Global Pulse

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  • Storm chasers: Young guns have the chance to do something special as Melbourne look to heap more misery on Bulldogs

    Storm chasers: Young guns have the chance to do something special as Melbourne look to heap more misery on Bulldogs

    The National Rugby League (NRL) blockbuster between the Melbourne Storm and Canterbury Bulldogs on Friday night will go ahead without three key Storm players, but legendary head coach Craig Bellamy is framing the absences as a once-in-a-lifetime breakout chance for the club’s rising young talent.

    Star playmaker Cameron Munster and dynamic hooker Harry Grant, two of the Storm’s most influential All-Star core players, have been called up to State of Origin representative duty, joining lock forward Trent Loiero in stepping away from club fixtures for the representative round. In their place, Bellamy has shaken up his starting lineup to give untested youngsters their first real taste of top-flight rugby league.

    Keagan Russell-Smith will get the nod at five-eighth, slotting into the huge gap left by Munster – a player who has dominated the position at club, state, and international level for years. This will mark only Russell-Smith’s second NRL appearance, following a single outing for the Storm back in 2022, with his development slowed by repeated injury setbacks that have kept him off the pitch for extended stretches. Trent Toelau will step into the starting hooker role, while young Gabriel Satrick will make his first-grade debut off the interchange bench, where he is expected to bring an energetic running threat from dummy-half.

    While losing two of the game’s biggest superstars will undoubtedly test the Storm’s push for a third consecutive win, Bellamy says he has seen countless young prospects step up during the annual State of Origin break over his decades-long tenure, and he is confident this cohort can deliver similarly memorable performances. He urged the rookies to stick to their strengths and avoid overcomplicating their approach as they adjust to the intensity of top-level NRL.

    “We’ll certainly feel the absence of our representative players, but this is exactly the sort of opportunity these young guys have worked so hard for,” Bellamy said. “Gabe gets his first crack at first grade this weekend, Keagan has only played one game two years back, and Trent has a handful of NRL appearances under his belt. This is incredible high-level experience for them, and the biggest thing they can do is keep it simple, play the way they know how, and lean into what makes them effective.”

    Speaking specifically of Russell-Smith, who faces the unenviable task of replacing one of the sport’s best five-eighths, Bellamy highlighted the young playmaker’s natural footy smarts and defensive toughness as key assets that will help him adapt to the pressure.

    “He’s a sharp kid, a really intelligent footballer, and the thing I love most about him is how tough he is,” Bellamy said. “He’ll handle the defensive side of the game no problem. His development has been a bit slower than we initially hoped it would be, that’s all down to the injuries he’s dealt with. Fingers crossed this gives him a good, consistent run of game time now to build momentum.”

    For the Storm as a whole, Friday’s clash comes at a key turning point in the season. After a disastrous seven-game losing streak that put their finals hopes in serious jeopardy, the club has steadied its form with back-to-back wins, restoring much-needed confidence to the roster. They will face a Bulldogs side that is mired in its own slump, having dropped five consecutive matches and struggling to put points on the scoreboard in recent weeks.

    The veteran coach declined to comment on the Bulldogs’ ongoing struggles, instead choosing to focus on his own team’s resurgence and their renewed bid to secure a spot in the end-of-season finals. Bellamy noted that back-to-back wins have already made a tangible difference to the squad’s mindset after a brutal losing run.

    “When you get through a tough stretch like we did and start picking up wins again, that’s where you rebuild your confidence,” he said. “This is what these players do for their career. Aside from their families, this game is the most important thing in their lives. When you get a little bit of success like we’ve had over the past couple of weeks, you start to feel better about yourself and about the guys you’re running out onto the pitch with.”

  • AFL 2026: Essendon coach Brad Scott responds to ‘rampant speculation’ about senior players

    AFL 2026: Essendon coach Brad Scott responds to ‘rampant speculation’ about senior players

    Ahead of one of the Australian Football League’s most anticipated annual fixtures, the Dreamtime at the ‘G clash this Friday, Essendon Bombers head coach Brad Scott has moved swiftly to push back against growing off-field speculation, addressing two swirling rumors that have dominated headlines around the club this week.

    Currently sitting near the bottom of the AFL ladder with only a single win from their opening 10 rounds, the club and Scott have been under intense public and media scrutiny. Recent unconfirmed reports claimed the Bombers’ senior player core was deeply confused about the timeline and trajectory of the club’s ongoing rebuild, a claim Scott outright rejected during his weekly Thursday press conference.

    According to Scott, the reports of internal confusion are nothing more than unsubstantiated “rampant speculation” that does not align with the actual situation inside the club. He emphasized that the club’s leadership has maintained full transparency with every player about the rebuild’s direction, and that every player currently on the Essendon list is included in the club’s long-term plan for future success.

