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A deadly strain of bird flu has landed on Australian shores. Does it pose a risk to pets?

The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has arrived on the Australian mainland and, while there’s no evidence yet of mass animal mortality, authorities are on high alert. The virus has killed millions of birds and thousands of marine mammals since it began spreading around the globe in 2021. The risk to humans is low – but should we be worried about our pets? How far is bird flu spreading in Australia? Five cases have been confirmed since late June – four in Western Australia and one in South Australia – all in migratory sub-antarctic birds. Results of a further suspected positive detection in a giant petrel found in New South Wales, north of Newcastle, were pending as of Friday. The federal government analysed Australia’s 800 different birds and 350 mammals threatened by the disease. It assessed more than 150 native and unique bird species, and more than 10 mammal species including sea lions and fur seals, as being at “very high risk” of extinction or major decline if they caught the disease. Could bird flu spread among our pets? Along with birds and poultry, the virus can also be fatal for cats and dogs. The Australian government said in its advice that overseas infections were “infrequent” and usually resulted from “dogs or cats being exposed to sick or dead birds, other animals infected with [bird flu], consumption of raw pet food or unpasteurised (raw) milk”. Sheep, pigs, and horses were also considered low risk. On Sunday the threatened species commissioner, Dr Fiona Fraser, urged the public to avoid touching potentially sick birds in the wild and to keep pets away from wild birds. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email “Pet cats and dogs which come into contact with sick birds could capture H5 bird flu themselves and all mammals are susceptible to H5 bird flu, so that includes our pet cats and dogs,” she said. “And it’s generally good practice to keep your pets away from wildlife anyway.” In an article for the Conversation, Prof Ricardo J Soares Magalhães, a veterinary science expert at the University of Queensland, said the risks were very real for back-yard chickens if an outbreak occurred, particularly if they were free range, and advised keeping chickens housed as much as possible. The Tasmanian government has noted in its advice that no reptiles have been reported to be affected. A general practitioner vet and senior lecturer at the University of Sydney, Dr Anne Quain, told Guardian Australia it was important to take precautions to minimise risks because H5 bird flu was “highly pathogenic” and there were no vaccines for cats or dogs. “The infection can cause respiratory or neurological signs,” she said. “There are reports of fatalities in cats and (less commonly) dogs elsewhere in the world.” What are the symptoms of bird flu in pets? The Australian government says in its advice that signs of the disease “may be subtle or mistaken for other illnesses”. They vary between species, but can include fever, lethargy, discharge from eyes or nose, difficulty breathing and neurological signs, such as tremors or seizures. The president of the Australian Veterinarian Association, Dr Diana Barker, said signs of bird flu included lethargy, swelling and fever. She advised bird owners to isolate animals suspected of having the virus and call clinics rather than bringing the bird in, to minimise the risk of spread. “Right now, the risk to common household pets in Australia is low, and there is no cause for alarm,” she said. “However the public must remain vigilant … Most cases overseas have been linked to specific exposures, most commonly cats eating infected wild birds or infected raw meat. “Dogs appear far less susceptible and typically show only mild signs.” One study, published by the American Veterinary Medical Association, found domestic cats infected with H5N1 had overall mortality rates of 50 to 70%. Should I keep my cat locked inside and my dog on a leash? Sean Dooley from BirdLife Australia advised that cats should be kept indoors in general for bird safety. Owners should keep their cats indoors in the case of an outbreak – both to curtail potential spread and protect cats from falling severely ill, he said. Dog owners should keep them on the leash at the beach, particularly along the southern coast and after heavy storms, which tended to cause more dead birds to wash up onshore. “If we do find a bird flu spread here then there is going to need to be a change in behaviour if people want to protect their pets,” he said. What else should pet owners do? Quain said the best way to prevent the infection was to “minimise or eliminate the risk of exposure to wildlife or infected animals” – making sure outdoor animal runs couldn’t be accessed by wildlife. “While we know cats are likely to be more susceptible than dogs, it would be wise to avoid allowing dogs to mix with potentially sick birds or their carcasses,” she said. “Avoid leaving pet food or water in areas where wild birds or animals can have contact with it.” Quain said in other countries, raw poultry and unpasteurised milk were sources of infection, particularly in cats. “If you have any contact with sick or dead birds yourself, even if you’ve worn gloves, shower and change clothes before contact with cats and dogs,” she said. Additional reporting by Petra Stock

3,000% bonuses but a growing wealth divide: South Korea grapples with its AI chip boom

