Global Pulse

作者： admin

  • Germany, France, UN condemn far-right Israeli minister’s ‘inhumane’ Gaza remarks

    Germany, France, UN condemn far-right Israeli minister’s ‘inhumane’ Gaza remarks

    In a wave of global condemnation this Wednesday, major global powers Germany and France, alongside the United Nations, have publicly rejected inflammatory calls for mass nightly killings in Gaza from Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel’s far-right national security minister. Ben Gvir’s remarks, made during a podcast interview with a former Gaza hostage held by Hamas, have reignited long-simmering tensions between Israel and European leaders, who have already pushed for punitive measures against the hardline politician.

    During the interview, Ben Gvir argued that Israeli forces should carry out targeted operations to kill “30 or 40” people in Gaza every single night, going so far as to say that the people of Gaza “shouldn’t be alive” and that describing them as human amounted to a compliment. The remarks marked the latest in a string of controversial statements from Ben Gvir that have drawn international ire.

    Sebastian Hille, spokesperson for the German government, released a statement confirming that Chancellor Friedrich Merz “strongly condemns the inhumane appeals made by Minister Ben Gvir, which violate international law,” adding that “they are unacceptable.” Jean-Noel Barrot, France’s foreign minister, echoed the condemnation in an interview with regional outlet La Montagne, labeling the comments “intolerable and inhumane.”

    A spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also issued a sharp rebuke, describing Ben Gvir’s words as “appalling. They’re outrageous. They’re dehumanizing, and they’re dangerous.”

    The condemnation comes as Ben Gvir already faces growing calls from multiple European nations for bloc-wide sanctions from the European Union. Speaking in a televised interview earlier this week, German Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil noted that Ben Gvir’s comments “must have consequences,” confirming that sanctions discussions are ongoing at the European level. However, the push for EU sanctions has repeatedly stalled, as punitive measures require unanimous approval from all 27 member states, and several pro-Israel member states have blocked the proposal to date.

    Calls to blacklist Ben Gvir gained significant traction back in May, after the minister released a video mocking bound activists seized by Israeli forces from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. In response, France unilaterally banned Ben Gvir from entering its territory and doubled down on calls for EU-wide sanctions, a move that has yet to gain full bloc support.

    Beyond the condemnation of Ben Gvir’s Gaza remarks, Germany also issued a formal rebuke of Israeli plans to expand Israeli settlements in the contested E1 area of the occupied West Bank, warning that the expansion threatens the long-term viability of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “Our message is clear: there must be no further steps toward annexation in the West Bank,” Hille stated. “No formal ones, but also no political, structural, or other measures whose impact is increasingly and obviously leading toward annexation. They run counter to a two-state solution.”

    France’s Barrot also addressed rising violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, where Palestinian residents have faced growing harassment and violent seizures of property by settlers in recent months. Barrot confirmed that further sanctions against violent settlers remain on the table, noting that the EU has already implemented three rounds of sanctions against rogue settlers, with the most recent round approved on May 28. “Further sanctions could be imposed and all options are on the table,” he added.

    Israel has maintained military occupation of the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War, and successive Israeli governments have steadily expanded illegal settlements in the territory. The pace of expansion has accelerated dramatically under the current coalition government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Excluding East Jerusalem, more than 500,000 Israeli settlers currently reside in settlements widely deemed illegal under international law, alongside a Palestinian population of roughly 3 million in the occupied territory.

  • India’s Gen Z are driving up a mega boom in its beauty market

    India’s Gen Z are driving up a mega boom in its beauty market

    Over the past several years, India’s domestic beauty and personal care sector has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing consumer markets, attracting billions in global investment and on track to nearly double its total value before the end of the 2020s. A wave of high-profile acquisitions by global beauty giants underscores just how much international attention this expanding market has drawn. In March of this year, U.S. luxury beauty conglomerate Estée Lauder completed a full acquisition of Forest Essentials, a homegrown Indian beauty brand rooted in traditional ayurvedic practices. Just three months later, French industry leader L’Oréal Group purchased a controlling majority stake in Innovist, a digitally native personal care brand built for Indian consumers. Unilever, another global consumer goods powerhouse, has added four separate Indian beauty brands to its portfolio through its venture capital division in just the last two years.

