Capetown: Former international cricket umpire Rudi Koertzen died on Tuesday in a car accident in South Africa, his family said.
Koertzen, 73, was on the International Cricket Council’s elite panel of umpires for eight years and officiated in 331 matches, a record at the time of his retirement in 2010 that has since been surpassed by Pakistan’s Aleem Dar.
Rudi Koertzen during his last Test match in 2010. The South African former umpire has died aged 73.Credit:AP
“It is a very big loss, foremost for his family and then for South Africa and cricket,” Dar was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“I stood in so many games with him. He was not only very good as an umpire but also an excellent colleague, always very cooperative on the field and also always willing to help off the field.
“Because of the way he was, he was also well-respected by players.”
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Koertzen was famous for his unique method of giving a batter out, where he would slowly raise his left arm with his finger pointing at the batter. It became known as the “slow finger of death.” He was one of cricket’s most respected umpires.
“The passing of this titan is a sad loss for the game,” said Cricket South Africa CEO Pholetsi Moseki, who paid tribute to Koertzen’s “selfless dedication and commitment.”
South Africa’s Algoa FM radio station reported that Koertzen and three other people were killed in a head-on collision near the town of Riversdale in the Western Cape province. Koertzen was returning to his home in the Eastern Cape province after playing in a golf tournament when the crash happened, the station said.
A small plane made a crash landing and burst into flames on the 91 Freeway in Riverside County Tuesday afternoon in a dramatic incident that was captured on video.
Fortunately, no one was hurt.
The crash-landing happened at 12:31 pm in the eastbound lanes of the freeway near Lincoln Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Dramatic video obtained by KTLA shows the single-engine Piper Cherokee dropping from the sky, hitting the freeway, and then leaving a trail of burning fuel as it slides toward the sound barrier.
“The pilot claims to have experienced possible engine failure on their final descent to Corona Municipal Airport,” CHP Capt. Levi Miller said.
The plane also hit a truck carrying three people.
Incredibly, both the pilot and passenger on the plane and all three occupants in the truck escaped unharmed.
“(We’re) very fortunate today that the traffic was light, and the pilot appears to have made some good landing navigation that avoided what could have been a very bad tragedy,” Miller said.
Eastbound lanes of the 91 Freeway were closed for several hours as authorities investigated the crash and removed the wreckage.
A traveler has detailed the shocking moment she was “kicked off” a Jetstar flight after being mistakenly told she had a “dangerous” item in her checked suitcase.
Clare Vertannes was in her seat ready for takeoff from Sydney to Perth shortly after 12pm on April 10 when a flight attendant told her she could no longer fly with the budget airline.
WATCH VIDEO ABOVE: Clare shares her Jetstar debacle story
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The 26-year-old event coordinator claims she started to “panic” when she was ordered off the flight without any explanation.
“I kept asking the flight attendant what was going on and I essentially started to freak out. Many thoughts started to rush through my head at this point,” Clare tells 7Life.
“I felt beyond confused and in disbelief because I had no idea what was going on.”
Clare Vertannes was traveling from Sydney to Perth on April 10. Credit: Clare Vertannes
Eventually, she was told there was a “dangerous” battery pack in her checked luggage – but Clare insisted hers was in her carry-on handbag.
“I knew my battery pack was not in my suitcase because it was in my handbag, which I proceeded to take out and show her,” Clare claims.
“After I showed her my battery pack and tried to tell her that there had been a mistake, she proceeded not to acknowledge what I was saying and kept repeating that I needed to collect my suitcase from baggage claim.”
Realizing she would miss her existing flight, Clare – who was visiting Sydney on a work trip – asked whether she was going to be put on the next plane to Perth.
‘angry and annoyed’
“The flight attendant said to me… that Jetstar will not be paying for another seat for me,” she claims.
“She said it was my fault that I had held up all these people on the plane and that I, in fact, had to compensate them because I had held up the scheduled flight.
“Again, I was in disbelief and this is when I started to feel angry and annoyed because she was blaming me and not giving me the benefit of the doubt.”
A traveler claimed she was ‘kicked off’ a Jetstar flight after being mistakenly told she had a ‘dangerous’ item in her checked suitcase. Credit: Clare Vertannes
Clare says she was left in tears by the time she arrived at baggage claim.
As she made her way to the counter, she was allegedly told her checked suitcase did not contain any “dangerous” item.
“The staff member said, ‘I’m so sorry, there’s been a miscommunication… there is nothing wrong with your bags – I left the desk to go to the bathroom and came back to this mess, I’m so, so sorry’,” Clare recalls.
“Honestly, I was hoping there was something in my suitcase so this drama wasn’t for nothing.”
