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大洋洲

  • ‘Massive loss’: Former teammate describes injured Isaah Yeo as Penrith’s “heartbeat” ahead of minor premiership showdown

    ‘Massive loss’: Former teammate describes injured Isaah Yeo as Penrith’s “heartbeat” ahead of minor premiership showdown

    Heading into their Friday night clash against the New Zealand Warriors, the Penrith Panthers entered the match as red-hot favourites to claim the 2026 National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. But a devastating injury to one of the sport’s top competitors has thrown the entire title race wide open, ahead of a pivotal top-of-the-table showdown with the Sydney Roosters next week.

    Penrith co-captain Isaah Yeo, widely regarded as the best lock forward in the world over the past five years, suffered a suspected pectoral injury during the Warriors match that could end his 2026 season. Official scans are set to confirm the full severity of the injury in the coming days, after sports medical outlet NRL Physio flagged serious concerns for a moderate to severe tear based on match footage of the incident. Yeo was forced from the field immediately after the traumatic tackle, with his arm held suspended away from his body following contact.

    If Yeo is ruled out for the remainder of the season, it will mark a catastrophic blow to Penrith’s title ambitions. The four-time premiership winner and 2024 Golden Boot recipient has been the linchpin of the Panthers’ sustained dynasty, serving as the on-field leader that drives the club’s defensive and attacking structure both with and without the ball.

    Former Panthers forward Spencer Leniu, who spent five seasons alongside Yeo at Penrith before moving to the Roosters, says the star lock is irreplaceable as the “heartbeat” of the side. Leniu spoke to reporters shortly after his Roosters side secured a tense 20-18 win over the Canterbury Bulldogs, a result that pulled Sydney level with Penrith at the top of the NRL ladder heading into next week’s clash.

    “I think it’s a massive loss. He’s the heartbeat of their team,” Leniu said. “When I was there, he was the heartbeat, he was a captain, and he’s obviously the captain there now. When a lot of experience like that goes off the field, you definitely notice it.”

    Still, Leniu acknowledged that Penrith’s well-drilled culture of stepping up to fill gaps left by injured stars means the premiers are far from out of contention. “Knowing Penrith, they’re a world-class team and they’ll just have that next man up mentality. They’ve been doing it for the last couple of years, they’ve filled those voids when it’s come around, and it’ll be no different next week if he’s out,” he added. “They’re a well-oiled machine and it’ll just be next man up. No doubt they will still be pushing for that premiership at the end of the year.”

    Yeo has long been considered Penrith’s second-most important player, behind only star halfback Nathan Cleary, who will now be forced to elevate his game to even greater heights without his on-field co-pilot. The Panthers hold a 2-1 win-loss record in matches Yeo has missed this season, but navigating a full title run without their star lock will require a monumental effort against in-form rivals like the Warriors and Roosters. Lindsay Smith, who has previously impressed in the lock position, is widely tipped to step into Yeo’s number 13 jersey for next week’s clash.

    Leniu echoed that confidence in Penrith’s depth, noting that the “next man up” mentality has been central to the Panthers’ dynasty over the past half-decade. “With that next man up mentality, if you get that tap on the shoulder then you’ve got a duty to perform and wear that jersey with pride,” he said. “That’s been at the forefront of the Penrith Panthers for the last couple of years and that’s why they’ve been such a great team. No doubt they’ll be doing that in the next couple of weeks.”

    Next week’s clash carries massive stakes: the winner will take a near-unassailable lead in the race for the 2026 minor premiership. For the Roosters, the match also offers a chance to overturn a dismal recent record against Penrith, who crushed Sydney 40-4 in their earlier encounter this season.

    Leniu, however, says his side is ready for the challenge. “They’re a well-oiled machine and they’ve been the benchmark for the whole competition the last couple of years,” Leniu said. “No doubt they’ll be our biggest competition for the year and we’ll truly see what this team’s about next week. I’ve got a lot of confidence in this team. All the boys inside our four walls have got a lot of confidence in each other. Tonight was a scrappy win, but we got the win and we know that we can play bad footy and still win games. Whenever we get that good side of the coin and we’re playing good footy, we know we can beat anyone.”

  • Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ ball heads to US auction

    Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ ball heads to US auction

    Nearly four decades after one of the most controversial and legendary moments in soccer history, the match ball from Diego Maradona’s iconic 1986 World Cup quarter-final clash between Argentina and England is set to go under the hammer at a Texas-based auction house this August, with experts projecting it could fetch as much as $10 million.

