The Department of Commerce Office of Space Commerce and NIST welcomes Dr. Antonino Salmeri, Director, Lunar Policy Platform, for a seminar and discussion on Lunar Policy for a Thriving Lunar Economy.
This seminar will focus on the role of lunar policy for a thriving lunar economy. The seminar will begin with an overview of the legal and policy framework, present priorities and policies for peaceful, safe, and sustainable lunar activities, and conclude with a case study on lunar information sharing. The seminar will be delivered by Dr. Antonino Salmeri, space lawyer specialized in the governance of space resources and lunar activities and Director of the Lunar Policy Platform.
Participants and attendees can expect the following outcomes:
gain a foundational understanding of the main legal framework and key policy developments applicable to lunar activities;
discover policy priorities and policy deliverables for peace, safety and sustainability on the Moon, supported by over 35 stakeholders;
learn about ongoing multilateral and multi-stakeholder efforts to streamline lunar information sharing, and how to participate.
Dr. Antonino Salmeri is a space lawyer specialized in the governance of lunar and space resource activities. He holds four advanced degrees in law and currently works as Director of the Lunar Policy Platform (LPP). Dr. Salmeri regularly advises governments and companies on international space law, policy, and diplomacy. In this capacity, he recently served as special advisor on lunar governance to the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, contributing to the organization of the first UN Conference on Sustainable Lunar Activities and to the establishment of the Action Team on Lunar Activities Consultations (ATLAC) within the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
Dr. Salmeri is the author of leading publications shaping the evolution of international space law and policy, including a book on the Multi Level Governance of Space Mining, the Lunar Policy Priorities Report, the Lunar Policy Handbook, the EAGLE Report, and The Hague Building Blocks. Dr. Salmeri’s contributions to the advancement of space law and astronautics have been recognized through several prestigious awards, such as the Young Space Leader Award of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and the Diederiks-Verschoor Award of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL).
Dr. Salmeri possess an extensive network in the space sector through his voluntary roles at major entities, such as Chair of the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC, period 2023 – 2025), Governing Member of the International Space University (ISU), member of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL), member of several technical and administrative committees of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), and regular speaker at high level multilateral gatherings and major international events.
2 June 2025 | SAINT HELIER, Jersey | CoinShares International Limited (“CoinShares” or the “Company“) (Nasdaq Stockholm Market: CS; US OTCQX: CNSRF), a global investment firm specializing in digital assets, is pleased to announce that all of the resolutions proposed at the Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) of the Company, held as of 30 May 2025, were duly passed via poll.
The Company’s Board of Directors wished to highlight the following:
Resolution 13 – Resolution regarding authorising the Board of Directors to decide on repurchase and transfer of own shares
The AGM resolved that the Board of Directors shall decide on purchases of the Company’s own shares in accordance with the following terms.
Share repurchases may be made on Nasdaq Stockholm or any other regulated market.
The authorisation may be exercised on one or more occasions before the 2026 Annual General Meeting.
The Company’s holding of shares at any given time shall not exceed 15% of the total number of shares in the Company.
Repurchases of the Company’s own shares may shall be made at a price of no more than 5% above the average trading price of the shares for the 5 business days prior to the repurchase date.
Payment for the shares shall be made in cash.
In addition, the AGM resolved to authorise the Board of Directors to decide on transfer of own shares, with or without deviation from the shareholders’ preferential rights, in accordance with the following, terms.
Transfers may be made on (i) Nasdaq Stockholm or (ii) outside of Nasdaq Stockholm in connection with the acquisition of companies, operations, or assets.
The authorisation may be exercised on one or more occasions before the 2026 Annual General Meeting.
The maximum number of shares that may be transferred corresponds to the number of shares held by the Company at the point in time of the Board of Directors’ decision on transfer.
Transfers of shares on Nasdaq Stockholm (or any other regulated market) shall be made at a price of no more than 5% above the average trading price of the shares for the 5 business days prior to the transfer date. For transfers outside of Nasdaq Stockholm, the price shall be set so that the transfer is made at market terms, except for delivery of shares in connection with employee stock option programs.
Payment for transferred shares may be made in cash, through in-kind payment, or through set-off against claims with the Company.
The purpose of the authorisations is to give the Board of Directors greater scope to act and the opportunity to adapt and improve the company’s capital structure and thereby create further shareholder value and take advantage of any attractive acquisition opportunities. The authorisation may also be used in order to enable delivery of shares in connection with employee stock option programs.
The Board of Directors shall have the right to decide on other terms for repurchases and transfers of own shares in accordance with its authorisation. The Board of Directors also has the right to authorise the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, or the person designated by the Board to make such minor adjustments that may be necessary in connection with the execution of the Board’s decision to repurchase or transfer shares.
Resolution 14 – Resolution regarding amendments to the Company’s Articles of Association
The AGM resolved that Company’s Articles of Association be amended by deletion of the existing articles 3.6.2, 17.2.7 and 24.12 and the insertion of new articles 3.6.2, 17.2.7 and 24.12 as follows: “3.6.2 the Directors may, by unanimous consent only, during any period of two consecutive calendar years, resolve to allot and issue in one or more tranches such number of ordinary shares (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any shares issued pursuant to, in connection with or upon conversion of any subsequently issued convertible bonds) as does not in the aggregate exceed twenty five percent (25%) of the total number of ordinary shares in issue (excluding any ordinary shares held in treasury) at 9am on 1st January of such year (rounded down to the nearest whole share), without the offer, issue or allotment of such shares or the issue or conversion of any subsequently issued convertible bonds being subject to the provisions of Article 3.2 provided always that any such allotment, issue, or conversion is effected solely in connection with bona fide transactions for business purposes only (and for the avoidance of doubt the terms of this Article 3.6.2 shall not include the issuance of shares or convertible securities as consideration or compensation for services rendered by employees, consultants, directors, or any other individuals in a personal capacity) and provided further that any issuance or allotment to any natural person pursuant to this Article 3.6.2 shall be subject to the unanimous approval of the remuneration committee as required by and in accordance with the terms of reference for such remuneration committee and shall not in aggregate in any calendar year exceed five percent (5%) of the total number of ordinary shares in issue at the time of such offer;”
“17.2.7 the creation of any charge or other security over any assets or property of a Group Company to secure borrowings, or indebtedness in the nature of borrowings, of that Group Company which, when aggregated with all other such borrowings or indebtedness, would exceed £200,000,000 (OTHER THAN in the ordinary course of its Business, and, DISREGARDING any amounts borrowed from other Group Companies) provided always that, subject to applicable law, nothing in these Articles (including without limitation this provision) shall restrict or prevent or be deemed to restrict or prevent the issuance by the Company of any corporate or convertible bonds or other debt instruments on an unsecured basis.”
“24.12 Notwithstanding anything to the contrary within these Articles, meetings of the Board shall be held at such locations and in such manner, and resolutions of Directors passed in writing shall be signed, so as to cause the Company to: 24.12.1 be resident for taxation purposes in Jersey; and 24.12.2 comply with the Taxation (Companies – Economic Substance) (Jersey) Law 2019.”
36,267,305 shares and votes were registered for the AGM, representing 54.39% of the issued share capital as at 16 May 2025.
The number of shares in issue (and total voting rights) as at close of business on 16 May 2025 was 66,678,210 ordinary shares carrying one vote each. Therefore, the total voting rights in the Company as at close of business on 16 May 2025 was 66,678,210.
The full text of the resolutions passed at the AGM can be found in the Notice of the Annual General Meeting (included within the Annual Report) which is available on the Company’s website at https://investor.coinshares.com/c-governance/general-meetings.
In response to a shareholder question and as previous advised during the 1Q25 earnings call, the CEO reaffirmed his commitment to the Company’s long-standing objective of enhancing shareholder value by securing a listing on a major U.S. exchange such as Nasdaq or the NYSE.
Several potential paths to listing were outlined, including a secondary listing and reverse takeover structures. The CEO noted that the reverse takeover market in the U.S. is currently active, offering a range of options—from legacy listed entities seeking a strategic reset to clean shells, with or without available cash.
CoinShares’ strong earnings and robust margins provide meaningful strategic flexibility. At this stage, the Company remains focused on completing its PCAOB historical audit, which is the primary gating item for any U.S. listing initiative.
About CoinShares
CoinShares is a leading global investment company specialising in digital assets, that delivers a broad range of financial services across investment management, trading and securities to a wide array of clients that includes corporations, financial institutions and individuals. Focusing on crypto since 2013, the firm is headquartered in Jersey, with offices in France, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US. CoinShares is regulated in Jersey by the Jersey Financial Services Commission, in France by the Autorité des marchés financiers, and in the US by the Securities and Exchange Commission, National Futures Association and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. CoinShares is publicly listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm under the ticker CS and the OTCQX under the ticker CNSRF.
This information is information that CoinShares International Limited is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation (596/2014). The information in this press release has been published through the agency of the contact persons set out above, at 08:30 BST on Monday, 2 June 2025.
Poland’s presidential election runoff will be a bitter pill for pro-European Union democrats to swallow.
The nationalist, Trumpian, historian Karol Nawrocki has narrowly defeated the liberal, pro-EU mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, 50.89 to 49.11%.
