Police are investigating an assault at South Plympton this afternoon.
Police and paramedics were called to Laurence Street, South Plympton at 4.45pm on Thursday 17 July by reports of an assault.
The victim sustained serious injuries and is being taken to hospital by ambulance. His condition is not believed to be life-threatening at this time.
Anyone who witnessed this incident or has any information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au
Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)
Issued by: on
PACIFIC OCEAN (July 15, 2025) Seaman Asia Blackwell, from Covington, Virginia steers the helm in the bridge aboard the Harpers Ferry-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) in the Indo-Pacific region on July 15, 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Isabel Mendoza)
Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)
Issued by: on
PACIFIC OCEAN (July 15, 2025) Quartermaster Seaman Shaniya Mckinney, from Johnston, South Carolina works on shipboard qualifications in the bridge aboard the Harpers Ferry-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) in the Indo-Pacific region on July 15, 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Isabel Mendoza)
Forty years ago today, French secret agents bombed the Greenpeace campaign flagship Rainbow Warrior in an attempt to stop the environmental organisation’s protest against nuclear testing at Moruroa Atoll in Mā’ohi Nui.
People gathered on board Rainbow Warrior III to remember photographer Fernando Pereira, who was killed in the attack, and to honour the legacy of those who stood up to nuclear testing in the Pacific.
The Rainbow Warrior’s final voyage before the bombing was Operation Exodus, a humanitarian mission to the Marshall Islands. There, Greenpeace helped relocate more than 320 residents of Rongelap Atoll, who had been exposed to radiation from US nuclear testing.
The dawn ceremony was hosted by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and attended by more than 150 people. Speeches were followed by the laying of a wreath and a moment of silence.
Photographer Fernando Pereira and a woman from Rongelap on the day the Rainbow Warrior arrived in Rongelap Atoll in May 1985. Image: David Robie/Eyes of Fire
Tui Warmenhoven (Ngāti Porou), the chair of the Greenpeace Aotearoa board, said it was a day to remember for the harm caused by the French state against the people of Mā’ohi Nui.
Warmenhoven worked for 20 years in iwi research and is a grassroots, Ruatoria-based community leader who works to integrate mātauranga Māori with science to address climate change in Te Tai Rāwhiti.
She encouraged Māori to stand united with Greenpeace.
“Ko te mea nui ki a mātou, a Greenpeace Aotearoa, ko te whawhai i ngā mahi tūkino a rātou, te kāwanatanga, ngā rangatōpū, me ngā tāngata whai rawa, e patu ana i a mātou, te iwi Māori, ngā iwi o te ao, me ō mātou mātua, a Ranginui rāua ko Papatūānuku,” e ai ki a Warmenhoven.
Tui Warmenhoven and Dr Russel Norman in front of Rainbow Warrior III on 10 July 2025. Image:Te Ao Māori News
A defining moment in Aotearoa’s nuclear-free stand “The bombing of the Rainbow Warrior was a defining moment for Greenpeace in its willingness to fight for a nuclear-free world,” said Dr Russel Norman, the executive director of Greenpeace Aotearoa.
He noted it was also a defining moment for Aotearoa in the country’s stand against the United States and France, who conducted nuclear tests in the region.
Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Dr Russel Norman speaking at the ceremony on board Rainbow Warrior III today. Image: Te Ao Māpri News
In 1987, the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act officially declared the country a nuclear-free zone.
This move angered the United States, especially due to the ban on nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships entering New Zealand ports.
Because the US followed a policy of neither confirming nor denying the presence of nuclear weapons, it saw the ban as breaching the ANZUS Treaty and suspended its security commitments to New Zealand.
The Rainbow Warrior’s final voyage before it was bombed was Operation Exodus, during which the crew helped relocate more than 320 residents of Rongelap Atoll in the Marshall Islands, who had been exposed to radiation from US nuclear testing between 1946 and 1958.
The evacuation of Rongelap Islanders to Mejatto by the Rainbow Warrior crew in May 1985. Image: Greenpeace/Fernando Pereira
The legacy of Operation Exodus Between 1946 and 1958, the United States carried out 67 nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands.
For decades, it denied the long-term health impacts, even as cancer rates rose and children were born with severe deformities.
Despite repeated pleas from the people of Rongelap to be evacuated, the US government failed to act until Greenpeace stepped in to help.
“The United States government effectively used them as guinea pigs for nuclear testing and radiation to see what would happen to people, which is obviously outrageous and disgusting,” Dr Norman said.
He said it was important not to see Pacific peoples as victims, as they were powerful campaigners who played a leading role in ending nuclear testing in the region.
Marshallese women greet the Rainbow Warrior as it arrived in the capital Majuro in March 2025. Image: Bianca Vitale/Greenpeace
Between March and April this year, Rainbow Warrior III returned to the Marshall Islands to conduct independent research into the radiation levels across the islands to see whether it’s safe for the people of Rongelap to return.
What advice do you give to this generation about nuclear issues? “Kia kotahi ai koutou ki te whai i ngā mahi uaua i mua i a mātou ki te whawhai i a rātou mā, e mahi tūkino ana ki tō mātou ao, ki tō mātou kōkā a Papatūānuku, ki tō mātou taiao,” hei tā Tui Warmenhoven.
A reminder to stay united in the difficult world ahead in the fight against threats to the environment.
Warmenhoven also encouraged Māori to support Greenpeace Aotearoa.
Tui Warmenhoven and the captain of the Rainbow Warrior, Ali Schmidt, placed a wreath in the water at the stern of the ship in memory of Fernando Pereira. Image: Greenpeace
Dr Norman believed the younger generations should be inspired to activism by the bravery of those from the Pacific and Greenpeace who campaigned for a nuclear-free world 40 years ago.
“They were willing to take very significant risks, they sailed their boats into the nuclear test zone to stop those nuclear tests, they were arrested by the French, beaten up by French commandos,” he said.
Republished from Te Ao Māori News with permission.
Forty years ago today, French secret agents bombed the Greenpeace campaign flagship Rainbow Warrior in an attempt to stop the environmental organisation’s protest against nuclear testing at Moruroa Atoll in Mā’ohi Nui.
People gathered on board Rainbow Warrior III to remember photographer Fernando Pereira, who was killed in the attack, and to honour the legacy of those who stood up to nuclear testing in the Pacific.
The Rainbow Warrior’s final voyage before the bombing was Operation Exodus, a humanitarian mission to the Marshall Islands. There, Greenpeace helped relocate more than 320 residents of Rongelap Atoll, who had been exposed to radiation from US nuclear testing.
The dawn ceremony was hosted by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and attended by more than 150 people. Speeches were followed by the laying of a wreath and a moment of silence.
Photographer Fernando Pereira and a woman from Rongelap on the day the Rainbow Warrior arrived in Rongelap Atoll in May 1985. Image: David Robie/Eyes of Fire
Tui Warmenhoven (Ngāti Porou), the chair of the Greenpeace Aotearoa board, said it was a day to remember for the harm caused by the French state against the people of Mā’ohi Nui.
Warmenhoven worked for 20 years in iwi research and is a grassroots, Ruatoria-based community leader who works to integrate mātauranga Māori with science to address climate change in Te Tai Rāwhiti.
She encouraged Māori to stand united with Greenpeace.
“Ko te mea nui ki a mātou, a Greenpeace Aotearoa, ko te whawhai i ngā mahi tūkino a rātou, te kāwanatanga, ngā rangatōpū, me ngā tāngata whai rawa, e patu ana i a mātou, te iwi Māori, ngā iwi o te ao, me ō mātou mātua, a Ranginui rāua ko Papatūānuku,” e ai ki a Warmenhoven.