    The 1986 showdown at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca remains etched in global soccer lore for two unprecedented goals from Maradona that sealed Argentina’s 2-1 win over England. The first, the infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal, saw the Argentine superstar illegally punch the ball past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton; after the match, Maradona famously quipped the goal was scored ‘a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.’ Just minutes later, Maradona scored what is still widely known as the ‘Goal of the Century,’ dribbling past six England defenders from halfway across the pitch before slotting the ball into the net – all with the same match ball that is now heading to auction.

    Argentina would go on to claim their second World Cup title that tournament, cementing Maradona’s status as one of the greatest players to ever step onto a soccer pitch. Maradona died in November 2020 at the age of 60, leaving behind a legacy of unrivaled skill and enduring controversy that continues to draw global fascination.

    Dallas-based Heritage Auctions is set to open bidding on the historic ball from August 21 to 23, with an opening bid set at $2.5 million. Dan Imler, vice president of sports at Heritage Auctions, told Agence France-Presse that the ball stands alone as the most significant piece of soccer memorabilia in existence. ‘Both of the goals scored are just so iconic, so memorable,’ Imler said. ‘I think it’s easily the most historic ball in the realm of soccer.’

    The ball is not the only piece of memorabilia from the historic match to break price records in recent years. The jersey Maradona wore during the clash sold at auction for $9.3 million in 2022, retaining the title of the most expensive soccer shirt ever sold.

    Rivalry between Argentina and England has extended far beyond the soccer pitch for decades. The two nations have held a long-running political dispute over sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, which boiled over into the 1982 Falklands War just four years before the iconic 1986 World Cup match. The rivalry reignited most recently at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, where Argentina defeated England in a heated semi-final clash before ultimately going on to win their third World Cup title, 36 years after Maradona led them to their second win.

  • Trump ally Abelardo de la Espriella sworn in as Colombia president

    Trump ally Abelardo de la Espriella sworn in as Colombia president

    On Friday, Colombia swore in Abelardo de la Espriella as its new president, marking a sharp rightward turn for the Andean nation and ending four years of rule by the country’s first left-wing government. The 48-year-old former lawyer, who holds dual U.S.-Colombian citizenship, used his inauguration to lay out an aggressive security agenda centered on cracking down on drug-trafficking armed groups and forging close alignment with the United States, a stark departure from his predecessor’s tenure marked by repeated diplomatic tensions with Washington.

    Breaking with decades of inauguration tradition that centered the ceremony in the formal capital of Bogota, de la Espriella hosted the event in Cali – the tropical southwestern city known globally as Colombia’s salsa capital. To secure the event, which unfolded in a city that has faced repeated guerrilla pipe bomb attacks in recent years, authorities deployed 11,000 security personnel and an advanced anti-drone system.

    Immediately after taking their oaths of office, de la Espriella and Vice President Jose Manuel Restrepo embraced, cheered, and carried out the signature military salute that defined their campaign. In his policy pledges, the new president has promised a hardline approach: he says he will order airstrikes on jungle cocaine production labs, construct large-scale “mega-prisons” to hold detained offenders, and drastically downsize the size of Colombia’s federal government.

    A long list of high-profile international guests attended the inauguration, signaling the new government’s ideological alignment. Attendees included Argentina’s right-wing President Javier Milei, FIFA President Gianni Infantino (who has faced widespread criticism over his now-shelved plan to allow private investment in major FIFA competitions), and Todd Blanche, former acting U.S. Attorney General and a key legal ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump, who led the official U.S. delegation. De la Espriella’s leftist predecessor, Gustavo Petro, boycotted the ceremony, having already vacated the presidential palace in Bogota earlier Friday, leaving with the farewell message “farewell, freedom and life.”

    De la Espriella’s narrow election victory in June – he won by less than one percentage point against leftist candidate Ivan Cepeda – brings the latest win for right-wing movements across Latin America, where candidates running on tough-on-crime pledges have flipped control of governments from Chile to Costa Rica in recent years. The new president has dubbed his security strategy “Plan Colombia II,” a reference to the massive U.S.-funded anti-drug and counter-insurgency initiative of the 2000s. He has proposed a formal military alliance with the United States and Israel to advance his campaign against armed groups, and has already offered to allow joint military operations on Colombian soil and host U.S. military personnel – a major diplomatic shift after four years of public spats between Petro’s government and the Trump administration.