The Polish president has few executive powers, though the office holder is able to veto legislation. This means the consequences of a Nawrocki victory will be felt keenly, both in Poland and across Europe.
With this power, Nawrocki, backed by the conservative Law and Justice party, will no doubt stymie the ability of Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his Civic Platform-led coalition to enact democratic political reforms.
This legislative gridlock could well see Law and Justice return to government in the 2027 general elections, which would lock in the anti-democratic changes the party made during their last term in office from 2015–2023. This included eroding Poland’s judicial independence by effectively taking control of judicial appointments and the supreme court.
Nawrocki’s win has given pro-Donald Trump, anti-liberal, anti-EU forces across the continent a shot in the arm. It’s bad news for the EU, Ukraine and women.
A rising Poland
For much of the post-second world war era, Poland has had limited European influence.
This is no longer the case. Poland’s economy has boomed since it joined the EU in 2004. It spends almost 5% of its gross domestic product on defence, almost double what it spent in 2022 at the time of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Poland now has a bigger army than the United Kingdom, France and Germany. And living standards, adjusted for purchasing power, are about to eclipse Japan’s.
Along with Brexit, these changes have resulted in the EU’s centre of gravity shifting eastwards towards Poland. As a rising military and economic power of 37 million people, what happens in Poland will help shape Europe’s future.
Impacts on Ukraine
Poland’s new position in Europe is most clearly demonstrated by its central role in the fight to defend Ukraine against Russia.
This centrality was clearly demonstrated during the recent “Coalition of the Willing” summit in Kyiv, where Tusk joined the leaders of Europe’s major powers – France, Germany and the UK – to bolster support for Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
However, Poland’s unqualified support for Ukraine will now be at risk because Nawrocki has demonised Ukrainian refugees in his country and opposed Ukrainian integration into European-oriented bodies, such as the EU and NATO.
Nawrocki was also backed during his campaign by the Trump administration. Kristi Noem, the US secretary of homeland security, said at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference in Poland:
Donald Trump is a strong leader for us, but you have an opportunity to have just as strong of a leader in Karol if you make him the leader of this country.
Trump also hosted Nawrocki in the Oval Office when he was merely a candidate for office. This was a significant deviation from standard US diplomatic protocol to stay out of foreign elections.
Nawrocki has not been as pro-Russia as some other global, MAGA-style politicians, but this is largely due to Poland’s geography and its difficult history with Russia. It has been repeatedly invaded across its eastern plains by Russian or Soviet troops. And along with Ukraine, Poland shares borders with the Russian client state of Belarus and Russia itself in Kaliningrad, the heavily militarised enclave on the Baltic Sea.
I experienced the proximity of these borders during fieldwork in Poland in 2023 when I travelled by car from Warsaw to Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, via the Suwalki Gap.
This is the strategically important, 100-kilometre-long border between Poland and Lithuania, which connects the Baltic states to the rest of NATO and the EU to the south. It’s seen as a potential flashpoint if Russia were ever to close the gap and isolate the Baltic states.
Poland’s conservative nationalist politicians are therefore less Russia-friendly than those in Hungary or Slovakia. Nawrocki, for instance, does not support cutting off weapons to Ukraine.
However, a Nawrocki presidency will still be more hostile to Ukraine and its interests. During the campaign, Nawrocki said Zelensky “treats Poland badly”, echoing the type of language used by Trump himself.
Poland divided
The high stakes in the election resulted in a record turnout of almost 73%.
There was a stark choice in the election between Nawrocki and Trzaskowski.
Trzaskowski supported the liberalisation of Poland’s harsh abortion laws – abortion was effectively banned in Poland under the Law and Justice government – and the introduction of civil partnerships for LGBTQ+ couples.
Nawrocki opposed these changes and will likely veto any attempt to implement them.
While the polls for the presidential runoff election had consistently shown a tight race, an Ipsos exit poll published during the vote count demonstrated the social divisions now facing the country.
As in other recent global elections, women and those with higher formal education voted for the progressive candidate (Trzaskowski), while men and those with less formal education voted for the conservative (Nawrocki).
After the surprise success of the liberal, pro-EU presidential candidate in the Romanian elections a fortnight ago, pro-EU forces were hoping for a similar result in Poland, as well.
That, for now, is a pipe dream and liberals across the continent will now need to negotiate a difficult relationship with a right-wing, Trumpian leader in the new beating heart of Europe.
Adam Simpson 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.
n all-party Indian parliamentary delegation, led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, met with representatives of Malaysia’s People’s Justice Party (PKR) in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, as part of India’s global outreach campaign following the Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent military response under Operation Sindoor.
The delegation, which arrived in Kuala Lumpur on May 31, was briefed by India’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, B.N. Reddy. He underscored the strategic importance of India-Malaysia relations and “outlined the Malaysia-specific messaging to strongly convey India’s commitment to combat terrorism under Operation Sindoor.”
According to a statement from the Indian High Commission, the delegation held “wide-ranging” interactions with members of the Indian diaspora and conveyed India’s “resolute stance against cross-border terrorism.”
“Diaspora members, including voices from the Malaysian Indian Muslim community, unequivocally condemned terrorism. An appeal was made to amplify the message of unity and zero tolerance through various platforms and communities,” the statement said.
The delegation also engaged with major Malaysian media outlets and social media influencers, stressing India’s new doctrine that “terror and talks cannot go together” and asserting that any act of terror will now be treated as an act of war.
“The delegation paid heartfelt homage to the Malaysian national who lost her life in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, emphasizing that terrorism is a global menace that endangers all of humanity,” the statement said.
Speaking to ANI, delegation leader Sanjay Kumar Jha outlined the significance of the multi-nation tour.
“Our first visit was to Japan and it was an important country because so many trades of ours happen with Japan…Japan endorsed the stance of the country…Then we went to South Korea…they also appreciated and supported us…in Singapore also…we had positive talks…Jakarta has the highest Muslim population in the world…their stand against terrorism was in support of India…the whole world has criticised the Pahalgam attack,” he said
He added: “We will be in Malaysia till the day after tomorrow…the President of Malaysia has strongly condemned (Pahalgam attack)…we have made two requests, the first one is that we are not part of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) even though India has a large Muslim population…Pakistan keeps passing resolutions against us…so we have sought support from Malaysia and Indonesia…Pakistan needs to be brought back to the FATF list, so we have kept this demand before all the countries to consider this and extend support to this. Malaysia has supported us in getting a permanent membership in the UN Security Council…,”
Apart from Jha, the delegation includes MPs Aparajita Sarangi (BJP), Abhishek Banerjee (TMC), Brij Lal (BJP), John Brittas (CPI-M), Pradan Baruah (BJP), and Hemang Joshi (BJP), along with former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, and former Indian Ambassador to France Mohan Kumar.
large-scale humanitarian and disaster relief operation is underway across the Northeastern states of India as incessant rainfall has triggered severe flooding in several regions. The Indian Air Force, Central Armed Police Forces, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and state authorities have launched coordinated rescue and relief efforts to assist those stranded.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju confirmed the launch of the mission on Monday, calling it a critical intervention to manage the unfolding crisis. “A critical humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission is being launched by the Indian Air Force, Central Armed Forces, NDRF and State Government Forces in North East India,” Rijiju said in a post on X.
In Manipur, the Indian Army and Assam Rifles have intensified their efforts under Operation Jal Rahat-2, rescuing over 500 civilians from flood-hit areas in Imphal East and West. The affected zones include Wangkhei, Heingang, Lamlong, Khurai, JNIMS, and Ahallup.
Ten flood relief columns, equipped with BAUTs (Boat Assault Universal Type) and inflatable boats, have been deployed. Army personnel also undertook emergency repair work on a breached section of the Iril River boundary wall near Arapti Lamkhai in Lilong, Thoubal district, in a bid to prevent further flooding.
“Army boats ferried stranded patients to safety at JNIMS Hospital. Nearly 800 bottles of drinking water and other essential supplies were distributed to displaced families across affected areas,” the Indian Army said in a statement.
Operations are being carried out in close coordination with civil authorities to ensure timely aid and continuous support for the affected population.
Meanwhile, in Sikkim’s Mangan district, restoration work continues after the Phidang Bailey Bridge, which connects Mangan to Chungthang, was partially damaged by the swelling Teesta River. Authorities have restored the Chungthang-Phidang road, enabling the safe evacuation of stranded tourists.
Search operations are still ongoing for nine tourists who went missing following a tragic vehicle accident in Mangan on May 29. The rescue efforts are being supervised by a joint task force comprising the District Police, District Administration, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Army, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), NDRF, General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF), Fire and Medical Teams, Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, and local stakeholders including the TAAS and Driver Association.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Joe Wilson (2nd District of South Carolina)
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Joe Wilson issued the following statement on the murder of two members of the Israeli Embassy staff in Washington, D.C.:
“My sincerest condolences to the families of the bright staffers whose lives were senselessly taken by a coward while attending an event representing peace and a positive future for Jewish communities around the world. Remarking on the ‘beautiful couple,’ Israel Ambassador Yechiel Leiter spoke of Israeli and American resilience and together overcoming moral depravity.
