The Wests Tigers’ audacious bid to have the result overturned in their controversial loss to North Queensland has failed, with the NRL confirming that it would remain a win to the Cowboys.
A statement from the governing body explained that although top brass met with Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis and CEO Justin Pascoe last week, the club would not be successful in their bid to retrospectively be awarded the two points.
It was always a long shot that any action to try and get a changed result would yield success, with the NRL saying that although mistakes were made, that would not be happening.
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In a statement released by the Tigers soon after the NRL’s final verdict was made public, the club confirmed it would not be pursuing legal action.
“The NRL has already acknowledged that the Bunker official decision of ‘escort’ was incorrect, leading to the erroneous awarding of a penalty in favor of North Queensland Cowboys which ultimately decided the match,” the NRL statement read.
Both sides argued on whether or not a challenge should have been allowed in the first place, with the NRL standing firm on the legality of that part of the process – despite the penalty that was awarded being incorrect.
Ken Maumalo and other Wests Tigers players walk off after their controversial loss. (Getty)
“The NRL is comfortable with the interpretation that was applied but has acknowledged, in light of the concerns raised by the Wests Tigers, that the rule needs to be reviewed at the end of the season to provide more clarity so as to ensure that there is no future misunderstanding as to the intent and application of the rule,” it said.
“Wests Tigers will be consulted as part of the review, together with other interested clubs and stakeholders.”
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The NRL acknowledged “the professional and respectful manner in which the representatives of the Wests Tigers have pursued their concerns on behalf of their club’s members and fans” but said there would be no further discussions about the match.
The NRL’s verdict followed a strong reaction, not just from the Tigers, but from a raft of the game’s commentators who felt the club was “robbed” of the two points due to the post-siren decision to award the Cowboys a penalty.
“Wests Tigers have decided not to pursue a course of legal action following the club’s loss to North Queensland Cowboys in Round 19 of the NRL Telstra Premiership,” the Tigers’ statement said.
“The club, through chair Lee Hagipantelis and CEO Justin Pascoe, has been involved in lengthy discussions with the NRL over the past two weeks, and following the receipt of external legal advice, has decided against pursuing this matter any further.
“The NRL has acknowledged, in light of the concerns raised by the Wests Tigers, that the rules do need to be revised at the end of the season, so as to prevent similar incidents occurring again.”
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Uniform controversies that have rocked sport around the world
The ambush-style shootings of three Muslim men and the recent killing of a fourth in Albuquerque have alarmed the city’s Muslim community and triggered warnings for mosque-goers as police investigate how the shootings may be linked.
The killings of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, Aftab Hussein, 41, and Naeem Hussain, 25, all have one commonality: the victims were all Muslim and of South Asian descent, according to Albuquerque police.
The three most recent killings happened within the span of two weeks, putting the city on edge as police probed for potential links between the attacks, and put a spotlight on an unsolved homicide from November 2021.
“While we are still sifting through all the evidence to look for more connections, it is deeply troubling that these three men were Muslim and of similar descent,” deputy commander of Albuquerque Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division, Kyle Hartsock, said.
The FBI is assisting with the investigation, and an online portal was set up for residents to upload videos and images which might help authorities investigating the killings. The local Crime Stoppers Board has also voted to increase a reward for information leading to an arrest to $20,000.
Police have not come out with any descriptions of a suspect or suspects in the killings. They have, however, said they are seeking “a vehicle of interest,” which may be connected to the four killings. The vehicle is a dark silver sedan-style Volkswagen Jetta or Passat with tinted windows.
Here’s what we know about the killings and the investigation so far:
The most recent of the killings was reported Friday, when Naeem Hussain was found dead by Albuquerque police officers who responded to reports of a shooting just before midnight in the area of Truman Street and Grand Avenue.
After the discovery, Albuquerque police said the homicide “may be connected” to three previous killings of Muslim men from South Asia.
Those three men – Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, Aftab Hussein and Mohammad Ahmadi – were all “ambushed with no warning, fired on and killed,” Hartsock previously said.
Two of them, Muhammad Afzaal Hussain and Aftab Hussein, were both Pakistani men and were killed in Southeast Albuquerque near Central Avenue. Police said they “determined there is a connection” between those two deaths.
Muhammad Afzaal Hussain was shot and killed on Aug. 1. He was found on a sidewalk in the area of Cornell Street and Lead Avenue.
Just days before, on July 26, Aftab Hussein was found with apparent gunshot wounds in the 400 block of Rhode Island. He later died as a result of his injuries, police said.
As investigators probed the recent killings, they turned their attention to the Nov. 7, 2021, homicide of Mohammad Ahmadi, a Muslim man from Afghanistan who was killed outside a business he ran with his brother on San Mateo Boulevard.