    “Every player on our list is well and truly capable from an age perspective and a capability perspective of being part of our next successful era,” Scott explained. “We’ve been very clear with those players: ‘Look, this is where the club is at, this is the direction of the club’. I don’t think we’ll have a player on our list, at least voluntarily, retire in the next two, three, four years. Everyone is part of the plan.”

    The coach also noted that it is normal for players to prioritize their individual match-to-match performance rather than long-term organizational strategy, and the coaching staff has actively worked to keep the group focused on competing week in and week out, rather than getting distracted by off-field noise.

    In addition to addressing speculation about player unrest, Scott also shut down growing talk about his own future at the club, amid mounting pressure from fans and pundits following the team’s poor start to the season. The 30-year veteran of the sport said discussion about his job security simply does not concern him.

    “Quite frankly, it just doesn’t faze me, I don’t live in that space. It’s not and has never been about me,” Scott said. “I’ve been in this game for over 30 years and I understand how things work and what people choose to talk about and what people are interested in. People can be interested in that, it just doesn’t interest me.”

    On Friday night, Essendon will take on a Richmond side severely weakened by a lengthy injury list, in the annual Dreamtime at the ‘G match, one of the marquee events on the AFL calendar that celebrates Indigenous contribution to Australian rules football.

  • ‘Disappointed with my performances’: Nathan Cleary out to right last year’s wrongs after ‘devastating’ Origin loss

    ‘Disappointed with my performances’: Nathan Cleary out to right last year’s wrongs after ‘devastating’ Origin loss

    A year on from one of the most crushing defeats of his professional career, NSW Blues star halfback Nathan Cleary has opened up about the lingering pain of last year’s State of Origin decider loss, revealing he is turning that devastating disappointment into fuel as his side prepares to kick off the 2025 series on home soil next Wednesday.

    The 2024 series came to a humiliating end for the Blues at Sydney’s Accor Stadium, where Queensland Maroons ran riot in the first half to secure a comfortable 12-point victory, wasting NSW’s shot at claiming the championship on home turf. The blow hit the squad hard in the post-game sheds, with Cleary leaving the defeat to process alongside his family, who helped him break down what went wrong on the night.

    Reflecting on the loss from Blues training camp this week, Cleary did not sugarcoat the severity of the heartbreak. “It’s never nice losing, but particularly such a big game being a game three Origin at home as well,” he said. “It was devastating, I can’t lie. But you’ve sort of just got to pick yourself back up, dust yourself off, move forward, and get better. There’s no point sort of sulking about it and feeling sorry for yourself. Here we are a year on, and I’m hoping I can use those lessons to play better.”

    Cleary explained that the sting of the defeat has become a quiet motivator, pushing him to grow both as an athlete and a person over the past 12 months. “I think you’ve got to grow from it. You can’t live in the past too much, but you can learn from it. That pain is definitely a sort of burning fire there. But I sort of used that last year to try and just get better as a person and as a player.”

    The world-class playmaker, who has three State of Origin series wins to his name, has long faced questions over whether he has dominated the iconic representative arena the same way he consistently dominates the NRL for his club side Penrith Panthers. His 2024 decider performance was widely marked as below his usual high standard, leading to renewed public criticism of his Origin form. But Cleary insists that proving external doubters wrong is not what is driving him ahead of the new series.

    “It’s not so much doubters (for me) to prove wrong,” he said. “I know what I need from myself, and I’ve been disappointed with my performances in the past. I’d say that I am my own harshest critic. So, it’s not so much about proving doubters wrong, it’s about repaying the faith that Loz (NSW coach Laurie Daley) has shown in me and the Blues have shown in me, but also my family and stuff as well. It’s about repaying that faith and also to myself. I know what I’m capable of and it’s trying to reach those heights.”

    Drawing on years of experience in the representative fixture, Cleary noted that State of Origin requires a uniquely sharp focus, given its far higher intensity and fewer chances to seize game-changing moments compared to club football. “I think it’s just you sort of understand Origin is different to club footy, and you just don’t get as many opportunities as you would in regular season games. You’ve got to be prepared to take those and just be willing to put your best foot forward and not step back and just play. It’s the hardest game you’ll play, no doubt. Just the intensity and the physicality of it.”

    “As I said before, it’s those minuscule moments. There’s not many that pop up in a game, so you’ve got to be ready to take them. If you miss them, you might not get one again. It’s definitely something that I’ve learnt over time, but you’ve got to put yourself in the frame to be able to take those moments, too.”

    This year’s series opener will see Cleary reunite in the halves with Parramatta Eels star Mitchell Moses, marking just the second time the pair have started together at representative level. The duo steered the Blues to a win in last year’s opening game, but a camp injury ruled Moses out ahead of game two, cutting their partnership short before the decider. Despite ongoing questions over whether two specialist halfbacks can successfully coexist in Origin’s halves combination, Cleary said he is confident the pair can build on their strong 2024 opening.

