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  • Qualifier Chwalinska sets up Andreeva French Open final clash

    Qualifier Chwalinska sets up Andreeva French Open final clash

    The 2025 French Open has delivered one of the most stunning underdog stories in Grand Slam history, as Polish world No. 114 Maja Chwalinska etched her name into the Roland Garros record books on Thursday, becoming the first qualifier in the professional Open era to advance to the women’s singles final. Her run sets up a blockbuster title clash against 19-year-old Russian rising star Mirra Andreeva, who booked her own first-ever Grand Slam final spot with a dominant semi-final win earlier the same day.

    Chwalinska claimed her place in Saturday’s decider with a hard-fought 7-6(4), 6-4 victory over 25th seed Diana Shnaider, a result that comes on the back of a grueling nine-match campaign that stretches back to the qualifying rounds three weeks ago. The 24-year-old Pole, who was making her first main draw appearance at Roland Garros, had to win three qualifying matches just to earn her spot in the main draw, and has defied all pre-tournament odds to reach the final stage. A win this weekend would make her only the second women’s qualifier to claim a Grand Slam singles title since the Open Era began, following Emma Raducanu’s fairytale 2021 US Open victory.

    Fresh off her upset win over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals, Shnaider pushed Chwalinska to the limit in a contest that lasted two hours and 10 minutes. After a tightly contested first set that went to a tiebreak, the second set remained on serve until Shnaider called a medical time-out for a back massage at 3-4. When play resumed, Chwalinska found another gear, winning three straight games to close out the match and secure her place in history. Speaking to the crowd after the match on Court Philippe Chatrier, an emotional Chwalinska described her run as nothing short of a dream. “I don’t know what’s going on, I just, I dunno what to say. I’m sorry, I’m just very happy,” she told the raucous crowd, admitting that after nine matches of high-stakes tennis, her physical condition was far from ideal. But she brushed off any complaints, adding: “It’s so challenging to play against the best players in the world day by day, but it’s a Grand Slam so you just have to give your best day by day. But I’m not complaining at all!”

    Chwalinska’s historic run has been marked by a string of stunning upsets that began in the very first round of the main draw, where she knocked out Olympic medalist Zheng Qinwen. She went on to upset 23rd seed Elise Mertens, former world No. 3 Maria Sakkari, French hometown favorite Diane Parry, and 22nd seed Anna Kalinskaya to reach the semi-finals. Before this tournament, Chwalinska had only ever won one Grand Slam main draw match (at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships) and just two tour-level matches on clay in her entire career. Regardless of the result in the final, her standout performance is projected to lift her to at least a new career-high ranking of No. 21 in the world when the new rankings are released next week. For her part, Shnaider praised Chwalinska after the match, acknowledging she had produced a level of play that was unbeatable on the day. “Very proud of myself, what I achieved here,” Shnaider said of her own career-best Grand Slam run. “(Chwalinska) played unreal, and she definitely deserved this win today and to be in the final.”

    Earlier in the day, Andreeva delivered a dominant performance of her own to dispatch Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk 6-1, 6-3 and book her spot in her first major final. The 19-year-old 15th seed, who had lost twice to Kostyuk already this season including in the Madrid Open final, completed her lopsided revenge win in just 76 minutes, saying her focus was so sharp that she could make out individual hairs on the ball during rallies. “I’m super happy with the way I played and then that I got revenge for Madrid final and I’m happy that I’m in my first-ever Grand Slam final,” Andreeva said after the match.

    Kostyuk came into the semi-final riding a 17-match winning streak on clay, fresh off her own massive upset win over four-time defending French Open champion Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals. But the 23-year-old Ukrainian, who was also playing in her first Grand Slam semi-final, struggled with unforced errors all afternoon, finishing the match with 34 unforced errors that derailed her run. “Obviously not the greatest match from me today,” she admitted after the match. Despite the loss, Kostyuk can take pride in a breakout clay-court season that includes titles in Rouen and her first WTA 1000 title in Madrid. For Andreeva, the win extended her 2025 tour-leading win total to 35 match victories for the season, cementing her status as one of the most in-form players on the tour this year. Saturday’s final will now pit two of the tour’s most surprising breakout stars against each other, with one set to claim the most prestigious clay-court title in the sport.