Naeem Hussain migrated as a refugee from Pakistan in 2016 – fleeing persecution as a Shia Muslim – and had just become a US citizen last month, according to his brother-in-law, Ehsan Shahalami.
He opened his own trucking business this year and was described as being a kind, generous and hardworking person.
The day he was killed, he had attended a funeral for the two recent victims and expressed fear about the shootings, according to a spokesman with a mosque in Albuquerque.
Muhammad Afzaal Hussain worked on the planning team for the city of Española. He had studied law and human resource management at the University of Punjab in Pakistan before receiving both master’s and bachelor degrees in community and regional planning from the University of New Mexico, according to a news release from the mayor.
“Muhammad was soft-spoken and kind, and quick to laugh,” Major John Ramon Vigil said in a news release last Wednesday. “He was well-respected and well-liked by his coworkers and members of the community.”
Few details have been released about the two other victims. Police said Mohammad Ahmadi was a Muslim man from Afghanistan and Aftab Hussein was a Muslim man from Pakistan.
So far, police have released a flyer showing a “vehicle of interest” in all four killings. But it remains unclear who the car belongs to, or how they are potentially connected to the attacks.
Police said the vehicle “is suspected as being used as a conveyance in recent homicides of 4 Muslim men.”
“We have a very, very strong lead. We have a vehicle of interest … we have got to find this vehicle,” Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said. “We don’t know at this point what it is associated with, or who owns it.”
While police have not definitively said all four attacks are connected, they have said they are looking into whether it is the case.
“There is one strong commonality in all the victims; the race and religion,” Hartsock said in a Thursday briefing.
Authorities are asking the public to come forward with any information which might help in the investigation. Tips may be submitted to the Albuquerque Metro CrimeStoppers website.
After Friday’s killing, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Saturday she will send additional state police to Albuquerque.
“I am angered and saddened that this is happening in New Mexico, a place that prides itself on diversity of culture and thought. This is not who we are,” Grisham said in a statement. “We will not stop in our pursuit of justice for the victims and their families and are bringing every resource to bear to apprehend the killer or killers – and we WILL find them.”
The attacks have also drawn condemnation from President Joe Biden, who said he was “angered and saddened” by the attacks.
“While we await a full investigation, my prayers are with the victims’ families, and my Administration stands strongly with the Muslim community,” Biden wrote on Twitter.
The city is now increasing police presence at mosques, Muslim-affiliated schools and the University of New Mexico.
“Albuquerque is on edge right now, and I want to be clear that we, and our partners across law enforcement, are directing every possible resource to these cases. We will protect our community and bring the perpetrator of these crimes to justice. We unequivocally denounce these senseless killings and stand with our Muslim community against intolerance and violence in every form,” said Keller.
“We have heard from the community that the fear is so strong, there is a concern about even things like groceries and getting meals for certain folks in certain areas of town,” Keller said in a weekend briefing. “Our senior affairs department and our community safety department is going to be providing meals as long as we need, to anyone who needs a meal who is affected by this tragedy.”
Meanwhile, local and national Muslim groups have been warning residents to be cautious.
“We urge everyone to take precautions and be aware of your surroundings including making sure that you are not being followed home and avoid walking alone at night,” Islamic Center of New Mexico posted on Facebook. “This is especially true for our members living in the southeast part of the city where these killings have taken place.”
The center said while there is no evidence its mosque is being targeted, it is still taking steps to provide additional security measures.
“The lives of Albuquerque Muslims are in danger. Whoever is responsible for this horrific, hateful shooting spree must be identified and stopped – now,” stressed Council on American-Islamic Relations National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell.
The Council is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of those responsible, the organization announced, calling the series of killings a “horrific, hateful shooting spree.”
Most electric cars have waiting lists of between six months and two years in Australia. But a new Mazda with limited driving range has triggered heavy discounting.
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Massive discounts of up to $15,000 – about 20 per cent off recommended retail – have begun appearing on the Mazda MX-30 Electric as buyers appear to be slow to embrace the model with limited driving range and a high price.
The Mazda MX-30 went on sale last year priced between $69,400 and $74,000 drive-away (costs vary from state-to-state based on different stamp duties and registration fees).
Mazda claims the MX-30 has a maximum driving range of between 200km and 224km.
However, real-world testing by Drive has found the battery can run flat after covering less than these distances, giving it about half the range of other electric cars in the same price range.
Mazda Australia only imported 100 examples of the electric-only version of the MX-30 – in 2021 – to sell alongside the petrol-electric hybrid, but they appear to be hard to sell.