“I am grateful that Attorney General Pam Bondi, Washington, D.C. Chief of Police Pamela Smith, and the highest levels of law enforcement are dedicated to justice and eliminating the scourge of anti-Jewish hatred in our streets.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Karol Nawrocki, an independent candidate backed by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, won Poland’s presidential runoff election, according to the final vote count released by Polish National Electoral Commission (PKW) early Monday.
The final result, reading “Elected in the second round,” was written next to Nawrocki’s name on the public website of PKW on Monday.
Nawrocki, a historian and head of Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance, received 50.89 percent of the vote in the presidential runoff, ahead of Rafal Trzaskowski, the ruling Civic Coalition (KO) candidate and mayor of Warsaw, who garnered 49.11 percent.
This was Nawrocki’s first presidential campaign — an uphill battle from the start. He consistently trailed Trzaskowski in polls, including Sunday evening’s initial exit survey.
Born in 1983 in Gdansk, Nawrocki is set to succeed the incumbent president Andrzej Duda, whose second and final term ends on Aug. 6.
Police have door knocked homes and businesses in the Bellerive area this afternoon looking for information that might help their investigations into the discovery of a man’s body in an industrial-sized garbage bin. The body of a 45-year-old man was discovered about 9am on Monday (June 2) by a garbage contractor, with the bin located at the rear of a business in Percy Street. Uniform officers from Bellerive Station, members of the South East Criminal Investigation Branch and Forensics have been gathering evidence at the scene and surrounds. Police are also reviewing CCTV footage. Police have confirmed the man was last seen alive about 7pm on Saturday, by members of his family. “Investigations are at an early stage, but right now the scene suggests this could be a case of death by misadventure or alternatively, foul play, or possibly a combination of both,” Detective Inspector David Gill said. “At this time there is no evidence of any injuries to the man and an autopsy has been scheduled for tomorrow morning.” Police have appealed for anyone with information about movements in the Percy Street area from Saturday night to Monday morning to contact them on 131 444 or report it to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or to crimestopperstas.com.au
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Police have arrested a 44-year-old female and a 25-year-old male in relation to an incident that occurred in Alice Springs on Saturday evening.
Around 7:20pm, police received reports of a disturbance occurring at a licensed premises on Todd Street after a group were asked to leave.
During the altercation, it is alleged that members from the group assaulted 2 employees before damaging property within the premises.
Police attended a short time later and a 44-year-old female and a 25-year-old male were arrested nearby.
The female has been charged with:
Assault on Police
Offensive Behaviour in a Public Place
Fail to Leave Licensed Premises
Damage to Property
The male has been charged with:
Breach of Bail
Assault a Worker – Victim Suffers Harm
Assaults on Worker
Fail to Leave Licensed Premises
Threats of Injury or cause Detriment
Offensive Behaviour in a Public Place
Damage to Property
Disorderly Behaviour in Police Station
Both alleged offenders were remanded to appear in Alice Springs Local Court today.
Police urge anyone with information about the incident to make contact on 131 444. Please quote reference number P25147763. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.
Emergency services are at the scene of a serious crash near the intersection of Clyde and Fox Streets, Hamilton East, involving a car and a pedestrian.
Police were called about 7.12pm.
Initial indications are the pedestrian has received critical injuries.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The Northern Territory Police Force have concluded Operation FROME, a high-visibility road safety operation along some of the Territory’s most remote areas between 6am Thursday 22 May to 6am Saturday 24 May 2025.
The operation, led by the Territory Road Policing Division, was developed to reduce the incidence of serious and fatal crashes through enforcement, education, and engagement, while targeting the movement of illicit substances and alcohol into the Northern Territory.
Operation FROME involved a coordinated effort with officers from the Northern Command, Southern Command, Southern Investigations, Northern Investigations, Dog Operations Unit and the Drug and Organised Crime Division, delivering roadside enforcement and engagement at strategic locations including Timber Creek, NT/QLD Border and south of Alice Springs, in cooperation with Queensland Police.
Operational outcomes included:
1974 breath tests conducted, with 1 positive result for drink driving.
297 drug driver tests, resulting in 30 positive detections.
4 arrests and 22 Notices to Appear in court.
48 Traffic Infringement Notices issued, and 11 vehicles defected.
16 Drug Infringement Notices issued.
Drugs, alcohol, and cash seized included: 3.22kg of cannabis, 2.3g methamphetamine, 22g cocaine, 1.5g MDMA, 1.1g ketamine, 2.5kg of kava, 1 litre of alcohol, $31,428 in cash, and 3 imitation firearms (2 replica pistols and 1 replica AR-15)
The Territory Road Policing Division Superintendent Richard Magree said, “Overall we were very pleased with the majority of drivers, particularly commercial operators. It is, however, disappointing to see some individuals continuing to drive under the influence of drugs and attempting to traffic illicit substances across our borders.
“Driving under the influence remains a leading causal factor in fatal crashes across the Northern Territory. Police will continue to target this behaviour through operations like FROME.
“This remote operation is another reminder that Territory Road Policing can be anywhere at any time, and we continue to urge all drivers to remain vigilant and adhere to the Fatal Five.”
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Police are calling for information in relation to an altercation that occurred in Nhulunbuy early Saturday morning.
Around 12:15am, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received reports that a security officer had allegedly been stabbed during an altercation with a male in the carpark of a lodge on Westal Street.
It is alleged the male was previously banned from the location and when security officers approached him and asked him to leave an altercation occurred resulting in injuries to the male and the security officer being stabbed with a pair of scissors.
Police and St John Ambulance attended, and the male allegedly punched one of the officers in the face.
Both the security officer and the male were conveyed to Gove District Hospital for treatment with non-life-threatening injuries. The police officer did not require medical treatment.
Police urge anyone who witnessed the incident to make contact on 131 444. Please quote reference number NTP2500055868. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.
South Koreans will go to the polls in a snap election on Tuesday, voting for a president to replace Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted from office in April after his brief martial law attempt sent shockwaves through the country.
Here are key events from martial law to Yoon’s impeachment, arrest, and indictment, and election day.
December 3, 2024: Shortly before 10:30 p.m. (1330 GMT), Yoon declares on national television he is imposing martial law to root out “anti-state forces” and overcome political deadlock.
An hour later the military issues a decree banning activity by political parties and lawmakers, and troops and police descend on the opposition-controlled parliament. Staffers use barricades and fire extinguishers to ward off special operations soldiers who arrive by helicopter and break windows as they enter parliament.
Lawmakers hop fences to avoid the security cordons and crowds of protesters gather.
December 4: Defying the military’s order, 190 lawmakers in the early hours unanimously vote to reject Yoon’s declaration and troops begin to leave.
About three and a half hours later, Yoon gives another televised speech, announcing he is lifting martial law. The decree was in effect for about six hours.
Opposition parties submit motion to impeach Yoon.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell says Yoon “badly misjudged” his decision to declare martial law, which was “deeply problematic” and “illegitimate.”
December 5: Yoon’s People Power Party, although divided, decides to oppose his impeachment.
Yoon accepts the resignation of Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun. Police investigate Yoon, Kim and the interior minister on accusations of treason and related crimes over the declaration of martial law after opposition parties and activists filed complaints.
December 6: PPP leader Han Dong-hoon says Yoon must be removed from power for trying to impose martial law. Some party members urge Yoon to resign.
December 7: Yoon addresses the nation to apologise, saying he will put his fate in the hands of the PPP but not saying he will resign.
A vote to impeach Yoon fails as the PPP boycotts, depriving parliament of a quorum.
December 8: Prosecutors name Yoon as the subject of a criminal investigation over the martial law attempt. Ex-Defence Minister Kim is arrested.
December 9: The justice ministry bars Yoon from leaving South Korea.
December 10: Kwak Jong-geun, commander of the Army Special Warfare Command, tells a parliamentary committee that Yoon gave an order to “drag out” lawmakers from parliament after declaring martial law.
Ex-Defence Minister Kim attempts suicide in jail.
December 11: Police try to search Yoon’s office but are blocked from entering the building.
December 12: Yoon says in another televised speech he will “fight to the end”, alleging North Korea had hacked South Korea’s election commission and expressing doubt over his party’s landslide election defeat in April. The National Election Commission denies the claim.
December 14: Parliament impeaches Yoon with the support of 204 of the 300 lawmakers in the one-chamber parliament. At least 12 PPP members vote to impeach.
Yoon’s presidential powers are suspended, and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo becomes acting president.
December 16: The Constitutional Court begins reviewing the impeachment case.
December 27: Parliament impeaches and suspends acting President Han, less than two weeks after suspending Yoon. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok assumes the position of acting president.
The court holds first public hearing in Yoon’s impeachment case.
December 31: The Seoul Western District Court approves an arrest warrant requested by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) after Yoon failed to appear for questioning over insurrection allegations.
Yoon’s lawyers say the arrest warrant is illegal and invalid because the CIO does not have the proper authority.
January 3: Presidential guards and military troops prevent authorities from arresting Yoon in a tense six-hour stand-off inside his compound in the heart of Seoul.
January 7: The Seoul Western District Court approves an extension of the arrest warrant after the CIO’s failed attempt.