  • Qualifier Chwalinska downs Shnaider to reach French Open final

    Qualifier Chwalinska downs Shnaider to reach French Open final

    Roland Garros witnessed one of the most remarkable underdog stories in modern Grand Slam tennis on Thursday, when Poland’s unseeded world number 114 Maja Chwalinska outlasted Russia’s 25th seed Diana Shnaider in straight sets to etch her name into French Open history books. The 24-year-old secured a 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 victory to become the first qualifier in the Open (professional) era to advance all the way to the women’s singles final at Roland Garros.

    This historic run is far more than a one-tournament upset: Chwalinska is competing in just her third main draw appearance at any major tournament, and her first ever main draw start in Paris. She also joins an elite club, becoming only the second woman to navigate qualifying and reach a Grand Slam singles final in the Open era, following Emma Raducanu’s legendary title-winning run at the 2021 US Open. Having failed to qualify for Roland Garros on three previous attempts, Chwalinska has now won nine consecutive matches across three weeks of qualifying and main draw play, putting her one win away from the sport’s most prestigious clay-court title.

    The match itself pitted Chwalinska’s versatile, crafty all-court game against Shnaider’s signature power hitting. The Pole claimed an early break to go up 3-1, capitalizing on deft touch: a well-placed drop shot followed by a cleverly disguised deep backhand slice created three break opportunities, which she converted when Shnaider sent a forehand wide. Shnaider responded quickly, breaking right back to level the set, even earning an impressed thumbs-up from Chwalinska after a perfectly weighted drop shot of her own.

    In the opening-set tiebreak, a wild off-target forehand from Chwalinska put Shnaider ahead 4-1, but the patient Pole flipped the script, winning six of the next seven points to close out the first set. To open the second set, the two players traded breaks of serve under partially cloudy skies that left the centre court roof partially open. When Shnaider held a 4-3 lead, she called a medical timeout to receive treatment for back tightness. Chwalinska adjusted her game plan after the break, extending rallies to tire her opponent, and broke Shnaider in the very next service game to move within one game of the upset. She sealed her historic spot in the final with a clean forehand winner.

    Minutes after the match concluded, Chwalinska told reporters on Court Philippe Chatrier that her breakthrough run feels nothing short of miraculous. “It’s like a dream,” she said. “I don’t know what’s going on, I just… I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry, I’m just very happy.” The statement drew raucous applause from the packed centre court crowd. When asked about the ice-cold composure she has displayed throughout her underdog run, Chwalinska admitted her outward calm hides a flurry of emotion. “I’m crazy sometimes also, yeah,” she said. “But I try to stay composed because I know it’s the best way for me… But inside there’s a storm believe me.”

    Chwalinska will next face Russian eighth seed Mirra Andreeva in Saturday’s championship match, for what will be her 10th and final match of the tournament. When asked about her preparations for the title decider, Chwalinska said she plans to savor the moment before turning her focus to recovery. “I will give my all, it’s a Grand Slam final,” she said. “Let me enjoy this moment for now… I just want to breathe a little, enjoy it today then just recover as best I can.”

  • UN nuclear watchdog raises ‘proliferation’ fears over Iran sites

    UN nuclear watchdog raises ‘proliferation’ fears over Iran sites

    The head of the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi has issued an urgent call for Iran to grant international inspectors immediate access to its bomb-damaged nuclear facilities, amid growing global fears over nuclear proliferation risks. In a confidential IAEA report obtained by Agence France-Presse (AFP) and released Thursday, the watchdog reaffirmed that its prolonged inability to access and verify Iran’s nuclear stockpiles constitutes a serious proliferation concern, urging Tehran to cooperate with inspectors in a constructive manner.

    Diplomatic insiders familiar with the report’s contents note that satellite imagery analysis has detected no visible activity at Iran’s key nuclear sites since the outbreak of the latest regional Middle East conflict. However, the IAEA has been completely locked out of most critical Iranian nuclear facilities since joint Israeli-U.S. military strikes targeting nuclear installations during a 12-day conflict in June 2025. Additional strikes against Iranian nuclear infrastructure during the war that began on February 28 have further complicated inspection efforts, and the agency has repeatedly requested unfettered access over the past months with no result.