‘Absolute s*** show’
Furious, Clare says she started to “raise her voice” because she was “upset and emotional” over the debacle.
“I got very angry and started to vent to her about how ridiculous this is and how it was an absolute s*** show,” she says.
“But then I started apologizing to the staff member because I knew it wasn’t her fault.
“After all that, I took a moment to breathe and said, ‘Ok, well, it is what it is, what’s the plan now? Can I get on the next flight?’ She said, ‘There’s no more flights to Perth until tomorrow’.
“I then told her that I needed to be on a flight back to Perth today and that I’d sit and wait for a flight – and that’s what I did.”
Clare was offered a free Qantas flight on the same day – but had to wait seven hours. Credit: Clare Vertannes
After waiting for an hour, Clare was offered a free Qantas flight to Perth on the same day – but she needed to wait seven hours.
“Qantas had a spare seat and they had secured it for me. No upgrades or compensation – just the seat,” she says.
During the wait, she tried to leave her suitcase at the airport so she could return to the city – but was told she needed to pay an extra $50 for storage.
“When they were asking me to pay to put my luggage somewhere after the whole order, I was over it,” she says.
“I decided to lug my suitcase back to the city. I ended up catching a cab because the trains weren’t working.”
‘I was shook’
In a shock turn of events, Clare received an email from Jetstar saying she was charged $10 for a pie under her seat number – despite her having been kicked off the flight.
“I remember sitting in my (Qantas) seat, thinking what else could possibly happen? And then I get an email from Jetstar. It goes: ‘Thank you so much for your pie purchase on your recent Jetstar flight’,” she says.
“I was shook… Someone on my flight had charged a foot to my seat and I got that invoice.
“Honestly, I was just in disbelief. I was thinking, ‘Is this real? Are they having me for a laugh?’ I was done at this point.”
Jetstar offered a refund and voucher, left, but charged $10 for a pie to her seat – despite having been kicked off the flight. Credit: Clare Vertannes
After the mishap, Jetstar offered her a $116.22 cash refund and a $350.78 voucher.
However, Clare is demanding a full cash refund of $467 and a $50 reimbursement for the taxi fare into the city.
“They didn’t give me the compensation I asked for, but they sent me a voucher to ‘compensate’ for the flight I was kicked off,” she says.
“I don’t know why they bothered giving me a voucher – it’s not like I will be flying with them again.”
Jetstar responds
In a letter to Clare, a Jetstar employee explained why the airline was unable to offer her a “monetary refund”.
“I hope you’d appreciate that we can only return something to you in its original form,” the letter read.
“Since you have paid for this booking using a voucher and a credit card payment, we can only process a voucher equivalent to the amount paid via voucher and a cash refund equivalent to the amount paid via credit card.
“We are unable to process a cash refund for a booking which wasn’t paid in cash in the first place.”
Clare demanded a full cash refund – but Jetstar has since declined. Credit: Clare Vertannes
The letter added: “We have assessed your claim in line with all relevant laws and conventions and I appreciate how unhappy you are with this outcome.
“However, we’re comfortable that we’ve met our obligations under applicable law by providing this outcome to you.
“We will respect your opinion and decision on this matter however our position remains the same.”
A Jetstar spokesman told 7NEWS.com.au: “We sincerely apologize for any misunderstanding and are looking into what took place.”
Four months on from the flight drama, Clare is speaking out about the ordeal on TikTok.
“Now that I’ve overcome my PTSD, I can finally share to you all the trauma that Jetstar gave me,” she said in a now-viral video with more than 700,000 views.
She adds: “I’m glad I shared my experience though because everyone is starting to share their horror stories too and hopefully something will change on how budget airlines treat their customers.”
CHEP has launched a new campaign and brand platform for La Trobe University in its first work for the institution since being appointed as its creative agency earlier this year.
The new platform, ‘The Impact is Real’ demonstrates the effects that La Trobe students, academics and partners are having on people’s lives, showing the university’s strength in health, science and technology.
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The campaign is spearheaded by a brand film featuring current La Trobe University students, including The Australian Ballet’s principal artists, Benedicte Bemet, who studies a bachelor of psychological science.
The spot will roll out on TV, with integrated activations across radio, OOH, cinema and digital channels.
La Trobe University chief marketing officer, Natalie Ellisdon, said: “La Trobe is focused on delivering real impact in our communities today, not just tomorrow. We do this by our close collaborations with industry, conducting relevant research and focusing on building the skills of our students so that they have tangible experience that is directly and immediately applicable in the work that they do. Our focus and growth in the areas of health, science and technology and the growing needs of society in these areas means this impact will only continue to expand well into the future”
La Trobe University director of brand & creative, Darcy Muller, added: “We wanted to position La Trobe as a University that has a clear focus and is differentiated from its peers. Most universities talk about intangible ideas of changing the world, but we want to show how La Trobe people actually affect lives right now”.