    The trajectory of Forest Essentials, one of India’s breakout homegrown beauty success stories, encapsulates the sector’s explosive expansion. Founded at the start of the 21st century by single mother and entrepreneur Mira Kulkarni in a small garage at the foot of the Himalayas, the brand grew from a tiny startup to a billion-dollar global enterprise over just two decades. Its growth mirrors that of the broader Indian beauty industry, which hit a valuation of $23 billion in 2025 and is projected to climb to $40 billion by 2030 — a growth rate twice that of India’s overall GDP and broader retail market.

    Industry analysts point to a confluence of demographic, economic and digital shifts that have combined to create this unprecedented boom. Rising consumer purchasing power is the foundational driver of growth, according to consulting firm Redseer. India’s per capita income crossed the $2,000 threshold in 2019, a key milestone that typically triggers exponential growth in discretionary consumer spending. By 2030, an estimated 155 million Indian households are projected to earn more than $9,500 annually, creating a larger consumer base willing and able to spend on premium beauty and personal care products.

    “Historically we’ve underspent on beauty because there was just no purchasing power for anything other than the very basic stuff – such as all-purpose soap or face powder,” explained Kushal Bhatnagar, a partner at Redseer, in an interview with the BBC. “But now, along with more spending power, there is improved access, distribution and product education. The internet broke these barriers, with brands leveraging the power of social media platforms and influencers to reach consumers directly.”

    Redseer projects that e-commerce will account for roughly 35% of all Indian beauty spending by 2030, a sharp jump from just 8% half a decade earlier. The COVID-19 pandemic acted as an unexpected catalyst for the sector, accelerating digital adoption and shifting consumer attitudes toward self-care, according to Vaishali Gupta, a founder of two fast-growing Indian beauty brands. Gupta co-launched Hyphen, a vegan skincare brand, with Bollywood star Kriti Sanon in 2023, and also leads mCaffeine, India’s first caffeinated personal care brand known for its scrubs, cleansers and lotions. Both ventures have seen explosive growth since their launches.

    “Covid pushed people inward and toward self-care, and it coincided with a massive wave of digital penetration in tier-one, tier-two and tier-three towns,” Gupta told the BBC. “Suddenly Indian consumers had access to beauty and skincare education they’d never had before – such as what was trending in Korea or Europe, or what specific ingredients could do for brightening or acne control. That knowledge base created a consumer who knew exactly what they wanted. And that’s really where the boom in Indian skincare began.”

    Over the last 12 months, Gupta’s brands have recorded 100% growth in top-line revenue, and both now rank among the top 10 brands in their respective categories across India. Gupta forecasts continued strong double-digit growth for the foreseeable future. The sector’s momentum has drawn high-profile participation from across Indian popular culture: A slew of A-list Bollywood stars, including Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif and Big Brother alum Shilpa Shetty, have launched their own skincare lines in recent years to capitalize on growing consumer demand.

    Unlike past growth in India’s consumer sector that was concentrated almost exclusively in major metro areas, today’s beauty boom is being driven by consumers across every region of the country. Most notably, Gen Z is leading the surge in spending: Young Indian consumers devote roughly twice as much of their budget to skincare and personal care as millennials before them. Data from Flipkart, India’s largest e-commerce platform backed by Walmart, confirms this trend: 56% of the platform’s beauty and personal care shoppers are Gen Z, 70% of whom discover new products through social media. Two out of every three beauty product searches on Flipkart originate from non-metro towns and cities. Redseer projects that the combined share of beauty spending from Gen Z and Gen Alpha will rise from 32% in 2024 to nearly 50% by 2030.

    For Flipkart’s head of brand strategy Priyanka Bhargav, the current moment marks a clear inflection point for the industry. What was once a niche aspirational category has now become a daily part of self-expression and self-care for millions of young Indians, she says. Moving forward, experts predict consumers will grow increasingly sophisticated, and the next wave of growth will come from niche brands focused on specialized ingredients, dermatologist-backed formulations and evidence-based skin nutrition. While only a small number of domestic Indian beauty brands have achieved large-scale revenue to date, Bhatnagar projects that at the current growth rate, 10 to 15 domestic brands will cross $200 million in annual revenue within the next three to five years. When that milestone is hit, he expects a wave of public listings and increased merger and acquisition activity that will reshape the global beauty landscape. “When that happens, we expect many of them to tap the public markets, and for IPO and M&A activity to really intensify in the sector,” Bhatnagar added.