    This development aligns with a recent CNN report from Sunday, which cited satellite data showing Iran has reopened 50 of the 69 tunnel entrances destroyed by U.S. and Israeli strikes at 18 underground missile facilities. Beyond that, the IAEA confirmed this week it was only able to carry out a limited inspection at the Bushehr nuclear power plant – the only Iranian nuclear site accessible to inspectors so far. Bushehr, which was originally built and operates with Russian support for civilian energy purposes, was also hit during the 2025 military strikes.

    In the official report, the IAEA acknowledged that repeated military attacks on Iranian nuclear infrastructure have created an unprecedented, complex situation for verification work. Even so, the agency emphasized that immediate access to carry out full verification activities across all Iranian sites remains critical. The findings of the confidential report will be the focus of discussion at the upcoming IAEA Board of Governors meeting scheduled for next week.

    Before the June 2025 U.S. strikes, IAEA analysts calculated that Iran held approximately 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity. This level is extremely close to the 90 percent enrichment required to build a functional nuclear weapon, and far exceeds the 3.67 percent limit set by the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – the now-defunct nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers. Since the 2025 strikes, the exact location and status of this large enriched uranium stockpile has remained completely unknown to international inspectors.

    “The agency’s lack of access to verify the previously declared highly enriched uranium and low enriched uranium for nearly a year — which is long overdue according to standard safeguard practices — is a matter of proliferation concern,” the report stated. Grossi’s official call to Iran, included in the report, stressed “utmost urgency” for Tehran to engage constructively with the IAEA to enable full, effective implementation of international nuclear safeguard protocols across the country.

    Israel and the United States have long maintained that Iran harbors secret ambitions to develop a nuclear weapons arsenal. U.S. President Donald Trump has cited this alleged threat as the core justification for launching military strikes against Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure. In any potential peace deal to end the ongoing conflict, Trump has insisted Iran must agree to two non-negotiable terms: permanent abandonment of any nuclear weapons program, and full destruction of its existing enriched uranium stockpile.

    For its part, the Iranian government in Tehran has repeatedly denied any intention to pursue military nuclear applications, maintaining that all of its nuclear research and development activities are strictly for peaceful civilian purposes, and that Iran retains an inherent right to develop nuclear energy under international non-proliferation treaties.

