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  • Arsenal face depleted Aston Villa, Spurs seek return on £300m spend

    Arsenal face depleted Aston Villa, Spurs seek return on £300m spend

    The second week of the new Premier League season brings a slate of compelling fixtures, with headline stories ranging from a rebuild-challenged Aston Villa welcoming defending champions Arsenal to north London, where Tottenham Hotspur will look to turn around a disastrous opening weekend and deliver the first signs of a return on their record-breaking £300 million ($408 million) summer outlay on new talent.

    Across the top flight’s other standout matches, new Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola will make his first competitive home appearance at the iconic Anfield stadium hosting Nottingham Forest, while a shellshocked Manchester United will hunt for a much-needed confidence boost after their opening-weekend upset defeat at Hull, as newly promoted Ipswich Town visit Old Trafford.

    ### Villa’s Mass Exodus Leaves The Club Vulnerable Against Champions
    Monday’s headline clash at Villa Park carries extra narrative weight after a summer of staggering player departures that gutted Unai Emery’s squad, which secured a fourth-place Premier League finish and Europa League glory last season. Former Villa defender Ezri Konsa, who completed a summer move to Arsenal, could even make his Gunners debut in front of his old fanbase, where he is expected to face a frosty reception.

    Konsa is far from the only key departure: England midfielder Morgan Rogers swapped the West Midlands club for Chelsea in an £117 million deal, while Youri Tielemans moved to Manchester United and Lucas Digne secured a transfer to Paris Saint-Germain. Star striker Ollie Watkins and first-choice goalkeeper Emi Martínez are widely expected to follow the exodus before the summer transfer window closes.

    The scale of Villa’s squad turnover was laid bare on opening weekend, when the depleted side slumped to a 4-0 deficit against Brighton within just 31 minutes on their way to a heavy defeat. Now they face an Arsenal side brimming with title-winning confidence after a perfect start to their campaign: Mikel Arteta’s men have dispatched both Manchester City and Coventry by 3-0 scorelines to claim the Community Shield and kick off their title defense with a win.

    Even with long-term injury ruling out key centre-back William Saliba, Arsenal’s deep squad means Konsa may still have to wait for his first regular start. Despite the club’s crisis, Villa captain John McGinn remains optimistic the side can still turn in a successful campaign — as long as manager Unai Emery stays at the helm. “I’m still positive about the season but we need to make sure we keep hold of the manager,” McGinn told the *Stick to Football* podcast. “If we lose him, it’s a different story.”

    ### Spurs Look To New Signing Savio To Reverse Poor Fortunes
    Tottenham’s fanbase has waited years for the club to step into the role of the Premier League’s big spenders, but opening weekend brought a harsh reality check: Ange Postecoglou (correction: the content references new manager Roberto De Zerbi) side fell to a humiliating 3-0 defeat at Brentford, leaving supporters questioning where that £300 million transfer spend will deliver results.

    Since the opening weekend, Spurs have added two more top signings: winger Savio and forward Omar Marmoush, joined from Manchester City for a combined fee that could reach nearly £150 million. Savio’s £75 million price tag has drawn criticism from some quarters, after the Brazilian winger failed to secure a regular first-team spot during two years at City. But manager Roberto De Zerbi says he is confident the 20-year-old can transform Spurs’ fortunes after two consecutive 17th-place league finishes.

    “I think his biggest step and biggest improvement is to increase the number of goals because as qualities, I think he is one of the best wingers, but the best wingers score many goals,” De Zerbi explained after Savio scored on his debut in a midweek League Cup tie against Charlton. “Last season we suffered too much because also the number of goals were not enough to compete for nothing more than that (17th) position.” Savio will get his first chance to prove his worth in the Premier League when Newcastle United visit Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.

    ### Iraola Prepares For Emotional Anfield Debut
    At Liverpool, new manager Andoni Iraola is preparing for his first home game in charge, after his opening away fixture at Newcastle delivered a late 2-2 draw thanks to a 99th-minute penalty from Dominik Szoboszlai. The growing pains of shifting the club to Iraola’s signature high-energy pressing system were clear in the match, as Newcastle hit the Reds twice on rapid counter-attacks to take a two-goal lead.

