Australia

Another I’m A Celebrity star has landed in Australia ahead of the launch of the hit ITV show, which will see famous faces take on the Bushtucker trials and everything the jungle has to offer

The next I’m A Celebrity star has touched down in Australia ahead of the ITV show’s return.

In just a few days’ time, we will be tuning into the opening episode of the hit show, hosted by Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly. The full line-up has now been confirmed by ITV ahead of the show beginning next week.

Today, Ricky Wilson arrived in Australia. The Kaiser Chiefs frontman said he was doing a “top secret TV show that I can’t talk about.”

He added: “My flight was cancelled but there are lots of trials. I am here to do a top secret TV show I can’t talk about. Are my bandmates not here? I thought I was meeting them here. I am not a great liar am I? I have never been camping. I’ve been to festivals playing them, never camping.”

It comes after Love Island star Chloe Burrows arrived in Australia. Chloe starred on the dating show in 2021, where she arrived as the first bombshell of the series. She made it all the way to the final with now-ex Toby Aromolaran, with the couple placing runner up after winners Liam and Millie.

Speaking to The Mirror on her arrival to Oz, she said: “Don’t come too close I need a big fat shower, I stink. I got a 99p voucher holiday which has sent me to the Gold Coast. i am a big fan of Bondi rescue and am a big fan of Vegemite so I have come to check it out.”

Other stars to arrive recently include Coronation Street star Claire Sweeney, who joked she had flown out all that way to get her hair extensions done. I’m A Celebrity contestants famously lie about why they’re in Australia.

“I couldn’t get my extensions down in Liverpool so I got an appointment over here to get my nails and my hair done,” she joked. “I love Australia, the people are cool and friendly. It’s a home from home,” she said.

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“I was here years ago and did a TV show called Challenge of a Lifetime . Last time I was here I was crawling between two skyscrapers on a wire on my stomach. …that was 20 years ago.”

Elsewhere, Victoria’s Secret model Leomie Anderson, who claimed she was just in Australia to visit the Gold Coast whilst Sharky, a YouTube star, and footballing legend Wayne Rooney have also been seen arriving in Brisbane.

Asked whether his wife Coleen was proud of him, Wayne said: “She is obviously. I think because she has done it, she knows what it is, so she knows how difficult it is as well. It will be nice for her to sit down and be invested in it.”

But the couple’s four sons, Kai, Klay, Kit and Cass, have had different reactions to the news. “The younger two are very excited,” Rooney said. “I think my older two are worried that I will embarrass them. I tend to do that a lot when their friends come round (to our house) and I think they are more worried about me embarrassing them!”

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Jockey Izzy Neale has died after falling from her horse during a race at Warren Racecourse in Australia on Sunday.

The 22-year-old was dislodged from her horse Marnoo and was airlifted to Dubbo hospital.

Neale’s family announced on Tuesday that she had passed away from her injuries.

“It is with deep sadness and broken hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Izzy, surrounded by her closest family and friends,” a joint statement from the family and Racing NSW said.

“Izzy rode horses before she could walk. Her love of horses was a lifelong passion that, more recently, had grown into a love of racing.

“Through organ donation, Izzy will give others the chance of life, bringing some comfort to our family amid this devastating loss.

“We are deeply grateful for the love, kindness and support shown to Izzy and our family by her friends, the racing community and everyone who has been by our side during this heartbreaking time.”

The rest of the Cotton Cup meeting was abandoned and Neale’s horse Marnoo was euthanised after sustaining a serious leg injury in the accident.

A second rider, Diego Montes de Oca, was injured in the same race. He suffered minor injuries to his foot and has since been discharged from hospital.

Neale was an apprentice rider and rode 88 winners in her professional career.

The Australian Turf club described Neale as a “talented young rider with a bright future”.

Trainer John Thompson, who Neale worked for, also paid tribute.

“An absolute beacon of shining light. Always happy. Always smiling. Loved by everyone who met her,” he said on X.

“The world is poorer for the loss of a beautiful young lady. Heartbreaking.”

Neale’s family thanked the public and the racing authorities in Australia for their support, as well as the medical staff who cared for her.

“As we come to terms with our loss, we ask that our family’s privacy be respected,” they said.

“Izzy was dearly loved and will forever be in our hearts.”

Starc formed part of the bowling attack in the contentious 2018 Test alongside Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon.

In 2021, the quartet, who remain fixtures in the Australia Test side, issued a joint statement saying they “did not know a foreign substance was taken on to the field”.

Speaking at a season launch event in Sydney, Starc stated he hadn’t “really paid much attention” to the media coverage of Khawaja’s claims.

“Obviously, there’s differing opinions of eight years ago. We were heavily grilled through the process at the time, since,” said Starc.

“I guess I won’t speak on behalf of the bowlers – but, where I stand, my opinion hasn’t changed, my recollection hasn’t changed from what we said in 2021.