  • ‘Blood gold’: how gangs took control of Venezuela’s mines

    ‘Blood gold’: how gangs took control of Venezuela’s mines

    When Venezuela opened its massive untapped mineral reserves to private international investment in April 2025, global markets reacted with optimism, marking another step in the country’s post-regime shift following the January ousting of long-ruling leftist leader Nicolas Maduro. What the market excitement overlooks, however, is a deep-rooted security and governance crisis: heavily armed criminal groups have controlled the bulk of the nation’s mining sector for more than a decade, creating a major barrier to legitimate economic development.\n\nVenezuela, already famous for holding the world’s largest proven crude oil reserves, sits on an extraordinary wealth of other critical commodities. The South American nation holds abundant deposits of gold, diamonds, bauxite, and coltan—a mineral critical to modern electronics and defense manufacturing, classified as a strategic critical resource by Western governments—alongside key rare earth elements. Most mining activity is concentrated in the 112,000-square-kilometer Orinoco Mining Arc in eastern Venezuela, with additional mining operations spread across the southern states of Amazonas and Bolivar.\n\nResearcher Lisseth Boon, author of *Oro malandro* (Bandit Gold), an investigative work on Venezuela’s unregulated mining regions, has labeled the country’s illicitly mined gold “blood gold”, a reference to the conflict-fueled “blood diamonds” that funded wars across several African nations. Nearly all active mining operations in Venezuela are under the control of local criminal gangs or Colombian guerrilla groups that operate under the name “sindicatos”, or syndicates, which rule mining territories through a pervasive system of violence and intimidation.\n\n“The syndicates control everything, it’s complicated,” an anonymous local resident from a gang-held territory told AFP, echoing the fear that keeps most locals from speaking out publicly.\n\nSecurity analysts explain that the sindicatos generate massive illicit revenue through systemic extortion of both local residents and mining workers. In many isolated mining regions, the gangs do not just extract profit—they act as de facto government, serving as judge, jury and executioner for local disputes, meting out punishments ranging from brutal beatings to torture for alleged offenses ranging from theft to murder.\n\nYet for some residents in long-neglected mining communities, gang rule has brought a warped form of order. El Dorado, a gritty gold mining town at the center of the Orinoco Mining Arc, is controlled by a notorious gang leader known only by his first name, Fabio—a charismatic figure who has cultivated local support through public charity works, echoing the populist tactics of infamous Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.\n\n“Before, if you found a big gold nugget, other miners could kill you for it…Now everyone refrains from doing bad things,” one El Dorado resident told AFP in an interview in Caracas. The resident outlined the patronage system Fabio has built: “When someone is sick he signs a piece of paper and the person goes to the pharmacy and gets everything they need. He buys medicine for hospitals, renovates football grounds, has roads paved and buys food for residents and teachers.”\n\nUnlike small-scale artisanal miners, who make up a large share of the mining workforce and smuggle most of their output out through neighboring Brazil and Colombia, the syndicates generally avoid direct confrontation with large foreign firms, the resident added, allowing new legitimate operations to operate while the groups focus on extracting and smuggling their own illicit gold production.\n\nA 2025 report from Transparency International’s Venezuelan chapter lays bare the scale of criminal and elite collusion in the sector. The report estimates that armed groups, many with direct links to state authorities, control roughly 20 percent of Venezuela’s annual gold output. Overall, 66 percent of the $5.5 billion in annual revenue generated by Venezuelan mining is controlled by political elites who partner with organized crime through opaque informal public-private “strategic alliances”.\n\n“We don’t know the criteria used (by the state) to select partners, their obligations, the duration of the agreements, level of production, the contracts nor the amount of minerals,” Transparency International said, noting a complete lack of transparency around new mining partnerships. The organization also found that while national gold production has surged over the past decade, government revenue from gold mining has not increased, with nearly all profits flowing to criminal networks and corrupt elites.\n\nThe current criminal takeover of Venezuela’s mines traces back to policy decisions made more than a decade ago, Boon explains. When late socialist leader Hugo Chavez suspended all foreign mining concessions in 2011, it created a governance vacuum that criminal syndicates were quick to exploit.\n\n“There was a vacuum. That’s when the syndicates began to force their way in,” Boon said. Over the past 10 years, the violent battle for control of mining revenues has left dozens dead across Venezuela’s mining regions. One of the deadliest single incidents came in 2016, when 17 miners were shot execution-style and buried in a mass grave in the eastern mining town of Tumeremo, but targeted individual killings are an almost daily occurrence across the region.\n\nBoon accuses successive Venezuelan governments of direct complicity in the lawlessness that has consumed the mining sector. “A criminal system of governance was installed….with tacit accords between the syndicates and the state,” she said.\n\nRegional organized crime think tank Insight Crime has echoed these findings, warning that the syndicates exert “deep control” over vast swathes of mining territory. The organization highlighted the Las Claritas syndicate in Bolivar state, which imposes a mandatory “tax” on all mining activity and extracts protection money – colloquially called “vacunas”, or vaccines, from miners and traders in exchange for allowing them to operate.\n\nBoon argues that the syndicates hold local mining communities in a state of “modern-day slavery”, and that dislodging the criminal groups will require unprecedented, unwavering political will from Venezuela’s new transitional government, a challenge that threatens to derail the country’s hopes of revitalizing its battered economy through new private mining investment.

  • Mourinho takes Turkey to top Europe rights court over sanctions

    Mourinho takes Turkey to top Europe rights court over sanctions

    One of football’s most high-profile and controversial managers, Jose Mourinho, has taken his battle with Turkish football authorities to Europe’s highest human rights court, arguing that disciplinary sanctions imposed on him during his tenure at Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahce violated his fundamental rights. The case was originally lodged with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in March 2025, almost half a year before the Portuguese manager was dismissed from the Istanbul-based Super Lig club following its failure to secure a spot in the UEFA Champions League.

    New details of the legal challenge, first obtained by Agence France-Presse via court documents on Thursday, confirm the lawsuit centers on disciplinary action handed down by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), which penalized Mourinho for what it labeled unsportsmanlike conduct. The controversy dates back to November 2024, when Mourinho made public comments about fans of a rival Turkish club and the country’s match officials. Those remarks triggered an immediate five-match suspension and two separate fines totaling approximately $21,000.