    Nottingham Forest have claimed away wins at Anfield in each of the past two seasons, but Iraola says he is expecting an emotional first home match at one of the world’s most iconic stadiums. “I think it’s going to be emotional and I think it has to be like this. It is a special place,” the Spaniard said. “I’ve had to fight a lot to arrive to this place and I hope everything goes well and I can enjoy also the game.”

    Below is the full fixture schedule for Matchweek 2 (all times listed in GMT):
    – **Friday**: Crystal Palace vs Manchester City (19:00)
    – **Saturday**: Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest (11:30), Coventry vs Hull City, Bournemouth vs Everton (14:00), Tottenham Hotspur vs Newcastle United (16:30)
    – **Sunday**: Leeds United vs Brentford, Sunderland vs Fulham, Chelsea vs Brighton & Hove Albion (13:00), Manchester United vs Ipswich Town (15:30)
    – **Monday**: Aston Villa vs Arsenal (19:00)

  • Air traffic controllers left early before deadly NY crash: report

    Air traffic controllers left early before deadly NY crash: report

    A bombshell new report has shed light on critical staffing irregularities that preceded the deadliest accident at New York’s LaGuardia Airport in more than three decades, where a collision between an Air Canada passenger jet and an airport fire truck claimed the lives of two pilots in March 2025. Citing unnamed industry sources, The Wall Street Journal broke the story Thursday that the two air traffic controllers scheduled to work the shift clocked out nearly an hour ahead of their end time, a common but unoffical industry practice known as an “early shove” that leaves the airport’s control tower critically understaffed when traffic volumes spike. On the day of the crash, LaGuardia Airport was handling more than double its typical daily air traffic, stretching the already reduced control tower team thin.

    Surveillance video from March 22 permanently captured the catastrophic moment: as the fire truck crossed the active runway in front of the approaching Air Canada jet, the aircraft collided head-on with the vehicle, sending both careening down the runway. Two firefighters inside the truck were killed in the impact, marking the first fatal accident at LaGuardia Airport since 1992.

    Following the revelation of the early departure, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is moving forward with termination proceedings for the two controllers who left their posts early, according to the report. The widespread industry practice of early shoves has long been treated as an informal perk for air traffic control staff, often granted after particularly high-stress, long shifts to give team members extra time off. The FAA, however, has made clear that it will not tolerate practices that compromise national aviation safety. “The agency is committed to holding employees accountable, and we will not compromise the safety or efficiency of the National Airspace System,” an FAA spokeswoman stated in an official comment.

    While the full investigation into the crash is still ongoing, preliminary findings released in April already pointed to systemic failures in communication and outdated, insufficient equipment. One of the most serious errors uncovered by investigators to date was that air traffic controllers granted clearance for the fire truck to cross the active runway at the same time the Air Canada jet was on final approach. Just seconds after the clearance was issued, a controller on duty recognized the catastrophic mistake and issued an urgent stop command, yelling “stop stop stop” over the radio. Unfortunately, the driver of the fire truck could not confirm that the transmission was intended for his team, leading to a fatal delay in reaction.

    Investigators also identified a second critical equipment gap: the fire truck involved in the collision was not equipped with a working transponder. A functional transponder would have automatically alerted air traffic control that the truck and the approaching jet were on an imminent collision course, potentially giving controllers enough time to correct the error before impact.

    The 2025 LaGuardia crash joins a growing list of deadly aviation accidents in the United States in recent years, most notably the January 2025 mid-air collision between a commercial passenger jet and a U.S. Army helicopter near Washington D.C. that claimed 67 lives.

  • Harvey Norman warns of sales slowdown following federal budget, rate rises

    Harvey Norman warns of sales slowdown following federal budget, rate rises

    One of Australia’s biggest retail names, Harvey Norman, has linked a sharp slowdown in sales growth in the second half of its financial year to weakened consumer confidence triggered by the federal government’s 2026 May budget, with mounting cost-of-living pressures and three consecutive interest rate hikes amplifying the strain on discretionary spending.

    The iconic furniture and electronics retailer reported a solid overall annual result in its latest market update, recording a 3.1% year-on-year rise in total sales to hit $9.6 billion, with Australian franchisee revenue accounting for $6.6 billion of that total. Net profit for the first half climbed 15.2% compared to the previous year, fueled by strong household spending through the key Christmas trading period. But the company made clear that momentum stalled immediately after the federal budget announcement, with consumers pulling back on non-essential purchases amid widespread economic uncertainty.