    “I always watch Mitch from afar in admiration of his game,” Cleary said. “I think he’s easily one of the best halfbacks in the game and being able to team up with him again – we only got the one game last year – but I thoroughly enjoyed it and looking to build on that now. I hope we can solidify that partnership and grow it. I think Mitch actually grew up as a six, so it’s obviously there for him and he’s got that X-factor about him as well. I thought game one last year we combined pretty well, and that was only off 10 days of preparation or something. So we’re looking to build on that again. It’s just been fun getting to team up with him in these first few days of training and looking to build on it.”

    In a side note on team selection, Cleary also defended Bulldogs captain and former Penrith teammate Stephen Crichton, who returned to training on Thursday after missing a session the prior day with a shoulder injury. Crichton has faced heavy criticism for his club form in 2025, but Cleary said the backlash is unfounded, pointing to his long track record of delivering in high-stakes matches.

    “He’s never shied away from a big moment,” Cleary said. “I think the criticism is pretty ridiculous. Every time he’s been asked to do a job in a big game, he’s gone over and above. I absolutely love taking the field with him and just his leadership as well, his presence. Every time I look across and I’m next to him on the field, I feel great so I’m happy he’s there.”

  • French artist JR begins his giant ‘cave’ art inflation over Paris’ oldest bridge

    French artist JR begins his giant ‘cave’ art inflation over Paris’ oldest bridge

    Paris’ oldest surviving river crossing, the 400-year-old Pont Neuf, has begun disappearing from the city’s iconic Seine river skyline this week, as globally renowned street artist JR — often dubbed the “French Banksy” — rolls out one of the French capital’s most ambitious public art installations in modern history.

    The project, years in the planning and more than 12 months in active development, entered its most dramatic phase this week after a weather-related delay pushed back the overnight inflation of the massive rocky structure. What started as a concept has now emerged as a startling prehistoric-looking cliff rising from the heart of central Paris, gradually swallowing the 17th-century stone bridge from view.

    Titled *La Caverne du Pont Neuf* (The Cave of Pont Neuf), the monumental work pays direct homage to one of the most famous public art pieces in Paris’ history: the 1985 installation where legendary artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrapped the entire Pont Neuf in shimmering golden fabric. That groundbreaking project helped redefine what large-scale public art could be in modern urban centers, and today a square adjacent to the bridge bears the pair’s names. JR acknowledges the weight of following in their footsteps, saying “It’s pretty hard to go after them.”

    Funded through sales of JR’s original artwork and support from a small group of corporate partners, the installation will not open to the public until June 6, and will run around the clock through June 28. For the duration of the exhibition, the bridge will be closed to vehicle traffic, with the structure fully visible from the Seine quays, passing riverboats, and even the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower. Its run is timed to overlap with three major Paris cultural events: Paris Fashion Week, World Music Day, and the all-night contemporary arts festival Nuit Blanche.

    The numbers behind the ephemeral artwork are staggering. The inflated cave stretches 120 meters along the bridge and rises 18 meters high — equal to the height of a six-story office building. Despite its massive size, the structure is constructed almost entirely of air: 80 hand-assembled fabric arches hold 20,000 cubic meters of air, bringing the total weight of the installation to just five metric tons. Each panel of the heavy-duty fabric was hand-stitched by 25 skilled artisans in a small village in Brittany, and the entire structure is designed to rest on the bridge without damaging its historic stonework. Engineers spent weeks testing the deflation process at an Orly Airport hangar to ensure that if power fails, the massive cave will deflate slowly and safely, with no risk to the landmark.

    From the riverbanks, the installation appears as a solid rocky formation that disrupts Paris’ familiar cityscape — a deliberate choice, according to JR, who built his career creating large-scale photographic collages pasted on urban walls and landmarks across the globe. Unlike Christo’s wrapping, JR says his work does not cover the bridge, but “undresses” it, returning the bridge’s limestone blocks conceptually to the quarries that once supplied all the stone to build historic Paris. Beyond this geological nod, the artist also designed the cave to bring elements of raw nature back to the dense urban core.

    The work also carries a sharp conceptual message rooted in Plato’s famous Allegory of the Cave, where imprisoned people mistake shadows cast on a cave wall for actual reality. JR draws a direct parallel to modern digital life, arguing that today’s “caves” are the smartphones that people carry everywhere. “Because we believe that our algorithm on social media is the reality,” he explains. This creates a deliberate paradox: to fully engage with the installation’s hidden layers, visitors will pull out their phones anyway. Partnering with Snap, JR has added a custom augmented reality layer that reveals elements of the work invisible to the naked eye, and the audio design — a low, resonant hum evoking the weight of stone — comes from Thomas Bangalter, the former member of electronic music duo Daft Punk, who was 10 years old when Christo wrapped the Pont Neuf.

