A new Forspoken trailer is getting the meme treatment, with the internet latching onto what many believe are some seriously cringy vibes. Check out the trailer for the upcoming Square Enix action RPG below, and read on for the memeifcation.
A beautiful and cruel new land? twisted monsters? An array of magical abilities? Sentient jewelery!? Welcome to the world of #Forspoken. pic.twitter.com/46diiLnQ7MAugust 8, 2022
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The trailer, which dropped on Twitter midday on August 8, features the protagonist Frey describing her rather unique situation in which she’s been inexplicably transported to another world. We see her fighting bizarre fantasy creatures aided by a magical cuff that she talks to, and it all looks pretty cool – it’s the voiceover that the internet is fixing on.
Frey has a very Whedonesque way of speaking, providing commentary that feels like it was ripped from an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or a scene from 2012’s Marvel’s Avengers. “I’m somewhere that’s not what I would call Earth, I’m seeing freakin’ dragons, and oh yeah I’m talking to a cuff!” she says in the trailer, and, naturally, the meme train has pulled out of the station and is showing no signs of stopping.
Twitter user bobvids (opens in new tab) took the iconic Tony Hawk Pro Skater song ‘Superman’ by Goldfinger and gave it the Forspoken treatment. “So okay, here I am, doin’ everything I can. Holdin’ on to what I freakin’ am. Pretendin’ I’m like, some Superman” the video says to scenes from Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2.
Another person referenced Max Payne’s unlucky predicament.
*record scratch* *freeze frame* yep. that’s me you’re probably wondering how i got into this situation…let me start over. i’m max, max payne. well, most of is emotional pain, from my wife and child being MURDERED! yikes! anyway, that’s kiiiiinda what i’m here for… https://t.co/1LwwiLUlwG pic.twitter.com/NNlpOJu7okAugust 10, 2022
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While another reply takes God of War and applies some Forspoken dialogue to it, forcing me to imagine what it would be like if Kratos was a millennial.
Who me? Yeah I’m a freakin GOD as it turns out. Shyeah I’m all about that ax life. That handsome devil next to me? Fam, that’s literally my BOY. He can thank me for his good looks AND formative trauma from him. It’s not easy fighting heCkin VIKINGS. But honestly? Being a parent ragnaroxx pic.twitter.com/CK1owzyzhMAugust 9, 2022
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There are countless more replies and quote tweets mocking and meme-ing the Forspoken trailer. While I’m sure this wasn’t what Square Enix expected when sharing a trailer for Forspoken, which was recently delayed into next year, at least people are talking about the game, right? Either way, let this be a reminder that the internet, when given crumbs, will make a meal that can sustain us for days.
Forspoken is due out in January 2023 for PS5 and PC.
Can’t wait to eventually play this game? Find out more about Forspoken’s “glossy new fantasy world” from the game’s writer Gary Whitta.
Constance Hall has slammed “desperate, lonely” men who send unsolicited photos after receiving a “d*ck pic” from a total stranger.
The mummy blogger posted a lengthy rant after she received an explicit image from a random man on an app that she had ironically downloaded at the request of “paranoid friends” who wanted to communicate safely.
After receiving the image, along with a string of disturbing sexual text messages, the outspoken mum tried to “put herself in the shoes” of males who send these pictures to understand why they do this.
However she concluded that there was no circumstance in the world in which she would send such a “depraved” photo – labeling it an “assault” against the unwitting recipient.
“What would drive me to the point of being gratified by sending a close-up cl*t pic of my [vagina] to someone who I’m 99 per cent sure doesn’t want to see my clacker?” she wrote on Facebook.
“Could it be depravity? If I had never met anyone who actually wanted to see my [vagina] could I be driven to send it out there anyway? Umm that’s a no.
“What if I thought that my cl*toris was a hooded mystic possessing some kind of power or blessings (which isn’t that far-fetched), meaning that even though these people didn’t want to see it… the photo is for their own good? Hmm no I’d just keep the blessings for those who consented to them.”
She also decided she wouldn’t send a “cl*t pic” if she was “terrified” of the opposite sex but had a high libido – or if she had “throbbing” genitals.
Despite toying with various reasons why men send unsolicited images, the 38-year-old concluded that “there isn’t enough empathy in the world that could help me understand”.
In an unexpected twist, Constance was able to have “sympathy” for the males who commit this awful act.