Tui Warmenhoven and Dr Russel Norman in front of Rainbow Warrior III on 10 July 2025. Image:Te Ao Māori News
A defining moment in Aotearoa’s nuclear-free stand “The bombing of the Rainbow Warrior was a defining moment for Greenpeace in its willingness to fight for a nuclear-free world,” said Dr Russel Norman, the executive director of Greenpeace Aotearoa.
He noted it was also a defining moment for Aotearoa in the country’s stand against the United States and France, who conducted nuclear tests in the region.
Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Dr Russel Norman speaking at the ceremony on board Rainbow Warrior III today. Image: Te Ao Māpri News
In 1987, the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act officially declared the country a nuclear-free zone.
This move angered the United States, especially due to the ban on nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships entering New Zealand ports.
Because the US followed a policy of neither confirming nor denying the presence of nuclear weapons, it saw the ban as breaching the ANZUS Treaty and suspended its security commitments to New Zealand.
The Rainbow Warrior’s final voyage before it was bombed was Operation Exodus, during which the crew helped relocate more than 320 residents of Rongelap Atoll in the Marshall Islands, who had been exposed to radiation from US nuclear testing between 1946 and 1958.
The evacuation of Rongelap Islanders to Mejatto by the Rainbow Warrior crew in May 1985. Image: Greenpeace/Fernando Pereira
The legacy of Operation Exodus Between 1946 and 1958, the United States carried out 67 nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands.
For decades, it denied the long-term health impacts, even as cancer rates rose and children were born with severe deformities.
Despite repeated pleas from the people of Rongelap to be evacuated, the US government failed to act until Greenpeace stepped in to help.
“The United States government effectively used them as guinea pigs for nuclear testing and radiation to see what would happen to people, which is obviously outrageous and disgusting,” Dr Norman said.
He said it was important not to see Pacific peoples as victims, as they were powerful campaigners who played a leading role in ending nuclear testing in the region.
Marshallese women greet the Rainbow Warrior as it arrived in the capital Majuro in March 2025. Image: Bianca Vitale/Greenpeace
Between March and April this year, Rainbow Warrior III returned to the Marshall Islands to conduct independent research into the radiation levels across the islands to see whether it’s safe for the people of Rongelap to return.
What advice do you give to this generation about nuclear issues? “Kia kotahi ai koutou ki te whai i ngā mahi uaua i mua i a mātou ki te whawhai i a rātou mā, e mahi tūkino ana ki tō mātou ao, ki tō mātou kōkā a Papatūānuku, ki tō mātou taiao,” hei tā Tui Warmenhoven.
A reminder to stay united in the difficult world ahead in the fight against threats to the environment.
Warmenhoven also encouraged Māori to support Greenpeace Aotearoa.
Tui Warmenhoven and the captain of the Rainbow Warrior, Ali Schmidt, placed a wreath in the water at the stern of the ship in memory of Fernando Pereira. Image: Greenpeace
Dr Norman believed the younger generations should be inspired to activism by the bravery of those from the Pacific and Greenpeace who campaigned for a nuclear-free world 40 years ago.
“They were willing to take very significant risks, they sailed their boats into the nuclear test zone to stop those nuclear tests, they were arrested by the French, beaten up by French commandos,” he said.
Republished from Te Ao Māori News with permission.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday voted to accept the resignation of Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
Lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak said that 261 out of 320 parliament members present in the assembly supported the motion.
Shmyhal submitted his resignation to parliament on Tuesday, following President Volodymyr Zelensky’s announcement a day earlier that he had nominated First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko for the post.
Shmyhal had served as Ukrainian prime minister since March 2020.
Under Ukrainian law, the prime minister’s resignation entails the resignation of the entire government. The cabinet will continue to exercise its duties until a new government is formed.
Local media reported that Shmyhal might be appointed as the new defense minister in the upcoming government.
In a landmark show of political will and multisectoral collaboration, the Ethiopian House of Peoples’ Representatives (HPR), the Ministry of Health, and partners are spearheading one of Africa’s most promising health financing reforms. By embracing health taxes as a strategic tool, Ethiopia has started strengthening its national health system, curbing the rise of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), and advancing its journey toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
This momentous collaboration was showcased during a high-level training workshop held from 13 to 14 June 2025 in Adama, Ethiopia. The forum was jointly organized by WHO Ethiopia and the Ministry of Health, in partnership with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and with generous financial support from the Government of Norway.
The two-day event brought together 63 MPs and parliamentary staff as well as 13 senior officials of the Ministry of Health, reaffirming the critical role of legislative bodies in shaping public health through economic policy.
The workshop focused on consolidating the capacity of lawmakers to further understand and champion health taxes—specifically excise taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages. These taxes are globally recognized for their dual impact: they discourage the use of harmful products while generating sustainable revenue to fund essential health services.
In her opening remarks, H.E. Lomi Bedo, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, emphasized the transformative power of Ethiopia’s 2020 excise tax law. “By raising taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and other harmful products, Ethiopia has taken a critical step toward safeguarding public health and promoting healthier communities,” she stated. “Increasing prices on unhealthy commodities remains one of the most effective strategies to reduce their consumption and associated health risks, including addiction and premature death.”
Her remarks echoed the growing recognition of Parliament’s proactive legislative stance—one that aligns with the nation’s development vision and its commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Ethiopian State Minister of Health H.E. Dr. Dereje Duguma on his part warned that misleading narratives from the tobacco industry persist—particularly claims that more than 50% of the tobacco market has turned illicit post-legislation. He stressed the importance of evidence-based policymaking and pledged the Ministry’s continued collaboration with Parliament, WHO, and all development partners to strengthen tax administration and uphold Ethiopia’s progress toward UHC and NCD control.
Delivering a keynote address, Dr. Owen Laws Kaluwa, WHO Representative to Ethiopia, praised Ethiopia’s leadership in adopting bold and effective non-traditional mechanisms to raise additional funds for the country. “Stronger health systems enable countries to allocate scarce resources to their most pressing priorities,” Dr. Kaluwa said. “The 2020 excise tax legislation remains one of the most impactful policy tools for reducing the consumption of harmful products while boosting domestic revenue.”
Dr. Kaluwa highlighted that WHO’s support to Ethiopia is part of a multi-year project on health taxes implemented in collaboration with IPU and funded by the Norwegian Government. As a priority country in this initiative, Ethiopia is receiving targeted technical assistance for policy analysis, tax implementation, and improved access to NCD treatment and care.
Throughout the workshop, MPs and parliamentary technical staff deliberated on the latest global and national evidence on the effectiveness of health taxes. Participants engaged in hands-on sessions using updated policy briefs, data, and technical tools designed to inform legislative decisions and sustain tax implementation in the long term.
Key discussions focused on the importance of Parliament’s role in maintaining robust tax systems, supporting annual adjustments, and shielding policy development from industry interference. Participants reaffirmed their commitment to advancing fiscal policies that prioritize public health and social equity.
Health taxes have gained wider recognition globally as part of a broader push to combat NCDs—conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses that account for more than 70% of global deaths and disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries. Ethiopia’s approach—grounded in science, backed by policy, and supported by partners—demonstrates how strategic legislation can serve both public health and economic resilience.
Looking ahead, WHO Ethiopia reaffirmed its dedication to working alongside Parliament, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, and other stakeholders to reinforce Ethiopia’s health financing landscape. This includes ensuring that health taxes are not only implemented but effective, efficient, and accountable public financial management systems are necessary for the additional revenues to reach and be accountable for expenditure objectives.
“Health taxes are not just a revenue tool—they are a health-saving, life-preserving measure,” Dr. Kaluwa concluded. “Ethiopia’s continued leadership in this space is not only commendable but also offers a blueprint for the region and beyond.”
