Month: August 2022

Categories
Business

2022 Ford Ranger Raptor first drive

2022 Ford Ranger Raptor first drive

Two removable covers in the lower bumper of the second-generation Ford Ranger Raptor give an insight into the tough truck’s capability. Stamped with “remove before flight”, they’re proof the pinnacle of the new Ranger line-up is designed to make you smile – and that it may not always have its wheels on the ground.

I learn this seconds after being asked to brake to 110km/h on a dusty, bumpy dirt track as we bound towards a tabletop rise.

The Raptor heads for the sky before landing with cat-like dexterity, an amazing feat from a 2.4-tonne-plus ute engineered to go fast over just about any terrain.

Our drive is well away from public roads on a private property in the South Australian outback where development mules have been pummeled and punished over tens of thousands of kilometers.

Australia is the global design and engineering hub for the new Ranger and its vast selection of harsh roads makes it the ideal test bed for a truck that will be sold across the globe.

The all-new Raptor builds on a successful formula but its heart has been seriously boosted.

Rather than a fuel-sipping diesel, the new Raptor has a 3.0-liter twin-turbo petrol V6.

Its 292kW and 583Nm outputs are akin to a V8 – and there’s a thirst to match. It slurps a claimed 11.5 liters per 100km but expect real-world use to be higher.

Teamed with a 10-speed automatic, the engine can blast the Raptor to 100km/h in about six seconds – over just about any terrain, courtesy of a permanent four-wheel drive system.

It’s fiery and fast, the engine building enthusiasm as revs rise.

The black twin exhaust tips of these development vehicles have been sandblasted from gravel spewing out from the broad off-road tires, but production versions have a hardier, shiny stainless steel finish.

The Raptor does without the Eco or Tow drive modes in the regular Ranger, replacing them with Sport and Baja settings.

Baja mode keeps the turbo spinning between stabs of the throttle to reduce lag and improve response when darting between corners. It also adds a rortier snarl to the exhaust and preps the suspension for high-speed attacks.

The brakes – discs all around, now with an electronic booster – are primed for gravel, allowing some skidding for added bite on dirt.

The Raptor’s secret sauce is suspension that bears little resemblance to the rugged setup in garden variety Rangers. Left- and right-hand wheels are 60mm further apart, there are bulging wheel arches (the Raptor is 110mm wider than regular Rangers) and there’s a more sophisticated coil-spring system replacing leafs at the back.

The chassis has been strengthened and off-road specialist Fox developed race-inspired shock absorbers with “position-sensitive damping”.

It’s on the landing from a brief airborne excursion that you appreciate the weakness of its control, the dampers almost instantaneously firming towards the end of the suspension travel. They can also tighten to reduce squatting on fast take-offs.

The Raptor points sharply on this challenging terrain and bumps doing little to upset things.

The work going on at ground level means you can cover rough ground ludicrously fast but with control and composure no normal ute comes close to.

It’s an impressive effort for a ute that also tows 2500kg and carries 717 kilograms in a tray that accommodates a pallet.

Rugged BF Goodrich off-road tires claw the loose gravel beautifully, giving the Raptor rally car-like traction. We’ve previously been less impressed with them on wet bitumen, but that’s not the prime remit of the Raptor.

The new Raptor doesn’t come cheap, although against other muscle machines it’s arguably a bargain, starting at about $92,000 drive-away. “Code Orange” highlights – including a rally-like center marker on the steering wheel – and heavily bolstered seats with Raptor badging reinforce the image.

It gets most of the equipment on the Ranger Wildtrak, including ambient lighting, a 360-degree camera, 12-inch touchscreen, over-the-air software updates and a range of active safety systems.

To that it adds a broader 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster and a Premium Pack with 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio, overhead auxiliary switches and matrix LED headlights.

But’s it’s the added V6 muscle and impressive dynamic nous that transforms this ute from a workhorse into a roadgoing off-road racer with genuine pace. The original Raptor was proof of concept, the new one has added pace to match its muscles.

VERDICT

The ute equivalent of a GT3 racer covers rough ground ludicrously quickly.

FORD RANGER RAPTOR

PRICE From about $92,000 plus on-roads

WARRANTY/SERVICE 5 yrs/unlimited km, $1316 over four years

SAFETY Nine airbags, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, speed-sign recognition, 360-degree camera, driver monitor, blind-spot warning

ENGINE 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbocharged, 292kW/583Nm

THIRST 11.5L/100km

SPARE full size

TOWING/PAYLOAD 2500kg and 717kg

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Categories
Technology

Unreal Keanu TikTok Won’t Stop Gyrating At Me, Please Help

Unreal Keanu TikTok Won’t Stop Gyrating At Me, Please Help

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we actually have a TikTok account now. Give it a follow if you like.