“We weren’t aware it [sandpaper] was taken on the field to be tampered with. We saw it on the big screen in Cape Town. As far as the book’s concerned, I haven’t read it and probably won’t read it, so that’s for Usman to elaborate on.

“It’s definitely disappointing that’s what we’re talking about heading into a really exciting [Australian] summer. Different people felt different ways about it at the time, throughout and certainly through the last eight years.

“I think Trav [Head] said it the other day, that the group has changed a lot. We certainly look forward to what’s coming up. We’re not in 2018 anymore, are we, so the group at the moment’s great.”

Khawaja has also said in his book that sandpaper was in use at the second Test at Port Elizabeth, but Starc said that claim was the “first I was aware of any of that taking place in PE”.

Warner, who was banned for a year after the incident, has backed Khawaja’s recollections, saying on Monday they were “100% accurate”.

Greenberg argued there was always likely to be a lack of consensus about what took place in the series.

“You end up at the same intersection where one person’s version of events contradict the others, and I’m not sure what outcome people are searching for,” he added.

“I think what people want is a single outcome that everyone is aligned up on, but I don’t think that’s possible on this occasion because we have such conflicting views from the same moment in time.”

The decision comes after ​an OpenAI agent breached ​an Australian government website in June.

Australia will make it mandatory for artificial ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠intelligence companies to immediately report when their ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AI models go rogue and to open their models for evaluation, the government said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday the government had accepted all recommendations from a rapid review into the breach, which “include ⁠⁠mandatory AI company reporting when ⁠⁠it comes ⁠⁠to misaligned behaviour or cyber-incidents, and consideration of reforming criminal ‌‌law in cases of serious misconduct”.

“Australia is the first mover in this space, and we want to make sure that we continue to work so that we can reap the potential benefits from AI,” he said.

The decision comes after OpenAI-powered models hacked into an Australian government health data system in June, slipping past its digital defences and accessing files without authorisation.

Top AI firms have recently raised the alarm regarding the risk of humans losing control of their systems, calling for AI development to slow down to a pace that allows it to be safely regulated.

Earlier this year, Anthropic’s safety research scientist Evan Hubinger went so far as to say he believes there is a greater than 10 percent chance that AI could “kill all humans” within a decade.

Rapid incident notifications

The new Australian AI regulator will oversee security controls throughout the development and deployment of AI systems, identify and manage serious risks, and conduct independent ‌‌evaluations of AI models.

The AI standards would also mandate rapid notification to the government of incidents such as “misaligned behaviour” conflicting with developers’ intentions.

Australian government documents define frontier AI as the most sophisticated models at the cutting edge of current technological capability.

Albanese told OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman that the US company took too long to inform the government of the incident. OpenAI apologised for the breach and its slow response.

Inquiry recommends law changes

A government inquiry into the June breach made several recommendations, including that the government consider changing the law.

The proposed AI regulator would follow Australia’s appointment of an eSafety Commissioner in 2015. The office describes itself as the world’s first government agency dedicated to keeping people safer online.

Since December last year, the commissioner has been enforcing a world-first ban on Australian children younger than 16 holding accounts on popular social media platforms.

‘We’re comfortable with the outcome of the investigation,’ Cricket Australia chief says after David Warner and Usman Khawaja’s revelations.

The top cricket official in Australia has ruled out another investigation into the so-called “sandpapergate” scandal despite remarks by Usman Khawaja and David Warner that knowledge of the 2018 ball-tampering plot was widespread throughout the team.

Cricket Australia (CA) ⁠boss Todd Greenberg said on Tuesday he believed all players held “very different views” from Khawaja’s version of events of the 2018 tour of South Africa as described in his recently released autobiography.

“There are specific details in his ⁠book that contradict the versions that have been provided by others,” Greenberg told ⁠local radio station SEN.

“But we have said we’re comfortable with the outcome of the investigation based on the information we’ve received,” he added.

“That includes what we’ve seen from Usman, and our position hasn’t changed on that. We don’t see any compelling reason to open the investigation or revisit this again. I don’t think ‌there’s anything that can be gained from that.”

CA imposed bans and other penalties on Warner, former captain Steve Smith and former Test batter Cameron Bancroft four days after the incident came to light during the Cape Town Test.

Khawaja, in extracts from his autobiography published in Australian media, said “open, lighthearted discussions” were held during the South Africa series about ways to scuff up the ball, including by using sandpaper.

He said discussion of tampering was not confined to batters, bowlers or staff but extended throughout the team.

“It was all of us,” Khawaja said in the book, ⁠according to Australian media.

Warner, who retired from international cricket more than two years ago, ⁠broke his silence about the incident on Monday to throw his support behind Khawaja.

In a video posted on social media, Warner described his former teammate’s account as 100 percent accurate and the CA investigation as “botched” and “rushed”.

