Global Pulse

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大洋洲

  • ‘Right man for the job’: Ivan Cleary talks up Matt King after Origin rumours

    ‘Right man for the job’: Ivan Cleary talks up Matt King after Origin rumours

    For weeks, rugby league circles have buzzed with speculation linking four-time premiership-winning coach Ivan Cleary to the vacant New South Wales Blues State of Origin head coaching role, with many tipping him to take over the position once his current contract with the Penrith Panthers expires at the end of 2027. That widespread speculation has officially been put to rest this week, after the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) announced Matt King would succeed outgoing coach Laurie Daley on a two-year deal, with a performance-based extension option for 2029 that locks King into the role for the immediate future and clears any talk of an early handover to Cleary.

    Speaking to local media ahead of Penrith’s top-of-the-table clash with the New Zealand Warriors at Auckland’s Go Media Stadium this Friday, Cleary publicly thrown his full support behind King’s appointment, dismissing rumors that he was gunning for the Origin job in the near term. “Not really because I’ve still got a job,” Cleary said when asked if the Blues role appealed to him right now. “All I did was get asked a question ‘would I be interested?’ and I said I probably would be if it came up down the line. I think the Blues have made a really good decision. I think Matt King is a great bloke and a great coach-in-waiting, and I think he is definitely the right man for the job.”

    Beyond the Origin coaching drama, Cleary is preparing for one of the most unique days of his decades-long coaching career: on Friday, both of his sons will take the field at Go Media Stadium, playing for opposite sides. Jett Cleary, Ivan’s younger son, will start at halfback for the Warriors in the NSW Cup curtain-raiser, just hours before older brother Nathan Cleary – the star playmaker for Penrith – leads the Panthers out against the Warriors in the main NRL fixture.

    The match carries extra personal meaning for Cleary, who previously held the head coaching job for the Warriors early in his career. Adding to the family dynamic, Cleary’s wife will also be in attendance, making the trip across the Tasman Sea to watch both of her sons compete for different teams in the same venue. “It’s an interesting day tomorrow. It’s good that their game is before ours so I get to have a bit of a look,” Cleary said. “My wife is coming over, so she’s going to have an interesting day watching her two sons play for different teams, so it’s unique.”

    Jett is still in the early stages of his professional rugby league career, and Cleary noted that the young halfback has impressed in his recent opportunities with the Warriors. On the topic of older son Nathan, who has been the subject of recent transfer speculation linking him to a 2028 move to the Warriors, Ivan shared that he is proud of Nathan’s decision to rule out an immediate move to Auckland, a choice Nathan made to avoid blocking Jett’s path to a starting NRL position.

    “I wasn’t born in Auckland, but I grew up a fair bit there and I will admit I was a Warriors fan growing up,” Nathan said last month when addressing the transfer rumors. “But at the end of the day, even if that was an option, I’d be blocking my little brother’s pathway. I’m not too sure about that. I want to put a bit more thought into it. The last few weeks there has been a bit of a comedown from Origin, and I’ve been trying to get back into routine with the boys, and get back into consistent training.”

    For the Panthers, Friday’s clash is a critical one in the 2024 NRL season ladder race. Penrith currently sits atop the premiership standings, while the Warriors trail just two wins behind in third place, making the match a key test of both sides’ premiership credentials ahead of the upcoming finals series.

  • Iran says close to Hormuz plan with Oman, but reopening depends on US

    Iran says close to Hormuz plan with Oman, but reopening depends on US

    Fresh regional tensions have underscored ongoing risks to global energy shipping, as Iran announced Wednesday it has reached a core agreement with Oman on a new transit route through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, with final arrangements for joint management of the waterway now in their last stages. Even as progress on the bilateral framework moves forward, Iranian officials have stressed that any full reopening of the critical chokepoint remains conditional on the United States lifting its naval blockade of Iranian ports.

    Since the U.S. and Israel launched military operations against Iran on February 28, Tehran has held de facto control over the strait and has issued warnings that any vessels using transit routes it has not authorized will face threats. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed Iran is eager to negotiate a direct deal with Washington to reopen Hormuz, but Iranian officials have rejected this assertion, instead moving forward to finalize arrangements with Oman, its neighbor that borders the opposite side of the strait.

    Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told reporters, per state news agency IRNA, that the two nations have already settled on the exact geographic coordinates for the agreed transit route. If no external parties interfere with the process, a joint formal statement outlining all key terms and consensus points is already in the final review and drafting stage, Baqaei added.