That’s not the point of this story, though. The result of maintaining our new TikTok account is that I have spent quite a bit of time on TikTok as a result. And in amongst the noise on the app — the memes, the lightning fast tutorials, infinite dances, and honest-to-god musicals, I’ve seen things, things I wish I could delete from my memory.

I watched:

@unreal_keanu Dressing up like a cool guy #reeves #keanu #dressup ♬ original sound – Unreal Keanu Reeves

This is Unreal_Keanu. The account’s owner, whoever they may be, has created an entire account around making a digital Keanu Reeves act up.

The model used in these videos is the same one from that Matrix Resurrections Unreal Engine 5 demo that dropped shortly before Christmas. Even at the time, the quality of the model’s construction and its excellent motion capture had people wondering if this Keanu model was real.

Well, now he’s a dancing TikTok star, and the effect is eerie.

@unreal_keanu Who is the best dancer?😎 #keanu #reeves #dance #fyp ♬ We Don’t Talk About Bruno – Carolina Gaitán – La Gaita & Mauro Castillo & Adassa & Rhenzy Feliz & Diane Guerrero & Stephanie Beatriz & Encanto – Cast

The quality of the Unreal Keanu model is still tripping the sensors in my brain, leaping back and forward across the uncanny valley. As in the demo, there are moments where the model looks extremely lifelike and moments where it becomes wooden and deadeyed again. The illusion is helped along by deep-fakery to better sell the model’s expressions.

Anyway, it’s fucked up and it freaks me out. I have not followed this account, but it finds me anyway. The algorithm thrusts it into my feed, holding my eyes open like I’m in my own version of A Clockwork Orange. look at it, says something. Look at him rotate.

@unreal_keanu Dancing is the best cardio #reeves #keanu #beatit ♬ original sound – Scott Jackson

Please, Unreal_Keanu. I need this to stop, for both our sakes.

Categories
Sports

Dyson Heppell Gold Coast Suns offer, Essendon Bombers, Josh Kennedy West Coast Eagles, Melbourne Demons, Collingwood Magpies

Dyson Heppell Gold Coast Suns offer, Essendon Bombers, Josh Kennedy West Coast Eagles, Melbourne Demons, Collingwood Magpies

Bombers skipper Dyson Heppell is reportedly “tempted” by a long-term offer from a rival club.

Plus Victorian contenders have been urged to pursue retired Eagles champion Josh Kennedy.

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HEPPELL ‘TEMPTED’ BY SUNS OFFER

Bombers skipper Dyson Heppell is reportedly “tempted” by a potential four-year contract offer from the Gold Coast Suns, according to SEN’s Sam Edmund.

The Suns have already been linked to the 30-year old, who was made to wait until recent weeks to receive a one-year contract offer from Essendon amid rival interest.

Edmund reports the Suns’ four-year offer would likely entail two seasons as a player then another two campaigns as assistant coach, but that no formal deal has been tabled yet.

The Suns are interested in Heppell (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS

As Heppell is an unrestricted free agent, he could walk to another club without a trade being made.

The veteran has played all 20 games for the Bombers this season, averaging 22.2 disposals and 6.7 marks per contest.

Bombers coach Ben Rutten earlier this year said he hoped Heppell would remain at the club.

“Yeah, (we want him at the club next year) absolutely. We’re talking with Dyson at the moment about what that looks like so that won’t be too far off,” he said.

“We’ve been pretty clear with ‘Dys’ and have communicated with him about all that.”

VIC CONTENDERS URGED TO PURSUE RETIRED KENNEDY

Dual All-Australian Kane Cornes has urged Melbourne and Collingwood to try and lure retired Eagles champion Josh Kennedy east for next season.

Kennedy remarkably booted eight goals in his farewell game against Adelaide on Sunday — the equal second-most goals kicked by a player in their final match in VFL/AFL history — having called time on his career due to an ongoing knee issue.

However Cornes believes the Victorian rivals should make a play for the 34-year old without the expectation he needs to play every game.

Kennedy kicks EIGHT in his finale! | 01:25

“If I was a Melbourne or a Collingwood I’d be trying to get this guy out of retirement, look at what he did (against Adelaide),” he said on Channel 9’s Footy Classified.