As the country continues its path toward UHC, Ethiopia’s experience highlights the power of political commitment, intersectoral collaboration, and strategic investment in health. The success of its health tax policy and administration illustrates how even modest fiscal interventions can yield transformative outcomes—saving lives, strengthening systems, and building a healthier future for all.
– on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Ethiopia.
Israel’s disregard for ICJ rulings undermines global governance, says Dangor
Israel’s ongoing disregard for the rulings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) undermines the integrity of the court and weakens the ability of global governance institutions to address impunity, says Zane Dangor, the Director-General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).
Dangor was addressing the Emergency Conference of States, which is aimed at resolving what has been described as the genocide in Gaza. The Emergency Conference, jointly convened by Colombia and South Africa as co-chairs of The Hague Group, seeks to turn international condemnation into coordinated legal and diplomatic action.
The meeting in Colombia’s capital, Bogotá, took place one year after the General Assembly passed a resolution affirming the ICJ advisory opinion that deemed Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territories “unlawful.“
“As the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, we are witnessing continued and urgent calls from United Nations (UN) Member States and the international community for a ceasefire in Gaza. For too long, Israel has blatantly ignored orders from the ICJ in violation of international law.
“Despite this, the impunity continues unabated,” Dangor said on Tuesday.
Dangor stressed that Israel continues with its violence against Palestinians, with forced evacuations and targeted attacks on schools and medical facilities being the order of the day.
To stop the bloodshed, the DG called for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations towards a just peace.
“A just peace requires justice, and this requires that international law must be respected.”
Dangor said the international community cannot claim that the importance of international law, including the UN Charter, applies in some circumstances but not in others.
“We should not pick and choose which binding orders of the ICJ to abide by and which to set aside or simply ignore.”
Dangor argued that allowing Israel to disregard court decisions and UN resolutions without repercussions undermines the integrity of international law, including international humanitarian law, as well as the organisations responsible for its enforcement.
“This is unacceptable, and we should not be complicit in Israel’s endeavours to irreparably harm the institutions that were established to hold all of us accountable to the goals of a more peaceful and just world.”
Israel’s unlawful actions, Dangor said, are enabled when some seek to rationalise their actions.
“The crime of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of apartheid are not complex; they are unlawful.
“It is time to end the institutional impunity that Israel has enjoyed for over five decades.”
Dangor said the carnage seen in Palestine today is a testament to the “folly” of Israel’s grand exceptionalism from accountability to international law and norms.
“As responsible Member States of the United Nations, it is our duty to ensure that the bloodshed and genocide in Gaza are stopped… now as we do not have the luxury of time.
“The government of Israel must immediately halt the forced displacement of civilians in Gaza, which is causing untold suffering and trauma.”
Dangor is of the view that the Israeli government, as the occupying power, must uphold its obligations under international law and guarantee unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance, including healthcare and other essential services in the West Bank and Gaza.
According to the DG, humanitarian support provided by Member States is regularly obstructed and destroyed by Israeli authorities or is being allowed to be destroyed by right-wing and extreme elements.
“We hope that today, we begin a journey wherein states from all regions, including those that were part of the Madrid meeting, join hands to end the ongoing genocide in Palestine and fora more just world.” – SAnews.gov.za
Police are at the scene of a serious crash at Kurralta Park.
Just before 1pm today (Thursday 17 July), police and emergency services were called to Anzac Highway near Grassmere Street after reports of a two-car crash.
UPDATE: Youths arrested after alleged assault in Hobart CBD
Thursday, 17 July 2025 – 1:25 pm.
UPDATE @ 1.30pm July 17: Youths arrested after alleged assault in Hobart CBD Police have laid charges against two boys over the alleged assault of a teenage boy in Hobart’s CBD on Wednesday. A 14-year-old boy has been charged with aggravated robbery, stealing, destroy property, unlawfully tamper or interfere with a motor vehicle, and bail offences. He has been held for court. A 12-year-old boy has been charged with aggravated robbery, common assault, stealing and unlawfully tamper or interfere with a motor vehicle. He has been bailed to appear in the Hobart Youth Justice Division in August. The charges stem from an altercation at the grassed area of Mather’s Lane, in Hobart’s central business district, about 2.05pm in which police allege a 14-year-old boy was assaulted and had his iPhone stolen. Police have appealed to members of the public who may have witnessed the incident, or the events leading up to it, to come forward. A group of up to eight youths was seen leaving the area via Criterion Lane immediately following the alleged assault. Anyone with information is urged to contact Tasmania Police on 131 444 or provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au (quote Offence Report 780149).
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
As part of ACT Government’s ‘One Government, One Voice’ program, we are transitioning this website across to our . You can access everything you need through this website while it’s happening.
Released 17/07/2025
The ACT Government is today celebrating the grand opening of the new state-of-the-art Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) Woden campus.
CIT Woden is part of the ACT Government’s $14 billion Infrastructure Plan, ensuring Canberra remains one of the world’s most liveable cities as our community grows.
Up to 6,500 students each year are expected to attend CIT Woden, which welcomes students from next Monday, 21 July for the start of Semester 2. Spanning 22,500 square metres across five levels, CIT Woden contains 66 learning spaces that will support 24 different industry areas.
CIT Woden is designed to support the skills Canberra needs now and into the future, with a diverse range of courses in areas such as information technology, cyber security, photography, business, hospitality, hairdressing, creative industries and more. Students and the community can also enjoy amenities like a student-operated restaurant, hair and beauty salon, as well as the vibrant public spaces.
Minister for Skills, Training and Industrial Relations, Michael Pettersson, said the new campus was a game-changer in delivering quality vocational education in the ACT, and has transformed the Woden Town Centre into a vibrant learning hub.
“We promised to deliver a world-class education precinct in Woden, and we’ve delivered. The training facilities and learning spaces at the new CIT Woden are second to none,” Minister Pettersson said.
“Students of all ages are going to love this modern and sustainable facility, and we’ve already had a lot of positive feedback from CIT staff who are starting to feel right at home in their new surroundings. This is another example of the ACT Government building Canberra’s future and providing the next generation with the opportunity to gain the skills needed for their chosen careers.”
CIT Woden is a sustainable, environmentally friendly campus. All electric commercial kitchens and training restaurants, as well as an array of solar panels, will help contribute to the ACT Government’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2045. The main building’s structure, floors and architectural finish are crafted from cross-laminated timber and glue-laminated timber sustainably sourced and manufactured in Australia.
Designing with Country has been a guiding principle for the CIT Woden Campus project, from the Brindabellas inspired ‘Walking the Ridgeline’ façade, to reflecting a silhouette of a ‘Mulleun’, or wedge-tailed eagle through the ‘Oculus’ sky light, at the top of level five.
More than 520 local jobs and apprenticeships were created during construction of CIT Woden, while construction partner, Lendlease, provided nearly 8,000 hours of training during construction.
This week, the Federal Court found the Australian government has no legal duty to protect Torres Strait Islanders from climate change. The ruling was disappointing, but it’s not the end of the matter.
The plaintiffs, Uncle Paul Kabai and Uncle Pabai Pabai, hail from the low-lying islands of Saibai and Boigu, near Papua New Guinea. They argued the Commonwealth was negligent for failing to take strong action on climate change.
While the judge accepted the devastating effects climate change has wrought on the Torres Strait Islands, he found the Uncles did not prove their case of negligence.
However, the judge found previous Australian governments had not taken the best available science into account when setting emissions reduction targets. The finding tightens the screws on the Albanese government, which is due to announce Australia’s long-awaited targets to cut emissions out to 2035.
To protect communities in the Torres Strait, and across Australia, the government must set a 2035 target that is in line with the science.
