More than $3.5m is earmarked for wastewater upgrades across the district.

A rescue team released a humpback whale that had been stranded in shallow waters near Germany since March from a barge in the North Sea witnesses said.

Nicknamed Timmy by German media, the whale was spotted swimming near Germany’s Baltic Sea coast on March 3, far from its natural habitat in the Atlantic Ocean.

The mammal’s health deteriorated as it became repeatedly stranded in shallow waters near the coastal city of Wismar, and unsuccessful efforts to coax it toward deeper seas were livestreamed across the globe.

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The environment minister for Germany’s Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state gave the green light for the attempt to save the whale, proposed by a private initiative, despite some warnings from the scientific community that it may be too much for the animal.

Jens Schwarck, a member of the private initiative who was on site, said the whale was released about 9am local time on Saturday, according to the German news agency dpa.

The agency reported that the whale was released 70 kilometres from the coast of Skagen, Denmark.

Drone footage showed a whale swimming and spouting water near the barge, though it was not immediately confirmed that the animal was indeed Timmy.

A debate emerged about whether to let the whale die in peace or try to assist its return to the Atlantic Ocean.

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Activists staged protests on the beach in Wismar calling for its liberation, while others have supported new ideas about how the whale could be transported.

Some scientists believe the whale had searched for shallow waters because it was weak and needed rest.

The veterinarians of the private initiative, however, considered the animal fit for transport.

Before the release, a GPS transmitter was reportedly attached to track the whale’s future location, according to dpa.

It is not clear why the whale swam into the Baltic Sea, far from its natural habitat in the Atlantic Ocean.

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Some experts say the animal may have lost its way while swimming after a shoal of herring or during migration.

Since then, the mammal became repeatedly stranded in shallow waters.

It was in clear distress, breathing irregularly and often barely moving for days.

Timmy also suffered from a bad skin condition, related to the Baltic Sea’s low salt content, and rescuers applied kilos of zinc ointment.

Local media produced days long livestreams to feed the outsized public attention over the fate of the whale.

Online newspapers blasted push alerts with the smallest developments about Timmy’s health.

President Donald Trump said he was reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the war.

"I'll let you know about it later," he said before boarding Air Force One, adding that "they're going to give me the exact wording now".

However, moments later, he elaborated on Truth Social, claiming "[I] can't imagine that it would be acceptable."

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"They have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years," Trump said in the post.

Two semi-official Iranian outlets, Tasnim and Fars, believed to be close to Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said Iran has sent a 14-point proposal via Pakistan in response to a nine-point US proposal.

Trump rejected a previous Iranian proposal this week. However, conversations have continued, and the three-week ceasefire appears to be holding.

The president has also floated a new plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, where about a fifth of the world's trade in oil and natural gas typically passes.

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The president also pushed back on remarks he made yesterday, when he said, "Frankly, maybe we're better off not making a deal at all. Do you want to know the truth? Because we can't let this thing go on."

"I didn't say that," Trump said today.

"I said that if we left right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild. But we're not leaving right now," he told reporters before departing from Palm Beach to Miami.

At the same impromptu press gathering, Trump also said troop withdrawals from Germany would exceed the 5000 predicted by the Pentagon yesterday.

"We're going to cut way down. And we're cutting a lot further than 5000," he said, refusing to elaborate on why the call had been made.

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The moves after German Chancellor Freiderich Merz claimed the US was being "humiliated" in the Iran war.

The proposal has been met with bipartisan condemnation, with some Republicans joining Democrats in voicing their disapproval.

Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Representative Mike Rogers of Alabama said the decision risked "undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal to Vladimir Putin."

Wicker and Rogers said any significant change to the US force posture in Europe warrants review and coordination with Congress.

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"We expect the Department to engage with its oversight committees in the days and weeks ahead on this decision and its implications for US deterrence and trans-Atlantic security," they said in a joint statement.

However, Germany seemed to take the move somewhat in their stride, with Boris Pistorius, defence minister, saying it was "expected."

"The presence of American soldiers in Europe, and especially in Germany, is in our interest and in the interest of the US," Pistorius told the German news agency dpa, while also saying it was a sign Europe needed to take more responsibility for their own defence.

Congress bypassed as billions in arms sales approved

While Trump reviews the proposal, he has also allowed the State Department to bypass congressional approval to sell billions in arms to several Middle Eastern allies, including Israel.

In several announcements made yesterday, the State Department said it had approved military sales to Israel, Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait totalling US$8.6 billion ($12 billion).

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"The Secretary of State [Marco Rubio] has determined and provided detailed justification that an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale… of the above defence articles and defence services is in the national security interests of the United States," the statements read, adding that this meant the need for congressional approval was waived.

Israel received the Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System and "other related equipment", which will net the US about $1.4 billion.