When South Korea’s most high-profile divorce case returned to court last month, the lawyers were arguing not just about the breakdown of a relationship, but also the exact date at which to value shares in one specific company. The judges’ decision in Seoul could change the value of business tycoon Chey Tae-won’s assets by billions of dollars. The shares were in the holding company behind SK Hynix, the manufacturer of chips powering AI systems around the world. South Korea is one of the world’s biggest makers of these high-value chips and the country is seeing an unprecedented wealth boom from their rise. From workers in tech firms collecting six-figure bonuses, to ordinary people seeing massive investment returns – all of it driving a surge in luxury spending. But only a small slice of the population is cashing in, sparking a wider debate about who should have a share in the profits of the country’s most valuable industry. As South Korea grapples with widening inequality, calls are growing for some of the earnings – or the taxes they generate – to be spread more widely. *** The huge wealth surge has been driven by two companies – Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. The pair dominate the global supply of high-bandwidth memory, the specialised chips that AI systems need to run. Analysts project their combined operating profits could rise almost sevenfold this year. Their success has pushed South Korea’s main stock index – the Kospi – to record highs. The chipmakers have begun sharing those record profits with their staff on a scale the country has never seen. At Samsung, a memory-chip worker on a base salary of 80m won ($51,300) could receive bonuses close to 600m won ($384,900) this year, most of it in stock. That is roughly 17 times the average annual salary at a small South Korean firm. SK Hynix paid its workers a bonus of nearly 3,000% of their monthly salary earlier this year. Based on forecast profits, next year’s payout is projected to be several times larger. The signs of this flourishing wealth are dotted across the country. In satellite cities built around the chip factories south of Seoul luxury sales are surging. In the first weeks of May, jewellery sales at one department store jumped 146%, while watch sales rose 85%. In Icheon, where SK Hynix has its main campus, imported car registrations surged 108% in February. Apartment prices near semiconductor company bus routes are rising at four times the wider Seoul average. Not everyone benefiting from the AI boom works in a chip factory. After watching financial videos online a few years ago, Brian Lee, a retiree in Seoul bought small amounts of SK Hynix and Samsung shares – and then forgot about them. His SK Hynix return is now 1,264%. “This is the result of my hard work, plus luck,” he says. “I feel guilty, and at the same time, even though I have yet to cash it out, I tend to spend more,” he said, adding he has started looking at collector watches. Who owns the profits? The explosion in wealth has driven questions about who is entitled to a share in the profits – and how to spread the wealth more evenly across society. “Over the years, the semiconductor industry benefited enormously from government support,” says Kim Yong-jin, professor of business administration at Sogang University in Seoul, pointing to decades of state investment in research and industrial policy. “So they have to think about society itself.” The president’s chief policy adviser was drawn into the argument in May, floating what he called a “citizen dividend”, arguing the wealth rested on foundations built by all Koreans over half a century. Though some critics saw it as a plan to hand out cash or seize company profits outright, he later framed it more narrowly as a way to channel surplus tax revenues back to the public through structured investment. Opposition politicians called his comments akin to communism and the presidential office distanced itself from the plan. The question of shared gains is not only political. Samsung’s largest union nearly brought production to a halt in May, demanding a guaranteed share of profits, before a last-minute deal averted a strike. But the deal upset some in the company, as those in the phone and appliance division were set to receive only a fraction of what those working in chip making did. South Korea has long grappled with inequality. It has one of the highest rates of elderly poverty in the developed world, while rising housing and living costs have deepened pressure on many households. More Koreans feel their living standards have worsened than improved, despite the wealth piling up elsewhere. Manufacturing employment has fallen year on year for nearly two years. Nearly a million small businesses closed in 2025, with many owners left carrying huge debts. The income gap between the richest and poorest households hit a six-year high. “Everyone is talking about the boom, but most Koreans can’t feel it,” says Kyusuk Cho, a graduate student in information studies. “Life is getting more expensive and jobs are harder to find.” Strip out the two chipmakers – who make up more than 50% of the Kospi index – and the rest of the economy is barely moving. Kim Yong-jin says the gains should be shared between those who invested, those who worked, and the society that made it possible, in a way that strengthens the country over the long run, but that South Korea has yet to build a framework for how. “We need a consensus on how to share these profits,” he says. “That is the most important part.”

