Month: August 2022

Categories
Business

Why Canva boss, Cliff Obrecht isn’t bothered by $20 billion loss

Why Canva boss, Cliff Obrecht isn't bothered by $20 billion loss

Despite a $20 billion fall in its evaluation, a tumultuous economic landscape and a sudden string of tech companies announcing staff cuts and sharp declines, Australia’s start up golden child is not worried.

speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Canva’s co-founder Cliff Obrecht believed the bearish market would provide the company with lots of opportunities.

“These times of market uncertainty provide a lot of opportunity and other than the external valuation noise, it’s a huge opportunity for us to grow our business,” he said.

This comes as Australia’s largest venture capital firm Blackbird announced they had reduced the holding value of Canva by 36 per cent. Listed as Canva’s largest investor, with around a 14 per cent stake in Canva, this indicated a drop of about US$14 billion or A$20 billion, in the tech company’s estimated value.

“This holding value of Canva is the result of an independent valuation process that was completed by a big four accounting firm and adopted by Blackbird’s valuation committee, in consultation with our auditors,” the company shared in a statement to news.com.au.

Before this, Canva managed to more than double its worth in 2021. After acquiring a valuation of $19 billion in April 2021, the company skyrocketed to $54.5 billion just five months later.

In internal emails reported by Nine newspapers, chief executive Melanie Perkins said the company was set to mark its sixth year of being profitable. She also assured staff and said the company was still hiring, unlike some other technology companies.

“We had planned to dip out of profitability this year to invest in further accelerating growth,” she wrote.

“However, we changed course as soon as we noticed the macroeconomic environment changing and are now back to being profitable again this year, for the sixth year in a row.”

Founded in 2013, by Perth couple Ms Perkins and Mr Obrecht, and Tasmanian developer Cameron Adams, Canva is a free-to-use design tool that allows users to create social media posts, graphics, videos and presentations.

Since then, it’s become Australia’s most successful start-up – a title it continues to hold. For scale, Australia’s second largest start-up, online payments company Airwallex was valued at $5.5 billion in November 2021.

It’s believed Ms Perkins and Mr Obrecht hold a 30 per cent stake in the company, which given the most recent evaluation is close to $6 billion.

According to its website, Canva has more than 2000 employees and operates in 100 languages ​​and across 190 countries.

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Categories
Technology

Saul’s Sandwiches Balaclava | Urban List Melbourne

Saul's Sandwiches Balaclava | Urban List Melbourne

The Verdict

Some of Melbourne’s top deli sanga connoisseurs, Saul’s Sandwiches is an enterprise that’s always looking forward. They’ve swooned the hearts and stomachs of many with their Carnegie, Bentleigh, and Hawthorn stores as well as a drive-thru store in South Melbourne for good measure.

The newest opening from the team is a smack bang on Carlisle Street in Balaclava and is a culmination of the collective’s progress, with this being their flagship store—a Saul’s showroom if you will. Speaking to co-owner Leor Haimes he described the new space as “a new iteration, a bit more refined, sophisticated but not really”. The Balaclava store will be predominantly a takeaway operation with a few spots to park up if you prefer to take your time.

Opening up next week the new location will feature plenty of Saul’s classics like their smoked pastrami and chicken parm but with a few bonus extras; the foremost is a decadent new hazelnut-glazed crueller donut which is filled with their house-made custard. If you’ve ever sampled a Saul’s custard puff you know how much of a weapon this dessert will prove to be.

To kick off the new store, Saul’s will once again be teaming up with Melbourne clothing label, Ichpig for a saucy capsule of fits. There’ll also be a launch party to celebrate the store and clothing drop with a limited-edition sanga, ice cold beers and more.

Saul’s Balaclava is located 256 Carlisle Street, Balaclava—head over here for all the updates on the opening.

Image credit: Saul’s Sandwiches (supplied)

Categories
Entertainment

Kim Kardashian shares adorable snap of daughter Chicago and cousins ​​True and Dream on a boat ride

'Best friends!': Kim Kardashian, 41, shared an adorable photo of her baby girl Chicago, four, enjoying a boat ride with cousins ​​Dream, five, and True, four, to her Instagram on Thursday

Kim Kardashian cherishes the tight-knit relationship her daughter has with her cousins.