    However, Baqaei clarified that even after a full bilateral understanding is reached, this will not automatically make the strait safe for all transiting vessels. “The factors making the Strait of Hormuz insecure still exist on the part of the United States, particularly the naval blockade and other aggressive and threatening actions against Iran and its interests,” he said.

    The ongoing volatility in the region was highlighted Wednesday when the United Kingdom’s maritime security body UKMTA confirmed that the captain of an oil tanker reported two explosions near the vessel while transiting 9 nautical miles southeast of Kumzar, Oman. No injuries or damage to the crew or ship were reported.

    In a separate development, Yemen’s Houthi movement announced it had attacked two Saudi oil tankers, marking the eighth and ninth such strikes since the group launched its own blockade of Saudi Arabia last month. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated that missiles hit the tanker Wafa near the Saudi port of Yanbu in the northern Red Sea, and the tanker Daisy in the Gulf of Aden. Saudi officials have not yet issued a public response to the attacks.

    Before the outbreak of current hostilities, the Strait of Hormuz carried roughly one-fifth of all global oil and liquefied natural gas exports. Global energy prices have spiked repeatedly since the dispute over the waterway began, building significant economic and political pressure on the U.S. government.

    U.S. Vice President JD Vance recently acknowledged Washington’s frustration with the slow pace of diplomatic progress with Iran, telling Fox News in a Wednesday interview that negotiations will likely take extended time due to internal divisions within Iran’s leadership. “It’s going to be messy and it’s going to take some time to get there,” Vance said. “The reality… is that number one, the Iranians are extraordinarily difficult people. Number two, they have a fractured system.”

    Since imposing its effective de facto blockade of most existing transit routes, Iran has required all ships to use a narrow route along the Iranian coastline. However, a large number of commercial vessels have instead opted for a southern route near Omani waters, and several of these ships have come under attack in recent weeks.

    Tehran is also seeking formal authority to control the strait and collect transit tolls, a set of powers it did not exercise before the current war, a shift that the U.S. has already stated it will strongly oppose.

    In a pattern that has become familiar in recent weeks, Trump last week issued a sharp threat to strike Iran “very hard”, even suggesting attacks on civilian infrastructure, only to back away from the threat days later and hint that a deal with Tehran was close. But Iran’s foreign ministry has repeatedly denied that any direct negotiations are ongoing between Iran and the U.S.