Today, about two-dozen examples are on classifieds website Carsales advertised as “demonstrator” models, most with between 200 and 2000km on the odometer.
The cheapest Mazda MX-30 Electric was advertised at $55,990 drive-away – with 900km on the odometer – which is about $15,000 less than the new price.
A number of other examples of “demonstrator” Mazda MX-30 electric models were listed between $59,990 and $62,888 drive-away, a discount of about $10,000 in round numbers.
Mazda’s struggle to sell electric cars as brands such as Tesla and Kia have long waiting times is being seen as an indication that Australian electric-car buyers are baulking high prices for vehicles with modest driving range.
A statement from Mazda Australia said: “(Electric vehicles) remain a very small sales percentage of the overall new car market.
“Representing a key technological milestone, Mazda MX-30 was the first-ever fully electric vehicle produced by Mazda, and the first step in a long-term electrification plan that will be bolstered by the introduction of the all-new Mazda CX-60 plug-in hybrid.
“Sales for the full-electric Mazda MX-30 are in line with Mazda Australia’s projections. A portion of the initial allocation of Mazda MX-30 Electric models remain available, along with some ex-demonstrator models.”
Joshua Dowling has been a motoring journalist for more than 20 years, spending most of that time working for The Sydney Morning Herald (as motoring editor and one of the early members of the Drive team) and News Corp Australia. I have joined CarAdvice / Drive in 2018, and have been a World Car of the Year judge for more than 10 years.
Samsung Unpacked is just a few days away, but the rumor mill is already going into overdrive about a more distant Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Tab.
Samsung fanatics probably need no reminder that Samsung Unpacked will be hitting their screens on 10 August. Some marquee announcements are expected to include new additions to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and Flip lines.
But rumor says that Samsung isn’t done innovating foldable displays. In fact, its very first foldable tablet, possibly titled the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Tab, may be close on the horizon.
Here’s everything we think we know about this reported device. For more information, check out our guide to the 9 best tablets in Australia.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Tab release date
Recent reports say that Samsung plans to launch the Fold Tab on the same day as the Galaxy Tab S9 series. Based on the history of Galaxy Tab launches, this should take place around January–February 2023.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Tab price
One area in which the rumor mill has been rather quiet is the price of a potential Galaxy Z Fold Tab. Galaxy Z Fold phones have gradually been getting cheaper from generation to generation, but the latest entry in the series still starts at a whopping $2,499.
What’s more, leaked retail listings for the Fold 4 have suggested this trend may soon be bucked, with a moderate price increase expected to take place. All this is to say that foldable technology isn’t cheap and you should steel yourself to see the Galaxy Z Fold Tab launch with a sizeable price tag.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Tab design
The list of reports on Samsung display innovations is long. Earlier this year, we saw a patent submitted regarding a rollable display with a transparent section. We’ve also seen dual-folding and slidable prototypes and patents from the company.
It’s the dual-folding concept that has really taken the Internet by storm. The design involves 2 folding hinges that can be used to create a variety of form factors, including a very smartphone-reminiscent look when folded in on itself. When unfolded, it can create a unique S shape for a more 3-dimensional viewing experience.
Here are some renders that have been mocked up indicating how this technology might look if updated in the Galaxy Z Fold Tab.
The design would make the tablet pocket-sized when fully folded and could see a size upwards of 10 inches when completely unfurled. A space for an S Pen to dock and charge would also exist when the device is folded.
Once again, it’s just too early to say anything definitive about how the Galaxy Z Fold Tab will actually look. What we do know is that Samsung has a ton of incredible ideas and prototypes to work with. We can’t wait to see which ones come to fruition.
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Embattled All Blacks coach Ian Foster has urged his players to move on quickly from their Mbombela mauling and focus only on the rematch with South Africa at Ellis Park this weekend. The All Blacks’ 26-10 defeat in the Rugby Championship opener was their worst in 94 years in South Africa, triggering fresh calls in New Zealand for Foster to be sacked.
The three-times world champions have now slumped to a record low of fifth in the world rankings and head to Johannesburg after a fifth defeat in six Tests. With another loss to the Springboks on Saturday widely expected to make Foster’s position untenable, the coach said players and staff needed to take a deep breath.
“We know there’s a lot of pressure on, and we’re feeling that. But our job is to look at our performance and how we can grow it,” he said. “I understand the frustration, but that doesn’t change what we have to do here. There’s no point sulking about it for too long. We’ve just got to get into Ellis Park and keep growing our game and still believe.”
Many in New Zealand no longer believe in the team under Foster. In a front page editorial on Monday the New Zealand Herald, the country’s largest newspaper, said Foster needed to go, calling him a “decent man who is out of his depth in a brutal business”.
