Ahead of the highly anticipated AFL wildcard final between the Western Bulldogs and Collingwood Magpies at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a surprising off-field decision by AFL headquarters has dominated headlines, catching the attention of Bulldogs head coach Luke Beveridge. The decision: granting non-tenant Collingwood permission to hold a main training session at Marvel Stadium this week, a privilege long denied to the Bulldogs and other long-term tenant clubs of the venue. Beveridge, who has been focused entirely on preparing his side for Friday night’s do-or-die clash, couldn’t hide his amusement at the lopsided decision when questioned by reporters. “When I heard the news, I almost fell off my chair,” Beveridge told media with a laugh. “It’s just hilarious – a real crack-up. None of the actual tenant clubs can get approval to train on that ground for a main session. The only time we’ve ever been offered access is for a quick captain’s run in just our running shoes, and that’s not even worth the trip down for us.” Collingwood has been forced to hunt for alternative training grounds for much of the 2024 season after unseasonably heavy rainfall left its primary Olympic Park training facility unusable. The club has already made use of local university and school ovals multiple times this year to make up for the poor conditions at its home base, and this week turned to AFL headquarters to request access to the vacant Marvel Stadium surface. Collingwood completed its full main training session at the Docklands venue on Thursday, marking a rare access win for a club that doesn’t hold tenant status at the ground. Beveridge went on to acknowledge that the Bulldogs did not submit their own request for Marvel Stadium access this week, meaning the club was not formally turned down on this occasion. He also acknowledged the end-of-season reduction in event traffic at the venue likely made the approval easier for Collingwood to secure. “We put in requests for access to Marvel Stadium pretty much every year, and I get it – the ground gets a lot of use, so they want to limit extra foot traffic when they can,” he explained. “But the principle of it just gets me: if tenant clubs can’t get on it, why does a non-tenant get the green light? It’s just one of those situations where if you didn’t laugh, you’d cry. Obviously there’s less event traffic on the ground this time of year, so it was an easy case for them to make. Collingwood put their request in, made a solid case, and got approved – that’s just how it goes.” The Bulldogs coach declined to be drawn into any further discussion about Friday night’s high-stakes final, choosing to keep focus on his team’s preparation. The match, which Collingwood will face as the away side despite being the higher-ranked team, will kick off at the MCG on Friday evening with a spot in the next round of the AFL finals on the line.
作者： admin
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Conservationists slam Albanese government’s $145m bird flu spend as deadly virus spreads
Australia is facing an unprecedented challenge from the H5N1 bird flu outbreak, which has already claimed the lives of native mammals for the first time in the nation’s recorded history. To address this escalating public and environmental health crisis, the Albanese government has unveiled a new $145 million funding boost to strengthen the country’s bird flu response, but conservation leaders have slammed the allocation for wildlife resilience as woefully insufficient.
Of the total funding package, $125 million will be split equally between the Commonwealth government and state and territory administrations. This portion of the budget is earmarked for immediate national emergency biosecurity operations, including expanded surveillance and early detection systems, enhanced on-the-ground response capacity, and targeted interventions for high-priority threatened species. Conservation groups acknowledge that since the outbreak intensified in June 2024, officials have confirmed the virus cannot be fully eradicated, making these core response activities critical.
An additional $20 million has been dedicated to expanding and extending on-the-ground work to boost the resilience of vulnerable native species, with a focus on ecologically sensitive locations including federally managed national parks. The federal government is requiring state and territory partners to provide matched funding for this specific resilience allocation.
Despite the government’s framing of the package as a robust response, leading conservation leaders have harshly criticized the $20 million wildlife resilience allocation as unfit for the scale of the crisis. Invasive Species Council Chief Executive Jack Gough pointed out that the sum amounts to less than 1% of the bailout the government provided to the Tomago aluminium smelter, calling the commitment “deeply unserious.”
Earlier this month, Gough joined BirdLife Australia Chief Executive Kate Millar in lobbying federal officials in Canberra for a $200 million resilience package – a figure that Gough emphasizes was the absolute minimum baseline investment required to give native wildlife a fighting chance against both the current outbreak and future waves. The requested package would fund long-term protective measures such as invasive pest control, which reduce additional stress on vulnerable populations already impacted by bird flu.
“Surveillance, testing and carcass removal are essential, but they won’t stop vulnerable wildlife populations being pushed towards extinction,” Gough explained. “There’s a deep understanding across government departments of the scale of this crisis and the devastation it will cause, but the funding committed does not match that understanding. We will need far greater, sustained long-term investment to help wildlife populations recover.”