January 14: The Constitutional Court adjourns the opening session of Yoon’s impeachment trial within minutes, after the embattled leader did not attend court.
January 15: Yoon agrees to leave his compound after around 3,000 police arrive for a second arrest attempt. Yoon says in a message he only submitted to avoid bloodshed, and the CIO says he refuses to answer questions. He is the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested.
January 19: Hundreds of Yoon supporters storm a court building after his detention was extended, smashing windows and breaking inside. Yoon continues to refuse to answer questions.
January 21: Yoon attends his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court for the first time. When questioned by a justice, he denies ordering military commanders to drag lawmakers out of parliament.
January 23: The CIO transfers its case to prosecutors and asks them to indict Yoon for insurrection and abuse of power.
January 24-25: A court twice rejects requests by prosecutors for an extension of Yoon’s detention while they do further investigation.
January 26: Prosecutors indict Yoon on insurrection charges and ask that he be kept in custody.
February 4-18: Constitutional Court holds five hearings in Yoon’s impeachment trial.
February 20: Seoul Central District Court questions Yoon concerning lawyers’ request to cancel his arrest as “unlawful”, holds preparatory hearing for insurrection trial.
Constitutional Court holds 10th hearing in Yoon’s impeachment trial.
February 25: Court holds final hearing in Yoon’s impeachment trial. In his closing statement, Yoon defends his decisions as lawful and necessary to protect the country.
Yoon attended eight of the 11 hearings.
March 9: Yoon walks free after prosecutors decide not to appeal a court decision to cancel his arrest warrant on insurrection charges. He spent 54 days in jail.
April 4: The Constitutional Court rules to remove Yoon permanently from office.
April 8: Government sets June 3 as date for snap election.
April 27: The liberal Democratic Party names its former leader and 2022 presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung as its candidate.
May 1: Acting president Han steps down to launch presidential run. Finance minister Choi resigns after Democratic Party vows to start impeachment proceedings, leaving education minister Lee Ju-ho as the country’s third acting president since December.
The Supreme Court reverses an appeals court ruling that cleared Lee of criminal violations of election law, and ordered a new sentence, threatening his eligibility to run for office.
May 3: Yoon’s former labour minister, Kim Moon-soo, wins the main conservative People Power Party primary. Kim and Han spend the next week clashing over plans for a unity ticket.
May 7: Appeals court delays ruling on Lee until after election.
May 11: Han drops presidential bid after PPP confirms Kim as nominee.
Six people were injured on Sunday when a 45-year-old man yelled “Free Palestine” and threw incendiary devices into a crowd in Boulder, Colorado where a demonstration to remember the Israeli hostages who remain in Gaza was taking place, authorities said.
Six victims aged between 67 and 88 years old were transported to hospitals, the FBI special agent in charge of the Denver Field Office, Mark Michalek, said. At least one of them was in a critical condition, authorities said.
“As a result of these preliminary facts, it is clear that this is a targeted act of violence and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism,” Michalek said.
Michalek named the suspect as Mohamed Soliman, who was hospitalized shortly after the attack.
FBI Director Kash Patel also described the incident as a “targeted terror attack,” and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said it appeared to be “a hate crime given the group that was targeted.” Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said he did not believe anyone else was involved.
“We’re fairly confident we have the lone suspect in custody,” he said.
The attack took place on the Pearl Street Mall, a popular pedestrian shopping district in the shadow of the University of Colorado, during an event organized by Run for Their Lives, an organization devoted to drawing attention to the hostages seized in the aftermath of Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel.
In a statement, the group said the walks have been held every week since then for the hostages, “without any violent incidents until today.”
The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the United States over Israel’s war in Gaza, which has spurred both an increase in antisemitic hate crime as well as moves by conservative supporters of Israel led by President Donald Trump to brand pro-Palestinian protests as antisemitic. His administration has detained protesters of the war without charge and cut off funding to elite U.S. universities that have permitted such demonstrations.
In a post to X, a social network, Trump’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said Soliman had overstayed his visa and been allowed to work by the previous administration. He said it was further evidence of the need to “fully reverse” what he described as “suicidal migration.”
When asked about Soliman, the Department of Homeland Security said more information would be provided as it became available.
VICTIMS BURNED
Brooke Coffman, a 19-year-old at the University of Colorado who witnessed the Boulder incident, said she saw four women lying or sitting on the ground with burns on their legs. One of them appeared to have been badly burned on most of her body and had been wrapped in a flag by someone, she said.
She described seeing a man whom she presumed to be the attacker standing in the courtyard shirtless, holding a glass bottle of clear liquid and shouting.
“Everybody is yelling, ‘get water, get water,’” Coffman said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a prominent Jewish Democrat, said it was an antisemitic attack.
“This is horrifying, and this cannot continue. We must stand up to antisemitism,” he said on X.
The attack follows last month’s arrest of a Chicago-born man in the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington, D.C. Someone opened fire on a group of people leaving an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee, an advocacy group that fights antisemitism and supports Israel.
The shooting fueled polarization in the United States over the war in Gaza between supporters of Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis posted on social media that it was “unfathomable that the Jewish community is facing another terror attack here in Boulder.”
Paris St Germain held victory celebrations on the Champs Elysees and at their Parc des Princes stadium for thousands of cheering supporters on Sunday after crushing Inter Milan 5-0 to win their first Champions League title.
Dressed in the club’s blue-and-red colours, fans gathered in the French capital’s most famous avenue to welcome their Parisian heroes, just landed from Munich.
The players showed off the coveted trophy from their open top bus and joined in the crowd’s singing.
“We are the champions!”, “Ici c’est Paris!” (Paris is here) and other chants reverberated throughout the avenue.
The squad then headed for the nearby Elysee palace where they were greeted by President Emmanuel Macron.
“You won this Champions League, and you did it in a sublime, phenomenal way. You are the champions, and you put Paris at the top of Europe. And it was magnificent,” Macron said.
“We all felt the excitement. There were 11 of you on the pitch, but there was clearly a 12th man – the French public … regardless of traditional allegiances.”
PSG’s young team achieved what the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe could not do in their colours, becoming only the second French side to win the trophy after Olympique de Marseille in 1993.
“It’s unbelievable,” said one fan Leo Rogue, 22, standing in the middle of the packed crowd in a vintage PSG top. “I don’t have the words … We’ve been waiting for this for a long time.”
SECURITY LIMIT
Police capped numbers at 100,000 for security reasons.
Some youngsters climbed on scaffolding or news stands to better take in the moment.
Jamel, 55, was disappointed to be stopped near an entrance to the parade as numbers had reached a maximum, but was not letting that spoil his celebration.
“Yesterday I partied and today I’m partying,” he said.
Wild celebrations erupted across the French capital and beyond on Saturday night, although skirmishes with police later threatened to spoil the atmosphere.
The club condemned violence on X. “Paris St Germain calls on everyone to show responsibility and respect, for that historic win to remain a moment of pride shared by all,” it said.
At the Parc des Princes stadium on Sunday evening, police deployed tear gas when dozens of ticketless fans sought to enter the security perimeter.
Inside the arena, after a show that featured DJ Snake, the players came to greet the crowd with man-of-the-final Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele and coach Luis Enrique the most cheered, before club president Nasser al Khelaifi and captain Mqrauinhos showed the trophy to the fans.
After the stadium emptied out, supporters threw fireworks at police, who responded with tear gas.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Karol Nawrocki is now narrowly leading Rafal Trzaskowski in Poland’s presidential runoff on Sunday, according to a late poll conducted by Ipsos. Earlier exit poll results had shown Trzaskowski ahead.
Nawrocki, a historian and head of Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance, received 50.7 percent of the vote in the presidential runoff, ahead of Trzaskowski, the ruling Civic Coalition (KO) candidate and mayor of Warsaw, who garnered 49.3 percent, according to the late poll released by Ipsos at about 11 p.m. local time (2100 GMT).
According to the Polish Press Agency, the late poll is based on official results from 50 percent of randomly selected polling stations where Ipsos conducted its survey. The statistical margin of error is estimated at 1 percentage point.
Ipsos’s earlier exit poll showed that Trzaskowski received 50.3 percent of the vote, while Nawrocki, an independent candidate backed by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, received 49.7 percent. Voter turnout was estimated at 72.8 percent.
Final results are likely to be announced on Monday morning or early afternoon, according to the Polish National Electoral Commission (PKW).
A closely contested first round was held on May 18, in which Trzaskowski secured 31.36 percent of the vote, followed by Nawrocki with 29.54 percent. As no candidate secured more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round, the election proceeded to a runoff.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA)
Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) hosted a roundtable discussion with local law enforcement officers and first responders focused on recruitment, retention, and public service. At the event, Rep. Houlahan announced the reintroduction of her Public Service Student Loan Payment Completion Fairness Act to make a long-overdue modernization to the PSLF Program and simplify the loan forgiveness process for public servants. This legislation, co-led by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), was endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police.
At present, the law requires applicants to be employed in a public service job at the time of student loan forgiveness. That means public servants who have dutifully completed their 120 payments and spent 10 years in public service may become ineligible for forgiveness if they change employers. Houlahan and Fitzpatrick’s legislation would simplify the process, improve applicant success rate, and incent more Americans to become public servants by removing the provision requiring individuals to be employed in public service at the time of forgiveness.