  • India youth protests highlight mistrust in ‘lapdog’ media

    India youth protests highlight mistrust in ‘lapdog’ media

    Widespread youth-led protests across India have thrown a long-simmering crisis of trust in mainstream traditional media into sharp relief, with young demonstrators directing public anger and even physical hostility at journalists they accuse of acting as mouthpieces for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling administration. The wave of protests, organized online under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party movement, has seen protesters carry signs labeling major national TV channels as “India’s worst enemies”, and popularize the pejorative term “Godi media” — Hindi for “lap media” — to condemn what they call pro-government “lapdog” outlets that have abandoned their core journalistic role as government watchdogs. For many young Indian participants, the anger at mainstream media is not a spontaneous outburst, but the culmination of years of growing distrust rooted in perceived one-sided coverage that favors the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). At New Delhi’s iconic Jantar Mantar protest ground, the hub of national demonstrations, many student and young professional participants told reporters they no longer turn to major broadcast networks for news, relying instead on independent digital platforms and social media for unfiltered information about the protests. “They brand every protest anti-national,” said 28-year-old software professional Sukhjeet Narula, summing up a common grievance among demonstrators. This widespread public resentment has translated into direct targeting of on-the-ground journalists covering the rallies. In one high-profile incident captured on video that spread rapidly across social media, 36-year-old Dev Kotak, a reporter for leading English-language network Times Now, was attacked by a crowd in New Delhi. What began as protesters throwing water quickly escalated to slaps and kicks, leaving Kotak running for safety behind security personnel as he feared for his life. Three of Kotak’s colleagues also faced harassment at the protest. Similar incidents have been recorded across the country: AFP verified footage shows a Zee TV reporter being heckled during a live broadcast from a Mumbai protest, while another clip captures a journalist being chased by crowds in the eastern city of Patna. In response to the attacks, The Times Network defended its coverage, insisting it had reported on the protests in an “entirely neutral manner” while condemning the assaults on its staff as “the most reprehensible manner”. “We may differ in views, but we cannot take the law into our own hands,” the network said in a formal statement. Media analysts and veteran journalists argue the public anger reflects a decades-long erosion of credibility for major broadcast outlets that has accelerated since the BJP took power in 2014. “Godi media are considered anti-people and anti-opposition,” award-winning Indian journalist Ravish Kumar told AFP. “They have destroyed their own credibility. Genuine public demands are being termed as conspiracies in order to demonise them.” Human rights and press freedom watchdogs have raised persistent alarms over the state of press freedom in India since Modi’s administration took office, noting a pattern of harassment and retribution against journalists who criticize the government. In Reporters Without Borders’ 2024 World Press Freedom Index, India ranks 157th out of 180 countries, a drop of 17 places from its 2013 ranking, just before the BJP won national elections. Journalists critical of the government have faced baseless criminal charges, arbitrary arrests, and coordinated online harassment from ruling party supporters, while opposition politicians have long accused mainstream broadcast networks of peddling the BJP’s political agenda, including through dangerously polarizing coverage of the country’s Muslim minority community. The intensity of youth hostility has become so pronounced that many TV journalists have begun hiding their organization’s name and logo from their equipment to avoid targeting. “They stopped coming with logos on their mics because the youth were targeting them,” said 30-year-old private sector employee Shailendra Singh at the New Delhi protest. “The mainstream media has completely sold out to the government.” Atul Chaurasia, managing editor of independent digital platform Newslaundry, traced the root of the crisis to a structurally flawed financial model that leaves mainstream media heavily dependent on government advertising revenue. “The government weaponises advertising, effectively destroying the environment that allows media organisations to operate freely,” Chaurasia explained. Kumar, the veteran journalist, stressed that it is critical to distinguish between large pro-government broadcast networks and small independent outlets and freelance journalists, who actually face far more severe repression from the Modi administration. “It is the alternative media and independent journalists who face hostility from the government,” he said. “They are subjected to raids, branded anti-national, or even imprisoned.” Even so, Kumar argued that the recent wave of youth anger reflects a growing consensus that aligned mainstream networks have become a threat to India’s democratic institutions. What is more, he noted, these so-called lapdog outlets may have become a political liability even for Prime Minister Modi himself, as public distrust spills over into broader discontent with the status quo. The crisis also highlights a rapidly shifting news landscape in India, where a growing ecosystem of independent digital outlets has emerged to fill the gap left by legacy media, with a large and growing segment of young Indians turning away from traditional broadcasters entirely for their news.

  • Police raid South Korea FA in probe into World Cup coach appointment

    Police raid South Korea FA in probe into World Cup coach appointment

    South Korean law enforcement has launched a direct probe into one of the country’s most high-profile sporting controversies, executing search and seizure operations Thursday at the headquarters of the Korea Football Association (KFA) as part of an investigation into improper practices surrounding the hiring of former men’s national team head coach Hong Myung-bo.

    The raid comes on the heels of widespread public outrage and political scrutiny following South Korea’s devastating early exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a tournament where the squad was widely billed as a “golden generation” with elite talent plying their trade at top European clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur icon Son Heung-min, Bayern Munich star defender Kim Min-jae and former Paris Saint-Germain playmaker Lee Kang-in.

    A police spokesperson confirmed to Agence France-Presse that financial crime investigators are focusing on allegations of obstruction of business tied to Hong’s 2024 appointment. Local Korean media reports indicate authorities are examining claims that senior KFA leaders violated internal association rules by improperly interfering in the hiring process to secure Hong’s selection.

    Hong, 57, stepped down from his post in June shortly after South Korea crashed out of the group stage of the expanded 48-team World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. The team’s elimination was sealed by a shocking 1-0 defeat to South Korea in their final group match, a result that left fans furious. Hong’s controversial choice to bench Son Heung-min for the entire first half of the do-or-die match drew particular condemnation from supporters, who jeered the coach and chanted “Hong out!” when the squad returned to Seoul’s airport.

    Scrutiny over the hiring process had lingered since Hong was first appointed in 2024, but pressure for a formal investigation exploded after the team’s failure to advance to the tournament’s knockout round of 32. In late July, Hong was summoned to testify before a parliamentary committee, where he accepted full responsibility for the underwhelming performance but declined to confirm reports that his annual salary reached 3.8 billion won (approximately $2.6 million), a figure that would place him among the highest-paid national team coaches globally. Hong called the reported salary figure incorrect but refused to release the actual amount.

    South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has publicly tied the World Cup failure to systemic problems in KFA leadership, blaming poor results on “incompetent people” elevated to senior roles and alluding to nepotism, factionalism and loyalty-based hiring that has corrupted governance at the top of South Korean football. To date, the KFA has declined to issue any formal comment on the investigation or the allegations when contacted by AFP.