The four Australian bowlers who played in the Cape Town Test in 2018 and continue to represent the nation – Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon – issued a joint statement in 2021 denying any knowledge of the plot.

Captain Cummins said in South ‌Africa last month that he had spoken to Khawaja about his autobiography and was not concerned about any potential fallout.

“Answered every question a million times. So, yeah, it was dealt with then,” he said.

Some commentators have questioned why Khawaja ‌waited ‌eight years to speak out and accused him of trying to boost sales of his book Sabr.

Khawaja responded on social media on Tuesday, saying he had no commercial motives.

“I’m very fortunate, I don’t need the money,” he said.

LESS than a week after Married At First Sight UK was axed amid rape allegations behind-the-scenes, bosses of the Australian version of the show fear it will meet the same fate.

Concerns have sparked after a second producer on the series has been stood down by production company Endemol Shine Australia, while an investigation is carried out concerning private messages sent by one of the upcoming contestants were played to his on-screen bride. 

Groom Kayne Buik has issued a complaint, prompting an internal inquiry and corresponding police investigation, according to The Daily Mail.

Buik will appear on the forthcoming season of the show, and is said to have flagged his concerns to the police while filming was underway, stressing that his privacy had been compromised.

Buik alleges that his on-screen bride Kristen Goedecke was played personal audio messages Buik had exchanged with a woman he knew prior to taking part on the show.

The woman is said to have heard about Buik’s involvement on the show via an online article, contacting producers and supplying texts and voice notes, as well as taking part in video interviews.

WED END

The MAFS UK 2026 stars that you’ll NEVER see on screen as entire series axed

FINAL VERDICT

MAFS UK’s Shona Manderson breaks silence on show axe after coming forward

She denied that any other media was provided, telling Inside Mail: “No photos or videos were sent.”

Buik is said to have refused to ignore the matter ahead of the show’s debut, worrying producers that the series will be axed, similarly to the UK version which airs on Channel 4.

NSW Police referred the matter to WA Police, and an investigation was subsequently launched, in which phones were seized from the Endemol Shine Australia office and staff involved were given access to legal representation.

A spokesperson from Australia’s Channel Nine, who broadcast the show, told the Daily Mail that any enquiries should be directed to Endemol Shine Australia, who declined to comment.

Channel Nine counts Married At First Sight as one of its biggest ratings hits averaging 2.76 million viewers per episode across total TV, and is scheduled to air in the first quarter of 2027. 

“There is a lot riding on the new season,” a source told the Mail. “‘No one wants this to be the last season.

“While it might seem unthinkable, all it takes is one big scandal combined with ratings or revenue not being where they need to be and Nine could make that call.”

Contradicting this, a source on the MAFS production team told the publication that the new season is set to be “a change of pace” than previous seasons, focusing on various couples instead of one main pairing.

This scandal comes after one couple on the new season left the show early, after things became “too toxic” between them during filming.

Since the British series was hit by scandal, Australian showrunners are said to be ensuring any “risky” couplings are removed from the process if things look to turn unsavoury in any way.

The Australian version of MAFS will already no longer air on Channel 4 or E4 in the new year, as it has done in the past.

The broadcaster “has no plans” to televise or stream any international seasons of the show after axing the UK’s incarnation of the reality series.

The external investigation into MAFS UK was commissioned by Channel 4 Chief Executive Priya Dogra following serious allegations made by three female stars in a Panorama special.

Two former brides claimed they were raped by their on-screen husbands, while a third accused her show husband of performing a non-consensual sex act.

All three men have denied the claims.

Dogra said she was “very sorry for the distress the women felt” but the review could not adjudicate on their claims.

The decision to drop the show means a full pre-recorded MAFS UK series that was filmed before the review took place will never be broadcast on the channel.

While the programme has been scrapped, the review found that Channel 4 and production company CPL did provide an adequate duty of care and did not breach Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code

Lawyers pored over 20 hours of aired and unaired footage from series three to six, analysed 31,172 documents and carried out 15 interviews with show stars.

It was found that a number of “isolated incidents” didn’t follow the welfare framework fully and that both C4 and CPL could have conducted a more structured long-term review of contributor welfare.

A second part to the review, carried out by ex BBC One Controller Lorraine Heggessey, concluded that the show could run in the future with format adjustments in place.

However, it also stated that the show’s focus on intimacy could put pressure on contributors to be intimate with their partners.

Panorama’s Mafs UK exposé aired in May.

In the programme, one of the brides who claimed she was raped said she had suicidal thoughts for the first time after her series aired.

While another bride, Shona Manderson, who appeared on the show in 2023, said she had an abortion after claiming her on-screen partner Bradley Skelly ejaculated inside her without permission.

She admitted she did not know if the pregnancy resulted from the alleged incident.

The couple stayed together for six weeks after leaving the show, but separated shortly afterwards.