    “Consumer confidence softened further following the May 2026 federal budget, resulting in more cautious discretionary spending,” the company said in its official update.

    Chairman Gerry Harvey noted the business started the year on a strong trajectory, before a confluence of economic factors dragged down sales in the second quarter. The retailer stopped short of placing full blame on the federal government, also citing skyrocketing fuel and energy costs, elevated freight expenses, and the three consecutive interest rate increases from the Reserve Bank of Australia as key headwinds.

    The Albanese government’s 2026 budget introduced sweeping, once-in-a-generation changes to Australia’s capital gains tax and negative gearing rules, policies that have reshaped investor sentiment across the property and retail sectors. Starting July 1, 2027, the existing 50% capital gains tax discount will be replaced with an inflation-adjusted indexation system. A new 30% minimum tax rate on capital gains will take effect a year later in 2028, eliminating the long-standing tax advantage that allowed asset-rich, cash-poor households to sell assets during low-income years to reduce their tax burden. Negative gearing tax deductions have also been eliminated for new purchases of existing residential properties, though the policy retains existing arrangements for current landlords and allows negative gearing for newly constructed properties.

    Harvey Norman is not alone in facing challenging trading conditions. Fellow major Australian retailer JB Hi-Fi also flagged broader economic pressures when releasing its recent results. In a mid-August earnings call, CEO Nick Wells said the retailer saw a slow start to the new financial year driven by higher interest rates and fuel costs, but he remained optimistic that upcoming major sales events including Black Friday would boost revenue for the remainder of the year.

    Despite the second-half slowdown, Harvey Norman leadership struck a confident tone about the company’s long-term outlook. “The full-year sales result reflects a strong first half and a resilient performance across the Harvey Norman brands as retail conditions became more variable during the second half,” Mr. Harvey said. “Disciplined cost management and sales growth enabled us to absorb inflationary pressures and continue to invest in our expansion initiatives.” He added that the business is well positioned to deliver sustainable long-term growth for its shareholders.

  • Clashes in Spain’s Ceuta month after mass migrant influx

    Clashes in Spain’s Ceuta month after mass migrant influx

    One month after a sudden, chaotic surge of migrant crossings from Morocco into Spain’s tiny North African enclave of Ceuta, long-simmering local frustrations boiled over into violent clashes between residents and Spanish police Thursday.

    The small territory, measuring just 18 square kilometers, has been grappling with simmering unrest since more than 70,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta in late July, many swimming across the border or entering on foot. The unprecedented influx left dozens dead and sparked new friction within the European Union over migration policy. While the vast majority of arrivals returned to Morocco within hours, an estimated 3,500 to 10,000 migrants remain in the territory, with hundreds camping rough on local beaches and hundreds more unaccompanied minors requiring care.

    Local tensions reached a breaking point this week. Early Thursday, a police spokesperson confirmed that a military vehicle carrying four Spanish soldiers was ambushed by roughly 70 migrants, who pelted the vehicle with stones and other projectiles. All four soldiers fled the scene and called for police backup; one soldier suffered only minor injuries, and officers ultimately detained 12 Moroccan migrants in connection with the attack. No clear motive for the assault has been released as of yet.

    The violence quickly spread to the beach where hundreds of migrants have been camping without formal shelter. Dozens of local protesters first staged a sit-in to block Red Cross vehicles from delivering food and supplies to migrants, with demonstrators waving Spanish flags and chanting slogans calling for all migrants to leave Ceuta and demanding the aid organization exit the area. When protesters moved into the migrant camp area on the beach, police moved to disperse the crowd, with public television footage showing some personal belongings set ablaze during the unrest. The clashes came just hours after police used tear gas Wednesday night to break up potential confrontations between local protesters and migrant camp residents.

    Ceuta residents have staged repeated protests over the past month, citing widespread public safety risks and unsanitary conditions created by the large unhoused migrant population. Speaking to Spanish news radio SER Thursday, Kissy Chandiramani, finance councillor for the autonomous city’s government, described the atmosphere as extremely tense, saying local residents feel abandoned by the central government in Madrid with no clear solution to the crisis. Still, Chandiramani called for calm, affirming that while locals have a right to protest, rising hostility will not resolve the ongoing emergency.