  • ‘One of the best head coaches’: Records set to fall after Andrew Webster signs monster new deal with the Warriors

    ‘One of the best head coaches’: Records set to fall after Andrew Webster signs monster new deal with the Warriors

    As the New Zealand Warriors chase their first-ever NRL premiership title, the club has locked in the architect of their recent on-field resurgence for the long haul. Head coach Andrew Webster has signed a contract extension that will keep him at the club through the 2032 NRL season, cementing his place in the franchise’s history books before he even breaks the club’s tenure record.

    When Webster first took the reins of the Warriors ahead of the 2023 season, few expected the rapid turnaround he would deliver. In his debut campaign at the club, he steered a largely underrated roster all the way to the NRL preliminary final, earning the league’s prestigious Dally M Coach of the Year award for his transformative work. That momentum has carried into 2024, with the Warriors currently positioned to lock in a top-two regular-season finish — a critical advantage as they push to reach their first grand final since 2011, and claim their maiden premiership.

    This long-term commitment means Webster will surpass a club milestone set by legendary former coach Ivan Cleary, who led the side in 154 appearances during his tenure. Webster, who previously worked as an assistant under Cleary at Penrith Panthers, will hit the 100-game mark as Warriors head coach in Round 27 when the club hosts Manly Sea Eagles, becoming just the second coach in franchise history to reach that threshold. By the end of his new contract, he will far outstrip Cleary’s previous record to become the longest-serving head coach in Warriors history.

    In comments following the extension announcement, Webster expressed his gratitude and excitement for the years ahead. “It’s humbling to be able to secure my future here for this long,” he said. “I’m super proud every game I get to be a head coach in the NRL. It’s a dream and to do it with this club and these players is extra special. I love this club, I have the greatest belief in what we can achieve and I’m excited knowing I’m going to be here until 2032. I’m so grateful to have this opportunity.”

    Beyond on-field wins, Webster’s leadership has sparked a broader rugby league boom across New Zealand. He has developed promising fringe players into legitimate NRL stars, and nurtured a new generation of young talent coming up through the club’s development system. Surging fan interest has translated to record breaking match attendances, sparking widespread speculation that New Zealand could support a second NRL franchise as the 20th team in the league.

    Warriors chief executive Cameron George emphasized that the extension is as much a vote of confidence in Webster’s cultural leadership as it is his on-field results. “From the moment he started with us, Andrew showed what a tremendous fit he was for the club and since then he has gone on to become one of the best head coaches in the NRL right now,” George said. “He has achieved fantastic results turning the One New Zealand Warriors into a consistent top eight side, one that everyone can be proud of. Andrew’s contribution is about much more than results alone. He has galvanised us, setting in place a sustainable culture throughout the entire club. What he has also done is to turn good players into better players and to bring through some of the most exciting young players this club has ever seen. We have every confidence in Andrew taking the One New Zealand Warriors forward to be a real force in the NRL. We’re so proud to have him with us until at least 2032.”

  • Israel admits that it fired on vehicle carrying five-year-old Hind Rajab

    Israel admits that it fired on vehicle carrying five-year-old Hind Rajab

    Two and a half years after the deadly 2024 Gaza City incident that claimed the life of five-year-old Palestinian child Hind Rajab, alongside eight other people including two rescue paramedics, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has issued a historic first admission that its forces opened fire on the vehicle carrying the young girl and her family. The announcement Wednesday also confirmed that a full criminal investigation will be launched into the January 29, 2024 killings, marking a rare shift from the military’s previous denials of wrongdoing in the high-profile case that sparked global outrage.

    The tragic sequence of events began on that January day, when an initial Israeli strike on the vehicle carrying Rajab and her relatives killed multiple family members immediately. The five-year-old survived the initial attack, and in a harrowing, now-infamous phone call with the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), she begged medics to come rescue her as gunfire and tank movements echoed around her in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City.

    After PRCS coordinated a safe passage for a rescue mission directly with the IDF, an ambulance carrying two experienced paramedics, Yousef Zeino and Ahmed al-Madhoun, was dispatched to extract the injured child. Shortly after the ambulance arrived at the scene, it too was hit by Israeli shelling, killing both rescue workers on board. Twelve days after the attack, search teams recovered the bodies of Rajab, six of her family members, and the two dead paramedics from the destroyed vehicles.

    PRCS has repeatedly accused Israeli forces of deliberately targeting the rescue ambulance even after full coordination for the mission was completed. In previous interviews, Rajab’s mother Wissam Rajab described the chaotic circumstances that separated her from her daughter the day of the attack: as the family tried to flee intense Israeli bombardment in the area, poor weather conditions led Wissam to place five-year-old Hind in a car with her uncle, his wife, and their children, while the rest of the family fled on foot. After hearing sustained gunfire near the vehicle, family members contacted PRCS to report the car was under attack.