  • St Kilda star Nicky Winmar faces prospect of jail after violent attack on woman

    St Kilda star Nicky Winmar faces prospect of jail after violent attack on woman

    One of Australian Rules Football’s most celebrated former players, ex-St Kilda great Nicky Winmar, is awaiting sentencing after being convicted on three assault charges, with prosecutors warning the 60-year-old could spend time behind bars for the violent 2023 attack on a woman.

    Last month, a court found Winmar guilty of the assault that took place at a northern Victorian motel last May. He was cleared of a more severe charge of intentionally causing injury, but the details of the assault presented to court remain graphic. Prosecutors alleged the former athlete twisted the victim’s arm, dragged her across the room by her hair, and slammed her head against the motel door four separate times. Winmar has continuously maintained his innocence throughout the legal proceedings.

    During a recent sentencing hearing at Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, the victim shared the profound long-term trauma the attack has inflicted on her daily life. In an emotional victim impact statement delivered while Winmar sat hunched in the courtroom, tapping his foot on the floor, the woman described how the violence has fundamentally changed who she is. “I’m not the same person I once was due to the trauma I have experienced,” she told the court. “I find myself wondering what’s wrong with me? Why have I changed so much?”

    The victim detailed persistent psychological harm, including waking in the middle of the night with uncontrollable crying spells, regular panic attacks, and relentless intrusive thoughts of the attack. “The incident would play in my mind over and over and over again, it was relentless,” she said. “The nightmares and flashbacks … visions of being overpowered.”

    Lead prosecutor Annina Tropea has urged the court to impose an immediate custodial sentence, framing Winmar’s offenses as protracted, violent, and persistent. She emphasized that the harm inflicted on the victim has already been profound and will continue to impact her life long into the future.

    Winmar’s defense barrister, Dermot Dann KC, has pushed for a non-custodial sentence, acknowledging the gravity of the convictions while arguing that Winmar has made significant progress toward rehabilitation. Dann noted that while his client maintains his innocence, he recognizes the seriousness of the charges and accepts he has made serious mistakes in his life. “This is a man who’s had plenty of highlights but also plenty of low lights,” Dann told the court. “This proceeding is one of the real low lights.”

    The defense outlined multiple mitigating factors, including lasting damage from Winmar’s 13-year professional football career. Dann explained that years of repeated head impacts have left Winmar’s body and brain ravaged, with ongoing medical investigations underway to confirm a diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated concussions. “As a legacy of those concussions he suffers confusion, poor memory, poor concentration – his mental health picture has not been good,” Dann said.

    Dann added that Winmar had struggled with long-term alcohol addiction, and was in a deeply fragile state at the time of the attack. However, he told the court that Winmar has completed a year of sobriety, complied fully with all bail support program requirements, and is committed to continuing his recovery. He urged the magistrate to allow Winmar to pursue his rehabilitation outside of a prison cell.

    Magistrate Trieu Huynh has delayed the sentencing to August 28 to allow time for careful consideration of the case. He has ordered a pre-sentence assessment for a potential community corrections order, but explicitly warned that he has not yet ruled out combining a community order with a prison term, or imposing a full custodial sentence.

    Once one of the most respected figures in Australian football, Winmar’s legacy has already been dramatically reshaped following his conviction. The former player, who notched 251 AFL games across stints with St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs during a 13-season career, became an iconic symbol of anti-racism activism in 1993 when he lifted his jersey to point at his skin in a stand against racial abuse. A bronze statue honoring that moment was erected outside Perth’s Optus Stadium, but was removed shortly after his conviction. He has also been removed from the AFL Hall of Fame, stripping him of one of the sport’s highest honors.

    When approached by media outside court Thursday, Winmar gave only a brief response, saying “yeah good” when asked how he was coping ahead of the sentencing ruling.

  • ‘We can go toe-to-toe with anyone’: Cameron Ciraldo’s big Bulldogs claim

    ‘We can go toe-to-toe with anyone’: Cameron Ciraldo’s big Bulldogs claim

    The NRL’s Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are gearing up for one of their most critical matches of the 2024 season, with head coach Cameron Ciraldo boldly declaring his rebuilding side has reclaimed the top-four level form that makes them a threat to any contender in the competition. The blockbuster Friday night clash against the second-placed Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium will serve as the ultimate litmus test for that claim, pitting the in-form Bulldogs against one of the league’s most high-octane attacking units.

    Canterbury’s 2024 campaign has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. After a stunning upset victory over ladder-leading Penrith Panthers earlier in the season, the club hit a brutal rough patch, dropping five consecutive matches that many analysts predicted would end their finals hopes for the year. Instead of collapsing, however, the Bulldogs have rallied dramatically: they’ve claimed six wins from their past seven outings, climbing back into the top eight on the competition ladder and sitting eighth heading into this weekend’s round.

