Month: August 2022

Categories
Sports

Who will win and why? The predictions and tips for Round 21

Who will win and why? The predictions and tips for Round 21

With just three rounds left, the 2022 season is heating up and Round 21 has several games that could shake up the season yet again.

You don’t need to look any further than Friday night, where the first of three big matches arrive as Melbourne takes on Collingwood in front of what should be a big crowd at the MCG.

On Saturday, the highlight arrives late afternoon when the Western Bulldogs host Fremantle at Marvel Stadium.

Attention then turns to Sunday’s clash between Brisbane and Carlton at the Gabba, the make up of the top eight could change depending on who emerges with the four points.

See our previews and tips for all nine Round 21 matches below:

All times AEST

SUBSCRIBE TO THE AFL RECORD AND GET IT DELIVERED TO YOUR HOUSE EVERY WEEK.

Melbourne v Collingwood

Friday – 7:50pm – MCG

They’re on a 10-game win streak, but Collingwood enter Friday night’s clash as outsiders given Melbourne’s big win last week.

The Demons recorded one of their best victories of the season when restricting Fremantle to 39 points in a comfortable 46-point win in Perth.

Last week saw the premiership backline reunite for the first time this season and they’re expected to be even better under the MCG lights.

Collingwood hasn’t kicked big scores throughout 2022. Craig McRae’s side’s highest total in the last five weeks was 91 points against Adelaide, and the Dees will look to keep the Magpies to under 80 points.

However, the return of Brody Mihocek will complicate that plan.

The other big watch will be the ruck battle. Brodie Grundy won’t play again this week due to ankle soreness, leaving Darcy Cameron and Mason Cox to shoulder the duties.

When Collingwood defeated the Dees earlier in the year, Cox played one of the best games of his career in a forward/ruck role and Cameron had Max Gawn and Luke Jackson beat.

The ruck battle is sure to be a crucial one in deciding the victor.

Both sides have genuine doubt about their credentials just weeks away from finals, but the winner will walk away with increased belief heading into September.

As good as Collingwood has been, their wins have often been by narrow margins. If Melbourne brings their form from last week, the Pies will struggle to kick a score and Simon Goodwin’s men will be chief among premiership contenders.

Type: Melbourne by 28 points.

Seb Mottram

Hawthorn v Gold Coast

Saturday – 1:45pm – University of Tasmania Stadium

Hawthorn will be hoping to pick up their eighth win of the season when they host Gold Coast in Launceston on Saturday afternoon.

While the Hawks entered the game as favourites, it was the Suns who dominated in the last head-to-head matchup, saluting by 67 points at TIO Stadium.

The Suns still aren’t mathematically out of the finals race with nine wins to their game, and they’ll be desperate to win here.

Considering they’ve had a better season than their opponents in 2022, one reason why Gold Coast enter as underdogs would be because of their horrible record in Launceston.

From five games at the venue, the Suns have lost each time by an average losing margin of more than 50 points.

Conversely, the Hawks have won three of their last four at the ground even though they’ve struggled in recent seasons.

In Round 11 the Suns won the game from the midfield with Touk Miller, Brandon Ellis and Lachie Weller having big games meaning Hawthorn’s midfield will need to get on top of they’re to win.

If Hawthorn’s on-ball bridge can break even, they’ll back themselves to take the chocolates at their home away from home.

Tip: Hawthorn by 13 points.

Lachlan Geleit

GWS Giants v Essendon

Saturday – 2:10pm – GIANTS Stadium

The Giants and Bombers will do battle on Saturday afternoon at Giants Stadium.

If you’re basing your tip off recent battles, we’re in for a close one.

The last four times these sides have faced off, the games have been ridiculously close – the average winning margin being 4.75 points.

Essendon’s mini resurgence towards the end of the year continued last week, smashing North Melbourne by 48 points in a dominant performance.

While the Bombers have proven a tougher task compared to earlier in the season, they’re still lacking the firepower to match it with quality opponents.

Not saying the Giants are a quality opponent, but they do have quality in their line-up – Toby Greene, Josh Kelly, Lachie Whitfield, Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper are just that, quality.

