Global Pulse

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  • Trump suggests new talks with Iran to begin on Monday

    Trump suggests new talks with Iran to begin on Monday

    On a Sunday flight aboard Air Force One, U.S. President Donald Trump made a sweeping announcement that new negotiations with Iran will kick off Monday afternoon, just days after he abruptly called off what he described as a “massive, unprecedented” military strike against the Islamic Republic that was already positioned and ready to launch.

    Speaking to reporters traveling with him, Trump confirmed that Iranian officials and key U.S. Middle Eastern allies had formally requested he delay the planned attack after preliminary agreement on core parameters for a potential diplomatic deal had been reached. “They saw the attack building, so they knew exactly how large it would be,” Trump told reporters. “Negotiations start tomorrow afternoon, and we will see how they progress. I’m not setting an artificial deadline for an agreement. We are fully prepared to resume military action at any moment if talks fall apart, but that is not the outcome I want – I have no interest in loss of life.”

    The U.S. leader specifically named Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, alongside United Arab Emirates and Qatari leaders, as key regional partners that urged him to hold off on weekend strikes. “We were completely locked and loaded to go,” he said. “They asked to hold off because they believe a deal is within reach. We already have a framework for an agreement on Strait of Hormuz shipping, and we will reach a deal on Iran’s nuclear program as well.”

    Trump also emphasized that calling off the strike, which he claimed would have been the largest U.S. military attack on a single target since World War II, was necessary to preserve the fragile path to diplomacy that has opened after months of escalating conflict. When pressed if the planned strike had targeted Iranian energy infrastructure – a move that international law experts have warned would qualify as a war crime that endangers civilian energy access – Trump declined to comment.

    However, Tehran has pushed back directly against Trump’s narrative. Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency dismissed the president’s claim that Iran requested a delay to strikes as “nothing but a new lie.” Despite that denial, Iranian state media reported Sunday that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed negotiations mediated by Oman focused on securing a Strait of Hormuz shipping agreement are “on track for finalization.”

    Iran’s acting Defense Minister Majid Ibn al-Reza reiterated Tehran’s position that all American military threats are taken seriously, regardless of whether they are framed as psychological warfare. “We will not be caught off guard, and we will not remain passive in the face of any aggression,” he stated.

    Following Trump’s announcement of incoming talks, global energy markets reacted positively in early Monday Asian trading. International benchmark Brent Crude dropped 4.5% to $83.98 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell 4.6% to $80.74 per barrel. Energy prices have swung wildly since the latest conflict between the U.S. and Iran began in February, driven by investor fears over disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that carries roughly 20% of the world’s total crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.

    Trump’s shift from aggressive military rhetoric to diplomacy follows a well-established pattern of the president’s approach to the conflict. Just this past Saturday, he posted to Truth Social warning that the U.S. was prepared to launch an attack on Iran “at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II,” only to reverse course hours later and announce he was cancelling the strike for “the future benefit of the world and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran.”

    This back-and-forth is not new. Back in April, Trump issued an extreme warning that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” if Iran refused to enter peace talks, while also threatening to destroy Iranian civilian infrastructure and power plants. That threat did eventually lead to historic face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan led by Vice President JD Vance, but those talks ultimately failed to produce a binding agreement.

    To date, the Trump administration has not released details on where Monday’s talks will be held, nor who will represent the two sides in the negotiations. The ongoing conflict and its economic fallout have become increasingly unpopular with U.S. voters, according to multiple national polls, including disapproval from a large share of Republican voters. The low approval ratings for Trump’s handling of the conflict have sparked growing concern among conservative political strategists ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections. This report includes additional reporting from Peter Hoskins.

  • Trump says new Iran talks set to start after calling off massive attack

    Trump says new Iran talks set to start after calling off massive attack

    Just days after threatening a massive military strike on Iran that he claimed would rank as the largest attack since World War II, U.S. President Donald Trump has reversed course, announcing that new bilateral negotiations with Tehran will kick off on Monday as the administration pursues a diplomatic end to the five-month conflict.

    Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday while returning from a weekend stay at his New Jersey golf club, Trump confirmed that talks would open the following afternoon, focusing first on the future of the Strait of Hormuz — the world’s most critical energy chokepoint that has emerged as the core flashpoint of the ongoing war — with an eventual goal of reaching an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program. He added that he had been urged to hold off on the planned strikes by Iran and key regional U.S. partners including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Iranian state media has since denied that Tehran made any such request to delay military action.