Foster’s hopes of rallying his team at Ellis Park appear bleak with injury concerns over flyhalf Beauden Barrett and his fullback brother Jordie. Beauden has a sore neck after landing heavily from a mid-air tackle by South Africa winger Kurt-Lee Arendse, who was red carded for the rash challenge, while Jordie left the field with an ankle injury.
Foster complained that Arendse had also clattered into Jordie unfairly as the All Black rose for a box kick in the 11th minute. Barrett was instead penalized for a knock-on. Foster confirmed the All Blacks would be addressing South Africa’s mid-air challenges with officials and said he expected more protection from them.
“It*s becoming a free-for-all for jumpers just to be able to jump and stick a hand out and say they’re competing. It needs to be addressed,” he said.
TAIPEI, Aug 8 (Reuters) – China’s military announced fresh military drills on Monday in the seas and airspace around Taiwan – a day after the scheduled end of its largest ever exercises to protest against last week’s visit to Taipei by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
China’s Eastern Theater Command said it would conduct joint drills focusing on anti-submarine and sea assault operations – confirming the fears of some security analysts and diplomats that Beijing would continue to maintain pressure on Taiwan’s defences.
Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last week infuriated China, which regards the self-ruled island as its own and responded with test launches of ballistic missiles over Taipei for the first time, as well as ditching some lines of dialogue with Washington.
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The duration and precise location of the latest drills is not yet known, but Taiwan has already eased flight restrictions near the six earlier Chinese exercise areas surrounding the island.
Shortly before the latest drills were announced, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met visiting St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, telling him she was moved by his determination to visit despite China’s military pressure. read more
“Prime Minister Gonsalves has expressed in recent days that the Chinese military drills would not prevent him from visiting friends in Taiwan. These statements have deeply touched us,” Tsai said at a welcome ceremony for Gonsalves in Taipei.
It was unclear if Tsai had invited Gonsalves before or after Pelosi’s visit. “We don’t disclose internal planning or communications between governments,” the Taiwanese foreign ministry said when asked by Reuters.
Beyond the firing of 11 short-range ballistic missiles during the four earlier days of exercises, Chinese warships, fighter jets and drones maneuvered extensively around the island.
Shortly before those drills ended on Sunday, about 10 warships each from China and Taiwan maneuvered at close quarters around the unofficial median line of the Taiwan Strait, according to a person familiar with the situation who is involved with security planning.
MILITARY TALKS SHELVED
Taiwan’s defense ministry said Chinese military ships, aircraft, and drones had simulated attacks on the island and its navy. It said it had sent aircraft and ships to react “appropriately”.
China’s defense ministry meanwhile maintained its diplomatic pressure on the United States, defending its shelving of military-to-military talks in protest at Pelosi’s visit.
“The current tense situation in the Taiwan Strait is entirely provoked and created by the US side on its own initiative, and the US side must bear full responsibility and serious consequences for this,” defense ministry spokesman Wu Qian said in an online post.
“The bottom line cannot be broken, and communication requires sincerity,” Wu said.
China called off formal talks involving theatre-level commands, defense policy co-ordination and military maritime consultations on Friday as Pelosi left the region.
Pentagon, State Department and White House officials condemned the move, describing it as an irresponsible over-reaction.
China’s cutting of some of its few communication links with the US military raises the risk of an accidental escalation over Taiwan at a critical moment, according to security analysts and diplomats. read more
One US official noted that Chinese officials had not responded to calls from senior Pentagon officials amid the tensions last week, but that they did not see this as a formal severing of ties with senior figures, such as US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Asked directly about those reports, defense ministry spokesman Wu said, “China’s relevant counter-measures are a necessary warning to the provocations of the United States and Taiwan, and a legitimate defense of national sovereignty and security.”
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Reporting by Beijing Newsroom and Sarah Wu in Taipei; writing by Greg Torode. Editing by Gerry Doyle and Raju Gopalakrishnan
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Elon Musk says Tesla is working towards a production of 20 million new cars annually – which, if all sold, would be twice the sales figures of the world’s number one carmaker, Toyota.
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Tesla is preparing to boost production, with CEO Elon Musk telling shareholders the electric vehicle company is aiming for 20 million new cars annually.
The Tesla boss said the ‘run rate’ – the average production number from each factory – is set to increase to two million cars each year, up from one to 1.5 million currently, according to Automotive News Europe.
The new target means at least ten of the company’s ‘Gigafactories’ will need to be operated, which when boosted to an average of two million electric vehicles, would equate to a total annual production of 20 million new cars.