“Sell it to him — you don’t have to train until January, we’re going to pay you a good contract for two years., you’ll play 16-17 games for the year.

“If he’s not a player that Melbourne be going after I’d be surprised.”

Kennedy has booted 723 goals from 293 AFL games.

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Categories
Australia

Victorians to get free N95 masks to try to relieve pressure on the health system

the victorian government is set to distribute three million free N95 and KN95 masks over the coming weeks to try to ease the pressure on the state’s health system.
Speaking outside Victorian parliament, Premier Daniel Andrews announced the free masks would be given out at COVID-19 testing sites, community health sites and across public transport.

Every person who attends COVID-19 testing sites over the next four to six weeks for a COVID-19 test will be given a box of 10 masks.

N95 masks are widely seen as more effectively than cloth masks.
N95 masks are widely seen as more effectively than cloth masks. (AP)

“We would encourage you to wear those, when you are inside, when you are on public transport,” Andrews said.

He said winter had been “one of the most difficult periods ever” for the state’s health system, and that mask wearing would help reduce pressure on the system.

Andrews said offering free masks was “the common sense thing to do” at this point.

“We’ve got the stock,” he said.

The government is “strongly recommending” masks be worn indoors in Victoria.

Premier Daniel Andrews
Premier Daniel Andrews has announced free masks will be distributed in Victoria. (Nine)

Victorians have been advised that while surgical masks provide protection against airborne viruses such as COVID-19 and influenza, N95 masks offer much better protection because they fit more closely to the wearer’s face.

Andrews confirmed that Victoria is coming towards the end of the current wave of COVID-19.

There are 40,001 known active cases in the state at the moment, including 673 in hospital and 32 in intensive care.

A further 44 deaths in people with the virus have been recorded today.

The subvariants and mutations of COVID-19

Categories
US

Albuquerque killings send fear through Islamic communities

Albuquerque killings send fear through Islamic communities

Authorities on Monday identified the fourth victim in a series of killings of Muslim men in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as the deaths sent ripples of fear through Islamic communities nationwide.

Three of the slayings happened in the last two weeks. Now law enforcement officials are seeking help finding a vehicle believed to be connected to the killings in New Mexico’s largest city. The common elements were the victims’ race and religion, officials said.

Naeem Hussain was killed Friday night, and ambush shootings killed three other Muslim men over the past nine months. Police are trying to determine if the homicides are linked.

The killings have spread fear beyond New Mexico, where Muslims comprise less than 1% of adults in the statewide population of 2.1 million, according to the Pew Research Center.

“The fact the suspect remains at large is terrifying,” Debbie Almontaser, a Muslim community leader in New York, wrote on Twitter. “Who is next?!”

In a phone interview, Almontaser said that a female friend who lives in Michigan and wears the hijab head covering shared with her over the weekend just how rattled she was. “She’s like, ‘This is so terrifying. I’m so scared. I travel alone,’” Almontaser said.

Hussain, 25, was from Pakistan. His death from him came just days after those of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, and Aftab Hussein, 41, who were also from Pakistan and members of the same mosque.

The earliest case involves the November killing of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, from Afghanistan.

Aneela Abad, general secretary at the Islamic Center of New Mexico, described a community reeling from the killings, its grief compounded by confusion and fear of what may follow.

“We are just completely shocked and still trying to comprehend and understand what happened, how and why,” she said.

Three of those killed attended the center, and the fourth was well-known in the community, Abad said.

Some people have avoided going out unless “absolutely necessary,” and some Muslim university students have been wondering whether it is safe for them to stay in the city. The center has also beefed up its security, she said.

Police said the same vehicle is suspected of being used in all four homicides — a dark gray or silver four-door Volkswagen that appears to be a Jetta or Passat with dark tinted windows. Authorities released photos hoping people could help identify the car and offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Investigators did not say where the images were taken or what led them to suspect the car was involved in the slayings. Police spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said in an email Monday that the agency has received tips regarding the car but did not elaborate.

“We have a very, very strong link,” Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said Sunday. “We have a vehicle of interest… We have got to find this vehicle.”

Gallegos said he could not comment on what kind of gun was used in the shootings, or whether police know how many suspects were involved in the violence.

President Joe Biden said he was “angered and saddened” by the killings and that his administration “stands strongly with the Muslim community.”

“These hateful attacks have no place in America,” Biden said Sunday in a tweet.

The conversation about safety has also dominated WhatsApp groups and email groups that Almontaser is on.