    The conflict between Washington and Tehran began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated surprise strikes against Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure. While intermittent diplomatic talks over the past five months have created temporary periods of reduced hostilities, fighting resumed last month after Iran tightened its control over the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that carries roughly 20% of the world’s daily oil supplies. Before the war, all vessels enjoyed free passage through the strait, but Iran closed the route after the start of hostilities, now demanding the right to control access and charge navigation tolls — a position the U.S. has flatly rejected.

    Following the resumption of strikes last month, regional tensions spiked dramatically. Trump openly threatened a devastating response against Iran, with U.S. diplomatic missions across the Middle East placed on high alert and reports indicating the administration was considering targeted strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure. By Saturday, however, the president announced he was pulling back from the threat, noting that the basic framework for a potential deal was already in place.

    On the Iranian side, parliamentary national security commission spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi confirmed Sunday that regional mediators are working to revive a preliminary U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding reached back in June. That earlier agreement was never meant to serve as a final peace deal, but rather as a foundation for broader comprehensive negotiations, and it already included core provisions related to the Strait of Hormuz. “They know that the main issue and, in fact, the key to the matter right now is the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, so yes, there is an exchange of views,” Ghashghavi said. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized the country’s position in a post on X, writing, “We must strive to compel the enemy to remain committed to what it has signed.”

    In a separate development, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told state television Sunday that Tehran is nearing a bilateral transit agreement with Oman, which shares the Strait of Hormuz’s opposite coastline, for a new navigation route through the waterway. Baqaei explained the proposed route would be a compromise between Tehran’s preferred northern route and Muscat’s proposed southern route, designed to respect the sovereign claims of both countries while protecting Iran’s national security and interests. He stressed, however, that the tentative deal would not amount to a full reopening of the strait to unrestricted international traffic.

    The ongoing restrictions on Hormuz traffic have already had a sharp impact on global trade: maritime analytics firm Kpler reported Friday that shipping volume through the strait has dropped dramatically in recent weeks. The continued volatility of the region was underscored Sunday, when the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed a commercial tanker off the Omani coast reported an explosion in its immediate vicinity. All crew and the vessel itself remained unharmed following the incident.

    Global energy markets reacted quickly to Trump’s negotiation announcement on Monday: West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell 4.7 percent to $80.72 per barrel in early Asian trading, as investors bet that reduced geopolitical risk would ease threats to global energy supplies.

  • ‘What was my fault?’: How India’s exam paper leak ended young lives

    ‘What was my fault?’: How India’s exam paper leak ended young lives

    Across the diverse social landscape of India, two young lives with one shared ambition met identical devastating ends, laying bare the human cost of systemic failure in the country’s high-stakes medical entrance examination process. In Ahmedabad, just three days before he was set to sit a rescheduled National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), 17-year-old Kahaan Patel jumped from the sixth floor of his family’s apartment building in the early hours of June 18. When his family entered his study bedroom after his death, every trace of his short, ambitious life remained: his laptop was still open, textbooks and stationery scattered across his bed and desk, his headphones still on where he had left them before the jump. In one corner stood his electric guitar, plugged into an amplifier, while his bookshelves held everything from Harry Potter and Goosebumps novels to a biography of Elon Musk, alongside a trophy he won for consistent academic performance. The only thing missing, his father Prashant Patel says quietly, was Kahaan.

    Kahaan was far from alone. He is one of at least 21 students who died by suicide after this year’s NEET exam was canceled over a widespread question paper leak, forcing nearly 2 million aspirants to retake the test. These tragic deaths became the emotional heart of an extraordinary youth-led uprising that spilled onto Delhi’s streets in July, as thousands of protesters demanded accountability for repeated government failures in managing national entrance examinations. After weeks of demonstrations organized by the satirical activist group Cockroach Janta Party, India’s education minister Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down. But behind the political upheaval are grieving families, left to piece together how an exam scandal escalated into a loss of life.

    For Prashant Patel, Kahaan’s story begins with a dream, not a funeral. After earning top marks in his secondary school leaving exams, Kahaan told his family he wanted to become a doctor – a goal no one in their family had ever pursued. The entire family restructured their lives around that ambition, relocating from Surat, a busy diamond and textile hub, to Ahmedabad, Gujarat’s largest city, so Kahaan could access a better secondary school and focused test preparation. Prashant, a lawyer, purchased an apartment close to both the city’s high court and Kahaan’s school, commuting between the two cities weekly while Kahaan lived in Ahmedabad with his mother Veena and younger brother Rihaan. “He took that decision himself,” his father says. “We only supported him.”