NSW records first suspected case of deadly H5 bird flu as virus reaches Australia’s east coast

New South Wales has its first suspected case of the deadly H5 bird flu in a giant petrel that was found near Hawks Nest, north of Newcastle, on the state’s coast. If CSIRO testing confirms it is the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain, it would mark the first detection of the deadly disease on the Australian east coast. Five cases have already been confirmed since late June – four in Western Australia and one in South Australia – all in migratory sub-antarctic birds. The NSW agriculture minister, Tara Moriarty, said the disease had so far not been detected in any poultry flocks, captive or other wild birds in NSW. The bird was found unwell by a member of the public who contacted authorities. She said initial testing at NSW labs had confirmed the petrel was positive for H5 influenza. Testing by the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness was needed to confirm it was the highly pathogenic strain of the disease that has devastated wildlife populations globally. “This latest development is incredibly concerning for both agriculture and for wildlife,” Moriarty said. “The impact of H5 worldwide on wild birds and poultry has been devastating. But NSW and the rest of the country have been preparing for this moment for many years.” The New South Wales government said last week it had surveillance in place for early detection following the arrival of deadly H5 bird flu in other parts of the country. Moriarty said NSW was working with the federal and other state and territory governments. A state coordination centre at the Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development in Orange was managing surveillance operations. She urged anyone who saw a sick or dead bird to contact the emergency hotline and report its location. “There are no other birds that have been found to be positive for H5 at the moment, but we are now increasing our surveillance,” she said. The minister said the government had trained more than 500 people in government and private veterinary services in surveillance for the disease. “So they’re checking this area of the state, around Hawks Nest and the mid-north coast and other high-risk parts of the state, looking for birds,” Moriarty said on Friday. “That includes fisheries officers, people in national parks, people in agriculture – looking for birds that might look ill, so that we can see if there are any more.” The NSW chief veterinary officer, Dr Jo Coombe, said “this is an isolated case at this stage”. “It doesn’t mean it’s going to be the last case, but at this point there is no evidence of spread to any wild birds,” she said. Coombe said symptoms of deadly H5 bird flu included lethargy, respiratory signs such as watery eyes or difficulty breathing, and paralysis or difficulty walking. She warned people to avoid contact with sick or dead birds and requested they record the location and report it to authorities. The Invasive Species Council renewed its call for an urgent $200m in federal funding for conservation measures to support the bird flu response by reducing other threats to wild species. “The best defence we have is to make Australia’s wildlife as resilient as possible before widespread outbreaks occur. That means rebuilding healthy populations that are better able to withstand disease and recover afterwards,” the council’s policy director, Carol Booth, said.

‘I have successfully defended my personal dignity’: woman wins rare MeToo court victory in China