The reality TV star, 41, shared an adorable photo of her baby girl Chicago, four, enjoying a boat ride with cousins ​​Dream, five, and True, four, to her Instagram on Thursday.

The SKIMS founder captioned the sweet photo of the girls having a fun day out on the water writing: ‘BFFAE best friends forever and ever.’

'Best friends!': Kim Kardashian, 41, shared an adorable photo of her baby girl Chicago, four, enjoying a boat ride with cousins ​​Dream, five, and True, four, to her Instagram on Thursday

‘Best friends!’: Kim Kardashian, 41, shared an adorable photo of her baby girl Chicago, four, enjoying a boat ride with cousins ​​Dream, five, and True, four, to her Instagram on Thursday

The cute trio were clad in bathing suits and pictured looking over a boat rail on the water, with their hair blowing in the wind.

Kim shares Chicago as well as daughter North, 9, and sons Psalm, three, and Saint, six, with ex-husband Kanye West, 45.

Meanwhile Dream is her brother Rob Kardashian’s, 35, daughter with ex-girlfriend model Blac Chyna, 35, while True is sister Khloe Kardashian’s, 38, child with ex-boyfriend Tristan Thompson, 31.

Snoozing: Kim also took to her Stories to share yet another look at Chicago - whom she shares with ex-husband Kanye West, 45 - this time as she was sleeping

Snoozing: Kim also took to her Stories to share yet another look at Chicago – whom she shares with ex-husband Kanye West, 45 – this time as she was sleeping

New look: The mom-of-four went on to share some some intriguing clips of herself, including one with a nosebleed filter

New look: The mom-of-four went on to share some some intriguing clips of herself, including one with a nosebleed filter

The adorable photo earned a comment from Rob, who posted a blue heart emoji, while Khloe left six white ones.

Paris Hilton also loved the photo, commenting on three heart-eye emojis underneath the cute snap.

Meanwhile Kim took to her Stories to share yet another look at Chicago – this time as she was sleeping.

Edgy: She utilized the 'bby demon' filter, which gave her the appearance of a nose bleed, as well as red eyes and horns

Edgy: She utilized the ‘bby demon’ filter, which gave her the appearance of a nose bleed, as well as red eyes and horns

Variety: The businesswoman posed up a storm for the camera

Seductive: The platinum blonde star made seductive poses at the camera, placing her index finger in her mouth at one point

Seductive: The platinum blonde star made seductive poses at the camera, placing her index finger in her mouth at one point

‘She’s a 10 but she sometimes snores,’ she jokingly wrote over the snap, in reference to a TikTok trend.

The mom-of-four went on to share some intriguing clips of herself while in the backseat of a driving car.

She utilized the ‘bby demon’ filter, which gave her the appearance of a nose bleed, as well as red eyes and horns.

Feeling blue: She also shared a more close-up video with a filter that turned her brown eyes a mesmerizing deep blue color

Feeling blue: She also shared a more close-up video with a filter that turned her brown eyes a mesmerizing deep blue color

The platinum blonde star made seductive poses at the camera, placing her index finger in her mouth at one point.

She also shared a more close-up video with a filter that turned her brown eyes a mesmerizing deep blue color.

It comes after reports that Kim and Kanye are in a much better place when it comes to raising their four children together, after having a very contentious co-parenting relationship not that long ago.

‘Kim and Kanye have been co-parenting very well as of late,’ a source told Us Weekly. ‘They are very civil with each other right now, there are no issues. They are both treating each other with mutual respect.’

Co-parents: Kim and Kanye are said to be in a much better place when it comes to raising their four children: Chicago, daughter North, 9, and sons Psalm, three, and Saint, six. The couple were declared legally single on March 2, after six years of wedded bliss

Co-parents: Kim and Kanye are said to be in a much better place when it comes to raising their four children: Chicago, daughter North, 9, and sons Psalm, three, and Saint, six. The couple were declared legally single on March 2, after six years of wedded bliss

The drama between the exes frequently unfolded in public earlier this year with Kanye often going on social media tirades about Kim and her new boyfriend Pete Davidson, 28.