    According to an ECHR document dated May 13, Mourinho has raised two core legal complaints rooted in the European Convention on Human Rights. First, under Article 6 of the convention, he argues that the disciplinary dispute against him was not adjudicated by an independent and unbiased judicial body. Second, he claims he never received formal notification of the TFF’s final ruling, and that the penalties imposed on him directly infringed on his right to freedom of expression protected under Article 10 of the convention.

    The Strasbourg-based court has already moved forward with the case, confirming it will accept the complaint and issuing a formal list of questions for Turkish state authorities to answer as the legal process progresses.

    Mourinho’s 14-month spell at Fenerbahce was marked by fan excitement from the very start, but ultimately ended in disappointment. When the self-styled “Special One” first arrived in Istanbul in June 2024, he was greeted by thousands of cheering supporters clad in the club’s iconic yellow and black kit, reception comparable to that of a global rock star. Despite the high expectations, Mourinho failed to deliver on the club’s top priority: ending a 10-year league title drought that stretches back to Fenerbahce’s last Turkish Super Lig championship in 2014.

    Since his departure from Fenerbahce, Mourinho has already taken up a new post as head coach of Portuguese top-flight club Benfica. Recent industry reports, however, suggest the veteran manager could be on the move again within days, with speculation mounting that he will return to Real Madrid, the Spanish giant he managed from 2010 to 2013, to retake the club’s head coaching position.

  • Mboko hails ‘Queen’ Serena ahead of tennis legend’s return

    Mboko hails ‘Queen’ Serena ahead of tennis legend’s return

    After more than two years away from competitive tennis, 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams is gearing up for a stunning return to action, set to compete in women’s doubles at the Queen’s Club Championship with 19-year-old Canadian rising star Victoria Mboko.

    The 44-year-old American legend stepped onto the grass practice courts at the west London venue alongside Mboko on Thursday, kicking off preparations for next week’s Wimbledon warm-up tournament. Mboko, the 2025 WTA Newcomer of the Year, later shared a photo of the pair on her Instagram page, showering Williams with praise ahead of their tournament debut.

    Calling Williams the “Queen” of tennis, Mboko wrote that sharing a court with one of the greatest athletes of all time is a profound honor, adding that she is extra excited to compete alongside Williams and noting how special the sport of tennis is. The age gap between the new doubles partners is 25 years: Mboko was born decades after Williams launched her legendary professional career.

    Williams originally stepped away from competitive tennis following the 2022 US Open, where widespread coverage framed the exit as a retirement. But the icon never explicitly used the term “retirement,” instead describing her exit as “evolving away” from the sport to focus on other life chapters, including raising her two young children with husband Alexis Ohanian. For months, tennis fans and analysts have speculated about a potential return, and Williams officially confirmed her comeback in a public announcement earlier this week.

    “Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter,” Williams said in her statement, adding that grass courts have produced some of the most meaningful moments of her decorated career, and she is eager to compete again on one of the sport’s most iconic stages. Williams has claimed seven Wimbledon singles titles over her career, making the grass surface a fitting venue for her return.

    Williams and Mboko received a wildcard entry into the 16-team Queen’s Club women’s doubles draw, securing their spot in the main tournament draw. While Williams is best known for her record-breaking singles career, she boasts an equally impressive resume in doubles: she holds a career 192-35 win-loss record and claimed 22 of her 23 career doubles titles alongside her sister, Venus Williams. The iconic Williams sisters pair won all 14 Grand Slam doubles finals they competed in, a record that remains unmatched in modern tennis.

    With the Wimbledon Championships set to kick off on June 29, Williams has not yet revealed whether her comeback will include entering the singles draw at the sport’s most prestigious grass court tournament. Her last Grand Slam singles title came at the 2017 Australian Open, where she won the championship while pregnant with her first child.

