Commuters have been urged to tap on and off at electronic Opal readers at train stations over the coming weeks when staff are expected to leave tickets gates open as part of escalating industrial action over train safety and pay.
The potential loss to the state of ticketing revenue – if commuters fail to tap on and off over the next three weeks – is estimated at up to $10 million.
Station staff who are rail union members have warned they will leave ticket gates open for three weeks from this Saturday. Opal gates are primarily located at Sydney’s main train stations.
Train passengers have been urged to tap on and off at station gates.Credit:Peter Rae
Two ministers who met union leaders on Thursday night agreed to provide them a deed next week guaranteeing that the government will make modifications to the state’s new intercity train fleet. The new trains have been at the center of the prolonged dispute between the two sides.
The Rail Tram and Bus Union has vowed to press on with industrial action until it receives a deed that satisfies the demands of its members for safety modifications to be made to guard compartments.
Unless a deal can be struck, commuters face major disruptions on the T3 Bankstown, T8 Airport and South, and the Southern Highlands lines next Wednesday when another six-hour stoppage by workers is due to occur.
Commuters face major disruptions to services on several rail lines next Wednesday. Credit:Janie Barrett
The plan by station staff to leave ticket gates open from this Saturday until September 6 has prompted Sydney Trains to urge train passengers not to walk through without tapping and on and off at Opal readers using their cards or mobile phones.
“Tapping on and tapping off ensures commuters are charged the correct fare, and can access Opal benefits, including daily and weekly travel caps,” chief executive Matt Longland said.
Miami prosecutors unveiled video footage on Thursday that showed an OnlyFans star fighting with her boyfriend in an elevator just two months before fatally stabbing him in the chest.
Courtney Clenney, who boasts 2 million followers on Instagram, will be extradited to South Florida after her arrest in Hawaii this week on second-degree murder charges.
Miami-Dade County State Attorney Kathie Fernandez-Rundle said at a press conference announcing the charges Thursday that Clenney stabbed Christian Obumseli at close range during a fight at their luxury apartment on April 3.
Fernandez-Rundle said the pair had a “tempestuous” relationship that became so disruptive to residents in the apartment building that managers were pursuing their eviction.
To demonstrate Clenney’s capacity for violence, Fernandez-Rundle played a video from February showing the pair scuffling in an elevator that opened directly into their apartment.
“It certainly appears that the defendant was aggressively attacking Christian,” Fernandez-Rundle said.
Courtney Clenney is accused of fatally stabbing her boyfriend. Miami Office of the State Attorney
Clenney’s attorney, Frank Prieto, maintains that she stabbed Obumseli in self-defense after he shoved her to the ground.
Fernandez-Rundle said the couple’s constant warring had led to a brief separation in March while Clenney’s mother came to stay with her in the apartment.
But just two days before the fatal confrontation, the pair reconciled and Obumseli moved back in.
“The arguments began almost immediately,” she said, adding that cops responded to the apartment and found Clenney intoxicated.
Clenney will be extradited to South Florida after her arrest in Hawaii on second-degree murder charges.Miami Office of the State Attorney
Two days later, Fernadez-Rundle said the couple had a relatively quiet morning and recorded a video playing with their dog. Obumseli later left to get them sandwiches.
Clenney then went live on Instagram as Obumseli returned home at 4:33 pm that Sunday before they began arguing once again.
Clenney later claimed to investigators that she grabbed a knife after Obumseli threw her down to the floor and chucked it at him from a distance of 10 feet.
But Fernandez-Rundle said the evidence did not support that claim — and that she had stabbed him in the chest at close range. Obumseli was never armed.
Clenney’s attorney argues that she stabbed Obumseli in self-defense after he shoved her to the ground.Miami Office of the State Attorney
Records show that the model called her mother twice before calling 911 at 4:57 pm, the prosecutor said. Obumseli could be heard on the 911 call “repeatedly saying that he was dying,” Fernandez-Rundle said.
She added that Obumseli was a victim of “domestic violence” — and that men are often unwilling to come forward to report their abuse.