After six years of wedded bliss, Kim and Kanye were declared legally single on March 2, and their next status conference divorce hearing is scheduled for August 5.

West has past expressed anger toward Davidson since he’s been dating Kardashian, and drew him into the drama surrounding their custody arrangement earlier this year, giving him the derisive nickname ‘SKETE.’

In June, however, Kim spoke highly of Kanye as she wished him a happy Father’s Day.

She wrote: ‘Thank you for being the best dad to our babies and loving them the way you do! Happy Father’s Day Ye!’

New love! The socialite is currently dating comedian Pete Davidson, 28

New love! The socialite is currently dating comedian Pete Davidson, 28

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Categories
Sports

The 4 certainties for Melbourne versus Collingwood

The 4 certainties for Melbourne versus Collingwood

Labeling something a ‘certainty’ in any sport is fraught with danger.

But we’ll attempt to find some anyway.

Here is what we consider certainties for Friday night’s clash between Melbourne and Collingwood:

Fritsch to kick multiple goals

Bayley Fritsch is leading Melbourne’s goalkicking with 43 majors so far in 2022.

The Demons forward’s marking ability, work at ground level and lethal finishing makes him a tough match-up.

Fritsch is coming off a three-goal showing in last week’s win over Fremantle – the 13th time he’s kicked multiple goals this season.

Melbourne’s most dangerous forward is averaging a tick over two goals per match.

Petracca to have 20+ disposals and 4 score involvements

Christian Petracca is one of the most damaging players in the competition.

Last year’s Norm Smith Medalist finds plenty of the ball and quite often hurts the opposition with his disposals.

The Melbourne star has recorded the equal-most score involvements in the competition this year averaging 8.4 per game.

Petracca is also ranked first across the league for inside 50s and goal assists.

The Magpies would want to quell Petracca’s influence, though that’s easier said than done.

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Pendlebury to have 18+ disposals with a combined total of 8+ inside 50s, clearances and tackles

Scott Pendlebury has fallen below his season average over the last two weeks.

The Collingwood captain averages 22 disposals but has picked up only 16 in each of his past two outings.

However, with Taylor Adams out of the side for Friday night’s clash with Melbourne, he should shoulder more responsibility in midfield.

Pendlebury has been in a consistent nick against the Demons of late, averaging 25.2 touches, 3.6 inside 50s, 3.2 clearances and 3.2 tackles over his last five meetings.

With a vacancy in the middle to fill, we’re going with Pendles to pick up at least 18 touches and have a combined total of at least 8 inside 50s, clearances and tackles.

Elliott and De Goey to combine for 3+ goals

Jamie Elliott has been a consistent source of goals for the Magpies in recent weeks.

Over the course of the year, he has kicked 17 from 13 games, with 12 of those coming in his last seven.

I have kicked 3.1 in the win over the Dees in Round 13.

Jordan De Goey returned with two goals and 23 touches last week.

This season he has kicked 14.17 goals from 14 outings.

He was goalless in this fixture last time, but the Pies are going to need him to step up.

The duo of Elliott and De Goey will need to combine for 3+ goals if Collingwood is to kick a winning score.

Andrew Slevison





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Categories
Australia

Federal government declares Australia’s first six offshore wind energy zones

wind farms in ocean

The federal government has declared Australia’s first offshore wind zone, giving developers the green light to ramp up planning and consultation for wind farm projects.

Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen announced waters off the Gippsland coast, in Victoria’s south-east, would be the first offshore wind zone.

Other areas will follow off the coast of the Hunter Valley and Illawarra in New South Wales, Portland in Victoria, Northern Tasmania, Perth and Bunbury in Western Australia.

Developers last week told the ABC projects were being held up by the federal government dragging their feet on the impending declaration, which allows them to consult and then apply for permits.

Mr Bowen said other countries had been successfully producing energy from wind farms in the ocean for years, and it was Australia’s time to catch up.

“We have some of the best wind resources in the world,” Mr Bowen said.

