OPINION: Te Pāti Māori will want to draw a line under the tension that has consumed it.

The Chelsea Women will play an Auckland FC Women’s Invitational XI in August at Eden Park.

It cost Australian taxpayers $400 million to build at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, can house up to 500 people at a time and has scarcely been used in the four years since it was completed.

Considered one of the greatest white elephant projects in Western Australian history, the Bullsbrook Centre for National Resilience on the outskirts of Perth will finally be used for its intended purpose: quarantining returning Australians who may have been exposed to a deadly virus.

Six passengers who were on board a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship in the Pacific are currently making the long journey back to Australia under strict health protocols.

READ MORE: Aussies evacuated from hantavirus ship touch down in the Netherlands

Seven cases of hantavirus linked to the MV Hondius have been confirmed, with two others suspected.

Three people have died.

Four Australian citizens, one permanent resident and one New Zealander who were among the last to make it off the cruise liner landed in the Netherlands in the early hours of this morning.

They are expected to board a flight bound for the RAAF Base Pearce near Perth in the next 48 hours.

From there, they will be taken directly to the Bullsbrook Centre for National Resilience, where they will remain in quarantine for at least three weeks.

Here's a look inside the shuttered facility, and just what the stranded cruisers can expect during their stay.

A COVD-era quarantine project

The Bullsbrook centre was commissioned by the federal government in mid-2021, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was one of three such facilities designed to accommodate returning Australians, with a similar 500-bed centre built in Pinkenba, Brisbane, and a larger 1000-bed centre in Mickleham, Melbourne.

READ MORE: Evacuated American cruise ship passenger tests positive to hantavirus

But by the time the 500-bed Bullsbrook facility was completed and handed over to the WA Government in October 2022, mandatory quarantining of COVID-19-exposed travellers had already been abolished.

Despite this, then-premier Mark McGowan remained adamant that the centre would be put to use in some capacity.

It did briefly house bushfire evacuees in 2023 but has lain dormant since and was handed back to the federal government's Department of Finance.

'State-of-the-art' accommodation lying dormant

Heralded by the federal government at the time as "state-of-the-art" accommodation, the facility was built with quarantine requirements in mind.

The neat rows of terraced apartments all feature separate open-air entrances and staircases to allow for safe movement and food deliveries without the risk of cross-contamination.

The apartments are fitted with customised ventilation systems to prevent the spread of infection and feature easy-to-disinfect surfaces and furnishings.

Built with long-term residence in mind, the apartments all come with their own bathrooms and kitchenettes.

However, the centre is set up to provide centralised food and laundry services.

There's also room for health services on site.

Despite a critical shortage of low-income housing in Perth, both state and federal governments have struggled to re-purpose the accommodation.

In early 2023, there was a proposal for it to be used as accommodation for regional and international students struggling to find housing in Perth's tight rental market.

READ MORE: 'Highly-skilled' Aussie soldier who died during parachute training named

However, the centre was deemed unsuitable due to the lack of surrounding infrastructure and distance from the University of WA – around 50 kilometres.

Later that same year, there was speculation that the Department of Defence might take over the site, but in the end it fell into the hands of the finance department.

There have been repeated calls for the centre to be used to help house Perth's homeless, but these have also failed, seemingly due to similar misgivings about the lack of surrounding infrastructure.

The six cruise ship passengers are expected to remain at the centre under newly updated health orders for at least three weeks, although that period may be extended.

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

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has broken down in tears in parliament, calling on the government to respond to the challenges facing vulnerable Indigenous children.

During a Senate condolence motion on Tuesday, she spoke about the tragic death of her five-year-old niece, Kumanjayi Little Baby, in Alice Springs.

"I don't want to be here right now, to have to stand in this chamber, to deliver a condolence speech for a little girl in my family," she said.

Watch the video above.

READ MORE: NT government orders independent child protection review

"She was loved. She should still be here."

The Northern Territory senator said her five-year-old niece's death had devastated her family, but the circumstances surrounding the tragedy were familiar to many people in Central Australia.

"And the hardest truth is that for many in my hometown, none of this came as a surprise. But the truth is that people do not want to speak this out loud," Senator Price told the chamber.

In her address, she said governments and institutions avoid difficult conversations about violence, neglect and alcohol abuse in town camps and remote communities.

"For too long in this country, there has been silence around what is happening in too many town camps and remote communities – a silence driven by fear, a fear of causing offence, a fear of being labelled racist," she said.

"Vulnerable children are growing up in that silence, and it is killing our babies."

READ MORE: Mourners gather to honour the life of Kumanjayi Little Baby

Senator Price also levelled criticism at what she described as a "hands-off culture" inside parts of the child protection system, claiming ideology and political sensitivities had been prioritised ahead of child welfare.

"My niece was a little Australian girl, yet there is an ideology in this country that has deliberately encouraged people to treat children like her differently because of her racial heritage," she said.

"It's that same ideology that has created a hands-off culture within parts of a child protection system."

