July 2022 – Page 38 – Michmutters

Month: July 2022

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Entertainment

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck won’t last, first husband Ojani Noa says

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck won't last, first husband Ojani Noa says

Bennifer 2.0 is destined for divorce, Jennifer Lopez’s first husband has said.

Ojani Noa, 48, claims his ex-wife “loves being in love” but loses interest after the passion in her marriages fizzle, The Daily Mailreported.

Mr Noa — who met J-Lo when he was a Cuban refugee waiting tables in Miami — has kept a low profile since his one-year union with Jenny from the Block dissolved in 1998, reported the new york post.

He told the outlet her recent nuptials with Ben Affleck brought back a rush of old memories.

“Ben is husband number four. I was husband number one and she told me I was the love of her life. When we lay in bed on our wedding night, she said we would be together forever,” he said.

In addition to being married four times, Lopez, 53, has been engaged six times, including twice to the Good Will Hunting actor, some 20 years apart.

Mr Noa fled Cuba on an inflatable boat when he was 15 and survived the 150km journey to the US. I found working washing dishes at Gloria Estefan’s Ocean Drive restaurant Lario’s On The Beach by the age of 22.

“Miami was buzzing. I did some modelling. I hustled. I wanted the American dream – and I found it when Jen walked into Lario’s,” he reportedly said.

“I had no idea who she was. Our eyes glanced at each other and I thought she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.”

The next night Lopez came back to the bar and Mr Noa served her another customer’s French fries after she said they looked “yummy”, according to the report.

“I was smitten. She was wearing a white top and trousers, and I remember thinking she had the best body I’d ever seen. She later told me she knew that first night she was going to marry me, ”Mr Noa reportedly recalled.

Later that night, the duo partied at a club called Commune, according to Mr Noa.

“When we got to the club my friend Leo took Jen to the dance floor, and I thought, ‘Oh man, you’re a lucky guy.’ Then she (her friend of her) said, ‘When they get back, take Jen out there. It’s you she’s interested in.’

“They get back and I take her hand and lead her on to the floor, and a slow song comes on. It was electric. She was shaking and said, ‘You make me nervous’.

“We could both feel the romantic energy. It was instant and intense. Like it was surging through our bodies. I said, ‘I feel the same way you’re feeling’. I lifted her chin and gave her a kiss – it was a kiss like we’d known each other forever.”

While the two shared a goodnight kiss, a passer-by exclaimed “Oh my God, that’s Jennifer Lopez from ‘Money Train’,” Mr Noa remembered. “That’s when I realized maybe she was somebody.”

“The next morning my pager goes off. Jen had to see me before her flight from her. The door goes and I open it and she falls into my arms. We kissed, and as she drove off in her limo, she looked back like in the movies and I thought, ‘This is it. This is crazy’,” Mr Noa told the Email.

While Lopez was in Los Angeles, Mr Noa talked to her frequently from the payphone at the restaurant, according to the Email. When she returned to Florida, the actor invited him to be her date de ella for the blood and wine premiere.

“I rented a cheap suit. We got to the red carpet, there were all these flashing lights and screaming fans. I started to feel sick. I walked down the carpet holding her hand then stood to the side while she gave interviews.

“I heard her say, ‘Jack, I want you to meet my date, Ojani.’ I turned around and she was introducing me to Jack Nicholson. Then she said, ‘This is Michael’ – and it was Michael Caine. I felt like I was in a movie. A few years earlier I was on a dinghy in the ocean running away from Fidel Castro, and now I’m on a red carpet. Michael Caine was lovely. He said, ‘Don’t worry, you will get used to it’.”

After the premiere the couple consummated their relationship, Mr Noa told the outlet.

“That was the first time we made love. It was perfect. She was perfect. We lay there afterwards and she said, ‘I want you to always be in my life. I love you’. I felt like Mr. Cinderella,” he reportedly said.

Noa said he believed the relationship worked because he wasn’t impressed by her celebrity.

“She’s a traditional girl. She comes from a humble Puerto Rican family. She wanted someone to protect her, someone who would stand up for her. We fell totally in love,” he said, according to the article.

“I quit my job and moved to LA. We lived in a nice apartment. But soon we moved into our first house and then the houses kept getting bigger. She loved that I was a balseros (rafter) from Cuba. I never wanted anything from her. I always worked and had my own money,” he said about life with the Bronx native.