    Colombia has faced years of instability following the breakdown of peace negotiations with disparate armed groups, which originally formed as ideological insurgencies but now largely profit from cocaine trafficking and other illicit criminal activity. Petro’s government attempted to negotiate a permanent truce with these groups, but the effort collapsed, and analysts report the gangs used the ceasefire period to expand their control and operations. Supporters of the new president say his hardline approach is exactly what Colombia needs to reverse rising crime and instability. “We have to support him so there won’t be so much crime. We need a complete change,” 63-year-old contractor German Angulo told AFP in Cali following the inauguration.

    Not all observers are optimistic, however. De la Espriella enters office facing a divided Congress, where his coalition does not hold a legislative majority, limiting his ability to push through major policy changes. The original 2000s Plan Colombia, while successful in weakening major insurgent groups, also faced widespread international condemnation over documented serious human rights abuses. Petro, for his part, has not conceded defeat gracefully: he has called for mass anti-government protests across major Colombian cities on inauguration day, repeating unsubstantiated claims of widespread election fraud. For ordinary Colombians, the new government faces high expectations to deliver on its campaign promises, as many communities continue to grapple with persistent violence and organized crime. “This government has a lot to prove. A lot was said during the campaign,” 46-year-old Cali resident Marisol Peira told reporters.

  • First-home buyers and investors flee property market as mortgage demand collapses

    First-home buyers and investors flee property market as mortgage demand collapses

    Australia’s housing finance market is facing its steepest downturn since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by a simultaneous retreat from the market by two of its largest buyer groups: first-time homeowners and property investors. New data released by credit reporting agency Equifax confirms that a toxic combination of repeated central bank interest rate increases and recent federal government policy changes have sent broader mortgage demand crashing, pushing key metrics into deep negative territory.

    Kevin James, chief solutions officer for Equifax Australia, told NewsWire that both first-time buyers and existing property owners seeking additional investment mortgages have pulled back sharply from the market in recent months. “We saw first-home buyers drop fairly substantially and anyone who has two or more mortgages applying for a second or a third one, we saw that drop dramatically as well,” James explained.

    The ripple effects of rate increases have drastically reduced how much prospective borrowers can afford to borrow. Every 25 basis point rate hike cuts an individual’s borrowing capacity by between $20,000 and $40,000, James said, eroding purchasing power for buyers already stretching to enter the market. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has lifted the official cash rate three times in 2026 – by 25 basis points each in February, March, and May – as part of its ongoing fight to bring persistent inflation back within its 2-3% target range. While the RBA held rates steady at 4.35% in June, and markets broadly expect another hold after the August board meeting, the cumulative impact of earlier hikes has already priced out many aspiring buyers.

    First-time buyers have borne the brunt of the current downturn, with government policy designed to lower entry barriers actually compounding pressure from rising rates. The federal government’s 5% deposit scheme, which aims to help buyers save for a deposit by removing the requirement for lenders mortgage insurance, has increased the total amount buyers need to borrow to secure a home in their desired location. “Because you’re not putting 20 per cent in, you actually need to borrow more if you want to get into the property and the area that you want to get into,” James said. “Then you get hit with this capacity challenge again about how much do I earn, how much I need to earn, how much on my payments. When interest rates go up, it’s the loss of capacity to borrow and buy in the same area.”

    Additional policy shifts introduced in the May federal budget have also dampened activity among both first-time buyers and investors. Changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax (CGT) now limit negative gearing concessions for residential investment properties to new builds only, replacing the 50% CGT discount with cost base indexation. The policy changes have hit a common first-time buyer strategy particularly hard: rentvesting, where buyers purchase an affordable property in one location to build equity while continuing to rent in their preferred area. That strategy is now far less financially viable than it was before the budget changes.

    Official Equifax figures illustrate the scale of the current downturn: mortgage demand swung from a 3.7% annual increase in the 12 months to March 2026 to a 12.5% annual contraction in the 12 months to June. Between the first and second quarters of 2026, the average size of a new mortgage application dropped by $8,000 nationally. Major capital cities on Australia’s eastern seaboard have recorded the sharpest declines: Brisbane saw an average $15,000 drop in application size, followed by Sydney at $12,000 and Melbourne at $11,000, all outpacing the national contraction by a wide margin. “We haven’t seen such a big quarter-on-quarter drop since Covid, that was the last time we saw that,” James noted.