“Just one rotation of one offshore wind turbine provides as much energy as an average rooftop solar installation generates in one day.”

Climate energy market analyst Tim Buckley said the declaration was a step forward, but all levels of government would need to work together.

“Energy Minister Chris Bowen is right to open offshore wind for public consultation,” Mr Buckley said.

“Offshore wind development is going to need a high degree of policy support and forward planning because of the complex supply chains that would have to be developed in Australia and higher costs of construction.

“We need to weigh up the additional costs related to offshore wind construction and see where it makes the most economic sense.

“We need to value the balancing or base-load nature of the generation, to support the sometimes intermittent nature of onshore wind and solar.”

Gippsland moving from coal to wind

Mr Bowen said the Star of the South proposal off the Victorian coast in Bass Strait would generate enough electricity to cater for 20 per cent of Victoria’s energy needs.

Gippsland wind farm sites
Sites of proposed wind farms off the Gippsland coast.(ABC Gippsland: Paul Sellenger)

Star of the South is Danish-owned and was the first proposed offshore wind farm, put forward four years ago.

The company plans to build up to 200 wind turbines, with the closest located 7 kilometers from the coastline.

Star of the South chief executive Erin Coldham says the company hopes to begin power generation before the expected closure of Yallourn Power Station in 2028.

“There’s a proud history here of power generation for more than 100 years so there’s really great access to the grid which supplies to the rest of the east coast, the sea depths are perfect and there’s some really unique wind conditions,” Ms Coldham said.

The company aims to begin construction in 2025 and says the project would create 2,000 construction jobs and 200 ongoing operational roles.

An offshore power plant with offshore wind turbines in the background
Offshore wind power generation is a fast-growing sector of the renewable energy industry, such as this offshore wind power plant in Yantai, Shandong Province, China.(Getty Images: CFOTO/Future Publishing)

Consultation starts now

Mr Bowen’s announcement signals the start of a 60-day consultation period with communities and users of waters in the nominated areas.

AUSWIDE OFFSHORE WIND
Sites earmarked as offshore wind zones in Australia.(ABC Gippsland: Paul Sellenger)

The federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water will facilitate the consultation process.

Transmission lines, which are expected to be above ground, will run from the wind zone to the energy grid in the Latrobe Valley, which currently sends power generated by the Yallourn and Loy Yang Power Stations.

“It’s important that issues surrounding transmission lines through private property to link large scale renewable projects to the national grid are handled sensitively and transparently,” federal Nationals member for Gippsland Darren Chester said.

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Categories
US

Kari Lake will win GOP nomination for Arizona governor, CNN projects

Kari Lake will win GOP nomination for Arizona governor, CNN projects

Her victory makes her the fourth Republican who has pushed Trump’s election lies to win a major nomination in Arizona, after CNN’s projections earlier this week for US Senate, secretary of state and attorney general.

Lake, who was endorsed by Trump, will defeat Karrin Taylor Robson, a former member of the state Board of Regents and the establishment GOP favorite, who was supported by outgoing Gov. Doug Ducey and former Vice President Mike Pence.

The race in its closing days turned into a proxy battle in the tug-of-war between Trump and Pence over the direction of the Republican Party, with Trump visiting Arizona to campaign for Lake and a slate of election deniers he had endorsed for statewide office and Pence campaigning alongside Robson.

Lake has made lies about election fraud the centerpiece of her campaign — an approach likely to continue in a November general election matchup against Democratic nominee Katie Hobbs, the secretary of state who has defended Arizona’s 2020 presidential results and its largely mail-in voting system .

Hours before polls closed, Lake had already declared to reporters that either she would win or the outcome would be fraudulent.

“If we don’t win, there’s some cheating going on. And we already know that,” she said Tuesday.

In Arizona’s other top races, Blake Masters, the onetime venture capitalist, will secure the Republican nomination for US Senate, while Arizona Republicans have chosen state Rep. Mark Finchem, an election denier, as their nominee to take the helm of the state’s election machinery , CNN projects. And in the attorney general’s race, Trump’s preferred candidate, election denier Abraham Hamadeh, won the Republican nomination, CNN also projects.