Bradley said he understood Shona had consented to him ejaculating inside of her.

In a statement to the BBC, he said he categorically denied “any allegations of sexual misconduct” or that he was “controlling”.

He said their relationship “was based on mutual consent, care and affection.”

A third bride told bosses she was raped before her series was aired.

She said both she and her on-screen husband had been engaging in consensual sex, but he had proceeded on one occasion after she said no.

Model Leomie Anderson has become the fourth star to land in Australia ahead of I’m A Celebrity after Wayne Rooney, Ade Adepitan and Sharky were all seen landing Down Under

Model Leomie Anderson has become the fourth star to land in Australia for I’m A Celebrity.

Over her career, Leomie has modelled for Victoria’s Secret multiple times and became one of their Angels in 2019.Speaking as she arrived, Leomie told The Mirror: “I came here to see the sights baby, the Gold Coast it’s beautiful.”

The ITV jungle show is back in just a few days’ time and the stars have started to arrive Down Under. Wayne Rooney was one of the first to arrive, with the former footballer being one of the show’s most expensive signings ever.

Elsewhere, social media star Sharky, whose real name is Sharmarke Mohamud, also arrived in Brisbane, with bosses said to be hoping he will emulate the success of last year’s winner AngryGinge.

Ade Adepitan was the third to arrive Down Under. Pretending, as all arriving stars do, that he isn’t really in town to appear on I’m A Celeb, the former wheelchair basketball player said: “I am here to advise on the 2027 Australian tap-dancing festival. I am here to dance.” Asked what he would miss most about being away, he said: “Time with my family.”

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Meanwhile, Sam Thompson, 34, is returning to the Jungle this year, fronting the spin-off show, Unpacked, alongside former Mirror journalist turned Capital FM presenter, Kemi Rodgers.

Sam says he was stunned to be asked to present the programme. Of the show’s main hosts Ant and Dec, he said: “They’re so lovely. I’ve seen them more than they probably ever want to see me in their lives. I’m like that boy who used to sit on the living room floor with his parents and watch the jungle.

“They are literally the reason I wanted to do the jungle in the first place. To be able to work right next to them, it’s just one of the coolest things in the world. “They are so gracious. They are so genuine. They just want you to do well..”

Meanwhile, Wayne’s wife Coleen has said she has vowed to get “revenge” on her husband. Insiders say Coleen intended to “blow the voting app up” as she votes for her husband to do a succession of Bushtucker trials.

Friends say we can expect Coleen to take to the task with “utmost determination.” They said: “They are all rooting for Wayne to do as many as possible – its only right after they all voted for her. She is laughing how she wants her revenge.

“Wayne has a lot to live up to Coleen’s amazing performance in the jungle two years ago but he is determined to give it a good go. She was a huge influence in him deciding to sign on the dotted line. He has no shortage of advice from Coleen who became a firm favourite with viewers during her own stint in camp.”

The former England captain is understood to be particularly keen to impress his four sons – Kai, 16, Klay, 13, Kit, ten, and Cass, eight – by taking on the trials.

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For Samoa, a second successive World Cup ends in defeat by Australia, after being beaten 30-10 in the final four years ago.

The two nations have met six times, with Australia winning all six.

But this one hurt more. Samoa clearly felt they could win, as their ultra-aggressive Siva Tau war dance pre-match proved – getting right in the Australian faces, even forehead to forehead in some cases.

But they were aggrieved by some debatable refereeing decisions, including two disallowed tries – Crichton in the first half, then Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow denied with 10 minutes to go after contact between Manuleleua and Liam Martin was deemed illegal.

It bubbled over shortly before the break, when Spencer Leniu was sin-binned for dissent by Australian referee Adam Gee.

“You guys saw the game. You report on it,” was Samoa coach Ben Gardiner’s terse response to questions about the decisions.

On whether his side cost themselves with a lack of discipline, he said: “I’m not quite sure.

“On the back of some of the penalties that were given, we just didn’t react very well. There was one thing into another and then a try. It made it difficult to be able to fight back from that.

“And then to be down by 18 points, 20 points at half-time, to chase back from that… I thought we did well in the second half to fight back.

“But then again, we scored a try and gave up another one straight away. We bounced off too many tackles in that early period, missed too many tackles in the game in general.

“That had nothing to do with the emotion. That’s a Test match, that’s what you do. It’s physical, there’s push and shove, stand your ground.”

The tournament debutants put pressure on the Australia line from the start. Soon the entire Aussie team caught the bug with simple drops and brainless errors, and after 12 minutes Simaima Taufa conceded a penalty under the posts.

Fiji opted to kick for two points. Four minutes later, they went all the way.

Captain Sereana Naitokatoka stole the ball from Jaime Chapman 10 metres from the Australia line, and they drove through the defence for half-back Luisa Yaranamua to score. She also converted to give Fiji an astonishing 8-0 lead.