Clenney had been getting therapy for PTSD stemming from the case in Hawaii before her arrest.
Lawyers for both parties have claimed that their clients were defending themselves. Miami Office of the State Attorney
“We are completely shocked at Courtney’s arrest based upon the clear evidence of self-defense in this matter,” Prieto said Thursday. “Obumseli attacked her and choked her that evening; Courtney had no choice but to meet force with force.”
Larry Handfield, a lawyer for the Obumseli family, had initially argued that investigators prematurely deemed the stabbing a case of self-defense and pushed for a more thorough probe.
Joined at Thursday’s press conference by Obumseli’s brother and cousin, Handfield lauded the arrest.
“We always believed that with a thorough and fair investigation that this day would come into reality,” he said. “This is such a relief for the family. But it gives restored hope that even though delayed, justice will still come.”
Cameron Smith has given the biggest indication yet he’s joining the rebel LIV Golf tour, declaring he’s “ready to cop some heat” during a TV interview.
Following his first round three-under at the St Jude Championships in Memphis – the first tournament in the FedEx Cup Playoffs – Smith was doing an interview with Sky Sports when he was asked if he had any sympathy for journalists on the tour asking him about LIV .
“That’s just their job – that’s what they’re there to do. They’re there to sell stories and I’m sure they’ve had a few looks at it the last few days,” he said,
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“You know I’m ready to cop some heat… but like I said I’m here to win the FedEx Cup Playoffs – that’s my number one goal and whatever happens after that will come from me.”
Currently the world No.2, Smith has repeatedly been evasive when pressed on the matter, and got prickly with a journalist who posed the question to him after his Open Championship victory in July.
Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Smith of Australia wait on the 13th hole during the first round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind on August 11, 2022 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
The deal to get Smith to the Saudi league is reportedly worth $143 million. He is expected to make his debut in Boston next month, however confirmation of his defection isn’t expected until after the conclusion of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Smith’s compatriot Cameron Percy told RSN Radio on Tuesday that Smith and fellow Aussie Marc Leishman were both “gone.”
Smith played his first round of the St Jude Championships with world No.1 Scottie Scheffler. The American may have been making his feelings about him about a potential LIV defection known when he appeared to break a core piece of golf etiquette, walking straight across Smith’s line while he was lining up a putt.
Smith shot Scheffler a look, but didn’t appear to say anything further.
Si Woo Kim and JJ Spaun share the overnight lead having both carded blistering eight-under 62s. Smith currently sits in a tie for 30th at three-under 67. Scheffler will have some work to do to make the cut after shooting a one-over 71.
Other Aussies in the field include Jason Day at five-under, Adam Scott at four-under, Cam Davis at three-under, Leishman at one-under, and Lucas Herbert at three-over.
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The stars who’ve signed with Greg Norman’s LIV Golf tour
Australian David Lambourne has been granted bail after the High Court judge was placed in immigration detention following a failed deportation attempt by the Kiribati government.
Key points:
The Appeals Court has ordered Justice Lambourne’s immediate release and blocked further deportation attempts
The judge said the behavior of authorities was “unacceptable” and in breach of the court order
Justice Lambourne believes he is being targeted because he is the Opposition Leader’s husband
Justice Lambourne was served a deportation notice on Thursday morning and taken to the airport in Kiribati’s capital Tarawa to be placed on a flight to Fiji.
The government said he had breached the conditions of his visitor’s visa and posed a security risk to the Pacific nation.
Despite his lawyers securing a halt to the deportation from the Court of Appeal, authorities tried to force him onto a Fiji Airlines plane.
It led to a lengthy stand-off between authorities and a Fiji Airlines pilot who refused to fly Justice Lambourne against his will.
At a court of appeal hearing on Friday, the judge ruled the Attorney-General must take “all steps necessary to ensure that the respondent is not deported from Kiribati.”
It added that attempts by police and immigration officers to force Justice Lambourne onto the plane were in breach of the court order.
