A plan for a holiday let has been refused after the council claimed it would be outside Perth city centre despite it being a three-minute walk from the High Street Vasart Court is just seconds away from the A989 Caledonian Road – part of the inner ring road Perth and Kinross Council planners used different criteria for the two-bedroom first-floor flat than for properties in the heart of the Fair City Its decision statement said: “The property is located within the city boundary of Perth “The city centre area is defined for the purposes of STL (short-term let) assessment as being parts of the city which come under the City, Town and Neighbourhood areas and the City Centre Secondary Uses area “Vasart Court is residential in character with no commercial uses on the ground floors.” The statement adds that “inevitably” there are some short-term lets in the area but these would be permitted for having been there 10 years or longer It continued: “The proposal is therefore considered to be inconsistent with the relevant polices and guidance simply because it is within a residential area.” Another reason for refusal was the shared entry arrangements in four-storey Vasart Court The council argued this setup would “result in an increased potential for noise nuisance and general disturbance to occur and affect other existing residents in the block.” A similar concern was raised by objector Aneta Dera who wrote: “We do not agree for the change of use of flat to short term let accommodation unit in a quiet peaceful area just for strangers to be moving in and out “We just wouldn’t feel safe if the plan goes ahead.” Viktor Halanchak’s application form said: “The application seeks change of use from C3 dwellinghouse to a short-term let “The proposed change will allow the property to be used for temporary accommodation by visitors “The internal layout will be maintained to provide two bedrooms “The short-term let will be managed to provide minimal impact on neighbouring properties.” which will be heard by the council’s local review body The decision comes after a ‘luxurious’ £140-a-night holiday let closed after the council began a planning probe Comments are currently disabled as they require cookies and it appears you've opted out of cookies on this site. To participate in the conversation, please adjust your cookie preferences in order to enable comments Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time The NRL will use its venture into Perth to target South African rugby union players to fill several spots on the Bears’ roster from 2027 With the NRL on the verge of formally announcing a deal with the Western Australian government in the next week the governing body has revealed its desire to make inroads into the union-mad South Africa Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys confirmed the NRL had been inundated with interest from rugby union agents trying to cash in on the game’s expected venture into the west coast of Australia most players in South Africa wouldn’t earn the money on offer in the NRL “Since the speculation of the Bears team in Western Australia we’ve been inundated by agents and by other parties wanting to tell me the opportunities of having South African rugby union players and how they would adapt to rugby league,” V’landys said The Springboks players will become a target for the NRL.Credit: Getty Images “But also it could open up a new market in South Africa because it’s got over 70 million people So it could be a dual win in the sense that we could get some very very good players but also get a new market in South Africa.” The Australian Rugby League Commission has identified both South Africa and Argentina as target markets as it attempts to find 60 new players to fill teams in Perth and Papua New Guinea in 2027 and 2028 respectively It is an 11-hour direct flight from Perth to Johannesburg adding to the appeal of the potential venture into South Africa Mark Nawaqanitawase has been a revelation for the Sydney Roosters since joining the club from rugby union at the end of last year increasing the NRL’s belief that the sport can transform players from the rival code into rugby league stars “We’ve never been concerned about the talent depth,” V’landys said “We believe that the supply will meet the demand and open up opportunities for players coming through the pathways.” Jarome Luai insists he has put any angst towards Lachlan Galvin behind him for the better of the team admitting he’s learned some valuable lessons as a leader during the past fortnight After Saturday night’s win against the Dragons Luai addressed the Galvin situation for the first time since he and Api Koroisau addressed the media and admitted they hadn’t spoken with the under-fire playmaker in the aftermath of his decision to reject the Tigers While Luai wasn’t critical of Galvin’s decision to leave he took offence to what he described at the time as Galvin disrespecting coach Benji Marshall The Tigers have since welcomed Galvin back to the NRL team after the senior players encouraged Marshall to send him back to NSW Cup “We’re all grown men here and we have a job to do I’ve obviously stuffed up in the past and said things that people don’t agree with but I’m always going to back myself at the end of the day Lachlan Galvin and Jarome Luai on Sunday.Credit: Steven Siewert and if you’re not buying into that then you need to rethink that because we’re building a team-first culture here The club’s marquee signing said he had had to put his personal feelings aside to ensure Galvin feels part of the team We want him to be at his best because he brings a lot to this team Whatever has happened in the past has happened Now we’re looking to bigger and better things We’re not going to get results if we don’t have connection as a team Luai has been at the centre of plenty of controversy throughout his career He knows what it is like to feel like the world is against you and conceded that his prior experiences had helped him reflect on the situation differently once the emotion was taken out of it “I’ve had a few years in the league now,” he said “I know my role and responsibility is to do what’s best for the team I’m still learning along the way but I’m enjoying the process Before I take the field I always have the mindset of ‘I’m going to win tonight’ it will be when I don’t want to play any more “Every time I take the field with my brothers I hope that spreads among my team and they feel that vibe from me Luai is in a three-way battle with Mitchell Moses and Nathan Cleary for two positions in the NSW halves for this year’s State of Origin His role at the Tigers is different to the one that he is likely to play for NSW if he is chosen for the opening game of the series in Brisbane on May 28 but knows that he can adjust to suit the needs of the team “If that opportunity comes I’m ready for it,” he said The effort of the ground staff at Suncorp Stadium needs to be acknowledged They worked around the clock to get the relayed surface up to standard The main groundsman didn’t finish work until 2am on the morning leading into the women’s State of Origin game on Thursday He slept in his office and was back to work at 6am Manly coach Anthony Seibold spent some time in hospital during the bye round He used the break this week to undergo Achilles surgery on a long-standing issue Congratulations to Angus Crichton, who on Monday will get married to partner Chloe Esegbona. Crichton’s comeback from the most severe of mental health issues is nothing short of remarkable and his relationship with Esegbona has been key to his recovery He will use the bye round for the Sydney Roosters this week to tie the knot and celebrate his marriage staff and directors flew out of Brisbane early Saturday morning to return to Sydney The team wanted to get home in time to attend the club’s SG Ball grand final against the Parramatta Eels and women’s Lisa Fiaola grand final (under-17s) at Leichhardt Oval It’s a great show of support from a club that prides itself on a whole-of-club culture The Roosters scored two tries in the dying minutes to take the match into extra-time with young halfback sensation Toby Rodwell leading his team to victory You can see why he is so highly regarded by the Tricolours who see him as a long-term playmaker at the club Unfortunately the Roosters lost to Parramatta in the Lisa Fiaola decider Dane Gagai celebrated his 200th NRL game on Saturday and the Knights made it a special occasion by allowing his son to be one of the ball kids for the match Aaron Woods’ son Buster was also one of the ball kids Which club didn’t allow their players out on the town on Saturday night despite claiming a victory earlier in the day Michael Chammas and Andrew “Joey” Johns dissect the upcoming NRL round, plus the latest footy news, results and analysis. Sign up for the Sin Bin newsletter. The NRL will use its venture into Perth to target South African rugby union players to fill several spots on the Bears\\u2019 roster from 2027 Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V\\u2019landys confirmed the NRL had been inundated with interest from rugby union agents trying to cash in on the game\\u2019s expected venture into the west coast of Australia most players in South Africa wouldn\\u2019t earn the money on offer in the NRL \\u201CSince the speculation of the Bears team in Western Australia we\\u2019ve been inundated by agents and by other parties wanting to tell me the opportunities of having South African rugby union players and how they would adapt to rugby league,\\u201D V\\u2019landys said \\u201CBut also it could open up a new market in South Africa because it\\u2019s got over 70 million people very good players but also get a new market in South Africa.\\u201D increasing the NRL\\u2019s belief that the sport can transform players from the rival code into rugby league stars \\u201CWe\\u2019ve never been concerned about the talent depth,\\u201D V\\u2019landys said \\u201CWe believe that the supply will meet the demand and open up opportunities for players coming through the pathways.\\u201D admitting he\\u2019s learned some valuable lessons as a leader during the past fortnight After Saturday night\\u2019s win against the Dragons Luai addressed the Galvin situation for the first time since he and Api Koroisau addressed the media and admitted they hadn\\u2019t spoken with the under-fire playmaker in the aftermath of his decision to reject the Tigers While Luai wasn\\u2019t critical of Galvin\\u2019s decision to leave \\u201CWe\\u2019re all grown men here and we have a job to do I\\u2019ve obviously stuffed up in the past and said things that people don\\u2019t agree with but I\\u2019m always going to back myself at the end of the day \\u201CThat\\u2019s the culture we\\u2019re building here and if you\\u2019re not buying into that then you need to rethink that because we\\u2019re building a team-first culture here We\\u2019re going to keep going with that.\\u201D The club\\u2019s marquee signing said he had had to put his personal feelings aside to ensure Galvin feels part of the team it makes the team better,\\u201D Luai said Now we\\u2019re looking to bigger and better things \\u201CThis is business and we have a job to do We\\u2019re not going to get results if we don\\u2019t have connection as a team \\u201CI\\u2019ve had a few years in the league now,\\u201D he said \\u201CI know my role and responsibility is to do what\\u2019s best for the team I\\u2019m still learning along the way but I\\u2019m enjoying the process Before I take the field I always have the mindset of \\u2018I\\u2019m going to win tonight\\u2019 it will be when I don\\u2019t want to play any more \\u201CEvery time I take the field with my brothers Luai is in a three-way battle with Mitchell Moses and Nathan Cleary for two positions in the NSW halves for this year\\u2019s State of Origin \\u201CIf that opportunity comes I\\u2019m ready for it,\\u201D he said \\u201CYou know what I\\u2019m like in that arena but I\\u2019m locked in to what I\\u2019m doing here I\\u2019ll always do what\\u2019s best for the team.\\u201D The main groundsman didn\\u2019t finish work until 2am on the morning leading into the women\\u2019s State of Origin game on Thursday who on Monday will get married to partner Chloe Esegbona is nothing short of remarkable and his relationship with Esegbona has been key to his recovery The team wanted to get home in time to attend the club\\u2019s SG Ball grand final against the Parramatta Eels and women\\u2019s Lisa Fiaola grand final (under-17s) at Leichhardt Oval It\\u2019s a great show of support from a club that prides itself on a whole-of-club culture Aaron Woods\\u2019 son Buster was also one of the ball kids Which club didn\\u2019t allow their players out on the town on Saturday night despite claiming a victory earlier in the day Michael Chammas and Andrew \\u201CJoey\\u201D Johns dissect the upcoming NRL round The top-rated nurseries in and around Perth have been revealed Information collated by The Courier’s data team shows which of the city’s nurseries rank best among inspectors The Care Inspectorate visits childcare providers – including nurseries and childminders – across the country grading areas of operation using a scale from 6 (excellent) to 1 (unsatisfactory) We take a look at some of the highest-performing nurseries in Perth based on their average score during their most recent inspections Fairview School at the Perth Academy campus – operated by the local authority – comes out on top of our list The school caters for children and young people with severe complex and enduring additional support needs The nursery at the school can provide care to a maximum of six children per session Officials found that children were comfortable and relaxed during their most recent visit to the nursery One parent told inspectors: “Fairview has made my son’s life so much better and they are all so kind and welcoming.” Riverside Primary School opened on June 13 2023 replacing Balhousie and North Muirton Primary Schools The daycare of children service was also moved to the new building inspectors found “sector-leading” care and support at the daycare service The report added: “Children and their families were valued included and genuinely cared for by staff.” the services operate from a purpose-built facility within Letham Primary School The Care Inspectorate visited the service in February 2023 The report said: “Children experienced genuine warmth caring and nurturing approaches to support their wellbeing “Children had fun as they experienced high-quality play and learning.” The only privately run service on our list Apple Tree Nursery on Balhousie Street provides care to a maximum of 40 children from birth to primary school age During the most recent visit in September 2024 which they said provided a real sense of warmth and comfort The report added: “Staff successfully created highly engaging opportunities for children literacy and numeracy was fully embedded throughout and well facilitated by staff.” Apple Tree Nursery has become a limited company but is still operated by Laura Geekie and Jo Machray with the same staff team The nursery’s registration was cancelled and re-registered under the same name as a result A statement from Laura and Jo said: “The high standard of care and early years learning will continue to be provided to children and their families from our very well-established team.” inspectors said staff at Humpty Dumpty knew the children well and had a “very good” knowledge of how to support individual needs during their recent visit families were regularly invited to share feedback and suggestions with the service Officials said children experienced “genuinely kind” caring and warm interactions during a recent visit They also praised the nursery for making improvements to the environment and effectively deploying staff The Care Inspectorate said children received excellent quality