“We’d been together about six months when she got Selena. We went to San Antonio, Texas, for the shoot and every night we’d come back to the hotel and she’d collapse in my arms filled with insecurity. She didn’t think she was good enough. In the middle of the night she would burst into tears. I comforted her and said she was the best, that she was killing it.

“She loves shopping, and when she wasn’t filming we went to the local mall. One day we went into a jewelery store and she started looking at rings. She pointed at one and said, ‘I love that one’.

“She left and I pretended I needed to go to the rest room. I snuck back in the store and told the girl to put it to one side. I had money saved up. I’d been working as her personal trainer but also had modeling money. The ring was US$15,000 (A$21,400) – a fortune back then. I hid the ring in a plastic bag behind the sink.”

Mr Noa proposed to Lopez at the wrap party for the critically acclaimed film, according to the report.

“Everyone was cheering. I went down on one knee and gave her the ring. She was crying and laughing and said ‘Yes!’,” he reportedly recalled.

Tensions developed when Lopez’s mother chastised her for deciding to get married in Florida instead of the Bronx, according to the article.

“Jen would be in tears all the time. Her mum de ella was calling and yelling at her, trying to get her to change the venue. So I called (Jen’s mother Guadalupe Lopez) Lupe and said, ‘You need to stop this’. That was a big mistake. From then on there was tension between me and Lupe.”

Lopez soon started to change with increasing money and fame, the jilted lover reportedly said.

“She went from Jen to being J-Lo, this big business bringing in millions. She had all these new people around her, all wanting to make money off her. I would call and an assistant would say, ‘Sorry, she’s not available’. ”

When Mr Noa was tasked with launching Lopez’s LA nightclub, he would see published pictures of his wife with Puff Daddy, who was producing some of her music in New York, according to the article.

“I rang Jen and asked why she was going out with him on dates and she said, ‘It’s just business. This is what I’m being told I have to do’. I was jealous and would scream, ‘But you are married!’”

“We wanted kids, we discussed having kids. Then she told me she could not have a baby because it would interfere with her career, ”he lamented.

Mr Noa and Lopez went on Oprah, where she denied the marriage was in trouble.

“Our whole life became a lie,” Mr Noa said, remembering he lost 17kg due to the stress of the facade.

“We went to the Golden Globes and sat with Jack (Nicholson). He said, “You guys look so happy.” I told him, ‘It’s not what it seems’. He told me to hang in there. I never thought I would be getting relationship advice from Jack Nicholson.”

After 11 months, the couple divorced and Lopez dated Puff Daddy publicly soon after.

Mr Noa was left with $50,000 in a settlement agreement and continued to wear his ring as the two remained close, according to the report.

“There were times she told me she wanted to get back together. In quiet moments she would say, ‘I need you in my life. I don’t want to lose you’,” Mr Noa reportedly remembered.

Lopez’s brief marriage with Chris Rudd dissolved and Affleck popped the question for the first time before she had officially split from her backup dancer.

Two years later, in 2004, Lopez would get hitched to Marc Anthony. The pair stayed together for 10 years.

The actress hired Mr Noa to manage a Los Angeles restaurant around 2002 but fired him three years later. He sued her, settled, and moved back to Florida where he has not remarried, according to the article.

Mr Noa said he believes he could have made it last with Lopez if it were not for “parasites who feed off celebrities” and media reports that characterized him as a “penniless waiter,” the report said.

“I wish her and Ben the best, but I’m not convinced it will last,” Mr Noa said.

“I think she’s someone who will be married seven or eight times. I can’t see her ever settling down with one person. She pushes herself to constantly go forward in her professional life, which is why she’s had a three-decade career, but she also moves on in her private life.

“If Ben has Lupe on his side then maybe he’s got a chance,” Mr Noa told the Emailsmiling.

This article was published by the New York Post and reproduced with permission

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Categories
Sports

West Coast Eagles heartbreak in three-point loss to Gold Coast

West Coast Eagles heartbreak in three-point loss to Gold Coast

A career-best five-goal haul by Gold Coast’s Mabior Chol in his 50th AFL match has secured the Suns a vital three point win over West Coast.

The home side held off the fast-finishing Eagles to keep their slim finals hopes alive, Mal Rosas Jnr’s sealer with 15 seconds to play securing the 16.11 (107) to 16.8 (104) win at Metricon Stadium.

