August 2022 – Page 24 – Michmutters

Month: August 2022

Categories
Entertainment

Channel 10’s breakfast show didn’t get a viewer in one major city

Channel 10's beleaguered breakfast show failed to get a single viewer in Perth - which has a population of 2.1 million - during its broadcast last Wednesday. (Pictured: hosts Natasha Exelby and Lachlan Kennedy)

More embarrassment for Ten: Channel 10’s beleaguered breakfast show fails to get a SINGLE VIEWER in one major city – after setting a new record for the worst rating program ever

By Monique Friedlander For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

Channel 10’s struggling new breakfast program 10 News First: Breakfast has hit an all-time ratings low.

The 30-minute broadcast, hosted by Lachlan Kennedy and Natasha Exelby, took a huge nosedive last Wednesday when it failed to attract a single viewer in the major city of Perth.

Perth, which has a population of 2.1 million, is one of the five key metro demographics used to measure the popularity of Australian programs.

Channel 10's beleaguered breakfast show failed to get a single viewer in Perth - which has a population of 2.1 million - during its broadcast last Wednesday. (Pictured: hosts Natasha Exelby and Lachlan Kennedy)

Channel 10’s beleaguered breakfast show failed to get a single viewer in Perth – which has a population of 2.1 million – during its broadcast last Wednesday. (Pictured: hosts Natasha Exelby and Lachlan Kennedy)

10 News First: Breakfast has struggled to gain momentum since its launch on June 27, having recently set a new record for the worst rating program in Australian TV history

Despite the crushingly low ratings, Ten has remained optimistic, telling The Australian on Monday: ’10 News First: Breakfast edition is maintaining its audience and increasing engagement as viewers become more familiar with the timeslot.’

An OzTAM spokesperson also told The Australian the disastrous result could be attributed to the use of ‘small underlying viewing samples’.

The struggling program took another dive last Wednesday when it failed to attract a single viewer in the major city of Perth, according to OzTAM figures. (Pictured left: Lachlan Kennedy; right: Natasha Exelby)

It’s the latest in a series of crushing blows for Ten’s new breakfast offering.

During its first five days on air, the 8am broadcast drew an average of 17,000 viewers across the five major cities, but this dropped to just 15,000 a day in week two.

The show managed to deliver the lowest ever ratings in Australian TV history on its second day, after just 44 viewers tuned in from Sydney.

During its first five days on air, the 8am broadcast drew an average of 17,000 viewers across the five major cities, but this dropped to just 15,000 a day in week two

During its first five days on air, the 8am broadcast drew an average of 17,000 viewers across the five major cities, but this dropped to just 15,000 a day in week two

On the same day, the national broadcast attracted just 224 viewers in Perth.

During another day in week two, the program clocked in just 43 viewers in Perth and 557 in Melbourne.

A Channel 10 spokesperson however told The Australian last month the network was happy with the results.

It comes after Channel 10 categorically denied rumors Studio 10 was on the chopping block. (Pictured: hosts Sarah Harris and Tristan MacManus)

It comes after Channel 10 categorically denied rumors Studio 10 was on the chopping block. (Pictured: hosts Sarah Harris and Tristan MacManus)

‘Network 10 is happy with the launch of the 10 News First: Breakfast. It has lifted the 2022 timeslot average by 13 per cent in its first week.’

Ten dropped the first half hour of Studio 10 and replaced it with the new morning bulletin last month.

It comes after Channel 10 denied rumors Studio 10 was on the chopping block.

But a 10 spokesperson rubbished the speculation, telling Daily Mail Australia the program remains profitable and isn't going anywhere

But a 10 spokesperson rubbished the speculation, telling Daily Mail Australia the program remains profitable and isn’t going anywhere

The morning show has been struggling in the ratings for years, with The Australian reporting there are now fears within the network it could soon face the axe.

But a 10 spokesperson rubbished the speculation, telling Daily Mail Australia the program remains profitable and isn’t going anywhere.

This isn’t the first time Channel 10 has gone into damage control after a breakfast TV show spectacularly flopped.

The station’s last attempt at a breakfast program, Wake Up, was axed in 2014 after just six months on the air.

The program was launched in November 2013 to compete with Channel Seven’s Sunrise and Channel Nine’s Today show, but it failed miserably.