The Giants were so poor last week, a performance that saw interim coach Mark McVeigh label their efforts “embarrassing”, questioning whether players have checked out for the season.

Surely there’s going to be a fierce response this week, there has to be!

Can’t wait for this game.

Tip: GWS by 8 points.

Hugh Fitzpatrick

Western Bulldogs v Fremantle

Saturday – 4:35pm – Marvel Stadium

One of the biggest games of the round lands on Saturday twilight as the Western Bulldogs and Fremantle do battle in yet another game that could shape the eight.

The Dockers are coming off a bitterly disappointing performance against Melbourne last week, with the loss seeing them drop to sixth place and needing a win to lock away their finals spot.

Their opponents the Bulldogs – who were also playing one of the best sides in the competition – were soundly beaten by Geelong down at GMHBA Stadium last Saturday night, placing even more importance on this pivotal Round 21 clash.

Boom Dogs father-son recruit Sam Darcy will make his debut for the club, adding an extra layer of intrigue after his impressive performances for Footscray in the VFL.

This is a genuine 50-50 contest, with the Dockers needing a much-improved performance to frank their form for much of the year.

We’ll go with Fremantle here in a tight one, who have had several impressive performances at Marvel Stadium this year.

Type: Fremantle by 9 points.

Laurence Rosen

Geelong vs St Kilda

Saturday – 7:25pm – GMHBA Stadium

Geelong has an imposing record against St Kilda at the Cattery.

The last time the Saints greeted in Geelong was back in 1999 as they looked to break a 23-year drought on Saturday night.

It won’t be an easy task against the ladder-leading Cats who are on a run of 10-straight wins.

Chris Scott’s side took care of the Western Bulldogs by 28 points last time out, their 15th win of the campaign.

Since going down to the Saints by 10 points in Round 9, the Cats are yet to lose a game.

While they haven’t been at their absolute best, the Saints have stayed in the finals hunt after winning their past two games.

Last week’s 12-point win over Hawthorn saw St Kilda jump into eighth spot with three rounds remaining.

Brett Ratten’s side most likely require two more wins to make the finals.

It’s a huge test of St Kilda’s finals credentials, one coach Brett Ratten is embracing.

“They’re well-drilled, well-rehearsed, playing good footy,” Ratten told reporters on Wednesday.

“But like anything, you can’t win forever.”

It’s hard to go past the Cats given their current form and the fact they’re playing at the fortress that is GMHBA Stadium.

Tip: Geelong by 20 points.

alex zaya

Subscribe to the SEN YouTube channel for the latest videos!

Port Adelaide v Richmond

Saturday – 7:40pm – Adelaide Oval

Richmond kept its season alive courtesy of a stunning come-from-behind win over Brisbane last week.

Trailing by as much as 42 points, the Tigers staged a stirring fightback to snatch a seven-point victory to stay in touch with the top eight.

With three winnable games to finish their home and away campaign, Richmond remains in the finals hunt.

Victory over Port Adelaide on Saturday night could see them move into eight by the end of the round.

The Power’s final chances are all but over following last week’s six-point loss to Collingwood, their third consecutive defeat.

Port (8-11) sits 12 points behind eighth-placed St Kilda with three games remaining.

Coach Ken Hinkley conceded his side hasn’t played well enough to warrant a finals spot.

“Are we good enough to compete with the best teams in the competition? That is clear, we are,” Hinkley said after the Magpies loss.

“But we haven’t been good enough to play finals this year.”

The last three games between these two clubs have all been tight contests.

Damien Hardwick’s side won by 12 points at the MCG earlier this year, but lost to the Power by two points in Adelaide early in 2021.

Richmond’s season has been a topsy-turvy one, but are they hitting form at the right time?

Tip: Richmond by 11 points.

alex zaya

North Melbourne v Sydney

Sunday – 1:10pm – Marvel Stadium

Sydney will be looking to continue their top four push when they take on North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium.

Percentage could mean everything come the end of the year and the Swans have a ripe chance to add to theirs against a struggling North Melbourne side.

