Former Wallabies center Samu Kerevi has made a significant move by returning from Japan to pursue a place in Australia’s rugby sevens team for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. The 27-year-old midfielder, who has previously played 33 tests for Australia, including a prominent role in the 2019 Rugby World Cup, has been included in the squad for the Oceania Championship in Townsville, Queensland. The tournament, scheduled for June 25-27, will feature matches against Olympic champion Fiji, New Zealand, and an Oceania Barbarians team. Kerevi’s inclusion marks his first selection in the sevens format, alongside the return of Lewis Holland, Lachlan Anderson, and Tim Anstee from their Super Rugby commitments. Head coach Tim Walsh emphasized Kerevi’s potential as an impact player, citing his powerful ball-running and tackling abilities. Despite his lack of experience in sevens rugby, Kerevi has been training rigorously, even during his two-week quarantine, to adapt to the faster-paced game. Walsh noted that Kerevi’s presence has already elevated the team’s dynamics, though no guarantees have been made regarding his Olympic selection. The Oceania Championship will serve as a crucial preparatory event for the Tokyo Olympics, where the men’s rugby sevens tournament begins on July 26. This will be Fiji’s first competition in over a year due to COVID-19 restrictions, while New Zealand recently hosted a series with Australian sevens teams. The women’s tournament will also feature Australia’s Olympic champion squad, New Zealand, and Fiji, providing a final opportunity for teams to fine-tune their strategies ahead of the Games.
博客
-
Cruise giant Norwegian threatens to skip Florida’s ports
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, headquartered in Miami, has issued a stern warning to Florida, threatening to relocate its ships following Governor Ron DeSantis’s enactment of a law prohibiting businesses from mandating proof of COVID-19 vaccination. The company argues that this state legislation conflicts with federal health guidelines, which permit cruise operations in U.S. waters provided nearly all passengers and crew are vaccinated. CEO Frank Del Rio emphasized the tension between state and federal jurisdictions, stating, “Lawyers believe federal law supersedes state law, but we hope this doesn’t escalate into a legal or political battle.” Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which also owns Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, is exploring alternative bases in other states or the Caribbean if Florida remains inhospitable. Del Rio revealed these plans during the company’s quarterly earnings call, expressing optimism that a resolution could still be reached through ongoing discussions with DeSantis’s office. The governor’s recent executive order and subsequent legislation, which also grants him authority to override local pandemic-related measures, were framed as efforts to protect individual freedoms and privacy. However, the cruise industry, which has been grounded in U.S. waters since March 2020, is eager to resume operations. Federal guidelines from the CDC allow vaccinated cruises to bypass trial voyages and commence regular trips, provided 98% of crew and 95% of passengers are vaccinated. Despite these challenges, Norwegian reported a surge in bookings, signaling potential recovery by early 2022, even as the company posted a $1.37 billion loss in the first quarter of 2021.
-
Nine host cities announced for 2023 Women’s World Cup
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is set to make history as the first-ever tournament co-hosted by two nations from different confederations—Australia and New Zealand. Spanning nine cities across the two countries, the event will kick off at Auckland’s iconic Eden Park and culminate with the final at Sydney’s Stadium Australia. The semifinals will be divided between the two host nations, reflecting a format previously seen in events like the 2015 Cricket World Cup, which was also jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand. This groundbreaking tournament will feature an expanded lineup of 32 teams, up from 24 in the 2019 edition held in France, where the U.S. women’s national team emerged as champions. FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasized the event’s potential to inspire and transform women’s football globally, building on the success of the 2019 tournament. The host cities and stadiums include Adelaide’s Hindmarsh Stadium, Brisbane Stadium, Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, and Wellington’s Te Whanganui-a-Tara-Wellington Stadium, among others. The full schedule is expected to be announced later this year, following an eight-month selection process involving member federations from both countries.
-
UAE firms touted to join Israeli ‘Silicon Wadi’ project in East Jerusalem
Nearly three and a half years after the United Arab Emirates normalized diplomatic relations with Israel under a U.S.-brokered agreement, a proposed Israeli high-tech development project in occupied East Jerusalem that draws Emirati investment has emerged as a flashpoint of regional and diplomatic tension. The initiative, dubbed Silicon Wadi, envisions transforming the longstanding working-class neighborhood of Wadi al-Joz — just steps from the Old City’s historic walls and near Hebrew University’s northern campus — into a cutting-edge industrial hub that Israeli leaders frame as a step toward positioning Jerusalem as the Middle East’s premier high-tech capital.