“Such behavior is unacceptable and risks putting the Attorney-General and the persons directly concerned in contempt of court. It must cease,” the judgment said.
Justice Lambourne had suspected that the government would make another attempt to deport him on Sunday, when a Solomon Airlines flight is due to depart from Tarawa.
However, the court extended its order to “apply to any steps to deport the respondent under either of the deportation orders made yesterday or otherwise.”
Prior to the hearing, the government lashed out at the court for what it said was interference.
“The Government of Kiribati is concerned by the overreach of the Court of Appeal in issuing an injunction against the deportation,” the government said in a statement.
“It is disheartening to see neocolonial forces weaponizing the laws that have been enacted to protect a Kiribati person to pursue their own interest and suppress the will of the people.”
The High Court judge was placed in immigration detention following attempts to deport him over alleged visa breaches. (ABC News: Rimon Rimon)
More than a visa breach
Justice Lambourne has been a resident of the Pacific nation for 27 years and is married to Tessie Lambourne, the leader of its opposition party.
He was suspended from his job by the government in May over alleged misconduct.
The government set up an independent tribunal, saying it had received complaints and allegations from the public against Justice Lambourne.
The allegations included “his inability to perform functions of his office and his misbehaviour”, a government statement said.
The government did not specify what the complaints or allegations were.
Justice Lambourne returned to Kiribati on August 1 after being stranded in Australia since February 2020, when he returned to attend a conference.
The Kiribati government had made several attempts to prevent him from returning and resuming his position as a high court judge in the capital.
Justice Lambourne and Kiribati’s chief justice have been suspended, leaving the country with no High Court judges. (Supplied: Kiribati High Court)
Last year, Justice Lambourne won a legal case against the government when he tried to refuse him entry back into Kiribati.
Then in June this year when he was due to appeal against his suspension, the government suspended Chief Justice William Hastings, who was due to hear the case.
The suspensions have left Kiribati without a functioning High Court.
Justice Lambourne returned to Kiribati on a visitor’s visa, which the government has accused him of breaching, saying he has been working in the country since his arrival.
“Mr Lambourne has been insistently presenting himself and demanding to use his former office at the Kiribati Judiciary Office and disregarding the direction to vacate the premises,” the government said.
Justice Lambourne dismissed the claims as “absolute rubbish.”
The deportation order also stated that Justice Lambourne was a threat or risk to security.
The judge’s ruling on Friday said deportation on those grounds was “unlawful”, ordering that Justice Lambourne be immediately released from hotel detention.
A further hearing has been scheduled to take place on August 19.
Kiribati’s President Taneti Maamau has set up a tribunal which is investigating allegations made against Justice Lambourne.(AP: UN Web TV)
A political target
Justice Lambourne said he believed he was being targeted because the government was trying to force his wife out of politics, calling it an “assault on the constitution.”
“Given the very tenuous nature of the allegations that have been raised against me, this is just a very determined attempt by the government to try and force my wife out of politics,” he told ABC’s RN Breakfast.
“They clearly see her as a significant threat to them [and] the only way they can get to her is by getting me.”
The country’s constitutional system is on the brink of collapse with the suspensions of the senior judges, which Justice Lambourne says has led to a backlog of more than 2,000 cases.
“People are not getting access to justice and it’s incredibly sad,” he said.
He said he feared there might not be an end to the situation anytime soon.
“Clearly the government has decided that they want a judicial compliance so they are trying to force the chief justice and I out,” he said.
“It’s hard to see how this plays out from here. The government is seemingly ruthless and I can’t see them backing down on this.”
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was aware of Justice Lambourne’s situation and was providing consular assistance.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said he would make inquiries about the matter.
Eric Trump blames Biden administration after FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago
Law enforcement officers in Ohio shot and killed Ricky Shiffer, 42, after the armed man threatened an FBI field office in Cincinnati on Thursday morning then fled.
After a daylong standoff in a cornfield in Wilmington, Ohio, officers fatally shot Shiffer, who they say resisted negotiations and pointed a gun towards police.