Masters will face Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, who was unopposed in his primary Tuesday, in what’s expected to be one of the nation’s most competitive, and expensive, midterm match-ups, with control of the 50-50 Senate on the line.

Masters was chief operating officer of GOP meganor Peter Thiel’s investment firm, and his campaign was backed by more than $15 million in spending by Thiel.

Masters, who has spread lies about the results of the 2020 election and accused Democrats of trying to “change the demographics” of the country, defeated businessman Jim Lamon and Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, among others, in the GOP primary Tuesday.

Finchem is aiming to be the chief elections officer in a state that conducts its voting largely by mail and has been the target of a series of conspiracy theories advanced by Trump and his allies, who falsely allege that the 2020 election was stolen from the former President . The Arizona secretary of state is the state’s second-highest executive elected official and first in line to succeed the governor, as the state does not have a lieutenant governor.

Finchem was a member of the far-right “Oath Keepers” in 2014 and was an organizer of the “Stop the Steal” movement spurred by Trump’s lies about election fraud.

Finchem has said the state legislature should be able to overturn the will of voters in presidential elections — a position that, if embraced by Republicans after November’s election, could lead to a crisis in the 2024 election in one of the nation’s most competitive battleground states. .

He’ll face Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, in the fall.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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Categories
Business

Busted: Couriers caught throwing parcels at Mackay Airport

Busted: Couriers caught throwing parcels at Mackay Airport

Footage has been revealed of an Australian courier company throwing packages as far as 10 meters into the back of a delivery truck.

The Australian StarTrack company has been named and shamed by a local resident who captured two couriers hurling parcels into a huge delivery truck at Mackay Airport in North Queensland.

Mackay resident Ashlee Coath is calling for the workers to be sacked after her fragile parcel arrived broken.

Investigating the possible cause of the damage, Ms Coath said she figured out how it may have happened after she saw the viral video online.

“I put two and two together and I figured out that’s probably how it ended up breaking,” she said.

“I always say treat people how you want to be treated, and I believe that goes for things as well.”

But Ms Coath is not the only one complaining about the company’s parcel treatment, with other residents claiming their packages always arrive damaged.

On Thursday the company released an apology to its customers, saying the couriers’ actions do not reflect StarTrack’s standards.

“These actions are not in line with the high service standards we expect of our people, and we sincerely apologize,” a spokesperson said.

The incident follows CCTV footage catching a courier throwing a parcel over a 2m electric gate in March.

The courier, who the customer claimed was an Australia Post employee, appeared to check his surroundings before throwing the parcel underarm.

The footage then shows him taking a photo of the item on the front step to confirm the delivery.

Customers with concerns about mail delivery are encouraged to contact Australia Post on 13 13 18.

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Categories
Technology

Artificial Vision Inspired by Crab Eyes Can ‘See’ on Land and Underwater

Artificial Vision

artificial vision

A team of researchers has developed an artificial vision system that offers a full, panoramic view both above and under the water that is inspired by the eyes of fiddler crabs.

Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), the Seoul National University in Korea, and The University of Texas at Austin, presented the amphibious system, which can work both on land and underwater , in a paper published in Nature last month

The new vision system will enable robots to gain a panoramic 360-degree view of their surroundings so that they can detect obstacles and navigate environments more effectively, reports TechXplore.

There have been several, previous attempts to develop cameras that mimic the eyes of insects, fish and other living creatures. However, the development of artificial vision systems that can see both underwater and on land is extremely limited and are usually restricted by a 180-degree field of view.

“Previous works, including our group’s research, on wide field of view (FoV) cameras were always at fewer than 180-degrees, which is not enough for the ‘full’ panoramic vision, and they were not suitable for changing external environments,” researcher Young Min Song tells TechXplore. “We wanted to develop a 360-degree FoV camera that can image both in air and water.”

Design of the panoramic artificial vision using the spherical 3D structure and finite element analysis (FEA) of the induced strain in the image sensor array.

The team was inspired by the eyes of the semi-terrestrial fiddler crab, which has a 3D omnidirectional field-of-view. This unique species, also known as calling crabs, can gain a full panoramic view of their surroundings without having to move their eyes and body. They evolved to be able to look at almost everything at once on land and underwater to avoid attacks and to communicate with fellow fiddler crabs.