Millar echoed these criticisms, arguing that the insufficient funding shows the government is “asleep at the wheel when it comes to nature.” She noted that many practical, effective conservation programs the government had previously invested in – including pest control initiatives – have already been forced to shut down after their funding expired. She warned that the Albanese government is underestimating the anger and political mobilization of Australia’s large birdwatching community, which spans every electorate and all walks of life, if the government continues to ignore scientific recommendations and its conservation obligations.
Federal officials have pushed back against the criticism, defending the government’s total investment in bird flu preparedness and conservation. Agriculture Minister Julie Collins told ABC News Breakfast that the government, working with state and territory partners, has already invested more than $40 million in preparedness activities for threatened species habitat protection, including biosecurity measures for captive populations of at-risk species held in zoos and wildlife parks across the country.
Collins added that the government has also invested more than $300 million in the federal Saving Native Species Program overseen by Environment Minister Murray Watt, bringing total national spending on bird flu preparedness to more than $270 million. “The amount of funding is certainly there … we’ll continue to work with all of the experts to make sure that as a government, we’re doing everything we can do,” Collins said, noting the government takes the bird flu crisis seriously.
Announcing the new funding package, Watt said the additional investment would put Australia’s most at-risk species “in a better position to withstand and recover from the impacts of this virus.” He noted that close to 70 on-the-ground resilience projects are already underway across the country, and the new funding will extend protection to an additional 31 threatened species – ranging from Kangaroo Island’s Australian sea lions to the Christmas Island frigatebird – through enhanced biosecurity for captive breeding populations.
“This additional funding will support the expansion and extension of bird flu preparedness and response measures for H5 bird flu in wildlife across Australia, including commonwealth-managed national parks,” Watt said. “We will continue to work with all jurisdictions to ensure we’re taking sensible actions to protect our at-risk bird and mammal species, informed by best available evidence.”
As of the announcement, more than 200 confirmed cases of bird flu have been recorded across Australia, with the first confirmed mammal fatalities pushing the crisis into uncharted territory for the nation’s environmental management agencies. Requests for further comment from the offices of Watt and Collins are still pending.
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Lawmakers call on Rubio to intervene in case of US citizen detained by Israel
A bipartisan cohort of Democratic lawmakers from both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate has issued a public appeal to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, demanding urgent diplomatic intervention to free a 20-year-old U.S. citizen held without formal charges in Israeli detention since early June. The detainee, Sama Safi, is a Palestinian-American student at Birzeit University based in the occupied West Bank, taken into custody alongside three other female students during a pre-dawn raid on her family home by Israeli armed forces. In the formally circulated congressional letter, legislators outline a rapidly worsening picture of Safi’s health amid what they describe as appalling prison conditions, warning that her ongoing detention could bring irreversible, life-threatening damage to her vital organs.
Sama Safi lives with Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF), a complex chronic genetic disorder that demands consistent daily medication, routine clinical monitoring, and specialized biologic treatments not available within either Palestinian or Israeli healthcare systems. As Nizar Farzakh, Safi’s relative and a part-time lecturer at George Washington University, explained to Middle East Eye, the young student previously traveled to Italy every three months to receive the life-sustaining treatment her condition requires. The congressional letter adds that coercive treatment in custody, including the use of stress positions and prolonged shackling, has sharply exacerbated her symptoms, triggering intense rheumatoid inflammation and persistent chest pain. Lawmakers also highlight that Safi’s transfer between multiple Israeli detention facilities—conducted while she was held blindfolded—included a movement from the occupied West Bank to Israel’s Damon Military Prison near Haifa, a step they call a clear violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention’s prohibitions on transferring detained civilians out of occupied territory.
Labeling Safi’s detention as arbitrary and unlawful, the legislators urge Rubio to leverage every diplomatic tool at the State Department’s disposal to secure her immediate release. Israeli authorities have defended the arrest, linking Safi to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a Marxist organization classified by Israel as a terror group. But Lea Tsemel, an Israeli human rights attorney representing Safi, rejected all accusations against her client shortly after the arrest in comments to The Guardian. Farzakh clarified that Safi’s only connection to the group was attendance at a casual university book club meeting that included some PFLP members, emphasizing that the club functions as an informal student social gathering rather than a politically active cell.
Despite the congressional appeal, Farzakh expressed little optimism that the Trump administration will move to secure Safi’s release, noting that a plea deal appears to be the only foreseeable path forward. Under the expected terms outlined to Farzakh, Safi would be required to plead guilty to attending an event attended by members of an illegal organization in exchange for a short prison sentence and a substantial fine. If she rejects the deal, she faces a lengthier prison term and an even larger financial penalty, leaving her with no favorable options, Farzakh said.