Channel 10's last attempt at a breakfast program, Wake Up, was axed in 2014 after six months on the air. Pictured: James Mathison (left), Natarsha Belling (centre) and Natasha Exelby (right)

Channel 10’s last attempt at a breakfast program, Wake Up, was axed in 2014 after six months on the air. Pictured: James Mathison (left), Natarsha Belling (centre) and Natasha Exelby (right)

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Categories
Sports

Essendon president under pressure to hold his position amid fierce unrest

Essendon president under pressure to hold his position amid fierce unrest

Essendon president Paul Brasher is under pressure to hold his position amid fierce unrest at the club.

It can be revealed that Brasher is under mounting fire from members of his own board.

The source of the agitation centers on Brasher’s announcement in May of a football department review, which came a month after the president said no such review was needed.

Director Sean Wellman was put in charge of leading the review, with assistance from fellow board members Simon Madden and Kevin Sheedy.

But there was – and remains – a section of the Essendon board that wanted an external review to shine a light on the club’s operations.

A seven-win season in the club’s 150th year, which reached a new low in an 84-point thrashing at the hands of Port Adelaide, has heightened the angst that an external review was needed.

Vice-president Peter Allen and David Barham are seen to be among the contenders who would replace Brasher.

If an external review was then executed, key personnel at Tullamarine would face uncertain futures.

But the timing of any future review would be far from ideal, given the senior and assistant coaching landscape would most likely be sorted by the time it would be completed.





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Categories
Australia

Denmark Scout leader Beth Franz’s group faces closure as volunteering rates continue decline

woman sitting at a table

The internet didn’t exist and the 747 aircraft was still a year off taking its first flight when Beth Franz started volunteering in 1968.

The 87-year-old from Denmark, on WA’s south coast, has notched up 54 years of community service, helping ensure the survival of the local Scouts.

But she knows without more volunteers, the group’s days are numbered.

A life of volunteering

The value of volunteering was ingrained into Ms Franz from birth, with her mother playing an active role in the local Parents and Citizens (P&C) and progress association.

“I’ve grown up with it,” she said.

a woman standing with some kids, all are in yellow and blue scout uniforms.
Ms Franz has been attending the Denmark Scout Hall for decades.(Supplied: Beth Franz)

“It helped others and it gave to other people.”

She remembers introducing her son to Scouts when he was 8.

“I said to the leaders there if you need any help just ask,” she said.

“Two weeks later, I was in uniform.”

Volunteer decline

Widowed at just 46, and with adult kids, Ms Franz has dedicated most of her life to the Denmark Scouts — but the group’s inability to attract new leaders means its future hangs in the balance.

Ms Franz is one of only two leaders in Denmark with a group of about 15 kids.

“I can’t put my finger on why but there is a reason why we’re not getting the volunteers like we used to,” she said.

a woman standing with people
Ms Franz at a Great Southern Scout Fellowship gathering in 2020.(Supplied: Beth Franz)

It’s a challenge many volunteer groups are facing.

Volunteering WA figures show about 25 per cent of people in the state currently volunteer — a rate which has dropped by 10 per cent since 2020.

Volunteering WA chief executive Tina Williams said extra life pressures were a contributing factor.

“A lot of it comes down to more single-parent households … people not having as much time,” she said.

“I think [there are] more financial pressures … people are actually retiring later or even supporting families.”

She said there were about 150,000 fewer volunteers in WA compared to 2019.

Group’s future uncertain

Ms Franz knows what the trend could mean for Denmark Scouts if the group closes.

“Headquarters come down and they take all the assets,” she said.

a woman holds a blanket up
Ms Franz has gathered many accolades during her time with Scouts.(ABC Great Southern: Tim Wong-See)

“Scouting is very hard to get going again in those small places.”

She said the lack of leaders meant the group had scaled back recruiting new Scouts.

“You need the leaders to have the children,” she said.

fond memories

Through her service Ms Franz has made life-long friends.

“I’ve just written a letter and sent a crochet blanket to a young lass called Phoebe in Derby who would now be in her 30s,” she said.

“She never comes to Denmark without seeing us.”

woman at a candy floss machine
Ms Franz says she was raised to appreciate the value of volunteering.(Supplied: Beth Franz)

Ms Franz tears up recalling a recent moment at the local pool when she didn’t have money to pay an entry fee.