    Contrary to the stereotype of the singularly focused test aspirant, Kahaan was a well-rounded teenager with a wide range of passions. He played football for his school team, devoured fantasy and adventure novels, loved science fiction films, and spent hours teaching himself to play hard rock guitar riffs. He had even secured a U.S. visitor visa and was planning a trip back to Disneyland after his exam, excited to revisit a spot he first visited on a family trip 12 years earlier.

    Kahaan had already proven his skill: after the 2024 NEET leak, he took the exam as a practice run, and his score convinced both him and his teachers he was on track to secure a spot in a top medical college. When he exited the May 3 exam hall this year, he called his father giddy with relief. “Daddy, I am so happy. I am feeling free, relaxed. I’m going for dinner with my friends. I’m enjoying,” he told his father, who replied, “This is your time. Enjoy.”

    That joy shattered just days later, when reports of a widespread question paper leak broke. Kahaan’s parents tried to shield him from the news, but it spread quickly among his coaching classmates. He cut short a holiday with friends at a farmhouse, rushing home to retrieve study materials he had already given away to younger students, just in case a retest was ordered. Within days, the government officially announced the exam would be canceled and all candidates would have to retake it.

    “That was when he became angry,” his father recalls. “He kept asking me: ‘Is this a system? Is this how it works? What is my fault? What is the fault of students who gave the exam honestly? Why is the government taking it so casually?’” Prashant tried to reassure his son, telling him the broken system was out of their control. Now, he wonders if his words came off as resignation rather than comfort. “Maybe he was disappointed. Maybe he was suffering inside,” he says.

    There were few obvious warning signs. The evening before his death, Kahaan chatted cheerfully with his grandfather, who had just landed in Melbourne to visit family, and asked him to bring back Puma football boots and Levi’s denim. Later that night, he spoke to his father, who ended the call with one final reassurance: “You proved yourself once. You don’t have to prove yourself again.” Just hours later, he was dead. Only after his death did friends tell Prashant how deeply the scandal had shaken his son’s trust in the system.

    770 kilometers away in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district, another grieving father asks the same unanswered questions. 23-year-old Pradeep Kumar, the only student from his small village preparing for NEET, dreamed of becoming a doctor – a milestone that would have lifted his entire working-poor family into the professional middle class. Pradeep’s father Rajesh, a 45-year-old small-scale farmer, left school as a child, and Pradeep’s mother never attended school at all. “He would tell me, ‘I want to serve people so much that they will remember me,’” Rajesh says.

    To pay for Pradeep’s coaching – the key to securing a good NEET rank – Rajesh sold part of his family land and took out a 1 million rupee ($10,480) bank loan. In 2022, Pradeep moved to Sikar, one of India’s largest entrance exam coaching hubs, sharing a small rented room with his older sister Babita, who was preparing for police recruitment exams. After two attempts, his rank improved steadily, and a spot at a government medical college finally seemed within reach.

    Pradeep dedicated every moment of his life to that goal, following a relentless 16-hour daily routine: waking at 4:30 a.m., attending coaching classes, studying independently until 9 p.m., then sleeping, repeating the cycle day after day. He refused to own a mobile phone, telling his father, “I’ll buy one after I’m selected. Phones distract me.” His only small indulgence was a collection of 10 cheap wristwatches he bought from roadside vendors during trips home.

    When he walked out of the May 3 exam, he was smiling, telling his father, “This time my selection is guaranteed.” The family planned to leave Sikar and return to their village to celebrate. Instead, the paper leak news broke, and a retest was ordered, meaning Pradeep would have to attempt NEET for a fourth time. He accepted the news stoically, telling his father they would just have to prepare again.

    On the morning of May 15, Rajesh sent his son his daily delivery of fresh milk and homemade curd on the local bus, as he had done almost every day for four years. Pradeep called to confirm it had arrived, then bought fresh okra from a roadside vendor and told his sister to go bathe, saying they would cook the okra together when she returned. When she came back half an hour later, the door was locked. In that short window, Pradeep had taken his own life. “He never told me anything,” Rajesh says. “He seemed happy.”

    Speaking about the leak, his voice hardens with anger and grief. “I sold my land to educate him. Those who have money buy question papers. Those who study honestly are left behind. The government snatched away my son. If the paper had not leaked, Pradeep would be alive today. He would have been celebrating.”

    Kahaan and Pradeep came from vastly different worlds: one was the son of a middle-class lawyer, the other the child of a small farmer who mortgaged his future to fund his son’s dream. One planned a trip to Disneyland after his exam, the other postponed buying a mobile phone until he secured his medical seat. Yet both fathers are left grappling with the same devastating question: how did children who worked tirelessly to earn their future lose all faith in the system designed to reward their hard work?