“Now that I’ve let the shock settle. I do feel a little sorry for the poor excited man, alone in his room, [erection] in one hand iPhone trying to get the best angle in the other, dreaming about the wide world of sexual encounters being had all over the place, none of which he was invited to,” she said.
However, even with a sprinkling of “sympathy” for the “desperate, lonely” men who do this, she pointed out it was a criminal offense and a form of assault.
Constance’s rant was widely well received, with many praising the mum-of-five and stepmum of two for her “clever” post.
“Never in my life will I understand why ‘men’ send (ad*ck) pic! Send back a pic of a scoring panel!” one woman wrote.
“I’m in a relationship now but before I wasn’t and I found this kind of behavior really disgusting and degrading… hard no, from me,” another said.
While one woman said: “Weird that men think it is a turn on.”
Scott McLaughlin with the FGX Falcon with which he won the 2018 Supercars Championship. Picture: Scott McLaughlin Facebook
Scott McLaughlin has been reunited with the Ford Falcon with which he won the 2018 Supercars Championship.
The title was the first of three on the bounce for McLaughlin, who piloted Mustang machinery in 2019 and 2020 with DJR Team Penske.
He has since made the move to the United States, where he is now a two-time IndyCar race winner for ‘The Captain’.
So it was that he came across the FGX Falcon he drove in 2017 and 2018, while on its way to the Penske Racing Museum in Phoenix.
“Paths crossed with an old friend, on its way to the Penske Museum,” wrote the New Zealander on social media, where he shared a photograph of himself with the car.
McLaughlin won nine races in the 2018 Supercars season, the last of which came on the final weekend of the season in Newcastle, where the title battle was still live.
The Ford driver took a 14-point lead over Shane van Gisbergen to the streets of the Hunter, but looked to have lost most of that when he ran out of fuel on the final lap of the Saturday encounter and was passed for victory by the 2016 champion.
Van Gisbergen was then penalized for a pit stop breach which dropped him to fifth, and McLaughlin was able to cruise to the crown on the Sunday, even letting David Reynolds pass him for the lead in the final laps.
Earlier, Car #17 had also won races at Albert Park, Phillip Island (two), Wanneroo (two), Hidden Valley, Queensland Raceway, and Pukekohe.
He and Alexandre Premat finished third in that year’s Bathurst 1000, his first podium in the Great Race.
However, the car was, of course, part of an even more remarkable moment in McLaughlin’s career given the circumstances which transpired in Newcastle on the final day of the 2017 season.
He had just come back from two penalties to move into the live championship lead, on a countback, when he slipped wide at the start of the second-last lap and ended up making contact which put Craig Lowndes into a wall.
Car #17 would be issued the equivalent of a drive-through penalty as it took the checkered flag, dumping it from 11th to 18th, with race winner Jamie Whincup instead being crowned champion.
It was after his triumphant 2018 Newcastle weekend that the car initially went on display at Dick Johnson Racing’s Stapylton workshop, before its move Stateside.
McLaughlin is currently sixth in the IndyCar Series after finishing second in the most recent event on a chaotic Sunday in downtown Nashville.
There’s nothing like the fresh eggs from your own hens, the more than 400,000 Australians who keep backyard chooks will tell you.
Unfortunately, it’s often not just freshness and flavor that set their eggs apart from those in the shops.
Our newly published research found backyard hens’ eggs contain, on average, more than 40 times the lead levels of commercially produced eggs.
Almost one in two hens in our Sydney study had significant lead levels in their blood. Similarly, about half the eggs analyzed contained lead at levels that may pose a health concern for consumers.
Even low levels of lead exposure are considered harmful to human health, including among other effects cardiovascular disease and decreased IQ and kidney function. Indeed, the World Health Organization has stated there is no safe level of lead exposure.
So how do you know whether this is a likely problem in the eggs you’re getting from backyard hens? It depends on lead levels in your soil, which vary across our cities.
We mapped the areas of high and low risk for hens and their eggs in our biggest cities — Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane — and present these maps here.
Our research details lead poisoning of backyard chickens and explains what this means for urban gardening and food production. In older homes close to city centers, contaminated soils can greatly increase people’s exposure to lead through eating eggs from backyard hens.
What did the study find?
Most lead gets into the hens as they scratch in the dirt and peck food from the ground.
We assessed trace metal contamination in backyard chickens and their eggs from garden soils across 55 Sydney homes. We also explored other possible sources of contamination such as animal drinking water and chicken feed.