“When Pennsylvanians and Americans dedicate a decade or more of their lives to serving our communities, they deserve our support to cut through bureaucratic delays and receive the student loan forgiveness we have promised,” said Representative Houlahan. “Our community, Commonwealth, and country are made stronger because of dedicated public servants, and as a former AmeriCorps teacher, I’m proud to introduce this commonsense reform to help our nation’s teachers, law enforcement officers, first responders, nurses, and others.”
“Those who choose public service—whether in a classroom, a squad car, or a hospital ward—do so out of a sense of duty, not personal gain. They sacrifice, they serve, and many take on student debt to do it. Our bill ensures they’re not denied loan forgiveness because of a technicality. If we want to recruit and retain the best in public service, we must show service is respected, and commitments made will be commitments kept,” said Representative Fitzpatrick.
In a letter written to Representatives Houlahan and Fitzpatrick, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police Patrick Yoes endorsed the bill, adding, “An officer’s route for advancement is highly dependent on education, which can be a large hurdle for entry level officers who may not be able to afford higher education. Correcting the statute in this way would enable our nation’s public servants, who serve and protect their communities, to receive a better education and, in turn, will help them to be better law enforcement officers, first responders, and teachers.”
Reps. Houlahan and Fitzpatrick hope their bipartisan, commonsense legislation will improve applicant success. Data from the Department of Education demonstrates how the many ancillary requirements of the PSLF program significantly impede the applicant success rate. Out of the 442,277 individuals who met employment certification and Direct Loan requirements and submitted program forms through September 2021, 98% did not immediately qualify because they did not meet other PSLF requirements, such as the onerous provision addressed in this legislation.
Read bill text here.
Houlahan is an Air Force veteran, engineer, entrepreneur, educator, and nonprofit leader. She is serving her fourth consecutive term representing the people of Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District, which encompasses Chester County and southern Berks County. Houlahan is the first female veteran to be named as Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee’s Military Personnel Subcommittee and a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Houlahan is also chair of the Economic Growth and Cost of Living Task Force on the New Democrat Coalition.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Rose (TN-06)
WASHINGTON, DC—On Thursday, U.S. Representative John Rose (TN-06) was granted access to more than 2,000 pages of documents relating to the Covenant School shooting that took place March 27, 2023 when three children and three adults were murdered in a planned and calculated attack. The access follows a multi-year call for transparency by Rep. Rose, which began with a 2023 letter sent weeks after the attack to then-FBI Director Christopher Wray and Metropolitan Nashville Police (MNPD) Chief John Drake, calling for the documents to be released.
Rep. Rose stated in the letter, “More than four weeks have passed since the heinous shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, yet countless mothers and fathers I represent are still awaiting answers.” He argued in the letter that “transparency is essential for those still grieving” and that “discussions of changing state or federal policy are futile without having an accurate account of the shooter’s state of mind, motives, preparation, and planning.”
The Biden FBI responded to the letter five months later, referring Rep. Rose to the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD). MNPD never responded or fulfilled the request. After years of effort, the Trump Administration and FBI Director Kash Patel approved Rep. Rose’s request and allowed him to view the documents.
Rep. Rosereleased a video statement after viewing the documents. You can view it here.
The verbatim reads:
I was just granted access to many documents relating to the Covenant School shooting tragedy investigation by the FBI.
What I saw would disturb anyone, especially a parent. The documents are a painful reminder of the devastation that victims, including their families and friends, endure every day. Their lives are no doubt forever changed.
Today, as difficult as it was to view this material, it was also important for transparency in government. We must never accept the kind of censorship we saw surrounding this shooter. In no other mass tragedy do we see every piece of evidence shielded from the public.
While we certainly don’t want to enable copycat attempts or glorify mass killers, we also need the full scope of facts in situations such as this to prevent them in the future.
Like many of you, I have long suspected some of this information was shielded from public view because this shooter considered herself to be transgender.
After having read through the evidence, I remain convinced that there is no good justification for keeping most of the evidence from the public square. No reasonable person would object to certain redactions, just as no reasonable person who believes in the First Amendment would condone the widespread censorship we saw from the Biden FBI and frankly Metro Nashville Police. Weeks after this tragedy, I sent two letters calling on then-FBI Director Christopher Wray and Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake to release the documents or provide a written reason as to why not and a timeline on when it would be released.
At the time, there were a lot of discussions surrounding state and federal gun policy. I argued those discussions were premature without first knowing what happened. Countless Tennesseans still want to know about the mental state of the shooter and many other factors that contributed to this tragedy. The report from Metro Nashville, released about a month ago, calls the killer sane. I just read through about 2,000 pages of reasons why that is false.
Less than 100 days after being confirmed by the U.S. Senate, FBI Director Kash Patel is well on his way to fulfilling his goal of restoring confidence in the bureau. As our nation’s top law enforcement agency, trust and transparency are essential. I want to thank him for his leadership on behalf of each and every Tennessee family I represent and beyond.
And I want to thank President Trump for following through on his promise to end woke policies in government and restore trust in our institutions.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nydia M Velázquez (D-NY)
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) led five colleagues in a letter urging the House Appropriations Committee requesting an end to federal funding for the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) use of private prison facilities. The lawmakers also called for a ban on transferring phased-out Department of Justice prison contracts to ICE for immigration enforcement.
“During the first Trump administration, privately-operated ICE facilities were used extensively and grew despite substandard conditions and problematic contracting practices documented by Congress, government oversight bodies, NGO’s and the media,” wrote the lawmakers. “More must be done to ensure that those without a voice, namely undocumented immigrants, are not subjected to dehumanizing or perilous conditions.”
During President Trump’s second term, the administration has expanded the immigration detention system through billion-dollar contracts with private prison companies such as GEO Group and CoreCivic. These efforts include the possible reopening of closed or phased-out facilities across at least eight states, many with documented records of abuse and neglect.
The lawmakers raised concerns about the absence of accountability in private detention centers. Unlike government-run prisons, these facilities often operate with little or no independent oversight.
“We know that private facilities have had staff falsify records, failed to adequately supervise detainees and provided improper medical care,” wrote the lawmakers. “Moreover, unlike state-run prisons or local jails that are subject to established oversight mechanisms, privately operated ICE detention centers operate largely without state inspections or regulatory oversight.”
The letter calls for specific bill language in the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations package to prohibit DHS from using or entering private detention contracts for immigration purposes.
The letter was signed by Rep. Holmes Norton (D-DC), Rep. Smith (D-WA), Rep. Beyer Jr. (D-VA), Rep. Carson (D-IN), and Rep. Rivas (D-CA).
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)
SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07) and Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-04) held a forum featuring testimony from local public safety experts, tax law experts, and health care providers to discuss how Congressional Republicans’ latest budget bill will impact Sacramento metro region residents.
Congressional Republicans’ bill, which passed the House of Representatives this month, will slash health care coverage for nearly 14 million people, cut nutrition benefits for nearly 11 million people, and raise energy costs for families by $110 per year in order to hand a tax break to the ultra-wealthy.
“Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill is a disaster – targeting the most vulnerable among us to give tax breaks to the richest Americans,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “This bill rips away health care and nutrition assistance from millions of Americans and will have devastating consequences here in our region. That’s why we gathered a panel of local experts to explain exactly what is at stake for our communities. Programs like Medicaid and SNAP are lifelines – they allow our loved ones, friends, and neighbors to live healthy and fulfilling lives with dignity and independence. With the health and future of our constituents at risk, we will not back down. This battle is far from over.”
“Simply put, this bill is a bad deal for the American people,” said Congressman Thompson. “My Republican colleagues are paying for these huge tax breaks for the wealthy by stripping health care away from nearly 14 million Americans, taking food assistance from 11 million people, and cutting green energy investments responsible for our manufacturing boom. This will add $5 trillion to our national debt and will impact everyone in our community. Hospitals and clinics will be forced to reduce services or shut down altogether, local food banks will have fewer resources, and families will pay more for their energy bills. This is unacceptable.”
Representatives Thompson and Matsui were joined by local experts testifying to the negative impacts of this bill. Panelists included Dr. Darien Shanske, Martin Luther King Jr. Professor of Law, UC Davis; Chief Chris Costamagna of the Sacramento Fire Department; Dr. Erika Roshanravan, Medical Director for CommuniCare+OLE; Kate Laddish, Medicaid beneficiary and Chair of Yolo County In-Home Supportive Services’ Advisory Committee; Diana Flores, Executive of Director Nutrition Services, Central Kitchen and Distribution Services for Sacramento City Unified School District; and Jessica Bartholow, Director of Government Relations for SEIU California.
BACKGROUND
H.R. 1 passed the House of Representatives 215-214 in May. Every Democrat and two Republicans voted “No.” Now, it is under consideration in the Senate. Watch a recording of today’s forum here.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
WARSAW, June 2 (Xinhua) — Karol Nawrocki is ahead of Rafal Trzaskowski in the second round of Poland’s presidential election on Sunday, according to the latest Ipsos poll. Previous exit polls had shown Trzaskowski in the lead.