    Weeks after Kahaan’s funeral, Prashant was pulled out of his crippling grief by the student protest movement. He traveled to Delhi twice to join the July demonstrations, saying he did not go for government compensation – he went to demand accountability. The weeks of protests ultimately forced Pradhan’s resignation on July 25, and the government issued statements of sympathy for the bereaved families, promising maximum compensation per existing regulations. But for Prashant, the real impact of the movement is far deeper.

    After watching students return to the streets despite a violent police crackdown on July 20, he says, “I wanted to thank them because they had become Kahaan’s voice. If these children can come back after being beaten and still fight for justice, that gives me strength.” His son never found the courage to speak out before he died, Prashant says: “Kahaan didn’t speak out. Instead, he took his own life. The other children spoke.” He leaves a message he wishes every parent and every government official would hear: “Our duty is to hear the voices of the young before they fall silent.”

  • Israel revels in Spain’s migrant crisis while embarrassing ally Morocco

    Israel revels in Spain’s migrant crisis while embarrassing ally Morocco

    A deadly mass migration crossing crisis at the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta has become a geopolitical flashpoint, with senior Israeli political figures openly mocking and exploiting the tragedy to punish Spain for its critical stance on Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The crisis, which left at least 70 migrants dead and dozens more missing, has laid bare tangled diplomatic tensions across the Middle East, North Africa and Europe, even as questions swirl about the origins of the unprecedented surge in crossings.

    More than 60,000 Moroccan migrants attempted to cross the border from Morocco into Ceuta, a small Spanish territory surrounded by Moroccan land, in a sudden mass movement that caught Spanish authorities off guard. Among the fatalities was Faten Ben Omar El Azizi, a promising young female footballer for Moroccan club Moghreb Atletico Tetuan. Her death has cast a stark spotlight on the disconnect between Morocco’s heavy investment in elite football development and the systemic economic and social desperation driving thousands of young people to risk their lives for a chance to reach European soil. In a raw video recorded shortly before her burial, El Azizi’s mother questioned the circumstances that allowed the border to open, asking: “The youth are lost… Who opened the door the first time? Why did they open it so that our children could be killed?”

    Multiple independent reports have indicated that Moroccan state authorities, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, deliberately opened the border gates to Ceuta (known as Sabtah in Morocco) last Thursday, sending an implicit signal to migrants that the route into Spanish territory was passable. While Madrid has declined to publicly accuse Rabat of orchestrating the crisis, a confidential source close to the Spanish foreign ministry confirmed to Middle East Eye that senior Spanish officials privately hold Morocco responsible for deliberately engineering the surge. Spanish outlet The Objective further reported that Spanish military and civilian intelligence agencies received repeated advance warnings of an impending mass crossing ahead of Morocco’s Throne Day celebrations, but senior officials disregarded all alerts, even as observers documented an unusual influx of buses carrying migrants to Fnideq, the Moroccan town closest to the Ceuta border.

    The strategic motive behind Morocco’s actions remains opaque, though analysts note it comes as a major blow to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who worked extensively to repair bilateral relations after a 15-month diplomatic rupture between 2020 and 2022. Sanchez made a landmark concession to Morocco in 2022, endorsing Rabat’s autonomy proposal for the disputed Western Sahara territory, and later supported Morocco’s inclusion in the joint Spanish-Portuguese bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Despite these overtures, the crisis has effectively undermined the fragile bilateral alliance, leaving Sanchez politically weakened at a time when his relationship with the U.S. government has also deteriorated.

    It is Israeli officials who have moved most quickly to exploit the crisis for their own diplomatic gain, targeting Spain for its unflinching condemnation of Israel’s military operations in Gaza and its refusal to back the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Danny Danon, posted a message on social media platform X last week that barely concealed his satisfaction with the crisis, writing: “Spain, which never misses an opportunity to lecture Israel, has declared a state of emergency in Ceuta following the crisis over its immigration policy.” The claim was immediately disproven: Spain never declared a state of emergency in the enclave.

    Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir went further, offering sarcastic “congratulations” to Sanchez and mocking Spain’s pro-Palestine stance in a provocative post. “As someone who demonstrates great concern for Hamas and the residents of Gaza, I call on you to translate words into actions: open the doors of Spain and grant refuge to the residents of Gaza who seek to emigrate,” he wrote.

    Geopolitical analyst Denis Cenusa, a fellow at the Centre for European Policy Analysis, explained that the coordinated Israeli campaign is deliberate retaliation for Spain’s position. “The involvement of official Israeli channels and associated social media accounts in amplifying anti-Spanish rhetoric in the wake of the Ceuta crisis seeks to undermine Spanish strategic positions in the Middle East and North Africa region,” Cenusa told Middle East Eye. “This constitutes clear retaliation for Spain’s firm stance on the Palestinian cause and the joint US-Israeli attacks against Iran.”