Our data confirmed what we had anticipated from our analysis of more than 25,000 garden samples from Australia gardens collected via the VegeSafe program. Lead is the contaminant of most concern.
The amount of lead in the soil was significantly associated with lead concentrations in chicken blood and eggs. We found potential contamination from drinking water and commercial feed supplies in some samples but it is not a significant source of exposure.
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Unlike for humans, there are no guidelines for blood lead levels for chickens or other birds. Veterinary assessments and research indicate levels of 20 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) or more may harm their health. Our analysis of 69 backyard chickens across the 55 participants’ homes showed 45 per cent had blood lead levels above 20µg/dL.
We analyzed eggs from the same birds. There are no food standards for trace metals in eggs in Australia or globally. However, in the 19th Australian Total Diet Study, lead levels were less than 5µg/kg in a small sample of shop-bought eggs.
The average level of lead in eggs from the backyard chickens in our study was 301µg/kg. By comparison, it was 7.2µg/kg in the nine commercial free-range eggs we analyzed.
International research indicates that eating one egg a day with a lead level of less than 100μg/kg would result in an estimated blood lead increase of less than 1μg/dL in children. That’s around the level found in Australian children not living in areas affected by lead mines or smelters. The level of concern used in Australia for investigating exposure sources is 5µg/dL.
Some 51 per cent of the eggs we analyzed exceeded the 100µg/kg “food safety” threshold. To keep egg lead below 100μg/kg, our modeling of the relationship between lead in soil, chickens and eggs showed soil lead needs to be under 117mg/kg. This is much lower than the Australian residential guideline for soils of 300mg/kg.
To protect chicken health and keep their blood lead below 20µg/kg, soil concentrations need to be under 166mg/kg. Again, this is much lower than the guideline.
How did we map the risks across cities?
We used our garden soil trace metal database (more than 7,000 homes and 25,000 samples) to map the locations in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne most at risk from high lead values.
Map of Brisbane showing levels of lead risk for backyard chickens. Dark green dots indicate areas with safe lead levels. Light green and yellow dots are areas over the safe lead level. Orange and red dots indicate areas with high levels. (Supplied: Max M. Gillings, Mark Patrick Taylor)
Deeper analysis of the data showed older homes were much more likely to have high lead levels across soils, chickens and their eggs. This finding matches other studies that found older homes are most at risk of legacy contamination from the former use of lead-based paints, leaded petrol and lead pipes.
What can backyard producers do about it?
These findings will come as a shock to many people who have turned to backyard food production. It has been on the rise over the past decade, spurred on recently by soaring grocery prices.
People are turning to home-grown produce for other reasons, too. They want to know where their food came from, enjoy the security of producing food with no added chemicals, and feel the closer connection to nature.
While urban gardening is a hugely important activity and should be encouraged, previous studies of contamination of Australian home garden soils and trace metal uptake into plants show it needs to be undertaken with caution.
Contaminants have built up in soils over the many years of our cities’ history. These legacy contaminants can enter our food chain via vegetables, honey bees and chickens.
Urban gardening exposure risks have typically focused on vegetables and fruits. Limited attention has been paid to backyard chickens. The challenge of sampling and finding participants meant many previous studies have been smaller and have not always analyzed all possible exposure routes.
Mapping the risks of contamination in soils enables backyard gardeners and chicken keepers to consider what the findings may mean for them.
Particularly in older, inner-city locations, it would be prudent to get their soils tested. People can do this at VegeSafe or through a commercial laboratory. Soils identified as a problem can be replaced and chickens kept to areas of known clean soil.
Mark Patrick Taylor is Chief Environmental Scientist at EPA Victoria and Honorary Professor at Macquarie University. Dorrit E Jacob is a Professor at Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University. Vladimir Strezov is a Professor at the School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University. This piece first appeared on The Conversation.
A commercial truck driver who took drugs on the same day he was part of a grisly New Hampshire crash that killed seven motorcyclists was acquired Tuesday on all charges.
Driver Volodymyr Zhukovskyy told police at the time he caused the accident, but jurors in less than three hours found him not guilty of seven counts each of manslaughter and negligent homicide, as well as one count of reckless conduct.
Zhukovskyy, 26, had been in jail since the June 21, 2019 crash where he continuously swerved back and forth leading up to the head-on collision.