    Spain’s left-wing national government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, has come under intense criticism from local leaders and opposition parties for its slow response to the crisis. The criticism has intensified after Sanchez proceeded with his scheduled summer vacation as the situation worsened, only convening a meeting of the national security council after he returned to the capital earlier this week.

    In recent days, the central government has taken steps to ramp up its response. The Interior Ministry announced Thursday it would deploy additional personnel to speed up migrant identification processing, and the cabinet approved 25 million euros in new funding to care for unaccompanied minor migrants, who are guaranteed special legal protections under Spanish and EU law. On Tuesday, the cabinet approved the creation of a unified “single command” structure to coordinate the response in Ceuta, led by Territorial Policy Minister Angel Victor Torres. Justice Minister Felix Bolanos told lawmakers in Madrid this week that authorities are working “without rest” to return Ceuta to normalcy, and have already begun expanding temporary shelter space and accelerating processes to determine which migrants qualify for asylum and which will be deported back to Morocco.

    The migration crisis has deepened existing political divisions across Spain, just months ahead of a scheduled national general election. Conservative and far-right opposition parties have called for the immediate deportation of all remaining migrants. Popular Party leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo, head of Spain’s main opposition bloc, criticized the government’s response in a post on X Thursday, saying Ceuta residents have been left to handle the crisis alone for a full month. “Nothing was done to prevent the invasion … and nothing is being done to stop the public-order crisis that is worsening every day,” Feijoo wrote.

  • NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley grilled during budget estimates hearing

    NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley grilled during budget estimates hearing

    Three hours after the latest developments in the wake of December’s deadly Bondi Beach terror attack, New South Wales Police Minister Yasmin Catley has repeatedly declined to answer critical questions about how alleged attacker Sajid Akram secured his firearms licence, pointing to the ongoing royal commission as her reason for remaining silent.

    The Royal Commission into Social Cohesion and anti-Semitism, led by former High Court justice Virginia Bell, wrapped up public evidence hearings on Wednesday and is scheduled to deliver its final findings to the government in mid-December. Appearing before a state budget estimates hearing on Friday, Catley stood by her earlier public explanation that years-long processing backlogs at the NSW Firearms Registry were to blame for the timeline of Akram’s licence approval, which came ahead of the December 14, 2025 attack that left 15 innocent people dead.

    The hearing was presented with official data showing that in 2020, the year Akram submitted his firearms licence application, the average processing time for Category A and B firearms sat at 96 days overall, dropping to 76 days in the second half of that year. When Liberal MLC Susan Carter asked Catley if her earlier public explanation of the delay was factually incorrect, the minister acknowledged it was only the information she had been given at the time of her initial statement.

    Catley repeatedly emphasized that all stakeholders should wait for the royal commission’s final report before drawing conclusions, noting that public discussion of unresolved details could risk prejudicing both the ongoing criminal case against Akram’s son, Naveed, and the commission’s independent inquiry. Naveed Akram remains in jail on remand, facing 78 criminal charges including terrorism and murder over the antisemitic attack targeting a Chanukah gathering at Bondi Beach.

    During questioning, Catley was shown minutes from a March 2022 meeting of the Firearms Registry Consultative Council, which recorded four outstanding internal application reviews at that time. Mark Banasiak, MLC for the Shooters, Fishers, and Farmers Party, put to Catley that Sajid Akram’s application was one of those four reviews, contradicting the official advice she had received previously. Catley responded that she could not confirm that detail, but had been advised that there were between 100 and nearly 150 outstanding applications overall at that point.

    Pressed to explain how Akram’s licence application went from an initial rejection to final approval, Catley again said any concrete answer would have to come from the royal commission. Banasiak pushed back, stating that evidence now confirms Akram’s application was first rejected before being approved at a later stage, and that key unanswered questions remain over whether the reversal came during the internal review process or after an appeal to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Catley told the hearing she had not received official advice on that detail, adding that police have informed her there is no record of Akram requesting an internal review.

    Earlier in the hearing, Catley issued an angry rebuttal to what she called a “dangerous suggestion” that the issuing of a firearms licence could be a political decision. She told Carter that if she as minister ever intervened to approve a licence, the public would be rightly alarmed, noting that firearm licensing is an independent administrative process, not a political one.