    The Israeli push extends beyond social media rhetoric, with Israeli leadership also questioning Spain’s sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla, alongside the United States. Earlier this year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Sanchez’s government of waging a “diplomatic war” against Israel and warned it would “not be allowed to continue without paying an immediate price.” Many analysts now view the exploitation of the Ceuta crisis as exactly that promised price. Cenusa added: “The Israeli ambassador to the UN and unofficial accounts on X have been amplifying anti-colonial rhetoric directed against Spain. Their emergence coincided with the height of the crisis, which could indicate a degree of coordination.”

    In the U.S., a recent House Appropriations Committee report published in late April referred to Ceuta and Melilla as “Spanish-controlled cities located in Moroccan territory” and called on the U.S. Secretary of State to推进 negotiations over their disputed status. While the language only appeared in an attached report, not the main text of the legislation, it was widely read as a deliberate diplomatic signal to Madrid, a NATO member. To date, no concrete public evidence has emerged of formal coordination between Israel, the U.S. and Morocco to orchestrate the crisis, but senior members of the Spanish government have raised the possibility of covert alignment. Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente went public with the suspicion, writing in a shared social media post: “Some in Washington, Tel Aviv, and Rabat… wanted images of our security forces and armed forces machine-gunning children on the beach.”

  • ‘We’ll have a conversation’: Wests Tigers will make calls on injured stars during the bye week as Jason Ryles demands consistency

    ‘We’ll have a conversation’: Wests Tigers will make calls on injured stars during the bye week as Jason Ryles demands consistency

    For the struggling Wests Tigers, the NRL’s final bye week of the 2024 season could not have come at a more opportune moment, with head coach Benji Marshall preparing to make high-stakes decisions about injured star players and team selection that will shape both the end of the current campaign and the club’s long-term future.

    After a devastating two-month form slump that has seen the club drop seven consecutive matches and stumble to an effectively season-eliminated position, Marshall will use the seven-day break to weigh two competing priorities: grinding out a few late wins to salvage some pride from the year, or prioritizing long-term health and development by moving injured stars to season-ending surgery and giving young developing prospects valuable top-flight experience.

    The Tigers have already had byes in rounds 1 and 12, leaving the squad stretched by two long stretches of back-to-back competitive matches. The team’s attacking unit has collapsed entirely during their losing streak, managing to put up just 45 points across their last six outings, a statistic that has left them adrift in the league standings.

    In their most recent outing, a heart-breaking narrow loss to the Parramatta Eels on Sunday, playmaker Adam Doueihi turned in a standout performance in his first game back after missing the club’s previous loss to Canberra, scoring a try and nailing a late field goal. Even Doueihi’s best effort was not enough to halt the Tigers’ losing run, however.

    Speaking after the match, Marshall acknowledged the physical toll the brutal losing streak has taken on his playing group, noting that multiple key stars have been playing through serious injuries that would already have required surgery for most players.

    “It’s taking its toll,” Marshall said. “We’ve got guys playing busted who probably should have surgery but are still playing to fight for the club, which says how much it means to some of the blokes. So in terms of niggles and injury, it’s a good time for us.”

    One of the biggest calls on the table is the future of fullback Jahream Bula, who has been managing a persistent shoulder injury for months and was barely able to impact Sunday’s match, which was marked as Api Koroisau’s 250th NRL game. The bye week opens the door for the club to send Bula and other injured players in for early surgery to get them healthy ahead of next season, a move that would require accepting further losses late in this campaign to open up spots in the matchday squad for young prospects.

    Marshall must also decide how much game time he is willing to give rising young talents like Javon Andrews, who would benefit from senior minutes ahead of the 2027 season and beyond, ahead of tough upcoming road matches against the Sydney Roosters, North Queensland Cowboys, and Penrith Panthers.

    The coach confirmed that the entire staff and playing group will hold strategic discussions this week to map out the final four weeks of the season, after using Sunday’s match to honor Koroisau’s milestone. “This game was a big occasion for us. We wanted to play for Api, and everyone wanted to be on board for that. I guess the bye gives us a good chance to just take a breath, have a look at the final four weeks, what the priorities are moving forward, and make a plan accordingly,” Marshall explained. “I want to win as many games as possible to finish the season. That’s the first priority. How that looks, we’ll see.”