The Kangaroos are coming off a loss to Essendon last Sunday, while the Swans dominated GWS in the Sydney Derby.

The Swans are peaking at the right time. Their midfield is firing, their backline has restricted teams for a few months now and their forward line has gone to another level.

The Roos meanwhile are hanging on, but have been competitive, outside of Round 19’s loss to Hawthorn.

Can they muster up one big effort to put a spanner in the works of Sydney’s season?

The Swans have won their last five clashes with the Roos, including three games at Marvel Stadium.

Their game earlier in the year was a tight one, with the Kangaroos leading until the fourth term. Jack Ziebell booted five, but Sydney ultimately overran them.

Expect the Swans to be far too strong in this one, given where they’re at in their final pursuit.

Type: Sydney by 35 points.

Nic Negrepontis

Brisbane v Carlton

Sunday – 3:20pm – Gabba

The Brisbane Lions will be playing for their spot in the top four when they host Carlton at the Gabba on Sunday.

Chris Fagan’s side lost the unlosable game at the death against Richmond, blowing a 42-point second-quarter advantage and leading for all but 10 minutes. It saw them fall out of the four, presenting them with a serious challenge to return.

After another loss at the MCG, the Lions return to their home fortress where they boast a win-loss record of 8-1 in 2022 which does not bode well for this week’s visitors.

The Blues had issues of their own last weekend, going down to Adelaide by 29 points at the Adelaide Oval as they slipped further away from the top four and towards the bottom of the eight.

Carlton has not been to the Gabba since the 2020 season where they went 1-3 including a loss to Brisbane, extending their losing streak at the venue to the Lions to six matches. The Blues have only greeted once in their past five meetings overall.

Both sides will be attempted on bouncing back after calamitous defeats, but the Lions are a much better team at home and really should be getting the job done.

With a top-four spot on the line, expect Brisbane to win over a Carlton side scrapping to avoid a third loss from their last four outings.

Tip: Brisbane by 14 points.

Andrew Slevison

West Coast v Adelaide

Sunday – 4:10pm – Optus Stadium

The Eagles and Crows meet in Round 21’s last game with both sides playing for pride at this late stage of the campaign.

The two powerhouse clubs have struggled in 2022, but when paired up these opponents often play close games.

Last time out though, it was the Crows who won in reasonably comfortable fashion as they took care of the Eagles at home for 31 points.

At Optus Stadium though, it’s Adelaide who are still yet to break their duck at the venue with the Crows holding a 0-3 record at the ground.

Considering that this game will be played in Perth, that gives West Coast hope that they can win their third game for the season in this one.

While they’ve gone 1-9 in their last 10 games, their most recent performance against Gold Coast away from home was promising as they went down by just three points.

Conversely, 15th placed Adelaide also enter this game off an impressive performance after they took care of Carlton by 29 points in round 20.

With the Crows’ forward line firing, they rightly deserve to enter this one as favorites but considering where both teams sit in terms of the ladder, it poses as a real toss-up.

Expect the keys at either end to decide this one.

Tip: Adelaide by 11 points.

Lachlan Geleit





.

Categories
Australia

Sydney realtor says deaths of Saudi sisters not random crime

Sydney realtor says deaths of Saudi sisters not random crime

Comment

CANBERRA, Australia — The Sydney apartment where the bodies of two Saudi sisters were found in June is back on the rental market with a real estate ad advising their deaths were “not a random crime and will not be a potential risk for the community.”

Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24, and her 23-year-old sister Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, were found dead June 7 in separate bedrooms of the apartment in the southwest suburb of Canterbury.

Police believe they died in early May. The decomposed state of their remains complicated the task of determining the causes of death.

The first-floor Canterbury Road apartment was open for inspection on Monday with rent set at 520 Australian dollars ($362) a week. That is AU$40 ($28) more than the sisters were charged.

An online ad said the apartment had been designated a crime scene and the mysterious deaths remained under police investigation.

“According to the police, this is not a random crime and will not be a potential risk for the community,” the ad said.

But police would not confirm or deny the realtor’s advice.