Her speech came as the Northern Territory government announced an independent review into the territory's child protection system in response to the five-year-old's alleged murder.

Robyn Cahill said the review would examine the system "from top to bottom", including legislation, staffing, resources and workplace culture.

"Every Territory child deserves to be safe, that is not negotiable," Cahill said.

"We need to get to the bottom of what's broken and what needs to change."

The review's full terms of reference are due to be released next week.

The government has also confirmed three child protection workers have been stood down while investigators examine the events leading up to the discovery of Kumanjayi Little Baby's body.

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

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Donald Trump has described the White House as "s—" during a speech outside the presidential residence today.

The president complained about the iconic building while speaking at a Rose Garden dinner event in honour of Police Week.

His speech immediately began with talking about the state of the White House.

READ MORE: Trump's company loses half a billion dollars in three months

"I want to welcome you to the Rose Garden. You know, this is a whole new thing. This used to be grass," he said.

"And took a little heat from my wife. She said, 'Darling, what did you do with my grass?

"I said 'People got tired and standing in mud.'"

Twenty minutes in, his speech became profane.

"I was told by my wife, 'you have to act presidential, so don't use foul language'," Trump said.

"I won't. Therefore, normally I would have said it was a s— house, but I don't want to say that."

He started to detail his grievances with the building.

"The columns were falling down, the plaster was falling off," he said.

"This place is tippy top now, including all the brand new beautiful stone."

READ MORE: Trump celebrates decision that could secure his party's re-election

He then began to describe his proposed ballroom, before repeating the false claim that a Democratic Congresswoman married her brother.

Trump also dedicated a substantial part of his speech to his renovations of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

The pool has been drained to be repainted blue at Trump's request.

The New York Times reported today that the administration would pay $18 million for the project, far more than the $2.5 million Trump claimed it would cost.

The government awarded the renovators with a no-bid contract last month after claiming the need for repairs was so urgent.

READ MORE: Americans asked if they could beat Donald Trump in a fight

Yesterday a lawsuit was filed by a Washington non-profit to prevent the pool from being repainted blue.

"The Reflecting Pool's profound reflective quality—achieved through deliberate design choices, including the dark color of its basin—creates the sweeping mirror image of the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument that millions of visitors experience every year," the lawsuit states.

"The dark grey, achromatic basin was not incidental to the design. It was the design."

The group argued the administration had not taken into consideration a law that prevents the alteration of historic landmarks without proper scrutiny.

READ MORE: White House furiously denies that Trump fell asleep in meeting

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The Australian soldier who died following a collision during a parachuting training course on NSW's South Coast has been identified and is being remembered for his "genuine and deep commitment to serving the nation".

The Australian Defence Force confirmed that a 50-year-old soldier from the Special Operations Command died during a parachuting course at the Jervis Bay Airfield at about 5.40pm yesterday.

He has been identified as Warrant Officer Class Two Lachlan Muddle from the Special Air Service Regiment.

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Special Operations Commander Major General Garth Gould said Muddle was partaking in a "specialist parachute training activity" that was being held at the ADF parachute school before he collided with another paratrooper mid-air.

"After successfully opening their parachutes, what we know of the incidents suggests that both paratroopers collided several hundred feet above the ground whilst they were manoeuvring towards the drop zone," Gould said.

"After the collision, both soldiers fell from height."

He said the sergeant from the ADF parachute school who collided with Muddle survived the fall with minor injuries and was the first person to provide first aid to Muddle following the incident.

"Both paratroopers were highly skilled, between the two of them, they had several thousand jumps to their credit.

"[Muddle] joined the army in 1994, he joined Special Operations Command in 2007 and served the majority of his time in Special Operations Command in the Special Air Service Regiment."

"He was operationally experienced, he was a highly qualified Special Forces sniper and military free-fall parachutist."

BUDGET LIVE UPDATES: Negative gearing changes expected within hours

Gould added that the 50-year-old was "highly-regarded" within the Defence Force community.

"He will be remembered for his sense of humour and his genuine and deep commitment to serving the nation, serving in the army and serving in the Special Air Regiment."

Following the incident, the ADF has paused all personnel parachuting operations pending an investigation.

"Our priority at the moment is supporting Warrant Officer Muddle's family, and also providing support to the ADF members involved in the incident last night," Gould said.

Gould said that the "senior soldiers" were about four weeks into a six-week block of "advanced military free-fall training".

READ MORE: Man set alight at Wollongong unit complex as police hunt attacker

"We request that the privacy of Defence members and families is respected at this time," the Australian Defence Force said in a statement.

The death comes after other training incidents in recent years.

Lance Corporal Tulsa Rumney of the 3rd Brigade died in a single-vehicle rollover at the Townsville Field Training Area on October 15, 2025.

Two years ago, in 2024, Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon died after being injured in a parachuting incident at Sydney's Richmond RAAF base.

Gould said he expressed a "high degree of confidence" in the ADF's training, with the Special Operations Commander saying major changes were implemented following the incidents.