    While the Tigers were left to lick their wounds, the Eels celebrated a narrow win that netted them two crucial competition points, though head coach Jason Ryles made it clear he was far from satisfied with his side’s performance on Sunday. The Eels committed 15 unforced errors throughout the match, a mistake count Ryles described as unacceptable.

    “The outcome was winning. The process wasn’t good,” Ryles said. “It was simple, fundamental errors that were self-inflicted. We have made a habit of that this year, and against an opposition further up the table, you don’t win those games.”

    Ryles lamented his young, inexperienced side’s ongoing inconsistency: after pushing reigning premiers Penrith to the brink in a heroic performance last week, the Eels turned in a messy, disjointed display against the lowly Tigers. Isaiah Iongi scored a late match-winning try for the Eels, but that did little to ease Ryles’ frustration with the team’s overall effort.

    “It was a really good performance from our younger guys in particular, to take Penrith to where we took them (last week) and probably be a little bit unlucky, to then dish that up is the most disappointing part,” he said. “It’s about being consistent every week. You can play NRL or you can be an NRL player. An NRL player is consistent every week, and we’re still learning that.”

    Ryles added that the squad understands where they fell short, and the quick six-day turnaround ahead of their next match against South Sydney on Saturday is a welcome chance to put the poor performance behind them quickly. “The players are not silly. They are disappointed in the way we went about it and our process. But when you do win a game of footy at the NRL level, you have to make sure you celebrate it. Then we’ll park it, review it, and move on. I’m glad it’s a six-day turnaround.”

  • Man dies after crash in County Donegal

    Man dies after crash in County Donegal

    A fatal road collision in rural County Donegal, Republic of Ireland, has claimed the life of a man in his 20s, leaving another young woman with life-threatening injuries and a third person in medical care, authorities confirmed on Wednesday. The crash, which involved a standard passenger car and a larger 4×4 utility vehicle, unfolded shortly before 3 p.m. BST in the Fincashel area of Pettigo, a small village near the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

    Emergency services were dispatched to the collision site immediately after receiving reports of the incident. Upon arrival, first responders confirmed the 20-s-old male from the passenger car had already died at the scene. Following standard protocol, his remains were transferred to University Hospital Letterkenny for post-mortem examination and identification procedures.

    A female passenger in the same car, also in her 20s, suffered serious, life-altering injuries in the impact and was airlifted by emergency medical teams to a local major trauma center for urgent surgical intervention. The driver of the 4×4 vehicle, a man in his 60s, was also taken to hospital as a precautionary measure to undergo mandatory medical assessment for any potential, as yet undisclosed, injuries.

    In the hours following the crash, local law enforcement implemented full road closures at the collision site to allow for forensic collision investigation teams to document evidence and clear the wreckage. Official traffic diversions have been put in place to redirect all through-traffic around the affected area, and authorities have not yet announced when the road will reopen to the public.

    Gardaí, the national police service of the Republic of Ireland, have launched a formal investigation into the exact cause of the collision and are issuing a public appeal for any witnesses who may have seen either vehicle in the area leading up to the crash, or anyone who was present at the time of the impact, to come forward with information. Investigators are particularly keen to obtain dashcam footage from any motorists who were traveling along the road in the 15 minutes before and after the collision, as such footage could provide critical evidence to help reconstruct the events leading up to the tragedy.

  • Sudan army drone attack on Darfur court kills 35

    Sudan army drone attack on Darfur court kills 35

    A drone attack carried out by Sudan’s regular army on a traditional civilian court in the war-torn western region of Darfur has killed at least 35 people, according to a human rights documentation group that has tracked abuses across Sudan’s three-year civil conflict. The strike, which took place around 1:00 pm local time on Sunday, targeted the village of Garra al-Zawaya in North Darfur state, an area currently held by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the army’s long-standing opponent in the ongoing conflict that broke out in April 2023.

    The Emergency Lawyers, the group that first documented the incident, confirmed that the strike hit the court while dozens of local civilians had gathered to attend routine hearings on local disputes and community cases. An anonymous local witness, who spoke to Agence France-Presse (AFP) on condition of anonymity to protect their safety, added that the open-air court session was being held under a large tree with local community leadership in attendance. The witness confirmed that the death toll includes four prominent local tribal leaders and two senior RSF commanders, alongside a number of ordinary civilian attendees. The RSF’s self-declared interim government has issued a formal condemnation of the attack, framing it as a “horrific crime” and claiming the actual death toll is higher at 37 killed, with an additional 50 people wounded. As of Monday morning, the Sudanese army had not issued any official response to the claims.