Earlier that morning, officials say Shiffer fired a nail gun and brandished an AR-15-style rifle at FBI agents then fled in his car.
Highway troopers chased the man after finding him at a rest stop, before he eventually abandoned his car and fled into a cornfield, exchanging gunfire with police.
Officers surrounded the field and surveyed it with helicopters and drones for hours.
Police are investigating whether the man had any ties to the January 6 riots at the US Capitol.
Social media accounts appearing to belong to Shiffer indicate he may have been present during the insurrection.
The incident comes as numerous prominent conservatives have trained their ire at the FBI, after the agency carried out a search at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida as part of an investigation into the mishandling of White House documents.
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FBI director calls attack on Ohio agents ‘deeply concerning’
ICYMI: FBI Director Christopher Wray called Thursday’s attack on an Ohio FBI office “deeply concerning.”
“Violence and threats against law enforcement, including the FBI, are dangerous and should be deeply concerning to all Americans,” Mr Wray wrote in a statement to NBC News. “Every day I see the men and women of the FBI doing their jobs professionally and with rigor, objectivity, and a fierce commitment to our mission of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution.”
Graeme Massie12 August 2022 06:01
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Ricky Shiffer being labeled ‘suspected domestic violent extremist’ – report
Authorities have said the Ohio shooting suspect Ricky Shiffer is being labeled as a “suspected domestic violent extremist”, according to a tweet by ABC’s chief investigative reporter Josh Margolin on Friday.
The report cited law enforcement officials who have been briefed on the probe.
Shiffer, who was shot dead by the FBI, allegedly threatened the investigative agency’s office in Cincinnati on Thursday around 9am, firing a nail gun at staff and brandishing an AR-15-style rifle, before driving away.
Harpan Rai12 August 2022 05:52
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Police identify man who threatened Ohio FBI office
ICYMI: Officials have identified Ricky Shiffer, 42, as the armed man who threatened the Cincinnati field office of the FBI.
Officers shot and killed Shiffer after a prolonged standoff in a cornfield near Wilmington, Ohio.
Police reportedly tried to negotiate with the individual and use non-lethal tactics to arrest him, before the 42-year-old raised a gun at officers and was killed, the Ohio State Patrol said.
Graeme Massie12 August 2022 05:11
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Ricky Shiffer: Everything we know about Ohio gunman who attacked FBI
Ohio native Ricky Shiffer was shot and killed by the law enforcement officers on Thursday afternoon after he launched an attack on an FBI field office in Cincinnati.
The 42-year-old suspect was armed with a nail gun and an assault rifle.
Resident of Columbus, Shiffer had reportedly posted a string of violent remarks on his social media account on Truth Social in the recent months leading to the attack.
Josh Marcus reports on everything we know about Ricky Shiffer:
Who is Ricky Shiffer, the Trump-supporting Ohio gunman who attacked the FBI?
Gunman appears to have left trail of violent messages online
Harpan Rai12 August 2022 04:58
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FBI probing Ohio shooter’s social media presence, ties to right-wing extremism – Report
FBI investigators are probing Ohio shooting suspect Ricky Shiffer’s presence on social media platforms, and whether he had any links with right-wing extremism, CNN reported, citing a source.
The officials are also looking into whether the suspect had any connection with any of the groups involved in the Capitol riots and if he was himself involved in the violent attack, reported CNN citing a separate federal law enforcement source.
According to a Truth Social account reported to belong to the shooting suspect, Shiffer referred to making an attempt to storm an FBI office and also urged others online to brace for a war for revolution, the report added.
Harpan Rai12 August 2022 04:46
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Armed man who threatened FBI office in Ohio shot by police
ICYMI: Police have shot and killed Ricky Shiffer, 42, an armed man who threatened an Ohio FBI office on Thursday morning, leading to a prolonged car chase and standoff throughout the day.
Here’s the Ohio State Patrol announcing what happened.
