AAP Rolling News Bulletin for May 21 at 2200
Mideast (JERUSALEM)
Gaza flotilla activists who were detained by Israel and later pinned to the ground to the taunts of Israel's far-right police minister have been released from prison and will be deported to Turkey.
The activists, including 11 Australians, were arrested at a port in southern Israel after the Israeli navy intercepted their protest flotilla in international waters.
Their treatment by police officers under Itamar Ben-Gvir's direction drew an international outcry and a rebuke from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Ben-Gvir and at least one other minister in Netanyahu's government, transport chief Miri Regev, posted campaign-style videos of themselves visiting the port and lambasting the protesters, attention-grabbing antics before potential early elections in Israel.
Flotilla organisers say they aim to break Israel's blockade of Gaza by delivering humanitarian assistance, something aid bodies say is still in short supply despite a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in place since October 2025 that includes guarantees of increased aid.
Ukraine (KYIV)
Ukrainian drones have smashed into another Russian refinery, starting a fire that produced huge clouds of black smoke, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says, in what appears to be the latest long-range attack on Moscow's vital oil industry.
The drones targeted the Syzran oil refinery, more than 800km inside Russia, Zelenskiy said on social media, where he posted a video of the aftermath.
The governor of Russia's Samara region, Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, said two people were killed by Ukrainian drones in Syzran but he did not mention the refinery.
Russia's Astra news outlet said Ukrainian drones struck the Syzran refinery owned by oil and gas giant Rosneft.
Ukraine has expanded its mid- and long-range strike capabilities, deploying eye-catching drone and missile technology that it has developed domestically as it battles to defeat Russia's four-year-old invasion.
UK Andrew (LONDON)
Documents show Queen Elizabeth II was "very keen" that the former Prince Andrew be given the job of UK trade envoy.
The UK government on Thursday released the confidential papers related to Andrew's appointment, just months after MPs accused the King's brother of putting his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein ahead of the nation.
"The Queen is very keen that the Duke of York should take on a prominent role in the promotion of national interests," the head of Britain's trade body wrote in a letter.
Another document, a government memo sent to UK trade staff around the world, said "HRH's high public profile" would require "careful and sometimes strict media management", in a reference to Andrew.
The involvement of the late queen will confirm previously held beliefs that the monarch held a soft spot for her son - an empathy that might have influenced her lack of decisiveness in dealing with allegations of Andrew's connection to Epstein.
Legal: Plane Boy (MELBOURNE)
A teen accused of trying to hijack a commercial plane ate Hungry Jacks, drew up a bomb plan and noted down a reminder to check his weapons before sneaking onto the aircraft.
The fresh allegations came in court documents released by a children's court on Thursday, a day after the now-19-year-old opposed an application to have his case heard in a higher court.
It's alleged the teen, dressed in high-vis clothing and carrying a tool box, sneaked his way onto the Jetstar flight at Avalon Airport in Melbourne's southwest shortly before 3pm on March 6, 2025.
The teen, who appeared sweaty and clammy, told cabin crew staff he had bombs in his bags and he needed to go into the cockpit, the documents said.
Budget (CANBERRA)
Former prime minister Paul Keating is facing criticism from female business founders, who claim his support for a controversial tax overhaul is "dismissive and out of touch".
The federal government is coming under sustained pressure from startups and small businesses over its decision to remove the 50 per cent discount on capital gains tax and replace it with an inflation-adjusted scheme.
Mr Keating, who introduced capital gains tax as treasurer, said the campaign against the changes amounted to "howls for continuing preference".
"A couple of smarties, John Howard and Peter Costello, thought they could do their used-car selling and dodgy accounting mates a favour by jacking a 50 per cent discount onto the taxation of capital profits," the Labor elder statesman said in a statement.
Legal: Stevens (MELBOURNE)
A couple's marriage disintegrated after an empty hole was left in their backyard by a former AFL player-turned-fraudster.
Ex-Carlton and Port Adelaide footballer Nick Stevens, 46, faced a pre-sentence hearing at Melbourne's County Court on Thursday where his victims aired the impact of his crimes.
A jury found him found guilty of 12 charges of obtaining a financial advantage by deception and one of using a false document, for stealing about $157,000 from six regional families with his pool business in 2017.
While he installed six legally compliant pools under the supervision of a registered builder, Stevens went out on his own without the required licence, registration, permits or insurance.
Stevens had taken money from the families, but left them with non-compliant pools or failed to install a pool at all with giant holes left behind.
Economy (CANBERRA)
Australia's unemployment rate has jumped to 4.5 per cent, surprising economists and adding to the case for the Reserve Bank to keep interest rates on hold.
About 19,000 jobs dropped out of the economy in April, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported on Thursday.
Economists had expected the unemployment rate to hold at 4.3 per cent and an extra 15,000 jobs added to the economy in the month.
The number of unemployed people rose by 33,000, ABS head of labour statistics Sean Crick said.
"Compared to what we usually see in April, more people remained unemployed this month," he said
Ahead of the release, IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said a resilient result in line with expectations would support the case for more Reserve Bank rate hikes, while an uptick in unemployment would see the rates market dial back expectations.