At last Australia sparked into life, and two tries in the final 10 minutes of the opening half brought them level.

Church drove over in the right corner, before Tamika Upton slipped through the defence as Australia returned pressure following a Fiji drop-out.

But Jocelyn Kelleher missed twice from the tee to allow Fiji in at half-time level. Had Upton not brilliantly tipped a Fiji grubber behind, Australia would have trailed.

Whatever coach Jess Skinner said in the changing room woke Australia up, and they took control.

Church completed her treble – the third a brilliant catch from a booming Tarryn Aiken kick to the corner and before grounding the ball at full tilt – either side of Chapman diving over.

Normal service resumed. But at last, the Jillaroos have been proved fallible – with a late Maria Paseka try providing a deserved flourish for fearless Fiji.

Church, though, had the last word for Australia – collecting Losana Lutu’s kick around 30 metres from her own line before racing clear to score.

Barring a setback, Rams edge rusher Myles Garrett will return Sunday against the Washington Commanders, coach Sean McVay said Friday.

Garrett, the reigning NFL defensive player of the year, has not played since the season-opening defeat by the San Francisco 49ers in Australia. Garrett had no tackles in the 27-7 defeat and said afterward that his performance was “the worst version” of himself. He was placed on injured reserve after undergoing a procedure on his left knee, and returned to practice this week.

“It has been exciting to be able to get Myles back into the mix with the other guys that I think have played really well up front and we’ve got to be able to bring it to life, and it will be fun to see,” McVay said.

The Rams are 4-4 and won their last two games against the Las Vegas Raiders and the Chargers.

Sunday’s game will mark the first time that Garrett and defensive lineman Aaron Donald will play together. Donald ended a two-year retirement a few months after the Rams traded edge rusher Jared Verse, a first-round draft pick and two other future picks to the Cleveland Browns for Garrett, who amassed an NFL season-record 23 sacks last season.

Donald, 35, is a three-time NFL defensive player of the year. Garrett, 30, has won the award twice.

“He’s looked awesome in practice and I’m excited for him to just go play within himself, “McVay said. “Doesn’t have to do anything other than be Myles.”

Tight end Terrance Ferguson and running back Ronnie Rivers also are on track to be activated from injured reserve, McVay said.

Hussey, known as ‘Mr Cricket’ for his technical expertise, will also work with Australia during the LA 2028 Olympics.

Mike Hussey was appointed on Friday as a consultant coach to the Australian team for next year’s blockbuster Ashes series against England and the 2027 Cricket World Cup.

The former Australian batsman revealed in August that England’s new red-ball coach, Stephen Fleming, had informally approached him to be their Test batting mentor.

But the 51-year-old turned down the audacious offer and has instead committed to helping his home nation arrest a batting crisis, highlighted by their recent 2-1 Test series defeat in South Africa.

Hussey, known as “Mr Cricket” for his technical expertise, will also provide coaching assistance during this month’s home T20 series against England and the subsequent four-Test series against New Zealand.

He will additionally work with Australia during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where cricket is on the agenda, and the T20 World Cup in 2028.

“I am extremely excited about being a part of the team in a more formal and meaningful role in the coming years,” said Hussey, who played more than 300 matches for Australia across all formats.

“This team has achieved so much in recent times, to which I hope I can add value to the coaching and playing groups ahead of what will be an exciting and challenging period.”

Hussey has extensive experience as a coach, including with both Australia and England.

He was part of England’s coaching setup when they won the T20 World Cup in 2022 and was the Chennai Super Kings’ longtime batting coach under Fleming in the Indian Premier League. He also led Welsh Fire in this year’s Hundred.

“Mike has been a highly valued part of our staff in the past and brings a considerable skill set which is complementary to the coaches and players,” said Australian head coach Andrew McDonald.

“Not only is his expertise as a player and coach across multiple formats, competitions, countries invaluable, so are his qualities as a person.”

The study considered six key factors: life expectancy, income per person, income equality, recreational and cultural amenities, internet speed, and housing costs

A picturesque European city has been crowned the “most liveable destination” on the planet by the Global Cities Index, thanks largely to its walkability. The research examined six crucial elements: life expectancy, income per person, income equality, recreational and cultural amenities, internet speed, and housing costs.

While European cities command the rankings, an Australian city also secured a place on the list

10. Nantes

Nantes, a lively city in western France, is celebrated for its rich history, cultural attractions, and bustling urban life. The Château des Ducs de Bretagne, once home to the Dukes of Brittany, now hosts the Nantes History Museum.

It provides a window into the city’s medieval past with its well-preserved architecture and exhibitions, reports the Express.