    With just three remaining regular-season matches after this weekend, a statement win over the Roosters would not only solidify their finals contention but also send a clear warning to the rest of the competition that the Bulldogs are legitimate contenders. Ciraldo says his squad has built unshakable confidence in their game style over their recent winning run, allowing them to compete head-to-head with any side in the league on any given day.

    “The top four sides have earned their places through consistent performance, and that’s the standard we’ve been hitting over the last 10 weeks,” Ciraldo explained in the lead-up to Friday’s game. “We made some missteps at the start of the season that put us behind the eight ball, but we’ve worked our way back into position. Now we have a five-week window to lock in our spot in the finals, and we’re taking it one game at a time.”

    Ciraldo credited the club’s successful turnaround to three key factors: the unwavering belief players and club leaders maintained through the five-game losing skid, the return of several key forward pack players from injury, and a massive resurgence in the Bulldogs’ famous defensive structure. The club boasted the NRL’s best defensive record over the entire 2023 season, and over their past seven matches, they’ve held opponents to 12 points or fewer on five occasions – a stat that signals they’ve returned to their defensive best.

    “Getting back to that elite defensive foundation has been huge for us, and we’ve still got a lot of young players learning their craft that are only going to get better week to week and year to year,” Ciraldo said. “That’s what makes this run so exciting for the future of our club.”

    That defensive resilience will face its toughest challenge yet this weekend against a Roosters side that put on a historic 82-point demolition of the North Queensland Cowboys just last week. Even with star fullback James Tedesco in doubt due to an ankle injury, Ciraldo made no mistake about how lethal the Roosters attacking unit remains, pointing to star winger Mark Nawaqanitawase’s iconic match-winning try against the Bulldogs last season – a play that earned Try of the Year honors and forced the Bulldogs to rewatch it repeatedly at the 2023 Dally M Awards.

    Far from shying away from the challenge, Ciraldo says his side is hungry to test themselves against one of the best teams in the competition. “The Roosters have proven all year that they’re one of the top sides in the league, with attacking threats across every position on the field,” he noted. “We’ve prepared all week to bring our absolute best defensively, and this is exactly the kind of test you play rugby league for. We’re not intimidated – we’re looking forward to stepping onto the field and proving what we can do.”

  • Back to the future as world champion Springboks host All Blacks

    Back to the future as world champion Springboks host All Blacks

    One of rugby union’s most storied rivalries is about to take the global stage this week, as reigning world champion South Africa (the Springboks) and New Zealand (the All Blacks) launch a groundbreaking four-test tour that revives a decades-old tradition of extended cross-national series, while also breaking new ground by hosting a final match in the United States.

    The tour kicks off Friday with a series of warm-up matches in Cape Town, where the All Blacks will face South Africa’s top domestic franchises the Stormers, Sharks, and Bulls before their first full test against the Springboks on August 22 in Johannesburg. After a warm-up against the Lions franchise, the two nations will clash in three consecutive tests across South Africa and the U.S. from August 29 to September 12: matches are scheduled for Cape Town, Johannesburg, and finally Baltimore, Maryland, 12,700 kilometers from the tour’s starting point.

    This historic series marks the first extended tour between the two global rugby powerhouses in 30 years. The pair between them hold seven of the 10 Rugby World Cup titles ever awarded, including the last four consecutive championships, won back-to-back first by the All Blacks and then the current title-holding Springboks. Entering the series, South Africa holds the number one world ranking, with New Zealand close behind at second. The 1995 tour, the last extended series between the two in South Africa, ended in a 2-1 series win for the All Blacks — their only series victory on South African soil in six attempts.

    Branded the “Greatest Rivalry”, the quadrennial tour will become a regular fixture on the global rugby calendar going forward, with New Zealand scheduled to host the next edition in 2030. The high-profile series has come at a cost for the annual southern hemisphere Rugby Championship, however: the 2025 edition of the annual six-nation round-robin tournament featuring Australia and Argentina alongside the two top-ranked sides has been canceled to accommodate the tour. South Africa has scheduled standalone test matches to fill the gap, facing Argentina this Saturday in Buenos Aires and Australia on September 27 in Perth.

    While the historic series has generated enormous excitement among global rugby fans, it has also sparked significant criticism on two key fronts: steep ticket pricing in South Africa and the controversial decision to host the fourth test in Baltimore.