Iran (DUBAI)
President Donald Trump says the United States is ready to proceed with further attacks on Tehran if Iran does not agree to a peace deal, but suggests Washington could wait a few days to "get the right answers".
Speaking to reporters, Trump said the situation was "right on the borderline" and could escalate quickly.
Six weeks after he paused Operation Epic Fury for a ceasefire, talks to end the war have shown little progress, while soaring petrol prices have weighed on the president's approval ratings.
"Believe me, if we don't get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We're all ready to go," he said at Joint Base Andrews near Washington DC.
Asked how long he would wait, Trump said, "It could be a few days, but it could go very quickly."
In finance ...
Housing (CANBERRA)
The budget's tax whack on property investors will accelerate a housing slowdown caused by interest rate hikes, potentially causing the biggest downturn in more than 40 years.
Home price growth was already slowing nationwide, with outright falls in Sydney and Melbourne, following three straight Reserve Bank rate rises.
But the changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions in the federal budget could cause housing prices to fall by up to 10 per cent, Morgan Stanley analysts said in a research note on Thursday.
By lowering expected returns and constraining borrowing capacity for prospective landlords, the budget fundamentally altered the mathematics for new investors in established housing, who make up a third of marginal demand, they wrote.
Even though the fall in investor demand will be partly offset by growth in owner-occupier activity, Morgan Stanley sees a five to 10 per cent drop in national prices as likely, "taking into account the soft starting point for housing with RBA rate hikes".
Markets Aust (SYDNEY)
Australia's share market has bounced from a seven-week low on hopes of a deal between Iran and the United States, after President Donald Trump said negotiations were in the final stages.
The S&P/ASX200 jumped 138 points by midday on Thursday, to be up 1.62 per cent at 8,634.6, as the broader All Ordinaries gained 140.1 points, or 1.61 per cent, to 8,857.1.
"The story itself looked a bit like a rinse-and-repeat job: a reassurance by US President Donald Trump – the cynics would say in a bid to jawbone oil and equity prices – that the US and Iran are in the 'final stages' of negotiations," Capital.com senior market analyst Kyle Rodda said.
A higher-than-expected April unemployment rate of 4.5 per cent gave the local indices an extra boost, because the outcome improves the odds the Reserve Bank will hold the cash rate steady in June, rather than hike for a fourth straight time.
In entertainment ...
Willis (LONDON)
Rumer Willis says her father Bruce Willis has developed a "sweetness" amid his battle with dementia.
The Die Hard actor was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023 following an earlier aphasia diagnosis in 2022.
And his eldest daughter with ex-wife Demi Moore has seen her father go from the "macho" man seen in Hollywood to a much gentler person.
Speaking on The Inside Edit podcast, she said: "I'm so grateful I get to go see him.
"Even though it's different now, I'm so grateful."
Rumer said: "There's a sweetness. He's always been this kind of macho dude and there's like a - fragile is not the right word but - just a tenderness that maybe being Bruce Willis might not have allowed him in a certain way."
Vinyl (MELBOURNE)
Music lovers can drop the needle on a new exhibition that celebrates the rich culture of vinyl records.
The Vinyl Factory: Reverb opens at ACMI, Australia's museum of screen culture, in Melbourne on Friday in an early taste of the city's annual RISING arts festival.
The show was originally staged at London's 180 Studios in 2024, with films and installations exploring the influence of vinyl on art, fashion and society.
Music firm The Vinyl Factory acquired the EMI Records facility about 25 years ago and now runs the only large-scale record pressing plant in the UK.
Its vinyl is created on the original machines that first pressed albums by The Beatles, Pink Floyd and the Sex Pistols.
The label has so far released about 500 records by musicians such as Daft Punk, Massive Attack, Pet Shop Boys and Thom Yorke.
In sport ...
AFL Dockers (MELBOURNE)
St Kilda boom recruit Tom De Koning is feeling happy, confident and perfectly placed for a crucial blockbuster ruck duel with Fremantle's superstar big man Luke Jackson.
The 26-year-old has been growing into his partnership with Saints mainstay Rowan Marshall and developed a terrific understanding with young midfielders Hugo Garcia and Max Hall.
Given his jump and athleticism, De Koning appears the perfect big man to go with Dockers 'unicorn' Jackson, 24, on Friday night at Optus Stadium.
"It's good. We've had a few good match-ups in the past, and he's absolutely dominating, so it'll be a bit of a challenge for us," De Koning told AAP after St Kilda's win over Richmond.
"But we'll make sure we come up with a good plan.
Ath Oceania (DARWIN)
Aidan Murphy is refusing to put a ceiling on what he and his red-hot Australian sprint teammates can achieve in 2026 and beyond after completing a rare 200m-400m double at the Oceania championships in Darwin.
Murphy, 22, powered to victory in the 200m final on Friday in 20.05 seconds - his second-fastest ever time for the half-lap race.
It came only two days after he gave the 38-year-old Australian record an almighty scare in the 400m final.
"We're always going to be under a lot of pressure here in Australia, but I just want to show now that we can perform under pressure," said Murphy.
"We're only at the start of a really long road to (200m) international dominance. I think we can seriously make some finals.
Ends Bulletin
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