9. Ghent

Ghent, a charming city in Belgium, is famed for its medieval allure, vibrant cultural scene, and stunning architecture. It’s also the country’s most pedestrian-friendly destination. The town’s scenic canal-side streets are ideal for a leisurely wander. The historical buildings along the canals create beautiful reflections in the water, offering iconic views of the city’s historic architecture.

8. Zurich

Switzerland’s largest city is famous for its high quality of life, stunning surroundings, and rich cultural scene. Residents can enjoy strolls along Lake Zurich’s shores, embark on a boat tour, or unwind in one of the lakeside parks.

7. Reykjavik

Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, is consistently ranked as one of the world’s best places to live. The city centre is home to Tjörnin, a picturesque pond surrounded by charming buildings, offering a tranquil spot for leisurely strolls and bird-watching.

6. Luxembourg

Luxembourg City, the capital of Luxembourg, boasts low crime rates and impeccably clean streets, contributing to a strong sense of safety and well-being among its inhabitants. The city’s public transport network is highly efficient and extensive, with the recent introduction of free public transport further enhancing accessibility and convenience for residents.

5. Basel

Basel, a Swiss city, is lauded for its high standard of living, combining a vibrant cultural scene with practical, top-quality living conditions. The city is home to world-class healthcare facilities such as the University Hospital Basel, renowned for its high standards and innovative treatments.

4. Bergen

Bergen, located in Norway, is famed for its stunning natural landscapes, including fjords, mountains, and coastal vistas. The city offers a plethora of outdoor activities, from hiking in nearby mountains like Mount Fløyen and Mount Ulriken to sailing and kayaking in the fjords.

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3. Bern

Switzerland’s capital city, Bern, is renowned for its well-preserved medieval old town, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its charming cobblestone streets, historic buildings, and landmarks such as the Zytglogge clock tower and the Bear Park add to its unique charm.

2. Canberra

Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is recognised for its high liveability due to its unique blend of natural beauty, modern amenities, and well-planned urban design. Known for its high standard of living, Canberra boasts clean and safe environments, well-maintained public spaces, and efficient public services. The city’s low crime rate and high levels of personal security significantly contribute to its liveability.

1. Grenoble

Nestled in the French Alps, Grenoble is a gem that combines natural beauty, a vibrant cultural life, and a high quality of life. It’s also a hub for scientific research and technological innovation, particularly in the fields of nanotechnology and biotechnology.

Grenoble is particularly known for its bike-friendly initiatives, including extensive bike lanes and rental services.

Since Joe Root returned as Test skipper, England have not picked a frontline spinner and have instead favoured a four-man pace attack of Jofra Archer, Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson.

South Africa’s victory in the third Test suggests they will need an alternative before long.

Off-spinner Simon Harmer, who once considered playing for England before opting for the country of his birth, took 10-120 to bowl the Proteas to victory in Cape Town – the venue of the third Test against England.

Newlands is not typically a spinner’s surface but it turned big from the third day. The overall average amount of turn throughout the Test (4.35 degrees) was the fourth-highest in Cape Town on record. The Test a place ahead on the list was last year, against Pakistan.

Harmer was helped by having left-arm pace bowlers Starc and Marco Jansen creating footholes outside the right-handers’ off stump throughout. Starc will not be a factor against England but Jansen will.

England’s spin issues are longstanding, meaning there is no easy answer.

And whether they pick Shoaib Bashir, return to Jack Leach or Mason Crane or hand a debut to Nottinghamshire’s Liam Patterson-White – the recent recipient of an England development contract – they will have stiff competition.

Since Harmer returned to Test cricket in 2022, no spinner has a better average anywhere in the world.

Simon Harmer picked a career-best 6-16 as South Africa beat Australia by 176 runs to clinch Test series 2-1.

Australia ‌captain Pat Cummins said it was fair to ask questions about his side after they ⁠slipped to two heavy ⁠defeats in a row against hosts South Africa to lose the three-match series 2-1 at Newlands on Saturday.

Set 288 for victory, Australia were rocked early on and could ⁠manage only 111 to lose the third Test by 176 runs, following their defeat by an innings and 31 runs in the second match in the series.

Australia next host New Zealand, and Cummins ⁠said the series loss meant questions were inevitable as South Africa took over from them as the number one side in the Test world rankings.

“We lost two games in a row. I think it’s fair to be asking questions and we’ll be asking them internally as well,” Cummins told reporters. “We are a very good ‌side, but I think we need to get a little bit better if we want to get back to number one [in the world].

“Maybe that’s a change of style, maybe it’s a change of personnel in some instances. We’ll work it out.”

Cummins made the surprise decision to bowl first after winning the toss on the first morning, something that had been done only 11 times before in Tests at Newlands since 1889.

As it proved, batting last was difficult on a wearing ⁠surface, and Australia fell to the spin of Simon Harmer, who took ⁠career-best figures of 10-120 in the match.

“We knew it was going to be a high-scoring game,” Cummins said. “We probably thought it was going to do a little bit more on day one than it did.