“I got a tap on the shoulder, a six-foot-tall young man said to me ‘I’ll pay for her. She was my scout leader for years’,” she said.

“That paid back for everything.”

While Ms Franz acknowledges some people are too busy to volunteer, she remembers encountering similar challenges.

“Unfortunately, we were all very busy as well when we were young,” she said.

And while she doesn’t think younger people need to “toughen up”, Ms Franz did urge them to look at life from a broader perspective and made a compassionate plea for new volunteers to get involved.

“Not toughen up but have some fun,” she said.

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Categories
Technology

All the Weird and Wonderful Tech and Game Commercials That Live Rent Free in My Head

All the Weird and Wonderful Tech and Game Commercials That Live Rent Free in My Head

A well-edited trailer can make any movie look good, but Hollywood has several minutes to convince a movie theatre’s captive audience that a flick is worth seeing. Advertisers limited to just 30 seconds of broadcast TV, when viewers are eager to do anything but pay attention, they have a much harder job. But that just encourages more creativity.

I don’t remember the last time I’ve voluntarily sat through an ad that wasn’t holding a longer video hostage, but commercials were a big part of my formative years before ad-free streaming services became an alternative to broadcast and cable TV . It’s a testament to the ad makers of the ’80s, ’90s, and early aughts that many of their frantic 30-second pitches still live in my head, particularly those that were trying to sell me the latest and greatest tech.

Commodore 64

The Commodore 64 was the first and foremost a home computer, with a grayish beige case that screamed, “who’s ready for some word processing?!” It played games too, however, which this ad frequently manages to earworm its way into my brain heavily leans on. A quick call to my parents has confirmed that, no, my own friends never knocked down my door to gain access to our family’s Commodore 64, which was probably for the best.

Nintendo Super Mario Bros. 3

When this commercial first started airing ahead of Super Mario Bros. 3‘s release in October of 1988, a family member insisted the chants of “Mario!, Mario!” were straight out of a cult’s playbook, in what I now assume was another attempt to further the popular narrative of the time that video games were evil. The unsolicited opinion didn’t dissuade us from thinking it was cool that thousands of people across the country got together to form a giant version of Mario’s face across North America in support of a video game: a feat that seems less impressive now that we all know about visual effects.

nintendo game boy

Looking back, I really don’t know how an alien robot materializing a boy holding a Game Boy with a blast from a fingertip ever made it past the pitch stage for this ad. There weren’t even any robot-themed games in the Game Boy’s limited launch lineup, but watching this kid defeat the alien (I’m assuming?) in a game of head-to-head Tetris and then vaporizing it made a device I was already obsessed with as a kid seemed even more amazing.

Sony Bravia – Paint

In the days of CRTs, Sony’s Bravia TVs were the ones to lust over. But the only thing that overshadowed the company’s hardware was the incredible commercials Sony created for the Bravia line, two of which I will never forget. The first takes place in an abandoned housing development destined to be demolished, but before the wrecking balls and bulldozers rolled in, the row houses and apartment buildings were subjected to a daytime fireworks show with colorful paint that exploded out of windows, erupted from geysers on the ground, and rained down on playground equipment. I’m still not sure what that clown was doing, but this ad takes a very simple idea and executes it masterfully and completely practically on set. There was no CG used here.

Sony Bravia – Bouncy Balls

The other memorable Sony Bravia commercial that’s a joy to watch again and again featured an even simpler idea than bombarding abandoned buildings with explosive paint. Sony found a quiet and very steep street in San Francisco and released hundreds of thousands of brightly colored balls that bounced their way down it while high-speed cameras captured all the action. To this day, I’m convinced that people who live on this street must still be finding bouncy balls in random places, as much as I want to believe that Sony cleaned all these up afterwards.

Apple iPod + iTunes

It didn’t take long for the iPod’s stark white earbuds to become a status symbol, nor did it take long for Apple to capitalize on that in its iPod advertising, the most memorable of which featured dancing characters silhouetted against brightly colored backgrounds as they danced along to bouncy tracks that undoubtedly cost Apple a small fortune to license. To this day, I can’t hear Jet’s Are you Gonna Be My Girl without picturing a pair of iPod earbuds wildly flailing about.