The UAE and Qatar also received this system, while the latter will have its Patriot air and missile defence stocks replenished.

This will cost around $5.6 billion alone.

"There will be no adverse impact on US defence readiness as a result of this proposed sale," the State Department claims.

Reported with Associated Press and CNN.

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Scores of passengers are stranded and thousands of workers have been stood down after American low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines shut down.

The budget airline announced it would start an "orderly wind-down of operations, effective immediately" on May 2 after 34 years in the business.

"All Spirit flights have been cancelled and Spirit guests should not go to the airport," the airline said in a statement.

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Passengers arrived at airports across the US this morning to empty check-in desks and signs informing them all flights had been cancelled and customer service was no longer available.

Spirit cited the rising cost of jet fuel, which has more than doubled since the war in the Middle East broke out in February, alongside "other pressures on the business" for the closure, which will leave 17,000 employees without a job.

"In March 2026, we reached an agreement with our bondholders on a restructuring plan that would have allowed us to emerge as a go-forward business," Spirit President and Chief Executive Officer Dave Davis said.

"However, the sudden and sustained rise in fuel prices in recent weeks ultimately has left us with no alternative but to pursue an orderly wind-down of the Company."

Sustaining the business would have required hundreds of millions of dollars the airline "simply does not have and could not procure," Davis said.

"This is tremendously disappointing and not the outcome any of us wanted," he said.

Spirit's bankruptcy has sparked concerns other low-cost carriers could be next.

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But the airline faced significant challenges before the conflict broke out, including large debt, two bankruptcies within a year and a failed government bailout bid just weeks ago.

After failing to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline filed for bankruptcy in November 2024, having haemorrhaged more than US$2.5 billion ($3.5 billion) since the start of 2020.

Spirit sought bankruptcy protection for the second time in August 2025, reporting $11.2 billion in debts and $11.9 billion in assets.

A major restructure followed, which sought to cut flights and operational costs by furloughing and downgrading pilots and flight attendants.

Spirit told creditors the restructure would allow them to post a net $304 million profit by 2027.

But just six months later, on April 18, the airline asked the US government for an emergency bailout.

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Bail-out negotiations with the Trump Administration, reported to be worth $500 million, collapsed in recent days, sparking the airline's collapse today.

The airline serviced destinations across the US, Central America, the Caribbean and South America.

Around 9000 flights were scheduled until the end of May, according to Cirium analytics, potentially impacting millions of passengers across the month.

Refunds will be processed for impacted customers who booked directly with the airline, Spirit said, while passengers with third-party bookings should contact their travel agent.

"Compensation for Guests who booked flights using any other methods, including a voucher, credit or Free Spirit points, will be determined at a later date," Spirit said.

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Act releases a six-point plan it will campaign on in the lead-up to November’s vote.

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this story contains the image of a person who is deceased.

Jefferson Lewis has been charged with one count of murder after the death of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby.

The girl was last seen by her family just before 11pm on Saturday April 25, when she was put to bed at a house at Old Timers Camp just south of Alice Springs, and was last seen allegedly holding hands with Lewis walking away from camp.

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Her body was discovered near the camp on Thursday after a five-day search.

Hours later, a man identified by police as 47-year-old Jefferson Lewis was arrested and taken to hospital after he was allegedly beaten by vigilantes before his arrest.

Northern Territory Police Commissioner Martin Dole announced the charge this morning.

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"This remains a deeply distressing matter, and our thoughts are firmly with Kumanjayi's family and loved ones," he said.

"This outcome follows an extensive and complex investigation by the Northern Territory police, and I just want to thank all of the members involved for their professionalism and dedication in reaching this outcome."

He called for the legal process and the privacy of Kumanjayi Little Baby's family to be respected.

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The family had previously released a statement calling for calm in the local community, after the discovery of Kumanjayi Little Baby's body sparked unrest in Alice Springs.

A large crowd assembled outside of Alice Springs Hospital on Thursday, with a car allegedly being set on fire, as well as reports of paramedics and police being allegedly assaulted.

Northern Territory Police this morning announced five people had been arrested after alleged riotous behaviour on Thursday, where a service station and supermarket were ransacked.

A statement claimed there was significant damages to both, and that around $105,000 worth of goods were stolen, and $80,000 in damages was caused.

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"Following a review into CCTV and media outlet footage, five people aged 18, 26, 34, 46 and 49 have all been arrested and remain in custody," the statement said.

Dole said the footage was "abhorrent".

"What you will see in this footage is not people processing grief in relation to the death of Baby Kumanjayi, what you will see is not people trying to practice traditional lore," he said.

"What you will see is criminal behaviour, plain and simple."

Lewis has been remanded in custody, and is expected to appear in Darwin Local Court on Tuesday.

For 24/7 crisis support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).

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