    The hearing also heard that 18 of 22 new positions allocated to the Firearms Registry to help implement new legislative reforms have already been filled. In the immediate aftermath of the Bondi attack, the NSW government rushed through sweeping new firearms regulations, including cuts to the maximum duration of licences and caps on the number of firearms most individual owners can hold.

    Catley also declined to take a clear public position on a proposal to arm the Jewish community security group CSG for street patrols following the attack. Questioned by independent MLC Mark Latham – who has been accused of, but denies, anti-Semitism – Catley noted that CSG already has authorization to carry firearms when guarding static sites. She highlighted expanded police capabilities, including the deployment of officers armed with long-range firearms across the state, and said the proposal remains under government consideration as the premier has previously stated. “I do support the police’s approach … which is right across metropolitan Sydney as well, which is important that we protect all of the community,” she said. Greens MLC Sue Higginson pressed Catley on whether arming CSG for patrols would align with the government’s public goal of removing unneeded guns from streets to improve public safety, but Catley only reiterated that static armed security is already permitted for the group.

    Discussion also turned to the state’s upcoming gun buyback scheme, a core part of the new reforms. Catley confirmed that the cap on personal firearms ownership for existing licence holders will not enter into force until regulations are finalized, which is expected to happen by the end of 2026. The buyback scheme will launch before that cap takes effect, she confirmed.

    Catley clarified that gun components such as sights that become unused due to reclassification or ownership limits will not be included in the buyback, as the components themselves are not being classified as illegal. The same rule applies to gun safes that may become redundant after owners reduce their firearms holdings, as private ownership of gun safes remains legal. Ammunition will be included in the buyback, but the details are still being finalized: ammunition held for firearms that an owner no longer retains will be eligible for buyback, as it is illegal to hold ammunition for unregistered firearms.

    On the $10,000 value cap for individual high-value firearms in phase two of the joint NSW-federal buyback scheme, Catley said the limit was developed after extensive consultation with stakeholder groups. She also confirmed that the $250 million total funding allocated for the buyback will not be drawn from the NSW Police operating budget.

  • Virgin Australia profits soar to $404m after avoiding costly fuel crisis

    Virgin Australia profits soar to $404m after avoiding costly fuel crisis

    Australia’s competitive domestic aviation market has delivered a sharp divide in full-year financial results, with Virgin Australia recording a robust 21% jump in annual profit and issuing its first shareholder dividend since returning to public markets, while rival Qantas has absorbed hundreds of millions of dollars in losses tied to a global jet fuel crisis.

    In its latest full-year market update released this week, Virgin Australia reported an underlying net profit after tax of $404 million, representing a substantial year-over-year increase from the prior reporting period. The airline’s strong performance is largely attributed to a proactive risk management strategy that saw it fully hedge fuel prices months ahead of the extreme volatility that roiled global energy markets in recent months.

    As refining margins for jet fuel skyrocketed from roughly $US20 per barrel to a peak of $US130 per barrel, airlines across the globe were left grappling with ballooning operational costs. Unlike many of its industry peers, Virgin Australia’s hedging strategy insulated the carrier from the worst of these price shocks, allowing it to keep costs stable and preserve margins through the period of volatility.

    The contrast with Qantas could not be clearer. The larger Australian carrier confirmed this reporting cycle that geopolitical instability tied to the ongoing war in the Middle East, paired with skyrocketing fuel costs that far outpaced growing demand for international travel, erased $420 million from its annual profit.

    Thursday’s results mark Virgin Australia’s first full-year financial report since the company relisted on the Australian Securities Exchange on June 24, 2025. To reward investors for their patience following the carrier’s post-pandemic restructuring and relisting, the board has approved a maiden dividend of 7.6 cents per share for qualifying shareholders.

    Virgin Australia Chief Executive Dave Emerson framed the strong results as validation for the company’s multi-year strategy to build a leaner, more resilient business model focused on Australian travelers. “Looking ahead, we remain focused on providing value and choice to Australians to meet their travel needs,” Emerson said. “As an industry, we all have a role to play in managing costs so aviation doesn’t become unaffordable for Australians.”