care and support within an excellent environment at Oiakbank Nursery One parent told inspectors: “‘A warm and friendly service where my child feels very settled and secure “Lots of fun and laughter with structured play activities and even baking.” Inspectors observed warm and nurturing interactions between staff and children during their last visit to the nursery The Wendy House was also praised for having an environment which provided very good opportunities for children to be creative The latest report says that children experienced interesting play experiences both indoors and outside at the nursery children benefited from high-quality mealtime experiences You can compare childcare performance in Perth and across Scotland using The Courier’s tracker. Council criticised over plan to replace beloved public artwork with 7-metre tall effigy of spaceman created by a former Wall Street trader which has been derided as a piece of “factory-produced space junk” Until four years ago, Ore Obelisk affectionately known as The Kebab by the people of Perth stood in the heritage-listed Stirling Gardens in the heart of the city The 15-metre work made from local geological minerals was erected in 1971 to celebrate Western Australia’s population reaching one million and was one of the city’s first public artworks the sculpture was cut into pieces and placed in storage Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter awaiting the sculpture’s restoration and return No report ever eventuated examining the three options presented to council in 2022 – conservation Basil Zempilas – now leader of the Western Australian Liberal party – announced a new work would take The Kebab’s place the creation of American art entrepreneur Brendan Murphy which have graffiti-like inscriptions over them have been appearing in cities across the world in recent years Oslo and Washington DC – as well as a luxury resort on the Caribbean island of Antigua In February, a Boonji Spaceman encrusted with a 517-carat diamond visor valued at almost $33m landed in the lobby of a five star hotel in the Saudi Arabia capital of Riyadh It is all part of Miami-based Murphy’s Boonji Project which includes a collection of 11,111 unique digital Non-Fungible Tokens launched on the Ethereum blockchain Purchasers of Boonji Avatar NFTs get access to member-only events, merchandise, and physical/digital artwork, according to Murphy’s website, and have so far generated more than US $15m in income Australia is getting its astronaut for free the City of Perth announced in June last year with council bearing only the $150,000 to $250,000 cost of its transportation from the US and its temporary installation on The Kebab’s plinth “It’s an incredible opportunity to be able to bring what would be a real tourist attraction which fits the story of Perth to our city,” Zempilas said at the time adding that the price of transporting and installing the statue was “a small price to pay for a world-class attraction” The supplanting of The Kebab with Boonji Spaceman has drawn a groundswell of opposition, including from the WA Public Art Inventory; a community action group called Save the Kebab that has collected more than 1,400 signatures on a petition; and one of Australia’s wealthiest women “It is offensive to Paul Ritter and his family that the council would remove the Ore Obelisk and replace it with an international sculpture,” Holmes à Court said in a statement to the Guardian Helen Curtis – who is a spokesperson for Save the Kebab, a member the National Trust’s Public Arts and Monuments Committee and a member of WA’s State Design Review Panel and the City of Stirling’s Art Advisory Panel – said the council’s decision to supplant Ritter’s obelisk with a mass-produced American statue – and its associated cost to rate payers – lacked transparency historical or environmental relationship to the historical gardens which were created for the state’s first governor using forced labour by the local Nyoongar people in the 1830s Until 2021 Photograph: Frances Andrijich/Perth Public Art Foundation“The Boonji Spaceman has no place in Perth it has zero relevance to Perth,” Curtis said “The City of Perth has ridden roughshod over any consultation by just landing it there or talking to the council’s arts advisory group “They have just made a captain’s call saying we’re going to plonk this thing here City of Perth said The Kebab became an unacceptable safety risk after an 80kg stone fell off it in 2021 the council disputed Save the Kebab’s claims that the Boonji Spaceman bore no local cultural or historical significance “The Boonji Spaceman artwork is relevant to Perth in that the work relates to the 1962 triple-orbit of the Earth by American astronaut John Glenn,” the statement said referring to Glenn’s famous observation from space of a brightly lit Perth The council also disputed claims the acquisition went against its own public art policy which states public art will “showcase the best of contemporary Western Australian encouraging new ideas and the application of new techniques and approaches,” the statement said Curtis told the Guardian Boonji Spaceman may have contravened Perth’s Public Art CP 4.8 criteria which precludes “objects that are mass-produced or reproduced” and “commercial promotions in any form” Free daily newsletterOur Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day telling you what’s happening and why it matters Content on Murphy’s website and on social media show the Boonji Project is a marketing and wealth-generating venture “The Boonji Spaceman epitomises vacuous monumentalism,” she said “[And] it is supporting the work of a millionaire former Wall Street banker who has publicly admitted he has little talent and wants to just make money.” It is true that Murphy is a former Wall Street trader He is also a former professional basketballer and poker player After the 9/11 attacks in New York, the self-taught Murphy embarked on an art-creating venture, admitting in a 2022 interview with billionaire social media influencer, Scientologist and vocal Trump supporter Grant Cardone that “I don’t have a lot of talent” but followed Cardone’s own 10X wealth creation philosophy Murphy told Cardone that he rated the importance of marketing in his art at 9.5 out of 10 “because you can market shitty art and still make a living” “My famous saying that’s a spin-off from you is ‘I’m trying to add zeros’,” he told Cordone who praised Murphy in the video as “a freaking master marketer” and “bullshitter … and I say bullshit like is being used as further evidence by groups opposed to Perth’s Boonji Spaceman that the project is a commercial venture marketing an object that art critic John McDonald has described as a “piece of factory-produced space junk” “City of Perth may as well install a bunch of designer handbags [in Stirling Gardens] and call it art as this mass-produced overgrown ornament,” he told the Guardian The council also needed to provide further information over any commercial arrangements it has made with Murphy’s Australian gallerist Paul Gullotti of Perth’s commercial Gullotti Galleries in Cottesloe The gift of the spaceman was made by the artist on the condition Gullotti Galleries undertook the installation which was originally budgeted by council at $171,000 and has now has now grown to $250,000 Gullotti Galleries will feature a solo exhibition of Murphy’s works later this year “There has been no transparency by City of Perth,” Curtis claimed The City of Perth would only confirm that the budget was now $250,000 Gullotti referred the Guardian’s queries on the gift and installation agreement – and a request to speak to Murphy – to Perth public relations company Devahasdin assured the Guardian on Wednesday the artist would break his silence on the controversy and address the alleged misinformation circulated by the project’s critics Devahasdin emailed the Guardian saying “Unfortunately we are unable to provide you with our facts at this time” Your browser is not supported. Upgrade to a different browser to experience this site Western Australia has recorded 17 measles cases since 19 March 2025 Measles cases have been active in the community.  Measles typically develops around 10 days after being exposed to the virus but this can vary from 7 to 18 days.  Measles is highly infectious and can spread via airborne droplets to people close by (e.g Droplets in the air may still infect people entering a room up to 30 minutes after an infected person has left it If someone not already immune to measles visited an exposure location during the specified dates and times below they are advised to monitor for symptoms between 7 to 18 days after the visit Persons who have received two measles vaccinations and those born before 1966 are considered immune to measles There is no ongoing risk of measles at these locations Several countries around the world are experiencing measles outbreaks. 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See smartraveller.gov.au for more information on risk of infectious diseases for Australians overseas Anyone who has visited the following locations during the days/times listed should be vigilant for symptoms of measles People with measles usually feel very unwell People with measles are usually infectious (able to pass on the virus to others) from one day before their symptoms start and for four days after their rash appears Anyone who attended the exposure sites during the listed dates and times may have been exposed to measles and should monitor for symptoms from 7 to 18 days after attending that location People with measles typically develop symptoms around 10 days (range 7-18 days) after being exposed to the virus Anyone who develops symptoms of measles should put on a mask isolate and seek medical care to be tested for measles Before visiting a general practice clinic or emergency department Anyone concerned they may have measles and require medical advice after hours can contact healthdirect on 1800 022 222 The general public are urged to stay up to date with their vaccinations People born after 1965 should make sure they have had two documented doses of a measles-containing vaccine at some stage in their life Anyone planning overseas travel should see their general practitioner or a travel doctor to discuss appropriate vaccinations prior to travel Health professionals should be alert for measles particularly among returned overseas travellers – ensure all staff have a high index of suspicion for measles in patients presenting with a febrile rash General practices and emergency departments should: Free MMR vaccines are available to people susceptible to measles even if they are not eligible for Medicare Serology is not required before vaccinating Anyone planning overseas travel should ensure they are up to date with all routine vaccinations and consider receiving additional travel vaccinations For 150 years before digital photography became commonplace photographic images were captured by the action of light on chemicals The materials and processes evolved over time each having their own unique aesthetic Now an exhibition at Perth Art Gallery will explore the pre-digital age of photography and how different processes have changed the aesthetics of photography over time Scottish photographers made significant contributions to the early development of photography but none more than Robert Adamson and David Octavius Hill Widely credited as making photography accepted as an art form in its own right their pioneering work is known across the world Adamson was one of the first professional photographers setting up in business in Edinburgh in March 1843 Shortly after opening his studio on Calton Hill he met painter David Octavius Hill and the pair went on to create a famous partnership exploring the possibilities of photography Hill trained as an artist at Perth Academy and is best remembered for his use of the calotype process which deployed a paper negative that allowed the production of multiple print copies The calotype was just one of the early photographic processes and the characteristics of the calotype were very different to the daguerreotype the rival French process developed by Louis Daguerre and announced in 1839 David Octavius Hill by Robert Adamson and David Octavius Hill 1843 ‘When digital is so easy and the results so good why would anyone hark back to the days of film?’ Curator Paul Adair said ‘There is something special about the look of these analogue processes So many developments have occurred during photography’s long history and each process brought its own particular character ‘Even at the very beginning of photography you had two competing processes which used entirely different methods to produce a photographic image ‘The Daguerreotype process devised by Frenchman Louis Daguerre created a direct positive image on a silvered copper plate Henry Fox Talbot had found a means of sensitising paper to create a negative which could then be placed in contact with a further sensitised sheet to create positive copies ‘The two processes each had their merits and a very different appearance from one another Perth before Tay street was built by Magnus Jackson (1831-1891) ‘There is something wonderful about the physicality of these processes It’s something you can touch and hold not just a digital file consisting of ones and zeros.’ The exhibition at Perth Art Gallery takes visitors from these early days and goes on to explore the wide scope of photography with images as diverse as an image of a plaster cast of a Pompeii victim to  Alex Ferguson scoring a goal at Perth’s Muirton Park grounds in 1967 Curator Paul represents the evolving role of the photograph in our everyday lives through a job-lot of snapshots from 1928 to 1960 purchased at auction the photographs have a particular poignancy now The exhibition also looks at our changing perception of images over time The unique qualities of analogue images captured by the action of light on chemicals rather than made up of combinations of ones and zeros have a magic that is being rediscovered by the born-digital generation Similar to the increasing popularity of vinyl records the special aesthetics of analogue photography are being discovered by a younger generation the exhibition concludes with the contemporary work of Scottish photographers who continues to favour film over digital and has been capturing the lives of women working in the traditionally male dominated world of agriculture The use of lightboxes within the dark and striking upper rotunda ‘I think there is a clear parallel between analogue photography and the appeal of Vinyl records – that tangible object that you can hold and store,’ Paul added ‘Plus the unique sound quality that may not be technically ‘better’ but has its own appeal perhaps like the grain of a film image ‘I think it’s not just older photographers who miss the allure of the darkroom – watching the image magically appear under a red safelight – but also the born-digital younger generation who are discovering the joys of film for the first time.’ Read more News stories here Subscribe to read the latest issue of Scottish Field IPSO is an independent body which deals with complaints from the public about the editorial content of newspapers and magazines We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns Warrington Wolves coach Sam Burgess has been tipped as a leading contender to coach the new Perth NRL franchise – not Leeds Rhinos boss Brad Arthur Arthur had been heavily linked with the role at the Bears He went as far as publicly admitting he would be interested in the role AAP have reported a fresh twist in the saga – with Burgess’ name being discussed as a leading contender by officials They have suggested that Burgess has ‘high-profile individuals’ fronting a campaign to have the Warrington coach installed at Perth in 2027 who had been considered in some quarters to be a locked-in certainty to coach Perth has not even had his potential candidacy discussed by the ARLC That would leave the door ajar for Burgess to return to the NRL The Bears’ board will make the final call on the coach but that board will be appointed by the NRL And it now appears that any notion of Arthur already having the job secured is wide of the mark – perhaps giving Leeds fans fresh hope that they will be able to keep the Australian beyond this season Arthur has repeatedly admitted he would be open to returning to the NRL but also insisted that he is enjoying his tenure in England with the Rhinos family ties back home may prove too strong to resist if a job emerges That looked as though it would be Perth – but it now seems it could yet be Burgess who is given his break in the NRL Burgess’ case was also endorsed by legendary coach Wayne Bennett – who did admit he would be reluctant to see him take the reins at a new franchise “Of course Sam Burgess has a coaching future in the NRL but I wouldn’t want to see him go to a start-up club,” Bennett said “I am sure Sam will come back to the NRL one day Where he will come back I don’t know and he doesn’t know at this stage of his career 👉🏻 Catalans star labels Super League ‘horrendous’ and ‘unwatchable’ as NRL plea made 👉🏻 Ranking 2025 Magic kits from worst to best with Leigh Leopards LAST 👉🏻 Magic Weekend 2026 location revealed as talks begin over possible venue 👉🏻 St Helens keen to tie down off-contract prop as Konrad Hurrell contract claim made © Planet Sport Limited 2025 • All Rights Reserved fourth most populous city “Down Under” sitting on the Swan River and with the charming port town of Fremantle close by Founded as a city in 1829 as the Swan River Colony on the traditional lands of the Whadjuk and Noongar peoples The city boomed on the nineteenth century gold rushes and still profits today from all that valuable “dirt” in the lands around the state it’s also a centre of the ongoing Aussie crime writing wave too… His Lee Southern novels are set in Western Australia True West (2019) begins in 1988 as 17-year-old Lee Southern betrays the Knights bikie gang (Aussie for Hells Angels type outfits) and finds work as a tow truck driver in Perth Lee returns in I am Already Dead (2023) investigating a series of bribery attempts targeting a wealthy entrepreneur Now he’s hooked up with retiring PI Frank Swann Both books originally published in Australia by the great small press Fremantle Books who specialise in authors from Western Australian or who live in the area In Line of Sight (2010) he’s Superintendent Swann of the Western Australia Police and dealing with a local brothel madam shot dead on a Perth golf course in 1975 Heroin is the new drug in town and the money is finding its way into some very respectable hands Now it’s Perth in 1979 and a royal visit in the offing to commemorate a century and a half since colonisation But mining is the new treasure chest for the region and people will do anything to secure mining leases In Old Scores (2016) Swann’s left the cops and has survived into the 1980s and is working as a low-rent PI Someone’s bugging the Premier of Western Australia’s phone and Swann is asked to find who and why And finally (before he returns for a cameo on the Lee Southern series above) Swann is back in the fourth and final book of his own tetralogy Shore Leave (2020) – it’s 1989 and an American navy ship docks in Fremantle Soon there’s trouble in the brothels and concerns over a nuclear warship in town The whole Frank Swann series is a effectively a history of modern Perth and Western Australia that then segues into the Lee Southern series bringing us bang up to date with hopefully more to come from Whish-Wilson The transformation of Perth and Western Australia by the mining boom is also apparent in Dave Warner’s City of Light (2015 – and also published by Fremantle Press) takes us back to Perth in the 1970s – today Perth can feel like a well-healed preoccupied with a ham sandwich and the odds of making the football team on Saturday takes the terrible phone call that signals the beginning of a series of events which are to reverberate in his life and shake the city to its foundations Warner is also the author of several books featuring Detective Inspector Daniel Clement and set in and around Broome a small town 1,271 miles from Perth (honestly not that far in Western Australia terms!!) Before it Breaks (2015) won the prestigious 2016 Australian Crime Writers Association Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Novel (Kelly being the legendary nineteenth century Australian bushranger a man is found dead in a crocodile-infested watering hole The connection between the victims is elusive but Clement must pursue it as a decades-old mystery begins to unravel and a monster cyclone brews on the horizon After the Flood (2022) sees DI Dan Clement and his Broome police officers confronted with a violent death by crucifixion near a remote north-west station the theft of explosives from a Halls Creek mine site and a break-in at a child health care clinic – could they all be linked somehow Clement is perhaps the cop in fiction who covers the widest territory Western Australia being roughly the size of Western Europe When it Rains (2024) has Dan Clement still stuck on backwater Broome in the wet season rains with random body parts turning up in crocodile-infested waters The dreariness of West Oz mining towns is all over Robert Schofield’s Marble Bar (2014) when a cop decides to make a new beginning in the iron mines of Newman But when he returns home from the night shift and finds his flatmate has been murdered He summons his old ally from the Gold Squad and soon they find themselves in Marble Bar Heaven Sent (2023) finds Cato is on the case of a killer murdering Fremantle’s homeless people Altogether a fun series that bounces between Perth Western Australia and a host of other locations Masthead About Advertisers: Contact Us Privacy Policy Become a member for as low as $5/month Perth Glory may be this season’s men’s A-League wooden spooners but head coach David Zdrilic is adamant his team will test the Wellington Phoenix at Sky Stadium on Sunday “We’re raring to go against Wellington,” he told the Glory website in a pre-game interview Main photo: David Zdrilic … ‘raring to go.’ “Everybody’s got something to show and something to prove.” Zdrilic said last weekend’s 1-0 loss to Premiership title winners Auckland FC had set his side well for the trip to Wellington “It was a tough game in Auckland at the weekend but I thought we fought really well and in the second half I thought we came back into it and felt we could get something out of the game “The one thing about these guys is that with the situation that we’re in where they really fought in what was a very intimidating atmosphere “They’re playing for themselves and for the team and that’s how it should be.” Zdrilic said he believed the Phoenix would look to take the early initiative against the Glory in an effort to bounce back from last weekend’s home loss to Brisbane Roar “I think they’ve gone through some transition themselves this year,” he said but it’s affected their form and their season significantly “They play differently at home than they do away they started going forward and changing the formation “They are able to chop and change and I expect a little bit more forward intent at home from them Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano says the game will be the last for two departing players and he indicated a couple of up-and-coming youngsters could play significant roles in the match READ MORE: Coach Giancarlo Italiano wants ‘good send-off’ for departing Phoenix pair >>>> Sunday’s match against Perth Glory was originally scheduled for Friday May 2 but was rescheduled due to weather disruption to flights Most recent meeting: 26 October 2024 – Perth Glory 0 Wellington Phoenix 2 All-time A-League head-to-head: Phoenix 21W The game will be broadcast free-to-air in New Zealand on Sky Open and LIVE on Sky Sport 3 in New Zealand and on Paramount+ in Australia Isaac Trevis and Joey Lee (assistant referees) May 3-9: OFC U-16 Men’s Championship – qualifying, Tonga (click here for details) May 5-18 (NZT): Auckland United at OFC Women’s Champions League, Tahiti (click here for details) May 16-18: Grand final, women’s A-League (click here for details) Monday May 19 (2.30am NZT): New Zealand U-16 men v Switzerland, FIFA Youth Series, Zurich (click here for details) Tuesday May 20 (2.30am NZT): New Zealand U-16 men v Guatemala, FIFA Youth Series, Zurich (click here for details) May 26-June 3: FIFA international window (women) May 30-June 1: Grand final, men’s A-League (click here for details) May 31-June 1: Second rounds of Chatham Cup June 2-10: FIFA international window (men) Thursday June 5 (7.30am NZT): Chile U-20 v New Zealand U-20, men’s international, Complejo Deportivo Quilín, Santiago (click here for details) Sunday June 8 (7.30am NZT): Chile U-20 v New Zealand U-20, men’s international, Complejo Deportivo Quilín, Santiago (click here for details) Sunday June 8 (11am NZT): All Whites v Côte d’Ivoire, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada (click here for details) Wednesday June 11 (9am NZT): All Whites v Ukraine, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada (click here for details) June 15-July 13: FIFA Club World Cup, United States (click here for details) Monday June 16 (6am NZT): Auckland City v Bayern Munich, FIFA Club World Cup, TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio (click here for details) Saturday June 20 (6am NZT): Auckland City v Benfica, FIFA Club World Cup, Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, Florida (click here for details) Wednesday June 24 (7am NZT): Auckland City v Boca Juniors, FIFA Club World Cup, Geodis Park, Nashville, Tennessee (click here for details) June 23-July 1: FIFA international window (women) July 5-6: Quarter-finals of Kate Sheppard Cup August 1-14: OFC U-16 Women’s Championship, Samoa (click here for details) August 15-30: OFC U-16 Men’s Championship, Solomon Islands (click here for details) August 16-17: Semi-finals of Kate Sheppard Cup September 2-9: FIFA international window (men) September 17-24: University of Auckland at FISU Men’s Football World Cup September 20-24: OFC Futsal Men’s Cup September 21-October 4: OFC U-19 Women’s Championship September 27-October 19: FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup September 27-28: Season starts for men’s and women’s National Leagues October 7-15: FIFA international window (men) Wednesday October 15 (k/o TBC): Norway v All Whites, international friendly, Ullevaal Stadium, Oslo, Norway (click here for details) October 17-November 8: FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, Morocco (click here for details) October 20-28: FIFA international window (women) November 4-28 (NZT): FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup, Qatar (click here for details) November 10-18: FIFA international window (men) November 17-22: OFC Futsal Men’s Champions League November 21-December 7: FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup, Philippines (click here for details) 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Oceania qualifiers December 13-14: Grand finals of men’s and women’s National Leagues June 12-July 20 (NZT): FIFA Men’s World Cup © 2025 Friends of Football Site designed by Hurricane Press Ltd using - WordPress Theme by Kadence WP A Court of Session judge ruled Scottish schools must provide single-sex toilets for pupils. Last week a Court of Session judge ruled Scottish schools must provide single-sex toilets for pupils. The new £80 million Perth High School – due to open this summer – has also been built with floor-to-ceiling cubicles in semi-open plan areas, which PKC has said can be reassigned to separate toilets for males and females. The Court of Session judgment was made in a case brought against Scottish Borders Council by parents concerned about a new primary school built with only gender-neutral toilets. The decision came after the UK Supreme Court unanimously ruled a woman is defined by biological sex under equalities law. Following the UK Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers, the Equality and Human Rights Commission issued an interim update on its guidance. The update said: “Schools must provide separate single-sex toilets for boys and girls over the age of eight. It is also compulsory for them to provide single-sex changing facilities for boys and girls over the age of 11. “Pupils who identify as trans girls (biological boys) should not be permitted to use the girls’ toilet or changing facilities, and pupils who identify as trans boys (biological girls) should not be permitted to use the boys’ toilet or changing facilities. Suitable alternative provisions may be required. ” Perth and Kinross Council is now waiting to hear whether it will have to reassign toilets which have been designed as mixed-sex spaces. A council spokesperson said: “Currently we have nine schools with mixed-sex facilities. Six of these also have separate male and female toilets while the remaining three have been designed with floor-to-ceiling cubicles in semi-open plan areas that will allow schools to reassign separate toilets for males and females. “The same system is in place in schools currently under construction, such as the new Perth High School. “We are considering the implications of the Supreme Court judgement and are awaiting further guidance from the Scottish Government which we will respond to.” Councillor Peter Barrett is the Equalities lead for Perth and Kinross Council. The Perth City Centre Liberal Democrat councillor said: “I contacted senior officers following the Scottish Borders Council decision last week and have requested a briefing on the position in Perth and Kinross. We need to look at toilet provision in schools across Perth and Kinross, for both existing schools and new-builds and ensure compliance with the law and revised guidance on provision of single-sex and gender-neutral toilets.” As well as the Scottish Borders legal case, calls were made to ban unisex toilets in schools following an incident in Dundee. The calls came after a 15-year-old boy was charged in connection with voyeurism in December 2024. The Scottish Government is working to update its guidance following the recent legal decisions. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Local authorities have statutory responsibility for the school estate, including provision of toilets. The Education Secretary will engage with COSLA to carefully consider the implications of the Court of Session ruling involving Scottish Borders Council in relation to Earlston Primary. “We previously announced our intention to consult on updating the 1967 School Premises Regulations, and considering relevant court decisions will be part of that process. “We note the interim update from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), and that they intend to hold a consultation with stakeholders on their forthcoming guidance before producing their updated draft Code of Practice in early summer. We are keen to work with the EHRC to ensure consistent, inclusive and comprehensive guidance is in place following recent legal decisions.” STV News is now on WhatsAppGet all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Follow STV News on WhatsAppScan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country '+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text+' "+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title+" "+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text+" One person has been detained after immigration officers raided a cafe in Perth Enforcement officers descended on Coffee and Things cafe on St John Street in the city centre on Thursday A female of dual American/Jamaican nationality was found working illegally and was subsequently detained The woman was taken to West Bell Street Police Station in Dundee A civil penalty referral notice (CPRN) was also served to the owner of the business The raid was part of an ongoing crackdown by the UK government on illegal workers and their employers Businesses found employing staff in the UK working illegally can face up to five years in prison and an unlimited fine In addition, employers failing to carry out required legal checks on staff face fines of up to £60,000 for each employee working in the UK illegally A Home Office spokesperson said: “Organised immigration crime is a multi-million pound industry which stretches from the trafficking routes thousands of miles away through which people are brought to our country to the high streets across Britain “Many of those people end up working illegally this government is cracking down on that criminal industry at every level “This includes stepping up our visits to businesses where illegal working is taking place and increasing our enforcement action both against illegal workers and the people who employ them.” Perth Bears will be entering the NRL in 2027 – and the speculation is already well underway about who could be representing the competition’s newest franchise That speculation isn’t just limited to on the field – with Leeds Rhinos coach Brad Arthur widely tipped to be the man who will lead Perth in their first games as an NRL club from 2027 onwards has not committed to anything publicly yet – but if he does agree to make the move he’ll have one year to build an NRL-worthy squad with a blank canvas and some significant cheques at his disposal that he can cash And the reports are already beginning to emerge about what calibre of talent Perth could attract for their inaugural season as an NRL club In fact, Fox Sports have compiled a list of their possible targets – and it includes a number of England internationals contracted elsewhere as it stands The former London and Wigan man has been a revelation since switching Down Under – with a number of clubs interested in his services for next year The fact he is off-contract this year as opposed to next means he’d effectively have to agree a one-year deal either with the Knights or somewhere else should he then decide to move to Perth for 2027 But another Englishman who doesn’t fall into that category is another ex-Warriors star currently performing Down Under Smithies’ deal with Canberra Raiders expires at the end of next season making the prospect of a switch not only more seamless Dolphins centre Herbie Farnworth is another whose current contract expires at the end of the 2026 season and he has been named on a lengthy list as a possible target Melbourne superstar Ryan Papenhuyzen is touted as an option One thing is for certain – the Bears will be looking to make a huge impact when they enter the NRL And whether it’s Arthur or someone else tasked with building the squad there will be English options on the table without question A “prime” building in Perth city centre The property on the corner of King Edward Street and St John’s Place – opposite Perth Museum – is up for sale for £1.4 million The three-storey building spans nearly 9,000 sq ft and houses the bank across all three floors Bank of Scotland has occupied the property for 23 years and has a lease in place until 2029 The bank is one of the biggest in the region and regularly trains staff from across the north-east On the ground floor is the main banking hall The first and second floors comprise customer service and training spaces Shepherd Chartered Surveyors describes it as a “highly prominent” and “prime” site It is being marketed for offers in excess of £1.4m The impact of any sale on the bank has not been confirmed Bank of Scotland’s parent company, Lloyds The Courier has rounded up the latest high street news from across Tayside, Fife and Stirling including a £5 million refurb at a Perthshire hotel A Perth Prison guard was left scarred for life after being scalded with hot soup by a violent inmate The officer’s agonizing burns across his neck and chest are still visible following the unprovoked attack at the city jail in October 2022 Perth Sheriff Court heard his condition is aggravated when he goes into the sunshine admitted assaulting the officer to his severe injury and permanent impairment The 32-year-old was further convicted by a jury of a separate attack on a fellow prisoner which left him with a “life-altering” eye injury Polish national Walczykowski was jailed for more than three years and faces being kicked out of the country Sheriff William Wood told the inmate he hopes he will be deported “swiftly” after finishing his jail term Fiscal depute Emma Farmer said: “At the time, Mr Walczykowski was a serving prisoner in HMP Perth “The accused attended to collect his lunch.” dishing up servings as Walczykowski and other inmates lined up The accused was joking with another prisoner before he picked up his bowl of soup and launched it at the prison officer “The victim then restrained Mr Walczykowski on the floor “He then realised he had been scalded and immediately went off to take a cold shower to ease the burns.” The fiscal depute said: “Nurses initially treated the victim’s blisters with dressings “He was taken to Perth Royal Infirmary where he was found to have suffered a 2% partial thickness burn to his neck and upper chest.” The court heard some patches of burns appeared to go deeper into his skin His wounds were cleaned by nursing staff and dressed “He had to re-attend due to the dressing slipping and a suspected infection that required antibiotics,” said Ms Farmer The guard had to attend several appointments at a scar management clinic “The burns have left certain areas of his skin to be patchy,” the fiscal depute “He advices it causes him difficulty if he is in sunlight.” Details of the assault emerged after Walczykowski was convicted of an attack on a prisoner at the jail in March 2022 Jurors heard how he repeatedly punched inmate Stewart McWilliams on the head leaving him severely injured and permanently impaired Walczykowski denied the assault on the prisoner but did not put up much fight during his trial refusing to cross-examine his victim and not giving closing submissions The jury took just over an hour to unanimously find him guilty Asked if he wanted to say anything about the attacks Walczykowski told Sheriff William Wood: “No The sheriff told him: “These were both very cowardly attacks on people who had done nothing to harm you “Mr McWilliams told us that he had been involved in a car accident shortly before ending up in prison “You have offered no explanation for assaulting him in the way that you did but you clearly caused him life-altering injuries in respect of his eye.” The sheriff added: “The prison officer you assaulted was simply doing his job “Prison officers should not face that sort of assault when they are doing their job.” He said: “Only a significant custodial sentence is appropriate.” The sheriff added: “It is to be hoped that when you are eventually released from prison you will be deported as swiftly as possible.” Walczykowski asked: “Is that 40 months He was told that was a matter for prison management Walczykowski was previously jailed for a total of 52 months after back-to-back trials at Forfar Sheriff Court The court heard how he attacked police and a nurse and hit his own father across the face with a tyre iron in Dundee Sheriff Kirsta Johnstone recommended Walczykowski should be deported after serving his sentence He told her: “If you want to deport me and you’ve got reason for that For more local court content visit our page or join us on Facebook A big police operation has been launched after a man was reportedly attacked by a gang of at least six men in Perth city centre The incident happened on the corner of South Street and Scott Street at around 5.45pm on Tuesday Four police vehicles and an ambulance were on the scene At least a dozen officers conducted interviews with some of the 70-plus onlookers present One person in the area in the aftermath of the attack told The Courier at around 7.10pm: “There must have been about a dozen police there “They were interviewing lots of people on the street and in shops with what must have been at least 70 people crowding round to see what was going on “There were four police vehicles and an ambulance “Police blocked off part of South Street but you could get through if you were careful “People are saying a man was assaulted by six other people “Let’s hope everyone is okay.” A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 5.45pm on Tuesday officers received a report of an assault on South Street A successful sale of vintage rugs through Gumtree was the start of a flourishing business that will open a new Perth shop this weekend Vintage Wool Rugs will sell second-hand and new rugs from its city centre premises at Cutlog Vennel Mohammad Arshad said frequent visitors from Perth and Dundee to his similar Edinburgh shop gave him confidence about the second location He started in business almost a decade ago initially selling vintage rugs from his own home “I’d had the rugs from Pakistan for more than 20 years when I decided to put them up for sale,” Mohammad said I was able to source some more and they sold as well The successful online sales led to Mohammad opening a shop in Edinburgh eight years ago It moved to its current location in Newington Road three years ago He has sold handmade rugs in the shop for up to £10,000 “We get our second-hand stock mostly from European countries and new stock we get directly from Iran,” he said “The Perth shop will be very similar to Edinburgh “Our shop in the capital has done well and we get a lot of customers coming to us from places like Perth “The vintage rugs are all handmade and between 30 and 50 years old “All the rugs are unique – you don’t get a second one like them “The handmade rugs sell from anywhere from £100 up to £10,000 It depends on the quality and how rare they are “Some of the rugs in Perth are on sale for more than £5,000 Vintage Wool Rugs opens in Perth on Saturday Staff at HMP Perth are helping inmates to prepare for the future as the prison service grapples with high rates of reoffending. Many prisoners are heading back to their halls after spending the morning in classes and workshops but a small group are continuing their work in the kitchen These prisoners are taking part in a ten-week long course to train them to work in a professional kitchen is serving more than five-and-a-half years in Perth for a crime he committed in Scotland I feel a passion when I’m in the kitchen,” he told Scotland Tonight they’re always on your shoulder whispering things into your ear instead of calling you up John Tracey from Greene King says prisoners learn practical skills in the kitchen and earn qualifications that may help them into employment upon release He said: “We’ve got 160 people already employed with Greene King through custody and full-time employment and the aim is that will increase to 400 by the end of 2025 “It’s an achievable target with all these programmes that are up and running.” Andy says training with a firm that has a track record of employing people with convictions is a big source of motivation I’m going to get a job doing what I want to do’ and then “That could possibly take someone back to prison.” One of the many challenges the prison service is grappling with is the rate of reoffending The most recent figures show 26.9% of prisoners who have served a custodial sentence reoffend within a year of being released the head of offender outcomes at HMP Perth said for the first time the prison is working with local services to make the transition back into the community easier for those leaving prison He said: “If you look at the prison population the demographic of the prison population is quite high between the ages of 30-49 “If that’s that case then generally these are people that have come to a point in their life where their employment’s not worked out they’ve maybe lost support in their communities so they turn to offending sometimes to survive or to make financial gains “I think what we need to do is take these people and tell them at this age they’ve still got opportunities ahead of them.” Someone who knows reoffending all too well is Jamie “I get out and I stay out for a few months – five or six months maybe “There’s a lot of challenges – boredom It’s all in your face… so you can give in.” Jamie is now participating in a landscaping programme with the help of Dundee and Angus College He and other inmates are transforming an unused patch of land outside the prison into a working garden Jamie said having work to focus on gives his days more purpose and helps his anxiety about the future “It maybe takes a bit of that anxiety of getting out away cos you’re going out with a bit of a plan “I think it’s probably the biggest thing to get out with a plan and stick to it if you can.” Andy said his ideal scenario is to leave prison and get a job with Greene King “It’s up to me to run away with it and take it with two hands because my wee lad – I haven’t been the best to him as a dad so I need to make sure that’s right.” Jamie hopes opportunities like this can help him break that pattern “The biggest dream is to not come back here and to make my dad proud of me.” “It’ll not work for everybody but it’ll work for some people and the more people that can stay out of here the better.” Watch the full programme on Scotland Tonight at 8.30pm on Thursday night or catch up on STV Player. A 36-year-old man has been arrested and charged after an alleged assault and robbery in Perth A man was allegedly attacked as he walked on the Lade footpath The victim was allegedly approached by a man and assaulted before his phone was stolen A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “A 36-year-old man has been arrested and charged following an assault and robbery in Perth “The incident happened around 10.10am on Thursday “A report will be sent to the procurator fiscal.” A pair who jumped on a stranger’s head in vicious attack in Perth have been given community service because they were “children” at the time Regan Mills and Declan Buchanan – now 19 and 20 respectively – have been ordered to pay compensation to their victim after knocking him out cold during the sustained assault The duo – who were part of a gang of youths who attacked Ugur Argavan in Perth – were given restriction of liberty orders because they were 16 at the time The duo were each ordered to pay £2,500 compensation to their victim and were placed on curfew for six months Buchanan was ordered to carry out 150 hours unpaid work Sheriff William Wood said: “Back on 7 January 2022 you were both children and I have to take that into account in sentencing “Conduct of this type frequently results in custodial sentences “It is only because I have to take your age into account that I’m persuaded custody is not the only way this can be dealt with “I have to take into account the Scottish Sentencing Council guidelines on how young people ought to be dealt with.” admitted attacking Mr Argavan in the city’s King Street by repeatedly punching and kicking him on the head and body rendering him unconscious and stamping on him They admitted causing severe injury and permanent disfigurement in a racially-aggravated attack The sheriff continued: “This was a cowardly attack by four people “You took the opportunity to further assault him when he was senseless and lying on the ground it seems you were the principal mover and shaker deciding to pursue the complainer and assault him “The complainer has been deeply affected by this where he was alone in a country where he did not speak the language – it must have been a terrifying experience for him “This was a pretty appalling and sustained attack which happened over an extended period of time.” Fiscal depute Stephanie Paterson told Perth Sheriff Court