    Beyond suppressing new demand, the higher rate environment has put growing financial pressure on existing mortgage holders, with a rising share of Australian households struggling to meet their repayment obligations. Equifax data shows that requests for mortgage hardship assistance rose 5.3% quarter-on-quarter in June.

    Sally Tindall, data insights director at comparison site Canstar, advised borrowers struggling with rising repayments to proactively shop around for better rates, noting that loyal customers who stay with their existing lender often pay far more than necessary. “We’ve done the maths on this and it is really quite startling how much someone can gain by going from a compliant borrower into a proactive one,” she said. For example, a borrower who took out a $600,000 mortgage five years ago with 25 years remaining and has not adjusted their rate since could be paying a variable rate of 6.98%. Switching to a rate below 6% would save them nearly $11,000 over two years, even after accounting for a typical $1,150 break fee, Tindall calculated.

    While banks are no longer running the aggressive mortgage price wars seen in 2022, Tindall said there are still significant benefits for borrowers who negotiate or switch. She added that borrowers facing severe financial hardship should reach out to their lender proactively rather than ignoring the problem. “If you’re looking like you’ll miss a mortgage repayment, don’t put your head in the sand,” she said. “If that is becoming the reality, it’s so important to call your bank before you miss a repayment. There’s more options available to you if you let them know in advance, they can put you on a hardship plan.” While entering a hardship plan will be recorded on a borrower’s credit file, Tindall noted that banks are generally willing to work with borrowers to find a sustainable solution.

  • Five dogs seized from iconic Sydney property after man mauled in fatal attack

    Five dogs seized from iconic Sydney property after man mauled in fatal attack

    A grim discovery in southwest Sydney has launched a full police investigation after a 23-year-old man was found dead Wednesday near the famous Saturn’s Rings property in Eschol Park, with authorities confirming his death is suspected to be the result of a fatal dog attack. Local media reports indicate the young man may have lain dead at the site for as much as 24 hours before his body was located by passersby around midday.

  • BHP faces $120m revenue loss as Port Hedland workers begin strike action

    BHP faces $120m revenue loss as Port Hedland workers begin strike action

    Global mining giant BHP is bracing for projected losses of up to $120 million in daily revenue this weekend, after hundreds of unionized workers moved forward with planned industrial action at the company’s critical Port Hedland iron ore export terminal in Western Australia. The work stoppage proceeds despite recent negotiations that unions have characterized as broadly progressive, after more than eight months of stalled talks over a new four-year enterprise wages agreement.

    Three major Australian union bodies — the Electrical Trades Union (ETU), the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, and the Australian Workers Union — have coordinated the industrial action, which will see around 150 workers walk off the job across Saturday and Sunday. The stoppage kicked off with a 24-hour ship-loading ban on August 8, followed by a full 24-hour work halt at the Port Hedland Bulk Export Terminal starting at 5:30 a.m. AWST Sunday. Workers responsible for high-voltage power infrastructure, who are negotiating a separate independent contract with BHP, will also join the action with a 12-hour stoppage on Sunday.

    Union leaders say the industrial action is a last resort after months of what they frame as deliberate stonewalling from the mining giant. ETU WA Secretary Adam Woodage explained that after eight months without meaningful negotiation, BHP tabled a proposal that establishes a so-called “false floor” for base wages, which would set formal base pay well below workers’ current earnings. Under BHP’s proposal, the company would make off-agreement backdoor payments to bring total wages up to current levels, a structure the union rejects as untransparent and unenforceable.

    “Workers want an agreement that locks in real, enforceable terms that reflect the specialist skills, extreme working conditions and significant personal sacrifice that comes with remote iron ore operations,” Woodage said. “Protected industrial action was the only path left open to us. We want to negotiate, not fight — but we have been forced to take action just to get a seat at the table.”

    Craig Beveridge, spokesperson for the Western Mine Worker Alliance, added that workers have grown frustrated after months of delays and bad faith bargaining from BHP. “BHP pulls in billions of dollars in annual profit off the hard work and dedication of our members,” Beveridge said. “It is only fair that those workers get their fair share of that success. Our members are fed up, and ready to fight for as long as it takes to get a fair agreement.”