    The divergent results between the two major Australian airlines highlight how differing risk management approaches can lead to drastically different outcomes during periods of widespread industry disruption, with well-positioned carriers able to capitalize on volatility to gain ground on larger competitors.

  • Trump orders Lake Ontario to be renamed ‘Lake America’

    Trump orders Lake Ontario to be renamed ‘Lake America’

    In a provocative escalation of the ongoing trade conflict between the United States and Canada, former US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that would unilaterally rename the shared border body of water Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” drawing an immediate and firm rejection from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The unprecedented diplomatic gambit comes just days after high-stakes bilateral trade negotiations collapsed at the eleventh hour, leading the two longstanding North American allies to impose matching retaliatory tariffs on each other’s goods.

    Speaking to reporters at the White House during the signing ceremony, the 80-year-old Republican confirmed the name change would take effect immediately. When pressed by an Agence France-Presse reporter on why he chose to target a close ally rather than traditional US adversaries over the dispute, Trump dismissed Canadian officials as “nasty people” who had “treated us very badly.” Visual aids behind the president in the Oval Office underscored the gesture: two maps, one overwriting the lake’s historic name with “Lake America” in bold red text, and another bearing the slogan “Making the Great Lakes Even Greater.”

    As the smallest of the five Great Lakes by surface area, Lake Ontario straddles the US-Canada border, touching the Canadian province of Ontario and the US state of New York. Trump’s order mirrors a similar unilateral action he took in January 2025, when he renamed the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America” — a change that Mexico has also refused to recognize. The executive order directs the US Department of the Interior to update all official geographic naming records within 30 days and mandate that all federal agencies adopt the new name, justifying the move on the grounds that the lake’s deepest section lies within US territory, giving the United States “claim to most of the Lake’s volume.”

    Carney, a former central banker for both Canada and the United Kingdom, quickly pushed back against the order in a public post on X, noting that the name “Lake Ontario” has persisted for 400 years — predating the founding of both the United States and Canada, and deriving from an Indigenous term meaning “the lake is beautiful, the lake is big.” “We know that America is changing,” Carney wrote. “Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario — then, now and always.” Carney’s recent defiant stance against Trump has earned widespread approval from Canadian voters, after he declared earlier this week that Ottawa was “at war” following what he framed as unfair economic attacks from the US.

    The name change dispute is not an isolated incident: throughout his second presidential term, Trump has repeatedly angered close US allies with outlandish territorial and naming claims. He has previously suggested Canada should become the 51st US state, laid a public claim to Greenland (an autonomous territory of NATO member Denmark), and claimed he would annex Venezuela as a US state after American forces captured former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. In recent days, he has also announced plans to claim the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway between Iran and Oman, as US territory amid the ongoing active conflict with Iran.

    Trump’s latest provocation comes as he faces plummeting domestic approval ratings tied to the ongoing Iran war and widespread economic struggles at home, with critical midterm congressional elections scheduled for November. The president hinted that the Lake Ontario renaming could just be the start of a broader effort, suggesting he may also move to rename the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans that border the United States. “We have a gulf and we have a lake. Now all we need is an ocean,” Trump said. “So, maybe we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and/or the Pacific. Maybe we’ll change them both.” The president added that the renaming idea was one he had pondered for years, after confirming earlier this week that he was giving the proposal serious consideration and releasing a TikTok video Wednesday confirming he would move forward with the order.

  • ‘It fuels me’: Bulldogs defender hits back at critics over achilles heel tag

    ‘It fuels me’: Bulldogs defender hits back at critics over achilles heel tag

    As the Western Bulldogs prepare for a high-stakes Friday night clash against Collingwood, one of their key defensive players is turning widespread outside criticism into a powerful source of motivation. For seasons, the Bulldogs’ back six has been labeled the soft underbelly of their premiership campaign — a persistent narrative that doesn’t sit right with young defender James O’Donnell, and his refusal to back down from that critique is exactly why he has become one of head coach Luke Beveridge’s most admired players.

    In an interview ahead of the Collingwood match, O’Donnell opened up about leaning into the doubt surrounding his defensive unit, explaining that the negative chatter pushes him to perform better. “To be honest, I kind of like it. It fuels me a bit,” he said. “It is, at times, a narrative that is a little bit… I don’t think it’s completely correct. There’s definitely been areas in our game we needed to lift, and I feel like we made a lot of ground this year. Statistically speaking, we’re a pretty solid back six. Again, it’s just fuel and something I don’t shy away from. It’s definitely been nice to prove all those doubters wrong.”

