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The 42
6 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
Schmidt's charm, the new 'psycho,' and a tough young 10
DESPITE THE CHALLENGE facing him and his Wallabies team, Joe Schmidt was in chipper form. With a big pack of journalists squeezed into a meeting room at the Australians' team hotel in downtown Brisbane, the wily New Zealander presented an image of calm. Injuries have shorn Schmidt of his two biggest boppers – Rob Valetini and Will Skelton – when it was already clear the Wallabies would face a big physical test this weekend, while Taniela Tupou's form and fitness have dropped off to the extent that he has been left out of the matchday 23. Throw in injuries for Langi Gleeson, who replaced Valetini two weekends ago against Fiji, and out-half Noah Lolesio, and Schmidt could have been forgiven for despairing. Maybe he has done that behind closed doors, but Schmidt was again relaxed in front of the media today. He is unrecognisable from the figure he was at the end of his Ireland reign, so weighed down and worn down by stress and pressure, much of it self-imposed. This appears to be a lighter version of the man who changed Irish rugby for the better. He remains a demanding coach who holds his players and staff to the highest standards but word in Australian rugby is that he is more chilled out than they expected. He cracked a few jokes today, including when he was talking about 22-year-old Tom Lynagh, who gets his first start for the Wallabies on Saturday. Advertisement 'I've got massive pins myself, so I can say those skinny pins can hit the ball a decent distance,' said Schmidt with a self-deprecating smile. There was another laugh when the Wallabies boss was speaking about how he can feel a groundswell of Australian support for his team. 'Even here in Brisbane, in town, a guy came up to me the other day and said, 'We are 100% behind you…' It was Brad Thorn! 'But it's great to have his support. I did wonder if he had his boots.' Schmidt with Laurie Fisher at training. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Schmidt brushed off questions about whether the Lions have been disrespectful by publicly talking about their aim of winning the series 3-0, saying tongue-in-cheek that his media officer, Marty McCambridge, hadn't sent him those press clippings. But Schmidt knows his team are underdogs even on home soil and with all the emotion that comes when the Lions only visit once every 12 years. It doesn't help the Wallabies' case that the heavyweight Skelton and the explosive Valetini, possibly their best player last year, haven't made it back from calf injuries in time for the first Test. 'Right on the edge, to be honest,' said Schmidt of how close they were to featuring. 'If it was the last game of the series, I think they would have been in the mix. But the risk you take if you put those guys out there and they're not quite ready and you try to push them through, you might end up worse off. 'I wouldn't say we're taking a long-term view with them, but we just felt it was the most judicious decision at the time.' Schmidt expects them back for the second Test in Melbourne next weekend. With Gleeson also missing due to a dead leg, Schmidt said he was excited to hand a Test debut to Western Force flanker Nick Champion de Crespigny, who previously spent a few years in the Top 14 with Castres. Schmidt said he likes Champion de Crespigny's lineout skills and classed him as a 'roving scavenger' of a back row, while Wallabies flanker Fraser McReight was more to the point.
The Journal
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Hamas says ready to start Gaza ceasefire talks 'immediately'
ISRAEL WAS CONSIDERING its response after Hamas said it was ready to start talks 'immediately' on a US-sponsored proposal for a Gaza ceasefire. The security cabinet was expected to meet after the end of the Jewish sabbath at sundown to discuss Israel's next steps, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to head to Washington for talks on Monday with US President Donald Trump. Trump has been making a renewed push to end nearly 21 months of war in Gaza, where the civil defence agency said 35 people were killed in Israeli military operations on today. 'No decision has been made yet on that issue,' an Israeli government official told news agency AFP when asked about Hamas's positive response to the latest ceasefire proposal. Hamas made its announcement late yesterday after holding consultations with other Palestinian factions. 'The movement is ready to engage immediately and seriously in a cycle of negotiations on the mechanism to put in place' the US-backed truce proposal, the militant group said in a statement. US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on 7 April, 2025. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Two Palestinian sources close to the discussions told AFP that the proposal included a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and several bodies in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel. However, they said, the group was also demanding certain conditions for Israel's withdrawal, guarantees against a resumption of fighting during negotiations and the return of the UN-led aid distribution system. Hamas ally Islamic Jihad said it supported ceasefire talks, but demanded guarantees that Israel 'will not resume its aggression' once hostages held in Gaza are freed. Trump, when asked about Hamas's response aboard Air Force One, said: 'That's good. They haven't briefed me on it. We have to get it over with. We have to do something about Gaza.' Two previous ceasefires mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States secured temporary halts in fighting and the return of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Of the 251 hostages taken by Palestinian militants during the October 2023 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Advertisement 'Will not be shut down' Efforts to broker a new truce have repeatedly failed, with the primary point of contention being Israel's rejection of Hamas's demand for guarantees that any new ceasefire will be lasting. Nearly 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has recently expanded its military operations. A US- and Israel-backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, took the lead in food distribution in the territory in late May, when Israel partially lifted a more than two-month blockade on aid deliveries. The group said two of its US staff were wounded in an 'attack' on one of its aid centres in southern Gaza on Saturday. 