    Wissam Rajab initially believed everyone in the car had been killed, until a first call from her 15-year-old cousin Layan Hamadeh confirmed the two girls were still alive but trapped and injured. “Hind and I are wounded, and all my family is dead, I don’t want to die. Please call an ambulance to save us. I’m scared. The tanks are 500 metres away from me,” Hamadeh told her, before the line went dead. When the family reconnected, only Rajab was alive on the line. “I’m alive, but Layan was martyred. Mum, I’m afraid, they are all dead. Come and get me,” the five-year-old said. In the released audio of her final call with PRCS medics, Rajab’s pleas can be heard clearly over background gunfire: “I’m scared of the dark, come get me. Don’t leave me, I’m cold, hungry, and afraid.”

    Hind Rajab’s death quickly circulated across global media, sparking widespread international condemnation of Israeli forces’ actions. A documentary film about her killing, *The Voice of Hind Rajab*, was nominated for an Academy Award earlier this year, cementing the case’s place in global public discourse.

    In its Wednesday statement, the IDF said the decision to launch a criminal probe was made over “alleged failures in the coordination” of the PRCS ambulance movement. The investigation will be led by the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division, the IDF’s primary body for examining claims of military misconduct.

    This admission marks a reversal of the IDF’s original position, which claimed that Israeli forces were not even present in the Tel al-Hawa area at the time of the killings. Multiple independent media reports contradicted that claim, documenting Israeli tanks operating in the neighborhood that day. Shortly after the incident, the IDF issued a statement saying it had “conducted raids on terror targets” in Tel al-Hawa alongside other areas of Gaza, but later deleted the press release from its official website.

    Alongside the new probe into Rajab’s killing, the IDF also announced Wednesday that it would open a separate criminal investigation into the March 2025 killing of 15 aid workers in Tel al-Sultan, in southern Gaza. However, the military closed three other high-profile cases of aid worker deaths, concluding there was “no reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct.” The closed cases include the killing of two Doctors Without Borders (MSF) employees in November 2023, two additional MSF workers in February 2024, and seven World Central Kitchen workers killed in an April 2024 strike.

    Since the start of Israel’s large-scale military campaign in Gaza in October 2023, Palestinian health authorities report that more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 174,000 have been injured, the vast majority of them civilians.

  • Prince Harry and Meghan moving back to UK: British press

    Prince Harry and Meghan moving back to UK: British press

    Six years after their high-profile departure from official royal duties and relocation to North America, Britain’s Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, are preparing to move back to the United Kingdom in the coming weeks, multiple British media outlets have confirmed. In a development that has taken the British public and royal watchers by surprise, the couple plans to leave their United States base by the end of August to take up permanent residence in a private, non-royal property reportedly located outside of London, according to a report from The Daily Telegraph.

    Multiple British news organizations, including the national public broadcaster BBC, have added that the couple’s two young children — 7-year-old Prince Archie and 5-year-old Princess Lilibet — have already been enrolled in a local British school, ahead of the new academic year that begins in early September. Sources familiar with the couple’s plans confirm they have finalized selection of their new home, which will not be one of the British royal family’s many owned or official residences across the country.

    Since stepping down as working members of the royal family in 2020, Harry and Meghan have resided in Montecito, California, and their children have not seen King Charles III, Harry’s father and Britain’s reigning monarch, since 2022. The couple’s 2020 exit, widely dubbed “Megxit” by British tabloid media, followed a highly public bitter rift between the couple and other senior members of the royal family. That rift deepened significantly after Harry sat for a bombshell, unfiltered interview with US talk show host Oprah Winfrey in 2021, and later published his critically discussed autobiography *Spare* in 2023, which detailed personal grievances against his family.

    The UK’s Press Association (PA) reports that 77-year-old King Charles was notified of the couple’s plans to return to live in the UK last Sunday. According to PA, the monarch “welcomes the opportunity to see more of the family in a personal capacity,” though the couple’s official status will remain unchanged: they will not return to carrying out public duties as working royals.

    The unexpected announcement of their permanent return comes just weeks after the couple made a short, low-key visit to the UK in early July, which included a private meeting between Harry and Charles. Last year, Harry publicly stated that he hoped to repair his relationship with his father, who was diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer two years ago and has continued to receive ongoing treatment. As of Thursday, it remained unclear whether Harry’s older brother William, the Prince of Wales and first in line to the British throne, and William’s wife Catherine had been informed of the move. The two brothers have been estranged for years, and multiple insider reports confirm they no longer hold regular conversations.

    Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told GB News that the move marks “an extraordinary development” for the couple and the monarchy. Speaking on the broadcaster Wednesday night, Fitzwilliams argued, “My first thought frankly is… they failed to make it in the US… essentially they failed to be A-listers in Hollywood.” That assessment aligns with public reporting on the couple’s media projects: after signing a reported $100 million partnership with Netflix in 2020, many of their original content releases struggled to attract large audiences and critical acclaim. In August 2025, the pair renegotiated their deal with the streaming giant into a more flexible “multi-year, first look” arrangement that requires far fewer original commitments.

    The Sun newspaper notes that the couple will retain their existing Montecito home in California, as well as a holiday property in Portugal where they spent part of this summer. Even their July 2025 visit was marred by public confusion: sources close to Harry told multiple outlets the prince would stay at Buckingham Palace during the trip, only for royal officials to publicly issue a formal denial of the claim.

    News of the couple’s surprise return also broke one day after Charles Spencer, Earl Spencer and brother of Harry’s late mother Princess Diana, announced he would release a new personal memoir about Diana’s life. Titled *Swan Song: Diana, My Sister*, the book is set for publication in the UK and globally on September 22, and will be translated into 12 languages. Diana died in a 1997 car crash in Paris while being pursued by paparazzi, and Harry has repeatedly publicly blamed aggressive press behavior for his mother’s death.

    In a statement announcing the book, Spencer explained that approaching the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death has led to a new wave of interview requests, prompting him to publish his own account. “With the 30th anniversary of Diana’s tragic death on the skyline, I’ve been inundated yet again with requests for interviews about my sister,” Spencer said. “This has convinced me to write down my own thoughts and memories, once and for all,” he added, noting that many popular narratives about Diana are “based on untruths that have become accepted over time.” Spencer, 62, has remained close to both of his nephews, and during the couple’s July visit to the UK, Harry, Meghan and their children visited Althorp, Spencer’s ancestral home in central England, where Diana is buried, multiple sources confirmed.

  • It wouldn’t surprise if the Springboks-All Blacks test series is decided by a goalkicker

    It wouldn’t surprise if the Springboks-All Blacks test series is decided by a goalkicker

    As South Africa and New Zealand prepare to kick off their highly anticipated test series this Saturday, rugby analysts and fans alike are already predicting that the outcome of the competition will likely come down to the performance of each side’s goalkickers. Fortunately for both nations, their current rosters boast a lineup of exceptionally accurate sharp shooters ready to deliver under pressure: the Springboks field Handre Pollard, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Mannie Libbok, while the All Blacks count Ruben Love, Damian McKenzie and Beauden Barrett among their kicking options, all of whom have nailed game-changing points in high-stakes matches in the past.

    This bitter trans-Tasman rugby rivalry stretches back more than a century, and a look through the history of their test series dating to 1921 reveals that the most decisive goalkicking performances have often come from unexpected sources, rather than the pre-series favorites. Below are some of the most iconic goalkicking displays that shaped the outcome of historic clashes between the two sides.

    ### 1921: Gerhard Morkel
    One of the only members of the Springboks touring squad with test experience dating back to before World War I, Morkel had already cemented his reputation as a standout fullback on the 1912–13 tour of Europe. By the time of the first ever South Africa-New Zealand test series, the 32-year-old was slower than his peak, but remained a constant attacking threat.

    After New Zealand claimed a 13–5 victory in the opening test at Carisbrook, South Africa entered the second test at Eden Park needing a win to keep the series alive. With the scores tied at 5–5 in the 68th minute, Morkel stepped up: after catching a clearance kick and advancing a handful of yards, he slotted a iconic drop goal – worth four points at the time – to put the Springboks ahead. South Africa held on to win 9–5, and that drop goal ended up being the final decisive points of the whole series. The third test in Wellington, nicknamed “The Rugby Championship of the World,” was played in torrential rain on a muddy pitch and ended in a scoreless 0–0 draw. Morkel was widely praised for keeping the Springboks in the game with a series of perfectly executed line kicks, helping the side secure a drawn series.

    ### 1949: Okey Geffin
    Geffin’s legendary kicking craft was honed in unusual circumstances: while held as a prisoner of war by German forces during World War II, he learned goalkicking technique from 1924 Springbok Bill Payn, practicing barefoot in the prison camp. The tighthead prop made his test debut in the 1949 series against the All Blacks.