  • UK PM says Elon Musk ‘trying to whip up division’ over student’s murder

    UK PM says Elon Musk ‘trying to whip up division’ over student’s murder

    A high-profile political confrontation has erupted between United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer and American billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, after Musk’s incendiary commentary on the highly charged murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak prompted accusations of foreign interference and deliberate division of British society. The December 2024 stabbing death of Nowak in Southampton, carried out by 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, has become a flashpoint for far-right political mobilization in the UK, after controversial details of the initial police response emerged.

    Digwa, who used a 21-centimeter ceremonial knife to kill Nowak during an altercation over a mobile phone, initially misled investigators by claiming Nowak had racially insulted him and that he was the actual victim of the confrontation. Earlier this week, Digwa was sentenced to a minimum of 21 years in prison for the murder. In the immediate aftermath of the stabbing, responding officers placed the mortally wounded Nowak in handcuffs while waiting for medical support; body camera footage capturing Nowak repeatedly telling officers he could not breathe has been described as “harrowing” by Starmer himself. Far-right political figures have seized on the case to push unsubstantiated claims that British policing systematically prioritizes ethnic minority communities over white citizens — allegations that both Starmer’s newly elected Labour government and national police leadership have forcefully rejected.

    Musk, the billionaire owner of social media platform X, has amplified these divisive claims through multiple public posts on his platform. In one incendiary post, Musk asked his hundreds of millions of followers whether they were aware that “official police policy requires them to be racist against Whites?” He has gone further than commentary, publicly offering to fund a private prosecution against Hampshire Police over their handling of the case, and has repeatedly insulted the force publicly. This intervention crossed a red line for Starmer, who called out Musk’s actions during a press briefing Thursday ahead of a scheduled meeting with Nowak’s family at his official 10 Downing Street residence.

    Speaking to reporters, Starmer emphasized that Musk’s actions amounted to unwelcome interference in British domestic politics. “We need to also assert who we are as a country, because Musk, again, has been interfering in our politics in the last few days, trying to whip up division. That is not who we are in Britain. In Britain, we are reasonable, tolerant people,” Starmer said. He added that the dignified response of Nowak’s own family set an example for the nation: Nowak’s father has publicly urged that his son’s killing not be exploited “to create further division, hatred or tension.”

    The prime minister also addressed unrest that followed Digwa’s sentencing, when a far-right-organized protest in Southampton on Tuesday night turned violent, with demonstrators throwing bricks, flares, and chairs at responding police officers. On Thursday, a 44-year-old man pleaded guilty to charges of violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon connected to the protest, while a second individual faces assault charges. Starmer said there was “no justification” for the violence, and also condemned remarks by senior far-right leader Nigel Farage, head of the popular Reform UK party, who publicly called for the public to respond to the murder with “pure cold rage.” Starmer called the comment unforgivable, noting that Farage’s remarks have contributed to rising racial tensions across the country; Farage has publicly defended his comments since they were made public.

    While Starmer has joined critics in acknowledging that the case raises major unanswered questions about police conduct, official investigations are already underway. The UK’s Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the national watchdog for police behavior, launched a probe into the response shortly after the killing, and is expected to release its findings within three months. Officials also announced Thursday that a full coroner’s inquest, convened to determine whether police actions contributed to Nowak’s death, will open before a jury in September 2027.

    This public clash between Starmer and Musk is not unprecedented: Musk has been a consistent and vocal critic of Starmer dating back to before the Labour leader won the 2024 UK general election, in large part due to Starmer’s previous career as the UK’s top public prosecutor. The two figures last clashed publicly in 2024 over the long-running “grooming gangs” sexual abuse scandal, when Starmer accused Musk of deliberately “spreading lies and misinformation” to undermine his government and stoke public anger.

  • ‘I’m a fan of no bunker’: Wayne Bennett fumes at crucial missed call as his Rabbitohs fall to third loss in a row

    ‘I’m a fan of no bunker’: Wayne Bennett fumes at crucial missed call as his Rabbitohs fall to third loss in a row

    In a tense Thursday night NRL clash that ended with Manly Sea Eagles notching up a 28-14 victory over South Sydney Rabbitohs, a contentious uncorrected officiating error has dominated post-match conversation, with veteran Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett launching a scathing attack on the sport’s multi-million-dollar bunker review system. The result extended South Sydney’s losing streak to three consecutive games, a run that has left Bennett openly frustrated with his side’s sliding form as the NRL season hits its midpoint. For Manly, the triumph capped off a fairytale week for incoming head coach Kieran Foran, who signed a three-year contract extension to stay at the club he once captained as a player.