Graeme Massie12 August 2022 04:03
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Standoff over as Ohio officials probe whether man who threatened FBI had Jan 6 ties: officials
ICYMI: An hourslong standoff between Ohio police and an armed man accused of threatening a Cincinnati FBI field office on Thursday has come to an end, according to local officials.
“Law enforcement operations and response has ended,” Clinton County Emergency Management Agency announced on Thursday.
It’s unclear whether the individual—who allegedly fired a nail gun and brandished an assault rifle at FBI agents, and later shot at police—has been arrested, killed, or otherwise.
Police are now probing whether the man, unofficially identified by two anonymous law enforcement sources in New York Times as Ricky Shiffer, 42, has any ties to the January 6 attacks on the US Capitol in 2021.
Social media accounts appearing to belong to the man indicate he was present in Washington on 5 and 6 January for pro-Trump demonstrations, and claimed to have been present at the storming of the Capitol.
More details to come on this breaking news story.
Standoff over as Ohio officials probe if man who threatened FBI had Jan 6 ties
Status of suspected gunman unclear
Graeme Massie12 August 2022 03:08
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Standoff with man who threatened FBI has ‘ended’: officials
ICYMI: The hours-long standoff on Thursday between Ohio police and an armed man accused of threatening a Cincinnati FBI office has ended, according to county officials.
The Clinton County Emergency Management Agency announced that “law enforcement operations and response has ended. Some operations will continue on-scene,” in a terse update on Thursday evening.
It’s unclear whether the individual was arrested, killed, or otherwise.
ICYMI: Farmer Rob Thompson was stunned this morning as a blazing police chase sped past his farm in Wilmington, Ohio.
“I thought, since we are by the interstate, that they were just chasing a speeder,” Mr Thompson told New York Times.
But it was far from just a speeder. Instead, officers are still in pursuit of an armed man who allegedly threatened an FBI office in Cincinnati this morning.
The farmer said he wasn’t worried about his safety.
“He could be in the cornfield or a thicket of trees nearby, but they have him contained,” he continued.
Graeme Massie12 August 2022 01:01
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Die-hard Trump fans claim Ohio FBI shootout is a ‘false flag’ attack
Well, that didn’t take long.
The diehard Donald Trump fans on r/TheDonald, a popular (and often NSFW) Reddit page, are claiming that the armed threats against an FBI field office in Ohio today were “staged.”
As NBC News reporter Ben Collins reports, nearly “every top post” on the page at the moment has some version of the conspiracy theory.
Speculation about the FBI has been flying in conservative circles since the Justice Department raid on Donald Trump earlier this week.
Trumpworld informant reportedly told FBI about classified docs at Mar-a-Lago
The search of former president’s Florida residence comes after a FBI source reportedly revealed that the ex-president was concealing classified national defense information from the government he once led
Melbourne Airport’s ambitious plan to link Terminals 3 and 4 has finally come to fruition, and with it some significant changes for Virgin Australia passengers, including a removal of T3 security – funnelling all via T4 instead – and airside access to the lounge.
The reconfiguration is a key element of the hub’s $30 million transformation, which the airport described as ‘an elevation to the traveler experience’. The project’s centrepiece is an indoor walkway linking the landside departure levels of Terminals 3 and 4.
Among the other enhancements are greater connectivity between the terminals, in addition to smart security technology, also seen at the Gold Coast and Sydney T3. This time-saving tech allows travelers to keep laptops, tablets and liquids in their bags.
Two extra security lanes have also opened to meet increased demand.
As part of the linkway, the Virgin Australia lounge is now located in the secure airside zone, meaning guests will be able to enjoy the facilities right up until boarding, rather than leaving in advance to make their way through security.
Premium screening has also re-opened for Platinum, Gold, Beyond and Business Class passengers from 5-10am weekdays.
Melbourne Airport says its T4 scanners halve the time it takes to go through security.
Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus says the upgrade work – which also includes new amenities at T4 – was much needed, with the terminal receiving no significant works in over 20 years.