    In the opening test in Cape Town, starting kicker Jack van der Schyff missed three consecutive attempts at goal, so Geffin was given the kicking duties. He nailed a world record five penalties to overturn an 11–0 deficit and secure a 15–11 win for South Africa. After the Springboks won the second test at Ellis Park, Geffin slotted three more penalties to seal a 9–3 third test win in Durban and clinch the series. The 1949 tour ended in a 4–0 whitewash for New Zealand, who lacked a kicker of Geffin’s quality. Geffin contributed 32 of South Africa’s 47 total points across the series, earning him the permanent nickname “The Boot,” and one of his original kicking boots is now housed in the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

    ### 1956: Don Clarke
    Also nicknamed “The Boot,” Clarke was originally written off as a cumbersome, injury-prone player. But the burly fullback, famous for his incredible long-distance kicking power with his right boot, recovered from injury just in time to face the touring 1956 Springboks.

    With the series tied at one win apiece, New Zealand rugby fans and officials called for team changes, and Clarke made his test debut in the third match in Christchurch. He slotted a penalty just three minutes into the game, sending an immediate warning to the Springboks. He finished the match with three converted kicks to help the All Blacks secure a 17–10 win, with the *Evening Post* writing that “Clarke made as remarkably successful a debut as any full-back in history can ever have done.” In the series-deciding final test at Eden Park, he nailed two more penalties from more than 40 meters out to help New Zealand claim its first ever test series win over the Springboks. Clarke would go on to play in South Africa’s 75th jubilee matches in 1964, and permanently relocated to South Africa in 1977.

    ### 1970: Ian McCallum
    The 1970 series came down to the fourth and final test at Ellis Park, with South Africa holding a narrow 2–1 series lead. The Springboks had the advantage of wind in the first half, and McCallum proved to be an unstoppable place-kicker all match. South Africa took a commanding 14–3 lead into halftime, capping the half with a 65-meter penalty from McCallum – a kick the player himself never expected to make. Springbok captain Dawie de Villiers had only called for the penalty attempt to give his fatigued forward pack extra time to rest.

    McCallum’s 14 total points underpinned a 20–17 final win, handing New Zealand its first test series loss on any tour in 10 years. All Blacks legend Colin Meads praised McCallum after the match, saying “The man who beat us was the fullback Ian McCallum. I take my hat off to him. I can understand now how the Springboks felt about Don Clarke in 1956.”

    ### 1981: Allan Hewson
    The slightly built Hewson faced constant criticism throughout his All Blacks tenure for his inconsistent defensive performance. He was even booed by fans in his home test debut, but retained his starting fullback spot three months later when the controversial 1981 series against the visiting Springboks reached its climax in the iconic “flour bomb test” at Eden Park.

    The stadium was ringed with barbed wire and riot police to contain widespread anti-apartheid protests, and one protestor even dropped flour bombs onto the pitch from a small Cessna aircraft. Hewson’s defensive weaknesses allowed the Springboks to rally back with three tries from Ray Mordt, tying the scores at 22–22 by the end of 80 minutes of play, with a drawn series looking all but certain. But referee Clive Norling repeatedly penalized the Springboks in stoppage time, setting up a decisive penalty attempt in the 89th minute. Hewson nailed the kick to win the match and the series for the All Blacks, saying after the match “It just had to go over.”

    ### 1996: Jon Preston
    The All Blacks held a 1–0 series lead heading into the second test in Pretoria, with a chance to claim the first ever series win over South Africa on home soil and avoid a third deciding test at Ellis Park. The side held a comfortable 24–11 lead for much of the match, but the Springboks rallied to cut the deficit to 24–23. The All Blacks earned a penalty from 40 meters out, but starting goalkicker Simon Culhane had just left the pitch with an injury. Replacement Jon Preston, who had not yet touched the ball in the entire match, insisted on taking the kick, and slotted it through the posts.

    A late penalty from Springbok Joel Stransky cut the All Blacks lead back to one point in the 73rd minute, but two minutes later the All Blacks earned another penalty in their own half. Preston once again delivered, extending the lead. A late drop goal from Zinzan Brooke sealed the historic win for the All Blacks. Reflecting on the match later, Preston said “Thinking back, they were the biggest kicks of my career.” The magnitude of the achievement hit the team when they reached the changing room tunnel after the match, where legendary goalkicker Don Clarke waited for them in tears.