    The game hung on a knife-edge at 10-8 when Manly’s stand-in fullback Clayton Faulalo broke through the Rabbitohs defensive line to score a pivotal try that pushed the Sea Eagles further ahead. What went unseen by on-field officials at the time, however, was a clear mistake in the preceding play-the-ball from Manly edge forward Ben Trbojevic: match replays clearly showed Trbojevic bobbled the Steeden, with the ball appearing to stick to his hand rather than being placed correctly as NRL rules mandate. On-field referee Adam Gee failed to spot the infraction, and crucially, the bunker review officials did not have the authority to intervene and correct the call on a play-the-ball error.

    Speaking to reporters after the final whistle, Bennett did not mince his words when questioning the purpose of the league’s heavy investment in the bunker system. “He didn’t play the ball properly, did he? It’s as simple as that, they pay all this money for the bunker and we still don’t get it right,” Bennett said. While the veteran coach stressed his underperforming side did not deserve to win on the night of the game, he argued that the system had failed its core purpose of getting critical decisions right.

    “We weren’t playing well, so I’m not going to use that as an excuse. But the bottom line is that’s what they’re there for,” Bennett explained. “They play the ball, they’ve got to go back to the play the ball because a try was scored and that was all in the one movement. And if that’s an acceptable play the ball, then the game is going to change enormously really quickly.”

    Bennett doubled down on his long-standing criticism of the review system, arguing that bunker officials have every advantage including multiple replay angles, hindsight and unlimited time to reach a correct ruling, yet still made costly mistakes. “We’ve got a bunker, it’s supposed to be perfect because they expect us to be perfect,” he said. “They have all the opportunity to make a decision and to see it. And they still get it wrong. I’m a fan of no bunker, I can tell you. I’d rather just the game played on with life and accept it like we always accepted it. Because they don’t get it right all the time, and they should, because they’ve got the benefit of hindsight, and there’s no time limit on their decision making.”

    Beyond the officiating controversy, Bennett made clear his deep frustration with his own side’s form, which has seen the Rabbitohs slip down the ladder after a promising start to the season. “We’re not anywhere near where we should be, and we’re well into the season,” he said. “We should be playing some good football and we’ve gone backwards, we’re not going forward at the moment. Our performances are going backwards.” The Rabbitohs’ high error rate choked their much-vaunted attacking line-up for the majority of the clash, leaving them unable to mount a comeback after the controversial try.

    For Manly, the win was the eighth in 10 games under Foran’s interim leadership, pushing the Sea Eagles back into the NRL’s top four ahead of their scheduled bye next week. The victory capped off a week of celebrations for Foran, who had confirmed he would continue as head coach for the next three seasons, with the club’s home ground temporarily renamed “Foz Pines Park” for the occasion, and a local KFC even superimposed Foran’s face onto the chain’s iconic Colonel Sanders logo in a playful tribute. Manly captain Jake Trbojevic said the team was determined to deliver a strong performance to reward Foran after a week of hype surrounding the new contract.

    “On the way here, everywhere I drove had ‘Fozball’, ‘Foz Pines’, Kieran Foran Chicken, so I’m like, ‘geez, we better play good,’” Trbojevic told reporters after the match. “There was a lot going on but it was a really good performance.” Faulalo, who scored the controversial match-turning try, suffered a low-grade hamstring strain during the build-up to his score, but club officials have confirmed the injury is not expected to keep him sidelined for an extended period.

  • Guardiola quit ‘100 times’ before leaving, says Man City chairman

    Guardiola quit ‘100 times’ before leaving, says Man City chairman

    In a revealing new interview with Manchester City’s official media channels, club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has pulled back the curtain on Pep Guardiola’s decade-long tenure, disclosing that the legendary manager considered stepping down nearly 100 times during his spell at the Etihad Stadium before confirming his departure at the end of the 2024-25 season.

    Guardiola leaves the club this summer after a historic 10-year reign that cemented his status as one of the greatest managers in modern football, amassing 20 major trophies including six Premier League titles, one Champions League crown, and a domestic FA Cup and League Cup double in his final campaign at the helm. The 55-year-old Spaniard formally stepped down after acknowledging he no longer held the same level of energy required to push the club to new heights.