The Eagles kicked seven goals to three in the final term to nearly pinch the win, having trailed by 31 points early in the fourth quarter.

Chol scored five goals while livewire small forward Izak Rankine had three majors, with Rosas and Jeremy Sharp kicking two each for the Suns.

Jack Darling kicked an equal career-best six goals for the Eagles, with Jack Petruccelle ending with three and Liam Ryan and Jack Redden two apiece.

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Categories
Australia

What not to say to grieving parents

What not to say to grieving parents

That was the reason Walkerden called the Red Nose Grief and Loss support line (1300 308 307, available 24 hours a day).

Between July 2021 and June 2022, volunteers who have experienced the sudden and unexpected loss of a child have received 5,238 calls – a 20 per cent rise compared to the previous year.

Red Nose chief executive Keren Ludski said the protracted COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns had eroded normal support structures for grieving families, creating an even greater need for the service.

“We’ve had parents who haven’t been able to see their families or attend their support groups,” she said.

Ludski said anyone affected by the death of a child or by pregnancy loss can call the helpline knowing that the person on the other end understands their grief.

“They don’t have to justify their feelings,” Ludski said. “They can tell us about their experience without worrying they’re being a burden.”

Natasha Walkerden with her newborn baby girl Leila.

Natasha Walkerden with her newborn baby girl Leila.Credit:

Walkerden’s daughter Leila lived for 12 days, and each day, her mother and father, Jake, would take turns holding their baby skin-to-skin.

“She caught what would have just been a common cold for us, but her little body couldn’t cope with it,” Walkerden said.

It took several days for Leila’s death to sink in.

“It was when my milk dried up. All my hormones were protesting the fact that there was no baby to feed any more. That’s when it hit me that she was gone,” she said.

Walkerden retreated into herself after Leila’s funeral. She barely left the house and stopped eating.

“I knew I needed to talk to someone,” she said. “Being able to call Red Nose to talk to other bereaved parents, and having a support worker, Rachel, come to the house made it easier to open up.”

Her support worker helped her through the tangle of emotions when – around Leila’s due date – she and husband Jake realized she was pregnant again.

The program offers support to parents in the immediate aftermath of stillbirth, neonatal death or the unexpected death of a baby.

“It was bittersweet, exciting and scary,” Walkerden said of her pregnancy with her son Lachlan, now six-and-a-half months old.

“We were very fortunate that we knew exactly where to go for support,” she said.

About 3000 babies and young children die suddenly and unexpectedly in Australia every year.

Ludski urged people supporting grieving parents to get used to “sitting in discomfort”.

“Instead of trying to make them feel better, give them room to feel the sadness and anger and guilt, which is very difficult to talk about,” she said.

“Avoid any sentence that starts with ‘at least’,” she said. “’At least you know you can get pregnant’, ‘at least you’re young’. It minimizes their experience.”

“Instead, try saying, ‘I don’t know what to say’, ‘I’m so, so sad this has happened to you’, ‘I want to try to make you feel better, but I know I can’t ‘” she said.

“Talk about their baby. Remember their anniversaries and birthdays and make room for those conversations,” she said.

Red Nose recently received federal government funding for four years, with the aim of expanding its hospital-to-home pilot nationally to support parents in the immediate aftermath of stillbirth, neonatal death or sudden unexpected death.

“The program offers aggrieved parents the support of someone with lived experience who can say, ‘These are some of the things you can think about if you are planning a funeral’ or ‘Do you need help filling out Centrelink forms, or with your workplace ?’”

Red Nose currently provides one-on-one support to 1070 people dealing with infant or pregnancy loss. The support service aims to raise $800,000 in the lead-up to Red Nose Day on August 12 to fund research, education and initiatives towards the goal of zero babies dying unexpectedly in Australia.

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Categories
US

Congress on “high alert” amid security threats

Congress on "high alert" amid security threats

A series of high-profile security incidents is rattling members of Congress and prompting Capitol security officials to take major steps to shore up lawmakers’ security.

Why it matters: Threats against lawmakers have risen precipitously in recent years, and many of them are still reeling from the violence of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Driving the news: The House sergeant-at-arms on Wednesday announced plans to cover the costs of security upgrades to members’ homes, including $10,000 for equipment and installation costs and $150 a month for monitoring and maintenance.