    BHP has offered a 16 percent pay increase across the four-year term of the new agreement, which the company argues outpaces Australia’s current average inflation rate of 2.87 percent and would deliver industry-leading pay and conditions. A company spokesperson said the industrial action would only delay progress toward a final deal, noting that significant progress has already been made with the assistance of the Fair Work Commission. “With another meeting scheduled and an updated proposal on the table, there is no need for unions to proceed with this work stoppage,” the spokesperson said. “Our focus remains on reaching a fair and reasonable agreement that delivers consistent pay across the workforce while protecting strong conditions.”

    As the world’s largest iron ore export hub, Port Hedland handles roughly 1.6 million tonnes of iron ore exports daily for multiple Pilbara-based miners. Beyond BHP’s $120 million projected daily revenue loss, the Western Australian state government is expected to forego nearly $7 million in daily royalty payments during the shutdown. Unlike BHP, other major miners operating in the Pilbara — including Fortescue Metals Group and Hancock Prospecting — are not expected to face disruptions to their export operations, as their workers are not participating in the industrial action.

    This is the second round of industrial action taken by BHP workers at the terminal this year. A July strike saw only 63 of more than 1,000 total staff participate, and ship loading operations continued as scheduled with no major disruptions. This weekend’s action is structured differently, however, with all participating workers set to stay home rather than rally on-site, leading to projected full operational halts for the terminal across the two-day stoppage.

    Despite the walkout, both parties are set to return to the negotiating table mediated by the Fair Work Commission on August 18, leaving open the possibility of a last-minute resolution to the dispute before that scheduled meeting.

  • Spain imposes border checks on Italy as migrant showdown grows

    Spain imposes border checks on Italy as migrant showdown grows

    A diplomatic dispute between two European Union and NATO allies, Spain and Italy, has escalated sharply over irregular migration, with Madrid set to implement temporary reciprocal border controls on travelers from Italy starting midnight Saturday.

    The escalating confrontation traces back to an unprecedented mass border crossing that unfolded on July 30 and 31, when tens of thousands of migrants crossed into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco. Official Spanish data confirms 72,000 people entered Ceuta during the incident, with roughly 70,000 later returning to Morocco. The crossing resulted in significant fatalities: Spanish authorities record 80 deaths, but Moroccan human rights groups put the toll at a minimum of 141, with the number expected to climb, while Morocco’s interior ministry confirms 11 deaths on its side of the border, almost all from drowning. Hundreds of unaccompanied minor migrants who remain in Ceuta are currently trapped in severe living conditions, with limited access to basic necessities including food, clean water and adequate shelter.

    Following the Ceuta incident, far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s administration took swift action, imposing a one-month suspension of Italy’s visa-free Schengen Area participation with Spain. Italy, which has faced consistent pressure from tens of thousands of irregular migrants arriving on its shores via small Mediterranean boats each year, framed the move as an extraordinary national security safeguard. Meloni was also among a group of hardline EU leaders that called for Spain’s suspension from the full Schengen zone — a step that legal experts note is not permitted under EU rules.

    On Friday, Spain rejected Italy’s measure in blunt terms, calling it “unfair, contrary to the EU’s interests and discriminatory for the Spanish population.” Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares called the decision “a torpedo fired at the hull of European unity,” and gave Rome until Sunday to reverse the checks, threatening proportional countermeasures if it refused. Italy rebuffed the ultimatum within hours, confirming it would not revisit its decision before August 15, citing unconfirmed expectations of a second mass migration wave to Ceuta mid-month. “Italy does not accept ultimatums or impositions from abroad regarding national security and border control,” Meloni’s office said in an official statement, adding that it will only reconsider the policy once it has confirmation that no new irregular migration flows or security risks are heading toward Europe.

    Shortly after Italy’s refusal, Spain’s interior ministry followed through on its threat, announcing the new temporary border checks, which will remain in place through September 7. Madrid says the controls are a direct response to the persistent irregular migration pressure Italy has cited to justify its own measures. Italy, which shares no land border with Spain, implemented its original checks at air and maritime entry points for third-country nationals arriving from the Iberian Peninsula, while noting that Spanish and other EU citizens would not face disruptions to movement. Local Spanish media reports that Spanish police have monitored social media rumors of an August mid-month new arrival to Ceuta, though national authorities have not officially confirmed expectations of a repeat of the late-July incident.

    Spain has pushed back against Italy’s move, suggesting it is driven by internal domestic political priorities rather than a genuine policy need, warning that the dispute risks “creating rifts and sterile conflicts” across the bloc. Madrid says it remains optimistic that shared pro-European values and good faith will resolve the standoff, but the unprecedented dispute between two allied EU member states has exposed deepening divisions over how the bloc should manage irregular migration across the Mediterranean.