    While Guardiola’s trophy haul speaks to unparalleled success at Manchester City, Khaldoon opened up about the emotional toll that elite top-flight management takes, noting that the passionate Spaniard regularly raised the idea of resigning during the inevitable low points of his decade in charge. “Inevitably over these last 10 years we’ve had a lot of ups and some downs, and in the downs, he must have quit 100 times over these 10 years, just so you know, just for the record,” the chairman shared on Thursday.

    Khaldoon drew a parallel to the classic fable of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, explaining that Guardiola’s frequent resignation talks were rarely a serious intention to leave, and required a steady hand from the club’s leadership to navigate. “In the case of Pep, when he says ‘I quit’, it doesn’t mean he’s quitting. You don’t take it that seriously – you have to manage him,” he said. “Whenever he quits or whenever he thinks it’s time, I will always convince him to come back, until the time where I know it’s actually the real time – and we reached that. I knew it and that’s why I didn’t fight it.”

    The announcement of Guardiola’s exit came after back-to-back seasons without a Premier League title, with City finishing seven points adrift of 2024-25 champions Arsenal. This run of form has sparked widespread speculation that the club’s dominant era may be coming to an end, but Khaldoon pushed back firmly against those claims, asserting that the club is still far from its peak. “We are far from peaked. We are used to – because it’s in our DNA – winning. This is a club that is designed, built to win,” he said. “Obviously with the additions we’re going to make this summer, I am very confident. I think next year we’re going to come back very strong.”

    As the club prepares to enter a new era, it is widely expected that former Chelsea manager and one-time Guardiola assistant Enzo Maresca will be named as the new head coach in the coming days. Maresca boasts an impressive resume, having lifted the UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup during his time at Chelsea, and gained first-hand experience of City’s playing philosophy during the 2022-23 season working alongside Guardiola.

    When questioned about the club’s succession process, Khaldoon emphasized that the hiring process had been thorough and methodical, with full alignment on the chosen candidate. “What I can say at the moment is we’ve gone through a very thoughtful and structured process and the team is convinced, I am convinced, that we will bring in the right manager for this club,” he said. “Just be patient with us. Very soon we’ll announce it and you will be very comfortable that we have selected and brought in the best manager possible.”

  • Bondi Beach shooting hero charged with domestic assault

    Bondi Beach shooting hero charged with domestic assault

    One of the most celebrated heroes of Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades is now facing criminal allegations that have stunned the nation. Ahmed al Ahmed, 44, the man who risked his life to disarm an alleged terrorist during the December 2024 Bondi Beach attack on a Jewish community Hanukkah gathering, has been formally charged with multiple domestic violence offenses, local Australian media have confirmed.

    The shocking charges, which date back to an alleged incident in March this year, include common assault, stalking, and intimidation in relation to an attack on al Ahmed’s own father. The former hero has forcefully denied all allegations against him, telling national public broadcaster ABC in an interview that the claims are “not true at all.”

    Al Ahmed catapulted to national fame in December for his extraordinary act of bravery during the attack that left 15 people dead and dozens more wounded. Security footage from the community event captured al Ahmed charging one of the armed assailants and wrestling the attacker’s gun away, a move that is widely credited with preventing additional casualties. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds during the confrontation and was hospitalized for weeks of recovery.

    In the immediate aftermath of the attack, then-Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited al Ahmed in his hospital bed and publicly praised him as “the best of our country.” A national public fundraiser launched to cover his medical expenses and support his recovery ultimately raised more than 2.5 million Australian dollars, equivalent to roughly 1.7 million U.S. dollars, highlighting the outpouring of public support for his actions.

    The Bondi Beach attack remains Australia’s worst mass shooting event since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, which prompted sweeping national gun law reform. Australian law enforcement quickly classified the 2024 incident as an act of terrorism, confirming the attack was deliberately targeted at the Jewish community gathered for the Hanukkah celebration.

    Al Ahmed is scheduled to make his first court appearance on June 29 at Sydney’s Bankstown Local Court, where he will formally respond to the charges against him.