'This morning, two American aid workers were injured in a targeted terrorist attack during food distribution activities at SDS-3 in Khan Yunis,' the organisation said, adding that reports indicated it was carried out by 'two assailants who threw two grenades at the Americans'. UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. Its operations have been marred by near-daily reports of Israeli fire on people waiting to collect rations. UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said Friday that more than 500 people have been killed waiting to access food from GHF distribution points. GHF's chairman Johnnie Moore, a Christian evangelical leader allied to Trump, on Wednesday rejected calls for the lead role in Gaza aid distributions to revert to UN agencies. 'We will not be shut down. We have one job to do. It's very simple, every day to provide free food to the people of Gaza,' he told reporters. Civil defence says 35 killed Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said Israeli military operations killed 35 people across Gaza today. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it could not comment on specific strikes without precise coordinates. The Hamas attack of October 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 57,338 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.
The Journal
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Journal
US singer Chris Brown pleads not guilty to ‘bottle attack' charge
R&B SINGER CHRIS Brown has pleaded not guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm in an alleged bottle attack at a London nightclub. The American musician, 36, is accused of attempting to unlawfully and maliciously cause grievous bodily harm with intent to Abraham Diaw at the Tape venue, a private members' club in Hanover Square, Mayfair, on 19 February 2023. Brown confirmed his name and date of birth before entering his plea, saying: 'Not guilty ma'am' during the plea and trial preparation hearing at Southwark Crown Court. His co-defendant, US national Omololu Akinlolu, who turned 39 today, denied the same charge. Both defendants are further charged with assaulting Diaw occasioning him actual bodily harm, with Brown also facing one count of having an offensive weapon – a bottle – in a public place. Omololu Akinlolu leaves Southwark Crown Court Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo They were not asked to enter pleas to those charges with a further court hearing set for 11 July. Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC, defending Brown, told the court it has been difficult to discuss matters with her client while he is working. Around 20 people sat in the public gallery behind the dock for today's hearing, many of them fans of the singer. Advertisement A date for a five to seven-day trial was set for 26 October 2026. Brown had arrived at around 9am to a large group of photographers outside court, and walked in silence to the building's entrance. Brown arrived to a large group of photographers outside court. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo The singer, who was able to continue with his scheduled international tour after he was freed on conditional bail last month, performed in Cardiff on Thursday night. He had to pay a £5 million security fee to the court as part of the bail agreement, which is a financial guarantee to ensure a defendant returns to court and may be forfeited if they breach bail conditions. Manchester Magistrates' Court heard last month that Diaw was standing at the bar of the Tape nightclub when he was struck several times with a bottle, and then pursued to a separate area of the nightclub where he was punched and kicked repeatedly. Brown was arrested at Manchester's Lowry Hotel at 2am on 15 May by detectives from the Metropolitan Police. He is said to have flown into Manchester Airport on a private jet in preparation for the UK tour dates. Brown was released from HMP Forest Bank in Salford, Greater Manchester, on 21 May. Shortly after being released from prison, Brown posted an Instagram story referencing his upcoming tour. The Journal / YouTube
The Journal
19-06-2025
- Climate
- The Journal
Category 4 Hurricane Erick hits Mexico as 'life-threatening' storm to bring mudslides