CHEP general manager, Thomas Penn, commented: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with an ambitious brand that’s truly preparing Australians to make a positive impact in the new economy. La Trobe University’s impact on its students is apparent in all that they achieve, and we look forward to continuing to tell that story under this new brand platform.”
Manly’s exit from the finals race last week has ended Tom Trbojevic’s dream of returning to play this season and make a late bid for Australia’s World Cup team.
The star fullback suffered what was thought to be a season-ending shoulder injury in round 11, but two weeks ago declared his rehab was going well and he was eyeing a shock return before year’s end.
But Manly will now tell Turbo to just concentrate on getting himself right for 2023.
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The brilliant fullback may still have been a chance at selection for the World Cup in England in October and November, but Manly don’t want him to risk injuring himself again.
One of the game’s genuine match-winners, Trbojevic was superb last season, winning the Dally M Medal, and started this year strongly before his shoulder was dislocated in an awkward tackle.
Jake and Tom Trbojevic (AAP)
PANTHER LOOKING FOR OUTSIDE OPPORTUNITY
The most talked about player in rugby league this week – young Panthers utility Jaeman Salmon – is in danger of being lost to the club at the end of the season.
But his likely exit has nothing to do with Ricky Stuart’s epic spray in the press conference after Penrith’s win over Canberra.
Stream the NRL premiership 2022 live and free on9Now
It all comes down to opportunity – like Sean O’Sullivan, Salmon has had a frustrating time playing behind the Panthers’ gun halves Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai.
O’Sullivan saw the writing on the wall and signed with the Dolphins for next year, while Salmon is a free agent and has been in talks with at least one rival Sydney-based club.
Jaeman Salmon of the Panthers scores a try against the Raiders. (Getty)
TIGERS PLAY HARDBALL OVER STAR
Tigers fans are probably feeling nervous after star signing Isaiah Papali’i appeared to consider back-tracking on his deal to join the club in media interviews on Monday.
“I’ve got a season to finish off and then I can worry about all that after,” he said.
“When it does come time to have that talk (with the Tigers), we’ll definitely have that talk behind the scenes.”
But the Tigers are prepared to play hardball to ensure Papali’i honors the deal he signed, which has been registered with the NRL.
The club has let three backrowers go for next season to be able to afford Papali’i and if he doesn’t come, their pack will be a shambles.
For that reason alone, the Tigers won’t even consider releasing the powerhouse forward.
Star considers backflip on Tigers
FLYER LINKED TO KNIGHTS MOVE
There’s been plenty of talk linking former Eels trying scoring sensation Bevan French to Newcastle next season, but Wigan won’t let the speedy utility go without a fight.
French wants to return to Australia after four years in England where he has proved himself a fan favourite.
Last month, he set a new Super League record by scoring seven tries during a 60-0 win over Hull FC.
Wigan will throw more money at French than the Knights are prepared to pay, leaving him with the old dilemma – money or happiness.
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The backstories and controversies that have ignited feuds involving athletes
The acting Prime Minister insists there is little the federal government can do to ward off constant Chinese criticism of Australia, as Beijing lashes out against international condemnation of its military drills in the Taiwan Strait.
Key points:
Richard Marles says a more diplomatic approach with China may do nothing to improve relations
China has threatened to continue conducting combat exercises around Taiwan
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister has thanked countries that have stepped up to China
Australia has joined with other nations to condemn Beijing’s decision to extend military drills around Taiwan, triggered by a visit to the island from United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Chinese officials said condemnation by Australia was undermining regional peace and stability, and amounted to meddling in its affairs.
Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles dismissed that accusation and said it was up to China whether relations with Australia thawed or deteriorated again.
“If engaging in a more respectful, diplomatic way takes us some way down a path, it does — and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t,” Mr Marles said.
“We can only control our end of this equation. But we will always be speaking up for the national interest.”
Taiwan has been preparing air raid shelters and conducting drills as Chinese military air and naval combat exercises have increased around the island.
Taiwan thanks ‘courageous’ nations stepping up to China
In a briefing to media yesterday, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu, expressed his gratitude to the nations that had supported his country.
“Taiwan is grateful to all of its friends around the world who have stood up courageously to condemn China’s actions and to support Taiwan,” Mr Wu said.
“It also sends a clear message to the world that democracy will not bow to the intimidation of authoritarianism.”