    Garra al-Zawaya sits roughly 150 kilometers west of El-Fasher, the former last major Sudanese army stronghold in Darfur that RSF forces captured in a deadly offensive last October. United Nations war investigators have already concluded that the violence perpetrated by RSF forces during the siege and capture of El-Fasher bears all the key hallmarks of genocide. After seizing control of El-Fasher, the RSF – which grew out of the infamous Janjaweed militia accused of mass atrocities in Darfur during the early 2000s – has consolidated its control over most of the broader Darfur region.

    In the months following the El-Fasher campaign, both warring parties have sharply ramped up their reliance on drone warfare to strike enemy positions. UN data shows that more than 1,000 civilians were killed in drone strikes across Sudan in just the first five months of 2025, marking a dramatic escalation of civilian harm from aerial attacks. The escalating violence has spread beyond Darfur in recent weeks, focusing on the key southern Kordofan city of El-Obeid. After RSF forces seized control of a critical highway connecting the capital Khartoum to El-Obeid last week, RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo released a public video telling his fighters they were “unleashed” to wage all-out war against the army.

    El-Obeid, the largest urban center in southern Kordofan, has faced relentless drone attacks in recent weeks, prompting the United Nations to issue a rare “red alert” over what UN officials describe as an unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in the city. The RSF has moved to reimpose a full blockade on El-Obeid, and intelligence assessments suggest the paramilitary group is preparing for a large-scale ground offensive to capture the city. The UN has repeatedly warned that a full RSF takeover of El-Obeid and the wider Kordofan region could trigger a new wave of mass atrocities against civilian populations.

    Sudan’s ongoing civil war between former allies Daglo and army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has already killed tens of thousands of people, displaced more than 10 million Sudanese, and created what the United Nations calls the world’s worst current humanitarian crisis, with the largest population facing acute hunger and displacement globally. Both the army and the RSF have been formally accused of committing widespread war crimes, including indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure and population centers. The RSF has faced particularly robust international condemnation for systemic sexual violence, widespread looting, and targeted mass atrocities against civilian communities.

  • ‘Transcended football’: Blues on the hunt for a new coach after Laurie Daley stands down following famous win

    ‘Transcended football’: Blues on the hunt for a new coach after Laurie Daley stands down following famous win

    Weeks after delivering a landmark State of Origin series victory for New South Wales at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, Laurie Daley has formally announced his departure from the role of NSW Blues head coach, leaving NSW Rugby League (NSWRL) officials with a pivotal decision to make on his replacement.

    Daley, one of the most iconic figures in NSW rugby league history, bows out of the top job at the peak of his coaching tenure, wrapping up a decorated association with the Blues that spans decades as both a player and a leader. His playing career saw him make history as the first NSW captain to secure three consecutive State of Origin series wins between 1992 and 1994, and he carried that winning legacy into coaching. He first took the helm in 2014, where he ended Queensland’s record-breaking eight-year consecutive series winning streak – a triumph still regarded as one of the greatest upsets in Origin history. After a short break, Daley returned for a second coaching stint last year, facing widespread scrutiny from fans and pundits alike after NSW lost a home decider in 2024. Criticism followed him into the 2026 series, with analysts questioning his player selection strategies and bench management tactics. But Daley brushed off the backlash to lead the under-pressure Blues to a decisive game three victory in Brisbane, cementing his place in Origin folklore: he is the only NSW representative to claim an away series win at Suncorp Stadium as both a captain and a coach.

    In a statement confirming his departure, Daley spoke of his lifelong pride in representing his home state. “I’ve always considered it an absolute honour and privilege to be involved with the NSW Blues State of Origin team, whether that was as a player or a coach, and I’ve always been ready to answer the call for my state whenever they needed me,” he said. “We faced plenty of challenges in the 2026 series and I’m proud of the way the players banded together to overcome them and save their best performance for game three in Brisbane to secure a memorable series win. I thank the fans for their passion and their support, and I can’t think of a better way to move on with the shield back where it belongs in NSW.”

    Daley added that he was grateful for the opportunity to work alongside a talented cohort of players, coaching staff and administrators throughout his tenure. “The dedication, resilience and care they showed for each other and for the jersey is something I will always be proud to have witnessed,” he said.

    NSWRL chief executive David Trodden, who faced heavy criticism for choosing to re-appoint Daley last year, said the 2026 series win vindicated that decision, adding that the organisation owed Daley a profound debt of gratitude for his decades of service. “NSWRL owes a massive debt of gratitude to Laurie for the service he has given to his state as both a player and a coach,” Trodden said. “He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players to have ever pulled on a sky blue jumper. He has also led NSW to arguably two of the greatest Origin series wins of all time as a coach after ending Queensland’s eight-year winning streak in 2014 and overcoming adversity to steer the Blues home in 2026. Those wins transcended football. They lifted and reinvigorated the whole state. He deserves to leave the NSW Origin arena as the hero that he is.”