the complainer was on his way to the bus station with two others at 10pm who kept calling Mr Argavan a ‘Paki’ and trying to get cigarettes from him shouting ‘I’m going to hit this Paki’.” Mr Argavan tried to get away but Buchanan push him to the ground and began punching him on the face and head “Mills and another caught up with them They joined in by repeatedly punching and kicking Mr Argavan on the head and body “Witnesses looked out a window and saw four men kicking and punching Mr Argavan to the head and face “They also saw his face being kicked and stamped on “A member of the public was passing in their car and they stopped to intervene “On hearing police had been called all four accused fled.” The court was told Mills and another returned to ask about Mr Argavan’s condition but he was found lying on the pavement when police arrived lying on the ground and being assisted by members of the public He denied assaulting the complainer.” Other witnesses named Buchanan as the instigator Ms Paterson said the victim sustained several broken teeth and a blood clot in his eye chest and head were all covered in bruising He had a broken nose which may have been left deformed For more local court content visit our page or join us on Facebook Bosses at a Perth pub say drink has been stolen and the beer garden trashed during a break-in The Cherrybank Inn was targeted overnight between Saturday and Sunday The owners of the Glasgow Road venue have shared CCTV footage on Facebook showing the intruders appearing to pour themselves a drink Bedrooms below the pub were also damaged after being broken into The Facebook post said: “Morning lads “Stealing drink and smashing up the beer garden “Turns out they have also broken into the bedrooms downstairs too.” Customers at the pub have hit out at the footage Obviously never had to work hard for anything before.” Another wrote: “Absolute disgrace to their families One other customer posted: “Hopefully with the footage you have “The courts have got to start coming down hard on these people that cause havoc and heartbreak to hard-working folk” A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 10.15am on Sunday we received a report of a break-in to a premises on Glasgow Road Staff at the Cherrybank Inn refused to speak when approached by The Courier face Hockeyroos test in Perth - full schedule The three IND-W vs AUS-W hockey matches will be held at the Perth Hockey Stadium on May 1 All three India vs Australia hockey matches will be played at the Perth Hockey Stadium Pooja Yadav and Mahima Tete - have earned a maiden call-up to the senior team for the tour Anjana Dundung and Lalthantluangi (defenders) Sakshi Shukla and Khaidem Shileima Chanu (midfielders) along with Dipi Monika Toppo and Sonam (forwards) Having already lost their two warm-up games against Australia A at Perth will look to put on an improved display against the Hockeyroos who are fifth in the women’s world rankings India suffered a 3-5 defeat by Australia A in their first match on April 26 Navneet Kaur and Lalremsiami scored the goals for India in the match The second tie on April 27 saw India suffer an even narrower 3-2 defeat with Jyoti Singh and Sunelita Toppo registering on the scoresheet did experiment a lot with playing combinations in the two games against Australia A and ensured every player in the squad got some minutes under their belt are expected to field a much more settled line-up against the Hockeyroos “I am looking forward to this because this is how we identify the players who can compete in the forthcoming Pro League matches in Europe the new girls should play a minimum of 35 matches That is the goal we keep in mind while preparing for such tournaments,” Singh noted Tribute has been paid to retired senior fire officer champion piper and “true gentleman” John Dickson MBE who has died peacefully at home aged 87 served for 30 years with Perth & Kinross Fire Brigade His family say he will be remembered as a “devoted family man who squeezed the best out of life” He attended Downfield Primary then Rockwell High School was a serving police inspector in the Dundee City Police His mother Muriel was part of the Dryden business family he joined his brother Gordon at the McLeod Pipe Band assisted by his father who was also a piper in the Dundee City Police Pipe Band It culminated in him winning the coveted Queen’s Silver Medal (under 21’s) at Braemar Games in 1957 Ian later joined the Dundee City Police Band then the Bullionfield Band A keen and active member of the Boys Brigade from an early age he left school in 1954 to begin an apprenticeship with local firm This continued until 1958 when he was summoned for National Service to the Black Watch barracks in Perth This was truly a turning point in his life as he embraced everything the army had to offer to be in a five-star location playing for the great and the good topped off with some food and refreshments before heading back to the barracks Only the best pipers were chosen for this duty he returned to Perth where his eye was immediately caught by Keay Maclean Her parents owned the newsagent’s shop opposite the barracks Love blossomed and they soon became a courting couple De-mob took him back to Sturrock’s. But by this time he was due to be married to Keay so in 1963, he joined Perth & Kinross Fire Brigade rising through the ranks to become divisional officer Ian attended rural retained stations whilst on call each week He also took over the running of the Tayside Fire Service Benevolent Fund Many of the members he met across the country became firm friends Ian’s success in this role culminated in hi being awarded the MBE at Holyrood in 1993 His family recall the pride in hearing fire master Derek Marr comment at his retiral service that “any young firefighter need look no further than John Dickson as a template of how to conduct themselves within the fire brigade or everyday life” and they formed an extremely close and loving family After retiral Ian joined his son in law, businessman and butcher Simon Howie for 10 years before fully retiring in 2003 He and Keay had a new home built at Findony Farm This brought them next door to their family Both grandparents played a pivotal role in bringing up grandchildren Ross and Lynne Ian’s piping continued to be a big part of his social life the military tattoo or anything that involved Scottish music His delight in hearing his son-in-law Simon Howie playing Scottish music with his dance band He loved nothing more than sitting in his chair at home on a Saturday evening listening to the BBC Scottish dance music programme Over the years his piping took him to many parts of the world including performing at a memorable St Andrews night in Jakarta A lifelong passion for caravanning took the couple all over the UK with their final destination being a static caravan at Kenmore undoubtedly the most rewarding period of his life was the time he spent with his family The family gathered to celebrate the couple’s diamond wedding anniversary in March 2023 He was thrilled and overwhelmed to see the band of The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, which had travelled from Fort George to surprise him by marching towards his house playing his favourite 6/8 March His family say he “genuinely saw the good in people and had a bad word for no one He was never happier than receiving the daily visits from his family.” two grandchildren and six great grandchildren Ian’s funeral takes place on Friday May 9 at 2pm in Dunning Church and thereafter at Dunning Cemetery A man from Perth who was involved in an addiction therapy service has been jailed for his part in a £4million cocaine deal was caught in a drugs handover with co-accused Shaun Willis The pair were sentenced having earlier pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of the high-purity class A drug Skinner was sentenced to four-and-a-half years by judge Lord Mulholland at the High Court in Glasgow Willis was locked up for five years and three months The court earlier heard how police got information a large quantity of drugs was being ferried into Scotland in a SEAT Cupra car Prosecutor David McDonald said the car was spotted being driven north on the M74 by Willis He stopped in the Glasgow’s Dunragit Sreet and beside an Audi A4 with Skinner behind the wheel A haul of drugs went from one car to the other and police swooped Skinner had 25 taped packages in his vehicle and Willis still had 15 in his prosecutor Mr McDonald told the hearing: “He said that he had travelled from the Merseyside area to Glasgow that day “This was in order to meet with Mr Skinner and provide him with 25kg of cocaine “He went on to tell officers that he intended to meet with another individual with the 15kg of cocaine in his car before he was stopped.” if sold in the smallest street deal of one gram Skinner’s lawyer Graeme Brown told the sentencing hearing he had been involved in an addiction therapy business and was someone capable of making “a strong He said: “It is most unfortunate to find himself at this age to be involved in this offence.” said he had a personal issue at the time and had been “a one-day courier” for the drugs He was due to be paid £2000 to service a debt owed A cyclist is in a critical condition after being hit by a car in Perth city centre Emergency services were called to Canal Street around 10.45pm on Saturday following reports of a crash involving a white Kia Sportage and a bike A 58-year-old man was taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee One witness described seeing a large police presence in the area following the crash They told The Courier: “I was coming up Princes Street when I noticed that it had been closed by the police “There was a large group of traffic officers at the junction with Canal Street “There must have been seven or eight police vehicles including a collision investigation unit there “They were covering the area with a torch and then placing small yellow markers on the ground “Given the number of police officers and the collision investigation team there The road was closed for around five hours while officers investigated Police are now appealing for anyone in the area at the time of the crash to come forward Sergeant Mike Guild said: “Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of the crash and we are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward “We would also ask anyone who may have dash-cam footage from the area around the time of the crash to contact us as it could assist with our enquiries.” Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland 101 quoting incident number 4042 of April 26 2025 Even Perth’s high-income earners are being priced out of homeownership soaring property prices have made it virtually impossible for many couples to save enough for a house deposit — despite earning well above the average wage then-treasurer Joe Hockey famously claimed all it took to buy a home was “a good job that pays good money” But that advice feels almost absurd a decade later with median Perth house prices rising from $486,000 in 2019 to $764,250 in 2024 Not one worker buying alone in the 17 occupations – from childcare workers to surgeons – analysed by left-leaning think tank The Australia Institute would have saved enough over the past five years to reach a 20 per cent deposit for the median-priced Perth house Home-buying hopefuls having less than a 20 per cent deposit usually require expensive lenders’ mortgage insurance a registered nurse in June 2019 was aiming for a $97,200 deposit (representing 20 per cent of the median house prices of $486,000) saved over nearly 12 years But now the median house price is $764,260 so they would need a $152,850 deposit – leaving them $100,504 short and GP/solicitor) would have saved enough by December 2024 for a 20 per cent deposit for the average Perth home after five years A bank worker/checkout operator would be the furthest away Chief economist Greg Jericho said the reality was that for many people with “a good job that pays good money” the possibility of owning a home was unreachable without help either from a partner who also has a good job or the bank of mum and dad “People who were coming to work in the ’70s and ’80s could manage to do it on one income,” he said Jericho said Perth’s housing market had quickly turned from one of the most affordable in the nation to one where saving for a deposit has become an impossibility for single people “After a decade of largely stagnant house prices after the end of the mining boom since the middle of 2019 prices have risen as fast as they have in any capital city,” he said “Even assuming that people were able to save 15 per cent of their after-tax income and earn an average interest rate on those savings for many people the goal has gotten further away “These figures highlight the urgent need for changes to housing policy.” assumes a worker earning the median salary for their profession saved 15 per cent of their after-tax salary each year towards a goal of a 20 per cent deposit The modelling assumes that a buyer is purchasing a home out of savings from their salary About 30 per cent of new mortgages go to borrowers with deposits of 20 per cent or less Strategic Property Group managing director Trent Fleskens said clearly it was a lot harder to purchase a home however people were still buying every day with many using other means such as lower deposits and parental guarantees homeownership is becoming less likely for each generation I’d hold a candle for those in Sydney who make less than us on average and have house prices twice as expensive as us.” Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter Even Perth\\u2019s high-income earners are being priced out of homeownership soaring property prices have made it virtually impossible for many couples to save enough for a house deposit \\u2014 despite earning well above the average wage then-treasurer Joe Hockey famously claimed all it took to buy a home was \\u201Ca good job that pays good money\\u201D Not one worker buying alone in the 17 occupations \\u2013 from childcare workers to surgeons \\u2013 analysed by left-leaning think tank The Australia Institute would have saved enough over the past five years to reach a 20 per cent deposit for the median-priced Perth house Home-buying hopefuls having less than a 20 per cent deposit usually require expensive lenders\\u2019 mortgage insurance so they would need a $152,850 deposit \\u2013 leaving them $100,504 short Chief economist Greg Jericho said the reality was that for many people with \\u201Ca good job that pays good money\\u201D \\u201CPeople who were coming to work in the \\u201970s and \\u201980s could manage to do it on one income,\\u201D he said \\u201CIt was always hard to save for a home Jericho said Perth\\u2019s housing market had quickly turned from one of the most affordable in the nation to one where saving for a deposit has become an impossibility for single people \\u201CAfter a decade of largely stagnant house prices after the end of the mining boom since the middle of 2019 prices have risen as fast as they have in any capital city,\\u201D he said \\u201CEven assuming that people were able to save 15 per cent of their after-tax income and earn an average interest rate on those savings for many people the goal has gotten further away \\u201CThese figures highlight the urgent need for changes to housing policy.\\u201D even the high-income earners,\\u201D he said I\\u2019d hold a candle for those in Sydney who make less than us on average and have house prices twice as expensive as us.