“One of the biggest pinch points for Virgin guests has been the security check points, and we expect this change will help improve the experience for passengers as they pass through screening,” Argus explains.
“A lack of space means expanding existing checkpoints to accommodate modern technology was not an option, but we think consolidating the screening operation results in a better outcome for passengers.
Here is a map of the new Departures process…
…and also the Arrivals.
Melbourne Airport says that “under the (T3) reconfiguration, domestic travelers will have more time to relax inside restaurants and retailers before boarding their flights.”
We’d suspect they’ll have less time if they have to walk from the T3 check in desks through to T4 for security screening and then walk back to T3 again – especially if their Virgin Australia flights are departing from the higher-numbered gates 7 through 10 at the top of the T3 pier.
One Melbourne-based frequent flyer told Executive Traveler that he expects that even with the T4-T3 walkway located behind security, that could come close to a 10-minute walk.
The new parents’ room at T3.
That said, there are several upgrades to love, including:
a more streamlined exit point in arrivals to “intuitively guide guests to outdoor transport options”
upgraded bathrooms at T3, which include all gender areas, adult change rooms, and assistance animal relief spaces
a parent’s room featuring “interactive full-length walls so children can play and stay entertained while their guardians tend to other needs.”
As previously advised to executive traveler by a Melbourne Airport spokesperson, Virgin passengers with only cabin bags should check in online or via the Virgin app and head straight to T4, while also pointing out that some Virgin flights depart from T4.
What about Virgin’s promised T3 Premium Entry?
Interestingly, many of these changes – including the inter-terminal walkway and the relocation of T3 security to T4 – were first announced in December 2017 in partnership with Virgin Australia, with work scheduled to begin in 2018 for completion by 2020.
However, those plans included a “kerbside Premium Entry for Virgin Australia’s Business Class guests and Platinum and Gold Velocity frequent flyers, including dedicated check-in, bag drop and security screening features and direct access to the Virgin Australia Lounge.”
The original plan for T3 included private security screening and direct lounge access for Virgin Australia’s premium passengers.
This would replicate the kerbside Premium Entry facilities at Virgin’s Sydney and Brisbane domestic terminals, although both of those remain closed at the time of writing.
Contacted for comment, a Virgin Australia Group spokesman told executive traveler “Our plans to deliver a Premium Entry at Melbourne Airport remain under review amid the global pandemic.”
“We are committed to working with airports to deliver the world-class Virgin Australia guest experience and we welcome Melbourne Airport’s investment in the Terminal 3 transformation.”
Additional reporting by Chris Ashton.
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveler and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
The PACE Gen3 chassis which became the prototype Ford Mustang
PACE Innovations will deliver its first Gen3 chassis to a Supercars team later this month at the Penrite Oil Sandown SuperSprint.
Brad Jones Racing will take delivery of the chassis, one of 16 that the Gold Coast-based engineering firm is constructing.
PACE is one of four such builders for the start of the Gen3 era in 2023, the others being Triple Eight Race Engineering, Walkinshaw Andretti United, and Erebus Motorsport.
“The first car is completed and is a Brad Jones car,” PACE owner Paul Ceprnich told Supercars’ official website.
“It’s completed here and awaiting delivery; it’s going to probably go in the Supercars truck to Sandown.”
PACE built the chassis for the prototype Gen3 Ford Mustang which most recently cut laps alongside its Chevrolet Camaro counterpart at The Bend Motorsport Park on the day after last month’s race event at the South Australian circuit
It will also produce those which will be raced by Ford homologation team Dick Johnson Racing.
General Motors homologation team Triple Eight is producing eight chassis, those being two each for itself, Team 18, and PremiAir Racing, plus two spares, while WAU and Erebus have received chassis kits from PACE.
As revealed by Speedcafe.com, the chassis went through a late redesign to achieve an increase in the width of the engine bay which will accommodate either the 5.7-liter GM powerplant or 5.4-liter Ford Coyote.
Triple Eight has proclaimed that it is ahead of scheduled on building cars, while Supercars expects the field to have all of its Gen3 hardware delivered by December.