The People’s Republic of China has threatened to continue regular drills as it seeks its decades-long goal of bringing Taiwan under Beijing’s rule.
Mr Marles called on China to end his combat exercises and maintain the status quo.
“I think there would be a sigh of relief around the world if we were to see a de-escalation of tensions in the Taiwan Strait,” he said.
“It is critical that we return to a much more peaceful and normal set of behaviours.
“What we are seeing there is very concerning.”
Mr Wu warned China was testing agreements that had been in place for decades.
“The median line of the Taiwan Strait has been there for decades, safeguarding peace and stability as well as the status quo across the Taiwan Strait,” he warned.
“And China is trying to wreck that.”‘
Chinese ambassador Xiao Qian is set to deliver an address at the National Press Club later today.
CROWN, Calif. (KABC) — A single-engine airplane crashed into a pickup truck on the 91 Freeway in Corona and then burst into flames, authorities said.
The California Highway Patrol began receiving reports of a plane crash just after 12:30 pm on Tuesday.
The incident happened along the eastbound lanes at Lincoln Avenue.
WATCH | Surveillance video shows plane crash-landing on 91 Freeway in Corona
CHP officials said there were two people on the plane and three in the truck. Thankfully, everyone was able to walk away unharmed.
The single-engine Piper Cherokee aircraft erupted into flames following the crash, but firefighters put the blaze out quickly.
The pilot said the crash may have been caused by possible engine failure during the plane’s final descent into Corona Municipal Airport. The exact cause has not yet been determined.
Authorities say it could have been much worse if the crash occurred during rush hour.
“Absolutely very fortunate today. The traffic was light, and the pilot appears to have made some good landing navigations and avoided what could have been a very bad tragedy,” said CHP Capt. Levi Miller.
The two right lanes on the eastbound 91 and the Lincoln on-ramp were closed and expected to remain shut down through much of the afternoon rush. Drivers in the area were urged to seek an alternate route as authorities cleared the scene.
Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration issued the following statement:
“An unidentified small plane landed on the eastbound 91 Freeway near Interstate 15 in Corona, Calif., around 12:30 local time today. Two people were on board. The FAA will investigate. The agency does not identify people involved in aircraft accidents or incidents.”
The local boss of e-commerce giant Amazon says Australian consumers are flocking to the site to sign up for subscription deliveries of household staples as the retailer ups the ante on fast delivery in major cities.
Country manager for Amazon Australia Janet Menzies said that despite concerns about slower consumer spending, most product categories saw an uplift in sales during the company’s recent Prime Day sale event – with pantry items, beauty and personal care goods performing strongly.
Amazon Australia’s Janet Menzies says shoppers want reliable and speedy delivery now more than ever. Credit:Oscar Coleman
“I think what is most important [at the moment] is value – and we saw on Prime Day that people are willing to spend,” she said.
Grocery and household staples have been a drawcard for customers on the platform, with Menzies highlighting strong demand for the company’s “subscribe and save” feature, which gives users a small discount for scheduling repeat deliveries of things like toilet paper, dog food and soft drinks .
“We have thought a lot about this program and when it is useful — usually, it’s something that is a consumable. And it started off as everyday essentials in the kitchen, but now you can even get ‘subscribe and save’ on [printer] toner,” Menzies said.
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It’s been close to five years since Amazon launched in Australia and while the company’s growth has been gradual, revenues surged throughout the pandemic to hit $1.75 billion in 2021. Its 2022 financials are yet to be filed with the corporate regulator.
Amazon is well-known for its superfast product delivery, with the company pioneering the model of parcels arriving in as little as two hours across the US.
On Wednesday, the company confirmed that years after making its first deliveries, it is now ready to expand free one-day delivery to hundreds of thousands of products in Melbourne and Sydney for customers who sign up to Amazon’s Prime membership program.
Google hit Sonos with two lawsuits on Monday, claiming patent infringement on seven different technologies associated with smart speakers, as part of its ongoing battle with the audio hardware biz over intellectual property.
Both companies previously collaborated on building software to support audio devices, but their relationship soured when Sonos cried foul play two years ago, alleging Google had copied five of its patents after the search giant launched its voice-activated speaker Google Home. The patents describe how smart speakers can wirelessly play music across different rooms.
Google, in return, countersued and claimed Sonos had, in fact, stolen IP from five of its patents relating to content availability search, noise control, and more.
Sonos reacted by filing yet another lawsuit, claiming Google had actually ripped off more than five of its patents over years. America’s International Trade Commission sided with speaker biz in its original lawsuit, and agreed Google had infringed five of Sonos IP filings. Engineers at Google scrambled to make software changes to its products to skirt the judge’s decision banning imported devices built on Sonos’ technology into the US.