    South Africa is currently grappling with a severe national cost-of-living crisis, and earlier this year, the Springboks struggled to fill stadiums for three July Nations Championship matches, leaving more than 25,000 total seats empty across games against England, Scotland, and Wales. For the England test in Johannesburg, ticket sales only spiked after organizers cut prices: the highest-tier original ticket price of 3,000 rand ($185) was eventually reduced to 1,800 rand ($110) for the Durban test against Wales. The South African Rugby Union (SARU) has since pledged to conduct a full review of ticketing pricing ahead of next season. Despite the controversy, demand for the first two Springboks-All Blacks tests in Johannesburg and Cape Town has outstripped supply, with both matches reportedly sold out.

    The decision to move the fourth test to Baltimore has also drawn pushback, including from South African media and former All Blacks players. Jeff Wilson, an All Blacks wing who toured South Africa with the 1995 team, told a New Zealand broadcaster that the series would have been “absolutely perfect” with three matches all hosted in South Africa, arguing the fourth test in the U.S. was unnecessary. SARU chief executive Rian Oberholzer defended the decision, framing it as a critical commercial and strategic long-term move for the organization. “To create financial stability we must take our brand beyond South Africa. America is a very important market leading up to 2031, when the World Cup will be staged there,” he explained.

    As of the opening of the tour, neither side has revealed full details of their test squads or game plans. Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus noted that the squad for the series would only be confirmed after South Africa’s standalone test against Argentina this weekend, saying “We have not done a lot of analysing when it comes to the All Blacks.” All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie, who took over the role in March, praised Erasmus’s work leading the Springboks, saying “We are well aware of the task ahead.”

    South Africa enters the series on a formidable hot streak, holding an 11-match consecutive test winning streak. The Springboks have also won five of the last six head-to-head matches against the All Blacks, including a dominant 43-10 win in Wellington earlier this year.

  • Albanese government tells ACCC to draft national e-bike guidelines

    Albanese government tells ACCC to draft national e-bike guidelines

    Australia’s federal Albanese government has launched a landmark initiative to regulate the fast-growing but controversial e-bike and personal e-rideable market, announcing a mandatory national safety standard to curb the rising tide of safety incidents linked to unregulated high-powered devices. For years, the sale and operation of e-bikes, electric scooters, and electric skateboards across Australia have fallen under a disjointed patchwork of state and territory rules, with populous states including New South Wales and Queensland launching independent local crackdowns in recent years to address growing public safety concerns. Under the new plan, the government has tasked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) with drafting a single, consistent national regulation framework that will apply uniformly across all Australian jurisdictions, covering every battery-powered personal mobility device sold in the country. The new rules will set a clear, hard boundary against unregulated high-speed, high-powered models that have been tied to a growing number of severe injuries and fatal accidents, including incidents involving children. The planned framework aligns with the widely adopted international EN-15194 safety standard, which mandates that e-bike motors disengage automatically when the vehicle reaches 25 kilometers per hour, and caps maximum motor output at 250 watts. Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King emphasized that the new regulation marks a critical turning point in addressing the risks posed by unsafe, illegal e-rideables operating on Australian roads and in public communities. “This standard will give Australians the confidence that the products being sold are legal and fit for purpose and will help keep Australians safe,” King stated. Assistant Productivity Minister Andrew Leigh echoed the commitment to consumer protection, noting that e-bike purchasers deserve full confidence in the safety of the vehicles they buy. Leigh added that uniform national rules will create clearer, more predictable requirements for manufacturers, retailers, and everyday users across the country. Recognizing the growing role of e-bikes in sustainable urban transport, Leigh also acknowledged that e-bikes are “a great addition to our transport network” that helps cut road congestion in dense urban areas. To address the existing stock of non-compliant e-bikes already in circulation across the country, Leigh confirmed that the federal government is collaborating closely with state and territorial governments to develop a coordinated approach to managing this legacy issue. “We’re addressing both sides of the challenge,” he said. The federal announcement comes as NSW already moves to align its local rules with national norms: from August this year, the state will enforce a 250-watt cap on e-bike motors, matching limits already in place in many other jurisdictions. NSW has also taken separate steps to regulate shared e-bike services, introducing new laws targeting improper dumping of shared devices and mandating dedicated parking zones to reduce public space clutter. The coordinated federal effort comes after years of growing public frustration and safety concerns over unregulated e-rideables, as booming sales and the expansion of shared mobility services have put more high-powered devices on Australian footpaths and roads, leading to rising accident rates.