  • Book hidden in fireplace returned to Australian library 150 years overdue

    Book hidden in fireplace returned to Australian library 150 years overdue

    More than a century and a half after it was first checked out, a rare 19th-century architecture book has found its way back to the small coastal Australian library it was borrowed from — and its unlikely journey traces back to a stonemason who helped build one of London’s most iconic landmarks.

    The volume, *Antiquities of Athens*, a detailed illustrated reference on classical Greek architecture, was borrowed from Kiama Library in the 1870s. Kiama, a quiet seaside town located roughly 120 kilometers south of Sydney, had only opened its public library eight years prior, built with a £200 government grant that launched the institution’s original collection of fewer than 1,000 books. This particular volume, cataloged as item number 506, would disappear from the library’s records for generations.

    The story of its rediscovery begins with 77-year-old Ross Simmons, a dedicated amateur family historian who has spent years unpacking the legacy of his great-grandfather, John Simmons. Born in the United Kingdom, John Simmons trained as a stonemason in Westminster between 1839 and 1844, and worked as an apprentice on the construction of the UK Houses of Parliament before emigrating to Australia in 1857 at the age of 27. After settling first in Sydney’s Newtown suburb, he moved permanently to Kiama after leading the construction of a local sandstone church, establishing himself as a respected architect in the region.

    Ross Simmons explains that his great-grandfather, who had a deep professional and personal passion for architecture, likely borrowed the reference volume to support his work. For decades after John Simmons’ death, the book sat undisturbed in a wooden tea chest stored alongside other family documents, tucked into a boarded-up fireplace in the old family home. The sealed hiding place kept the volume safe for generations, until a home renovation 30 years ago unearthed the chest, and the collection of books inside was passed to Ross Simmons for safekeeping.

    It was only two weeks ago that Simmons finally sorted through the full collection, and made a surprising discovery: inside the front cover of the 1858-published *Antiquities of Athens*, a clear Kiama Library stamp was visible, alongside the library’s original 19th-century borrowing rules. Those rules offer a fascinating window into 1870s public library practices: patrons could normally only check out one book at a time, unless they could prove six members of the same household were literate, which allowed a limit of three books; intoxicated patrons were banned from borrowing, and late returns incurred a fine of three pence per week overdue.

    When library staff calculated the total fine accumulated over 150 years, adjusted for inflation, the total came out to roughly AU$28,000 (equivalent to around £15,000 or $20,000 USD). In an act of good faith, the library has completely waived the unexpected fine, recognizing the historic significance of the returned volume.

    While the library’s original borrowing records from the 1870s have been lost to time, so there is no definitive proof that John Simmons was the one who checked the book out, the circumstantial evidence strongly points to him. Today, the book remains in surprisingly good condition: it has minor water damage from its decades in the fireplace, but its detailed fold-out illustrations of Greek monuments, complete with the original precise measurement notes, are still intact.

    Kiama Council libraries manager Michelle Hudson says the extraordinary story of the book’s return has drawn widespread public interest, with visitors traveling from more than 40 minutes away just to see and even handle the historic volume. The library has now added *Antiquities of Athens* to its special collections archive, meaning it will no longer be available for checkout to prevent another century-long disappearance. “We don’t want to wait another 150 years for it to come back,” Hudson joked.

    For Ross Simmons, the book’s homecoming feels like the perfect end to a long, unlikely journey. “I think he’d be happy to see the book returned and he’d probably have a bit of a laugh about it,” he said of his great-grandfather.

  • FIFA chief Infantino travels to Colombia for presidential inauguration

    FIFA chief Infantino travels to Colombia for presidential inauguration

    Embattled FIFA president Gianni Infantino touched down in the Colombian city of Cali on Friday, marking his arrival to attend the inauguration of new hard-right Colombian president Abelardo de la Espriella — all while a growing crisis roils the top leadership of global football’s governing body.

    Infantino finds himself at the center of a growing controversy that has engulfed FIFA in recent weeks. The firestorm was sparked by a heavily criticized plan to open the World Cup up to private investment, a proposal that was ultimately walked back in the face of widespread backlash from major football bodies across the globe. Despite the withdrawal of the investment plan, tensions remain high, with Europe’s governing football body UEFA reaffirming its threat to boycott future World Cup tournaments just one day before Infantino’s arrival in Colombia. The FIFA chief is currently gearing up to run for a fourth and final term as president, with the election set to take place in Rabat, Morocco, next March.