Safi’s case comes amid a broader surge in detentions and violence in the occupied West Bank that has drawn growing scrutiny from U.S. legislators. In a separate development this week, 45 out of 47 Democratic U.S. senators sent an open letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling for his direct personal intervention to protect U.S. citizens and their family members residing in the region. The senatorial letter notes a sharp recent uptick in bilateral violence that has prompted mass Palestinian arrests from Israeli security forces and documented attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian religious sites including mosques. While the senators did not name Safi specifically, they called on Netanyahu to implement measures to curb escalating violence, establish an independent, credible mechanism to investigate legal violations, and hold settler perpetrators of violence accountable, mirroring how Israel addresses violence against its own citizens. The letter specifically advocates for accountability for harassment, threats, and violence targeting Palestinian-American citizens, and calls on Israel to complete full investigations into the deaths of nine U.S. citizens killed in the West Bank in recent years. To date, Washington has never called for independent investigations outside the control of the Israeli military into these high-profile deaths, which include the 2022 killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, the 2024 shooting death of activist Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi during an anti-settlement protest, and the 2025 beating death of ice cream shop worker Sayfollah Musallet at the hands of Israeli settlers.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society confirms that mass detentions of Palestinians in the West Bank have reached unprecedented levels following the outbreak of the Gaza conflict, with more than 25,000 Palestinians arrested since the escalation began. Detainees regularly include students, political activists, and journalists: just last week, Palestinian journalist Abdulrahman Hasan was taken into custody and has not been seen since. Data shows that Israeli military and settler violence in the occupied West Bank has killed more than 1,100 Palestinians over the past three years alone, with the violence continuing unabated: earlier this week, Israeli forces shot and killed a 14-year-old Palestinian boy. Human rights groups have also documented repeated incidents where Israeli forces block Palestinian ambulances from reaching wounded civilians or transporting critical patients to hospitals in time to receive care. Middle East Eye attempted to secure comment from the U.S. State Department for this report but received no response prior to publication.
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World Cup personality Vozinha makes his first Colo-Colo appearance in a Copa Chile match
After multiple delays and weeks of anticipation, veteran Cape Verdean goalkeeper Vozinha — whose breakout performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup catapulted him to global fame — stepped onto the pitch for his first match with Chilean top-flight club Colo-Colo this Wednesday. The 40-year-old shot-stopper made his debut in a Copa Chile fixture against Unión Española, marking the end of a weeks-long wait for fans who had grown eager to see the World Cup star in action.
Vozinha, whose full legal name is Josimar Évora Dias, agreed to join the Chilean powerhouse when the club announced his signing on July 24. He was originally scheduled to arrive in South America well before his debut, but bureaucratic paperwork complications and unresolved personal matters pushed back his arrival three separate times. The repeated delays sparked mild anxiety among both Colo-Colo supporters and club leadership, who had prioritized adding the experienced goalkeeper to their roster ahead of the domestic campaign.
When Vozinha finally landed in Chile on August 2, he joined training sessions with the league-leading side just days later. Colo-Colo currently holds a dominant 13-point lead over its closest competitor, traditional rival Universidad de Chile, putting the club in a strong position to claim the domestic title this season. Even before his debut, the goalkeeper was named to the matchday squad for three separate fixtures, including the high-profile Superclásico derby against Universidad de Chile held this past Sunday at Santiago’s National Stadium. For that marquee match, however, Vozinha remained an unused substitute on the bench.
The Cape Verdean veteran now faces stiff competition to claim the permanent starting goalkeeper position at the club. Colo-Colo’s regular first-choice keeper, Fernando De Paul, is currently sidelined with an injury, but 19-year-old academy graduate Gabriel Maureira has stepped into the role impressively, solidifying his hold on the starting spot with a standout performance in the recent Superclásico that earned him widespread praise from fans and pundits alike.
Colo-Colo head coach Fernando Ortiz has made it clear from the start that the starting role will not be gifted to Vozinha based on his name recognition. Instead, the veteran will have to prove his quality and earn the position through consistent performance in training and match play. Speaking to reporters ahead of Vozinha’s arrival in Chile, Ortiz emphasized his commitment to selecting players based on merit, regardless of their profile. “It’s going to be a great competition between Vozinha, Gabriel, and the others who are here,” Ortiz said. “A big name won’t change my way of thinking; whoever deserves to play will play.”