A woman in China has won a rare legal victory in a workplace sexual harassment case. The woman, a former intern and employee at Beijing Grassland Alliance, an environmental NGO, was awarded 5,000 yuan (£554) in emotional damages, to be paid by her former manager, who the court ruled had sexually harassed her. The manager was also ordered to write an apology to her. The case is as a rare example of an employee winning a claim about sexual harassment in a country where the MeToo movement enraged millions of women, but was quickly snuffed out by the authorities. Discussion of sexual harassment briefly surged on social media but was then censored to prevent the conversation snowballing into a wider social movement, with the hashtag #MeToo blocked. The ruling was originally made in January and upheld on appeal last week. “I have successfully defended my personal dignity,” said the woman, who asked to be referred to by her nickname, Xiong, to protect her privacy. She said the result “exceeded her expectations”. Xiong joined the Beijing Grassland Alliance as an intern in early 2022 in Fujian, a province in south-east China where she was studying at the time. Soon after she started she said that her manager, a man ten years her senior, started sexually harassing her. His behaviour included joking about her bra size, holding her hand and sending her sexually suggestive text messages. In one message submitted as evidence, her manager said: “Don’t get caught up in romance and hang around with your girlfriend, think about me more”. In another, he said: “I have a special fondness for you”. Xiong detailed her experience in an essay published on WeChat last year, in which she said she did not immediately identify her manager’s jokes about her bra size as harassment. “I didn’t realise it was sexual harassment, the atmosphere was cheerful and my embarrassment and sense of weirdness seemed out of place,” Xiong wrote. Xiong said that when she tried to speak to people in her industry about the experience her concerns were brushed off. It was only after talking to DeepSeek, a Chinese AI chatbot, that she felt like her suffering was acknowledged, she said. She left the NGO in 2024 and last year filed a lawsuit against her former manager. Beijing Grassland Alliance did not respond to a request for comment and Xiong’s former manager could not be reached for comment. Only since 2021 have victims of sexual harassment had the right to sue perpetrators, including companies, for civil liability. But cases are extremely rare. A 2018 study found only 34 judicial decisions from 2010 to 2017 where workplace sexual harassment was the primary issue. The majority of those cases were brought by employees who had been fired after being accused of sexual harassment. May Lu, managing partner at Shanghai Yaowang law offices who specialises in employment issues, said that in recent years there were more cases of victims of sexual harassment filing lawsuits, thanks to the influence of the MeToo movement and the development of Chinese laws. “But overall, we could not say it is common to see such cases successfully filed,” Lu said. “One of the reasons is culturally it is difficult for females speak up about sexual harassment”. The global conversation about combatting sexual harassment, sparked by revelations about Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein in 2017 ignited heated discussion in China, with many women sharing their own experiences online. But many of these testimonies were censored by the authorities. In 2018, Zhou Xiaoxuan, a former intern at the state broadcaster CCTV accused a high-profile TV presenter, Zhu Jun, of forcibly kissing and groping her. The accusation went viral and Zhou, also known by her nickname Xianzi, became one of the most recognisable faces of China’s nascent MeToo movement. But she lost her legal case against Zhu on the grounds of insufficient evidence. Zhu, who denied the claims, also counter-sued Zhou for defamation, although this case was later dropped. In 2021, the professional tennis player Peng Shuai disappeared after she publicly accused the former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli of coercing her into sex. She later reappeared and said that there had been a “misunderstanding” about her social media post and that she had never made sexual assault allegations. Zhang did not comment publicly on the allegations. Xiong’s case succeeded in part because she was able to provide evidence from WeChat conversations between herself and colleagues at Beijing Grassland Alliance, including with her former manager. These included apologies from her former manager for making her feel uncomfortable. The manager argued at court that the apologies were an attempt to smooth over a professional relationship rather than an admission of guilt. The ruling also acknowledged power imbalances in the workplace . “As a team leader, an individual’s words and deeds have a far greater impact on employees than those of ordinary colleagues,” the judgement said. “Therefore, a leader should be more circumspect regarding the scale of their words and deeds, and fully respect the personal dignity of female employees.”

‘Give him any award, and he’ll come running’: Narendra Modi racks up honours on overseas trips

As Narendra Modi touched down in Seychelles over the weekend, the archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean swiftly bestowed one of its “highest” honours upon the Indian prime minister. Modi beamed as he accepted the Guardian of the Blue Horizon award from Patrick Herminie, the Seychelles president, complete with a trophy and certificate. Observers soon pointed out that several things appeared to be off about the award. The certificate misspelled “republic” as “repubblic”, and even “Seychelles” as “Seycheeles”. The award, it transpired, had only been created three days before Modi’s arrival and he was the first and only recipient. To add to the furore, when run through software, the certificate was widely flagged as AI-generated. The opposition Congress party were quick to jump on the controversy, claiming: “Give him [Modi] any award, and he’ll come running.” “They were in such a tearing hurry that they even got the official name of the Republic of Seychelles wrong,” the Congress politician Supriya Shrinate said on social media. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) hit back, saying it was a “proud moment for India” for him to receive the award for his “green leadership”. On Thursday, the Seychelles foreign ministry responded with a statement claiming that a “working draft” had accidentally been circulated and that an “authentic and duly approved” version had now been issued. “The Guardian of the Blue Horizon distinction is genuine,” added the foreign ministry. As critics have pointed out, Modi has shown a notable penchant for receiving awards, at home and abroad, over his 12 years in power. Last month, days before Modi’s visit to Israel, the Israeli parliament quickly created what it claimed to be one of the country’s highest honours, the medal of the Knesset, which was bestowed on Modi when he landed. Again, he is the only recipient to date. In 2019, Modi also became the first recipient of India’s Philip Kotler presidential award, given to the prime minister for his “outstanding leadership of the nation”. According to the government’s press release, the honour was to be bestowed annually to the leader of a nation. However, no other leader has since been given the award and its website lies dormant. It is privately acknowledged that accolades and awards have become an expectation during Modi’s foreign trips. Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, the author of a biography of Modi, said the global push for prizes was symptomatic of the prime minister’s personality-driven politics. “The intention behind collecting these awards – often bestowed in circumstances that raise eyebrows – is to convey to supporters and potential converts that Modi is being honoured across the world over because of his greatness and that India’s rising clout is because of Modi’s personality,” he said. In the past year Modi has also become the first foreign head of state to receive Ethiopia’s Great Honour Nishan and the order of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago. The BJP says the awards are a recognition of Modi’s international stature.