The Massachusetts resident cried as the verdict was read and pointed toward the sky as he left the Coos County courtroom.
“Our hearts go out to the victims and their families. Our trial team did an excellent job and we firmly believe that the State provided its case beyond a reasonable doubt,” New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said in a statement.
The father of one of the victims was stunned by the verdict.
Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, of West Springfield, Mass., reacts to the not-guilty verdict at Coos County Superior Court in Lancaster, New Hampshire on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. AP
“Killing seven people and he gets off. That is unbelievable,” said Albert Mazza whose son Albert “Woody” Mazza Jr. died in the crash.
“It doesn’t make much sense,” the heart-stricken dad added. “There are seven people dead. There are seven families affected. It’s strange that he didn’t get something.”
But the defense team actually pointed the finger at Mazza Jr., saying he was drunk at the time of the crash. Lawyers for Zhukovskyy also argued Mazza wasn’t looking when he lost control of his motorcycle and slid in front of the truck.
The judge previously tossed eight charges connected to whether Zhukovskyy was impaired at the time of the crash.
The family of Zhukonskyy, who was born in Ukraine, was grateful for the “honest and fair trial.”
“Our family expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends affected by this tragedy,” they said, adding he was “very honest and kind man. He would never have done anything to hurt anyone.”
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued an immigration detainer on Zhukovskyy following the crash, which was executed after the verdict, said Coos County Corrections Department official.
He was served papers to appear before an immigration judge and will remain in ICE custody before the hearing, ICE said.
Zhukovskyy’s commercial driving license was supposed to be revoked in Massachusetts when the crash occurred because of a drunken driving arrest in Connecticut two months beforehand.
Volodymyr Zhukovskyy looks back at the gallery before closing statements started at his trial.AP
But it wasn’t suspended due to a backlog of cases.
The killed motorcyclists, part of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club, were from New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Massachusetts and ranged from ages of 42 to 62.
Victims Mazza, couple Edward and Jo-Ann Corr, Michael Ferazzi, Desma Oakes, Daniel Pereira, and Aaron Perry were traveling in a larger group at the time of the crash.
Defense attorney Jay Duguay argued authorities ignored their own accident reconstruction unit that contradicted the assertion that Zhukovskyy crossed into the oncoming lane. He also mentioned inconsistencies from witnesses.
Prosecutor Scott Chase acknowledged the inconsistencies but noted witnesses on the stand were talking about “some of the most unimaginable chaos, trauma, death and carnage that we can even imagine three years later.”
He also argued Zhukovskyy continued to swerve “until he killed people.”
There’s something enormously satisfying about taking an old, worn-out thing and making it almost like new again, isn’t there? It’s a thing that requires time, patience, and of course money—all three of which seem to sadly be luxuries in these times. Still, if you have enough of all three things, it matters less that you already know what you’re doing, and more that you’re willing to learn what you don’t know.
That’s part of why RRC Restoration’s videos on YouTube are so satisfying to watch. While the guy behind the channel clearly knows what he’s doing, the fact that he’s willing to show so much of his particular processes in his well-edited ASMR workshop videos is both brilliant and soothing. Grab a cup of your favorite beverage of choice, and maybe a snack, and settle in for his paring over 2,000 hours of work down to just 25 minutes—for our amusement.
The subject is a 1986 Honda CR250 dirt bike, and it’s definitely seen better days. It’s full of all the kinds of things you’d expect on a bike of this age: Rust, sun-faded plastics, gunked-up internals, past-it steering head bearing, perished rubbers—and more. For a bike that’s nearly 40 years old, it’s not particularly surprising that it’s in this shape, if we’re honest.
With seemingly endless hours of careful and attentive restoration, though, you can see it slowly start to come back to life over the course of this video. While this particular composition is an overview of the entire project, RRC has handily assembled a playlist of all the individual, longer-form videos that concentrate on individual parts of this bike. We’ll link it in our Sources if you want to bookmark it and work your way through as you have time.
Meticulous attention to detail is evident with every step. Whether it’s media blasting surfaces to get them cleaned up and ready to go back together (possibly with paint, possibly not), replacing gaskets, relacing and truing the rims, cleaning up the plastics, or pretty much anything else—the sheer amount of care that goes into this work is impressive. If you’re not based in the UK, as RRC is, you may find yourself looking up some of the chemicals he uses (Hint: Deox-C is apparently similar to what Americans know as Evaporust), but that’s also how you know you ‘re really into it.