  • The development came just weeks after a man was arrested for threatening Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) outside her home while armed with a handgun.
  • More recently, Rep. Lee Zeldin (RN.Y.), who’s running for New York governor, was attacked by a man holding a sharp object at a campaign event.

What they’re saying: Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who chairs an appropriations subcommittee that oversees the Capitol Police, told Axios that “everybody’s on high alert” in the wake of these incidents.

  • “The threats are real, the increases have been unbelievable,” he said. “We’ve got to do everything we can to try to make sure people are safe. Lot of wild cats out there.”
  • Ryan said the Capitol Police and sergeant-at-arms are doing enough to keep members safe “so far,” but added, “We’ve got a lot more to do.”
  • A Capitol Police spokesperson told Axios they “cannot discuss what we may or may not do to protect Members.”

The otherside: Jayapal said she doesn’t think security officials are doing enough. “I think we need a lot more. And, you know, I’ve learned a lot from going through this myself,” she told Axios.

  • Jayapal said the sergeant-at-arms’ allotment is a “good step” but that wants there to be “a pool of money [for] when we do have a serious threat at our residences.”
  • After she was threatened outside her home, she said, she received an assessment that recommended $50,000-$60,000 in security upgrades.
  • Additionally, she said security officials should help scrub members’ addresses from the internet and improve their communication with members’ offices.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y.), who has received a lot of death threats, wants a fundamental overhaul in members’ security.

  • ”If you’re on a certain committee, if you have a certain [leadership] title, your security is already taken care of. But increasingly we are having … rank-and-file members, not just me, but many others, who are subject to increasing threats,” she told Axios.
  • There should be “an assessment for the current threat environment for each individual member,” she said.
  • Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), the ranking member of the House Administration Committee, told Axios: “Zeldin almost gets stabbed – there should’ve immediately been a Capitol Police detail going to New York to protect him.”

The backdrop: Capitol security and law enforcement took no chances with Thursday’s Congressional Baseball Game, which has been the subject of violence in the past.

  • The event was targeted this year by climate demonstrators vowing to “shut down” the game.
  • In response, DC Police boosted security for the game, the Capitol Police urged protesters to stay away, and the House sergeant-at-arms sent offices a memo reassuring them there was a “comprehensive security plan in place.”
  • The demonstration resulted in several arrests but no violence.

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Categories
Business

First A321neo LR delivered, promising larger seats, longer range

First A321neo LR delivered, promising larger seats, longer range

Bigger seats, larger overhead bins and a quieter cabin are what passengers can look forward to when flying on Jetstar’s newest plane, the Airbus A320neo.

Eleven years after ordering the plane, Jetstar’s first A320neo touched down on Sunday at Melbourne Airport, after making its way from Hamburg, Germany, via Mumbai and Perth.

The jet, an A321neo LR (long range) variation of the A320neo, arrived to a crowd of Jetstar employees and their families with INXS’s New Sensation blasting throughout the hangar.

The jet’s engines are 15 per cent more fuel efficient than Jetstar’s current A320 fleet, and it is 50 per cent quieter and can fly up to 1200 kilometers further.

Fuel efficiency is a key selling point for Airbus (“neo” stands for “new engine option”), as airlines look to reduce emissions and fuel costs amid soaring oil prices.

“Even if the price of oil hadn’t changed, it’s essential,” said Jetstar chief executive Gareth Evans. “The biggest challenge for the industry as a whole over the next decade and the decades beyond is sustainability.

“We’ve recognized that, as the Qantas Group, with some of the most ambitious targets out there – 25 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030 and zero emissions by 2050. The neo is part of that journey along with sustainable aviation fuels.”

Evans said Jetstar had made other changes to the neo to reduce weight and fuel costs. There are lightweight galley carts and freight containers, and even the plane’s paint has been developed to lighten the load. The new paint cuts weight by 50 kilograms and, combined with other changes, removes 170 kilograms from every flight.

“This translates to a saving of 1.2 million kilograms of fuel annually, a reduction of almost 4000 tonnes of emissions,” Evans said.

He said Jetstar was operating roughly the same number of flights as before COVID, amid soaring passenger demand.

“We’re trying to manage supply, demand and obviously the impact of the fuel bill, so we have taken some capacity out,” he said. Reducing the number of seats available increases the loads on other flights, making them more cost-effective.