  • ‘Anyone can knock off anyone’: Pain of last year’s shock loss a timely reminder ahead of David v Goliath battle

    ‘Anyone can knock off anyone’: Pain of last year’s shock loss a timely reminder ahead of David v Goliath battle

    The Sydney Roosters enter Sunday’s NRL clash with the Wests Tigers as overwhelming betting favorites, but the reigning table-topping side is acutely aware that complacency could lead to a shocking upset, just as it did 12 months prior at the same Allianz Stadium venue.

    Fresh off a statement win over the previously top-ranked Penrith Panthers that lifted them to first place on the premiership ladder, the Roosters have notched eight consecutive wins and are now chasing a ninth straight victory to extend their red-hot run. The task on paper looks straightforward: the Wests Tigers have slumped to eight straight losses of their own, and are on track to extend that losing streak to nine this weekend. But Roosters players say they are taking nothing for granted, remembering the unforeseen defeat they suffered at the hands of the lowly Tigers last year, when Robinson’s side was already closing in on a minor premiership berth.

    In the lead-up to the match, in-form Roosters forward Nat Butcher emphasized that the squad holds complete respect for their opposition, no matter their ladder position. “They’ve had so many great games this year, so we’ve got ultimate respect for them, and they’re going to get the best of us come Sunday,” Butcher said.

    Outside back Billy Smith echoed that warning, pointing to the perennial parity of the modern NRL that sees underdogs pull off huge upsets week in and week out. “That’s the good thing about the NRL at the moment, anyone can knock off anyone. We’ve seen that throughout this year. I think the Titans knocked off Penrith earlier in the year,” Smith said. “There are examples of if you’re not on, then you’ll get taken advantage of.”

    A short break following the high-stakes Panthers win has given the Roosters time to reset, but Smith says the side is not underestimating a Tigers team playing with nothing to lose. “We know that the Tigers are in a bit of a tough spot at the moment, and I feel like teams that are like that are dangerous because they’re not scared to do anything. They’ll throw as many punches as they want,” he explained. “So we’re going to have to be ready, and we’re going to have to honour the round and honour the position on the ladder that we’re in.”

    Beyond the 80 minutes of rugby league, Sunday’s match carries extra community significance, as the Roosters host their third annual Emergency Services Match at their home ground Allianz Stadium. Each year, the club highlights a different Australian emergency service organization, and for the 2026 edition, Surf Life Saving New South Wales takes center stage.

    Earlier this week, Roosters players and staff traveled to iconic Bondi Beach to join local surf lifesavers for training drills, honoring the work first responders did during the devastating 2025 terrorist attack that shook the beachside community. For Butcher, the chance to celebrate surf lifesavers is personal, as many Roosters players grew up participating in the Nippers youth surf program in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

    “It’s not just what they do in the water, it’s what they do on the sand and in the surrounding areas. A lot of the time they are the first responders, so for them to be well-trained and equipped with the tools to handle a lot of situations is very important. I think they do a great job,” Butcher said.

    “It’s a huge privilege to be able to celebrate this Emergency Services Round, that we get to host this, play on our home ground, and celebrate all the different services provided to the community. This year, being surf lifesaving, it’s very important to the club. It wasn’t just me – a lot of the boys grew up doing Nippers and we have great memories doing that within these communities. Being in these eastern suburbs, surf lifesavers play such an important role. Beaches like Bondi, Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly, the beaches are what they are and as safe as they are because of surf lifesavers. We’re extremely grateful for them and what they do, and we’re honoured to be able to celebrate them and play for them this weekend.”

  • Watch: What to know about Trump’s trusted aide Natalie Harp

    Watch: What to know about Trump’s trusted aide Natalie Harp

    In recent political discourse surrounding the composition of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s closest advisory circle, one name has increasingly drawn public attention: Natalie Harp, a trusted aide whose rapid ascent to prominence has raised questions about her background, influence, and path to power. Veteran BBC journalist Bernd Debusmann has broken down the key details surrounding Harp, tracing her journey from relatively unknown public commentator to a key figure with direct access to one of the most polarizing political leaders in modern American history.

    Harp first entered the national political spotlight through her vocal advocacy for Trump’s policy agenda and sharp criticism of his political opponents, particularly on issues related to regulatory reform and healthcare policy. Early in her career, she built a reputation as a forceful conservative commentator, appearing on right-leaning media outlets to defend Trump’s agenda and push back against criticisms from Democrats and establishment Republicans. This consistent loyalty and sharp rhetorical skill caught the attention of Trump’s team, gradually earning her a spot in his inner circle of trusted advisors.