While none of us are at the stage where a restoration like this can truly happen in under half an hour, it’s still cool to see, and maybe view it as a sort of video mood board to get you hyped for your own next project. If it’s your first project, so much the better—and welcome to the club!
Julie Bishop turns heads in a dazzling $3750 Balmain mini dress as she steps out for her first public appearance following her split from David Panton
By Ali Daher For Daily Mail Australia
Published: | Updated:
Julie Bishop was all smiles on Wednesday night when she stepped out for her first public appearance following her dramatic split with David Panton.
The former foreign minister, 66, put on a brave face as she posed for photographers at the David Jones Spring/Summer Fashion Launch in Sydney.
Miss Bishop turned heads in a $3,750 Balmain metallic jacquard long sleeve mini dress, which she teamed with black heels and matching stockings.
Julie Bishop, 66, turned heads in a $3,750 Balmain mini dress on Wednesday when she stepped out for her first public appearance following her split from David Panton
She accessorized her look with a chic black designer bag and a pair of eye-catching hoop earrings.
The glamorous former politician wore her blonde bob side-swept, and her makeup palette consisted of a smokey eye and lashings of mascara.
Ms Bishop’s ex allegedly dumped her over dinner in Sydney in July, putting an end to their eight-year relationship.
During their partnership, Ms Bishop took Mr Panton to the United Nations to meet world leaders, Buckingham Palace to hobnob with British royalty and to the White House where he met Donald and Melania Trump.
The former foreign minister, 66, put on a brave face as she posed for photographers at the David Jones Spring/Summer Fashion Launch in Sydney
The pair first stepped out publicly in 2014, and were pictured at countless celebrity events over the years including the 2018 wedding of Karl Stefanovic and Jasmine Yarbrough.
They had appeared to be going strong when they recently visited St James’ Palace in London for an event honoring Prince Charles’ charity.
Ms Bishop was understood to have been ‘blindsided’ by the sudden breakdown of her relationship, sources close to the former politician said.
Miss Bishop turned heads in a $3750 Balmain metallic jacquard long sleeve mini dress, which she teamed with black heels and matching stockings
She accessorized her look with a chic black designer bag and a pair of eye-catching hoop earrings. The glamorous former politician wore her blonde bob side-swept, and her makeup palette consisted of a smokey eye and lashings of mascara
Daily Mail Australia understands she had been finding more ways to be in Sydney with Mr Panton.
Ms Bishop emerged for the first time since the split smiling happily for photos at a Perth mining conference on July 11, although insiders said she was hurting in the wake of the bust-up and was shocked at the way he’d pulled the pin so suddenly.
Another source close to Ms Bishop was slightly less diplomatic about the sudden end to the affair, hinting that Mr Panton’s presence in her inner circle ‘divided’ some of her friends and colleagues.
But ‘JBish’, as she was referred to in Canberra, remained smitten.
Panton allegedly dumped Ms Bishop, 66, over dinner in Sydney just weeks ago after an eight-year relationship
‘Let’s just say a there are a few who might be relieved that it’s over,’ said one, adding: ‘His personality didn’t always gel with everyone.’
Mr Panton met Ms Bishop while she was in the midst of her political career, serving as Australia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The pair maintained a long-distance relationship for years, with Ms Bishop based in Perth while he lived in Sydney.
Mr Panton met Ms Bishop while she was in the midst of her political career, serving as Australia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. (Pictured together last month at St James’s Palace in London, having dinner with Prince Charles for an event honoring his charity)
The Wests Tigers have been urged to “move on” from new recruit Isaiah Papali’i and use his $1.9 million contract to make a splash in the transfer market.
The Eels enforcer Isaiah had agreed to a three-year deal with the Tigers, but the star recruit is considering a backflip which could leave the club in a tough spot.
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MORE NRL NEWS
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The 23-year-old revealed his concerns after the Tigers parted ways with premiership winning coach Michael Maguire, and has since been linked with a return to the Warriors.
Papalii inked the big-money deal last November, but told 9 News that his future is still far from certain.
“Obviously people ask me about it, just even on the street or family and friends are hitting me up but that’s kind of for my manager look after and even if I don’t stay here or I do go next year, I want to make sure that this year has no regrets,” Papalii said.
“I reckon somewhere in the off-season because this is distracting me at the moment.