And the court finding is unlikely to stem the tide of litigation seeking greater government accountability for climate change – especially for those most vulnerable to its harms.
Limitations of Australian law
The Uncles’ case did not fail because there was no merit in their allegations. It failed because Justice Michael Wigney ruled negligence law was not the appropriate vehicle to deal with climate change policy.
Justice Wigney found the Torres Strait Islanders proved much of their case, including that Australia’s emissions targets set in 2015, 2020 and 2021 were not consistent with the best available science. That science dictates national governments should set emissions reduction targets in line with international efforts to hold global temperature rise to 1.5°C.
The Coalition was in power during the period in question. Justice Wigney found the government of the day “did not engage with or give real or genuine consideration to the best available science” when setting its targets.
But evidence suggests this may not be in line with the best available science.
For example, according to some scientists, emissions reduction of 90% by 2035, based on 2005 levels, would be required to stay in line with the 1.5°C goal.
Australia is bidding to host the UN climate talks next year in partnership with Pacific island countries. Our climate policy for the decade ahead will be a powerful signal to our Pacific neighbours about our commitment to the region, and to climate justice.
A shifting legal landscape
Tuesday’s court finding left open the possibility an appeal court may revisit the state of the law, and recognise the duty of care claimed by the Uncles.
This would require an appeal to the full court of the Federal Court. Wigney was a single judge and considered himself bound by past precedent set by the full court.
Around the world, courts and human rights bodies are holding governments accountable for climate inaction. It is possible for Australian law to do the same.
International courts and human rights bodies are holding governments accountable for climate inaction. Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images
Courts in the Netherlands and Belgium, for example, have recognised government duties to heed the science to address foreseeable harms of climate change.
Next week, the International Court of Justice – the world’s highest court – will issue an historic legal opinion on the obligations of nations to tackle climate change.
This opinion will clarify the obligations of countries to prevent human rights harms caused by climate change, and to limit pollution of the Earth’s oceans and climate system. The opinion will be non-binding, but could influence future climate litigation.
What’s more, attribution science is improving all the time. This field of science examines how greenhouse gas emissions affect a particular weather event or climate pattern.
Clearer attribution science will provide courts an ever-stronger basis to consider how government policy decisions on emissions cause climate impacts – and resulting harms to people.
As the legal responsibilities of governments are clarified, further strategic litigation in Australia is likely.
Change is coming
In his judgement, Justice Michael Wigney said the law currently “provides no real or effective legal avenue” for people or communities to seek legal recourse for government inaction on climate change. That will remain the case until the law changes, he said.
To remain legitimate, legal norms must reflect changing social expectations. History shows laws can adapt when they are challenged repeatedly by those who are harmed by the status quo. Eventually, the dam wall breaks, and law is reinterpreted.
A clear example is the Mabo case of 1992. The High Court of Australia acknowledged the obvious fact that Indigenous peoples have lived on this continent for tens of thousands of years, and that the “terra nullius” (land belonging to no-one) concept was a legal myth.
The Mabo decision allowed common law to recognise native title. It was a departure from previous rulings which relied on the terra nullius concept to reject native title claims.
Australia’s legal norms largely pre-date the scientific consensus on climate change. They must evolve to better recognise climate impacts that are harming Australians. While this week might not have been the time, change is inevitable.
As Justice Wigney said, until the law adapts, the key avenue for change is public advocacy, protest and voter action at the ballot box.
Wesley Morgan is a fellow with the Climate Council.
Riona Moodley 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.
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they are joining colleagues in reintroducing legislation that would protect consumers in Oregon and nationwide from online free trial scams and hard-to-cancel recurring-payment programs.
The Consumer Online Payment Transparency and Integrity (OPT-IN) Act puts the responsibility on companies rather than consumers when it comes to subscriptions and memberships, including a shift from “opt-out” default conditions to “opt-in.” This reintroduction comes after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit last week vacated the Federal Trade Commission’s 2023 “click to cancel” rule, which would have made it easier to get out of unwanted subscriptions.
“Unexpected charges and confusing websites can make unsubscribing from a service a headache,” Wyden said. “Relief was in sight, but Donald Trump’s administration killed new protections for consumers and handed a huge gift to his corporate pals. I’m proud to work with Sen. Van Hollen and my colleagues on the OPT-IN Act to ensure it’s just as easy for Americans to unsubscribe from services as it is to sign up.”
“Consumers shouldn’t have to jump over roadblocks from greedy corporations to cancel a subscription,” Merkley said. “Our bill will make it as simple to cancel a subscription as it is to sign up – no tricks, no gimmicks, no waiting on hold. Let’s pass this common-sense solution that makes sure Americans know what they’re signing up for.”
Companies increasingly use free trial offers and unclear terms and conditions to trap consumers into subscriptions. Additionally, companies often use software and interfaces that subtly trick users, making it harder for consumers to end these subscriptions and stop unwanted charges. While the FTC has dedicated significant resources to combating the worst of these business practices, more action is needed to effectively deter companies from employing these practices and better protect consumers.
Specifically, the Consumer OPT-IN Act would:
Require companies to get express informed consent from consumers before converting free trials into automatically renewing contracts and charging consumers.
Require companies to notify consumers of the first automatic renewal and obtain express informed consent from consumers before automatically renewing long-term contracts.
Require that companies offering contracts that automatically renew on a short-term basis get express informed consent from consumers annually.
Require companies that have knowledge that a consumer isn’t using their product or service for 6 months to get the consumer’s express informed consent to continue billing, and allow consumers to request a refund for the remaining portion of the contract.
Provide consumers with refunds when violations occur.
Give the FTC rulemaking authority over negative option contracts, automatic renewals, and dark patterns.
The legislation is led by Senator Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Representative Yvette D. Clarke, D-N.Y. Along with Wyden and Merkley, the bill is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., John Fetterman, D-Pa., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai’i, Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Representatives Robin Kelly, D-Ill., and Doris Matsui, D-Calif.
This legislation is endorsed by Public Citizen, National Consumer Law Center, Consumer Action, Americans for Financial Reform, and American Economic Liberties Project.
The owners of the former Kakanui Church, Michael Simpson and Anna Miles, are thrilled to see their restoration project entered on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero as a Category 1 place.
ThePresbyterian church at Kakanuiwas designed by Robert Arthur Lawson, an important Scottish Dunedin-based architect, who designed many ecclesiastical buildings over his career. The wooden, gothic-style church at Kakanui was built in three months to accommodate 100 people. It was built at a time when Kakanui had just built a port in the hopes of becoming a major export port. This growth never eventuated but the Presbyterian church remained a key community hub.
The church’s architecture was part of what attracted Michael and Anna to the property when they first saw it was for sale. “We like that it’s Robert Lawson’s smallest, most modest surviving building” says Michael. “It was pretty exciting when we looked at it and saw that it was one of his before we bought it.”
For Michael and Anna, the purchase and restoration of the church has been a pleasure – they describe the restoration as their “hobby”. When they bought the church, it needed significant work but that didn’t scare the couple. Michael is an experienced carpenter with heritage expertise, and Anna is also hands-on. Gradually they have put new subfloor bearing joists in, replaced corner studs and weatherboards, restored windows, painted, and improved the drainage. “We never had a particular plan except to restore it,” says Michael. “There was no timeframe, no budget and that’s why it’s been such a pleasure. It is going really well at this stage.”
Part of the journey of restoration has been discovering the emotional ties so many people have to the church. In addition to regular services, the church ran Sunday School classes, which were so popular that in 1933 a dedicated Bible Class Hall was added to the main church. In 1955, two further small buildings were purchased to accommodate the growing Sunday school numbers. The local branch of Brownies used one of these huts as their den.