AFP assessing allegation of Gaza war crimes committed by Australian citizen serving in IDF

Australian federal police investigators are assessing a brief detailing alleged war crimes committed by an Australian citizen serving in the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza. A 61-page brief has been handed to the AFP by the Australian Centre for International Justice detailing alleged war crimes committed by an IDF battalion in Gaza across 2023 and 2024. The allegations include the deliberate targeting and destruction of residential buildings without military justification, a war crime under Australian law. The brief draws on witness testimony, forensic evidence from Gaza, verified satellite imagery and social media posts. It also cites information from reports from battalion soldiers, video evidence posted online from Gaza – including by the alleged Australian offender – and public statements from IDF commanders. The Australian national is named in the submission; it includes details of his service history in the IDF, his whereabouts and alleged actions during operations in 2023 and 2024, and public statements made by him during actions in Gaza. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email The ACIJ’s submission states: “The pattern of conduct of the Israeli military highlighted in this complaint establishes a prima facie case that the attacks against civilian property were widespread and systematic, perpetrated in a coordinated and organised manner.” The brief focuses on the destruction of a residential building in a suburb of Gaza. The building was taken over by the IDF and used as an operations base, before it was laced with explosives and destroyed. The brief details the demolition of the building by the battalion towards the end of its deployment, as well as evidence they claim places the alleged Australian perpetrator at and near the building at the time of its destruction. The AFP’s commander of special investigations, Matthew Gale, said his office had received the ACIJ’s brief. “Noting my command’s responsibility for the investigation of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide I appreciate the time taken in bringing this matter to our attention,” Gale wrote. “Your letter has been referred to investigators, who will review the material and issues raised.” In internal government documents circulated between the AFP and the attorney general’s department in 2025 – released this year under freedom of information laws – federal police said they were aware of the allegations made against Australians serving in the IDF. “The AFP is aware of allegations of the commission of war crimes by Australian citizens,” a briefing note prepared before Senate estimates says. “The AFP works closely with foreign law enforcement agencies and international bodies to support investigations into allegations of Commonwealth offences occurring in foreign jurisdictions.” The ACIJ brief submitted to the AFP alleges three breaches of the commonwealth criminal code: that the Australian citizen, serving in the IDF, engaged in “conduct constituting the war crime of destruction and appropriation of property … [and] an attack against a civilian object”, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. The brief also alleges a crime against humanity of an “inhumane act”, “committed intentionally … as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against a civilian population”. That offence carries a potential prison sentence of 25 years. “It is submitted that the alleged perpetrator … both appropriated and destroyed the concerned civilian property,” the submission states, arguing that the company held collective responsibility for its actions. The submission argues the appropriation of the building and its ultimate destruction had no military imperative or operational necessity but rather was “undertaken unlawfully and wantonly”. It states the context of widespread demolition of homes in Gaza – the UN estimates 92% of residential buildings in the Strip have been damaged or destroyed – is indicative of a deliberate, reckless destruction. “The evidence indicates large-scale destruction of civilian property carried out deliberately … after effective control had been established, potentially for reasons of convenience, reprisal, or punishment.” A UN commission of inquiry found “Israeli forces have systematically destroyed civilian objects across Gaza”, with the IDF “de facto awarding itself blanket permission to target civilian locations widely in the Gaza Strip”. The federal government has been shown estimates that up to 1,000 Australian citizens may have served in the IDF since the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas. It is not illegal for an Australian citizen to fight for a foreign military. It is, however, illegal to fight for a foreign non-state actor. Hamas is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the Australian government: fighting for Hamas is a criminal offence under Australian law. The federal government has confirmed at least three Australian citizens have been intercepted at the border, believed to have been travelling overseas to serve with the IDF. It is understood those citizens were not stopped from leaving Australia but were subject to more detailed questioning about their travel plans during immigration screening. The Australian federal police declined to answer specific questions on its investigation, including whether it had spoken to the Australian citizen alleged to have committed the offences. A spokesperson told the Guardian: “It is an offence for Australians to engage in hostile activities overseas, unless serving in or with the armed forces of a foreign country. This discourages Australians from fighting in overseas conflicts and endangering their lives and the lives of others.” The spokesperson said the AFP advises to ensure their conduct does not constitute a criminal offence but said “the AFP does not proactively monitor Australian citizens who lawfully serve with a foreign military service”. Israeli authorities have issued guidelines to IDF soldiers on how to evade arrest overseas and to mask their identities while on deployment. The IDF’s Military Advocate General’s Corps has also established an office to provide legal support to soldiers who are interrogated or detained abroad. Officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade were questioned on Australians serving in the Israeli military in the latest round of Senate estimates. “The government’s position, in terms of Australian citizens with the Israeli defence force, is that the government encourages all Australians who seek to serve with the armed forces of a foreign country to carefully consider their legal obligations and ensure that their conduct does not constitute a criminal offence,” the acting deputy secretary, Dr Fiona Webster, told estimates. The ACIJ is an independent legal centre that works to develop Australia’s capacity to investigate and prosecute international crimes. It is involved in a major federal court challenge supporting Palestinian groups seeking to compel the Australian defence minister to release documents regarding arms export permits to Israel. The Guardian has put questions to the IDF and the Israeli embassy in Canberra.