“What we’ve seen happen in New Mexico is very chilling for us as a Muslim minority community in the United States that has endured so much backlash and discrimination” since the 9/11 attacks, she said. “It’s frightening.”

Few anti-Muslim hate crimes have been recorded in Albuquerque over the last five years, according to FBI data cited by Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism and a professor of criminal justice at California State University at San Bernardino .

From 2017 through 2020, there was one anti-Muslim hate crime a year. The highest recent number was in 2016, when Albuquerque police recorded six out of a total of 25 hate crimes.

That largely tracks with national trends, which hit the lowest numbers in a decade in 2020, only to increase by 45% in 2021 in a dozen cities and states, Levin said.

Albuquerque authorities say they cannot determine if the slayings were hate crimes until they have identified a suspect and a motive.

Louis Schlesinger, a forensic psychology professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said bias killings are often perpetrated by a small group of people, typically young white men. A lone perpetrator is rare.

“These are basically total losers by every dimension, whether it’s social, economic, psychological, what have you,” he said. “They’re filled with hatred for one reason or another and target a particular group that they see, in their mind, to blame for all their problems in life.”

It was not clear whether the victims knew their attacker or attackers.

The most recent victim was found dead after police received a call of a shooting. Authorities declined to say whether the killing was carried out in a similar way to the other deaths.

Muhammad Afzaal Hussain had worked as a field organizer for a local congresswoman’s campaign.

Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury issued a statement praising him as “one of the kindest and hardest working people” she has ever known. She said the urban planner was “committed to making our public spaces work for every person and cleaning up legacy pollution.”

As land-use director for the city of Española — more than 85 miles (137 kilometers) north of Albuquerque — Hussain worked to improve conditions and inclusivity for disadvantaged minorities, according to the mayor’s office.

The city staff “has lost a member of our family, and we all have lost a brilliant public servant,” Spanish Major John Ramon Vigil said in a news release.

___

Dazio reported from Los Angeles and Fam from Winter Park, Florida. Associated Press writer Lindsay Whitehurst in Washington and AP news researchers Rhonda Shafner and Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report.

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Categories
Business

Starburst lollies vanish as Mars Wrigley says brand discontinued in Australia

Starburst lollies vanish as Mars Wrigley says brand discontinued in Australia

A confectionary brand has been forced to respond after lolly lovers spotted their favorite treat had mysteriously disappeared from shelves.

TikToker @nariman.dein took to the social media platform to ask if a conspiracy is underfoot, revealing she’d been looking for Starburst lollies everywhere with no luck.

“Can someone tell me where these lollies went,” she asked her followers.

“I’ve been looking everywhere in Sydney – Big W, Coles – these lollies don’t exist.”

She said the Starburst lollies were the best and asked if anyone else remembered the treats.

“Is there a conspiracy theory – did they just stop selling them and no one realized?” she asked.

Many of the TikToker’s followers echoed the claims, saying they also couldn’t find them.

“I miss the lollipops the most,” one person said.

Another added: “I love those lollies but they stopped selling them – like what, why?”

A third added: “Starburst is just gone I’ve been looking for them too.”

Someone else said: “No lollies compare to Starburst.”

Others claimed there was limited stock at their local IGA, and another added the range couldn’t be found in New Zealand.

The Starburst range included Chews, Babies, Snakes and lollipops.

A spokesperson from Mars Wrigley, which manufactures Starburst, revealed the true reason the popular treats were so hard to find currently in Australia. And for fans, it isn’t good news.

“We regularly review our Mars Wrigley product range to ensure we’re offering our consumers great tasting products that are also great value for money,” the spokesperson told news.com.au.

“Our STARBURST® products are imported from Europe and like many businesses that are importing products from overseas, the brand has been exposed to supply chain difficulties and rising cost pressures over the last two years.

“After reviewing all options, we’ve made the difficult decision to discontinue the brand in Australia from June 2022.

“As a proud Australian manufacturer for more than 60 years, we are taking this opportunity to prioritize and invest in the brands and products we make locally in Australia such as M&Ms, Maltesers, Skittles, Snickers, Extra and Eclipse.”

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Categories
Technology

Suspension innovation and collaboration between BMW and ZF

Suspension innovation and collaboration between BMW and ZF

BMW Motorrad Motorsport & ZF suspension

BMW Motorrad Motorsport and ZF’s partnership in the FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC) have seen them working together on developing new spring damper elements for the #37 BMW M 1000 RR of BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team in 2022.

BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team

A telescopic front fork made from carbon is in the spotlight of this partnership, with ZF previously developing customized racing clutches and shock absorbers for various BMW racing cars in action in Formula One, the DTM, at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring or in Formula BMW. As of this season, ZF is now also BMW Motorrad Motorsport’s technological partner.

ZF carbon fiber forks
ZF carbon fiber forks

The new telescopic front fork for the #37 BMW M 1000 RR made from carbon fiber composites was developed jointly by BMW Motorrad Motorsport, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team and ZF. This is the first time that a manufacturer has used a carbon fork in endurance racing.

The outer tube is made exclusively from carbon fiber, while the hybrid inner tube is made from a metal carbon fiber composite. Then there is the topology-optimized metal fork leg, which is glued to the hybrid inner tube.

e new telescopic front fork for the #37 BMW M 1000 RR made from carbon fiber composites

One major advantage of using carbon fiber is obvious, its low weight. This is a factor for efficiency and success in endurance racing in particular. In addition, the rigidity can be changed systematically, which impacts the handling of the motorcycle.

Marc Bongers – BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director

“Using this material and this technology allows us to shift the threshold at which body vibrations occur. One major focus during development was the design of the homogeneous bending loads. The goal being for the throttle response for the rider to be extremely subtle, even under the most extreme strains. And feedback from the riders confirmed that the goal was achieved.”

BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team

Developing new components for motorsport is always a challenge from an engineering perspective.

Henner Fröderking – ZF Engineer

“A large number of functions are squeezed into a very small space, and the requirements are obviously very different from in production. That means that you have to really distance yourself from the solutions used in series production. ZF has a great deal of experience with motorcycle chassis in series production. We were now tasked with finding detailed solutions that are tailor-made for motorsport.”

A motorsport fork must withstand extreme strains, it is an important component for the tuning of the motorcycle – and it must be designed in such a way that rapid spring changes and rapid maintenance, for example, take just a few minutes. The next challenge for engineer Fröderking and his colleagues in this project is the use of carbon fiber.

The carbon-fibre fork from ZF
Henner Fröderking

“You need to handle this material very differently to metal. This starts with the first design of the element calculation, during which you calculate the rigidity. The layer structure also needs to be integrated directly here. This is followed by the validation process, which shows whether the rigidity calculated in theory has been achieved in reality. Everything also needs to be subjected to overload, since safety is the number one priority. This shows whether the calculations were correct. And then the performance of the component also has to meet expectations.”

Marc Bongers

“The handling of a motorcycle is determined by everything that happens between the points of contact of the front and rear tyre. The fork is a key part of the overall package here, because it is important for how the rider feels when braking and cornering. However, this overall package also includes chassis and swingarm, for example. Then there are the practical requirements for the component in fine-tuning. We provided our input with all these various factors, and ZF implemented it with their technologies – and tailored the fork exactly to our extensive requirements.”

BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team

“The whole development process ran so superbly despite the coronavirus-related restrictions, meaning that we were able to roll out the new fork for the first time at Almeria in December 2021, and the results with a product as innovative as this one were so positive right from the start that we made every effort to implement the fork as quickly as possible. Both parties put a lot of energy into the further fine-tuning.”

And the successful roll-out of the fork was followed by another component: ZF and BMW Motorrad Motorsport also joined forces to develop a spring monoshock, which was tested for the first time in January.

The goal was to use both components at the season opener of the FIM EWC at Le Mans in April. ZF’s focus was now on ensuring the supply of parts for racing use.

#37 BMW M 1000 RR of BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team

At the same time, the intense phase of pre-season testing kicked off for the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team and riders Markus Reiterberger (GER), Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR), Jérémy Guarnoni (FRA) and Kenny Foray (FRA). If you want to use a component from the first race, this means you also need to ride with it in every test. This is because this kind of fork requires completing around 4000 kilometers to ensure that it is safe and durable.

Marc Bongers

“We did it, and competed using the new fork and the spring monoshock as of the first race of the season at Le Mans. And at the second race in Spa we got the first 24-hour win for BMW Motorrad which proves that this collaboration is bearing fruit.”

The #37 BMW M 1000 RR’s next outing with the ZF spring damper elements will be this coming weekend at the 8 Hours of Suzuka (JPN), the third round of the FIM EWC 2022.