    Once inside, visitors will be able to walk the full length of the cave for free, moving through a dark, daylit-free tunnel designed to make people lose track of time — a rare moment of pause on one of Paris’ busiest central bridges, a goal JR says he intentionally set out to achieve.

    When the exhibition closes on June 28, the installation will be fully deflated, and all materials will be reused or recycled. True to JR’s ethos, this temporary work leaves no permanent trace on the historic bridge: unlike permanent construction, a massive structure built of air leaves behind no scar. Just as Christo’s golden wrapping left the bridge unchanged after two weeks in 1985, the Pont Neuf will re-emerge exactly as it was, ready to serve Parisians for another 400 years.

  • In many ways, Brits admire the US. But as America hits 250, they say one man defines it: Trump

    In many ways, Brits admire the US. But as America hits 250, they say one man defines it: Trump

    As the United States marks 250 years of formal independence from British rule, a year-long, on-the-ground survey of British public opinion by The Associated Press across the country — stretching from George Washington’s ancestral estates near the Scottish border to the urban hubs of Cambridge, Bristol, and London — reveals a striking, unanimous conclusion: it is impossible to talk about contemporary America without centering its 47th President, Donald Trump. The reporting found that even Britons who back some of Trump’s policy positions frame their entire view of the U.S. around his tenure, and his influence has reshaped the centuries-old “special relationship” between the two nations.

    When asked “What do you think of America now?”, nearly every respondent opened with a deliberate pause before turning to coded or direct commentary on Trump and his second term. Phrases like “Your president…” and “The current state of politics…” are the universal opening, a pattern that itself reveals how deeply Trump has skewed British views of their former colony. “It’s Trump’s world now, isn’t it?” noted Mark Keightley, a printer technician working in Cambridge, roughly an hour north of London.

    Eddie Boyle, a resident of Falkirk, Scotland, speaking while crossing London’s Westminster Bridge, summed up a common sentiment: “My own opinion of America is now dictated by the president and he’s not covering himself in glory as far as I’m concerned. It’s a shame that such a long arrangement between the two countries has been tarnished.”

    Disappointment among Britons with the direction of the American experiment is not a new trend. As far back as 1842, famed British author Charles Dickens left his widely celebrated U.S. lecture tour — where he earned a substantial fortune from public readings — frustrated and disappointed by the young nation. Outraged by the continuation of chattel slavery, which Britain had abolished a decade earlier in 1833, Dickens also condemned what he saw as a debased American press, calling it more “mean, and paltry, and silly, and disgraceful than any country I ever knew.” He famously wrote to a friend, “This is not the Republic I came to see. This is not the Republic of my imagination. In every respect but that of National Education, the Country disappoints me.”

    Over two and a half centuries, the U.S.-U.K. relationship has evolved through multiple defining turning points that cemented America’s status as a global power. The War of 1812, a rematch of the Revolutionary War, ended in a stalemate but proved the young nation could hold its own against British military and economic power, establishing it as a permanent global actor. The U.S. survival through its Civil War, followed by its critical role in helping Britain defeat Nazi Germany in World War II, solidified the alliance. Decades later, the close partnership between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher helped bring about the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, a joint achievement still recognized by many Brits today. “They did something great there,” said Maria Miston of Suffolk, speaking near London’s Big Ben. “They actually managed to bring the Cold War to an end.” Still, Miston argued that America’s global standing has declined steadily since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq: “We’ve just gone backwards since then.”

    In Trump’s second term, the decades-old “special relationship” has undergone a fundamental reorientation. Trump has had a tense relationship with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, dismissing him publicly as “not Winston Churchill” after Starmer refused to commit British forces to a U.S. conflict with Iran. The president has repeatedly suggested he views King Charles III, not the elected prime minister, as his equal peer. Last year, Trump accepted an unprecedented second state visit invitation from the king, which included a state dinner at Windsor Castle, and he welcomed Charles for a return visit to Washington earlier this year. During his U.S. trip, Charles emphasized that the 250-year bilateral relationship “is more important today than it has ever been,” while also making a public case for the importance of democratic checks and balances — widely interpreted as an implicit rebuke of Trump. The White House drew international attention when it posted on social media describing the pair as “TWO KINGS,” a jab likely aimed at the anti-monarchy “No Kings” rallies that drew large crowds across the U.S. during Charles’ visit. The irony was not lost on Britons: the U.S. was founded on the rejection of monarchy, specifically rule by King George III, Charles’ five-times great-grandfather. Back in the U.K., pre-visit polling showed majority public opposition to Charles’ U.S. trip, but the king’s performance won broad praise as a deft display of soft power, even amid well-documented tensions over climate policy and Trump’s repeated playful (yet provocative) threat to annex Canada — a Commonwealth realm where Charles is head of state. Rock star Rod Stewart summed up a common British view when he told Charles at a May gala, within earshot of reporters: “May I say, well done in the Americas. You were superb, absolutely superb, put that little rat bag in his place.”