Vozinha arrives in Chile following a successful stint with Chaves in Portugal’s second division, and off the back of a historic World Cup run that made him a household name in international soccer. He was a key foundational piece for Cape Verde in their first-ever World Cup appearance, where he delivered a series of spectacular saves against elite global powerhouses including Uruguay, eventual tournament champions Spain, and eventual runners-up Argentina — the side that eliminated Cape Verde in the round of 32.
His standout performances at the tournament translated to massive off-field fame as well: his social media following surged from just under 50,000 followers before the World Cup to more than 29 million followers in the months after the tournament, reflecting the global attention he earned from his breakout run.
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Susan Sarandon, Carol Burnett lead tributes to The Rocky Horror Picture Show star Tim Curry
The global entertainment community is in mourning this week after news broke that legendary British actor Tim Curry, best known for originating the iconic role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in *The Rocky Horror Picture Show*, has passed away at the age of 80. Curry died peacefully on August 25 at his home in the Toluca Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, his long-time manager and friend Marcia Hurwitz confirmed publicly.
Curry first introduced the world to his boundary-pushing interpretation of the mad, cross-dressing scientist on the London stage in 1973, before reprising the career-defining role in the 1975 cult classic film adaptation. The role catapulted him to international fame and cemented his legacy as a subversive, one-of-a-kind performer whose influence still ripples through stage and screen today. Over a six-decade-long prolific career, Curry built an extraordinary body of work that spanned genres, mediums, and generations of fans. His resume includes memorable turns in beloved projects ranging from *Home Alone 2: Lost in New York*, *Annie*, and *The Hunt for Red October* to the 1990 television miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s *It*, where he famously portrayed the menacing clown Pennywise. He later earned critical acclaim for originating the role of King Arthur in the hit Broadway musical *Spamalot*, and delivered a fan-favorite turn as the sharp-witted butler in the cult comedy film *Clue*, among dozens of other roles across film, theater, and voice acting.
Since news of his passing broke, fellow performers, collaborators, and co-stars from across the industry have shared heartfelt tributes celebrating Curry’s talent, generosity, and irreplaceable impact on entertainment. Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon, who starred opposite Curry as heroine Janet Weiss in *The Rocky Horror Picture Show*, remembered the actor for his extraordinary spirit as much as his on-screen presence. “What I loved about him most was his heart,” Sarandon said, praising Curry as “a funny, sexy, original.” She added, “Even wheelchair bound he continued to be so sweet and generous with his fans. Thank you Tim for meaning so much to so many people.”
Australian actress Nell Campbell, who played Columbia opposite Curry in the original *Rocky Horror* film, described the actor as the patriarch of the tight-knit *Rocky Horror* community. “I feel like the head of our family has just died because he was the head of the Rocky Horror family,” she told the BBC. Welsh actor Luke Evans, who stepped into the role of Frank-N-Furter for a Broadway revival of the musical, called Curry “a force, a bright fierce flame, an exquisite charm.” In a letter written to Curry before his passing, Evans thanked him for his groundbreaking fearlessness, writing that Curry “created something so enduring, and for inspiring generations of actors to be a little braver than they thought they could be.”
The official Broadway production account for *The Rocky Horror Picture Show* echoed that praise, nodding to one of the musical’s most iconic lines delivered by Curry: “Don’t dream it, be it.” The account wrote that Curry “gave the world a little more freedom, a little more fearlessness, and through the tears in our eyes, the courage to BE IT.” Richard O’Brien, the writer and composer who co-created the original *Rocky Horror* stage musical, remembered Curry as a generous, humble talent in a statement to *Entertainment Weekly*. “He never sought attention and never put himself before the roles that he played,” O’Brien said. “He was, in short, a good egg and class act.”
Other co-stars and collaborators shared their own personal memories of Curry, highlighting his extraordinary skill as a character actor and his warm personality off-screen. American comedy legend Carol Burnett, who worked with Curry on the film *Annie*, posted a clip of his performance as her scheming brother to social media, writing that “nobody could play lovable villains better than he could.” Actor Rob Schneider, who shared the screen with Curry as a bellhop in *Home Alone 2: Lost in New York* where Curry played the condescending hotel clerk, called him a “sensational character actor.” “A truly gifted performer of stage and screen, his one eyebrow could say more than most actors entire bodies,” Schneider wrote. “I am grateful to have the rare gift of watching him work, he made you better just standing near him.”