The world’s biggest car company, Toyota, sold about 10.5 million new cars in 2021, with Volkswagen Group coming in a second with 9.3 million reported sales.
Tesla reported a total of 936,000 vehicles produced in 2021.
Musk said the company’s two newest plants, located in Germany and Texas, were working through solving “10,000” small problems, despite both enjoying a run rate of 1.5 million cars.
“If all goes as planned, we will be exiting 2022 at a two million annual run rate.”
The key to Tesla’s long-term profitability is in its manufacturing, Musk told shareholders, with the carmaker revolutionizing production processes with its ‘Giga Press’, which replaces hundreds of welded steel parts by creating one large aluminum piece.
Ben Zachariah is an experienced writer and motoring journalist from Melbourne, having worked in the automotive industry for more than 15 years. Ben was previously an interstate truck driver and completed his MBA in Finance in early 2021. He is considered an expert in the area of classic car investment.
At Kotaku, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you’ll like it too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.
The best part about any new generation of Pokemon is trying to guess what kinds of weird and wonderful critters that Game Freak will dream up for us. After last week’s Pokémon Presents, we waited with bated breath for the new pocket monsters that would join our teams in Gen 9.
We already know that Paldean Wooper (aka the People’s Pooper) will become an honorary member of our team. Meanwhile, it seems inevitable that Fidough is bound to evolve into Purebread, otherwise it’ll be a sorely missed opportunity. And we’re all ready for our boy, Lechonk to grace our dinner tables… uh, we mean battle up a storm.
But what other Pokémon are we hoping will be unveiled in the lead-up to the worldwide release of Gen 9? After all, aren’t the next few months meant to be a time of speculation and anticipation? This is the time when we’re allowed to dream big and place bets on what ‘mons will battle by our sides once we get our greasy, hairy mitts on our version of choice.
Here’s a list of our new Pokémon demands hopefuls that we’ll get to see in Scarlet and violet.
A new Eeveelution
Image: TV Tokyo
Nintendo, Game Freak, hey, hi – you there? Are you listening? We think it’s high time we got a new Eeveelution and we will be taking no excuses. We truly think that pokemon’s been taking us all for a ride over the last month.
While the most recent Pokémon Presents aired last week, many of us who are obsessed with Eevee were hoping – no, expecting – an Eeveelution announcement.
Any type of sign that Eevee might get a new evolutionary form has been painstakingly stamped out. If we look back at previous generations, we received Vaporean, Jolteon and Flareon in Gen 1, Espeon and Umbreon in Gen 2, Leafeon and Glaceon in Gen 4 and Sylveon in Gen 6. Following that pattern, we should have gotten a new evolution in Gen 8 via pokemon sword and Shield.
Then, on the 30th and 31st of July, pokemon’s Instagram account shared a video of Espeon and Umbreon on those respective dates. There was no context, save for a couple of emojis.
On 1 August, the Pokémon Presents date was announced. This led many to speculate that maybe, just maybe, we were about to get the Eeveelution we’ve been dreaming of. And yet, nothing.
The anticipation was only heightened when some fans peeked ahead at the episode summary guide for Pokemon Ultimate Journeyswhere two episodes named Koharu and Eievui – The Miracle of Evolution and Koharu and Eievui, the Possibilities are Endless! were due to air on 22 July and 29 July in Japan. Spoiler alert: as it turns out, Koharu (or Chloe, as she’s known in the English dub) did n’t evolve her from her Eevee, much to everyone’s dismay.
So where does this leave us? Eevee-less and afraid. But let’s pretend we live in a merciful world where Pokemon will deliver us the Eeveelution of our prayers. What are we hoping for?
While we’ve been granted eight out of 18 possible types, our hopes are high that the next Eeveelution will be either a Ghost, Flying or maybe even a Dragon-type.
But what do you think? Based off the theme of PokemonScarlet and violetwhat type of Eeveelution can we expect?
We don’t have a dolphin Pokémon yet
Image: Team Koitabashi
Someone once tried to tell us that Lanturn is a dolphin Pokémon and there will be no further comment on that, aside from the statement: Lanturn is based on an angler fish. You know, the big ugly fish that tried to eat Marlin and Dory in Pixar’s Finding Nemo. Cool, glad we got that out of the way.
With every new generation that’s been announced, we have patiently awaited the reveal of a dolphin Pokémon. when Sun and Moon came and went, we thought that surely with its Hawaii-inspired region that we’d be served a dolphin Pokémon on a silver platter. And yet, nothing.
Out of all of the new Pokémon that’s been introduced to us over the years, we’ve had a panda, a koala and even a bloody ice cream cone added to the Dex. There’s even been a double scoop evolution of said ice cream cone.