Google isn’t letting the matter rest, however, and has decided to sue Sonos again. The two lawsuits filed to the District Court of Northern California in San Francisco, claim its rivals have infringed upon US Patent Numbers: 10,593,330, 10,134,398, and 7,705,565 in one complaint [PDF]and 11,024,311, 9,812,128, 9,632,748, and 11,050,615 in the other [PDF]. These patents cover a range of applications, ranging from wireless charging to hotword detection to audio input monitoring.
Google said it was “proud” of its “multi-year partnership” with the smart speaker biz, and it even made its virtual Google Assistant available on Sonos’ speakers. “Sonos has made false claims about the companies’ shared work and Google’s technology in the lawsuits that Sonos filed against Google. While Google rarely sues other companies for patent infringement, it must assert its intellectual property rights here,” it alleged.
“Rather than compete on the basis of innovation and product quality, Sonos has decided to compete in the courtroom, and started an aggressive and misleading campaign against our products, at the expense of our shared customers,” José Castañeda, a Google spokesperson told The Register. :We prefer innovation to litigation but their actions leave us no choice but to defend our technology and challenge Sonos’s clear, continued infringement of our patents.”
Sonos’ chief legal officer, Eddie Lazarus, hit back and called Google’s latest IP theft claims an “intimidation tactic” to retaliate against the company. “Google previously sued us all over the world and Sonos has prevailed in every decided case. By contrast, the courts have repeatedly validated Sonos’ claims that Google is infringing its core patented smart speaker technology,” he told The Register.
“Google’s new lawsuits are an intimidation tactic designed to retaliate against Sonos for speaking out against Google’s monopolistic practices, avoid paying Sonos a fair royalty for the roughly 200 patents it is currently infringing, and grind down a smaller competitor whose innovations it has misappropriated. It will not succeed.” ®
New Zealand Cricket has agreed to release Trent Boult from his central contract after the fast bowler requested to spend more time with his family and to make himself available for T20 leagues with his international career now to be “significantly reduced”.
Boult, 33, had held several conversations with NZC prior to Wednesday’s announcement. The move will have huge ramifications for New Zealand given the proliferation of T20 leagues that are popping up within the time period of their summer domestic season.
NZC released a statement explaining that Boult had made it clear to NZC chief executive David White that his appetite for touring had diminished and he wished to spend more time with his family.
“This has been a really tough decision for me and I’d like to thank NZC for their support in getting to this point,” Boult said.
“Playing cricket for my country was a childhood dream and I’m so proud of everything I’ve been able to achieve with the Black Caps over the past 12 years.
“Ultimately this decision is about my wife Gert and our three young boys. Family has always been the biggest motivator for me and I feel comfortable with putting it first and preparing ourselves for life after cricket.”
Boult has not retired from international cricket but he is likely to play a lot less with White confirming that Boult was aware of the ramifications of his decision and that NZC would prioritize contracted players.
“We’ve had several conversations and I know Trent understands that, in terms of selection, NZC will continue to make a priority of those players with either central or domestic contracts,” White said.
Boult understood that his decision would affect his selection for New Zealand.
“I still have a big desire to represent my country and feel I have the skills to deliver at the international level,” he said. “However, I respect the fact that not having a national contract will affect my chances of selection.
“Having said that, as a fast bowler I know I have a limited career span, and I feel the time is right to move into this next phase.”
White said he was sad to be losing Boult as a centrally contracted player but understood his decision.
“We respect Trent’s position,” White said. “He’s been completely honest and up-front with us about his reasoning about him and, while we’re sad to be losing him as a fully-contracted player, he leaves with our best wishes and our sincere thanks.
“Trent’s made a massive contribution to the Black Caps since his Test debut in late 2011 and is now considered one of the best multi-format cricketers in the world. We’re very proud of what he’s achieved.”
Earlier this year, Boult went straight from the IPL into the Test series against England. He played 16 games for Rajasthan Royals, including the final in Ahmedabad on May 29, before playing in the Test match at Lord’s just five days later on June 2 where he bowled nearly 38 overs. However, he has since been rested from New Zealand’s limited-overs tours around Europe but is part of the current squad in West Indies and will complete that series.
Boult has represented New Zealand 215 times across all three formats after debuting against Australia in the famous 2011 Test victory in Hobart. He is one of only four men to have taken 300 Test wickets for New Zealand, having taken 317 scalps at 27.49 with 10 five-wicket hauls and one ten-for. He also has 169 ODI wickets and 62 in T20Is. He is currently the No.1 ranked ODI bowler in the world and is ranked 11th on the Test rankings.