Michael McKean, who co-starred with Curry in *Clue*, shared that his final conversation with the actor revolved around the simple joys of “life and love and laughter.” “The grim physical state he found himself in has now ended, a blessing. Our blessing was that we had Tim Curry in our lives. RIP, my friend,” McKean wrote. Fellow *Clue* co-stars Christopher Lloyd and Lesley Ann Warren also paid tribute, with Warren calling Curry a “dear companion in crime” and writing, “The brilliant, hilarious, hysterically funny, magician of artistry has left us. What an unbelievable joy to have shared a soundstage with him and to engage with such a master talent. I adored him. Bless his wild and inspired soul.”
Even the Muppets franchise honored Curry, who starred as Long John Silver in 1996’s *Muppet Treasure Island*. The official Muppets social media account noted that Curry was one of the few human performers to earn the title of honorary Muppet, writing: “As a performer he was unparalleled – witty, charming, unnerving, and deeply funny. We will always consider it one of our greatest treasures to have been part of Long John Silver’s crew.”
Curry had suffered a major stroke in 2012, and had used a wheelchair in the years following his illness, continuing to make occasional public appearances and connect with fans until his passing.
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Two of Australia’s biggest banks backflip to predict painful new interest rate hike
Australia’s stubbornly persistent above-target inflation has prompted two of the nation’s largest lenders to revise their interest rate outlooks, delivering a bleak update for mortgage holders already grappling with years of rising borrowing costs. Both the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) and National Australia Bank (NAB) now confirm that additional Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) rate increases are on the horizon to cool persistent price pressures.
NAB’s chief economist Sally Auld has reversed her earlier forecast that rates would remain on hold, now projecting a rate hike as early as the RBA’s September monetary policy meeting. Auld pointed to newly released July Consumer Price Index (CPI) data that came in hotter than RBA leaders had projected just weeks earlier, noting that the central bank’s Monetary Policy Board has repeatedly warned it would take immediate action if inflation risks continued to trend upward. Beyond September, Auld added that the outlook leans heavily toward a second additional hike in November, particularly if broader economic activity data remains resilient in the coming months.
CBA’s head of economics Belinda Allen shares the expectation of a 2025 rate hike but pushes back the timeline, arguing that current economic data does not yet justify a September increase. Even with a slower timeline, Allen warned that holding rates steady through the November meeting would shock markets and analysts, given the RBA’s laser focus on reining in inflation even as signs of a slowing economy emerge. On a slightly more positive note for struggling mortgage holders, Allen projected that the period of elevated rates could be relatively short: she forecasts the RBA could begin cutting rates as early as May 2027, with a follow-up cut in August, once inflation returns to the central bank’s target range.
Two other major Australian lenders, Westpac and ANZ, have not yet released updated rate forecasts following the July inflation release. However, independent economic analysts have echoed the big banks’ cautious outlook, arguing that the latest inflation data leaves the RBA with little choice but to resume tightening after its recent pause.
KPMG chief economist Brendan Rynne explained that the RBA’s decision to leave rates unchanged at its August meeting now leaves the central bank playing catch-up on inflation. So far in 2025, the RBA has delivered three rate hikes totaling 75 basis points, lifting the official cash rate from 3.60% to 4.35%, before pausing rate movements in June and holding again in August. “Today’s data supports the view that without policy action we may be in for a long, costly grind to get inflation under control, and the Reserve Bank may have missed an opportunity at the last board meeting to get ahead of the game by raising rates,” Rynne said.
Russel Chesler, head of investments and capital markets at global asset manager VanEck, put it more bluntly, noting that July’s data shows the “inflation fire is still smouldering” across the Australian economy. “The inflation fight is far from won,” Chesler said. “We remain firmly of the view that inflation is becoming entrenched and has little chance of returning to the 2.5 per cent midpoint of the RBA’s target range by late 2027.”
To understand why markets and forecasters are bracing for rate hikes, it is important to break down the latest inflation figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). While headline inflation edged lower to 3.6% in the 12 months to July, down from 3.8% in June, the core trimmed mean inflation rate – a closely watched metric that strips out the most volatile price movements to reflect underlying inflation – held steady at 3.6%, well above the RBA’s 2-3% annual target range. Market analysts had expected a sharper decline in headline inflation to roughly 3.2%, making the higher-than-forecast reading an unwelcome surprise.
Breaking down price pressures, the biggest driver of ongoing inflation was housing costs, which rose 6% over the past 12 months, followed by food and non-alcoholic beverages, which increased by 3.2%. Energy prices also continued to distort national inflation data: a sharp 2024 electricity price increase dropped out of the annual comparison, but fuel prices spiked 7.5% month-over-month in July following three consecutive months of declines. The jump in fuel prices was driven by two key factors: rising global oil prices and the partial rollback of the federal government’s temporary fuel excise subsidy, which was cut in half this July.