Categories
Sports

Chris Lynn turns back on Big Bash League, signs for United Arab Emirates T20 tournament

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 31: Chris Lynn of the Heat skies a ball and is caught as he bats during the Big Bash League match between the Sydney Thunder and the Brisbane Heat at Manuka Oval, on January 31, 2021, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Australian cricketer Chris Lynn has officially turned his back on the Big Bash League, signing on for the inaugural International League T20 in the United Arab Emirates.

On Monday, Emirates Cricket announced that 54 international cricketers had agreed to participate in the newly-developed T20 league, which makes its debut in January 2023.

Lynn, one of the sport’s most destructive short-format batters, was the only Australian featured on a list headed by Ashes winner Moeen Ali and West Indies veteran Andre Russell.

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The 2023 ILT20 will have 34 matches, with all the teams playing each other twice before four playoffs fixtures across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

It’s understood the UAE league could offer players up to AU$700,000 for five weeks’ work.

“It’s exciting to see how well the squads are shaping up for the first season of ILT20,” Emirates Cricket General Secretary Mubashshir Usmani said in a statement.

“Each team will consist of 18 players including four UAE players and two other players from ICC Associate countries. The quality of the names announced today is outstanding and so is the interest in our league of top players from all around the world.

“We are very excited that a select number of UAE representative-players, from our current pool, will also be considered and signed on to participate in the league. It is also extremely important to note that these (UAE) players will form part of the team’s playing XI.

“One of the key objectives for ILT20 is to provide opportunities for players from UAE and other Associate nations to perform on the big stage, and, ECB extends its deep appreciation to the six franchises for their support of our vision to grow our game and create stronger, more competitive players.”

The announcement effectively confirms that Lynn, the highest run-scorer in Big Bash history, won’t sign for a BBL franchise this year.

In May, the Brisbane Heat elected not to renew the Queenslander’s $200,000 contract after a couple of underwhelming seasons in the domestic T20 tournament.

Lynn was not only one of the Heat’s foundation players, winning a BBL title with the Brisbane-based club in 2013, he also served as captain for several years.

According to The Agethe 32-year-old was unable to find another club willing to meet his asking price, although he had recently been in talks with the Adelaide Strikers.

The powerful right-hander has scored 3005 Big Bash runs at 34.54 at an imposing strike rate of 148.83.

Chris Lynn of Northamptonshire Steelbacks celebrates after scoring a century. Photo by David Rogers/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

Lynn has been in impeccable form this winter, recently smacking an unbeaten 113 from 57 balls in the T20 Blast to equal his highest individual score and set up a Northamptonshire victory.

Although the loss of Lynn is a massive blow for the BBL, Cricket Australia is reportedly on the verge of brokering a deal with superstar batter David Warner.

According to AustralianWarner has been offered a groundbreaking BBL contract above and beyond any previous player contract.

“I am very hopeful David will play BBL and I am hopeful that all of our best Australian cricketers will play in it,” Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive Todd Greenberg told the Cricket Et Cetera podcast this week.

“There’s a variety of reasons why. There’s absolutely no doubt that someone like David and others of his ilk could earn more in the coming Australian summer if they were to ply their trade overseas, but there’s a much broader discussion and a bigger picture we are trying to solve here and that’s the discussion I am having with several of our players this week.”

CA is desperate to ensure the sport’s biggest names will make an appearance in the BBL this summer; the competition has been starved of international-quality talent after the last two seasons were plagued by Covid-19.

Earlier this year, The Daily Telegraph reported that broadcaster Channel 7 had launched Federal Court action against CA in a bid to terminate its TV rights deal.

According to the News Corp report, Seven is adamant the cricketers that featured in last summer’s BBL were not of a high enough quality for the competition to meet the standard provisions stipulated in CA’s TV rights contract.

However, the Big Bash has already secured the services of former South African captain Faf du Plessis and Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan, while Australian stars Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Swepson, Nathan Lyon and Alex Carey have also signed for their respective BBL franchises.

Australia’s David Warner. Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA / AFPSource: AFP

“These leagues we are talking about at the moment are competing with our Australian domestic summer and that is the first time we’ve faced this, it is a unique challenge,” Greenberg said.

“The second thing is that the reasons they enjoy the benefits and remunerations that they enjoy under this model is because of those that came before them.

“David and others understand … and are very aware that if they play in this competition it increases the opportunity for the next broadcast deal to be secured at a higher number which maybe doesn’t benefit them specifically, but it benefits the next generation of Australian cricketers coming through.

“This is a real test of our players demonstrating the level of partnership.