“You don’t win the toss and think you’re ⁠going to bowl the opposition out for 100 or 200, but we thought we could get 10 wickets on day one and that would ⁠put us right ahead of the game.”

Cummins said poor decisions cost ⁠his batters and that their chase was as good as over in the first half-hour of the day.

“Chasing 280-odd was never going to be easy, but we all turned up today and saw a pretty clear path forward. I thought it was ‌achievable, but we never really gave ourselves a chance,” he said.

“There were a few really poor decisions. I know it’s a day-five wicket, but I don’t think it was drastic. There were runs to ‌be ‌scored out there; there were lots of balls to face.

“I think there are a few decisions the boys would like back. We have to get better. It’s happened a few times now.”

Court rules Patterson will spend the rest of her life behind bars after denying parole.

An Australian court has dismissed an appeal by “mushroom murderer” Erin Patterson against her conviction and ruled that she should spend the rest of her life behind bars.

A three-judge panel at the Supreme Court of Victoria delivered its ruling on Friday. The justices said that Patterson, who was convicted last year of murdering three of her estranged husband’s ⁠relatives with a meal ⁠laced with deadly mushrooms, should not have the chance of parole.

“This offending was extraordinarily cold and calculated, and stands to be ⁠denounced in the strongest terms,” Justice Stephen McLeish, speaking on behalf ⁠of the panel, told the Melbourne court.

“In all the circumstances, after anxious consideration, we have concluded that the case involved such shocking criminality that it is inappropriate ⁠to fix a non-parole period.”

Patterson, then 51, was ⁠convicted for the murder of her mother-in-law and father-in-law, Gail and Donald Patterson, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, by serving them a lunch of beef wellington laced with death cap mushrooms.

She was also convicted of the attempted ‌murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather’s husband, who survived the meal.

Her crimes involved an “elaborate series of deceptions” including falsely claiming a cancer diagnosis to explain the absence of her two children from the lunch, the judge noted.

The survivor testified that Patterson had told her guests she wanted their advice about what to tell the children about her diagnosis.

Patterson was sentenced to ⁠life in prison with a 33-year non-parole period, among the longest terms ever handed to a woman in Australia. She has always denied wrongdoing, saying the deaths were accidental.

Her lawyers had argued that certain evidence should have been kept from the trial, that her cross-examination ‌was unfair, and that placing the jury in the same hotel as other parties to the case compromised the result. Judges found these grounds for an appeal to be insufficient.

She can apply to Australia’s High Court to overturn the verdicts on her sentence and her convictions. The High Court is her last appeal option.

Patterson is only the second woman in Australia to be imprisoned for life without possibility of parole. The first is meatworker Katherine Knight, who was sentenced in New South Wales state in 2001 for the murder a year earlier of her partner John Price, whom she’d stabbed at least 37 times.

Third Test, Cape Town (day two of five)

South Africa 329: Ackerman 95; Starc 6-72

Australia 330-4: Inglis 85*; Jansen 2-37

Australia lead by one run

Scorecard

Marnus Labuschagne has been front and centre for an era of Australian cricket.

Chirping, chewing and, with bat in hand, often appearing to idolise and mimic his team-mate Steve Smith.

Smith has been ruled out of the enthralling decisive Test against South Africa with a neck injury.

Without him, Australia wanted their number three to feast at last chance saloon, where he has been perched for an eternity, on day two in Cape Town.

The 32-year-old lasted five deliveries and did not score a run.

Labuschagne failed to scored a Test century for the 48th time in a row – a new record for the number of innings an Australian top order batter has waited to raise his bat at three figures.

“That will never be broken,” said former Australia quick Jason Gillespie on ABC.

“I say that because, respectfully, I don’t think anyone will be given that length of time again.”

There was a time when, from his insertion into the 2019 Ashes as a concussion substitute until the end of England’s next quest to win back the earn, Labuschagne averaged 65 in Test cricket.

Repeat that over a Test career and only Sir Donald Bradman’s mark of 99.94 would be ahead.

Instead, since his last Test century at Old Trafford in 2023, he averages 24.77.

Labuschagne may get one more chance in this Test, should Australia not progress from their position of 330-4, leading by one run, and dismiss South Africa before needing to pad up again.

Even that may not be enough.

“I just feel it is too far gone now,” Gillespie added. “It is a very big sample size. Australia are at a point where they need to look elsewhere.”

Labuschagne’s technique has been poured over again and again as his slump progressed.

In August, the great Ricky Ponting, one of his predecessors as Australia’s number three, called for the axe to fall.

“He can’t score off the back foot,” was Ponting’s cutting remark.

Having batted nicely in three or four innings in this series only to give it away after reaching 30, here he was stuck on the crease, playing back to a full ball and nicking spinner Simon Harmer to slip.