ABS head of price statistics Rachael McCririck confirmed that while there has been some progress on lowering headline inflation, much of that progress stems from calendar effects, as the extreme price spikes seen in July 2024 roll out of the 12-month calculation. Following the release of the inflation data, money markets immediately priced in an 87% probability that the RBA will deliver at least one additional rate hike before the end of 2025, leaving millions of Australian mortgage holders bracing for new increases to their monthly repayment.
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US designates Palestine Action activist group ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorist’
In a sweeping new move targeting pro-Palestinian advocacy groups, the outgoing Trump administration has added UK-based activist network Palestine Action to the U.S. government’s Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) list, framing the designation as part of a broader crackdown on what it calls “violent far-left terror networks”.
Wednesday’s designation marks one year exactly after the United Kingdom formally banned Palestine Action under national counterterrorism law, following a series of the group’s direct actions targeting facilities owned by Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems. Elbit, a top supplier of military technology to the Israeli military, operates amid mounting global condemnation of Israel’s nearly three-year military campaign in Gaza, which the United Nations and leading Holocaust scholars have formally characterized as a genocide against Palestinian civilians.
In an official statement, the U.S. Department of the Treasury justified the sanctions by arguing Palestine Action has “materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods and services to or in support of, an act of terrorism”. The department further claimed the group has carried out multiple high-profile break-ins at British defense infrastructure and military installations, causing millions of dollars in damage to military equipment, and has promoted its tactics across social media to encourage copycat actions internationally, including within U.S. borders and along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The SDGT framework at the center of this action is not a new tool: it was created just days after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, when then-President George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13224 to enable sweeping counterterrorism sanctions. The very first entity targeted under the order was the Holy Land Foundation, once the largest Muslim charity operating in the U.S. In a widely criticized outcome, five Palestinian-American men connected to the charity were tried twice and sentenced to decades in prison on allegations of funneling funds to Hamas-affiliated groups, despite no court ever presenting evidence linking the men to violent activity.
Addressing growing concerns over potential censorship of protected political speech, the Treasury’s statement asserted that “the United States does not sanction persons for engaging in political speech or other constitutionally protected activities”. It went on to cite the text of E.O. 13224, which defines terrorism as “violent acts and acts dangerous to human life, property, or infrastructure, that appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, or to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion”.
Palestine Action is not the only Palestinian rights group targeted in the Trump administration’s latest announcement. Officials also unveiled new sanctions against Masar Badil, a movement that advocates for a “alternative revolutionary path” to secure Palestinian rights and self-determination after decades of stalled peace negotiations failed to deliver progress. According to the Treasury, Masar Badil is inextricably linked to Samidoun, another Palestinian advocacy network that was sanctioned by both the U.S. and Canada in 2024. Samidoun has repeatedly and publicly denied any connection to terrorist activity.
Founded in 2020, Palestine Action launched after a group of activists broke into and spray-painted Elbit Systems’ London headquarters, marking the start of its campaign against what it calls the “corporate enablers of the Israeli military-industrial complex”. Since its founding, the group’s decentralized network of activists has relied on non-violent direct action tactics to target companies that supply the Israeli military, with Elbit remaining its primary focus. Group members have broken into corporate offices and factory facilities to spray-paint or damage equipment they argue is used to enable war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories and Gaza.
The campaign has yielded tangible impacts for the group: Palestine Action says its pressure has forced multiple companies to sever ties with Elbit, costing the arms manufacturer “billions” in lost contracts and shareholder divestments. Most recently, British banking giant Barclays sold its 16,000-share stake in Elbit in October, and the UK Ministry of Defence canceled a £280 million portfolio of contracts with the firm.
Last July, the UK government proscribed Palestine Action under Section 3 of the country’s 2000 Terrorism Act, a move that criminalizes membership in the group as well as any public invitation or reckless expression of support for the organization. In the months since the ban went into effect, British police have arrested hundreds of protesters — including elderly and disabled activists — solely for holding signs declaring public support for Palestine Action. Videos of these arrests circulating widely on social media have drawn intense backlash, with critics dismissing the crackdown as political theater that wastes valuable law enforcement resources. Multiple Palestine Action activists who participated in actions against Elbit have also reported developing severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following their detention by British counterterrorism police.