    Data from the final third of the 2026 AFL season backs up O’Donnell’s confidence. After a shaky start to the year that saw the Bulldogs leak goals at an alarming rate, the defensive unit has turned its performance around dramatically. What was once a clear weakness now matches the output of the club’s top-tier attack, pushing the Bulldogs into the league’s top six when it comes to defensive efficiency without possession. The backline has also racked up wins in critical individual matchups against some of the league’s most dangerous forward lines, outperforming many pundits’ expectations.

    For O’Donnell, this underdog identity is core to who the Western Bulldogs are as a club, rooted in their blue-collar reputation that has defined the western Melbourne franchise for decades. “We don’t really talk about (the external noise) too much, it’s quite process driven,” he explained. “It sounds cliche, but that’s what it is: week-to-week, what we want to go after, different teams show different looks. But for me, I personally think as well, I’m sure the other boys if you ask them would probably feel similar. I think that’s us as a club in general as well: (we’re) doubted, but when our backs are against the wall we hopefully stand up. I love that side of it.”

    Ahead of Friday’s game, O’Donnell is expected to shoulder the heavy responsibility of marking Collingwood star forward Dan McStay, a task he and the Bulldogs’ backline are already gearing up to meet.

    Beveridge has openly admitted O’Donnell is one of his favorite players, and the coach’s praise for the young defender highlights just how far O’Donnell has come since switching his focus from professional cricket to elite AFL. “He’s a stand-up lad, isn’t he? He’s a ripper,” Beveridge said. “I know coaches aren’t allowed to play favourites, but I just admire how he’s come on, for a young fella who turned his mind to playing this game in a serious sense from cricket.”

    Beveridge even compared O’Donnell’s famous long kicking to that of Carlton club legend Val Perovic, who was renowned across the league for his powerful distance kicks. “I made the comment to the players a while ago, he’s a thumping kick, you know? I reckon it started with Val Perovic, remember Val Perovic? Val had a thumping leg, he could kick it a mile. Mainly at Carlton, I think, when he would roost it, the whole crowd would go ‘oof’, like that. Now when there’s a highlight and Jimmy O’Donnell kicks the ball, the whole lecture theatre, the players go ‘oof’. He’s our Val Perovic now. Jimmy has been outstanding, and Buku Khamis has been tremendous. I think that backline, the composition now is probably in a place where it’s favourable.”

    The respect and admiration between player and coach is fully mutual. O’Donnell says he owes much of his growth and confidence to Beveridge, who gave him an early opportunity in the Bulldogs’ senior side and has trusted him with critical responsibilities from the start of his AFL career. “Bevo and I have a great relationship, I am very lucky to have Bevo as my coach,” O’Donnell said. “I think about how I started and how he, I guess, gave me the opportunity so early in my Bulldogs career. The trust he’s given me and the responsibility, he’s probably given me more belief than I ever had in myself – especially at the start. That as a starting point, we’ve just got a great relationship in that sense, but from a backline and role point of view, he’s super clear. He knows what he needs from me and I try to provide that every week – I love playing for him.”

  • Trump says Russia is ‘not going to attack’ NATO territory

    Trump says Russia is ‘not going to attack’ NATO territory

    In comments made from the Oval Office on Thursday, sitting U.S. President Donald Trump pushed back against widespread media coverage of growing Washington-based anxiety over potential Russian military aggression against European NATO member states, stating outright that Russian President Vladimir Putin has no plans to attack territory belonging to the alliance.

    Trump’s public remarks came just 48 hours after Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced, surprise visit to Moscow for closed-door talks with Russian officials. Multiple U.S. media outlets have reported that the core purpose of Ratcliffe’s unscheduled trip was to deliver a formal warning to the Kremlin against any offensive move against the NATO alliance.

    When pressed by reporters on whether Putin had personally committed to avoiding attacks on NATO territory during previous conversations, Trump told assembled journalists: “I’ve had good talks with him. He’s not going to be attacking a NATO territory.”