    National polling confirms that British views of the U.S. have soured sharply during Trump’s second term. A Gallup poll conducted in late 2025 found just 28% of British adults approve of U.S. global leadership, with 68% holding a negative view. That number is roughly on par with approval during Trump’s first term, and far lower than the 45% approval recorded during Democratic President Joe Biden’s tenure. Pew Research Center’s 2025 Spring Global Attitudes Survey echoes this shift: while two-thirds of British adults held a favorable view of the U.S. in the first two years of Biden’s presidency, that number fell to 54% by spring 2024, and sits at just 50% in 2025. This is not the first period of strain between the two nations: the 1956 Suez Crisis marked a defining shift, when British power declined and American global dominance became the new global order, and a decade later London rejected U.S. pressure to join the Vietnam War.

    For decades, following American politics has functioned as a national spectator sport in Britain, a way to watch the world’s oldest modern democracy evolve from across the Atlantic. Today, Britons still acknowledge a long list of American qualities they admire: national ambition, unprecedented economic wealth, unmatched military power, the sheer scale of the country, its global cultural output from television to music to film, and its political resilience even after crises like the January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection. But alongside those positive perceptions are longstanding points of confusion and criticism. Topping the list for many is America’s persistent gun violence, which is nearly incomprehensible to Brits: the country banned private handgun ownership in 1997, after a mass shooting at a Scottish school that killed 16 children. Many Britons also express confusion at hardline U.S. immigration crackdowns, given the United States was founded by immigrants — even as the U.K. grapples with its own domestic debates over unauthorized migration.

    On the 250th anniversary of American independence, Trump remains the central point of fascination and confusion for most British respondents. Discussing Trump is also a socially sensitive topic in the U.K., where Brexit has left deep political divisions and populist reform movements aligned with Trump’s agenda have gained ground in recent local elections. At The Cross Keys pub in Washington, England — a small town located just downhill from George Washington’s ancestral family home — local resident Mark Gibson sipped a pint and summed up the widespread confusion: “How can someone like that become president?” Gibson said he could rationalize the election of other American leaders, even when he disagreed with them, but Trump’s history of business bankruptcies and repeated legal scandals leave him bewildered. “I don’t understand it. He’s had bankruptcies and legal troubles,” Gibson said. “But, I guess that’s what people wanted. They elected him twice.”

  • Juve risk disaster as Serie A’s Champions League race goes down to the wire

    Juve risk disaster as Serie A’s Champions League race goes down to the wire

    The final matchday of Italy’s Serie A season has arrived with one of the most tense European qualification battles in recent memory, and Juventus faces a make-or-break clash that could see its entire season collapse into disappointment. Hired in October when the club sat seventh in the table, Luciano Spalletti was brought to Turin with one non-negotiable objective: secure a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League. Now, 38 rounds into the campaign, that goal hangs by a thread heading into Sunday’s derby against city rivals Torino.

    Juventus haven’t tasted defeat against Torino in 11 years, a run that has made this Turin showdown one of European football’s most one-sided local rivalries. But despite Torino’s comfortable mid-table standing that has left them with nothing significant to play for, their ability to disrupt top title and qualification contenders makes them a dangerous opponent for a Juventus side reeling from a crippling 2-0 home defeat to Fiorentina. That loss dropped Spalletti’s side to sixth in the table, leaving them needing not just three points against Torino, but favorable results from the other contenders fighting for the last two Champions League spots.

    The stakes extend far beyond bragging rights and European prestige. Missing out on the Champions League would deliver a massive hit to Juventus’ revenue, dramatically reshaping the club’s transfer plans and squad moves during the upcoming close season.

    Just two points separate Juventus from the four teams competing for the two remaining Champions League slots. Third-placed AC Milan host already-relegated Verona at the iconic San Siro, while fourth-placed Roma travel to face similarly relegated Verona. Sitting between Juventus and the top four is fifth-placed Como, who host dropzone side Cremonese in a match that will simultaneously decide both Champions League qualification and the final Serie B relegation spot. Jamie Vardy’s Cremonese hold the last safety spot by just a single point, behind Lecce who welcome Genoa on the final matchday.

    AC Milan, the seven-time European champions, looked to be sliding out of the race just two weeks ago, mired in on and off-field crisis. A critical away win against Genoa last weekend has now put Stefano Pioli’s side firmly in pole position to secure qualification, with Cagliari already guaranteed safety ahead of their trip to the San Siro. Over 70,000 fans are expected to pack the famous stadium for the clash, a stark contrast to Milan’s previous home fixture, when thousands of supporters left early in protest after the side fell three goals behind to Atalanta. That defeat saw Milan owner Gerry Cardinale publicly respond to fan criticism accusing him of prioritizing profit over on-field success, with hints of major organizational and coaching changes coming this summer.