The group’s crackdown in the UK has already resulted in a high-profile legal case that spotlights divisions over the government’s ban. Eight Palestine Action activists face charges of violent disorder and criminal damage connected to an August 2024 break-in at an Elbit Systems plant in Filton, near Bristol. The defendants are accused of coordinating the raid by carrying out pre-action reconnaissance and purchasing supplies, though prosecutors do not allege any of the eight entered the factory during the action. In a recent development, defendant William Plastow, 35, was acquitted of violent disorder by presiding judge Patrick Field, who ruled the prosecution had failed to present sufficient evidence to support the charge; Plastow still faces separate criminal damage charges. After an eight-week trial and 37 hours of deliberations at London’s Old Bailey court last week, jurors were unable to reach unanimous verdicts for the remaining seven defendants, who are now expected to face a retrial.
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LIV Golf to lay off majority of staff
The breakaway professional golf circuit LIV Golf is set to implement sweeping layoffs affecting most of its employees starting next week, a company spokesperson confirmed Wednesday. The drastic restructuring move comes as the tour enters a period of deep uncertainty following the sudden termination of massive backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), the deep-pocketed backer that poured an estimated $5 billion into the league over multiple years to poach top-tier talent from the established PGA Tour.
PIF’s funding commitment wrapped up immediately after LIV wrapped its 2024 regular season at the Indianapolis season finale last weekend. In an official statement, the LIV spokesperson outlined that the organization is scaling back its current operations as it transitions toward a planned rebranded “LIV 2.0” iteration set to launch under new ownership next season.
“The funding commitment announced by PIF earlier this year will reach its conclusion. As a result, we are scaling back operations as we transition to the next chapter of LIV Golf and work toward making LIV 2.0 a reality,” the spokesperson said. “This week, we informed many of our colleagues that their employment under LIV 1.0 will end in the first week of September. We are grateful to our employees for their hard work and dedication in building LIV Golf, and we remain committed to supporting those affected through this transition.”
LIV’s leadership says it has already secured a preliminary agreement with an unnamed prospective lead investor, and has offered top players substantial equity stakes in the reorganized league to incentivize them to stay. The circuit is also actively seeking additional minority investors, targeting a finalized restructuring deal by the end of October. A source familiar with the internal plans told Agence France-Presse that only a small core team will be retained through the transition period, and the organization hopes to rehire many laid-off employees if the new investment deal is successfully completed.
Despite these tentative plans, the very survival of the reimagined tour hinges entirely on one critical factor: whether LIV can convince its biggest drawing card players to remain on the roster. Currently, the league’s lineup includes major champions and fan favorites such as Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, and Sergio Garcia, none of whom have publicly confirmed they will stay with the circuit through the transition.
Multiple industry reports have suggested several top LIV stars are in informal talks about a potential return to the PGA Tour, though PGA Tour officials confirmed this week that they currently have no formal pathway in place to allow LIV players to rejoin the established tour. Speaking at the Indianapolis season finale Sunday, DeChambeau struck an optimistic tone, saying he was “proud” of what LIV had built and that he held “great thoughts about what could happen next year.” Just one day later, however, the 2020 U.S. Open champion posted a cryptic message to Instagram: a photo gallery of his biggest LIV victories paired with the caption “It was a good run,” leaving fans and analysts speculating about his next move.
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Mbappe hits treble as Real Madrid thrash Real Sociedad
Just 30 minutes after the final whistle dropped at the Santiago Bernabeu, La Liga fans are still buzzing from a masterclass performance that delivered Jose Mourinho his first home victory since returning to Real Madrid’s dugout. The headline act on the night? French superstar Kylian Mbappe, who bagged a stunning hat-trick to anchor the Los Blancos to a dominant 4-1 thrashing of Copa del Rey holders Real Sociedad, extending their perfect start to the new campaign with two wins from two opening matches.
Mourinho made a bold call ahead of kickoff, sticking with the exact starting XI that earned a dramatic late 2-1 away win over Espanyol in his first match in charge last weekend. The Portuguese veteran had previously acknowledged that getting his three global superstars — Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham — firing at full capacity at the same time would be a tricky challenge, but not an impossible one. Saturday’s fixture proved he is already moving in the right direction, as the star trio combined to tear apart the Basque visitors, with Bellingham notching two assists and Vinicius adding a fourth goal to wrap up the result.
The opening 40 minutes of the match was a tightly contested end-to-end affair, with both sides creating clear-cut chances. Vinicius fired over the crossbar early on, while Real Sociedad keeper Alex Remiro made a sharp low save to deny Mbappe at his near post. At the opposite end, Real Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois pulled off a brilliant reflex stop to keep out Mikel Oyarzabal, and Sociedad’s Sergio Gomez sent a flying volley just inches wide of the far post.