Gizmondo

We’ve got a real soft spot for the Gizmondo here, given the failed handheld shares our name, more or less. Like a lot of tech advertising in the early aughts, the Gizmondo is nowhere to be seen through most of this ad from 2005. Instead, slick CG of a bumblebee in an aeronautical research lab joins a narrator explaining that bees shouldn’t actually be able to fly based on the size of their wings, but do anyway. But it wasn’t wing size that prevented the Gizmondo from soaring to success: a lack of games and loads of corporate drama did that.

Nintendo Legend of Zelda

I had zero interest in Legend of Zelda games as a kid until playing through Link’s Awakening on the Game Boy: my own awakening for the series. Why the apathy? It was 100% a result of this utterly bizarre commercial for the original NES game that intermixed video clips of the game with footage of a turtle-necked man ranting and raving about the game and the various baddies like a bad fringe festival production. (I guess the ‘bad’ is always implied there.) This one was definitely a big miss from Nintendo’s marketing team, even if it did manage to spark many confused playground discussions.

Tiger HitClips

How do you sell a digital music player that can only actually play a 60-second, low fidelity, mono clip of a chart-topping song? You lean heavily on the cool factor with a spikey-haired spokesperson that looks like she might have been one of the founding members of the Danish-Norwegian Europop group, Aqua. The approach worked, as by June of 2002, two years after it launched, Tiger had sold over 20 million HitClips players and cartridges.

Nintendo Super Smash Bros.

Like many kids, I had to deal with parents who were concerned with my exposure to gratuitous violence in movies, on TV, and in video games. Just convincing them a video game console wouldn’t have a bad influence on me was a challenge, and one not made any easier with this infamous ad for the first Super Smash Bros. game on the N64 featuring beloved and eleven friendly Nintendo characters duking it out. It was a memorable ad, without a doubt, but also one that probably deterred many parents from getting the game for their kids.

Pioneer

It was a miracle that no one died when the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapsed in 1940 after 64 km/h winds caused uncontrollable oscillations that tore it apart, although a Cocker Spaniel named Tubby was believed to be the tragedy’s only fatality. That didn’t stop Pioneer from using the infamous black and white film footage from just before the bridge’s collapse in a clever commercial to sell sound systems, where the bridge’s violent oscillations are revealed to be instead caused by a driver with his music playing too loud .

Honda Accord – Cog

I would never really call myself a ‘car guy,’ and the usual approaches to selling vehicles mostly fall flat on me. But the one ad I’ve watched and re-watched more times than I can count is this brilliantly simple, yet incredibly complex, commercial for the Honda Accord featuring a Rube Goldberg machine made from actual Honda Accord parts. You learn nothing about the vehicle itself, but the tagline, “isn’t it nice, when things just…work?,” delivered after the chain reaction is over, leaves a lasting impression about the reliability of a Honda.

Categories
Entertainment

The Block’s Omar and Oz have a shock win as they take out bathroom week

The Block's Omar and Oz (pictured) took out bathroom week on Sunday night's reveal

The Block’s Omar and Oz won main bathroom week during the much-anticipated room reveals on Sunday night’s episode.

The Western Sydney best friends, who admittedly have limited experience in building and design, bowled the judges over.

The pair spent the least amount on their renovation at just $20,749, but took first place on the leaderboard with a total score of 26 out of 30.

The Block's Omar and Oz (pictured) took out bathroom week on Sunday night's reveal

The Block’s Omar and Oz (pictured) took out bathroom week on Sunday night’s reveal

‘I can’t believe this is Omar and Oz. Traditional and contemporary,’ said judge Shaynna Blaze, touring the boys’ flawless renovation.

Meanwhile, fellow judge Neale Whitaker said he ‘loved it’, before referring to the tiling and paneling used in the room.

The pair spent the least amount on the renovation at just $20,749, but took home the prize

The pair spent the least amount on the renovation at just $20,749, but took home the prize

'What is blowing me away is that these are all elements that shouldn't work together but they do,' Neale said of the pair's stunning bathroom

‘What is blowing me away is that these are all elements that shouldn’t work together but they do,’ Neale said of the pair’s stunning bathroom

‘What is blowing me away is that these are all elements that shouldn’t work together but they do,’ Neale said.

‘It’s beautiful. It works. It feels contemporary and country,’ I added.