“They understand they have to get the best players to play, which includes them and the best players from overseas, which is why we’ve agreed in this one-year deal to ensure that there is an international draft and salary cap – an opportunity to bring the best overseas players in.”

Because South Africa has withdrawn from next January’s three-match ODI series against Australia, the country’s international stars will be available for the second half of the BBL.

However, multi-format paceman Mitchell Starc has already decided he won’t be signing for any franchise due to the sport’s busy calendar, and Australian teammates Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins will most likely follow suit.

“I have always enjoyed the BBL when I have played it … but my approach with all franchise cricket hasn’t changed over the last seven years,” Starc told AAP earlier this month.

“My approach to the IPL, BBL, I have looked at the Australian schedule and wanting to be as fit and well-performed for that as I can.

“And franchise cricket has taken a back seat.”

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Categories
Australia

Canberra’s light rail to become wireless through Parliamentary Triangle with joint federal and ACT government funded contract

An artists impression showing London Circuit and Commonwealth Avenue.

Canberra’s light rail network will become wireless through the Parliamentary Triangle as construction continues into the city’s south, following a joint investment from the federal and ACT governments.

It was announced this morning that a contract had been awarded for early works on stage 2 of the network, with five new wire-free light rail vehicles to be introduced from 2024, while the existing vehicles would be retrofitted with onboard batteries.

In a statement, the ACT government said this would enable the vehicles to operate wirelessly along the route’s extension throughout the parliamentary zone, stage 2A to Commonwealth Park and stage 2B towards Woden respectively.

The government said it would also be expanding its light rail depot at Mitchell to facilitate the ongoing maintenance of the fleet, with construction expected to be completed in mid-2024.

Contract for wireless network a ‘critical milestone’

A light rail vehicle sits at an intersection in Canberra.
Work will be done to expand the light rail depot at Mitchell, before five new vehicles are introduced to the network.(ABC News: Ian Cutmore)

The government said work to raise London Circuit as part of the construction of light rail stage 2A was expected to commence “soon”.

“This will be followed by the submission of an environmental assessment and works approval application for the stage 2A project, so construction of the light rail line can commence soon after raising London Circuit is complete,” the statement said.

“Canberrans will be able to have their say on the final light rail design early next year, when it goes on public display as part of the works approval application.”

ACT Minister for Transport and City Services Chris Steel said the joint contract with the federal government was a “critical milestone” for the delivery of the light rail extension.

“We need to order new LRVs now, and upgrade our existing fleet and depot, to ensure we have enough vehicles manufactured, delivered, tested and ready to start services to Commonwealth Park when construction of the track is completed,” Mr Steel said.

“Moving to retrofit all existing LRVs with onboard energy systems for wire-free running shows our commitment to delivering light rail, not only to Commonwealth Park, but right through the Parliamentary Triangle to Woden.

“The five new vehicles will be built for Canberra’s future light rail system and will support the same high frequency services on the next stage that have been embraced by Canberrans on the first stage.”

Federal Member for Canberra Alicia Payne said the project would boost local employment.

“The LRV modifications and depot expansion will increase the network’s capability to improve connectivity for people needing to travel for work or to access services and events in the southern part of the city,” she said.

“This project and associated works are expected to support up to 1,000 jobs over its life, which is a significant amount of local employment.”

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US

The killings of 4 Muslim men across Albuquerque have devastated family and friends — and rattled a community

The killings of 4 Muslim men across Albuquerque have devastated family and friends — and rattled a community

ALBUQUERQUE, NM — Sharief Hadi, a halal market and cafe owner, left Afghanistan in the 1980s and settled in the United States for what he thought would be a safer life.

But after the murders of four Muslim men in the city in the last few months — including his brother Mohammad Zaher Ahmadi — Hadi’s faith in the American dream is shattered.

“I thought I was living a dream, but it’s no dream. It’s the opposite,” Hadi, 73, said in a phone interview Monday. “They took my brother’s lovely life. I don’t care about my life anymore.”

The spate of murders across the Albuquerque area has stunned the city and shaken the small, close-knit Muslim community, fueling fears of a racist serial killer on the loose.

Albuquerque law enforcement officials believe the killings of 62-year-old Ahmadi, 41-year-old Aftab Hussein, 27-year-old Muhammad Afzaal Hussain and 25-year-old Naeem Hussain might be linked.