    During a public event with dozens of children dressed in full football kit in the southwestern Colombian city, Infantino leaned into his usual messaging around the sport, framing football as a unifying, joyful force. “It is a joy to be here today,” he told the gathered crowd. “Football is joy, football is happiness, football is unity. So many champions were born in this part of the world, in this part of Colombia.”

    When approached by an Agence France-Presse reporter on the ground in Cali, Infantino declined to respond to questions about whether he believed FIFA’s recent string of controversies had been fully resolved.

    Infantino has long-standing ties to prominent right-wing political figures, including former United States president Donald Trump, making his attendance at the inauguration of Colombia’s new hard-right leader unsurprising. In a break with longstanding Colombian political tradition, de la Espriella has chosen to host his inauguration ceremony in Cali — widely known as the global capital of salsa music — rather than holding the traditional swearing-in before the national Congress in the capital city of Bogota.

  • ‘He’s pretty devastated’: Bulldogs lose Sitili Tupouniua to fresh hamstring injury ahead of crucial Souths clash with major finals implications

    ‘He’s pretty devastated’: Bulldogs lose Sitili Tupouniua to fresh hamstring injury ahead of crucial Souths clash with major finals implications

    The National Rugby League’s Round 23 delivered a nail-biting fixture at Allianz Stadium on Friday that ended in both a dramatic result and fresh injury chaos for two contending clubs, as the Sydney Roosters edged out the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 20-18 to leave both teams facing very different outlooks heading into next week’s crunch fixtures.

    For the Roosters, the positives far outweigh the concerns: their narrow win dragged them level on competition points with league-leading Penrith Panthers, and coach Trent Robinson offered a promising injury update on star fullback and captain James Tedesco. Tedesco sat out Friday’s clash after picking up an ankle injury during the Roosters’ 70-point blowout of North Queensland the week prior, but Robinson confirmed the representative star is on track to return for next Thursday’s high-stakes top-of-the-table clash against the Panthers. The Panthers, meanwhile, will already be without their standout lock Isaah Yeo, who suffered a pectoral injury during their away fixture in New Zealand, handing the Roosters a major boost ahead of the game.

    For the Bulldogs, however, Friday’s result carried far more devastating consequences. The club, which has emerged as one of the form teams of the 2026 NRL season, conceded two late tries in three second-half minutes to throw away their lead and drop the two-point result. That loss will see them finish the round outside of the top eight, the cut-off for finals qualification, and their prospects have been made far worse by a damaging recurrence of an injury to their standout forward Sitili Tupouniua.

    Tupouniua, who has been the Bulldogs’ best performing forward through the 2026 campaign, made his return to the field on Friday after six weeks out with a high-grade hamstring injury. Just five minutes into his comeback, he re-injured the hamstring in the exact same location, forcing him immediately back to the sidelines. He will undergo scans in the coming days to confirm the full extent of the new injury, and faces a potentially extended spell out of the side.

    Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo spoke after the match about the devastating blow for the player and the club, noting “He’s pretty devastated because he was training really well and he was just excited to get back playing. This is what he does, this is what he loves doing, so he’s pretty shattered. Not sure how bad it is, but he’s felt it in the same spot where he injured it about eight weeks ago, so not ideal.” Hamstring strains are well-documented to have a high rate of recurrence, with the greatest risk of repeat injury coming in the first games back after an initial tear.

    Despite the heartbreak of both the loss and the injury, Ciraldo insisted his side’s confidence remains unshaken heading into another critical round next week. The Bulldogs will face off against the South Sydney Rabbitohs, who are currently level with them on 26 competition points but hold an extra game in hand, a fixture that will go a long way to deciding both clubs’ finals fates. “Don’t get me wrong, we’re not leaving here with any less confidence than what we came here with,” Ciraldo said. “We didn’t play the way we wanted to tonight. Roosters deserved the win. They were really good for periods, but I think they’ll probably think they can play better as well. We know when we play our style of footy what we can do, but too many errors tonight didn’t allow us to do that.”

    The Bulldogs had put in a promising performance for large parts of the game, with a rock-solid defensive effort in the first half keeping them in the contest before a blistering 20-minute attacking burst after half-time put them in a position to take the win, before late errors let the Roosters claim victory.