K. Nawrocki, a historian and head of the Polish Institute of National Remembrance, received 50.7 percent of the vote, while R. Trzaskowski, the mayor of Warsaw and the candidate of the ruling Civic Coalition, got 49.3 percent, a poll released by Ipsos at around 11 p.m. local time /21:00 GMT/ showed.
The previous Ipsos exit poll showed R. Trzaskowski receiving 50.3 percent of the vote, while K. Nawrocki, an independent candidate supported by the opposition Law and Justice party, received 49.7 percent. Voter turnout was estimated at 72.8 percent.
According to the Polish National Electoral Commission, the final results are expected to be announced on Monday morning or early afternoon.
On May 18, a tense first round took place, in which R. Trzaskowski received 31.36% of the votes, followed by K. Nawrocki with 29.54%. Since none of the candidates received more than 50% of the votes in the first round, a second round was called. –0–
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Darren Soto (D-FL)
The AIG program was created by the Infrastructure Law and provides $14.5 billion in funding over five years to be invested in runways, taxiways, safety and sustainability projects, as well as terminal, airport transit connections, and roadway projects
ORLANDO, FL — Today, Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09) announced that Orlando International Airport and Kissimmee Gateway Airport will receive over $33.5 million in FY25 Airport Infrastructure Grants. The AIG program was created by the Infrastructure Law and provides $14.5 billion in funding over five years to be invested in runways, taxiways, safety and sustainability projects, as well as terminal, airport transit connections, and roadway projects.
“Thanks to our Infrastructure Law, we’ve helped secure millions in federal investments to modernize our airports—supporting safer, more efficient travel while meeting the demands of one of the fastest-growing regions in the country,” said Rep. Soto. “From upgraded runways to improved terminal access, these projects aren’t just about infrastructure—they’re about future-proofing Central Florida’s economic engine. With tourism as one of our region’s biggest drivers, investing in airport infrastructure means investing in jobs, local businesses, and the millions of visitors who fuel our economy every year.”
Orlando International Airport will receive nearly $15 million to expand the existing Terminal C by over 203k square feet, over $12 million to expand an existing Terminal C apron by over 138k square yards to accommodate more aircraft operations, and $5 million to expand the existing Terminal C by over 203k square feet. This grant funds the Multi-Modal Connector Pedestrian Bridge.
“As an essential economic engine for the region, generating more than $41 billion in economic impact, Orlando International Airport appreciates Congressman Soto’s support to fund projects that will meet our near-term passenger demand,” said Greater Orlando Aviation Authority Chief Financial Officer Kathleen Sharman. “This and future funding will help the airport to elevate the passenger experience and enhance operations.”
Kissimmee Gateway Airport will receive $1.5 million to reconstruct the existing lighting on Taxiway A that has reached the end of its useful life.
“The Central Florida Airports are vital to our economy and ensuring infrastructure funding is critical to their efficiency and success,” said Kissimmee Gateway Airport Director of Aviation Shaun Germolus. “Congressman Soto recognizes this and has been a champion supporting very important projects at the Kissimmee Gateway Airport.”
Earlier today, Rep. Soto was joined by GOAA Chief Financial Officer Kathleen Sharman, Kissimmee Gateway Airport Director of Aviation Shaun Germolus, Orange County District 4 Commissioner Maribel Gomez Cordero, and City of Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa at a press conference to highlight this funding.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon(PA-5)
Washington, D.C.— Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, today joined Reps. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, in leading Judiciary Committee Democrats to demand that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and White House Counsel’s Office provide legal memoranda that reportedly blessed Donald Trump’s efforts to flout the clear text of the Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause in order to justify his accepting a luxury private jet from the State of Qatar without seeking the consent of Congress.
“President Trump is reportedly relying on memos that you authored, at his request, to accept a $400 million airplane from the State of Qatar—described in media reports as a ‘flying palace’ and ‘the most luxurious private jet in the world’—without obtaining, or even seeking, Congress’s consent. Any legal memo purporting to make such a claim would obviously fly in the face of the text of the Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause, which explicitly prohibits the President from accepting any ‘present [or] Emolument . . . of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State’ unless he has ‘the Consent of Congress.’ Accordingly, we are writing to request that you provide the Committee on the Judiciary with these memos immediately as their analysis and conclusions are apparently the basis for the President’s decision to disregard the plain text of the Constitution,” wrote the members.
On May 11, an ABC News report revealed President Trump’s plans to accept a $400 million private jet from the Qatari Royal Family to use as Air Force One—a lavish and unconstitutional gift which he intends to transfer to his personal presidential library foundation at the conclusion of his term.
Reports indicate that the DOJ and White House Counsel’s Office are aiding Trump’s efforts to paper over this clear Constitutional violation and reportedly drafted an analysis for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arguing that it is legal for the Department of Defense to accept the aircraft as a gift and later turn it over to Trump’s presidential library.
The Constitution is clear that Congress—not the Attorney General or the White House Counsel—has the exclusive authority to approve or reject a gift “of any kind whatever” given to the President by a foreign government.
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s involvement in this matter is particularly egregious given her clear conflict of interest. Bondi was previously a registered foreign agent of the Qatari government, earning $115,000 per month to lobby on its behalf.
Trump’s acceptance of this unprecedented and unconstitutional gift has sparked bipartisan criticism and outrage, with even Republican Members of Congress and conservative media raising concerns about national security risks and the appearance of corruption. Additionally, this allegedly “free plane” likely will cost taxpayers billions of dollars to overhaul to meet “all the survivability, security and communications requirements of Air Force One.”
Judiciary Democrats requested that Attorney General Bondi and White House Counsel David Warrington provide all documents and communications related to or purporting to justify or provide legal analysis regarding the constitutionality of the President’s acceptance of the Qatari plane; all documents and communications related to an agreement between the State of Qatar and the United States regarding the transfer of the plane; and all documents related to whether Attorney General Bondi should recuse herself in matters related to emoluments from Qatar.
The letter comes after Judiciary Democrats filed a Resolution demanding Trump comply with the Constitutional rules on foreign gifts by seeking the consent of Congress before accepting the Qatari plane.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon(PA-5)
Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, today joined Reps. Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Ranking Member of the Oversight Subcommittee, Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, Hank Johnson (GA-04), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet, and Lucy McBath (GA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, in releasing the following statement in response to Justice’s (DOJ) unfounded targeting of Representative LaMonica McIver (NJ-10):
“The targeting of Representative McIver is a blatant attempt to intimidate Members of Congress and to block our oversight of this administration’s actions, which have been enjoined more than 150 times by federal courts. We stand by Representative McIver’s exercise of her constitutional rights and duties. If you come for the legal rights of one of us, you come for the rights of all of us.
“Members of Congress have the right to conduct oversight, full stop — whether that’s holding Cabinet officials accountable or visiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities. Representative McIver was performing her proper oversight role, a role she was elected by the American people to do — and even participated in a one-hour tour after the incident occurred.
“Charging Members of Congress for doing our jobs is a dangerous precedent to set. It reveals the increasingly authoritarian nature of this Administration and its relentless, illegal attempts to suppress any dissent or oversight, including from judges, Members of Congress, and the American people, which check lawless executive power. Representative McIver has our full support, and we will do everything in our power to help fight this outrageous threat to our constitutional system.”
Background:
Section 527 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-47) explicitly states that the Department of Homeland Security cannot prevent Members of Congress from “entering, for the purpose of conducting oversight, any facility operated by or for the Department of Homeland Security used to detain or otherwise house aliens […]. The law goes on to state that “Nothing in this section may be construed to require a Member of Congress to provide prior notice of the intent to enter a facility […] for the purpose of conducting oversight.”
Ground search efforts were underway today in the area of Gairloch Rd., Lansdowne Station, as the missing persons investigation into the disappearance of Lilly and Jack Sullivan continues.
Seventy-eight trained searchers from nine ground search and rescue organizations, including, Colchester County, Pictou County, Halifax, Strait Area, East Hants, Eastern Shore, Musquodoboit Valley, Pugwash, and Eastern Shore, were engaged today in an effort to advance the ongoing investigation and locate Lilly and Jack.
Searchers continued to focus on specific areas around Gairloch Rd. and the nearby pipeline, where a boot print was previously located. A total of 8.5 square kilometres has now been grid-searched.
The search was supported by Nova Scotia Public Safety Field Communications and EHS Emergency Preparedness Special Operations.
The Nova Scotia RCMP would like to thank all of the search and rescue volunteers who have dedicated more than 10,000 hours of their time, searching in very challenging conditions, to help find Lilly and Jack and support the missing persons investigation.
Any future searches will be determined based on the course of the investigation.
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 2, 2025.