“As the investigation is ongoing, police continue to appeal for information in relation to the deaths of the two women,” a police statement said. “No further information is available at this stage.”

Police released the sisters’ names and photographs last week in an appeal for more public information about how they died, but investigators have remained tight-lipped about many details, including how the sisters came to Australia as teenagers in 2017, their visa status and how they earned money.

Multiple sources with knowledge of the case said the sisters had been seeking asylum in Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. They had worked for a time as traffic controllers, a common job for backpackers and new immigrants. They drove a luxury BMW 5 Series coupe, the newspaper reported.

Police Detective Inspector Claudia Allcroft said their family in Saudi Arabia was cooperating with police and there was “nothing to suggest” that they were suspects.

She described the decomposition of the bodies as “problematic.” Police last week had yet to see the results of toxicology tests.

There was no evidence of forced entry to the apartment, where the sisters kept to themselves, Allcroft said.

“The deaths are suspicious in nature as we don’t know the cause of death,” Allcroft said.

“The girls were 23 and 24 years old and they had died together in their home. We don’t know the cause of death, it’s unusual because of their age and the nature of the matter,” Allcroft added.

The sisters seemed fearful and suspicious that food delivered to their apartment had been tampered with, unidentified associates told Sydney media.

An unidentified senior police source told Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph: “It really does appear to be a tragic suicide.”

The sisters were able to show “significant savings” in a bank account when they applied to lease their apartment, property manager Jay Hu told the newspaper, but they had stopped paying rent early this year.

“They had always paid on time before then. … They were good tenants,” Hu told the newspaper.

The overseas-based landlord had begun legal action to recover the unpaid rent before the sisters’ bodies were found, Hu said.

The real estate ad said the apartment’s bedrooms both had new flooring.

Categories
US

Airbnb apologizes for slave cabin for rent in Mississippi | airbnb

Airbnb publicly apologized after it allowed a property owner to list an “1830s slave cabin” for rent in Greenville, Mississippi.

In a TikTok video that went viral, a New-Orleans civil rights and entertainment lawyer, Wynton Yates, criticized the listing, saying: “The history of slavery in this country is constantly denied and now it’s being mocked by being turned into a luxurious vacation spot.”

The listing, which has been taken down, described an “1830s slave cabin from the extant Panther Burn Plantation to the south of Belmont”. At one point, more than 80 enslaved people lived on the property.

The description continued: “It was moved to Belmont in 2017 and meticulously restored over the course of a year. All of the wide cypress boards are original to the first build in the 1830s while the 1850s beadboard in the bathroom is from a later remodel which included new windows and new doors with their fancy hinges.

Yates, who is Black, said: “Maybe you’re thinking… this will give insight on how enslaved people had to live, their living conditions. No, not at all.”

By Wednesday, his video had racked up more than 2.6 million views.

Yates went on to show screenshots of the listing, which featured a four-poster bed, sunlit and tiled bathrooms, large wooden dressers and folded towels.

“How is this OK in somebody’s mind to rent this out – a place where human beings were kept as slaves – rent this out as a bed and breakfast,” Yates asked.

The listing had a 4.97-star rating and had 68 reviews, many of which were positive.

“Memorable. Highly recommend watching the sunset,” wrote a user named Katie.

Another guest, Peter, said: “We stayed in the sharecropper cabin and ate in the main house. The house tour was great and so was the breakfast.”

Another user, Kristin, wrote: “Enjoyed everything about our stay. The cottage, the history, the tour, breakfast, all of it was great and made for a perfect stop on our cross-country trek!”

Victoria Lynn wrote: “We stayed in the cabin and it was historic but elegant. The bed was very comfortable. [T]he cabin was stocked with everything we needed plus more. The location is just far enough from town where you felt like you were stepping back in history.”

Airbnb issued an apology and said it was “removing listings that are known to include former slave quarters in the United States”.

A spokesperson, Ben Breit, told the Guardian: “Properties that formerly housed the enslaved have no place on Airbnb. We apologize for any trauma or grief created by the presence of this listing, and others like it and that we did not act sooner to address this issue.”

Breit said Airbnb was “working with experts to develop new policies that address other properties associated with slavery”.