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Special Operations

A 25-year-old man is in hospital after he was set on fire at an apartment complex in Wollongong overnight.

Emergency services were called to a unit on Todd Street at Warrawong about 9pm on Monday following reports that a man had suffered serious burns.

It's understood the man was found with severe burns to his face, chest, neck and arms.

READ MORE: Soldier dies completing parachuting training course in Jervis Bay

Paramedics, a medical helicopter crew and nearby residents treated him at the scene before he was flown to Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical condition.

Hospital staff confirmed on Tuesday morning that he was in a serious but stable condition.

Police were told the man had been set alight by another person, who fled before officers arrived.

A crime scene has since been established, and detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Investigators are appealing for public assistance and have urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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The White House has responded angrily to suggestions that Donald Trump had fallen asleep in an Oval Office meeting.

At an event promoting maternal health and fertility, the president's eyes appeared to become heavy.

As administration officials standing behind him were speaking, the president closed his eyes for an extended period of time.

READ MORE: Americans asked if they could beat Donald Trump in a fight

But when a Reuters journalist posted a photograph of Trump with his eyes closed, the White House lashed out.

"He was blinking, you absolute moron," the White House's X account Rapid Response 47 replied.

The reporter's post had made no mention of Trump being asleep, simply captioning it: "US President Donald Trump attends a maternal health event in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, May 11, 2026."

Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu responded: "That is a verrrrrrrrryyyyy long blink."

"Imagine what happens when there are no cameras.

"Trump is not mentally or physically fit to be President of the United States."

https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2053894960261300578

Jimmy Gomez, another Democratic congressman, remarked: "This guy is asleep at the wheel, and he's about to drive the entire country off a cliff."

This is far from the first time Trump has appeared to nod off during a White House event.

In December, the president appeared to fall asleep during a televised cabinet meeting.

He later remarked he wasn't asleep, just bored.

"I didn't sleep. I just closed (my eyes) because I wanted to get the hell outta here," he said.

He also reportedly had trouble keeping his eyes open during an Oval Office event with pharmaceutical executives last month.

In the 2024 presidential campaign he repeatedly mocked his predecessor Joe Biden, who he called "Sleepy Joe".

READ MORE: Trump celebrates decision that could secure his party's re-election

"How do you fall asleep when cameras are raging, right?" 

"You'll never see me sleeping in front of the camera."

Trump has a long habit of staying active on Truth Social well into the night, raising questions about his sleeping habits.

But he made no posts overnight on his social media page last night.

READ MORE: Trump's company loses half a billion dollars in three months

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A man will face court today, charged over a single-car crash in suburban Perth that killed two young girls last month.

The 24-year-old from Caversham was driving down nearby Muriel Street in Viveash with the woman and girls at 2.25 pm on April 17 when his Ford Territory left the road and hit a tree.

The little girls, aged three and four, were rushed to Perth Children's Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

LIVE UPDATES: Iran warns it is ready to 'teach a lesson' to Trump

Both girls fought for life for nine days in hospital before both died on April 26.

The driver and 24-year-old female passenger were also seriously injured in the collision.

Major Crash investigators launched inquiries and put out a call for witnesses following the incident.

Their investigations have now culminated in the driver being charged with two counts of dangerous driving occasioning death and one count of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm.

He is expected to appear before Midland Magistrates Court today.

2026 BUDGET: Budget that could reshape Australia with tax reform just hours away

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A real estate boss has warned landlords may hike rents by up to 30 per cent if proposed changes to negative gearing come into effect.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers is likely to announce sweeping reforms to negative gearing and capital gains tax in tonight's federal budget as the Albanese government looks to tackle issues of housing affordability.

It is not known how much the government will change negative gearing, a generous tax break that allows an investor to deduct expenses related to properties from their taxable income, meaning they pay less at tax time.

LIVE UPDATES: Property investors to be hit in budget bombshell

Although the changes could result in lower prices, Nathan Birch from property investment firm Blink Property said renters would feel the pinch from any changes, and warned it could be immediate.

"For Aussie battlers doing it tough, that means a $400 rental will become $550 almost immediately post the budget announcement if changes to negative gearing come into effect," Birch said.

"This will be catastrophic for so many Australians, and the government really needs to consider the wave of homelessness that could follow, particularly for our most vulnerable."

ANALYSIS: In just a few hours, Aussie property will change forever

Birch said the changes would have the strongest impact on "mum and dad investors", who were often renters themselves while they leased out their investment property and waited to save.

Birch said this would lead to a knock-on effect that benefited fewer people in the long run.

"When policy changes like this come into play, their own rents go up, leaving them no choice but to raise the rent on their investments," he said.

"It's a very dangerous knock-on effect that I'm not sure the Labor Government has considered adequately – particularly when so many renters and investors are Labor voters."

Treasurer Chalmers said despite promising against it in last year's election, the government had no choice but to take bold action to address the housing crisis.

"There are genuine intergenerational concerns and pressures in our budget, in our tax system, in our housing market and in our economy more broadly," Chalmers said last week.

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