Your smartphone is a parasite, according to evolution Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachael L. Brown, Director of the Centre for Philosophy of the Sciences and Associate Professor of Philosophy, Australian National University vchal/shutterstock, The Conversation Head lice, fleas and tapeworms have been humanity’s companions throughout our evolutionary history. Yet, the greatest parasite of the modern age is no blood-sucking
As the NRL edges into Darwin, does the AFL need to be more proactive in the NT? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, University of Technology Sydney The Northern Territory government recently announced the Dolphins, the NRL’s newest team that entered the league in 2023, would play a home game at TIO Stadium in Darwin every year from 2026 to 2028. The Dolphins
What is populism? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Moffitt, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, Monash University In 2017, in the wake of Brexit and Donald Trump’s first election win, populism was named the “word of the year” by Cambridge University Press. Almost a decade later, we might have thought the term’s popularity
Bougainville wants independence. China’s support for a controversial mine could pave the way Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna-Karina Hermkens, Senior Lecturer and Researcher, Anthropology, Macquarie University Bougainville, an autonomous archipelago currently part of Papua New Guinea, is determined to become the world’s newest country. To support this process, it’s offering foreign investors access to a long-shuttered copper and gold mine. Formerly owned by the
Australia’s plan to protect its trade in war is flawed. We can’t do it with nuclear submarines Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Palazzo, Adjunct Professor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at UNSW Canberra, UNSW Sydney If war breaks out someday between the United States and China, one of the major concerns for Australia is the impact on its trade. Our trade routes are long and
Three years after the Jenkins report, there is still work to be done on improving parliament culture Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Maley, Senior Lecturer in Politics, School of Politics and International Relations, Australian National University Three and a half years ago, then-sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins’ Set the Standard report was handed to federal parliament, commissioned after Brittany Higgins’ allegations of sexual assault in Parliament House, which
Police aren’t properly trained for mental health crises – but they’re often the first responders. Here’s what works better Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panos Karanikolas, Research officer, Melbourne Social Equity Institute, The University of Melbourne Rosie Marinelli/Shutterstock In an emergency, police are often the first called to the scene. But they are rarely equipped to deal with complex mental health crises. Following recent parliamentary inquiries and royal commissions there has
These 5 roadblocks are standing in the way of energy-efficient homes Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jaime Comber, Senior Research Consultant in Energy Futures, University of Technology Sydney Westend61, GettyImages We all want homes that keep us warm in winter and cool in summer, without breaking the bank. However, Australian homes built before 2003 have a low average energy rating of 1.8 stars
With interest rates on the way down, could house prices boom? Here’s what research suggests Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Graham, Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney Jenny Evans/Stringer/Getty With the Reserve Bank of Australia easing monetary policy, interest rates are on the way down. Already this year, mortgage pre-approvals had begun to rise, suggesting many aspiring home buyers are excited by the prospect of
Scandalous mormons, dystopian Buenos Aires and Nicolas Cage down under: what to watch in June Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claudia Sandberg, Senior Lecturer, Technology in Culture and Society, The University of Melbourne As we head into a new month of streaming, here’s a fresh wave of TV ready to challenge, transport and entertain you. This month’s picks span genre and geography, from an eerie dystopian Buenos
How Israel manufactured a looting crisis to cover up its Gaza famine By Muhammad Shehada Since the onset of its genocide, Israel has persistently pushed a narrative that the famine devastating Gaza is not of its own making, but the result of “Hamas looting aid”. This claim, repeated across mainstream media and parroted by officials, has been used to deflect responsibility for what many human rights experts
PNG faces deadline for fixing issues with money laundering and terrorist financing ANALYSIS: By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent Papua New Guinea has five months remaining to fix its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CTF) systems or face the severe repercussions of being placed on the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) “grey list”. The FATF has imposed an October 2025 deadline, and the government is scrambling
Phil Goff: Israel doesn’t care how many innocent people, children it’s killing COMMENTARY: By Phil Goff “What we are doing in Gaza now is a war of devastation: indiscriminate, limitless, cruel and criminal killing of civilians. It’s the result of government policy — knowingly, evilly, maliciously, irresponsibly dictated.” This statement was made not by a foreign or liberal critic of Israel but by the former Prime Minister
Election day was over four weeks ago. Yet the outcome in one House of Representatives remains unclear. That is the formerly Liberal Sydney electorate of Bradfield.
In real time, you can watch the lead tilt between Liberal hopeful, Gisele Kapterian and her teal independent rival, Nicolette Boele. The difference between them has been as small as one vote. As of Monday, that had shifted to 12 votes in the Teal’s favour. Still too close even for Antony Green to call.
What are the processes for resolving ultra-marginal results? And, more broadly, what accountability is there for problems in campaigning or the running of the election, such as the allegation that voters in one NSW town were misled about how to vote?
First, to the Bradfield saga. The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has until July 9 to declare the result. It then certifies a list of successful candidates, which it “returns”, attached to the original writ the governor-general used to formally begin the election.
Electoral challenges
Within 40 days of the writ being returned, any candidate or elector from the seat can “petition” its result. That’s not a petition calling for parliament to handle the matter. It means a formal pleading to the Court of Disputed Returns. For national elections, that means the High Court.
Remarkably few seats are challenged in Australia. On the happy side, this is because our election agencies are very professional. It’s also a matter of legal principle, arithmetic and resources.
To succeed in a challenge, you must show the outcome was likely to have been affected, by errors or breaches of the electoral act. With more than 100,000 voting in House of Representatives electorates, even a 0.5% margin means convincing a judge that a 500-vote lead was uncertain.
The last successful petition nationally was 12 years ago. The AEC admitted some lost ballots meant that the last couple of Western Australian Senate seats could have been different. The whole race had to be re-run.
In Bradfield, there’s no suggestion of impropriety. So it’s not like the last unsuccessful petition, from 2019, where the Liberals survived claims that misleading how-to-vote posters, directed at Chinese language speakers, might have affected the result.
Instead, the Bradfield loser would focus on disputed ballots. That would mean, for example, votes where their scrutineers noted some uncertainty. Such as whether a “1” was a “7”. A judge can then give a binding ruling on the intent of the ballot.
The loser might also try to find evidence of people being wrongly denied a ballot or wrongly issued one. The 40-day period to marshal evidence is strict.
Besides time limits, a challenger needs lawyers and risks paying the other side’s (and perhaps the AEC’s) legal costs if they lose the hearing.
Counts and recounts
Australian election counts are very thorough. This is in contrast to the United Kingdom, where local officials literally rush to be the first to declare, in the wee hours of Friday morning after voting closes at 10pm on a Thursday.
The figures we see on election night are “indicative” only, drawing on counts in thousands of polling places. Every ballot is transferred to a more central location, for official tallying. Ballots for weaker candidates are reviewed multiple times, as they pass on according to each elector’s preferences.
When a seat is ultra-close, the law permits a complete recount. AEC policy is to conduct one whenever the result is within 100 votes: in Bradfield, the initial result was a mere eight votes.
A losing candidate can also request a recount. Teal independent Zoe Daniel did that in her Melbourne seat of Goldstein, where Liberal Tim Wilson finished 260 votes ahead.
Recounts are resource intensive. So the AEC agreed to review all “1” votes for those candidates, and ballots put in the “informal” or invalid pile. Wilson finally won by 175 votes. A challenge to a margin of that size seems very unlikely.
Bad form or protest? Informal votes
What of votes that couldn’t be counted? We call these “informal”. Given turning-out to vote is compulsory – and the requirement to give preferences – Australia has long had a lot of informal ballots.
Upwards of half tend to be accidental, caused by people misnumbering the ballot or not understanding the rules. The highest rates are in seats with many new citizens from overseas, especially as long ballots of many of candidates is becoming common.
Votes that cannot be counted are called ‘informal’, and can be a source of dispute in a seat count. Shutterstock
Maybe more than half, however, are deliberate, intended as protests against the system or parties. These include blanks and those scribbled with (sometimes obscene) comments. As faith in parties has declined, informals have risen. Also, due to “automatic enrolment”, more people are enrolled than ever, including some who’d rather not be. Informal ballots this year reached 5.6% of turnout. For perspective, that’s up just 0.4%.
Voters in the small town of Missabotti in the New South wales seat of Cowper, however, were miffed to find their polling booth had a 45% informal rate. That’s quite an outlier, even for a seat where electors had to rank a dizzying 11 candidates.
There are allegations a polling official misled some electors, by telling them they only had to number “6” candidates for the House. That is the rule for the Senate, not the House.
As preferences are not mandatory at NSW state elections, it’s understandable voters may have heeded such advice rather than the actual rule on the ballot. Such an error would be embarrassing for the AEC. But it could hardly ground an election challenge: the Nationals held Cowper by almost 5,500 votes.
Does that mean there’s no accountability? Anyone affected does not get to vote again. But the AEC is investigating. And after every election, it is grilled by a parliamentary inquiry that the public can contribute to.
In the end, every vote should be sacred. In reality, elections are huge logistical events and nothing is perfect. But there are courts and inquiries to offer remedies and improve things for the future.
Graeme Orr 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.
As we head into a new month of streaming, here’s a fresh wave of TV ready to challenge, transport and entertain you.
This month’s picks span genre and geography, from an eerie dystopian Buenos Aires, to a witty, awkward cyborg hero. Reality TV also gets a scandalous twist with the return of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. And Deaf President Now! delivers a powerful documentary on a historical milestone for Deaf rights.
There’s something for every kind of viewer — and every kind of mood.
The Eternaut
Netflix
Argentine sci-fi The Eternaut opens with a group of old friends in Buenos Aires meeting to play the card game truco on a hot summer night – when things suddenly get eerie.