When Michael and Anna work on their church they have an open-door policy, they’ve found that people come to visit and chat. “The more we’ve got to know the building, the more we’ve realised it’s a special space that means a lot to a lot of other people”, says Anna. “For us, we’re looking after it at the moment and fixing it up. We see ourselves as stewards of the building.” Now that the church is weathertight and stable, Anna and Michael have opened it up to community use.
Michael says, “we’ve had weddings in it, gigs, art exhibitions, and carol services. It doesn’t need to be a commercial space, but we’ve realised it should have a life of its own and a reason to exist. We get quite emotional seeing all the life in the building. We never expected that side of what is our hobby. It’s not what we went looking for but it’s rewarding to see.”
The listing process has highlighted the social and historical value to the Kakanui community. Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Heritage Assessment Advisor, Alison Breese, has loved working on the project. “This place is highly significant to the Kakanui community and has outstanding aesthetic, architectural and historic significance. As one of only two surviving Presbyterian timber churches in New Zealand designed by Lawson it’s been a pleasure seeing the love and hard mahi the owners have put into it.”
For Michael and Anna, the church entry on the New Zealand Heritage List/ Rārangi Kōrero is an important recognition of the significance of the church and will support its ongoing protection and recognition.
ABOUT HERITAGE NEW ZEALAND POUHERE TAONGA
Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga is the leading national historic heritage agency for Aotearoa New Zealand, operating as an autonomous Crown Entity. Our mission is to identify, protect, and promote heritage – Kia mōhiotia atu, kia tiakina, kia hāpaingia ā tātau taonga tuku iho.
We actively engage with communities, foster partnerships, and provide valuable resources to support those who are passionate about exploring, learning, and connecting with our rich cultural heritage. For more information, please visit our website atwww.heritage.org.nz
CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii — Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, hosted 40 senior U.S. and international military and civilian officials at USINDOPACOM headquarters on Camp H.M. Smith in Honolulu for the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies’ Transnational Security Cooperation Course 25-1, July 16, 2025.
Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan
Washington, D.C. – Today the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act, bipartisan legislation that U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen helped introduce and was supported by Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), was signed into law. This law permanently schedules all fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act to ensure law enforcement can keep them off the streets and hold drug traffickers accountable.
“The vast majority of drug-related deaths in New Hampshire have been caused by the trafficking of illicit fentanyl. That’s why I have consistently engaged with law enforcement, public health experts, and colleagues across the aisle to ensure that the scheduling of fentanyl analogues did not lapse and is finally made permanent,” said Congressman Pappas. “The enactment of this legislation represents an important step forward and will ensure law enforcement retains the full suite of tools they need to take on the opioid crisis and crack down on drug traffickers, but we cannot rest here. I remain committed to delivering the resources our communities need to stop traffickers, bring down drug-related deaths, and support people in recovery.”
“In the Granite State we’ve lost far too many lives due to fentanyl overdoses, and we must do everything we can to prevent more deaths,” said Senator Shaheen. “I was proud to help introduce this bipartisan legislation in the Senate and I’m glad the President has signed it into law so that we can stop the flow of fentanyl into our communities, hold traffickers accountable and save lives.”
“Too many families across New Hampshire have experienced the devastating effects of the fentanyl crisis,” said Senator Hassan. “The HALT Fentanyl Act will permanently classify fentanyl analogues at the strongest level allowed under the law, boosting penalties and giving law enforcement more tools to get these deadly illicit drugs off our streets. This bill marks a step forward in combatting fentanyl and I am glad the President has signed it into law.”
“Illicit fentanyl is the leading driver of overdose deaths in New Hampshire, taking the lives of hundreds of loved ones every year. We can and must do more to combat this epidemic and help save lives,” said Congresswoman Goodlander. “The HALT Fentanyl Act will help stop the flow of these dangerous drugs into our communities and hold illicit distributors accountable. I will continue working to ensure our law enforcement partners have the tools they need to keep New Hampshire communities safe.”
Pappas has led efforts to permanently schedule fentanyl-related substances in the House, securing several extensions of the temporary scheduling order while working to ensure the passage of permanent legislation. The HALT Fentanyl Act contains identical key provisions from Pappas’s bipartisan SAFE Act, which he first introduced in the 117th Congress.
Shaheen has spearheaded crucial legislation and funding to fight the substance use disorder epidemic, including through her leadership on the pivotal U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, which funds the U.S. Department of Justice. Shaheen recently introduced her bipartisan Keeping Drugs Out of Schools Act to help prevent youth opioid use and overdoses by establishing a new grant program that allows current or former Drug-Free Communities (DFC) coalitions to partner with schools to provide resources educating students about the dangers of synthetic opioids. Shaheen has also led the bipartisan Cooper Davis Act which would crack down on online drug sales through social media and helped enact the FENTANYL Results Act to increase global cooperation in the fight against synthetic drug trafficking.
Senator Hassan has worked to stop drug trafficking and support communities devastated by the fentanyl crisis. She helped advance the DETECT Fentanyl and Xylazine Act, which was signed into law last year and is supporting law enforcement with enhanced tools to find and eliminate illegal substances such as fentanyl and xylazine. Senators Hassan, Shaheen, and their colleagues also passed into law the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, which targets the illicit fentanyl supply chain and imposes sanctions on traffickers. Senator Hassan also developed the END FENTANYL Act, signed into law last year, which helps Customs and Border Protection crack down on fentanyl trafficking at the border.
Man charged with stolen property and firearms offences
Thursday, 17 July 2025 – 12:46 pm.
A man has been charged as investigations continue into the stealing of five vehicles from a North Hobart car yard in May. Last month, police from the South East, Glenorchy and Bridgewater Criminal Investigation Branches executed several searches in the Montrose and Derwent Valley areas, alongside the Southern Drugs and Firearms Unit. A Toyota Rav 4 stolen from a North Hobart car yard was located at an address in Magra, as well as close to $150,000 of other property also believed to be stolen. The property included a firearm, several motor vehicles, a trailer, a generator, and about one tonne of fuel. A quantity of illicit drugs was also located. A 36-year-old Magra man has since been charged with various stolen property and firearms offences and will reappear in the Hobart Magistrates Court on 12 September 2025. Four of the five vehicles stolen from the North Hobart car yard have been recovered.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The Northern Territory Police Force are continuing to investigate the fatal crash in Delamere yesterday.
One vehicle, a silver Mitsubishi Pajero, was carrying four occupants, aged 63, 63, 70 and 76, while the second vehicle, a Toyota 76 series troop carrier, was carrying a 25-year-old man.
The 76-year-old man was declared deceased at the scene.
Investigations have now confirmed that the Toyota was stolen from a residence on Heron Crescent, Katherine.
Police urge anyone with information to make contact on 131 444.
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 17, 2025.