Omar and Oz won the $250,000 upgrade for kitchen week as well as a $10,000 cash prize.

Tom and Sarah-Jane spent $22,700 on their renovation. The couple are proving strong contenders this season and were only beaten by half a point

Tom and Sarah-Jane spent $22,700 on their renovation. The couple are proving strong contenders this season and were only beaten by half a point

The boys were clearly thrilled with the win as they jumped up and down in delight.

‘We worked so hard for it,’ Omar said.

The Block: scoreboard for main bathroom reveal

Tom and Sarah-Jane: 25 ½

Rachel and Ryan: 23 ½

Ankur and Sharon: 20 ½

Dylan and Jenny: 25 ½

Omar and Oz: 26

Second place saw a tie with Tom and Sarah-Jane and Dylan and Jenny.

Both teams managed to score 25.5 out of 30.

Tom and Sarah-Jane spent $22,700 on their renovation.

‘This is a pretty stunning welcome to The Block for Tom and Sarah-Jane,’ Neale said of their bathroom.

‘The bold statements and bold colour. I’m excited about it,’ Shaynna added, going on to praise the couple for their mirror choice.

Darren erred on the size of the vanities which he considered ‘too small’ for a bathroom which would be shared by two people.

Meanwhile, Dylan and Jenny got flooded with praise.

The team spent $28,003 on their room renovation.

‘It feels contemporary but respectful of the house,’ Neale said.

Shaynna remarked it was obvious the pair were both carpenters.

‘Their execution level and attention to detail to their trade and their skill is phenomenal,’ Shaynna said.

Newcomers Rachel and Ryan impressed the judges with their bathroom but got criticized about their double showers, normally used in a master en suite.

Dylan and Jenny (bathroom pictured) scored praise from the judges: 'Their execution level and attention to detail to their trade and their skill is phenomenal,' Shaynna said

Dylan and Jenny (bathroom pictured) scored praise from the judges: ‘Their execution level and attention to detail to their trade and their skill is phenomenal,’ Shaynna said

The couple spent $33,500 on the room and scored 23.5/30.

‘They have six draws and power points, so they have really thought about [the function of the room],’ Shaynna said.

Neale added he couldn’t ‘commend them highly enough’ for their standing start on the show, saying: ‘It feels like an urban bathroom.’

Newcomers Rachel and Ryan (bathroom pictured) impressed the judges with their bathroom but they weren't sure about double showers, normally used in a master en suite

Newcomers Rachel and Ryan (bathroom pictured) impressed the judges with their bathroom but they weren’t sure about double showers, normally used in a master en suite

The judges did not hold back on Sharon and Ankur, who scored the lowest of the night

The couple spent $34,000 and scored just 20.5/30.

Shaynna was made furious by their tile choice with her lambasting the couple, saying it ‘wasn’t heritage’ at all.

Judges did not hold back on Sharon and Ankur, leaving the former Neighbors star in tears

Judges did not hold back on Sharon and Ankur, leaving the former Neighbors star in tears

‘If anything will get me angry. It’s doing this to that beautiful house we walked through,’ Shaynna said.

‘It’s brassy and shiny and something about it isn’t feeling authentic,’ Neale added of the style choices.

The Block continues on Monday at 7.30pm on Channel Nine

'If anyone house will get me angry. It's doing this to that beautiful house we walked through,' Shaynna said. Neale called it 'inauthentic' as well as 'brassy and shiny'

‘If anyone house will get me angry. It’s doing this to that beautiful house we walked through,’ Shaynna said. Neale called it ‘inauthentic’ as well as ‘brassy and shiny’

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Categories
Sports

Cricket news 2022: Marnus Stoinis seemingly accuses Muhammad Hasnain of illegal bowling action, The Hundred score

Cricket news 2022: Marnus Stoinis seemingly accuses Muhammad Hasnain of illegal bowling action, The Hundred score

Australian cricketer Marcus Stoinis has sparked fury after seemingly accusing Pakistan paceman Muhammad Hasnain of having an illegal bowling action during the Southern Brave’s seven-wicket loss to the Oval Invincibles.

Stoinis top-scored for the Brave on Sunday evening, dismissed by Hasnain for 37 (27) after sharing a 55-run partnership with Captain James Vince for the second wicket.