“We have a massive opportunity and I don’t want to leave any stone unturned this year and look back on it and think ‘I shouldn’t have left that stuff get in the way’.”
Tom Trbojevic reveals World Cup doubts | 01:12
The Daily Telegraph’s David Riccio and NRL360 co-host Paul Kent said the Tigers could not afford to wait until the end of the season for Papali’i to make a decision.
“They have a salary cap to manage, they can’t sit back and wait for this guy,” Kent said.
“That’s why they the Tigers should move on now, move on and use the money before it’s too late,” Riccio added.
“Don’t wait until November. If they do there will be no market for them,” Kent replied.
Should Tigers hear the message and cut ties with Papali’i, it leaves them with two clear options.
Spend the money now and bring in a player to bolster the side for next season or save it up and make a play for one of the big-name stars off-contract from 2023 who can begin negotiating with rivals from November 1.
BEN HUNT
Age: 32
Club: St George Dragons
Position: half-back
Current contract: expires at the end of 2023
While the Dragons are reportedly leading the race for Hunt’s signature, the Tigers should do everything they can to ensure he’s wearing their colors in the future.
Hunt, who was leading the Dally M race before the count went behind closed doors, has begun negotiations with the Dragons over a two-year extension.
The Daily Telegraph have revealed that the playmaker’s management had met with the Dragons late last month.
Since then, however, the Dragons have hit turmoil.
James Hooper reported there had been a major blow-up at the Dragons following the treatment of hooker Andrew McCullough and the axing of assistant coaches Peter Gentle and Mat Head for next season.
Hunt is extremely close with McCullough, having played together at both the Dragons and Broncos as well as for Queensland. The development could provide an opening for rivals to make a move.
The Tigers, who would only be able to speak to Hunt since November 1, are in desperate need of a solution at halfback.
Jock Madden has been sporting the No. 7 jersey for the Tigers over the past couple of weeks, but with just 13 games of NRL experience to his name, the club could use a boost.
If Luke Brooks is allowed to leave it would free up plenty of money for the Tigers to make an all-in move.
Hunt is in high demand with a number of clubs interested in services, and he wouldn’t come cheap. But fresh off his Origin heroics, the Tigers should be willing to move mountains if that’s what it takes to lure the star half to the western suburbs.
COREY OATES
Age: 27
Club: brisbane broncos
Position: wings
Current contract: expires at the end of the year
At just 27-years-old, there’s no reason why a club like the Tigers shouldn’t spend big money on a proven try scorer such as Corey Oates.
Oates, who has 188 NRL games to his name, equaled his record for most tries in a season with a double in Round 21 against the Roosters.
Corey Oats. Broncos V Storm. Picture: NRL ImagesSource: Supplied
Oates comes off contract at the end of this season with the Broncos, so he could become an immediate piece of the Tigers’ puzzle for next season.
He would also offer new coach Tim Sheens some versatility having experience playing in the back row.
DAVID KLEMER
Age: 28
Club: Newcastle Knights
Position: Prop
Current contract: expires at the end of 2023
Klemmer was reportedly close to having his contract torn up with the Knights after being issues with a breach notice for an on-field issue.
The former New South Wales prop is on a big-money contract with the Knights, but came under fire after he verbally abused trainer Hayden Knowles during a 14-point loss to the Bulldogs.
“A big overreaction’ Johns on Klemmer | 04:26
Parramatta were reportedly interested in signing the prop for the remainder of the 2022 season on loan before the incident.
While Klemmer has been among the Knights best players, the recent incident, and his hefty contract, could convince Newcastle to agree to release him early.
LIAM MARTIN
Age: 25
Club: Penrith Panthers
Position: second row
Current contract: expires at the end of 2023
Another player who comes off contract at the end of next season, Martin would be an incredible signing for the Tigers who could approach him from November 1.
Martin has been a key part of the Panthers’ dominance over the last few seasons and has reaped the rewards after cementing his place in the Blues Origin fold.
Liam Martin is among a list of big names who can talk with rivals since November 1.Source: Getty Images
The Panthers still need to lock down fellow Origin stars Brian To’o and Stephen Crichton which could mean Martin is gettable.
He would be a more than handy replacement for Papali’i if the Tigers can convince him to make the switch.
MARTIN TAUPAU
Age: 32
Club: Manly Sea Eagles
Position: second row
Current contract: expires at the end of the year
Sea Eagles enforcer Taupau reportedly requested an immediate release to join the Eels before the August 1 deadline.