The breakthrough finally came five minutes before halftime, when Uruguayan midfielder Federico Valverde threaded a perfect through ball to Mbappe. The two-time defending La Liga top scorer took a clever first touch to shake off his marker before burying a blistering strike into the top corner, opening his goal account for the new campaign.
Real Madrid could not hold onto their lead through to halftime, however. A misplaced turnover from Job Ochieng led to a blocked shot that fell kindly into the path of Luka Sucic, who fired home the equaliser via a deflection off Alvaro Carreras, sending the sides into the break level at 1-1.
After the interval, Valverde revealed after the match that Madrid adjusted their pressing strategy, and the tweak immediately paid dividends. Early in the second half, Remiro pulled off another save to deny Mbappe after a clever pass from Arda Guler, but he could do nothing to stop the Frenchman’s second strike. A smooth build-up between Valverde and Bellingham ended with Bellingham playing Mbappe through on goal, and the former Paris Saint-Germain forward calmly slotted home to restore Madrid’s lead.
Madrid’s third goal came from Vinicius, who had been relatively quiet for most of the match until that point, and it was Bellingham’s tenacity that created the chance. The English midfielder’s initial shot was blocked, but he fought to win back possession in the penalty area before squaring the ball for an unmarked Vinicius to tap into an empty net.
Buoyed by his goal, Vinicius turned provider for Mbappe’s third just minutes later, playing a perfectly weighted through ball that put the striker one-on-one with Remiro. Mbappe lifted a delicate chip over the onrushing keeper that bounced into the net, capping his hat-trick with what many observers are already calling the goal of the match.
In a small moment that carried bigger off-pitch significance, Vinicius was substituted with seven minutes left to play for new signing Yan Diomande, and he left the pitch all smiles while embracing Mourinho. That stands in stark contrast to last season, when the Brazilian forward openly showed anger after being substituted by former coach Xabi Alonso during a Clasico win over Barcelona in October. The 2024-25 season already looks different for Vinicius, who recently signed a contract extension with Real Madrid keeping him at the club until 2032.
After the final whistle, Mourinho was full of praise for his side and for Mbappe in particular. “This guy is incredible,” he said of the French forward. “I see him really hungry to make history with Real Madrid, and I see a team where, despite Kylian being Kylian, it’s hard for me not to talk about the team.”
The Portuguese coach added that he was happy with every aspect of his side’s performance, even the patchy first half. “I liked everything, and you might tell me the second half was good and the first half wasn’t, but I liked the team even when it wasn’t good,” he said. “I’m really happy that the players ended up content, winning at home, smiling, and tomorrow — training — because on Sunday comes Malaga.”
Valverde echoed his coach’s praise for Mbappe, telling Real Madrid TV after the match: “It’s spectacular, incredible (to have Mbappe), we have to enjoy Mbappe and make the most of him as possible. We have to give him a thousand balls so he is comfortable, he can score goals, and he’s happy.”
Looking ahead to the rest of the matchweek, Spanish champions Barcelona will host Athletic Bilbao on Thursday, with new high-profile signing Rodri expected to make his debut from the bench under new manager Hansi Flick.
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At least one dead after car crashes into crowd in northern France
A tragic vehicle collision has claimed one life and left 10 other people hurt after a car ploughed into a crowd of pedestrians near the main train station in the northern French city of Caen, regional law enforcement officials have confirmed.
Local authorities told the British Broadcasting Corporation that a suspect has already been taken into police custody following a large-scale emergency response deployed across the Normandy region site moments after the incident occurred. According to initial on-the-ground reports, the crash unfolded close to a local bar, with regional media outlets indicating that a violent altercation broke out at the venue shortly before the car struck the crowd.
Footage shared across social media platforms from the incident area shows large groups of onlookers gathering at the perimeter of a wide cordoned-off zone, where dozens of police cruisers and emergency ambulances have been positioned to respond to the event. A spokesperson for the Calvados regional administration, the department that administers Caen, confirmed to reporters that four of the injured people are currently receiving urgent care in the emergency department of a local hospital.
The remaining six injured people are being treated for minor injuries that do not pose life-threatening risks, the spokesperson added. The probe into the exact circumstances of the collision is now being led by detectives from Caen’s Specialised Crime Division, who are working to piece together the sequence of events and determine whether the incident was intentional or accidental.
Local residents and visitors have been formally advised to avoid the entire area surrounding the Caen train station while emergency and law enforcement operations remain ongoing. This is an active developing breaking news story, with more details surrounding the incident expected to be released as investigators uncover new information. Readers can access real-time updates by downloading the BBC News mobile app, or by following the official BBC Breaking account on X for the latest alerts.