    One of the biggest stories heading into the weekend is the surprise return of Luka Modric. The 40-year-old Croatia captain was expected to miss the remainder of the Serie A season after fracturing his cheekbone in a collision with Juventus’ Manuel Locatelli last month. At the time of the injury, reports indicated Modric would be sidelined until this winter’s World Cup, requiring surgery to repair the damage. But less than four weeks after the operation, Modric has returned to training wearing a protective face mask, and is all but confirmed to start for Milan against Cagliari barring any last-minute setbacks. The veteran midfielder holds an option to extend his stay at San Siro for one additional season following what is widely expected to be his final World Cup appearance.

    Elsewhere, Antonio Conte will take charge of Napoli for the final time on Sunday, when already-qualified Napoli host Udinese in one of the weekend’s five dead rubbers, with the visitors having nothing to play for. Conte is widely expected to leave the southern Italian giants to take the vacant Italy national team head coach position, returning to the role for a second spell. The Italian Football Federation will not announce the new national team coach until after the election of a new federation president on June 22, coming two weeks after Italy’s pre-tournament friendlies against Luxembourg and Greece.

    Key context heading into the final matchday: just two points separate the four contenders competing for the two remaining Champions League spots, and Roma have not qualified for the competition in seven seasons. The full final matchday fixture list (kickoff times in GMT) is as follows: Fiorentina vs Atalanta (1845, Friday); Bologna vs Inter (1600, Saturday), Lazio vs Pisa (1845, Saturday); Parma vs Sassuolo (1300, Sunday), Napoli vs Udinese (1600, Sunday), Cremonese vs Como, Lecce vs Genoa, AC Milan vs Cagliari, Torino vs Juventus, Verona vs Roma (all 1845, Sunday).

  • Rashed Ateem: Man accused of groping women in Melbourne’s CBD faces court

    Rashed Ateem: Man accused of groping women in Melbourne’s CBD faces court

    A 36-year-old man facing multiple charges connected to a string of groping and threats targeting women in central Melbourne has been publicly identified during a court hearing. Rashed Ateem appeared before Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday, where he answered to two counts of sexual assault and two additional counts of assaulting police officers.

    The alleged incidents date back to the afternoon of March 3, when authorities say Ateem carried out a series of unprovoked attacks on multiple women in Melbourne’s Central Business District. Police received emergency triple-0 calls around 5:30 p.m. that day reporting a man randomly assaulting passersby near the iconic Flinders Street steps, with some of the attacks described as sexually motivated.

    Officers quickly located the suspect on Bourke Street and took him into custody. But the arrest did not proceed smoothly: police allege Ateem spat at responding officers and physically assaulted them during the apprehension. The violence left a senior police constable with injuries serious enough to require transport to a local hospital for medical treatment.

    During Thursday’s initial hearing, Ateem’s legal team requested an adjournment of the case. Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge granted the request, scheduling the next court appearance for June 1. As Ateem exited the court building following the hearing, he was photographed smiling toward assembled media outlets.

    The string of random alleged attacks in one of Melbourne’s busiest tourist and commercial hubs has raised ongoing community concerns about public safety in the city’s central district, with police continuing to urge any potential additional victims to come forward to assist with the investigation.

  • Easing rate hike fears push Aussie sharemarket to best day in six weeks

    Easing rate hike fears push Aussie sharemarket to best day in six weeks

    Australia’s benchmark stock index notched its strongest single-day gain in six weeks on Thursday, as a surprisingly sharp uptick in national unemployment fanned widespread investor expectations that the Reserve Bank of Australia will hold interest rates steady at its upcoming policy meeting. The uptick in joblessness, paired with a rebound on Wall Street that ended a three-day losing streak for US equities, created a bullish trading environment across most of the Australian sharemarket.

    New official data released this week showed Australia’s unemployment rate climbed 0.2 percentage points to 4.5% in April, outpacing analyst forecasts for a much smaller increase. The report also recorded an unexpected drop of 18,600 jobs across the economy, versus consensus predictions of a 15,000 job gain. For investors, this cooling labor market readout signals the RBA is unlikely to push through additional interest rate hikes in 2024, a shift that is particularly beneficial for the Australian market’s heavy weighting of rate-sensitive sectors: financial services, real estate, and consumer discretionary stocks.

    “While a slowing jobs market is unwelcome news for job seekers, it removes a key catalyst for further aggressive monetary tightening from the RBA, which acts as a tailwind for the ASX200,” explained Tony Sycamore, a market analyst with online trading platform IG. By the closing bell on Thursday, the ASX 200 had jumped 1.47% to settle at 8621.7, marking its largest daily increase since early April. The broader All Ordinaries index followed suit, climbing 1.4% for the session, with eight out of 11 tracked market sectors ending the day in positive territory.