It appears as if he wants out of Brookvale, and with his contract expiring at the end of the season, it’ll be interesting to see which colors he dons next season.
The former Kiwi international played for the Tigers for two seasons before moving to Manly for the 2016 season.
With plenty of power to throw around the field, Taupau can be an asset to any team when he’s in-form.
TYSON FRIZEL
Age: 30
Club: Newcastle Knights
Position: second row
Current contract: expires at the end of 2023
It wasn’t too long ago that Tyson Frizell was a regular for both the New South Wales Blues and Kangaroos teams.
Frizell made his name with the Dragons before securing a lucrative deal to sign with the Knights, where he’s played the last two seasons.
Tyson FrizellSource: Getty Images
While he still has one more year to run on that contract, Frizell could potentially be lured to the Tigers on a smaller deal than what he’s on now.
What’s more, his name has been mentioned as part of a potential swap deal for Luke Brooks.
While it was denied by Tim Sheens, there is clearly some movement around Frizell.
VICTOR RADLEY
Age: 24
Club: sydney roosters
Position: Lock
Current contract: expires at the end of 2023
Hypothetically speaking, Roosters lock Victor Radley has the potential to be an incredible signing for the Tigers.
The 24-year-old, who has sworn his international allegiance to England ahead of the World Cup, has premiership winning experience and 93 NRL games to his name.
What’s more, Phil Rothfield revealed on NRL360 that the Roosters are facing a cap crunch with seven players commanding more than half their salary cap.
China’s ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian has told the Australian government to treat the issue of Taiwan with “caution” saying there is “no room for compromise” over Beijing’s territorial claim over the self-governed island.
Mr Xiao addressed the National Press Club on Wednesday as tensions intensify across the Taiwan Strait since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei.
Mr Xiao struck a conciliatory tone about the prospect of improving relations with the new Australian government, but on the question of Taiwan remained resolute.
He said China would be prepared to use “all necessary means” for what he described as “unification” of the island with mainland China.
“Caution is just to remind,” he said.
“I like to remind [that] big and great as Australia is, it is important for the government in this country to stick to the commitment of ‘One China’ policy.
“It should be practiced with absolute sincerity, but without discount.”
China considers Taiwan as part of its territory, despite the ruling Chinese Communist Party never controlling the self-governed island.
It has threatened to take Taiwan under its control by military force if necessary.
Tensions simmer over Nancy Pelosi’s visit
The Chinese military conducted military and air force drills near Taiwan in retaliation to Ms Pelosi’s visit to Taipei, blaming the United States for what it describes as a provocative action undermining the status quo.
The democratically elected government of Taiwan has responded with its own military exercises.
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu has said the self-governed island will not be intimidated describing the action as an “an attempt to weaken public morale in Taiwan”.
Australia doesn’t formally recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state, adhering to its own “One China policy”, but has continued to maintain ties with Taipei on an unofficial basis.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong recently said Australia wanted to see “calm and restraint” prevail, calling on all sides to maintain the status quo.
A spokesperson for the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia said it had called upon China to “act with reason and restraint.”
“Taiwan would neither escalate the conflict nor instigate disputes, but resolutely defend our nation’s sovereignty,” they said.
You can use your imagination, but the one point for [the] chinese people [is they] are absolutely determined to protect our sovereignty, territorial integrity.
‘Use of force would be the last resort’
As tensions persist, the Chinese government released a Taiwanese White Paper on Wednesday reiterating its position Beijing considers Taiwan its own territory.
The paper says the Hong Kong model of “one country, two systems” should be implemented in Taiwan and that “use of force would be the last resort taken under compelling circumstances”.
The white paper also accuses Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party, led by President Tsai Ing-wen, of restricting progress towards what it called “peaceful reunification”.
“These are the obstacles that must be removed in advancing the process of peaceful reunification.”
Mr Xiao was asked about the position outlined in the white paper and pressed to explain what conditions the Chinese government would use to constitute using force to take Taiwan.
“What does it mean ‘all necessary means?’” he said.
“You can use your imagination, but the one point for [the] chinese people [is they] are absolutely determined to protect our sovereignty, territorial integrity.”
China announced six exclusion zones around Taiwan for military drills after the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Source: SBSNews
Territorial claim over Taiwan
Mr Xiao also used the example of Australia’s territorial claim over Tasmania to explain his point about China’s territorial claim over Taiwan.