The Jerusalem municipality, led by Israeli mayor Moshe Lion, first announced the ambitious project publicly back in January. According to details shared in Israeli media, the development will span a total of 350,000 square meters: 250,000 square meters dedicated to office and lab space for tech firms, with the remaining 100,000 square meters allocated to commercial outlets, hospitality infrastructure, and 13 car-free pedestrian corridors. Proponents estimate the project will cost roughly 2.1 billion Israeli shekels, equivalent to $600 million, and create as many as 10,000 new jobs in the city. The planned site currently houses hundreds of small local Palestinian businesses, including vehicle repair workshops, food outlets, retail shops, and storage warehouses, all of which would be cleared to make way for the new development.
Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Jerusalem’s deputy mayor who leads the municipality’s foreign relations and tourism portfolios, recently traveled to the UAE to court Emirati investors for the project. In comments to Israeli outlet Makor Rishon, she emphasized that Jerusalem holds strong brand recognition among Emirati business leaders, who she said are eager to engage with the city and plan visits. For Hassan-Nahoum, the project carries a broader strategic vision: “My dream is that Jerusalem will become a high-tech centre for the entire Middle East,” she stated, adding that the initiative creates a unique opportunity to connect Palestinian tech graduates to professional networks and investment opportunities in the UAE. Beyond the industrial park, the two sides have also laid out plans to boost Gulf tourism to East Jerusalem, with Hassan-Nahoum telling Israel Hayom that the city targets between 100,000 and 250,000 Muslim tourists annually, most of whom aim to visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
But Palestinian urban planning and policy experts are raising urgent red flags about the project, pointing to its unusual lack of official transparency and its implications for Palestinian sovereignty and the Arab identity of East Jerusalem. Khalil Tafakji, head of the maps department at Jerusalem’s Arab Studies Society and a leading expert on Israeli construction initiatives in occupied East Jerusalem, told Middle East Eye that no official steps have been launched for the project despite public comments in Israeli media. “When you have a building project such as this, you will officially announce it in the newspaper. This did not happen,” Tafakji explained, noting that the only public information available comes from informal statements to media outlets, rather than required official public planning notices or land expropriation processes that are mandatory for municipal construction projects. Tafakji added that Wadi al-Joz was already marked for a separate development project that would require the demolition of Palestinian-owned and rented properties, a pattern of displacement that Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem have faced for decades. Middle East Eye requested comment from the Jerusalem municipality on the secrecy concerns and project details, but received no response prior to publication.
Hatem Abdel-Kader, a former Palestinian Authority minister for Jerusalem affairs, called the project a deliberate Israeli push to cement control over occupied East Jerusalem and advance the Judaization of the city. Abdel-Kader confirmed the project is still in preliminary study phases and has not completed required official approval processes, but warned that the Wadi al-Joz neighborhood will be fundamentally altered in the near future. While he noted he has no confirmed details of Emirati involvement, he warned that if the investment goes forward, it would represent a dangerous development for Palestinian claims to the city. “This is a settlement project that harms the Arab identity of Jerusalem, despite Israelis claiming it will benefit Palestinians,” he said. Abdel-Kader added that the project is designed to further integrate occupied East Jerusalem into Israeli-controlled West Jerusalem, and any Arab participation in the initiative amounts to legitimizing Israel’s claim to all of Jerusalem as its unified capital, a status that has not been recognized by the international community.
-
Tight bight, small city: Virus sidelines ship, creates buzz
The small coastal town of Eastport, Maine, with a population of just 1,300, has become the temporary home to the Oceania Riviera, a massive cruise ship that towers over the community. The ship’s arrival highlights the challenges cruise companies face in finding docking locations during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has halted global cruise operations since mid-March. Chris Gardner, director of the Port of Eastport, likened the situation to a game of musical chairs, questioning where these ships can go when the music stops. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has banned cruises in U.S. waters until July 24, leaving thousands of crew members stranded at sea. While some Eastport residents initially feared the ship’s crew might introduce the virus to the area, these concerns were alleviated as crew members are not permitted to disembark. The Oceania Riviera, nearly 800 feet long and accompanied by a crew of 131, is being kept in a “warm layup” state, meaning it remains operational but without passengers. Eastport’s maritime facility, rebuilt in 2017 after its Breakwater Pier collapsed, is uniquely suited to host such a large vessel. The town, once known as the nation’s sardine capital, is now embracing the ship’s presence. Local businesses, including a waterfront restaurant that sold out of fish due to increased visitors, are benefiting from the unexpected influx of attention. Kevin Raye, president of the local chamber of commerce, described the ship as “magnificent” and a potential lifeline for struggling small businesses. While some residents are less enthusiastic, many local leaders hope this visit will pave the way for future cruise ship tourism, generating goodwill and revenue for the town.