Do women really need more sleep than men? A sleep psychologist explains Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amelia Scott, Honorary Affiliate and Clinical Psychologist at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, and Macquarie University Research Fellow, Macquarie University klebercordeiro/Getty If you spend any time in the wellness corners of TikTok or Instagram, you’ll see claims women need one to two hours more sleep than
Is it okay to boil water more than once, or should you empty the kettle every time? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Faisal Hai, Professor and Head of School of Civil, Mining, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Wollongong Avocado_studio/Shutterstock The kettle is a household staple practically everywhere – how else would we make our hot drinks? But is it okay to re-boil water that’s already in the kettle
What does Australian law have to say about sovereign citizens and ‘pseudolaw’? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Madeleine Perrett, PhD Candidate in Law, University of Adelaide Armed with obscure legal jargon and fringe interpretations of the law, “sovereign citizens” are continuing to test the limits of the Australian justice system’s patience and power. A few weeks ago, two Western Australians were jailed for 30
Is childbirth really safer for women and babies in private hospitals? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hannah Dahlen, Professor of Midwifery, Associate Dean Research and HDR, Midwifery Discipline Leader, Western Sydney University A study published this week in the international obstetrics and gynaecology journal BJOG has raised concerns among women due to give birth in Australia’s public hospitals. The study compared the outcomes
We were part of the world heritage listing of Murujuga. Here’s why all Australians should be proud Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jo McDonald, Professor, Director of Centre for Rock Art Research + Management, The University of Western Australia Senior Ranger, Mardudunhera man Peter Cooper, oversees the Murujuga landscape Jo McDonald, CC BY-SA On Friday, the Murujuga Cultural Landscape in northwest Western Australia was inscribed on the UNESCO World
Is our mental health determined by where we live – or is it the other way round? New research sheds more light Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Hobbs, Associate Professor and Transforming Lives Fellow, Spatial Data Science and Planetary Health, Sheffield Hallam University Photon-Photos/Getty Images Ever felt like where you live is having an impact on your mental health? Turns out, you’re not imagining things. Our new analysis of eight years of data
Tasmania is limping towards an election nobody wants. Here’s the state of play Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Hortle, Deputy Director, Tasmanian Policy Exchange, University of Tasmania In the darkest and coldest months of the year, Tasmanians have been slogging through an election campaign no one wanted. It’s been a curious mix of humdrum plodding laced with cyanide levels of bitterness, with the most
What is astigmatism? Why does it make my vision blurry? And how did I get it? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Flora Hui, Research Fellow, Centre for Eye Research Australia and Honorary Fellow, Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), The University of Melbourne Ground Picture/Shutterstock Have you ever gone to the optometrist for an eye test and were told your eye was shaped like a football? Or perhaps you’ve noticed
From Sister Rosetta Tharpe to Ronnie Yoshiko Fujiyama: how electric guitarists challenge expectations of gender Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janelle K Johnstone, Associate Lecturer Crime, Justice and Legal Studies, PhD Candidate School of Social Inquiry, La Trobe University American gospel singer and guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe playing a Gibson Les Paul electric guitar on stage in 1957. Chris Ware/Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images I’ve been playing a
Ken Henry urges nature law reform after decades of ‘intergenerational bastardry’ Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phillipa C. McCormack, Future Making Fellow, Environment Institute, University of Adelaide Former Treasury Secretary Ken Henry has warned Australia’s global environmental reputation is at risk if the Albanese government fails to reform nature laws this term. In his speech to the National Press Club on Wednesday, Henry
First-hand view of peacemaking challenge in the ‘Holy Land’ Occupied West Bank-based New Zealand journalist Cole Martin asks who are the peacemakers? BEARING WITNESS: By Cole Martin As a Kiwi journalist living in the occupied West Bank, I can list endless reasons why there is no peace in the “Holy Land”. I live in a refugee camp, alongside families who were expelled from their
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Malcolm Turnbull on Australia’s ‘dumb’ defence debate Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government remains in complicated territory on the international stage. It has to tread carefully with China, despite the marked warming of the bilateral relationship. It is yet to find its line and length with the unpredictable Trump administration.
Why is Israel bombing Syria? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Mamouri, Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University Conflict in Syria has escalated with Israel launching bombing raids against its northern neighbour. It follows months of fluctuating tensions in southern Syria between the Druze minority and forces aligned with the new government in Damascus. Clashes erupted
Bougainville election: More than 400 candidates vie for parliament By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist More than 400 candidates have put their hands up to contest the Bougainville general election in September, hoping to enter Parliament. Incumbent President Ishmael Toroama is among the 404 people lining up to win a seat. Bougainville is involved in the process of achieving independence from Papua New
Scientists could be accidentally damaging fossils with a method we thought was safe Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mathieu Duval, Adjunct Senior Researcher at Griffith University and La Trobe University, and Ramón y Cajal (Senior) Research Fellow, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH) 185,000-year-old human fossil jawbone from Misliya Cave, Israel. Gerhard Weber, University of Vienna, CC BY-ND Fossils are invaluable archives
Right-wing political group Advance is in the headlines. What is it and what does it stand for? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Riboldi, Lecturer in Social Impact and Social Change, UTS Business School, University of Technology Sydney Advance/Facebook Political lobby group Advance has been back in the headlines this week. It was revealed an organisation headed by the husband of the Special Envoy for Combatting Antisemitism, Jillian Segal,
We travelled to Antarctica to see if a Māori lunar calendar might help track environmental change Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Holly Winton, Senior Research Fellow in Climatology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Holly Winton, CC BY-SA Antarctica’s patterns of stark seasonal changes, with months of darkness followed by a summer of 24-hour daylight, prompted us to explore how a Māori lunar and environmental calendar
NORTHERN TERRITORY, Australia — The 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) deployed a Mid-Range Capability (MRC) to Australia and conducted a Standard Missile 6 live fire on July 15th, 2025, successfully sinking a maritime target in support of Exercise Talisman Sabre 25, a bilateral exercise between the U.S. and Australian militaries. The deployment demonstrates the 3rd MDTF’s ability to deploy and support regional security and stability.
Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and eight of her Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Russell Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), advocating for the release of paused education formula funding, which states had anticipated receiving on July 1. The pause could result in a loss of nearly $28,000,000 for Maine’s public schools.
Specifically, the letter requests that the Administration faithfully implement the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Full-Year Continuing Resolution Act, which President Trump signed into law earlier this year. This legislation contains critical funding that states and local school districts rely on to help students, families, and local economies.
“The Continuing Resolution contained funding for Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants; 21st Century Community Learning Centers; Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants; English Language Acquisition; Migrant Education; Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants (including Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education State Grants). Withholding these funds will harm students, families, and local economies,”the Senators wrote.
“The decision to withhold this funding is contrary to President Trump’s goal of returning K-12 education to the states. This funding goes directly to states and local school districts, where local leaders decide how this funding is spent, because as we know, local communities know how to best serve students and families. Withholding this funding denies states and communities the opportunity to pursue localized initiatives to support students and their families,”they continued.
“We welcome the opportunity to work with you and Secretary McMahon to ensure that all federal education funding goes towards programs that help states and school districts provide students an excellent education. We want to see students in our states and across the country thrive, whether they are adult learners, students who speak English as a second language, or students who need after-school care so that their parents can work. We believe you share the same goal. We encourage you to reverse your decision and release this Congressionally-approved funding to states,”the Senators concluded.
In addition to Senators Collins and Capito, the letter was signed by Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Katie Britt (R-AL), Deb Fischer (R-NE), John Hoeven (R-ND), Jim Justice (R-WV), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Mike Rounds (R-SD).
San Juan, PR – The U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, working a collateral lead from the USMS Puerto Rico Violent Offender Task Force, today arrested in Jamestown, New York, one of Puerto Rico’s 10 most wanted fugitives.
Bryan José Rivera-Montañez, 26, of Guayama, is wanted by the Puerto Rico Police Bureau on a state arrest warrant issued by the Ponce Court for first-degree murder and multiple violations of weapons law after he allegedly killed with a firearm an individual in Santa Isabel March 7, 2024. His bail had been set at $2,500,000.
In late June the USMS Puerto Rico Violent Offender Task Force sent a collateral lead to the USMS New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force requesting assistance in locating and apprehending Rivera-Montañez, who was arrested without incident at an apartment in the 60 block of Water Street in Jamestown.
“This arrest exemplifies our agency’s fight against violent crime and demonstrates our unwavering commitment to the safety of our communities,” said Wilmer Ocasio-Ibarra, U.S. Marshal for the District of Puerto Rico. “I want to express my sincere appreciation for and recognize the great contribution of the members of the NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force and their coordination with the Puerto Rico Violent Offender Task Force in capturing this violent fugitive.”