    Global market moves also supported the local rally: Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged 3.1% overnight, oil prices recovered some losses from the prior session’s sell-off, and gold prices edged higher. The mixed economic data did push the Australian dollar lower, a shift that supports export-focused domestic sectors.

    Mining stocks led Thursday’s gains as a group, posting a 2.6% sector-wide increase. Building materials giant James Hardie rose 5.4% even after analysts at Macquarie and Morgans adjusted their price targets downward, with both revised targets still sitting well above the stock’s closing price of $27.99. Evolution Mining climbed 3.8%, Rio Tinto gained 3.2%, and lithium developer Liontown Resources spiked 4.2%. The only major downside move in the mining space came from gold producer Northern Star Resources, which fell 2.1% following the announcement that its long-serving managing director would step down after 13 years at the helm.

    The day also marked a milestone for Australian retail, as jewellery and body piercing retailer Skinkandy made its debut on the ASX, closing its first trading session up 6.8% from its initial public offering price. Samy Sriram, an analyst with investment platform Stake, noted that the Skinkandy IPO marks a break from the recent trend of Australian public listings being dominated by mining and materials companies.

    “With the recent listing of lifestyle brand Koala and now Skinkandy, we may be seeing a wave of more diversified companies choosing to go public on the Australian exchange,” Sriram said. “The IPO offers investors exposure to a high-growth retail concept, and its 27% EBITDA margin is particularly strong for a service-led retailer. If the company can maintain that margin as it expands internationally, its current valuation becomes much easier to justify. Early trading momentum suggests investors are willing to give the management team the benefit of the doubt for now.”

    Real estate stocks also rallied on the prospect of steady interest rates, with retirement village operators Gemlife Communities climbing 4% and Lifestyle Communities gaining 2.7%. Major industrial and retail property groups including Goodman Group, Vicinity Centres, Stockland, Charter Hall, and Mirvac all notched gains of more than 2% each. Buy now, pay later provider Zip Co added 2.7% after the company announced it had secured permanent rights to the Zip brand following a recent legal dispute.

  • Trump says Iran talks in ‘final stages’ to end war, as Tehran weighs proposal

    Trump says Iran talks in ‘final stages’ to end war, as Tehran weighs proposal

    A new push for a diplomatic resolution to ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran has entered its final phases, according to former U.S. President Donald Trump, even as hardening rhetoric and competing military moves in the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz keep regional tensions elevated. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump confirmed that negotiations between Washington and Tehran have advanced to the closing stages, warning that failure to reach a binding agreement could trigger harsh retaliatory measures from the U.S. “We’re in the final stages of Iran. We’ll see what happens. Either have a deal or we’re going to do some things that are a little bit nasty, but hopefully that won’t happen,” he told the press pool.

    Iranian officials have formally acknowledged receipt of a new U.S. peace proposal, confirming that Pakistan’s interior minister is currently in Tehran to serve as a neutral intermediary for communications between the two governments. Key regional U.S. partner Saudi Arabia has publicly welcomed Trump’s commitment to exploring diplomatic solutions, issuing a statement urging Iranian leadership to seize the opportunity to reach a negotiated settlement.

    In a reveal exclusive to Middle East Eye, Trump last week scrapped a pre-planned military strike on Iran after intense pushback from Gulf regional allies and senior members of his own national security team, who argued that launching an attack during the annual Hajj pilgrimage would carry unacceptable humanitarian and political risks. Trump later confirmed this account to reporters, noting that Gulf leaders had persuaded him to hold off on offensive action, and he would wait several additional days for a formal response from Tehran. The U.S. leader also held a diplomatic call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan; a readout from Erdogan’s office confirmed the Turkish leader backed the extended ceasefire and expressed confidence that a mutually acceptable negotiated solution to the conflict could be achieved.

    Trump’s public posture toward Iran has remained inconsistent in recent weeks, shifting sharply between optimistic claims that a breakthrough settlement is imminent and blunt threats to resume large-scale military hostilities. Iranian hardline leaders have pushed back against U.S. overtures, with parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issuing a stark warning that any renewed U.S. war effort would be met with a forceful Iranian response. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has additionally cautioned that any new conflict would quickly spread far beyond the boundaries of the Middle East. In an audio message carried by multiple Iranian state media outlets, Ghalibaf said, “The enemy’s movements, both overt and clandestine, show that despite economic and political pressure, it has not abandoned its military objectives and is seeking to start a new war.”

    Beyond diplomatic posturing, tangible shifts have been observed in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow strategic waterway through which roughly 20% of global oil trade passes. The waterway has become the central point of contention in ongoing peace talks, as Iran and the U.S. have enforced competing blockades in a bid to assert dominance over the route. On Wednesday, three large supertankers carrying a combined 6 million barrels of crude oil from Kuwait and Iraq bound for Asian markets transited the strait. Two of the vessels have reported ties to China, while the third is linked to South Korea.