    Today, Harp holds a prominent role that places her at the center of strategic decision-making for Trump, as he remains the dominant figure in the Republican Party and pursues another presidential run. Debusmann’s analysis contextualizes how Harp’s rise reflects broader shifts within the Trump-aligned wing of the GOP, as the former president continues to elevate new voices that demonstrate unwavering loyalty to his movement and policy priorities. For political observers tracking the future direction of the Republican Party, understanding Harp’s background and role offers key insight into how Trump’s inner circle is evolving ahead of the 2024 election cycle.

  • Bega makes ‘pessimistic’ forecast on consumers, posts 35 per cent profit jump

    Bega makes ‘pessimistic’ forecast on consumers, posts 35 per cent profit jump

    One of Australia’s largest food conglomerates, owner of household staples ranging from the iconic Vegemite spread to popular icy treats Zooper Doopers, has posted a sharp annual profit increase even as it warns that ongoing geopolitical unrest in the Middle East will push grocery prices higher and keep consumer sentiment depressed across the country.

    Bega Group, which controls a sprawling portfolio of well-known Australian food and beverage brands including Farmers Union and Yoplait yoghurts, Pura milk, Masters and Dare flavoured milks, and Mildura chilled juices, released its full-year financial results on Thursday. The firm reported a 35.8% surge in net profit to AU$69 million, a gain driven in part by cost-cutting measures following the permanent closure of its underperforming Victorian cheese factory, which eliminated redundant staff and infrastructure expenses.

    Beyond the headline profit gain, the company’s annual report outlines growing headwinds for both consumers and the food manufacturing sector tied to the unfolding oil supply crunch stemming from Middle East conflicts. Disruptions to shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global chokepoint for oil and petrochemical supplies, have already sent fuel prices soaring across Australia, and the full flow-on effects have not yet reached supermarket shelves, Bega officials warned.

    The report notes that while consumer confidence has edged up slightly from the historic lows hit during last year’s global fuel crisis, overall sentiment remains firmly pessimistic. Australian households have slightly improved their assessment of their own immediate financial positions, but they have grown more gloomy about broader long-term economic outlooks. Bega’s leadership predicts that the delayed impact of Middle East supply disruptions will alter shopping patterns for a large share of Australian consumers, as rising energy and packaging costs push grocery prices higher.

    In addition to fuel cost increases, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has driven up prices for petrochemical-based food packaging, a core input for nearly all of Bega’s consumer products. To offset these pressures for shoppers, the company says it is doubling down on marketing its value-focused product lines, rolling out more frequent promotional pricing, and continuing internal efficiency overhauls to cut unnecessary operational costs.

    Bega’s bulk dairy ingredients division also outperformed in the past year, posting a 37% rise in earnings, boosted by higher milk intake and growing global demand for its nutritional powder products.

  • Prince Harry and Meghan are returning to the UK with their children, British newspaper says

    Prince Harry and Meghan are returning to the UK with their children, British newspaper says

    LONDON – A new report from Britain’s Daily Telegraph has revealed a major shift in the lives of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan, who are planning to move back to the United Kingdom after nearly six years of living abroad. Crucially, the couple has made clear they will not step back into their former positions as working members of the British royal family, ending ongoing speculation about a potential full return to royal duties.

    According to the Telegraph, which first broke the story to the public, King Charles III was only notified of the couple’s decision this past Sunday. Notably, the monarch was not informed of the plan during Harry and Meghan’s visit to the UK earlier in 2024, leaving senior palace figures unaware of the final choice until recently.

    Two key details point to the permanence of the couple’s relocation: their two young children, 7-year-old Prince Archie and 5-year-old Princess Lilibet, have already completed enrollment at British schools and are set to begin their first academic terms this coming September. This move marks a dramatic reversal of the path the couple took in 2018, when they stepped away from official royal responsibilities and relocated to Montecito, California, in search of financial independence and private life away from strict royal protocols. During their time in the U.S., the pair signed high-value media and production deals with major streaming platforms, building their own independent brand outside the monarchy.

    For King Charles III, who publicly announced his diagnosis with an undisclosed form of cancer earlier this year and is currently ongoing treatment, the return of the couple and their children is expected to create far more opportunities for him to spend time with his two youngest grandchildren, a change that comes at a significant moment for the royal family’s private dynamics.