While the grid is set to remain at 25 cars next year, there will be a more even split on brand lines given Walkinshaw Andretti United’s remarkable switch from General Motors to Ford, as revealed by Speedcafe.com.
The Clayton outfit (two cars) joins Dick Johnson Racing (two), Tickford Racing (four), Grove Racing (two), and Blanchard Racing Team (one) in the Blue Oval ranks, making a total of 11 Mustangs racing on a regular basis.
The balance will be the 14 Camaros, of Triple Eight, Team 18, PremiAir, Erebus (two), BJR (four), and Matt Stone Racing (two).
The 2022 Sandown event kicks off on Friday, August 19.
Forecasters have warned of possible renewed flooding of rivers in central inland NSW and issued a warning for sheep graziers that new lambs are at risk of freezing this weekend.
A flood watch is in place for multiple catchments including the Namoi, Macquarie, Bogan, Lachlan, Murrumbidgee, Murray, Mirrool Creek, Culgoa, Narran and Darling areas on Friday.
Forecasters believe there is a particular risk of major flooding of the Macquarie River at Warren, northwest of Dubbo, Jordan Otara from the Bureau of Meteorology told AAP on Friday.
Mr Otara said while showers across central NSW had not been torrential, recent heavy falls in some catchments, coupled with dam releases, had led to river heights staying high.
“As much as the flood peaks have necessarily gone through the river system in many areas, it’s the renewed flooding – so floodwaters are not necessarily going down below the minor flood level,” the senior meteorologist said.
“Basically we’re seeing those peaks essentially being long lived due to dam releases and other factors that come into play for how the river levels are reacting.
“It’s slow moving (rainfall), associated with water already on the ground, so more of a sustained flooding event.”
The Namoi and the northern end of the Gwydir River were also expected to receive substantial falls and moderate flooding was expected on Friday, Mr Otara said.
The Lachlan and Murrumbidgee rivers also had the potential to flood, but Mr Otara said the risk had lessened as rainfall totals did not reach forecast highs on Thursday.
A warning has also been issued to sheep graziers to look out for baby lambs, as a mixture of plunging temperatures, showers and westerly winds are expected on Saturday in the Tablelands and Snowy Mountains districts.
“When new lambs are born, and they are exposed to those conditions, there is a heightened risk that (they) cannot live through these sort of temperatures due to the wind-chill factor,” Mr Otara said.
The weather bureau was continuing to monitor the lamb risk, which was currently confined to southern NSW.
The bureau routinely issues warnings related to lambs across late winter and spring.
ATLANTA (AP) — Donald Trump has hired a prominent Atlanta criminal defense attorney known for defending famous rappers to represent him in matters related to the special grand jury that’s investigating whether the former president illegally tried to interfere with the 2020 election in Georgia.
Drew Findling’s clients have included Cardi B, Migos and Gucci Mane, as well as comedian Katt Williams. His Twitter bio of him includes the hashtag #BillionDollarLawyer and his Instagram feed of him is filled with photos of him posing with his well-known clients.
His most recent Instagram post, dated two days after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in late June, says his signature of him is committed to “fighting to restore a woman’s right to choose, which has been destroyed by the Supreme Court,” suggesting his personal views of him do n’t align with those of Trump’s Republican Party . I have offered to defend anyone charged under Georgia’s restrictive abortion law free of charge.
After Trump insulted basketball star LeBron James’s intelligence in an August 2018 tweet, Findling called Trump the “racist architect of fraudulent Trump University” in a tweet and ended the post with “POTUS pathetic once again!”
The Findling Law Firm said in a statement released Thursday that it has been hired, along with attorneys Jennifer Little and Dwight Thomas, to represent Trump.
Findling said in an emailed statement that he is a “passionate advocate against injustice” and will “strongly defend” Trump.
“I may differ politically from many of my clients, but that doesn’t change my commitment to defend against wrongful investigations,” Findling said. “In this case, the focus on President Trump in Fulton County, Georgia is clearly an erroneous and politically driven persecution and along with my office and co-counsel, I am fully committed to defend against this injustice.”