  • Istanbul cymbals: From Ottoman war tool to pulse of global music

    Istanbul cymbals: From Ottoman war tool to pulse of global music

    Beneath the vaulted ceilings of a sun-dappled Istanbul workshop, the steady, rhythmic clang of hammers striking red-hot bronze fills the air. Three skilled craftsmen stand side by side, their calloused hands striking uniform, precise blows that slowly transform unrefined metal discs into one of music’s most iconic percussion pieces: the handcrafted Istanbul cymbal. What began as a tool of war on the battlefields of the Ottoman Empire has evolved over four centuries into a cornerstone of global music, beloved by jazz drummers around the world for their one-of-a-kind, rich tones.

    The story of modern Istanbul cymbals begins in the early 17th century, when cymbals already held a firm place in Ottoman culture. Military mehter marching bands relied on the loud, resonant clash of early cymbals to intimidate enemy forces and rally Ottoman troops during the empire’s expansion across the Mediterranean and Near East. It was not until 1623, however, that an Armenian alchemist named Avedis Zildjian revolutionized the craft through a proprietary metal alloy and heat treatment process that solved the biggest flaw of early cymbals: brittleness.

    Ethnomusicologist Audrey Wozniak, a leading scholar of Turkish musical traditions, notes that Zildjian’s innovation was no small feat. “It’s really hard to make good cymbals because they’re consistently being crashed, so to make something that wasn’t brittle which could withstand continuous use is quite an achievement,” she explains. Impressed by the quality of Zildjian’s creation, the Ottoman sultan granted him permission to open his first workshop in Istanbul, launching a dynasty of cymbal making that survives to this day. The closely guarded secret of Zildjian’s process was passed down through generations of the family, and even after the original Zildjian operation relocated to the United States in the final years of the Ottoman Empire, local craftsmen who trained with Zildjian’s masters kept the ancient tradition alive in Istanbul.

    Today, Istanbul remains the global epicenter of high-end handcrafted cymbals, with a handful of independent brands continuing to produce instruments using the same core techniques developed more than 400 years ago. At Bosphorus Cymbals, located on Istanbul’s northern outskirts, every step of the production process follows traditional methods, relying on coal and wood for heat rather than modern electric or gas power. The entire process to cast and finish a single cymbal can take up to a full week, with every stage holding equal importance.

    The journey from raw metal to finished instrument starts with casting. Master craftsmen mix copper, tin, and a closely guarded third secret ingredient that alters the metal’s consistency and final sound quality. The alloy is melted into molten bronze, poured into molds, and cooled to form rough disc-shaped blanks. Next, blanks are cycled through a glowing furnace and rolling mill up to 15 times, with each pass compressing and stretching the metal before it is tempered in cold water. “We use copper and tin and one more ingredient which is secret. Even though it’s in very small quantities, it gives the cymbal a different character in terms of consistency and sound,” explains 56-year-old Hasan Seker, a master cymbalsmith and co-founder of Bosphorus Cymbals who has worked in the trade since he was 12 years old.

    After shaping the central raised bell and cutting the cymbal to its final size, the most critical step begins: hand hammering. “Not a single blow is random,” Seker says, as the workshop’s three craftsmen land expert, targeted strikes that create the dark, complex tone that is the hallmark of Istanbul cymbals. Unlike mass-produced instruments, each hammer blow leaves a subtle unique mark on the metal’s surface, and the craftsman’s emotional state shapes the final sound. “When someone is hammering, he might hit softly, then something comes to mind, he gets angry and hit harder. Those variations in the metal’s surface, the reservations, the tension patterns diversify the sound. In a way, he gives the cymbal its soul,” Seker adds. Today, musicians from across the globe travel to the Istanbul workshop on a sort of pilgrimage to select their own custom cymbals, with the workshop’s walls lined with vintage posters of legendary jazz drummers who have become loyal devotees of the craft.

    At Nardis Jazz Club, a cozy, dimly lit venue tucked in the shadow of Istanbul’s iconic Galata Tower, drummer Derin Bayhan says he will never play any cymbals outside of those handmade in Istanbul. “Even if you bought two from the same series, the same weight and structure, the two cymbals wouldn’t perfectly match. Because it’s handmade, it’s basically an adventure,” Bayhan says. “So you search for one and when you find it, no-one else will have it: that sound is yours.”

    Jazz historian Berk Ozler explains that the enduring global popularity of Istanbul cymbals, even after the Zildjian family launched mass production in the United States, comes down to this pursuit of uniqueness among jazz musicians. “Mass production started when Zildjian went to the USA whereas the ones that stayed in Istanbul were handcrafted and still are. Jazz musicians chase after that uniqueness so that’s why they are very valuable,” Ozler notes. For centuries, the craft of Istanbul cymbal making has evolved from a weapon of war to the beating heart of global jazz, and with each strike of the hammer, a new one-of-a-kind piece of musical history is born.