The A321neo LR is the widest single-aisle plane on the market, with Jetstar’s 232 economy seats on board offering seat pitch (leg room) of 74 centimeters, and 45.7 centimeters of width. That’s the same leg room as on other Jetstar domestic aircraft, but a marginally wider space.

Passengers will also have 40 per cent more space in the overhead bins, device-holders built into seats and a streaming entertainment service.

Unlike the airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners, there will be no business class.

“Primarily, these planes will be flying domestically,” Evans said. “This is an aircraft that is going to be able to move between the two networks [international and domestic]but at the same time we’ve made sure we’ve got good seat pitch and elements that improve customer comfort.”

The aircraft will first be deployed on the Melbourne-Cairns route in early September, before rolling out to other domestic routes and some international destinations including Bali.

Jetstar has ordered 38 of the A321neos. The first 18 are to arrive in the next two years, followed by 20 longer-range versions by 2029. Airbus has received 8,100 orders from more than 130 customers worldwide for the plane. About half the A321neo fleet will be based in Melbourne, Evans said.

See also: World’s largest twin-engine jet makes incredibly steep take-off

See also: Superjumbo comeback: The airlines still flying A380s to Australia

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Categories
Technology

Meta ups price of Quests VR headsets as Reality Labs loses money

Meta ups price of Quests VR headsets as Reality Labs loses money

Que?

Meta (or Facebook for us oldies) is upping the price of its Meta Quest range of VR headsets (or Oculus Quest for the rest of us) at the same time Reality Labs (or Oculus) has advised of a net $2.8 billion USD loss in over the last three months.

First, the companies — of which Meta is parent over Reality Labs — first announced that the price of the Meta Quest 2 would go up $100 USD across its two configurations. The 128GB model has moved from $299 USD to $399 USD, and the 256GB model is not $499 USD rather than $399.

Explaining the price hike, Meta said that it was “adjusting the price of our Meta Quest 2 headsets to enable us to continue investing in ways that will keep driving this increasingly competitive industry forward for consumers and developers alike.”

Those who buy the more expensive headset will receive a free copy of Beat Saber, valued at $30 USD.

The headsets were first brought to market in October 2020.

Following the announcement, Reality Labs advised of its net loss during a quarterly financial results report.

“We do plan on continuing to invest in Reality Labs,” Meta CFO Dave Wehner said to investors in a follow-up call. “In terms of our expense growth from 2021 to 2022, the bulk -the largest component of the expense growth is Family of Apps, but we do think that Reality Labs will continue to be an investment area for us.”

This article may contain affiliate links, meaning we could earn a small commission if you click-through and make a purchase. Stevivor is an independent outlet and our journalism is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative.

Categories
Entertainment

Edna Sheppard: Meet the 100-year-old fitness fanatic who still does up to five gym classes a week

Beloved Melbourne great-grandmother Edna Sheppard (pictured) has been a loyal member of the Broadmeadows Aquatic and Leisure Center in Melbourne's north for 40 years and participates in up to five gym classes every week

Edna Sheppard is an inspiring 100-year-old fitness fanatic who goes to the gym three times a week – proving that age truly is just a number.

The great-grandmother has been a loyal member of the Broadmeadows Aquatic and Leisure Center in Melbourne’s north for 40 years.

Despite her age, Edna can do full push-ups, sit-ups, planks, barbell squats and workouts while holding 5kg weights in each hand.

‘I do enjoy exercising, it makes me feel good and it’s important to keep the body moving,’ Edna told FEMAIL.

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Beloved Melbourne great-grandmother Edna Sheppard (pictured) has been a loyal member of the Broadmeadows Aquatic and Leisure Center in Melbourne's north for 40 years and participates in up to five gym classes every week

Beloved Melbourne great-grandmother Edna Sheppard (pictured) has been a loyal member of the Broadmeadows Aquatic and Leisure Center in Melbourne’s north for 40 years and participates in up to five gym classes every week

Despite her age, Edna can do full push-ups, sit-ups, planks, barbell squats and workouts while holding 5kg weights in each hand

Despite her age, Edna can do full push-ups, sit-ups, planks, barbell squats and workouts while holding 5kg weights in each hand

In the 1980s when her late-husband Max retired at 60 she ‘didn’t want him sitting at home doing nothing’, so she signed them both up to classes at the leisure centre.

These days she goes to the gym every Monday and Friday taking part in tai chi, aerobics and weights classes – and on Wednesdays she walks with the club. Sometimes she participates in up to five classes a week.