As much as we like a very cute, very blue angler fish, we’d much prefer a bottle-nosed dolphin Pokémon in Gen 9 instead.
Make the little worm a big wyrm
Image: TV Tokyo
We can’t help feeling that poor ol’ Dunsparce has drawn the short straw of the lot. Pokemon loves its weak, floppy ‘mons and Dunsparce is apparently the king. While Magikarp and Feebas both evolve into great sea serpents, Dunsparce has nothing. Dunsparce has been robbed.
While we absolutely froth Gyrados and Milotic, both stunningly detailed and well-designed powerhouses, we’ve tried to picture how Dunsparce’s final form could look. Dunsparce is a normal-type that is meant to be based on a “land snake” called Tsuchinoko. (Aren’t most snakes…land snakes?)
According to Japanese folklore, a Tsuchinoko translates to “child of hammer” and can swallow its own tail to roll around like a wheel.
To us, this suggests that if Dunsparce is granted an evolution, he’d probably look like some giant, yellow and winged beast that can swallow its hammer-shaped tail and roll over its Phanpy-style enemies.
that sounds sick. Game Freak, jot that down.
Please explain where baby Kangaskhan came from
Image: TV Tokyo
A certain detail that’s always irked us is the fact that Pokemon has never explained where in the hell baby Kangaskhan comes from?
We get that it’s fiction and maybe Pokémon biology does not always work the same way it does in the real world (sure), but you cannot tell us that Kangaskhan is born with a baby.
It makes no sense. What also makes no sense is the fact that in Sun and Moon, Kangaskhan got a Mega Evolution that allows Baby K to leap out of its pouch and battle. Nevermind the fact that the Kangaskhan I hatched seven days ago can Mega Evolve with a baby that, according to its Pokédex entry, can’t leave its pouch for three years.
Pokemon, please explain why Baby Kangaskhan is purple. Please also explain why it isn’t its own ‘mon yet.
Where to pre-order your copy of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
If you’re keen to find out if any of these Pokemon hopefuls will find their way into Gen 9, you better make sure you pre-order your copy of Scarlet and violet.
Below, we’ve rounded up a bunch of Aussie retailers where you can snap up your copy ahead of its November 18 release date:
If you prefer to collect both versions of the game, you can swipe a dual pack below:
pokemon scarlet and violet will be exclusively available on the Nintendo Switch and will be released on November 18, 2022.
The prospect of the 2023 Formula 1 grid not featuring Daniel Ricciardo is difficult to fathom.
Fortunately it’s not just a hard sell of the average F1 fan; several teams are also sure the eight-time race winner has more to give to motorsport’s premier series.
In the wake of persistent rumors that Mark Webber was lining up Oscar Piastri to snatch Ricciardo’s seat from underneath him in 2023, rival teams have been probing the availability of the affable 33-year-old for his next chapter.
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As many as four rival constructors have sounded out Ricciardo, per ESPN, in the weeks leading up to McLaren reportedly issuing him his intention to break his contract.
Deducing which teams ought to be a simple case of arithmetic.
Before Fernando Alonso’s bombshell move there were six teams with possible vacancies: Alpine, Alfa Romeo, Haas, AlphaTauri, Aston Martin and Williams.
Alpine assumed it wouldn’t be going to market given it thought it had Piastri on the books as a fallback for Alonso, reducing the list to five.
AlphaTauri is also moving closer to re-signing Yuki Tsunoda, who Franz Tost wants to give a third season to establish himself. Anyway, signing 33-year-old Ricciardo also doesn’t click with what’s supposed to be Red Bull’s development team. Four teams remaining.
Aston Martin has also removed itself from the list, but with Alpine seemingly sure to need new blood, the group possible suitors is stable at four, including Haas, Alfa Romeo and Williams.
So which is most likely to be seriously pitching for Ricciardo’s services, and which has the best chance of attracting his attention.
Ricciardo set to be replaced by Piastri | 00:32
ALPINE: THE CLEAR FRONTRUNNER
Alpine is unlikely to have been among the teams to have reached out to Ricciardo before the Hungarian Grand Prix given it was certain to the point of complacency that Alonso would re-sign, and it assumed in the unlikely event the Spaniard left, Oscar Piastri would be aligned to replace him.
But you can guarantee that the French team has reached out in the week since the driver market kicked into gear, and it’s the obvious frontrunner for Ricciardo’s services.
why it makes sense
Alpine is the highest placed team in the constructors standings with an availability — in fact it’s a place ahead of McLaren, occupying fourth with a four-point margin, so it would represent a step forwards on the grid, even if that step would be almost imperceptibly small.