\\u201D Start the day with a summary of the day\\u2019s most important and interesting stories Perth has had Australia’s strongest luxury home price growth over the past 12 months but growth is slowing globally as uncertainty grows The firm’s Prime Global Cities Index first-quarter index for the year which tracks the movement of prime residential prices across 44 cities worldwide with luxury property price growth of 3.8 per cent over the year to the end of March This luxury resort-style property in Attadale has just listed for $7 million plus with high-end features including Ralph Lauren chandeliers.Credit: Domain Sydney and Melbourne both saw a fall in luxury residential prices over the 12 months with a drop of 0.7 per cent and 2.1 per cent respectively with Brisbane the only one in positive territory recording a minor increase of 0.1 per cent Asia-Pacific and the Middle East continue to lead the recovery with Seoul recording the highest luxury price growth at 18.4 per cent over the past 12 months driven by rising wealth and increasing institutional activity in the luxury residential segment Also recording double-digit price growth were Dubai and Tokyo Knight Frank’s global head of research Liam Bailey said the direction of interest rates remained pivotal to future luxury residential property prices “Although inflation has been easing in many key economies US policy on tariffs has created the potential for significant future volatility,” he said “There is the potential for dis-inflationary pressures to increase outside the US while the US itself faces a risk of higher inflation “While expectations of interest rate cuts have risen outside the US greater clarity on the pace and extent of future cuts is needed before we see significant upside in pricing in most housing markets.” forecast Perth was again expected to lead luxury property price growth in Australia over 2025 with a 3 per cent predicted rise over the calendar year McGrath Estate Agents associate director Adam Ross said there had been a slight uptick with more prestige homes on the market in the first quarter “We’re likely to see ongoing sustainable price growth of prestige homes across most cities for the remainder of 2025 particularly with heightened expat activity as they benefit from the currency exchange,” he said and the lead up to potentially more rate cuts has paused much activity “Construction costs continue to plague developments kicking off which is capping the number of new prestige homes mainly driven by labour while material costs remain elevated.” This luxury resort-style property in Attadale has just listed for $7 million plus with high-end features including Ralph Lauren chandeliers The three-storey Moreing Road home is owned by Crown Perth chair John Van Der Wielen who also helms growing biotech company Orthocell founder of Perth-based Flower Box Home Fragrance Van Der Weilen said the time was right to sell the family home as they set their sights on travel with more time down south and with family overseas “We lived nine years in London and this felt far more like the home we lived in London “I think the views from the house surprise people you’re not sure what sort of views it has but once you come inside there are really good views of the river.” Mont Property Managing Director Matthew Podesta said the property was one of Perth’s most notable riverfront residences “This home is parallel to one of the finest international luxury hotels quality fixtures and beautiful finishes set it apart from many other homes It’s no wonder it was named a finalist in Perth’s top HIA awards when it was built,” he said “Couple the incredible quality of the home with its close proximity to the Attadale foreshore Point Walter and Blackwall Reach and it really is a property that ticks all boxes.” Perth has had Australia\\u2019s strongest luxury home price growth over the past 12 months Knight Frank\\u2019s latest research shows The firm\\u2019s first-quarter index for the year Knight Frank\\u2019s global head of research Liam Bailey said the direction of interest rates remained pivotal to future luxury residential property prices \\u201CAlthough inflation has been easing in many key economies US policy on tariffs has created the potential for significant future volatility,\\u201D he said \\u201CThere is the potential for dis-inflationary pressures to increase outside the US \\u201CWhile expectations of interest rate cuts have risen outside the US greater clarity on the pace and extent of future cuts is needed before we see significant upside in pricing in most housing markets.\\u201D Knight Frank\\u2019s The Wealth Report 2025 \\u201CWe\\u2019re likely to see ongoing sustainable price growth of prestige homes across most cities for the remainder of 2025 particularly with heightened expat activity as they benefit from the currency exchange,\\u201D he said \\u201CConstruction costs continue to plague developments kicking off mainly driven by labour while material costs remain elevated.\\u201D \\u201CWe lived nine years in London and this felt far more like the home we lived in London It\\u2019s a very high quality build,\\u201D he said \\u201CI think the views from the house surprise people you\\u2019re not sure what sort of views it has but once you come inside there are really good views of the river.\\u201D Mont Property Managing Director Matthew Podesta said the property was one of Perth\\u2019s most notable riverfront residences \\u201CThis home is parallel to one of the finest international luxury hotels It\\u2019s no wonder it was named a finalist in Perth\\u2019s top HIA awards when it was built,\\u201D he said \\u201CCouple the incredible quality of the home with its close proximity to the Attadale foreshore Point Walter and Blackwall Reach and it really is a property that ticks all boxes.\\u201D All Whites fullback Tim Payne will miss Sunday’s men’s A-League match between the Wellington Phoenix and Perth Glory Payne has been left out of the Phoenix squad due to injury head coach Giancarlo Italiano has indicated a couple of Phoenix teenagers are in line for an increased role in the side’s final match of the 2024-25 Isuzu UTE A-League season Gabriel Sloane-Rodrigues (17) and Luke Brooke-Smith (16) are pushing to play in the season finale against Perth Glory at Sky Stadium on Sunday after the game was rescheduled from Friday due to weather disruptions to Perth Glory’s flights Sloane-Rodrigues has yet to feature for the Phoenix this season but has impressed for the reserves in the Central League in recent weeks and scored a goal of the week contender against Petone on Saturday former Phoenix players Nicholas Pennington and David Williams have been left out of the Glory squad through injury Former Nix goalkeeper Oli Sail is expected to start for the Glory “Gab was great last week in the academy [and] I want to reward him,” Italiano said “Gab and some of the other boys have been getting more minutes in the academy to build their loading in their legs the Central League only started a few weeks ago and it’s been hard to get those boys an opportunity to stay fit in terms of game minutes and so on Training is there but obviously it’s not a good compensation for games.” Brooke-Smith iis pushing for his fourth start of his rookie season after turning heads in the 1-0 defeat to Brisbane Roar last Saturday “For me Luke Brooke-Smith was very good off the bench “I thought they gave us good energy and changed our intent in the front line We thank the Wellington Phoenix for providing information for this story A widely-admired former club and regional football administrator Here’s NZ Football’s 12-minute highlights reel from last.. The New Zealand men’s U-20 team will play a two-match series against Chile in June.. Football Ferns midfielder Katie Kitching has been named Player of the Year for her English.. Which teams will go into the men’s A-League finals play-offs with the strongest form Auckland FC have confirmed their home leg of the men’s A-League semi-finals will be played.. A 22-player squad has been named to represent New Zealand at the six-nation FIFA Youth.. Defending champions Auckland United are ready for strong competition at the OFC Women’s Champions League.. WWE has officially confirmed a new premium live event for the company’s return to Australia later this year WWE began advertising ‘WWE TakeOver Perth’ and a then-unnamed PLE taking place in the region in October WWE has announced that the Crown Jewel Perth PLE will take place on Saturday This is the first time Crown Jewel is being held outside of Saudi Arabia 2023 and 2024 editions all having taken place in Riyadh October 13 editions of SmackDown and Raw will also be held at RAC Arena in Perth The previous WWE TakeOver Perth advertisements have also noted that these shows will play host to John Cena’s final match in Australia as part of his farewell tour this year WWE last visited Perth for Elimination Chamber in February 2024, a show headlined by home country hero Rhea Ripley Ripley has traveled to Perth with fellow Aussie Grayson Waller as part of the announcement 👀 @GraysonWWE and @RheaRipley_WWE have landed in Perth… stay tuned! 🇦🇺#WWEAustralia #WAtheDreamState pic.twitter.com/1pXv22G7G9 — WWE Australia (@WWEAustralia) May 2, 2025 To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link © Trident Digital Media Limited. All rights reserved. Read our Privacy and Data Policy Designed and Developed by Arren Marketing With only three games left of the season and another defeat to their name St Johnstone’s relegation to the Championship hasn’t yet been sealed Perth supporters who left McDiarmid Park after watching their side lose 2-0 to Kilmarnock talking up the prospect of a final fortnight great escape Second bottom Ross County falling to their sixth defeat in a row may have left them a “lifeline” but the Highlanders’ collapse also serves to make Saints’ own failure to capitalise all the more frustrating when you’re failing to sort your own performance levels out Courier Sport picks out three talking points from Saturday’s match. It’s a grim state of affairs when you’re comparing the three goals conceded against Motherwell to the two Kilmarnock strikes and arriving at the conclusion last weekend’s were more palatable Tony Watt ruthlessly exposed defenders playing out of position and out of form The David Watson opener for Killie and the incident that led to the VAR penalty were far more infuriating to not put his laces through the ball when it came to him on the goal-line was inexplicable anybody who has watched St Johnstone week after week this season would have got that familiar sinking feeling of an imminent goal This should have been coached out of a centre-half before he reached the age of 10 and certainly won’t have been coached into him at McDiarmid when it came to pressing once Kilmarnock were in possession in and around Saints’ penalty box two home players showed the required technique Victor Griffith lacked all three when he stuck out a lazy leg as Rory McKenzie took him on early in the second half The long delay for the ball to go out of play and the referee to be sent to check his pitch-side monitor naturally produces a feeling of being aggrieved but this was the type of challenge in the 18-yard area that VAR officials will be all over 10 times out of 10 a left-back at centre-half and a central midfielder turned centre-half at right-back was actually pretty solid as a unit for most of this game – far more so than the backline at Motherwell I can’t recall a game against Kilmarnock in recent memory when Saints were as comfortable dealing with balls into the box from dead balls and open play as this which suggest training ground work paying off But it doesn’t count for anything if you commit the sort of penalty box schoolboy errors that led to the two goals That Uche Ikpeazu was able to complete a full match would have surprised everybody in the ground There was no risk to his knee in keeping the powerhouse on the pitch and no sign of him running on fumes by the end of the contest It’s a credit to the man himself and Saints’ new physio, Caitlin Wright. Makenzie Kirk should have scored from a low cut-back he sent into a dangerous area from the left and then the roles were reversed later in the first half when the 30-year-old couldn’t direct a close-range volley past Killie goalkeeper There was a back post miss shortly after the break and a header he should have buried on 50 minutes – thank goodness he didn’t because it would have been disallowed as this was during the spell between Griffith’s challenge on McKenzie and referee Ikpeazu was still winning headers in injury-time long after some team-mates had resigned themselves to defeat been a prolific finisher so it’s likelier that the opportunities the former Hearts man passed up were just part of the package rather than a consequence of rustiness But if Saints are going to score goals in the last three games it’s a good bet Ikpeazu will be involved in them There are so many imponderables in football particularly when a team is hurtling towards relegation like this St Johnstone one Accusing players of not showing enough fight is a grey area at the best of times You have to factor in the mental aspect of playing the game which can often inhibit an athlete and make it appear to those of us in the stand that he isn’t putting in as much effort as this situation But what can be said with confidence is that it’s never a good look when two young fringe players show a greater willingness to take the ball than far more experienced peers Taylor Steven and Josh McPake shouldn’t be outshining others as markedly as they are And that’s without either being above a seven or eight out of 10 This isn’t a team which has “chucked it” to dig out the infamous words of Steven MacLean after what turned out to be his last game in charge. But there are a few senior pros who are getting very close to hiding in the dressing room has never been as stark in the post-January section of the season as it is now Valakari must be struggling to accept that his relentless positivity and commitment to raising standards on the training ground isn’t producing a going down with a fight finale from players who beat champions Celtic just a month ago. desperation and controlled aggression that flirted with uncontrolled at the start of the post-split phase of the campaign Quantifying what that looks like isn’t easy Too many are giving off the air of believing their fate has been sealed They should be raging against the dying of the light A double from Perth Glory striker Adam Taggart consigned the Wellington Phoenix to a 2-0 home loss in the final game of their regular men’s A-League season Taggart struck in the 34th minute and again in stoppage time to complete his side’s fourth win of the season but they still languish in bottom place on the 13-team table who managed only one shot on target during the match rescheduled from Friday because of weather disruption to flights was watched by a Sky Stadium crowd of 4,190 Their next game is in Darwin on May 14 when they play 12th-placed Brisbane Roar in a qualifying game for the Australian Cup Main photo: Nathan Walker takes on the Glory defence READ MORE: Phoenix coach Giancarlo Italiano: ‘Disappointed is probably an understatement’ >>>> UHI Perth’s finance director has quit – as bosses wrestle with how to bring down a £2 million deficit Gavin Stevenson officially left his role on April 18 meaning the crisis-hit institution has no financial chief The Courier revealed on Wednesday that UHI Perth management could axe university degrees entirely to tackle the budget black hole Bosses have now confirmed this extreme proposal will not be taken forward after it was “discussed and strongly dismissed” Mr Stevenson’s departure comes less than a year after he started the top job last May part of the University of Highlands and Islands is currently devising a recovery plan due to its difficult financial position Former finance director Mr Stevenson is not the only senior staff member to leave recently Graham Watson quit his post as UHI Perth chairman on April 4 But Mr Stevenson’s exit leaves major questions over who is responsible for improving the university’s fiscal outlook Perth and North Perhshire MP Pete Wishart said principal