The property owner, Brad Hauser, told the Washington Post it was the “previous owner’s decision to market the building as the place where slaves once slept”, noting that the building had also been a doctor’s office.

Hauser, who is white, told CNN: “I am not interested in making money off slavery.

“As the new three-week owner of the Belmont in Greenville, Mississippi, I apologize for the decision to provide our guests to stay at ‘the slave quarters’ behind the 1857 antebellum home that is now a bed and breakfast. I also apologize for insulting African Americans whose ancestors were slaves.”

Hauser said he did not plan to rent out the property again.

Categories
Business

Russian shoppers queue for H&M as retailer prepares to shut down its Moscow store

Russian shoppers wait to buy their last items from H&M in a Moscow shopping center before the retailer closes its Russian stores

Russian shoppers queue for H&M as retailer prepares to shut down its Moscow store

  • Brands like H&M, Ikea and Nike have stopped operations in Russia due to the war
  • H&M has reopened stores to clear out its goods before leaving Russia for good
  • A customer said ‘how are we going to manage,’ and the closure was ‘awful’
  • The closure of Russian stores has cost H&M nearly £170m and affects 6,000 staff

By Mark Nicol Diplomacy Editor For The Daily Mail

Published: | Updated:

Snaking through a Moscow shopping center, shoppers wait to buy their last items from H&M before the retailer closes its Russian stores.

Brands including H&M, Ikea and Nike had suspended operations in the country, but H&M reopened to sell off its goods before leaving the Russian market for good, costing the company nearly £170million.

Customer Ekaterina said: ‘The reason why this is happening is awful. Everything else is meaningless, like how we are going to manage [without H&M].’

Russian shoppers wait to buy their last items from H&M in a Moscow shopping center before the retailer closes its Russian stores

Russian shoppers wait to buy their last items from H&M in a Moscow shopping center before the retailer closes its Russian stores

'The reason why this is happening is awful. Everything else is meaningless, like how we are going to manage [without H&M],' a customer said. Pictured: A customer at the closing H&M in Moscow

Shoppers stand in line at the entrance of the H&M store in Moscow

‘The reason why this is happening is awful. Everything else is meaningless, like how we are going to manage [without H&M],’ a customer said. Pictured left: A customer at the closing H&M in Moscow. Pictured right: Shoppers stand in line to the entrance of the H&M store

‘Well, it is closing, that’s why we are standing here,’ another customer, Irina, told Reuters. ‘I’m going to buy whatever there is.’

Furniture giant IKEA has reopened for an online-only sale, but H&M opted to allow customers back in person.

Exiting Russia, H&M’s sixth-biggest market, is expected to cost the company almost $200 million and affect 6,000 staff.

Exiting Russia, H&M's sixth-biggest market, is expected to cost the company almost $200 million (around £165m) and affect 6,000 staff

Exiting Russia, H&M’s sixth-biggest market, is expected to cost the company almost $200 million (around £165m) and affect 6,000 staff

H&M did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A company spokesperson in July said H&M would temporarily reopen physical stores in August to sell the remaining inventory in Russia.

H&M, the world’s second-biggest fashion retailer, rents its 170 physical stores in the country and operates them directly.

advertisement

.

Categories
Technology

Twitter Spaces might soon get a revamped look

Twitter Spaces might soon get a revamped look

Twitter has confirmed they will be revamping Spaces in the near future, but shared no timeframe concerning the same.

TwitterTwitter Spaces might get a revamp in the near future.

Twitter’s Spaces– the platform’s audio chatroom feature– is getting a revamp. The social media platform confirmed changes are indeed underway and that they are working on a new Twitter Spaces tab in the app itself, but did not reveal any information about the same. But some images revealed the company’s plans to group Spaces based on common interests like Music.

A report by TechCrunch suggests Spaces might also get the ‘Your Daily Digest’ treatment, which as it might you thought, will be a collection of Spaces from people you already follow or might want to listen to. While Twitter did not say the images shared by TechCrunch were fake, they pointed out that they were indeed outdated and inaccurate.