The New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force began operations in April 2002 and was the first regional fugitive task force to become fully operational following the Presidential Threat Protection Act of 2000. The NY/NJRFTF was the flagship that allowed seven other regional fugitive task forces to be created across the country. With partnership agreements with over 90 federal, state, or local agencies and 13 fully operational offices, the NY/NJRFTF has successfully apprehended more than 100,000 fugitives since inception.
The USMS District of Puerto Rico encourages the community to continue to collaborate with our deputies on tips that help find the whereabouts of a fugitive by contacting our local office at (787) 766-6297, calling the U.S. Marshals Service Communication Center at 1 (800) 336-0102, or submitting tips using the USMS Tips App.
Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
WASHINGTON – In response to questioning from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) at a hearing today, witnesses urged congressional action to address the nationwide scourge of organized retail crime and endorsed the Grassley-led, bipartisan Combating Organized Retail Crime Act.
The witnesses discussed the dangers of organized retail crime, including its ties to international criminal and terrorist syndicates. Grassley’s Combating Organized Retail Crime Act was cited as a “game changer,” given the legislation’s proposal to zero-in on criminal enterprises through commonsense penalties and multi-agency coordination.
The witnesses included:
The Honorable Summer Stephan, President of the National District Attorneys Association and District Attorney for San Diego County;
The Honorable David J. Glawe, President and CEO of the National Insurance Crime Bureau;
Scott McBride, Chief Global Asset Protection Officer for American Eagle Outfitters Inc.; and
Donna Lemm, Chief Strategy Officer for IMC Logistics, testifying on behalf of the American Trucking Associations.
Grassley’s opening statement is available HERE.
Video and excerpts of Grassley’s exchanges with the witnesses follow.
[embedded content]
VIDEO
On the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act:
Grassley: “Ms. Stephan, you’re a strong supporter of my bill, [the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act] … How would this legislation improve the ability of both law enforcement and prosecutors like you to tackle organized retail crime?”
Stephan: “I believe that the [Combating Organized Retail Crime Act] would be a game-changer. [Despite] the 218 organized crime cases that our office has [prosecuted] in San Diego, we have not been able to break through to what is going on nationally. We know these groups are operating nationally and internationally … but the investigations stop at the local level.
“[Organized retail crime] is a national problem that’s draining economic resources from hardworking Americans. But, it’s also draining the heart and soul, and security of human beings. We have to be able to bring national solutions.”
On Transnational Criminal Organizations and Organized Retail Crime:
Grassley: “We know from Department of Homeland Security reports that cartels, terrorists and human traffickers either facilitate organized retail and supply chain crime or use its proceeds to finance other crimes. How are transnational criminal organizations using organized retail and supply chain crime to further their criminal activities?”
Glawe: “We have seen goods moving overseas. In Mexico, we [found] over 2,000 vehicles that ended up south of the border. We know that these stolen goods are going to West Africa and the Middle East … We know that the supply chains are interdicted with Lebanese Hezbollah. We’ve seen that with Hamas, and we know the Mexican drug cartels are involved with the goods going south of the border.
“A coordination center … to coordinate intelligence … and coordinate operations is critical. This committee is well aware of … the Counter Terrorism Center and Counter Proliferation Center. These centers provide a hub for informational and operational sharing and sharing and coordinating resources, as well as tactical level response. We know the successful model, and this bill would get us there.”
On Combating Organized Retail Crime through Aggregation:
Grassley: “Ms. Stephan, title 18 makes it a federal crime to transport stolen property with a value of $5,000 or more in interstate or foreign commerce. Supreme Court case law allows prosecutors to aggregate the value of stolen goods in a common scheme to reach that threshold. Why is aggregation of theft amounts important?”
Stephan: “Aggregation is critical because it distinguishes between somebody who is drug addicted who goes in to steal something like food … [and] separates them from the habitual organized criminals. It allows [prosecutors] to see the activity in totality and to be able to see the repeat offenses that form the structure of organized, habitual criminals. In California, we recently … made a change in Proposition 36 that allowed us to aggregate, and it’s already making a difference. [California] used to have criminals come in with a calculator to [steal] right under $950, thus leaving them at a citation misdemeanor level. That’s what caused all our products to become locked up, except the criminals that were committing the crimes.”
Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
WASHINGTON – Citing Senate Judiciary Committee precedent, Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today announced the Committee will not hold a second hearing on Emil Bove’s nomination to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The Committee will vote on Bove’s nomination on Thursday, July 17.
During the last administration, then-Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) denied Republicans’ requests for additional hearings on at least four nominees.
“Many times during the last Administration, then-Chairman Durbin said ‘there cannot be one set of rules for Republicans on this Committee and another set of rules for Democrats.’ I agree with this statement and intend to adhere to the precedent of then-Chairman Durbin. The Committee will vote on the nomination of Mr. Bove on Thursday,” Grassley concluded in a letter to Senate Judiciary Democrats.
Bove participated in a lengthy nominations hearing on June 25 and provided members of the Committee with 165 pages of written responses to their questions.
Minority members of the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday requested the Committee call whistleblower Erez Reuveni, a former Department of Justice (DOJ) official, to testify in a second hearing regarding Bove’s nomination. Reuveni has alleged Bove advised DOJ officials to defy court orders regarding the Trump administration’s enforcement of immigration laws. In response to these whistleblower allegations, Bove told the Committee under oath, “I have never advised a Department of Justice attorney to violate a court order.” The Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General have affirmed Bove’s sworn testimony.
Grassley has completed an analysis of the Minority’s summary of the whistleblower’s document disclosures, which is available HERE.
“Following a comprehensive review of the additional documents that you published following the hearing and discussed in the media, I do not believe that they substantiate any misconduct by Mr. Bove,” Grassley wrote to the Minority. “Almost none of the additional documents you published include, reference, or even cite Mr. Bove. Most of the communications merely reflect Administration attorneys internally debating or discussing litigation strategy and the scope of court orders. Debate about the scope of court orders is fundamentally inconsistent with an intention to ignore them. Moreover, many of the legal positions discussed in the documents were ultimately advanced in federal court as the formal position of the United States, and the Administration has received at least some appellate relief in each of the cases described.”
“I respect whistleblowers and the whistleblowing process and have taken this matter seriously. I note that the available documents and the public record are inconsistent with some of the whistleblower’s assertions, which have been reviewed in good faith. The gravamen of the allegations is that Mr. Bove directed Justice Department attorneys to ignore court orders, but (1) the meeting with Mr. Bove occurred before there was any litigation or court order to follow; and (2) Mr. Reuveni himself clarified that he departed the meeting with Mr. Bove with the express understanding that ‘DOJ would tell DHS to follow all court orders,’” Grassley continued.
After a one‑day trial, a jury found Kyle Travis Colton, 37, of Citrus Heights, guilty Tuesday of one count of receiving child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.
According to evidence presented at trial and in court documents, during a search of Colton’s home law enforcement recovered his laptop, which contained copious images and videos depicting the graphic sexual abuse of young children. The jury heard evidence that between July 2022 and December 2023, Colton downloaded these depictions of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The material was saved on Colton’s computer desktop and in his downloads folder, and he had user-created bookmarks linking to known child pornography websites.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Whitnee Goins and Shea J. Kenny are prosecuting the case.
Colton is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Oct. 27, 2025. Colton faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
GREAT FALLS – A Mexican man who entered the United States illegally four times since 2019 was sentenced today to a sentence of time served and remanded to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol upon release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Odilon Valdes-De Jesus, 55, pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of illegal reentry.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Valdes first entered the country without authorization in 2019. On October 3, 2019, he was encountered by El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents, processed for expeditated removal, and removed from the United States on October 4, 2019, through the Calexico, California Port of Entry. He crossed the border illegally again on October 5, 2019, and was removed from the United States a second time on October 6, 2019. He illegally entered again two days later, on October 8, 2019, and was removed for the third time on October 9.