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The 32-year-old all-rounder attempted to slap a 142km/h short delivery down the ground, instead gifting England’s Will Jacks a regulation catch at mid-off.

But as Stoinis made his way towards the pavilion, he implied the 22-year-old’s bowling action was illegitimate by miming a chucking motion – a not-so-subtle jab at his recent suspension from the sport.

In February, Hasnain was found guilty of having an illegal bowling action after a Big Bash League umpire reported him during the Sydney Thunder’s victory over the Adelaide Strikers.

Hasnain underwent biomechanics tests in late January, with the findings from the Lahore University of Management Sciences confirming his action breached the ICC’s 15-degree limit for elbow extension.

The Pakistani quick has since been declared fit to bowl again after undergoing remedial work, and Stoinis could face disciplinary action for the misdemeanour.

The Age’s Daniel Brettig tweeted: “This is poor. There’sa system in place to regulate bowling actions and it doesn’t include publicly questioning your opponent’s integrity.”

The Times’ Elizabeth Ammon posted: “Wonder if Stoinis will be in trouble for this implication.”

Stoinis is not the first Australian cricketer to accuse Hasnain of chucking; During last summer’s second Sydney Smash contest at the SCG, Sixers captain Moises Henriques yelled, “Nice throw, mate” to Hasnain after he unleashed a bouncer.

“Right from the first game he played and through to the tournament, it seemed that there was a few question marks there,” Henriques told reporters at the time.

“I didn’t have the protractor out.

“I guess from my point of view, we already knew it had been reported. I feel like the umpires are a little bit hamstrung in terms of what they can actually do on the cricket field, because they’re so worried about backlash and public opinion.

“I could definitely argue that what he was doing was not in the spirit of the game.

“And I also agree that possibly I got a little bit emotional and frustrated and I was a bit overt with my comments out in the middle. But you know, I called a spade a spade and that was my opinion.

“From afar, he seems like a good kid… hopefully he can get that action right and pass the test and hopefully he can have a long career.

“As long as he’s playing within the rules of the game that everyone else has to abide by.

“Good luck to him. It looks like he could have a long future if that all gets sorted.”

Hasnain has represented Pakistan in eight ODIs and 18 T20Is since making his international debut in 2019, taking 29 wickets at 33.68.

The Invincibles chased the 138-run target with 18 balls to spare on Sunday, thanks largely to a blistering century from Jacks – the second hundred in the competition’s short history.

The 23-year-old smacked an undefeated 108 off 48 deliveries at The Oval, clearing the boundary rope on eight occasions.

Hasnain finished with figures of 1/27 off 15 deliveries, while Invincible teammate Reece Topley claimed 3/24 to help restrict the Brave to 6/137 from their 100 balls.

Elsewhere, Australian superstar Glenn Maxwell scored an unbeaten 43 (25) and snared a wicket in the London Spirit’s victory over the Northern Superchargers in Leeds.

The Brave will next face the Manchester Originals at Southampton’s Ageas Bowl on Friday morning AEST, with the first ball scheduled for 4pm.

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Categories
Australia

NSW Police fear Lametta Fadlallah, Amneh “Amy” al-Hazouri killing retribution

NSW Police fear Lametta Fadlallah, Amneh “Amy” al-Hazouri killing retribution

“There’s a lot of information and lines of inquiry that are happening as we speak,” he said.

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“We are taking this seriously. We’ll continue to work on this and hopefully get some answers for the families of both the women who have been shot down.”

Police fear the response from other gangland members could be extreme given the “rule book” of organized criminal violence has now been defied.

“It’s been long held in the past that you don’t target children and women or the family if there’s a conflict between two criminal networks,” he said.

“In this case, we’ve just seen the rule book completely ignored and thrown out the window. It is unprecedented. This one is now a new low.”

The two women were at the Panania residence with friends before a night out, and Hazouri, a hairdresser, was there to style Fadlallah’s hair, Nine News reported.

The Bankstown workplace of hairdresser Amneh al-Hazouri, known as Amy, who died after being shot on Saturday night.

The Bankstown workplace of hairdresser Amneh al-Hazouri, known as Amy, who died after being shot on Saturday night.Credit:Nick Moir

The 39-year-old – who police believe to have been collateral damage in the targeted act – was remembered in a social media tribute from her workplace on Sunday.