In the past, scientists have struggled to find a way to sustain a camera’s focusing capability when the environment changes, which is why this team decided to take a closer look at the fiddler crab.

“If you use a conventional lens with curvature for imaging, its focal point changes when you dip the lens into the water,” Song explains to TechXplore.

“On the other hand, if you use a lens with a flat surface, you can see a clear image regardless of ambient conditions. The fiddler crab living in the intertidal region has this kind of flat surface of its lens and we just imitated this crab-eye-lens,” he adds.

To create the amphibious vision system, the researchers integrated an array of flat microlenses with a graded refractive index and an array of flexible comb-shaped silicon photodiodes on a spherical structure. The microlenses they used can retain their focal length irrespective of changes in the external refractive index between air and water.

Song says the artificial vision system is the first to demonstrate the ability to switch between imaging in air and water seamlessly while offering a panoramic view and could lead to 360-degree omnidirectional cameras for everything from all-weather autonomous vehicles to virtual and augmented reality systems .

Song says the technology will be tested and implemented on several different hybrid and amphibious robots, however, his team is also “interested in developing a new type of camera with unique imaging features inspired by other animal eyes.”

Image credits: Mincheol Lee et al.

Categories
Entertainment

The Sandman review – Neil Gaiman has created 2022’s single greatest hour of TV drama | television & radio

YoIt has taken 30 years for an adaptation of The Sandman (Netflix), Neil Gaiman’s celebrated comic-book series, to make it to the screen, and little wonder. It is a big, bold story of gods and demons, so deep and rich that the idea of ​​cramming its wonders into 10 episodes seems borderline ludicrous. Yet this is the era of megabudget fantasy television, with the imminent arrival of a small-screen Lord of the Rings and the return of the Game of Thrones universe in House of the Dragon. With its debut season, The Sandman can stand proudly among them, albeit as their moody goth older brother.

The first couple of episodes exist firmly in the realm of fantasy. The notes I took when watching include “Patton Oswalt is crow?”. It’s that kind of show, and it immerses you in its world immediately, setting the Sandman off on his journey of discovery. It begins in 1916, when Lord Morpheus, or Dream, or the Sandman, or Lord Morpheus, Dream of the Endless, to give him his pedigree name (a sinewy Robert Smith type, played with breathy sulkiness by Tom Sturridge), is mistakenly captured by Charles Dance’s sinister – and Dance is very good at sinister – magus.

Sinister … Charles Dance as Roderick Burgess in episode one.
Sinister … Charles Dance as Roderick Burgess in episode one. Photograph: Ed Miller/Netflix

The magus wants to harness Death’s power to indulge in a spot of necromancy and revive his favorite son, who was killed in wartime. Instead, he ends up with Dream, and traps him naked in a glass sphere in his basement. For a while, the period setting feels a bit dark Downton Abbey, but it soon becomes clear that this is far too expansive to stick to one era or genre. Throughout the series, time flies, and slows, and we leap through different periods and cities and realms. It all feels like rather a lot, but it works well.

Partly, that is because the pace is meditative, not frantic. Once the scene-setting and world-building has been done, it has the confidence to take its time over the big stuff. I am sure plenty of viewers will love its more fantastical elements, from a battle of imaginations with Lucifer (Gwendoline Christie) to a cute mythical creature called Gregory, but I found its finest moments in the more human, conversational, emotional strands. Jenna Coleman is strong as the messy, tough Johanna Constantine, a contraction of John and Johanna into one character (or two), whose nightmares are matched only by her exorcist duties.

Sanjeev Bhaskar as Cain in episode two of The Sandman.
Nothing unnatural … Sanjeev Bhaskar as Cain in episode two of The Sandman. Photograph: Netflix

The big cast is largely excellent, with an impressive ability to deliver lines that could have sounded overly literary or convoluted, or both, in ways that sound neither woolly nor unnatural. Vivienne Acheampong as Dream’s right-hand man Lucienne, Boyd Holbrook as the thick walking nightmare Corinthian, and Kirby Howell-Baptiste as an empathic, big-hearted Death, are all fantastic. I spent some time mildly irritated at the idea that Joely Richardson, 57, could be cast as the mother of David Thewlis, 59, until I was reminded that in this world where teeth can replace eyeballs and getting sand in your eyes is far more troublesome than your typical trip to the beach, something as trivial as age is bound to be explained eventually. It is, and my outrage retreated.