The power goes out and a poisonous snowfall starts to blanket the city, killing thousands of people instantly. The survivors must get answers, quickly, as they start to grasp the true strength of their invisible enemy.
Based on Héctor Germán Oesterheld’s 1950s comic of the same name, The Eternaut portrays apocalypse through a deeply local and political lens – and in doing so has struck a chord in Argentina.
Directed by Bruno Stagnaro and led by Argentine film icon Ricardo Darín, as protagonist Juan Salvo, the series emphasises the power of collective heroism, and subtly critiques the current government’s uncompromising neoliberal approach.
It also pulses with national pride. Buenos Aires is not glamorized; real neighbourhoods are shown as classic Argentine tango, rock and folk plays in the background. Most importantly, Argentine identity is celebrated through themes of community spirit, grassroots resistance, and ingenuity in times of crisis.
The Eternaut feels both timely and timeless. Its slogan, “no one survives alone,” resonates for a country that has been long marked by both trauma and resistance efforts.
Its emotional weight is further deepened by Oesterheld’s legacy, including the tragic disappearance of him and his family members under the military rule of the 1970s.
With a second season on the way, this series is a powerful ode to Argentina.
Murderbot, Apple’s adaptation of Martha Wells’ science-fiction novella, All Systems Red (2017) is a satisfying combination of action, sci-fi and comedy. The show centres on a security unit (SecUnit) – an indentured private security cyborg – who secretly cracks the programming of its governing chip, granting itself autonomy.
Murderbot (Alexander Skarsgård), as it dubs itself, is both horrified and fascinated by humans. It’s far more afraid of eye contact, emotions and direct conversation than any physical danger. It’s also obsessed with mainlining media, particularly the ridiculous soap opera The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon.
Murderbot is hired, reluctantly, by some hippy scientists from a group of “freehold” planets – ones that exist outside the Corporation Rim – to act as protection on a scientific expedition. It goes quickly awry.
Wells’ award-winning novella, the first in an equally good series, limits us to the first-person perspective of the sarcastic cyborg. The series expands this frame beautifully, building on the source material’s dry humour to create a world that is both goofy and grounded.
And while there are serious themes at play, such as the way SecUnits are effectively enslaved, and the violent capitalist dominance of the Corporation Rim, the show is not heavy. Skarsgård offers a pitch-perfect performance of the awkward, anxious robot – its eyes flickering in horror as the scientists try to befriend it.
The opening minutes of the first episode are clumsy and on-the-nose, but ignore them. This otherwise well-designed and well-directed show cracks along with brisk, highly-entertaining 22-minute episodes.
– Erin Harrington
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, season two
Disney+
Season one of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives had us hooked at the end of 2024. Now, the women have returned for an explosive 10-episode second season.
The reality series follows a group of Mormon women living in Utah. While the title may have you anticipating stories of faith and motherhood, the show is more focused on the personal lives of Mormon mothers who rose to TikTok fame due to scandal and infamy.
Season one saw the women grapple with balancing traditional Mormon values with their online lives and subsequent businesses (along with the fallout from a “soft-swinging scandal”). Season two further highlights infidelity, jealously and money.
Old characters are brought back, with finger-pointing ex-husbands and former alienated friends adding to the fray. Police are called, insults are thrown and many of the women delve deeper into their pasts.
The show flips flops between difficult moments such as processing the death of loved ones and difficult pregnancies, with parties and poorly executed party games. At one point the women play pregnancy roulette (a game no one should recommend), and take pregnancy tests which are anonymously read out to the group. Chaos ensues.
And after watching, you can search for the TikTok accounts of the stars and watch new drama unfold in real-time – or watch them “correct” and expand on past situations based on their own perspectives – far removed from show’s editors.
– Edith Jennifer Hill
Deaf President Now!
Apple TV+
Deaf President Now! is a stirring documentary about an iconic student uprising at Gallaudet University, the world’s only Deaf university, in 1988. The film chronicles how Deaf students – tired of being led by hearing leadership – decided to take things in their own hands come the 1988 Gallaudet presidential election.
With two of the three candidates being Deaf, the appointment of Elisabeth Zinser, a hearing candidate unfamiliar with Deaf culture, sparked outrage. Fuelled by decades of marginalisation, the students barricaded campus gates, burned effigies of Zinser and marched to the Capitol, calling for Deaf leadership in Deaf spaces.
It worked. The protest forced Zinser’s resignation and ushered in Irving King Jordan, Gallaudet’s first Deaf president.
The film juxtaposes historic footage with present-day interviews with key leaders of the movement, allowing them to tell their stories their own way. These reflections, delivered in American Sign Language (ASL), underscore how storytelling itself can become an act of resistance for Deaf people.
At the same time, the documentary wrestles with a paradox. Co-directed by Deaf activist Nyle DiMarco and hearing filmmaker Davis Guggenheim, the film exemplifies how Deaf storytelling still often has hearing involvement, especially when the story is packaged for a mainstream audience.
Nevertheless, the release of Deaf President Now! couldn’t have been more timely. With disability rights in the United States threatened under Trump, the film is a call to action. It reminds us Deaf culture isn’t just about language: it’s about Pride, self-determination and visibility.
In Lorcan Finnegan’s The Surfer, our unnamed protagonist (Nicolas Cage) is returning to his former Australian home from the United States. He is newly divorced, and trying to buy a beachside property to win back his family.
He takes his teenage son (Finn Little) for a surf near the property, but they are run off by an unfriendly pack of locals.
Returning alone to the beachside car park to make some calls, he is besieged there by the same gang, and this continues over the next several days. The gang is led by a terrifying middle-aged Andrew Tate-esque influencer, Scally (Julian McMahon), who runs the beach like a combination of a frat bro party and wellness retreat.
It is impossible to think of an actor other than Cage who could make a character like this so enjoyable to watch. Cage’s distinctively American confidence has no resistance to the terrifying switches of Australian masculinity from friendly to teasing to violent.
The Surfer is an absolute blast. A lot of the fun is in anticipating each dreadful humiliation – and it somehow turning out worse than you could have expected.
The Surfer beautifully captures the natural surroundings, stunning views and shimmering heat of Australian coastal summer. At the same time, a confined, semi-urban feature like a beachside car park feels bleak and uninviting.
As a film setting, it is both a spectacular wide-open vista and stiflingly claustrophobic – a perfect mechanism for The Surfer’s psychological horror.
The story of serial killers, Fred and Rose West, has been highly narrativised since their shocking crimes were discovered in Gloucester in 1994. The horror of the Wests lies in the juxtaposition of their seemingly ordinary suburban family and what was hidden beneath the foundations of their home.
Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story takes us back to the moment of that revelation via previously unheard interview tapes and recordings of the property search – and of Rose while she was kept in a safe house. Family home videos add to the disturbing sense of the couple’s duplicity.
Interviews with the family of some of the victims emphasise the ongoing pain caused by the Wests, who preyed on vulnerable young women. Meanwhile, Fred’s interviews reinforce his determination to protect his wife: “I trained Rose to do what I wanted. That is why our marriage worked out so well.”
Many details of the Wests’ true horror, however, are absent: the incredible torture suffered by the victims; Fred and Rose’s own childhoods of abuse and Fred’s earlier assault of young girls, including his own sister; and any reference to the couple’s surviving children and the extraordinary abuse they suffered.
The horror of this new documentary is present in the couple’s habitual lies, their casual attitude to violence and murder, and their refusal to take responsibility for their many crimes. Yet it only scratches the surface of the Wests’ true horror story.
– Jessica Gildersleeve
The Four Seasons
Netflix
The Four Seasons follows three 50-something affluent couples as they holiday together over the course of a year.
Friends since college, the group’s easy camaraderie is upended by Nick’s (Steve Carroll) bombshell decision to leave his seemingly unsuspecting wife, Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver), after 25 years of marriage. The announcement sends shockwaves through the other couples, testing their own relationships.
Adapted from Alan Alda’s bittersweet 1981 comedy of the same name, the series preserves the film’s narrative conceit, unfolding over four seasonal mini trips. Episode one opens in full spring at Nick and Anne’s bucolic lake house.
Given the luxury on display, you’d be forgiven for mistaking The Four Seasons as another entry in the “rich-people-behaving-badly” genre. But while there’s plenty of quips and snarky humour, what unfolds is ultimately much kinder – less a scathing indictment of wealth and more a gentle exploration of the banalities of love and middle age.
The show’s creators make the most of the expanded running time to humanise the sextet. The open marriage between gregarious Italian Claude (Marco Calvini) and husband Danny (a marvellous Colman Domingo) updates the source material without sliding into tokenism or homonormativity.
The prickly Type-A Kate (Tina Fey) and peacekeeper Jack (Will Forte) provide the series’ beating heart, in a relationship that feels lived-in and familiar.
Despite its focus on ageing, loss, mortality and grief, The Four Seasons offers comfort viewing at its finest, best enjoyed with a cup of tea and a loved one who’s known you for decades.
– Rachel Williamson
Gemma King receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
Claudia Sandberg, Edith Jennifer Hill, Erin Harrington, Grace Russell, Jessica Gildersleeve, Rachel Williamson, Samuel Martin, and Sofya Gollan do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.