Man accused of ordering Daphne Caruana Galizia murder paid hitmen’s legal fees, court hears

A businessman accused of commissioning the murder of the Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia spent more than €400,000 (£343,000) on legal fees for the hitmen convicted of her killing, prosecutors claim. Yorgen Fenech, the 44-year-old heir to one of Malta’s largest fortunes, arrived in court for the second day of his trial on Thursday in an unmarked armoured police vehicle. He is on house arrest having pledged a record bail estimated at €50m. Caruana Galizia, an investigative journalist who had exposed corruption at the highest levels, was killed in a car bombing in October 2017. Three men have been convicted for planting a bomb under the seat of her car, in what prosecutors allege was a contract killing initiated and paid for by Fenech. In a day-long opening statement setting out the case against the businessman, the lead prosecutor described how a taxi driver called Melvin Theuma had transferred money to the bombers on Fenech’s behalf. The hitmen, brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio, are alleged to have received €150,000 to carry out the bombing, a further €5,000 in expenses after the event, and an even larger sum after being arrested. They are serving 40 years for voluntary homicide after pleading guilty. Addressing the jury in the courts of justice in Valletta, the prosecutor, Anthony Vella, said: “The accused also financed the legal defence of Alfred and George Degiorgio, through their brother, Mario. Theuma gave him over €400,000 and the police will provide testimony on that.” The Degiorgios were arrested in December 2017. Their legal bills were paid in the months that followed, the jury heard. Caruana Galizia was one of Malta’s best-known journalists, but attacks from the ruling party had made her a target, and public opinion about her legacy remains divided. Addressing the jury, Vella urged them to think of her humanity when making their deliberations. “Daphne Caruana Galizia was a very active journalist with a strong public profile and many investigations ongoing. They used to describe her as a witch, or ‘just a blogger’. “You may agree with what she wrote or not. That is not what matters here. She was a citizen like us, killed because of her work. What matters is that she was a mother, a person, a daughter, a wife, a sister. Daphne never saw her children’s children being born. These crimes cause irreparable harm. A person of flesh and blood, with her aspirations and her dignity. That is what concerns us here.” Caruana Galizia is survived by her three sons. Two are due to give testimony at the Fenech trial. Vella said the jury would also hear testimony from a neighbour who was driving in the opposite direction when the journalist’s car exploded. “A witness was passing by on the opposite lane. He saw her vehicle explode a few metres away from him. He heard a loud scream. The violent and barbaric way they killed her. In the last seconds of her life she realised that her life was over.” He said the hitmen, wanting to be sure Caruana Galizia would die, had attached a container of petrol to the bomb. Fenech, who is on trial for complicity in the voluntary homicide of Caruana Galizia, denies the charges. The trial continues.

Tell us about a local animal celebrity in your area

Wildlife officials have warned people to give Neil the seal space during his visit to Tasmania, where he has been crushing fences, blocking traffic and bashing into parked cars, in what experts say is play-fighting behaviour. Neil, a 1,000kg southern elephant seal, was born – unusually – in Tasmania in October 2020. Most of his kind live thousands of kilometres south on the subantarctic Macquarie and Heard islands. “[H]e’s certainly been a bit of a celebrity, and he continues to earn his status,” said Rod Macdonald, the mayor of Tasman council, which covers the area where Neil was born. With this in mind, we would like to hear about animals that have attained star status elsewhere. Do you have a local animal celebrity where you live? Tell us all about them below. If you’re having trouble using the form click here. Read terms of service here and privacy policy here.