    When reporters followed up asking to confirm reports that Ratcliffe had delivered an official warning to Russian leadership during his Moscow visit, Trump declined to offer any details, saying: “I don’t want to comment on that, but they’re not going to attack.”

    Beyond the discussion of NATO security, Trump also downplayed calls for punitive measures against Russia over its ongoing trade ties with Iran, a longstanding Russian ally. His administration had previously announced what it termed an “economic D-Day” that would impose sweeping new sanctions on Tehran if the Iranian government refused to reopen the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz to international commercial shipping. Addressing Russia’s role in the region amid the standoff, Trump noted: “So far, I think Russia’s behaved quite well, having to do with the Strait of Hormuz.”

  • Russia dismisses as ‘scare stories’ US reports about attacking NATO

    Russia dismisses as ‘scare stories’ US reports about attacking NATO

    In the wake of an uncommon high-level meeting between CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Russian intelligence officials in Moscow, the Kremlin has moved quickly to dismiss widespread US media reports that suggested Russia was preparing a potential limited strike against a NATO member as baseless “scare stories”. Senior officials from both the US and the European Union have echoed this dismissal, casting significant doubt on the intelligence assessments that sparked the initial media reports.

    Two major US outlets, The Wall Street Journal and CBS News, first broke the story last week, citing unnamed intelligence sources who claimed Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow specifically to warn Russian leadership against any attempt to test the transatlantic alliance. The Journal’s reporting went further, claiming US intelligence assessments suggested President Vladimir Putin could order a “limited assault” on NATO territory within the next few years.

    During his daily press briefing on Thursday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov pushed back firmly against these claims. “A lot of such scare stories are being published right now. Of course, they have nothing to do with reality,” Peskov told reporters. He also reaffirmed Russia’s long-stated position on its ongoing military operation in Ukraine, noting that Moscow still prefers to reach its goals through diplomatic channels but will continue its campaign if peaceful options remain unavailable. Peskov also criticized Western European backers of Kyiv, saying Russia is confronting increasingly aggressive policy stances from European capitals. To date, Russia has repeatedly rejected Ukrainian calls for direct face-to-face peace talks between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, instead demanding Kyiv withdraw its forces from the contested eastern Donbas region as a precondition for negotiations.

    The pushback against the NATO attack claims extended beyond the Kremlin, with senior Western leaders also downplaying the risk. Former US President Donald Trump, who was asked about the reports, said he had held constructive discussions with Putin and insisted the Russian leader had no plans to target NATO territory. In Brussels, a senior anonymous EU official added that European intelligence services have not detected any preparations for a Russian attack on a NATO member, and that the bloc’s long-standing risk assessment has not changed.

    Russian foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin also downplayed the significance of the meeting with Ratcliffe, confirming the gathering took place but framing it as nothing out of the ordinary. “Yes, the meeting did take place, but there is nothing unusual about it,” Naryshkin told Russia’s state-run TASS news agency, adding that the two sides only discussed standard intelligence agency matters that he described as “quite a delicate and special matter”.

    CBS News further reported that beyond the NATO speculation, the talks also covered the ongoing conflict around Iran, with Ratcliffe issuing a warning that new US sanctions would be imposed if the Strait of Hormuz remained closed to commercial shipping traffic. Trump, however, pushed back on this framing, describing the Moscow meeting as “very sort of semi-routine” and saying the core focus was on ending the war in Ukraine, not NATO or Iran. The White House has not yet responded to multiple requests for comment from Agence France-Presse on the meeting.

    Ratcliffe’s visit marks one of the highest-level trips by a US official to Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The last serving CIA director to travel to Moscow was William Burns, who visited in November 2021 to warn Putin against launching an invasion. Three months after that meeting, the Kremlin launched its offensive, which has grown into the largest European conflict since World War II. Beyond diplomatic discussions, the CIA has also worked with Russia on high-profile prisoner swap deals, including a major exchange completed in mid-2024.

    Currently, the conflict remains locked in a grinding stalemate four and a half years after it began. Widespread use of long-range drones on both sides of the front line has largely eliminated the possibility of swift, large-scale territorial advances, leaving neither side able to secure a decisive advantage. Putin has faced growing domestic and international pressure in recent months, as increasing Ukrainian drone strikes deep inside Russian territory have caused mounting casualties and economic damage.