robot and toy. Drawing on a cinematic tradition of robots, the corner shop and nostalgia for a not-quite-realised past.
Sculpture Highly Commended
Artist: Laural Holyoak
Title: Angler Fish
Medium: Earthenware clay, underglaze, gold lustre
Judges’ comments: Bioluminescence is the key factor to the success of this predator fish. Skilful use of medium and glazing has been used to create a compelling yet repelling form.
Works on Paper Winner
Artist: Amy Marshall
Title: The joy of just watching you sleep
Medium: Pencil, charcoal and water-soluble graphite on paper
Judges’ comments: Sensitive work. The text reinforces a love of the child by the mother. Here we have a storied landscape of love and great tenderness.
Works on Paper Highly Commended
Artist: Linda Fardoe
Title: Looking up
Medium: Graphite pencil on Camson paper
Judges’ comments: The artist writes the landscape with this work. The erasure of lines creates a living, pulsating environment.
Photo, Film and Digital Media Winner
Artist: Clinton Price
Title: Facing the day
Medium: Film photography
Judges’ comments: The artist captures a fleeting moment of a fellow passenger on the daily commute, finding transcendence in the everyday.
Photo, Film and Digital Media Highly Commended
Artist: Audra de Pina
Title: Be still
Medium: Photography print on fine art lustre paper
Judges’ comments: Range of subtle tones and image of mist, air and deep reflection.
Youth Winner
Artist: Isabella Pitt
Title: Me 3 years ago
Medium: Oil on board
Judges’ comments: This painting reveals the turbulence of adolescence the close up topography of the artists face. The combination of brush strokes and tonal shift of paint weave together an interesting surface.
Youth Highly Commended
Artist: Allyda Nithasha
Title: Severed
Medium: Drawing
Judges’ comments: Biro drawing appears to describe the emotional state and inner conflict of the sitter to create a compelling image.
Celebrating Wanneroo Winner
Artist: Ernie Feldmann
Title: Dry Creek Bed, Pilbara
Medium: Watercolour
Judges’ comments: Lyrical sunrise in the Pilbara with lively gums and patterned earth depicts nature in a state of agitated flux.
Celebrating Wanneroo Highly Commended
Artist: Jaqueline Glaser
Title: The Visitor
Medium: Acrylic
Judges’ comments: Lived experience and memory blend with this honest sense of direct observation which verges on naïve visual poetry.