    Now, NSWRL officials face the task of selecting a new head coach to carry on Daley’s legacy, with two high-profile former Blues stars emerging as the early frontrunners. Former Blues captain Boyd Cordner, who served as an assistant coach under Daley during the 2026 series, is widely tipped as the top candidate to take over for the next campaign. Cordner, who represented NSW 16 times throughout his playing career, has already built a strong coaching resume through his successful work leading the Sydney Roosters’ youth development pathways program.

    Fellow former Blues forward and current assistant coach Matt King is the second leading contender for the role. Penrith Panthers head coach Ivan Cleary, who is set to finish his tenure with the Panthers next year, has been heavily linked to the job despite publicly ruling himself out of the running for 2027. Many rugby league observers continue to push for Cleary to take over the role immediately, with a potential move to the Blues job in 2028 already flagged if he declines an earlier appointment. Should the top two frontrunners and Cleary decline the opportunity, Andrew and Matthew Johns are considered long-shot outsider candidates for the role.

  • 60yo man shot in home invasion at South Wentworthville, Sydney

    60yo man shot in home invasion at South Wentworthville, Sydney

    A violent late-night home invasion has left a 60-year-old resident injured in South Wentworthville, western Sydney, after two attackers disguised in balaclavas broke into his property and opened fire. Emergency services responded to reports of the shooting on Boronia Street just after 9:10 PM on Sunday, rushing the wounded man to hospital for urgent treatment.

    According to initial statements from New South Wales Police, the two assailants gained entry to the residential property before shooting the man and fleeing the area immediately after the attack. Hospital officials confirmed that while the victim is being treated for a gunshot wound, his injuries are not classified as life-threatening, and he remains in a stable condition as he receives care.

    Law enforcement officers have now cordoned off the property to establish a formal crime scene, where forensic teams are processing evidence to identify the attackers and determine a motive for the assault. Investigators have issued a public appeal for any witnesses, or members of the local community who noticed suspicious activity on Boronia Street around the time of the incident, to contact police with any information that could assist the ongoing inquiry.

  • Ariana Grande pulls out of musical for break from ‘endless’ scrutiny

    Ariana Grande pulls out of musical for break from ‘endless’ scrutiny

    Global pop superstar Ariana Grande has announced she will step away from the public eye and exit a highly anticipated West End musical production once her current world tour wraps up, ending months of growing speculation over her well-being amid relentless public attention.

    The 33-year-old Grammy-winning singer, whose latest studio album *Petal* dropped just two days ago, has faced heightened online and tabloid scrutiny over her physical appearance and personal health in recent years. That speculation exploded in recent days after promotional materials for the new record sent social media discussions about her body trending. A spokesperson for Grande confirmed the star’s plans to *People* magazine, noting that she will pull back from public visibility following the conclusion of her *Eternal Sunshine* tour next month, a break prompted by what the representative called “endless, ongoing public scrutiny.”

    Grande was originally attached to star as Dot in a major 2027 revival of Stephen Sondheim’s beloved 1984 musical *Sunday in the Park with George*, scheduled to run at London’s iconic Barbican Centre. She was set to share the stage with her *Wicked* movie co-star Jonathan Bailey, who would portray the iconic pointillist painter Georges Seurat in the production. On the heels of Grande’s public break announcement, the show’s producing team, Empire Street Productions, confirmed her exit and expressed full backing for her decision.

    “Following this evening’s announcement from Ariana Grande’s team, we can confirm that she has decided to step back from *Sunday in the Park with George*,” a representative for the production told the BBC. “We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support. We wish her nothing but the best.” The production will move forward with a new casting search to fill Grande’s role, the team confirmed.

    Grande’s representative pushed back against harmful speculation about the singer’s health, emphasizing that she remains in good shape as she finishes the final leg of her demanding tour. The *Thank U, Next* and *7 Rings* hitmaker’s *Eternal Sunshine* tour is a physically demanding production that requires high-level athletic performance night after night, and the representative confirmed she has consistently delivered successful, healthy shows throughout the run. The star looks forward to wrapping the tour “on a high note, both healthily and happily” before beginning her planned break from public life, they added.

    The BBC has reached out to Grande’s representatives for additional comment following the announcement, which has drawn widespread support from fans across social media who have echoed calls for less invasive scrutiny of celebrities’ personal lives and bodies.