Midday News Bulletin 17 May 2025

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Source: SBS News

Russia to send Australia's Oscar Jenkins to a maximum security prison; Bird flu detected on a commercial farm in Brazil for the first time; And in sport, Marnus Labuschagne dismissed by Australian bowler Harry Conway for a duck.


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TRANSCRIPT
  • Russia to send Australia's Oscar Jenkins to a maximum security prison
  • Bird flu detected on a commercial farm in Brazil for the first time
  • Marnus Labuschagne dismissed by Australian bowler Harry Conway for a duck
A Melbourne teacher convicted of fighting alongside Ukraine in its battle with Russia will be sent to a maximum security prison to serve his sentence.

State prosecutors in a part of eastern Ukraine controlled by Russia say Oscar Jenkins has been sentenced to 13 years for taking part in an armed conflict, which comes under Russia's criminal code because he is a foreign citizen.

Ukrainian ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko has previously said his government has added Jenkins to its prisoners of war list and would negotiate for his release in an exchange.

**

US President Donald Trump has declared he wants to meet with Russia's President Vladimir Putin as soon as they can set it up.

He has made the statement before flying back to the US from a four-day trip to the Middle East, which concluded in the United Arab Emirates.

President Trump had earlier suggested that significant progress with Russia and Ukraine's peace talks - which are currently taking place in Turkiye - was unlikely until he and Mr Putin met in person.

"We have to meet. He and I will meet, I think we'll solve it or maybe not, but at least we'll know. And if we don't solve it, that'll be very interesting."

**

Officials in Brazil have confirmed the country's first bird flu outbreak on a commercial farm.

The influenza has been identified at a property in Montenegro that supplies Vibra Foods, a company which has 15 processing plants in Brazil and exports to more than 60 countries.

The outbreak has prompted China, the European Union and South Korea to ban poultry imports from Brazil for 60 days.

But Brazil's Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro says that is a natural consequence of existing protocols, offering praise instead for Brazil's preparation he believes has avoided earlier outbreaks.

"We had the arrival of this virus in migratory birds, wild birds, exactly two years ago and we were unfortunately convinced that at some point it would enter commercial farms. But I also affirm no country in the world managed to hold it for so long after it arrived in wild animals."

**


A man has been arrested after allegedly attacking immigration workers and going on the run in Sydney for two days.

The 28-year-old is accused of attacking and stabbing two contractors for Villawood Immigration Detention Centre on Thursday, as he was being transported to Sydney Airport for deportation.

New South Wales Police say the Tongan national was found during a raid on a property at Eschol Park, near Campbelltown.

He is expected to appear in court today.

**

The New South Wales government says it believes the state's workers compensation scheme could collapse unless reforms are introduced.

The nature of these reforms remains unclear - but the Australian Association of Psychologists says the scheme is unfit for psychological injuries, while Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has argued for preventative investment in mental health.

The state's Workers Compensation Nominal Insurer currently protects more than 3.6 million workers, while another fund covers most of the state's 450,000 government employees.

The Treasurer has told the inquiry in view of these numbers, the system cannot keep going in its current form.

"Doing nothing is not an option. Doing nothing is to lock in a system we know is failing. Doing nothing is to condemn even more workers to a system that is not succeeding. And to ask businesses to pay more and more, knowing full well that those resources are not being well expended."

**

An online bookmaker who sent marketing messages to people on the gambling self-exclusion register has been fined half a million dollars.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority says PointsBet sent more than 800 messages that breached Australia's e-marketing laws, and delayed closing the accounts of customers who had registered on the NSER.

But ACMA says the company won’t be penalised financially for breaching the rules around the register.

PointsBet will instead be required to follow court-ordered undertakings.

**

To sport and in cricket news, Marnus Labuschagne has been dismissed by Australian bowler Harry Conway for a duck in a UK county cricket match.

The world's former No.1 Test batter lasted just seven balls and eight minutes for Glamorgan.

The Australian international cricketer captains Queensland and plays for Glamorgan in county cricket.

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Midday News Bulletin 17 May 2025 | SBS News