HURRICANE ERICK HAS made landfall in western Mexico as the category 4 storm is expected to cause mudslides and death. It comes as the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) upgraded its severity to a category 4 storm. In the US, the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale is used to determine the severity of storms, ranging from Category 1 to Category 5, with the latter being the most severe. The NHC describes the storm as 'extremely dangerous' as it now descends upon Mexico's Pacific coast. Erick is expected to bring 'life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain', according to the NHC's latest bulletin. Workers board up a shopfront in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Erick, in Acapulco, Mexico. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'Major Hurricane #Erick makes landfall in extreme western Oaxaca, Mexico just east of Punta Maldonado,' the NHC said in a post on social media, declaring the hurricane's estimated maximum winds to be around 205km/h. By 6am this morning Irish time, Erick was moving northwest at a speed of nearly 15km/h with maximum sustained winds increasing to 230km/h and higher gusts. The hurricane could strengthen further before making landfall in the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero before weakening as it moves inland, forecasters warned. Mexican authorities said they were also expecting heavy rain in Chiapas state. President Claudia Sheinbaum urged people to avoid going out, and advised those living in low-lying areas or near rivers to move to shelters. Advertisement In Acapulco, a major port and resort city famous for its nightlife, police with bullhorns walked the beach and drove around town warning residents and holidaymakers of the storm's arrival. Some shops boarded up their windows and operators of tourist boats brought their vessels ashore. Rainfall began in the late afternoon after a sunny day. About 400km south of Acapulco, the city of Puerto Escondido and its 30,000 inhabitants braced for the hurricane's effects. Restaurants were already closed despite tourists unwilling to give up their vacations, an AFP journalist noted from the scene. 'They say it's going to hit this side of the coast, so we're taking precautions to avoid having any regrets later,' Adalberto Ruiz, a 55-year-old fisherman sheltering his boat said. Laura Velazquez, national coordinator of civil protection, said the government was using patrols and social media to warn people. Some 2,000 temporary shelters have been set up in Chiapas, Guerrero and Oaxaca, and hundreds of troops and electricity workers have been deployed to help with any clean-up efforts. Local authorities have suspended classes and closed ports along the coast, including the port of Acapulco, to shipping. Mexico sees major storms every year, usually between May and November, on both its Pacific and Atlantic coasts. In October 2023, Acapulco was pummeled by Hurricane Otis, a powerful Category 5 storm that killed at least 50 people. Hurricane John, another Category 3 storm that hit Acapulco in September last year, caused about 15 deaths. With reporting from AFP. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The 42
18-06-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Ombudsman has all the answers in Prince of Wales's Stakes with O'Brien's favourite fifth
OMBUDSMAN DISPLAYED A devastating change of gear to run out a brilliant winner of the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot. Successful on each of his first four starts last season, including a Group Three win in France, John and Thady Gosden's colt met with defeat for the first time when second to Almaqam on his return to action in last month's Brigadier Gerard at Sandown. The Godolphin-owned four-year-old faced a further hike in class for this Group One feature, but after being settled well off the strong early pace by William Buick, he engaged overdrive once in the clear halfway up the straight and readily picked off the gallant Anmaat to win by two lengths going away. See The Fire was third, another two and a half lengths behind the 7-1 winner, but Aidan O'Brien's Los Angeles, the 13-8 favourite, faded into fifth place. Gosden senior, celebrating his 70th Royal Ascot winner, said: 'He's a special horse and it's just a question of an owner giving you the time to let them mature and get there. 'He's got a turn of foot and he (Buick) knew it, it was a matter of getting out, but I did notice when he finally got daylight there was a furlong to go.' He went on: 'It's a question of, when you get to the straight, whether you get the luck. He wasn't in a position where he could swing round the field, it was more of a case of waiting for the gap. Advertisement 'He was very patient. I knew when there was a gap at the furlong pole that this horse has an extraordinary turn of foot – he was patient and he was rewarded. 'When we bought him he was an immature horse, he didn't run as a two-year-old and as a three-year-old we brought him on and then put him away. He's horse who is now properly grown and developed as a four-year-old. 'He's a mile-and-a-quarter horse, he's got a wonderful turn of foot as you saw and I think we'll play to that strength. As far as I'm concerned he's done nothing but grow in stature. The Prince of Wales presents a commemorative saddle blanket to trainer John Gosden following his 70th win. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'He is a horse that because he hasn't over-raced this year, he could be a horse you could look at the Eclipse. 'That wouldn't be my choice (to run him against Field Of Gold).' Thady Gosden added: 'When William found a gap he asked him to go through it and he was very quick. 'The Eclipse looks like the natural step to take. It was a top-class field today, it was the most elite field of the week as it often is and he showed what he was capable of there. 'It wasn't a huge field but it was highly elite, as you'd expect at this meeting. He certainly came up good.' William Buick with the trophy for the Prince Of Wales's Stakes. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Buick was noticeably jubilant on passing the line, after an opening day that had seen high-profile reverses for Notable Speech and Ruling Court. He said: 'This place tames lions. It's so special to win here because it's so tough, everyone comes here in great form and everyone is doing their very best of course. 'They went a hard gallop. I was always going to have to ride for a bit of luck and he quickened instantly. I thought he was impressive. 'I think that was a taste of what's to come for sure. He's got low miles on the clock, he's an exciting horse.'