Thewlis is brilliant as John Dee, naive and cruel and earnest and cynical, and he gets to lead the best episode of the lot. After an eerie car journey that plays out like a film of his own, Dee spends a day and night in a diner, experimenting on his staff and patrons by nudging them towards a policy of being honest. Each person’s feelings are teased to the surface, and it is horrible and mesmerizing and thrilling, with an uncanny, Twin Peaks-ish feel. This is surely a contender for best episode of the year, of any TV drama, and the point at which The Sandman really finds its feet.

Yet it is thickening from the start. It is transportive, playful at times, and certainly grand. But above all, it is dark. Bodies explode, limbs are severed, and demons crawl out of the mouths of professional footballers, fist-first. Nestled in among its more grotesque spectacles, though, is an emotional depth that elevates this far beyond the usual “let’s see what we can blow the CGI budget on” fantasy fodder. Given the source material, that’s no wonder. For fans, it may well turn out to have been worth the long wait, but for newcomers to the Sandman’s world, there is plenty to discover.

Categories
Sports

Michael Lichaa acquitted of domestic violence charges

Michael Lichaa pleaded not guilty to assaulting his former partner Kara Childerhouse. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer

Former NRL star Michael Lichaa has been acquitted of domestic violence charges after his former partner refused to turn up to court and ex-teammate Adam Elliott vouched for his version of events.

The 18-month saga finally drew to a close on Friday when Mr Lichaa was found not guilty of assaulting his former partner Kara Childerhouse during a heated late-night incident at his south Sydney home.

Mr Lichaa, 29, has persistently denied assaulting his former finance and Magistrate Melissa Humphreys on Friday acquitted him of common assault and intimidation charges.

Michael Lichaa (centre). Picture: NewsWire/Seb Haggett.Source: NCA NewsWire
Michael Lichaa and Kara Childerhouse. Picture: Supplied.Source: Supplied

His trial before Magistrate Melissa Humphreys took a sensational twist on Thursday when Ms Childerhouse refused to turn up to Sutherland Local Court to give evidence.

Despite being subpoenaed and midway through her testimony police were unable to contact her after knocking on her door and calling her.

The court heard that she no longer wanted to take part in the proceedings and was pregnant and worried about the stress of reliving the incident.

All of her testimony which she had given up until that point was excluded though a statement, in which she retracted the allegations, was admitted into evidence.

It left the prosecution with no evidence to tend on the assault charge.

Kara Childerhouse failed to turn up to Sutherland Local Court. Picture: John GraingerSource: News Corp Australia

Police had alleged he was involved in an argument, which prompted concerned neighbors to call police to his Connells Point home.

The court has heard that the incident occurred after Mr Lichaa caught Ms Childerhouse performing a sexual act on his mate and former teammate Adam Elliott.

Mr Elliott told the court on Thursday that he had been drinking for 12 hours following a party at Mr Lichaa’s home.

When it was suggested that Mr Lichaa had assaulted Ms Childerhouse, he said “I disagree.”

Mr Elliott told the court that Mr Lichaa exclaimed “what the f*** are you doing?” and he went outside and walked back and forth in a heated state.

Adam Elliott told the court that Michael Lichaa did not assault his former partner. Picture: NRL Imagery.Source: Supplied
Michael Licha. Photo: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images.Source: Getty Images

A witness previously told the court that she heard a man saying loudly “I’m going to f***ing kill her”.

His lawyer James Trevallion denied that amounted to an offense of intimidation, adding there was no evidence the words were said in her presence.

“Clearly it was a situation where there was a lot of emotion and feeling and it would be remarkable when walking up and down the street if he wasn’t yelling and screaming and emotional and upset about what had occurred,” Mr Trevallion told the court on Friday.

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