“We are shattered, our heart is broken, you left us too soon, may your memory be eternal GOD bless your soul. Till we meet again,” the post read.

A friend of Fadlallah’s, Gloria Poljak, also took to social media to pay tribute to her family.

“God bless you Lametta, praying for your son and your family,” she wrote.

“Thankful we shared a season in your life. You and your family are in my prayers.”

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Categories
Technology

Apex Legends players call for Respawn to revert Season 14 storm changes

Apex Legends players call for Respawn to revert Season 14 storm changes

Apex Legends players are calling for the developers to revert the changes made to the Ring in Season 14, as they claim

Season 14 of Apex Legends is well underway now, once again bringing a breath of fresh air to the battle royale with the addition of Vantage to the ever-growing roster of Legends.

The update also brought long-awaited changes that were requested by the community, such as a level cap increase, the removal of self-revive shields, and a ton of weapon adjustments.

However, the community isn’t sold on all of the dev’s decisions, as players have now banded together to demand Respawn revert the changes to the ring.

Vantage in Apex Legends with sniper

Respawn/EA

Loaded with her sniper rifle, Vantage was released on August 9.

In the August 9 update, the devs made adjustments to the game’s ring system, increasing the first ring damage from 2 to 3 hp per tick and decreasing the preshrink time from 180 seconds to 60. Additionally, the ring-closing time was increased on each map.

As noted in a recent Reddit thread, players aren’t pleased with the changes, with the community hitting out at the developers and calling for the changes to be reverted.

“The new ring changes are way too much,” one fan wrote. “The distance you have to travel, how fast the ring starts moving give you zero time to loot, if the ring is far enough the damage on round 1 closing alone is enough to kill you if you aren’t hoarding med kits. Just finding a syringe feels like a miracle.

“We need jump towers, or at least lower the damage of the storm. Round 2 closing feels like season 13’s round 3,” they added.

“I find myself looking for heals more than I do ammo,” said one player.

“I just think it’s crazy they removed the amount of jump towers the same season they changed the rings. Basically have to change your play style completely without any time to adapt to it,” another added.

The ring changes have certainly shaken up the game’s pacing for better or worse. But, we’ll just have to wait and see if the devs revert the changes after an outcry from the community.

Categories
Entertainment

Spiderman actor Tom Holland quits social media to protect his mental health

Spiderman actor Tom Holland quits social media to protect his mental health

He saves others from danger as superhero Spider-Man. Now Tom Holland has decided to save himself – by deleting his social media apps from his phone.

“I find Instagram and Twitter to be over-stimulating, to be overwhelming. I get caught up and I spiral when I read things about me online and ultimately it’s very detrimental to my mental state. So I decided to take a step back and delete the app,” he said.

Holland, 26, who has a combined Twitter and Instagram following of nearly seven million, made the announcement in a video posted online to support the Stem4 charity which promotes positive mental health for teenagers.

Making clear it was only a floating reappearance on Instagram, he wrote: “Hello and goodbye… I have been taking a break from social media for my mental health, but felt compelled to come on here to talk about Stem4… Please take the time to watch my video and, should you feel inclined to share it with anyone who it may resonate with, it would be greatly appreciated.”

This image released by Sony Pictures shows Zendaya, left, and Tom Holland in Columbia Pictures' "Spider-Man: No Way Home." (Sony Pictures via AP)
Camera IconZendaya and Tom Holland as Spiderman in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Credit: matt kennedy/AP

The Londoner, who is dating Spider-Man co-star Zendaya, 25, was inundated with messages of support including one from pop star Justin Bieber, 28, who wrote: “Love you man.”

My Family star Robert Lindsay, 72, also announced he was quitting Twitter yesterday – under orders from his son.

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Categories
Sports

PGA Tour 2022, St. Jude Championship, Will Zalatoris wins playoff, Sepp Straka, final leaderboard, results, video, FedEx Cup, Adam Scott

PGA Tour 2022, St. Jude Championship, Will Zalatoris wins playoff, Sepp Straka, final leaderboard, results, video, FedEx Cup, Adam Scott

Will Zalatoris has claimed his first-ever tournament win on tour, taking out the FedEx St. Jude Championship in a thrilling duel with Sepp Straka on Monday.

With the victory, Zalatoris rockets up to No.1 in the FedEx Cup points and takes home a cool $18 million ($A25m) in prize money.