Little, a former prosecutor, said in an emailed statement that the attorneys were “handpicked” on Trump’s behalf and that “the composition of our team only adds to the integrity of his defense.”
“A politically diverse group of attorneys with differing perspectives have all come to the same conclusion — there have been no violations of Georgia law,” she said. “We as a team look forward to vigorously defending our client and the Constitution.”
Thomas said he has extensive past experience in special grand jury investigations and is serving as a consultant. Other lawyers who have clients who are connected to the investigation have also reached out to him, he said, but he declined to name them.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis opened the investigation early last year, and the special grand jury was seated in May at her request.
Willis has confirmed since the early days of the investigation that she’s interested in a January 2021 phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. During that conversation, Trump suggested Raffensperger could “find” the votes needed to overturn his narrow loss in the state.
“All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,” Trump said during that call. “Because we won the state.”
Willis last month filed petitions seeking to compel testimony before the special grand jury from seven Trump associates and advisers, including former New York mayor and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani and US Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. And she has said that she is considering subpoenaing the former president himself.
In addition to representing high-profile musical artists and other entertainers, Findling successfully defended Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill in a racketeering trial that threatened to end his law enforcement career. Hill was acquired in 2013 on 27 felony charges in an indictment that accused him of using his office for personal gain.
Findling is currently defending Hill against charges in a federal indictment accusing him of violating the civil rights of several people in his agency’s custody by ordering that they be unnecessarily strapped into a restraint chair and left there for hours.
He also defended Mitzi Bickers, a former Atlanta city official was the first person to go to trial in a long-running federal investigation into corruption at City Hall under former Mayor Kasim Reed. A jury earlier this year found Bickers guilty on charges including money laundering, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit bribery. Findling said they plan to appeal.
After a number of delays, new Chinese electric car brand BYD’s first shipment of mass-produced cars for Australia has docked, ready for customer deliveries.
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The first customer examples of the 2022 BYD Atto 3 electric SUV have arrived in Australia ahead of customer deliveries in the coming weeks.
Celebrating via social media the arrival of the first shipment, BYD’s local distributor EVDirect says customers will be contacted when their Atto 3 is in Australia “to begin the purchase and delivery process”.
“There’s been a lot of press this week about why Australia is so far behind in electric vehicle adoption,” said EVDirect managing director and CEO Luke Todd in a social media post, referring to a recent confidential industry report on electric cars, obtained by Drive and The Sydney Morning Herald.
“Whilst others have been debating and waiting, EVDirect and BYD have been getting on with the job of building high quality affordable EVs for Australian families, and I’m proud to say the first truckloads of BYD Atto 3s are now rolling out across Brisbane and shortly thousands more across the country.”
Prices for the Atto 3 start from $44,381 plus on-road costs – or from $44,990 drive-away, if you live in Tasmania (which has greater on-road cost concessions than other states). Orders placed today could see delivery before the end of the year.
The first BYD Atto 3 SUVs to arrive are Extended Range models – which have accounted for more than 90 per cent of orders – with the cheaper Standard Range variant to follow later this year.
EVDirect says the Atto 3 will be followed by two more models – the smaller Dolphin (or, possibly, Atto 2) hatchback, and larger Seal (or potentially Atto 4) sedan – slated to open for orders before the end of 2022, ahead of Deliveries beginning in 2023.
BYD cars will be sold and serviced in Australia through a network of 12 showrooms – spread across all states and territories except the NT – operated by dealer group Eagers Automotive.
EVDirect first expressed plans to distribute BYD vehicles in Australia in early 2021, with a planned wide-scale launch towards the end of that year.
However, delays saw the company sell only about 60 vehicles in Australia in 2021 – a previous-generation people mover and van – with orders for BYD’s first mass-produced Australian model not opening until February 2022, and deliveries this month (August 2022).
To read more about BYD’s launch in Australia, click the links below.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines as a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.