  • Environmental disaster looms as tanker leaks off Oman

    Environmental disaster looms as tanker leaks off Oman

    A growing oil spill from a stranded tanker linked to Russia’s shadow fleet has put a protected marine reserve off Oman’s southern Arabian Sea coast at risk of irreversible, long-term ecological damage, environmental advocacy groups and independent investigators have warned.

    The vessel in question, identified as the *Caroline Bezengi*, is thought to be part of the loosely regulated network of aging, opaquely owned ships Russia has built up since its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine to evade Western sanctions on its crude oil exports — a key source of revenue for Moscow’s economy. Maritime security firm Vanguard Tech told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that three explosions rocked the tanker on June 6, flooding critical compartments including the steering gear room and pump station. The blasts left the vessel’s main engine and steering systems completely inoperable, though all crew members were safely accounted for.

    The cause of the explosions remains unconfirmed, with no definitive evidence to confirm whether the vessel was targeted in an attack. The tanker made its last known radio transmission off the coast of Yemen on June 11, and satellite data from the European Union’s Copernicus Earth observation programme confirms it ran aground off al-Qibliyyah island, part of the protected al-Hallaniyat island archipelago, between June 18 and 23. The stranded vessel’s dimensions, outline and deck markings match satellite records of the *Caroline Bezengi* before the ship deactivated its mandatory automatic identification system (AIS) tracking transponder, a common practice among shadow fleet vessels to avoid detection.

    Kpler shipping data confirms the tanker loaded 1 million barrels of Russian crude at the Black Sea terminal of Sheskharis on May 11, and still held the full cargo when its last tracking signal was recorded a month later. The UK already sanctioned the *Caroline Bezengi* in February for its suspected role in violating Western price caps and sanctions on Russian oil exports.

    Satellite imagery analyzed independently by Greenpeace and Dutch peace organization PAX shows the visible oil sheen leaking from the vessel has expanded dramatically in less than two weeks: from just 20 square kilometers on July 24 to an estimated 600 square kilometers by August 4. Unlike most high-profile tanker incidents in the Middle East that center on the Strait of Hormuz, this spill is unfolding far from the strategically critical chokepoint, in a remote protected area that Oman designated as a marine reserve just last year.

    Environmental advocates warn the disaster is already unfolding, and the risk of a far larger catastrophe remains acute. “With oil apparently continuing to leak and the vessel stranded in a difficult location, the risk of an even larger environmental disaster remains serious,” Nina Noelle, Greenpeace’s spokesperson on the issue, told AFP. She emphasized that any full structural break-up of the tanker could release the entire 1 million barrel cargo into the protected ecosystem, causing consequences that would be “severe and long-lasting.”

    The archipelago hosts one of the most biodiverse marine habitats in the Arabian Sea, supporting endangered species including nesting sea turtles, breeding migratory seabirds, the rare and endangered Arabian Sea humpback whale, fragile coral reef systems and seagrass meadows that form the base of the regional food web. Already, large stretches of al-Qibliyyah’s shoreline have been contaminated, with additional slicks spreading far out into open waters.

    “Oil contamination in the Hallaniyat Islands threatens coral reefs, seagrass meadows and coastal habitats that support endangered sea turtles, migratory seabirds and marine mammals,” Noelle explained. “Even relatively small oil spills can persist in marine sediments for years, compromising the ecological resilience of this protected marine ecosystem.” Wim Zwijnenburg, an open-source environmental investigator with PAX, added that a full spill would also devastate local livelihoods: “A complete break of the ship can cause a regional environmental catastrophe, affecting both the lives of Omani fishing communities and the wider marine and island biodiversity.”

    Both advocates agree that urgent action is critical to contain the damage. “Timely intervention and salvaging the oil tanker is of essence to prevent worse,” Zwijnenburg said. The International Maritime Organization has confirmed it is currently providing assistance to Omani authorities, but declined to share further details on the response effort. As of Tuesday, Oman had not responded to AFP’s requests for comment on the incident or the ongoing response.

    Experts have long warned that Russia’s shadow fleet relies on aging, poorly maintained vessels that carry drastically higher environmental risk than standard commercial tankers. Noelle emphasized this incident is a predictable consequence of sanction evasion practices. “Sanctions are being circumvented using ageing and poorly maintained tankers, putting coastlines and marine ecosystems at risk,” she said.