Margaret Cook is overseeing “chaos” He told The Courier: “The absence of a finance director at a time of acute financial difficulty tells us everything we need to know about the chaos going on in senior management “Who is actually making these financial decisions “UHI Perth is is an invaluable part of Perth’s offering as a city “But Dr Cook is making decisions which are causing huge repetitional damage and inflicting misery on students and staff what we urgently need is fresh leadership at UHI Perth.” Mr Stevenson says he was responsible for “all financial governance” at the Perth campus His duties included compiling the university’s annual budget and managing the institution’s accounts on a monthly basis But papers show his team was unable to even prepare budgets last July due to “ongoing staff restructuring” “The restructuring process impacted the availability of key personnel involved in the budget preparation leading to delays in financial planning and reporting,” the minutes read The university says steps were being taken to “strengthen financial management” A UHI Perth spokesperson said the institution will look to bring in a new finance director in the “coming weeks” A statement read: “Our senior leadership team which includes a senior and qualified chartered accountant is dedicated to delivering our core business which offers high-quality education and support to our students.” Earlier this month an aviation firm linked to the university which trains pilots and aircraft engineers went into administration UHI Perth chiefs were branded “utterly disastrous” for failing to act after they were warned this could happen seven months ago Last year, the institution announced the closure of its nursery due to “financial unsustainability” The university’s decision not to axe degrees will come as a relief to students A spokesperson said: “The suggestion that we do not plan to offer degree-level courses in the future is simply not the case “This idea was discussed and strongly dismissed.” “All courses are running next year.” University bosses did not say this when asked by The Courier if degrees would be cut 24 hours earlier Instead a spokesperson said they were “carefully exploring all options” to bring down the deficit UHI Perth set savings targets of £3.2 million last year Minutes from board meetings say 50 staff took voluntary redundancy at a cost of £964,000 Perth College gained university status as part of the Highlands and Islands group in 2011 The Courier has approached Mr Stevenson for comment Perth and Kinross Council chiefs want all of the authority’s heavy goods vehicles to run on vegetable oil by the end of this year It follows successful trials of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in bin lorries The green fuel will now be expanded to all 26 refuse collection vehicles in Perth and Kinross The council has 80 HGVs in total across its fleet despite a plea to scrap it and spend the £100,000 cost on rural buses instead HVO costs about 15p more per litre than diesel But bosses say the scheme could reduce the authority’s carbon footprint by 725 tonnes of CO2 a year Councillor David Illingworth compared the proposal to “trying to whistle in a hurricane” in the era of Donald Trump and Chinese industrialisation “It will have virtually zero impact on carbon reduction across the globe,” he told colleagues on the climate change and sustainability committee “And at the same time we are incurring extra costs that we just don’t need to have.” his motion to divert the money towards enhancing rural bus routes was defeated by seven votes to four The committee’s convener Richard Watters said it was “a dangerous message to send” Perth and Kinross Council agreed to trial the use of vegetable oil instead of diesel in six bin lorries last February The experiment was a success The HVO expansion is part of a five-year fleet decarbonisation strategy agreed by councillors on Wednesday It also outlines ambitions around technologies such as electric and hydrogen it’s hoped the Binn Ecopark Hydrogen Facility being developed by Green Cat Energy at Glenfarg could make hydrogen a viable option within the next few years The size and rural nature of Perth and Kinross means there’s still a limit to the usefulness of electric vehicles But bosses want the vehicle pool to increase to 15% electric (around 30 EVs) over the next five years A report to the committee said: “The most appropriate strategic approach will include options for electric HVO and a smaller number of diesel vehicles as a backup support for outlying areas.” The depth of rugby league’s talent pool has been a major topic of conversation in the last week ever since the news broke that the NRL’s expansion into Perth is set for 2027 the sport will need to find a whole new team’s worth of talent then do it all over again when PNG’s franchise joins in 2028 Eagle-eyed fans might have also noticed that Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson also talked up an NRL acquisition of Super League will likely involve cutting two teams from the competition Easy solution: move Salford to Port Moresby and Huddersfield to Perth The net number of professional NRL clubs stays the same It’s hard to accurately say how many male professional rugby league players there currently are in the world which has suddenly become a major talking point given the need for new talent the guys being paid full-time to feature in the competition which comes to around 510 full-time players which are limited to between four and six per club per year Do the same again for Super League – 30 x 12 – and you get 360 let’s chuck in three per club on dual registration who get us to a round thousand across the two major competitions Given the attrition rate inherent in a sport like rugby league veterans who otherwise might have retired will keep playing at the highest level kids will be thrown in earlier and fringe players will become first graders the cost of doing this will likely be covered by an increased TV deal especially if Richardson’s plan to sell NRL Super League and international rights collectively is adopted The wider fear might be that the quality will drop but that isn’t actually as cut and dried as you might think Someone has to finish first and someone last If you split the talent pool more widely in a controlled manner theoretically the competition element can be maintained – as we have seen with the addition of the Dolphins in 2023 but the higher end of the talent bracket arguably doesn’t really matter that much given the way that rugby league works which is tactics-speak for the basic knowledge that most footy fans have which is that the level of your worst player is far more important than that of your best A team that is decent across the board will do better than a side that has one superstar but a few horrendous players if Nathan Cleary suddenly played for Rochdale Hornets they’d definitely do better but they’d still lose 99 times out of a hundred to anyone in the Super League where adding LeBron James would have a much larger material effect on a bad team because it’s a strong link sport where your best player is most important In the context of two teams entering the NRL we have a very real recent example of how this works as the Dolphins didn’t sign any marquee players in their first season but instead assembled a squad of competent if unspectacular players and did absolutely fine Even in their original North Sydney format they were famously bad and that was before being exiled for 30 years and reborn 3,000 kilometres away it really doesn’t matter that much how they do in the short term because the idea is that they exist for the next century Western Australia hasn’t produced a single current NRL player and can’t really be expected to do so in the short to medium term and neither has Papua New Guinea since Justin Olam’s retirement earlier this year PNG do have several home-grown players in the Super League plus a whole squad of second graders in the PNG Hunters team but it would be a shock if more than a handful graduated to the NRL by the time the new team hits the comp in 2028 The PNG team is slightly different due to the tax incentives and a real talent base to work with over a longer lead time the goal has to be to attain competency based on fringe and off-contract talent they will have a solid operator who can build a roster not to mention one with very recent experience of NRL pathways and Super League talent For fringe first-graders and high-level reserves players Sean O’Sullivan and Jamayne Isaako as blokes who were bottom-end NRL players mostly operating in second grade in 2022 but who have barely touched the lower levels since Adding 30 more full-time roles as rugby league players was the chance they needed to cement themselves Your columnist regularly watches Newtown Jets who have Jayden Berrell (Q Cup Player of the Year 2021 One would expect that an equivalent player would have played NRL far younger than Berell eventually did and likely thrived in it had there been more spaces available who has excelled for Newtown for several years slotted perfectly into the Sharks NRL side this year when KL Iro got injured despite making just two NRL appearances in two years prior and Iro himself was NSW Cup Player of the Year in 2022 before getting a permanent spot This weekend’s NSW Cup team lists include Danny Levi Nobody is saying these blokes are world-beaters but they represent around 1,500 first grade appearances enough to suggest that they’d be absolutely fine at the level Adding the 18th team creates not only more opportunities for Australian-based players but also the chance for Super League stars to move to a part of Australia that is much closer to home and already has a huge expat population of Brits – even more than Sydney Should the NRL come into Super League and reduce the number of teams to ten – as is very much the intention from major figures in Australia – then the push factor would grow yet further towards the southern hemisphere The likely effect of this would be more top-end Super League players in the NRL – a positive for England, as detailed here – and the rest of the comp backfilling the positions which would also probably act as a net positive for the quality of week-to-week footy in the UK but there’s a world where Perth becomes a stepping stone for English players who want a crack at the NRL – like Canberra but closer and warmer – alongside the usual core of Antipodean talent The idea that the sport doesn’t have the talent to fill an extra 30 players in the elite competition is nonsense peddled by those who either don’t watch Super League or second grade or who have a misunderstanding of how talent distribution functions in a highly systematic sport like rugby league rugby league’s collectivist nature positions it well to absorb moderate increases in player pool and has an underserved talent base with insufficient opportunity Rugby league is often guilty of having an ‘if you build it but as far as growing the number of professional players goes the Perth Bears might find that the talent was there all along Hopes have been raised a buyer can be found for a Perth aviation business after administrators confirmed 49 companies had enquired about purchasing it Air Service Training (Engineering) Limited (AST) was a wholly owned subsidiary of the university which plunged into administration earlier this month Henderson Loggie are handling the administration who told The Courier a closing date has been set for potential buyers to submit their bids said there had been “significant interest” in the sale of AST First Minister John Swinney last week demanded answers from UHI Perth principal Dr Margaret Cook on AST’s collapse and wider potential financial difficulties faced by the institution And UHI is considering dropping all of its university degree courses as it tries to stem a £2 million deficit A spokesperson for UHI Perth told The Courier they would respond to the first minister “privately” It comes as a new partnership between UHI Perth and another aviation education firm, RST, was announced on Wednesday. Students have told The Courier they are feeling increasingly frustrated with a lack of communication from UHI Perth The only courses which will be honoured for those who were involved with AST are the BSc degree programmes Ms Campbell said: “I’m pleased to report that there has been significant interest in the sale of the company and its assets both from within the UK and internationally “As a result of this strong engagement we have received 49 expressions of interest and a closing date for offers has now been set “We continue to work closely with all stakeholders to ensure the best possible outcome and will keep students updated through the AST frequently asked questions page on the Henderson Loggie website.” UHI Perth has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with another aviation training firm RTS said its “ultimate aim” in announcing this strategic cooperation is to provide an “enduring platform for further innovation and development of the collective Resource Group’s Training Division and UHI offering” principal and chief executive of UHI Perth said: “We are delighted to enter into this MoU with Resource Group’s Training Division and to further discuss opportunities for the joint delivery of UHI Perth’s ‘Part 66’ aircraft training “We will be sharing detailed information with our students staff and stakeholders as soon as we can.” we are delighted to sign this MoU and to establish Resource Group as a reliable and enduring partner for UHI in its current and future aspirations we are now looking forward to working directly with our UHI colleagues to share present day industry best practices into current programmes and to realising the undoubted significant potential of our wider cooperation.” Council chiefs will get £97,000 back in insurance after they had to cancel the Christmas lights switch-on in Perth Last year’s event was scheduled for the weekend of November 23 and 24 But it was axed over fears about the impact of Storm Bert Perth and Kinross Council later told The Courier it had spent a total of £114,941.51 on activities for the showcase The authority’s chief finance officer has now confirmed its insurance claim has been accepted In a report to the council’s finance and resources committee on Wednesday Scott Walker wrote: “The council has now received notification that the claim has been approved and the sum of £97,000 will be paid “As previously agreed by the committee this amount will be applied to an earmarked reserve for future events to augment activity in the future.” German dance trio Cascada had been due to take to the main stage on Tay Street before Storm Bert blew in A firework and pyrotechnics display was also scheduled And a lantern parade was also expected to take place before the decision was taken to cancel the event due to travel and structural concerns Perth was hit with heavy snow on the Saturday morning and roads around the city suffered disruption The Christmas cabins and Santa Grotto remained in place throughout the festive period The council said in January it had submitted an insurance claim. Last year’s Perth Christmas lights switch-on was destined to be a more modest affair than in previous years The council spent £126,092 in 2023, when X Factor star Chico and Boney M were the main attractions. It spent £168,748 in 2022 and £102,950 in 2021 when activities were still restricted due to Covid The 2019 celebration cost £219,802 and featured acts such as Atomic Kitten and Basil Brush A Perth man says he was left “afraid” to go to work after homophobic slurs and “childish victimisation” from colleagues won £5,500 after taking his former employer RHT Scotland – based at Belleknowes Industrial Estate in Inverkeithing Employment judge James Hendry found the firm which specialises in office removals and installations was liable after an