The team is also on a hiring spree to match the workforce size of the frontrunners, and having undertaken some capital works to upgrade its factory, it’s well placed to maximize its budget cap allocation in the coming seasons.
Alpine also has a weak bargaining hand given it’s now 35 races deep into a 100-race plan to be a regular podium-getter. Esteban Ocon is credible enough but really the team needs a high-caliber spearhead, and there’s no-one on the market who comes close to Ricciardo’s potential or brand value.
And then there’s a certain unquantifiable appeal for both sides—one that neither would admit to, although stranger things have happened—that they’d be united by a common adversary. Both would surely be keen to defeat McLaren in a straight fight, and they’re each other’s best chance of doing so.
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STITCHED UP DOWN UNDER? The former Aussie aced orchestrating Piastri’s Ricciardo switch
Why it doesn’t
The only thing that would prevent Ricciardo and Alpine from renewing the relationship that ended in 2020 is pride. Ricciardo would be returning to a team he’d previously ditched, and Alpine would be taking back a driver who decided to walk out after only a year of racing.
But it’s debatable that this would be a strong disincentive to join.
For one, Alpine has been through a management clean-out since Ricciardo left, meaning there could be only so much bad blood to influence decision-making.
Team principal Otmar Szafnauer was even receptive to Ricciardo as a possible re-hire as early as last week, when he was still trying to project an air of confidence about keeping Piastri.
“I mean, if you look at Fernando, for example, he comes and goes, and I think that happens to other drivers too,” he said, per autosport. “I don’t think that’s an issue [with Ricciardo] at all.”
As for Ricciardo, he’s proved during his McLaren tenure that he isn’t afraid about claiming responsibility for his actions. He’s been upfront about his underperformance, and returning to Alpine, where he had one of the best seasons of his career in 2020, would just be an extension of that.
Alpine may not have been among the early suitors of Ricciardo’s services, but it’s certainly at the head of the pack.
Piastri backflip as he denies Alpine F1 | 01:07
HAAS: TRYING ITS LUCK
Haas is the next team in the constructors standings without an obvious solution to its driver line-up if it parts ways with Mick Schumacher, whether on its own motion or because the German switches teams given the pathway to Ferrari is closed for the foreseeable future.
why it makes sense
Daniel Ricciardo is box office in the United States partly thanks to Drive to Survivepartly thanks to his love for the US and partly thanks to his personal team’s efforts to get his personality out there.
For a Haas team that’s on the up but in need of some brand cut-through, Ricciardo would be a great get — and maybe even enough to convince Gene Haas to increase his commitment to funding the team, at least for purposes of snagging a star. driver.
Ricciardo would also enjoy the relaxed and apolitical atmosphere at the midfield team, perhaps enough to sway a decision.
Why it doesn’t
While the morass of the midfield is a bit of a minefield in terms of their prospects in the next few years — Alonso clearly doesn’t think ninth-placed Aston Martin has dimmer prospects than fourth-placed Alpine — Haas has been particularly inconsistent this season . It would be a difficult sell to Ricciardo to take a punt on things moving forwards rather than backwards.
Haas might also question whether it’s ready for a driver of Ricciardo’s ambition at this stage of its rebuild.
There’s also a lack of clarity around whether Ferrari has finally said over Haas’s second seat as part of its technical agreement with the team, which would presumably rule Ricciardo out of the running.
Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFPSource: AFP
WILLIAMS: WITHOUT AN OBVIOUS SUCCESSOR
Williams was set to be a major player in the driver market when it was tied to Alpine’s decision-making around Oscar Piastri and Fernando Alonso, but that power was stripped from Grove when both drivers sensationally abandoned the French team.
It’s also left Williams without an obvious candidate for its second seat, currently occupied by Nicholas Latifi, who’s likely to be shown the door at the end of the year.
why it makes sense
Williams has fielded mostly rookies for the last five seasons, with the only exceptions being Robert Kubica in 2019, who was making his comeback an eight-year injury hiatus, and Alex Albon, who had two disrupted years in the Red Bull system before sitting out last year.
It means the team is without a proven, established bar with which to measure its car’s ultimate performance. Ricciardo would give the team a chance to know just how much more might be in the car or whether what we’re seeing today is the best the team’s got.
If Ricciardo were desperate to continue his Formula 1 career but unable to secure a contract at a better placed team, Williams would surely be happy to accept him.
Why it doesn’t
Much like Haas, Williams may not feel ready for a heavy hitter of Ricciardo’s stature. It’s also seriously debatable whether Daniel, with a point to prove about his last 18 months and eager to restore his reputation, would see value in a contract that would struggle to guarantee him more than lower midfield levels of performance.
Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
ALFA ROMEO: NOT IN NEED OF A LEADER
Alfa Romeo has been one of the sport’s great improvers this year and is on track for the best points haul of its independent history. It also has Zhou Guanyu out of contract this season, and though the Chinese rookie has acquired himself well, the team is yet to re-sign him.
why it makes sense
The Sauber-run Alfa Romeo team’s biggest card is that it’s reportedly in negotiations to be bought by Audi. Sauber would then become the German marque’s works constructor, complete with a power unit program.
If the best route to a championship is to race for a fully fledged manufacturer, getting in on the ground floor before Audi potentially buys in — and presumably spends big to accelerate progress where it can — might be the best shortcut to the front.
Why it doesn’t
Valtteri Bottas’s strong performances and long-term contract mean Alfa Romeo doesn’t need a team leader, no matter your opinion of the abilities of the Finn relative to the Australian.
Further, the team has an eye to promoting its development driver, Théo Pourchaire, from Formula 2. Pourchaire is only 21 points off the title lead, and if he wins the series this year, he won’t be able to enter again — and even if he missed out, another strong campaign would likely be enough to get him into F1 by 2024.
Wedging Ricciardo into Zhou Guanyu’s seat makes no sense when it’s already earmarked for one of Sauber’s own drivers.
Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
WHAT ABOUT THE LONG GAME?
There’s one other criterion that might be on Ricciardo’s mind aside from getting himself into the most competitive seat available next season: ensuring he’s available to take part in driver market movements among the frontrunners in the coming seasons.
Out of contract next year are both Lewis Hamilton, who is inching closer to retirement, and George Russell at Mercedes, and team boss Toto Wolff has previously described himself as an admirer of the Australian. A Mercedes-powered team might therefore enjoy a small boost in bargaining power.
The 2024 season is Sergio Perez’s last under his current contract, while Charles Leclerc will also be up for renewal. Fernando Alonso is understood to have signed a two-plus-one deal at Aston Martin that could also see his seat made available.
But before leaping at any such hypotheticals — if indeed they’re on his mind at all — Ricciardo will need to nail down a contract to keep him in F1 next season.
The federal government has declared it will call for a “meaningful” pay rise for aged care workers in its submission to the independent wages umpire on Monday, but has stopped short of nominating a specific dollar figure.
Key points:
The independent wages umpire is considering a case brought forward by unions
Federal government said it would advocate for a significant pay rise, but would not call for a specific increase
Increasing aged care workers’ pay was a key recommendation from the royal commission
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) is considering a case brought forward by the unions, which are calling for a 25 per cent pay increase for 200,000 residential and home care workers.
Aged Care Minister Anika Wells said while the government would push for a pay rise in its Fair Work submission, it would not call for a specific wage increase.
“We support a significant, meaningful pay rise,” she told Sky News on Sunday.
“We haven’t put a number to it because traditionally governments don’t put numbers to it, that is for the commission to decide exactly what percentage the work value case is worth.
“But we have agreed we will fund it, no matter what the decision.”
Increasing the pay of aged care workers was one of the key recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety’s final report last year.
Since that report was released, unions and industry groups have argued the pandemic has exacerbated funding and workforce issues, and say pay increases are needed to attract and retain skilled workers.
In the lead-up to the May election, Labor promised if it won government, it would make a submission to the FWC’s aged care work value case supporting a pay rise for the industry’s workforce, vowing to fund the arbitrated increase.
The commitment was criticized by then-prime minister Scott Morrison, who questioned how Labor would fund any increase, instead opting to give aged care workers across the country two, one-off payments of $400.
But Ms Wells said a permanent wage hike was desperately needed.
“The number one issue that everybody wants to talk to me about in aged care is workforce shortages, we need to do something to value aged care workers better and that starts with a pay rise,” she said.
“The complexity of their work has increased significantly not just through COVID in the past two years particularly, but in the past decades.
Anika Wells says the work aged care workers have changed in recent years.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
“The kind of work that we want them to do based on the Royal Commission recommendations for aged care and for a better standard and a better future in aged care — it is more complex work, so they should be recognized for that.”
If the union’s case is successful, the FWC would vary the aged care award, which outlines the minimum pay rates and conditions of employment.
That would mean different things for different workers, but it could see the minimum wage in aged care rise by at least $5 an hour.
A qualified personal carer’s minimum wage would be bumped up from $23.09 to $28.86 an hour, based on wage rates when the application was lodged.
Looking at weekly wages, a level 1 aged care employee could have their weekly pay increased from just over $800 to more than $1,000 a week, under the union’s proposal.
The case in the FWC has been going on since 2020 and is due to hold hearings where it hears from the government and unions this month.