‘We do weights and all kinds of floor exercises, which I like,’ she said.

From the age of three through to her teenage years Edna loved dancing and did calisthenics. When she was a young adult she also took part in ballroom dancing.

‘At the age of 11 I won the prize for the ‘best physical culture child’ in Victoria,’ she recalled.

In previous years Edna took part in eight classes a week, including swimming classes and Zumba.

On days when she doesn’t feel like working out she still manages to put her sneakers on and visit the leisure center for a training session.

‘I do what I can – you need to know what you can and can’t do as you age,’ she said.

In the 80s when her late-husband Max retired at 60 she 'didn't want him sitting at home doing nothing', so she signed them both up to classes at the leisure centre. And from there she hasn't stopped going back since (pictured: Edna at the front of a gym class working out)

In the 80s when her late-husband Max retired at 60 she ‘didn’t want him sitting at home doing nothing’, so she signed them both up to classes at the leisure centre. And from there she hasn’t stopped going back since (pictured: Edna at the front of a gym class working out)

During Covid lockdowns when the gyms were closed Edna worked out in the comfort of her own home using dumbbells.

And her main piece of advice to others is to ‘try hard’ and ‘keep moving’ but to also ‘understand your body’.

‘Make sure you know what you can do and what you can’t do, it’s not good pushing yourself or hurting yourself,’ she said.

From the age of three through to her teenage years Edna used to adore dancing and did calisthenics (pictured: Edna (left) with her sister (right)

Edna married her late-husband Max (pictured, left) in 1942 but unfortunately he passed away 15 years ago

From the age of three through to her teenage years Edna used to adore dancing and did calisthenics (pictured: Edna, far left, with sister). Edna married her late-husband Max (pictured: second from right) in 1942 but unfortunately he passed away 15 years ago

When asked what her secret is to live a long and happy life, Enda said the key is to take care of your body and be kind.

‘I have never smoked or drank alcohol and I’ve always exercised as much as I could,’ she said.

‘I’ve always tried to mix well with people and do things for others.’

Edna said her diet consists of ‘plain, old fashioned good cooking’ and never eats spicy foods because she doesn’t enjoy it.

She cooks all her meals herself and makes sure she eats plenty of fruit and vegetables too.

‘Make sure to look after your body, because no-one else will do it for you,’ she said.

Edna’s tips to living a long life:

Take care of your body, because no-one else is going to do it for you

Try hard to workout but don’t injure yourself

Get along with other people

Care for one another

Edna’s tips on love and romance:

Communication is key

Talk everything out

Don’t be jealous

Be there for one another

Edna and Max wed in 1942 but unfortunately Max passed away 15 years ago, and Edna said the key to a long relationship is communication.

‘You need to listen to one another and if you have differences [in opinions]talk it out and things go right,’ she said.

‘I had a lovely marriage with Max because we were able to do just that – we’d always work it out.’

Earlier this year on January 29 Edna celebrated her 100th birthday at the Broadmeadows Aquatic and Leisure Center surrounded by family, friends and members of the club

Earlier this year on January 29 Edna celebrated her 100th birthday at the Broadmeadows Aquatic and Leisure Center surrounded by family, friends and members of the club

'Exercising has always been part of my life and I'd be unhappy if I couldn't do it,' she said

‘Exercising has always been part of my life and I’d be unhappy if I couldn’t do it,’ she said

Earlier this year on January 29 Edna celebrated her 100th birthday at the Broadmeadows Aquatic and Leisure Center surrounded by family, friends and members of the club.

‘We had family from all over Australia come and visit, it was really lovely,’ she said.

‘Exercising has always been part of my life and I’d be unhappy if I couldn’t do it.’

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Categories
Sports

Adam O’Brien, Newcastle Knights vs Canterbury Bulldogs, Round 20, Storm, Roosters

Adam O'Brien, Newcastle Knights vs Canterbury Bulldogs, Round 20, Storm, Roosters

Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien has launched a passionate defense of his coaching credentials after the Knights slumped to their eighth home loss in nine games against the Bulldogs.

The 24-10 defeat ensured the Knights still have the worst defensive record in the NRL after 20 rounds, but O’Brien used his history with grand final teams at the Storm and Roosters as evidence he knows how to turn things around.

“It is a hard one for me as well,” O’Brien said.