Image: People sprinkle dirt over the grave of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, at Fairview Memorial Park in Albuquerque, NM, on Aug. 5, 2022.
People sprinkle dirt over the grave of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, at Fairview Memorial Park in Albuquerque, NM, on Aug. 5, 2022.Chancey Bush/Albuquerque Journal via ZUMA Press Wire

Authorities said Sunday they identified a “vehicle of interest” connected to all four slayings, and the FBI is assisting local officials with the investigation. Police said they have not yet determined a motive.

Ahmad Assed, the president of the Islamic Center of New Mexico, a mosque that all four victims attended, said in an interview Monday that he felt “broken” and “devastated,” as did many in a community he described as “disheartened.”

“They feel a certain helplessness, they’re in fear,” Assed said of Muslim community members. “Their whole world has been flipped upside down.”

He added: “Everybody is very deflated and eagerly awaiting some response as to why?”

Assed said the Islamic Center is the heart of social interactions between community members. In the wake of the killings, many local Muslims have chosen to stay home, where they feel safe and “not take chances to come to the mosque,” he said.

Hadi, the halal market owner, echoed that comment. He said that Muslim people in the area appear to be too frightened to go outside for fear of being senselessly gunned down.

“They don’t want to go to the store. They don’t want to go pray. They don’t want to go to the mosque,” Hadi said, his voice rising in anger. He added that his own business has suffered in recent weeks.

Ahmadi was killed on Nov. 7, according to police. Several months later, three more Muslim men were gunned down. Aftab Hussein, who was born in Pakistan, was killed on July 26. Muhammad Afzaal Hussain was found dead on a sidewalk last Monday. Then, just before midnight Friday, Naeem Hussain was found dead, too.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said it was offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of whoever is behind the killings.

President Joe Biden decried the murders, saying in a tweet Sunday that his “prayers are with the victims’ families, and my Administration stands strongly with the Muslim community.”

“These hateful attacks have no place in America,” Biden added.

The four men all left behind relatives, friends and colleagues who are struggling to understand the bloodshed.

Naeem Hussain’s body was discovered in the parking lot of Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, a nonprofit that had helped him resettle in Albuquerque. Hussain was born in Pakistan and came to the US as a refugee several years ago seeking better opportunities, according to his brother-in-law, Ehsan Shahalami. He just became a US citizen on July 8.

Shahalami said that during a shopping trip with his wife, children and Hussain last month, Hussain bought a new suit, dress shirt and shoes for his oath of citizenship ceremony.

“He was very excited about that ceremony,” said Shahalami, 37, a Virginia resident. “Because now he was becoming a US citizen. He obviously took pride in that.”

Hussain worked as a truck driver and saved up enough money to buy a truck of his own that he insisted on driving when the pandemic began. “A lot of drivers basically took unemployment because of the Covid situation and when it came to Naeem, he said, ‘You know, the country needs us more than any time right now. So we need to keep driving and try to influence other drivers to keep driving,'” Shahalami said.

“Naeem should be remembered for who he truly was — a genuine, giving man,” Shahalami said. Hussain loved being outdoors, especially camping and fishing, and was known to drive around with fishing rods in his car.

Shahalami said that although it is their wives who are sisters, I considered Hussain a brother and that the two were very close. They spoke regularly and spent the Fourth of July together in Virginia. Hussain had planned to bring his wife from Pakistan to the US after he became a citizen.

“He actually had some good business plans for the future but not knowing of the future obviously,” Shahalami said. “Those plans are no longer.”

Muhammad Afzaal Hussain’s brother, Muhammad Imtiz Hussain, told NBC News that he feels scared for his life, haunted by the knowledge that his brother was gunned down near seemingly normal residential streets — “places my kids go for bike riding.”

The late Hussain was the planning and land use director for the city of Española, roughly 90 miles north of Albuquerque. Vince Baldonado, one of his colleagues, described feeling anxious when Hussain did not show up at the office last Tuesday.

“We were all asking each other, ‘Did you get a call?’ Did you get a text? Is he stuck in traffic?’ We didn’t think the worst… but then we heard.”

Baldonado, 42, eventually learned through another colleague that Hussain had been found dead the night before.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Baldonado said. “I’ve never lost a friend to gun violence. He was my supervisor, my boss, my close friend.”

Baldonado added that he had planned to go fishing and camping with Hussain sometime before the end of the summer. He recalled with affection that Hussain always took an interest in his children, encouraging Baldonado to enroll them in STEM classes.

“He didn’t have a single mean bone in his body,” Baldonado said.

Guad Venegas reported from Albuquerque; Daniel Arkin and Janelle Griffith from New York.