    Data from global shipping intelligence firm Windward confirms the three vessels sailed along the northern corridor of the strait, the route Iran has designated for commercial traffic to allow for cargo inspections and the collection of transit tolls. The resumption of regular commercial transits alongside positive diplomatic developments pushed U.S. crude prices down 6% on Wednesday, settling at roughly $98 per barrel.

    Tehran has outlined its core demands for any final peace deal, with Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei confirming Wednesday that Iran is pushing to establish a joint security mechanism with Oman to guarantee long-term stability in the strait. Iran has long demanded international recognition of its authority over the waterway, including the right to collect transit tolls from commercial shipping.

    Despite the progress in talks, the U.S. has continued its long-running campaign of intercepting and seizing Iranian-flagged commercial vessels in international waters. The U.S. military confirmed Wednesday that U.S. Marine forces boarded an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman this week. “American forces released the vessel after searching and directing the ship’s crew to alter course,” U.S. Central Command, the military command that oversees U.S. operations in the Middle East, wrote in a post on X.

    Baghaei responded that any permanent peace deal would require the U.S. to immediately end what Iran describes as state-sponsored piracy against its commercial shipping. “Despite the negative record of the other side over the past year-and-a-half, Iran is pursuing the path of negotiations with seriousness and good faith, but it has strong and reasonable suspicion over America’s performance,” he added.

  • AFL 2026: Collingwood coach Craig McRae speaks on his comment to Brodie Grundy last week

    AFL 2026: Collingwood coach Craig McRae speaks on his comment to Brodie Grundy last week

    A recent Australian Football League (AFL) encounter has sparked unexpected media attention for Collingwood Magpies head coach Craig McRae, after a brief off-hand exchange with former club star Brodie Grundy — now a leading player with the Sydney Swans — during last week’s match between the two sides became a talking point among football pundits.

    During the game, which ended in a loss for Collingwood, McRae was positioned along the team’s interchange boundary when he handed the match ball back to Grundy and shared a short personal comment with the ruckman. The exact content of that exchange has not been released to the public, and Grundy did not respond publicly or visibly to McRae in the moments after the comment was made.

    Despite the low-key nature of the interaction, it has reignited long-running discussion around McRae’s choice to coach from the active boundary line, a coaching style that first drew public scrutiny after a similar on-field exchange with Greater Western Sydney tagger Toby Bedford during the opening round of the 2024 season.

    Speaking to reporters this week, McRae said he was taken aback by the intense line of questioning from media about the Grundy interaction. While he refused to disclose the specific wording of his comment, he repeatedly emphasized that the exchange was completely harmless. “No, I can’t articulate what I said because it was a personal thing. Seriously, it was just a moment in time, we keep moving on,” McRae told reporters.

    The coach noted that he built a close professional relationship with Grundy during his time at Collingwood, and said he holds the current Sydney star in high regard, adding that there was nothing inappropriate about the quick comment on game day. “If you have a strong relationship with someone, I don’t see an issue with it – I coached him… I have a really strong relationship (and) great respect for Brodie,” he said. “It was nothing untoward, at an appropriate time I will be able to tell you what I said.”

    McRae also doubled down on his preference for coaching from the boundary line, arguing that the position lets him build a closer connection with his on-field players and generates greater energy for the entire team. Addressing concerns that the comment may have offended Grundy, McRae said he was open to reaching out directly to the Swans star to clear up any misunderstanding, adding that he prioritizes maintaining positive relationships with former players who have moved on to other clubs.

    “I constantly try and connect with that part of our footy community, when you’re in the game as long as Pendles and other parts, there’s a lot of people,” McRae said. “Again, I’ve got great respect for Brodie and Brody Mihocek over here (at Melbourne) and Jack Ginnivan at other clubs. You build relationships that you hope, you go your different ways, but at some stage you’re going to come back and connect somewhere. I just want to respect the position I am in and I don’t think I take things for granted on that.”

    In addition to addressing the exchange with Grundy, McRae provided an injury and availability update for Collingwood’s upcoming round of matches. The club will receive a significant boost this week, with key starters Darcy Moore, Darcy Cameron, Pat Lipinski and Tim Membrey all cleared to return to selection. However, exciting winger Bobby Hill remains unavailable, as he waits for the birth of his first child.

    McRae confirmed that Hill is highly unlikely to feature in this weekend’s match, and said a return later in the season remains the expected outcome. “It’s probably unlikely, we’ve got some news brewing but we can’t say at the moment,” he said. “I will leave that for the appropriate time, it’s probably unlikely Bobby plays this week. That’s a bigger question (if he plays this season), I think at the moment I would hope to think so. We’re just in a position where his partner is expecting a baby really soon.”

    Grundy, who left Collingwood to join Sydney, claimed the best-on-ground medal for his performance during last Friday’s win over his former side.