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“Previous to getting this job here I was involved in four grand finals.

“I know how those teams prepared. I know the systems they used defensively.

“You don’t unlearn that knowledge. Applying it and getting it ingrained is going to take some time clearly.

“Week to week we can talk about one area of ​​that defense and we can fix it in seven days, but then we will let another area of ​​our defense down.

“It is going to take a bit of time and I know some people don’t want to wait that long, but it is.”

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Newcastle Knights coach Adam O’Brien.Source: FOX SPORTS

O’Brien believes if the Knights had made the finals this season it would have papered over the cracks of a deeper issue within the team.

“I have seen how the teams prepare in those four grand finals,” O’Brien said.

How the players performed. How the club prepares. How it performs.

“I have seen all that stuff and I haven’t unlearnt that, but it is going to take some time.

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Tigers shock Broncos in Brisbane | 02:27

“We have got the right people in the job. We just need to have a plan and we need to coach the hell out of it and hopefully we look back at this season as a year that helped us grow.

“Had we scraped into the finals this year it would have stuck a bandaid on a problem that is still there.

“We need to stick tight and work our way out of it.”

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Categories
Australia

The latest COVID-19 case numbers from around the states and territories

The latest COVID-19 case numbers from around the states and territories

Here’s a quick wrap of each Australian jurisdiction’s latest COVID-19 statistics for Sunday, July 31.

You can get a more detailed, visual breakdown through the ABC’s Charting the Spread story here.

This list will be updated throughout the day, so if you do not see your state or territory, please check back later.

You can jump to the COVID-19 information you want to read by clicking below.

New South Wales

Five people in the state died with COVID-19 in the latest reporting period.

There are 2,265 people in hospital and 66 in intensive care.

10,993 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the past 24 hours.

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Victory

The state reported 21 new deaths related to COVID-19 today.

There are 768 people hospitalized with COVID-19. There are 43 people in intensive care and seven patients on a ventilator.

Victoria has recorded 7,115 new cases of COVID-19.

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Tasmanian

There have been no COVID-19 related deaths in the state in the past 24 hours.

There are 150 people in hospital with COVID-19, and six patients requiring intensive care.

Tasmania recorded 649 new cases.

queensland

The state has recorded 4,655 new cases of COVID-19 in the past day.

There are 762 people in hospital with COVID-19 and 28 in intensive care.

Queensland does not report COVID-19 related deaths on weekends.

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ACT

There were 556 new cases of COVID-19 reported in 24 hours.

There are 163 people in hospital with COVID-19 and one person is in intensive care. No-one is requiring ventilation.

No new deaths have been reported.

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Northern Territory

There have been 236 new cases of COVID-19 reported in the Northern Territory in the past day.

There are 56 people in hospital with the virus and none in intensive care.

There have been no new deaths.

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Western Australia

Six people have died with COVID-19 in Western Australia in the latest reporting period.

There are 415 people in hospital with COVID-19 in the state, with 14 patients in intensive care.

Western Australia has recorded 3,252 new cases of the virus in the past 24 hours.

South Australia

Nine people have died with COVID-19 in the state in the past day.

There are 346 people in hospital with the virus and 11 in intensive care. No patients required ventilation.

The state recorded 2,364 new cases in the latest reporting period.

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Putting the latest COVID wave into perspective.

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US

Kentucky flooding: More rain to strike already drenched and devastated communities as region remains in search and rescue mode after fatal flooding

Kentucky flooding: More rain to strike already drenched and devastated communities as region remains in search and rescue mode after fatal flooding

“The forecast is concerning, and we’re watching it very closely, obviously. We also are sending out warnings and making sure everyone knows,” said Col. Jeremy Slinker, the Kentucky emergency management director.

“We’re preparing for it and making sure all the residents there are prepared for it because we just don’t want to lose anyone else or have any more tragedy,” he told CNN’s Pamela Brown Saturday.

A flood watch is in effect through at least Monday morning for parts of southern and eastern Kentucky, according to the National Weather Service, and there is a Level 3 of 4 moderate risk for excessive rainfall Sunday across southeastern Kentucky, per the Weather Prediction Center, escalating the concern of additional flooding.

Widespread rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches are forecast over the next 24 to 48 hours, but as much as 4 or 5 inches is possible in localized areas. As little as 1 to 2 inches can revive flooding concerns, particularly in areas already inundated with heavy rain where the soil is saturated.