“It’s not a good example, but Tasmania was, is, will be part of Australia. This involves territorial integrity.”
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton speaking before Mr Xiao’s address said China had made its intentions clear in Taiwan and this needed to be called out.
“The only way that we can maintain peace in our region, is if we call out bullying behavior and bad actors,” he told reporters.
“The propaganda that you’re seeing coming out is similar to what you’d see come out of North Korea or out of Russia, and it needs to be called out.”
The address from Mr Xiao comes after the new ambassador had earlier signaled a desire from the Chinese government to improve fractured relations with the Australian government.
He has spoken about the prospect of a reset in relations with the new Albanese government.
Since the 21 May federal election, high-level ministerial meetings between China and Australia have been recommended including with Defense Minister Richard Marles and Senator Wong.
But Australia has continued to raise concerns over trade sanctions imposed by Beijing, the detention of Australian citizens and Beijing’s military expansion.
Mr Xiao described the communication as a “good start” but added that there was “more to be done” to create a “favourable atmosphere” for the relationship.
Asked about a possible meeting between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese President Xi Jinping, I suggested progress still needed to be made for this to occur.
“The meeting at the top level is very important, not in the sense of symbolism, but also in essence,” he said.
Mr Albanese has indicated he would be willing to meet with his Chinese counterpart.
But the prime minister has also constantly spoken about the need for countries to act in adherence to international law, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In the past couple of years, unfortunately, the relationship between China and Australia was caught in a difficult situation due to reasons known to all.
China has not openly denounced Russia’s military action in the country, instead calling for a political solution to be achieved between the countries.
Mr Xiao used the address to argue his country believed in adhering to international law.
“No matter how China develops itself now or in the future, China will never seek hegemony or sphere of influence,” he said.
The ambassador also claimed that his country had no intention to establish a military base in the Solomon Islands, following his country’s signing of a security deal with Honiara.
Asked about the detention of Australian journalist Cheng Lei in China, the ambassador defended China’s secrecy over the trial, saying the case was a matter of “national security” that would be decided according to Chinese law.
Mr Xiao said he did want to see relations continue to improve with Australia explaining that he had come here to seek “friends” not “rivals”.
“When we cooperate, we both win. When we don’t, we both lose,” he said.
Despite the recent fracture in the relationship, China remains Australia’s largest trading partner.
After the raid at Mar-a-Lago, the FBI has also seized the cellphone of Trump-ally Representative Scott Perry of Pennsylvania.
“This morning, while traveling with my family, three FBI agents visited me and seized my cell phone,” Perry said in a statement.
He said the agents “made no attempt to contact my lawyer, who would have made arrangements for them to have my phone if that was their wish.”
His cellphone contains information about his legislative and political activities and private conversations with his wife, family, constituents and friends, Perry said, adding that “none of this is the government’s business.”
“I’m outraged – though not surprised – that the FBI under the direction of Merrick Garland’s DOJ, would seize the phone of a sitting Member of Congress,” he said.
This is likely in connection to the Justice Department’s investigation into the attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election results at the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Perry pushed Trump’s false claims of widespread election fraud in 2020 and was later the mentioned in several hearings from the House Select Committee investigating Jan. 6.
Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson sent Perry a letter requesting information on his effort to help appoint DOJ official Jeffrey Clark, who wanted to champion Trump’s election fraud claims, as acting attorney general.
The Committee revealed that Trump wanted to oust then-acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and replace him with Clark, who would say that all states won by Joe Biden to send in alternate, pro-Trump electors for the election certification.
Several DOJ officials told Trump that they would resign if he removed Rosen and replaced him with Clark.
This exhibit from video released by the House Select Committee, shows texts between former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows and Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., displayed at a hearing by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol, Thursday, June 23, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington House Select Committee via AP
Perry refused to provide information or to voluntarily testify.
Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aid to Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows, told the Committee in June that Perry was among the five Republican lawmakers who sought pardons from Trump after Jan. 6. Perry denied this claim.
“At no time did I speak with Miss Hutchinson, a White House scheduler, nor any White House staff about a pardon for myself or any other Member of Congress — this never happened,” Perry said.
I stand by my statement that I never sought a Presidential pardon for myself or other Members of Congress. At no time did I speak with Ms. Hutchinson, a White House scheduler, nor any WH staff about a pardon for myself or any other Member of Congress — this never happened.
