Pressure on O'Connor as Australia fight to stay alive

Australia have been readying themselves for an overhead bombardment from South Africa in today's Tri-Nations Test at the Subiaco Oval in Perth. Regular fullback Adam Ashley-Cooper will replace the Wallabies two first-choice centres, Stirling Mortlock and Berrick Barnes after they were both ruled out through injury.

With the Wallabies languishing at the bottom of the table with three defeats from as many games, fullback James O'Connor has been working hard to improve his catching skills, ahead of a game expected to be characterised by up-and-unders from the South African kickers. After being dominated in the line-outs during their last clash with the Springboks in Cape Town earlier this month, Australia's backrowers have been practicing ways to upset South Africa's imposing line-out jumpers who dominated each throw-in during their last meeting.

While the pressure will be on O'Connor, Ashley-Cooper is confident the young fullback will have no problem filling his shoes. "O'Connor is a great little talent and he's looking forward to the challenge," he said. "He's got two great wingers alongside him that are going to help fight that battle. He's in front of his home crowd and he's very comfortable with it." The Australian backrow has also been reshuffled after Nathan Sharpe's shoulder injury consigned him to the stands.

Mark Chisholm will reclaim a place in the starting XV for the home side after recovering from injuries, while Elsom will move to the front of the line-out to avoid a repeat of the problems that plagued the Australians in Cape Town. "There's always a lot of pressure, particularly in these matches because you are playing the best sides in the world," said the Australia blindside flanker Rocky Elsom. "If you don't perform you might lose but also it could get embarrassing."

* With agencies Australia v South Africa, KO 2,05pm, Showsports 3

In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

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Killing of Qassem Suleimani

National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate

Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble

Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks

Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence

Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground

Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile

Our legal advisor

Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.

Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.

Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.