The ominous forecast comes as crews in eastern Kentucky continue their search for people who remained unaccounted for after the devastating flooding last Thursday inundated homes and swept some from their foundations, sending residents fleeing for higher ground.

Twenty-six people have been confirmed dead, Gov. Andy Beshear said on NBC’s “Meet The Press” Sunday, in what officials described as unprecedented flooding for the region. The death toll is expected to climb as crews gain more access to currently impassable areas, Beshear told CNN Saturday.

“There are still so many people unaccounted for,” Beshear said. “It’s going to get worse.”

A 17-year-old swam out of her flooded home with her dog and waited for hours on a roof to be rescued

Officials believe thousands have been affected, and efforts to rebuild some areas may take years, the governor has said. The state’s estimated losses are potentially in the “tens if not the hundreds of millions of dollars,” Beshear noted Saturday.

After the rain, excessive heat is expected to build over the region Tuesday as many people are currently struggling with no access to clean drinking water, power outages and cell service still out in some counties Saturday.

More than 10,000 homes and businesses in the region were in the dark early Sunday, according to PowerOutage.us; three drinking water systems were totally out of operation Saturday, the governor said.

“The water is still high in some counties. It’s crested in most, but not all. Water systems overwhelmed. So, either no water or water that’s not safe, that you have to boil,” Beshear said.

The federal government sent tractor trailers of bottled water to the region, and more financial assistance is on the way.

The flooding — as with other recent weather disasters — was further amplified by the climate crisis: As global temperatures climb as a result of human-caused fossil fuel emissions, the atmosphere is able to hold more water, making water vapor more abundantly available to fall as rain.
Scientists are increasingly confident in the role the climate crisis plays in extreme weather, and have warned such events will become more and more intense dangerous with every fraction of a degree of warming.

‘Hero’ rescued family from flooded home

Among the tales of heroism emerging from the disaster is an unidentified man who drifted through fast-moving water to get a 98-year-old grandmother, her grandson and another family member out of their home as it was nearly swallowed by the flooding Thursday.

Randy Polly, who witnessed the rescue in Whitesburg, Kentucky, and recorded parts of it on his cellphone, told CNN he got stuck a distance away from home on his way to get gas Thursday morning.

Polly said he heard people yelling across the flooded road, “Get me help, get help.” He called 911, but first responders were overwhelmed and unresponsive to his calls from him.

Gregrory Amburgey with his 98-year-old grandmother Mae Amburgey inside a home submerged in water.

Around 9 am, he saw a man he described as a hero drift over to the house and start banging on the door and window.

The man eventually helped get three people out of the home and guided them through rushing water, the videos show. The rescue took about 30 minutes, Polly said.

Missy Crovetti, who lives in Green Oaks, Illinois, told CNN the people rescued in the video are her grandmother Mae Amburgey, uncle Larry Amburgey and brother Gregory Amburgey. They are safe and doing well, she said.

Crovetti said she does not know the name of the man who rescued her family. Polly also said he does not know the man’s name.

Financial help in progress

Officials have moved swiftly to approve financial assistance, given the scores of people in need of relief after losing everything.

The federal government greenlighted funding for people in five counties “at a pace that we’ve never seen before,” Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman told CNN’s Pamela Brown Saturday.

Tips for staying safe in flooding: Keep an ax in the attic

“Residents will actually receive direct payments, which is some really good news in what will be a very long tunnel to see the light,” Coleman said.

Coleman did not provide an exact date on when those payments are expected to reach residents, though she said they will be dispersed as soon as the state receives the money.

Additionally, nearly $700,000 has been raised for relief efforts, Beshear said Saturday. He noted funeral expenses for those killed in the flooding will be paid for.

Libby Duty, 64, of Jenkins, Kentucky walked through her back yard while clearing out her basement on Saturday after historic rains flooded many areas of eastern Kentucky.

“We value ensuring that these loved ones can be reconnected with their family members, and to make sure that these folks are able to have a proper funeral for their loved ones,” Coleman said.

Additionally, the state is prioritizing placing generators at the shelters for flood survivors as temperatures are expected to soar Tuesday following the rain.

CNN’s Sharif Paget, Gene Norman, Derek Van Dam, Haley Brink, Jalen Beckford, Angela Fritz and Raja Razek contributed to this report.

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