When law enforcement encountered Valdes in Havre, Montana on May 13, 2025, he admitted he had no immigration documents to be in the United States legally, and later admitted he entered without authorization a fourth time around July 15, 2020, near Eagle Pass, Texas.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Myers prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
MIAMI – On July 11, 2025, a federal jury sitting in Ft. Lauderdale found Anthony Brillante II, age 36, guilty of attempted murder of an employee of the United States, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice. The charges stemmed from a plot engaged in by the defendant to murder the federal prosecutor and FBI Special Agent who investigated and prosecuted him for cyber harassment, by hiring a hitman to kill them. He was also found guilty of attempting to kill the witnesses and victims of his cyber harassment case before the start of his federal cyber harassment trial on October 30, 2023.
In August of 2022, the FBI arrested Brillante for cyber harassing his family in New York. Brillante, a student at FIU during most of the time of the crimes, spoofed hundreds of different phone numbers to send three victims—his cousin, her husband, and their 12-year-old daughter—tens of thousands of phone calls and text messages over a 15-month period between 2021 and 2022, including countless explicit threats to kill them. The messages included threatening to shoot them in the in the face and running them over with a car. The federal cyber harassment investigation established that Brillante was also sending similar threatening messages to another cousin and her husband, who both resided in Texas.
In October 2023, just before the start of his federal cyber harassment trial, Brillante directed and paid a total of $40,000 in furtherance of the murder plot. On October 29, 2023, the day before his cyber harassment trial was scheduled to begin, Brillante met with an undercover FBI agent, who was posing as a hitman, and enlisted him to commit the murders of the prosecuting Assistant United States Attorney, the investigating FBI special agent, and the victims of his cyber harassment case in order to obstruct his federal trial. Despite his efforts, Brillante was convicted in his first trial of cyber harassment and ultimately sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment.
Sentencing in the murder-for-hire case is scheduled for October 1, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lawrence D. LaVecchio and Deric Zacca from the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. AUSA Daren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-60204.
MIAMI – On July 11, 2025, a federal jury sitting in Ft. Lauderdale found Anthony Brillante II, age 36, guilty of attempted murder of an employee of the United States, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice. The charges stemmed from a plot engaged in by the defendant to murder the federal prosecutor and FBI Special Agent who investigated and prosecuted him for cyber harassment, by hiring a hitman to kill them. He was also found guilty of attempting to kill the witnesses and victims of his cyber harassment case before the start of his federal cyber harassment trial on October 30, 2023.
In August of 2022, the FBI arrested Brillante for cyber harassing his family in New York. Brillante, a student at FIU during most of the time of the crimes, spoofed hundreds of different phone numbers to send three victims—his cousin, her husband, and their 12-year-old daughter—tens of thousands of phone calls and text messages over a 15-month period between 2021 and 2022, including countless explicit threats to kill them. The messages included threatening to shoot them in the in the face and running them over with a car. The federal cyber harassment investigation established that Brillante was also sending similar threatening messages to another cousin and her husband, who both resided in Texas.
In October 2023, just before the start of his federal cyber harassment trial, Brillante directed and paid a total of $40,000 in furtherance of the murder plot. On October 29, 2023, the day before his cyber harassment trial was scheduled to begin, Brillante met with an undercover FBI agent, who was posing as a hitman, and enlisted him to commit the murders of the prosecuting Assistant United States Attorney, the investigating FBI special agent, and the victims of his cyber harassment case in order to obstruct his federal trial. Despite his efforts, Brillante was convicted in his first trial of cyber harassment and ultimately sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment.
Sentencing in the murder-for-hire case is scheduled for October 1, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lawrence D. LaVecchio and Deric Zacca from the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. AUSA Daren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-60204.
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Two 35-year-old Brownsville residents have been sentenced for smuggling three illegal aliens in the trunk of a vehicle, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Ofelia Christine Monares and Michael Rosa pleaded guilty April 1.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has imposed a 40-month term of imprisonment for Monares while Rosa received 25 months. Both must also serve one year of supervised release following their sentences.
Both received upward adjustments or increases in their calculated sentencing guideline range for placing the life of the aliens in jeopardy. Monares also received a sentencing enhancement for being a supervisor of the criminal activity.
At the time of their pleas, both Monares and Rosa admitted to knowingly smuggling three illegal aliens in the trunk of a Nissan Sentra.
On Feb. 24, law enforcement observed several suspected illegal aliens walking along a dirt road near the Rio Grande River. The group climbed into the trunk of a Nissan Sentra which then fled at a high rate of speed. Authorities stopped the vehicle at the Highway 4 checkpoint and found three Vietnamese nationals in the trunk. All appeared dehydrated and were sweating profusely.
Rosa was the driver. He said Victor Hugo Medrano-Medrano and Monares had recruited him, and that Medrano and Monares picked him up in a white Nissan Titan and drove him to the Sentra. Rosa said they were to pay him $10,000 to transport the aliens to a local convenience store in Brownsville.
Video surveillance revealed the Titan crossing the checkpoint shortly after Rosa’s arrest. Authorities later located the Titan at the convenience store with Monares driving and Medrano in the passenger seat.
Monares said she was also to be paid – $500 – for every alien transported.
Medrano-Medrano, 38, Brownsville, has also pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing in September. He remains in custody.
Both Monares and Rosa have also have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined at a later date.
Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Castro prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo. man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm after officers found a firearm when they investigated him for driving while intoxicated.
Bryan A. Bay, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 12 years in federal prison without parole. Bay’s sentence was ordered to run consecutive to a state sentence for endangering the welfare of a child.
On Feb. 27, 2025, Bay pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On July 7, 2023, Independence, Mo. Police Department officers were dispatched to investigate a report that the occupants of a Chevrolet Silverado were passed out. The officers contacted the occupants and identified Bay as the driver of the vehicle. Bay appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. A computer check of Bay showed that he is a registered sex offender and on supervision through Missouri Probation and Parole for endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree and domestic assault in the second degree. Officers located a Smith and Wesson, Model SD9, semi-automatic pistol. The firearm was loaded with a 12-round magazine with one round in the chamber.
On Oct. 4, 2023, Independence, Mo. Police Department officers were dispatched to a residence for an aggravated assault. The victim reported that Bay, her ex-boyfriend, refused to leave her residence and threatened her. She ran into the street to get away from Bay. Her cousin saw her and got into his vehicle to get away from Bay, and Bay’s ex-girlfriend got into the passenger seat. The victim reported that Bay opened the door where she was seated and pointed his 300 blackout AR-15 in the middle of her forehead. Investigators did not locate Bay and issued a pickup order for Bay.
On Nov. 10, 2023, Kansas City, Mo. Police Department officers conducted a car check on a Kia, which was bearing a license plate that belonged to a Saturn. Officers contacted Bay, who was standing between the Kia and his Chevrolet Silverado. Officers arrested Bay on a parole violation warrant and the stop order previously issued by the Independence, Mo. Police Department.
Officers searched Bay’s Chevrolet Silverado and found approximately 5.49 grams of a crystal substance and 7.67 grams of a powder substance. Both substances tested positive for methamphetamine. Officers also found an Anderson Manufacturing, Model AM-15, multi-caliber pistol.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who is convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Bay has two prior felony convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle and possession of a controlled substance and prior felony convictions for domestic assault, unlawful use of a weapon, and endangering the welfare of a child. Bay’s conviction for endangering the welfare of a child requires him to register as a sex offender.
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Independence, Missouri Police Department and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).