“That’s nerves and the pressure the selectors have put him under for an extended period of time,” said former Australia batter Simon Katich on SEN Radio.

“They put him in this position by not making the decision to give him a breather.”

It felt like all of Labuschagne’s issues collapsing into one.

Australia edged to a 36-22 victory in a pulsating match against Fiji to book their place in the Rugby League World Cup semi-finals.

Having lost their previous five meetings against Australia by an aggregate score of 246-16, a stunned Brisbane crowd watched Fiji enjoy territorial advantage in the first half and take a 16-12 lead after the break.

However, the momentum switched back to Kevin Walters’ side in a crucial 60-second spell.

Solomone Saukuru raced in to seemingly put Fiji 20-12 ahead – but when it was ruled out for obstruction, Australia immediately went up the other end and Tom Trbojevic scored to bring the teams level.

Trbojevic, who looked vulnerable in defence, crossed twice more for Australia and Jacob Preston added a further try after Semi Valemei had completed his hat-trick for Fiji.

“There are definitely some areas to improve on,” Trbojevic told Premier Sports. “We didn’t start as we wanted to and couldn’t get a flow. We just needed to play our style of footy.

“We weren’t at our best but we came away with two points. We need to improve. We’ve got to enjoy a win but we’ve got to be our harshest critics too.”

Brisbane Broncos centre Kotoni Staggs had opened the scoring for Australia on his home ground, while Sam Walker capped his debut with a try and 12 points with the boot.

But the manner in which their pack were outmuscled – and in which they allowed Taane Milne and Valemei to score – will be a concern for Walters, whose team head into the last four despite delivering two unconvincing performances in beating New Zealand and Fiji.

New Zealand will take on Fiji in a make-or-break final pool game on Saturday, 31 October (04:30 GMT), having overcome an early scare themselves in their 82-16 victory over the Cook Islands in Christchurch.

Race delayed by two hours before being cancelled due to low visibility despite a sellout crowd at Phillip Island.

The final Australian MotoGP at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit has been called off due to heavy rain, ruining the farewell for one of the championship’s most beloved circuits.

It was a crushing blow for the sold-out crowd at Phillip Island on Sunday before the Australian Grand Prix moves to the streets of Adelaide next year.

The Moto2 and Moto3 races were cancelled first, and the MotoGP race was delayed by two hours due to the weather before organisers threw in the towel and finally called it off at 3:40pm (04:40 GMT).

“Due to limited visibility affecting the operation of the medical helicopter the MotoGP Grand Prix race has been cancelled,” MotoGP said in a statement.

“The MotoGP riders will do a lap behind the safety car and stop on the main straight to greet the fans.”

Riders say farewell to fans in final parade

The dark clouds and pelting rain brought down the visibility around the circuit, affecting the medical helicopter, which would take 45 minutes to reach the circuit from mainland Melbourne in an emergency.

Other than two years lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, the seaside track south of Melbourne had been a fixture on the world championship calendar for 30 years and produced some of Australian motorcycling’s most memorable moments.

Australian two-time world champion Casey Stoner celebrated six wins there in succession from 2007 to 2012 while compatriot Mick Doohan sealed his fifth and final world title with victory in the 1998 race.

The raincoat-clad fans who persevered through the precipitation were treated to a farewell lap from the MotoGP riders, who waved as they slowly made their way around a soaking wet track.

Home racer Jack Miller did his best to entertain his supporters with a series of tricks, including a stand-up wheelie over the finish line, before heading over to the grandstand and throwing his gloves and boots into the crowd.

Miller dejected, sigh of relief for Martin

The Pramac Racing rider, a strong performer in the wet, cut a dejected figure when he was interviewed after completing his lap.

“This is a tough pill to swallow,” said the 31-year-old, who will be leaving MotoGP at the end of the season after more than a decade to join Pata Maxus Yamaha in the World Superbike Championship.

“You know, I was praying for rain all weekend. We got the rain, but obviously, we weren’t organised enough to get the racing going, so it’s a tough one.

“You guys deserve better. Honestly, all of you have done a fantastic job turning out for Phillip Island.”

Rain had been expected for the weekend, but MotoGP did not revive its 2023 strategy for the circuit when the Grand Prix was moved ahead to Saturday and the sprint scheduled for Sunday.

That sprint race three years ago was eventually called off.

The cancellation of the race also ended the opportunity for seven-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez to extend his lead in the championship standings, particularly after his title rival Jorge Martin was declared unfit to compete in the race after fracturing his wrist.

Martin held the championship lead heading into the weekend but finds himself 10 points behind Marquez after failing to finish Saturday’s sprint following a gruesome crash.

On Sunday, Martin’s Aprilia team said he would not travel back to Spain to undergo treatment, however, boosting the 2024 champion’s hopes of racing at next week’s Malaysian Grand Prix and remaining in the title fight.