employee shouted: “Where are you Sean has revealed the personal toll after he took on the firm in what he describes as a “David vs Goliath” employment tribunal it took seven-and-a-half weeks to find out if I had won and I was climbing the walls with anticipation from the moment I first stuck my own neck out to complain “I have to keep pinching myself.” Sean represented himself throughout the tribunal and – despite the firm hiring both a solicitor and barrister from England – was found to be due compensation for injury to feelings The events covered by the tribunal happened in November 2023 and followed a disagreement between Sean and his supervisor The argument resulted in him being called a homophobic slur and the incident was dealt with by the firm Sean also reported the incident to police and BD later pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court and was fined £240 Sean could not include this incident as part of his tribunal claim because it happened outwith the time period considered by the tribunal but it was used as background for his subsequent complaints He said: “It ended up being a David and Goliath as I had to fight against the company I am just wee Sean McGhie who only wanted to get to work and come home in the same state I left in.” “He was comfortable discussing aspects of his sexuality with fellow employees.” The tribunal said RHT Scotland – an office removals and installation firm – had “failed to detect a pattern of behaviour” in investigating incidents involving the supervisor and Sean This included BD allowing an automatic door to shut as Sean was approaching calling him a “grass” and stating “it f****** stinks in here” while looking at him The supervisor also excluded Sean after buying a staff lunch from a burger van The judgement said: “This was on one level childish (such as the exclusion from food bought at the burger van) but coming from the claimant’s supervisor and given the background circumstances in which these behaviours occurred Sean says he was left “mortified” by the comment He said: “I actually heard people gasp and I was mortified and wanted the ground to swallow me up.” He also reported this incident to police and was later signed off work with stress Police say nobody has been arrested or charged in connection but a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal He also submitted a formal complaint about AR the firm decided there “was no basis for the complaints made” Sean was dismissed by the company on January 9 2024 due to claims he had breached confidentiality by speaking about his complaint against BD and had failed to make the company aware of a previous court conviction He was awarded £3,000 in compensation for the incident involving AR and £2,500 for the “acts of victimisation” from his supervisor Sean says he suffered with mental and physical problems as a result of the experience my brother had recently died when I got it and it was something different “I was able to work through my grief as I was experiencing life in a new way “It was different from what I had done before – working in a call centre for SSE “For the first time in my life I was doing a manly job and was able to be myself “I was building desks and listening to Ru Paul music “I didn’t expect to be attacked as I was really enjoying it and thought I was doing it all “I haven’t been back to work but I am taking some time now and then I will start to look for something.” RHT Scotland declined to comment when contacted by The Courier is now being tipped to become head coach of the new Perth franchise for 2027 That’s according to The Australian Associated Press which has claimed that Burgess has sought ‘high-profile individuals’ to lead a campaign to have the current Warrington Wolves boss at Perth from 2027 Burgess is out of contract at the Halliwell Jones Stadium at the end of the 2026 Super League season after signing a one-year extension with Warrington last season It’s been Arthur’s name that has been most heavily linked with a move to the new NRL franchise with the former Parramatta Eels boss out of contract at Headingley this year And the 50-year-old has been honest and vocal about his desire to one day return to the NRL where he made his name for over a decade as Parramatta head coach Burgess has been backed to become an NRL boss by his former mentor Wayne Bennett who currently coaches the South Sydney Rabbitohs “Of course Sam Burgess has a coaching future in the NRL but I wouldn’t want to see him go to a start-up club,” Bennett told the AAP “I am sure Sam will come back to the NRL one day “Where he will come back I don’t know and he doesn’t know at this stage of his career A coffin factory worker needed plastic surgery to his face after he was struck by a van at Perth Airport and thrown through the air The 61-year-old was hit as he walked to work on the morning of October 3 2022 Perth Sheriff Court heard how the pedestrian’s head smashed off the windscreen of a silver Renault Trafic driven by Methven man Paul Wishart Witnesses told how they heard a car revving before seeing the victim “flying across the road” Wishart, 37, denied a charge of causing serious injury by dangerous driving But after a two-day trial, jurors took less than an hour to convict him of a lesser charge of driving carelessly Court papers state the crash left the victim seriously injured and permanently impaired The jury heard how Wishart had failed to observe the pedestrian as he crossed Spitfire Avenue having stepped off a bus on the nearby A94 The victim was “propelled” through the air and landed on the carriageway Emergency services were scrambled to the scene just after 7am and the injured man was rushed to Ninewells Hospital The busy commuter route was closed off for about an hour Fiscal depute Jennifer Bairner read out a list of the victim’s injuries as recorded in a joint minute of agreed facts a cut to the right side of his face and a broken knee His left middle finger was also dislocated Ms Bairner said the victim underwent an operation to fix his knee which involved a plate being inserted by an orthopaedic surgeon sealed and closed by a plastic surgeon,” she said The man was discharged from hospital five days later Witnesses told the court of chaotic scenes in the aftermath of the early morning smash Ms Bairner said in her closing statement to jurors: “It is not suggested that Mr Wishart intended to hurt anyone For more local court content visit our page or join us on Facebook Managers at UHI Perth are discussing scrapping degrees just 14 years after gaining university status in a desperate attempt to tackle financial pressure Papers seen by The Courier show board members suggested looking at “options around stopping higher education delivery” former chairperson Graham Watson – who quit earlier this month – said there was a “need to see the implications and benefits of this” He warned other ideas to scale back costs “appear to merely tinker around the edges” It’s understood the drastic move is being floated while bosses at the University of Highlands and Island’s Perth College headquarters devise a recovery plan Perth College was granted university status as part of the Highlands and Islands group in 2011 But the institution has been plagued by financial problems in recent years the institution would focus on “further education” provision – which would include college courses and vocational studies Perthshire SNP MP Pete Wishart warned this would be an “absolute disgrace” and a “step backward two decades” He told The Courier: “Perth quite literally brands itself as a university city – it’s the first sign you read when you drive in and is an integral part of the city’s identity “But the diminishing of UHI Perth over the past few years has been a disgrace and is completely unsustainable.” He added: “To break from this current downward trajectory requires effective leadership I am concerned as to whether those at the very top of the current senior management team are up to the task.” It comes after an aviation firm linked to the university which has trained pilots and aircraft engineers for nearly a century went into administration earlier this month UHI Perth chiefs were branded “utterly disastrous” for failing to react after being warned this could happen seven months ago The institution’s deficit stood at £3.3 million in July 2024 but this has since been brought down by £1.3 million papers show the university was “unable to prepare budgets” last summer because of “ongoing staff restructuring” Minutes from board meetings say 50 UHI Perth staff took voluntary redundancy at a cost of £964,000 It’s not known how many jobs would be lost if all university courses are axed Some Perth students initially start out studying at college then go on to complete a degree A spokesperson for education union EIS said: “We were concerned to learn about these discussions “There has no communication with staff about this proposal from senior leadership.” A spokesperson for UHI Perth said: “The minutes of our board of management meetings reflect a wide range of ideas and ongoing discussions “These conversations are part of a broader process and do not necessarily represent final proposals “We are carefully exploring all available options to address financial challenges with a firm commitment to securing the long-term sustainability of UHI Perth while keeping any impact on our students and staff to a minimum.” A spokesperson for the University of Highlands and Islands said: “We are aware of the financial challenges facing UHI Perth and the wider education sector “Our commitment to providing accessible high-quality higher education remains unwavering.” Perth & Kinross Council has authorised a £170,000 cash injection for Culture Perth & Kinross the charity that manages its cultural services which runs several sites in the city including the new Perth Museum is facing a deficit that is “significantly more” than originally budgeted for according to a report to the council’s finance committee The deficit partly stems from additional costs relating to pay and historic equal pay claims as well as high running costs at the trust’s venues The museum opened in March 2024 after a £27.2m development. The trust reported to the council in November that the new museum's in-house café was running at a loss due to high overheads. The trust has been unable to find a private operator to run the café, despite putting the contract out to tender twice ahead of the museum's opening. The council agreed last year to underwrite £230,000 in potential upfront costs for the café. The trust used £60,000 to pay for fixtures and fittings in the café, but the remaining £170,000 was not required at the time. Councillors agreed this week that the remaining funds could be allocated to the trust if needed. The council report said: “Culture Perth and Kinross are currently projecting a deficit for 2024/25 that is significantly more than the level originally budgeted. They have experienced additional costs relating to the current year pay award, to historic equal pay claims and to the running costs of their establishments, particularly Perth Museum. “Should these projections come to bear, Culture Perth & Kinross will have negative unrestricted reserves as at 31 March 2025. Council officers will continue to work with Culture Perth & Kinross to provide support and challenge but ultimately there may be a requirement to provide additional funding in the current year.” Culture Perth & Kinross reported in January that 225,000 people had visited Perth Museum since it opened last year, including more than 78,150 visitors to see the Stone of Destiny. Most Museums Journal content is only available to members. Join the MA to get full access to the latest thinking and trends from across the sector, case studies and best practice advice. The Huron-Perth Flag Football League is sticking with what works Article content“Part of it is the approach and positivity of the league,” league co-founder Dave Levinson said “We’re getting comments from players and parents about how positive the experience is for the kids and how it’s super uplifting and coaches are taking that message and filtering it to players comprising 10 teams that played from mid-September to early November Fast forward six months and the NFL Flag-sponsored league which kicked off its spring season two weeks ago has around 140 players from Huron and Perth counties and 14 teams in three age divisions word of mouth and people spreading the word,” Levinson said “It’s a different atmosphere (from other sports) and the kids are looking for that other atmosphere in the things they do.” More coaches and referees have also made the league stronger “The extra people there to help with the kids is awesome,” Levinson said “They’re also good quality coaches and people and that’s the most important piece because it makes the league what it is — it’s coaches and players and how they interact and how they treat their players and opposing players.” The eight-week spring season will end before kids finish school which Levinson believes is another element that has contributed to the league’s rapid growth Most teams spend 90 minutes on the field once a week with half of that time dedicated to practice The split tilts more toward gameplay as players get more experience on the gridiron “It seems to be working for families,” Levinson said “We’re happy with where we’re at for the spring considering there’s baseball and soccer so we’re expecting a bigger jump for fall (registration).” Growing sponsorship has helped the league keep costs down plus add perks like bigger speakers for the fields Players are recognized with weekly MVP honours “We post on social media and get a video reel with music We’re trying to do all of that to keep it a positive The league will host Community Day on May 31 during its usual Saturday morning slate of games to celebrate current and past sponsors while offering raffles “It’s important for us to instil in kids a sense of community,” Levinson said so we want to help the community that helps us The league has the potential to double in the coming years which could also mean tighter age brackets and tournaments with nearby NFL Flag and provincial leagues “We won’t put any limitations on where it goes.” cosmith@postmedia.com transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Official Celtic FC Website Enter now for your chance to be a winner Our exclusive 'SIGN FOR CELTIC' competitions with the chance to win some fantastic prizes WWE Crown Jewel took over the city of Riyadh that tradition comes to an end as WWE heads to the land down under for it instead Per a press release, WWE has confirmed Perth, Western Australia, Australia as the location for Crown Jewel 2025. The event will specifically emanate from the RAC Arena on Saturday, October 11. This comes as a part of the previously announced mini-tour titled Takeover Perth which also teased two other televised shows — a "WWE SmackDown" and "WWE Raw." Those shows will now take place on Friday the only talent confirmed for Takeover Perth weekend is Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena who will mark his final WWE appearance in Australia as part of his ongoing retirement tour Australia natives Grayson Waller and Rhea Ripley recently flew out to Perth to promote the string of events Crown Jewel 2025 will also see the Crown Jewel Championships up for grabs with world champions in both the men's and women's vying for them in champion vs "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes and Liv Morgan solidified themselves as the inaugural Crown Jewel Champions with victories over GUNTHER and Nia Jax WWE's last trip to Perth occurred last year with a showing in Optus Stadium for the Elimination Chamber premium live event. There Ripley defeated Jax to retain the WWE Women's World Championship in the main event "Raw," and "SmackDown" in Perth will be made available in the coming weeks.