It was a tight race to the finish, with Straka sinking a birdie putt to get to 14-under and tie Zalatoris for the lead on the 10th.

At that point the pair were two clear of the rest of the pack and just could not be separated, with Zalatoris salvaging pair with a chip shot on the par-4 15th.

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Unlucky two-stroke penalty costs Smith | 00:58

Straka then matched Zalatoris’ birdie on 16 to tie his rival at 15 under heading into the final two holes.

It would come down to the final hole of the round, with Zalatoris coming up clutch to drain a big par putt on 18, leaving Straka needing a birdie to win the tournament.

The Austrian responded with a spectacular shot from rough to put himself in a position to do that but missed the 22-foot putt just to the left, instead settling for par to force a playoff.

Straka took a gamble with a drive towards the water but it landed in the fairway while Zalatoris’ shot was in first cut right.

Zalatoris looked in with a chance of taking the win after a heavy putt from Straka but the Austrian came up clutch to save par and send it to another hole.

Zalatoris was up first on the second playoff hole, hitting it far right near the cart path but just inbounds while Straka’s tee shot went left, pulling up just short of the water and in the rough.

The American responded with a solid layup while Straka decided to take a stroke penalty, following it up with an unbelievable shot to put the pressure on Zalatoris.

The 25-year-old though came up big with a clutch putt to save par, which Straka matched to send the playoff to a third hole.

The drama, of course, was far from over with Zalatoris’ tee shot on the third danced on the rock wall before settling while Straka also sent his right as it bounced into the water.

Zalatoris' ball just stayed in.
Zalatoris’ ball just stayed in.Source: FOX SPORTS

Straka then put his next shot in the bunker, while after an agonizing debate with his team, Zalatoris opted to head to the drop zone.

It proved the right call in the end as Zalatoris hit it close to the hole to successfully putt seven foot for bogey and the win.

It was an incredible turnaround for Zalatoris, who was nine shots back in 86th place after the first round, with it looking more likely he would miss cut than win the whole thing.

Zalatoris’ fiancée even asked him what plans he had for the weekend, seemingly convinced he would not be going much further.

“She meant that in all good fun,” Zalatoris told reporters, later asked what answer he gave her.

“I told her let’s cross that bridge when we get there,” Zalatoris said, and it never came.

Instead, Zalatoris recovered to head into the final round just a few shots off the lead and would later be the winner of his first PGA Tour trophy.

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Elsewhere, Cameron Smith’s final round at the FedEx St Jude Championship may not have gone to plan but it was a different story for fellow Australian Adam Scott on Monday.

Scott entered the week at No. 77 in the FedEx Cup, needing to move his way into the top-70 to play in week two and did just that courtesy of a brilliant final round.

The 42-year-old carded a 66 in his final round to move up to 44th in the rankings, qualifying for next week’s BMW Championships as a result.

Scott had stormed to the top of the leaderboard at 11 under midway through the final round but will certainly still settle for Monday’s final result.

Smith finishes 13th in St Jude C’ship | 04:26

“I played really poorly yesterday and somehow shot a decent score and to turn it around and play solid today and give myself a chance to go through, I’m happy with that,” he told reporters.

“I get to play four rounds next week. My golf was been good and I’ve got nothing out of it, I feel like even though I’m not winning this event, I’m getting something out of this week so hopefully that’s good for the confidence going into next week.

“I feel like my game is in a good enough spot that I wasn’t searching for anything this week. It was really about putting my mind to do something and getting it done.

“Sometimes that is the hardest thing at this point in my career, week after week, switching the mind on all the time, floating around on auto pilot some times and that does not get you very far.”

Meanwhile, fellow Australian Smith, who was the betting favorite going into the final round of play, copped a two-stroke penalty in a big blow to his bid to become world number one.

FINAL LEADERBOARD

S1 — Will Zalatoris (-15) — won in playoff

T1 — Sepp Straka (-15)

S3 — Lucas Glover (-12)

S3—Brian Harman (-12)

S5—Trey Mullinax (-11)

S5—Matt Fitzpatrick (-11)

T5 — Tony Finau (-11)

S5—Andrew Putnam (-11)

S5—Adam Scott (-11)

S5—Colin Morikawa (-11)

S5—Jon Rahm (-11)

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