Twitter told TechCrunch that the changes reflected an ‘initial version’ of the new experience and that it might change in the coming days. While the company did say they will be announcing the changes in the near future, there is no timeframe as to if and when they will be implemented.

A couple of months ago, Twitter made it easier for those using Spaces to see information like who’s hosting and Topics being discussed on the Space bar.

TWO IS ALWAYS BETTER |
Our two-year subscription package offers you more at less

  • The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.

© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd

First published on: 04-08-2022 at 01:47:45 pm

.

Categories
Entertainment

Beyoncé removes Kelis interpolation from new song Energy after complaints

A photograph of Beyoncé and Kelis smiling at each other at a function

Beyoncé’s new album Renaissance is at the center of another controversy.

Just days after the singer’s team announced an “ableist slur” would be removed from the lyrics to her song Heated, Beyoncé has removed an interpolation of Kelis’s song Milkshake from her song Energy.

In the original version of Energy, the popstar sang a series of “la”s to the tune of the 2003 R&B hit which led to Kelis’s fame.

In the updated version found on streaming platforms Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal, the series of “la”s has been removed.

On a fan-made account on Instagram, Kelis, under her username @bountyandfull, said: “My mind is blown too because of the disrespect and utter ignorance of all 3 parties involved is astounding.”

“Some of the people in this business have no soul or integrity and they have everyone fooled,” she wrote.

loading

One user who commented on the fan account’s post said a collaboration between Beyoncé and Kelis was what “the world really needs.”

Kelis responded to this, saying:

“It’s not a collab, it’s theft.”

Kelis was not credited as a writer of Energy because she is not officially a writer or producer of Milkshake.

Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, also known as The Neptunes, are the official composers and co-writers of the song.

Both Williams and Hugo were previously listed as composers on Beyoncé’s song Energy. But they were removed from the song’s listing on her website once the track was updated.

Writing her own post on Instagram, Kelis said the use of Milkshake was a “trigger” for her.

“There are bully’s (sic) and secrets and gangsters in this industry that smile and get away with it until someone says enough is enough,” she wrote.

On Tuesday, after the lyrics to Heated were changed, Monica Lewinsky, the activist and former White House intern who had an affair with then-US president Bill Clinton, tweeted a personal response to the news and included the hashtag #Partition.

loading

The hashtag is in reference to Beyoncé’s 2013 song Partition, which includes the lyric, “He Monica Lewinsky-ed all on my gown.”

This marks the second time Beyoncé has edited a track from her new album, which was released on July 29.

In Heated, the singer repeatedly uses a word which is considered a derogatory reference to the medical term spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy.

In a statement to Insider, a representative said the lyric would be changed.

“The word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced,” the statement said.

Beyoncé isn’t the only artist to come under fire for using the derogatory language.

In June, American singer Lizzo faced backlash for including the same word in her single Grrls.

The singer faced heavy criticism online, eventually leading to Lizzo changing the lyrics.

.

Categories
Sports

Melbourne vs Collingwood, Ed Langdon interview, comments on Pies, one trick pony

Melbourne vs Collingwood, Ed Langdon interview, comments on Pies, one trick pony

Melbourne star Ed Langdon has labeled Collingwood “a bit of a one-trick pony at times” despite the side’s 10-match winning streak, raising the stakes of Friday night’s blockbuster clash at the MCG.

The Pies defeated the Dees when the two sides last met, prevailing by 26 points in the Queen’s Birthday game.

Still, Langdon said the Dees were well and truly prepared for the Pies from a planning perspective.

Watch every blockbuster AFL match this weekend Live & Ad-Break Free In-Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

Grundy return suffers unexpected delay | 00:23

“There’s certainly a plan in place. Without giving away too much, it’s not dissimilar to what we did to Freo (Fremantle) last week,” he said on SEN Drive, referring to the side’s 46-point demolition of another side that had beaten them earlier in the year.

“Our defense is definitely our biggest strength and to be honest we probably pride ourselves on making Friday night games pretty boring to watch for spectators.

“They’re sort of all duck, no dinner in a sense. If they’re playing fast footy on their terms they’re a very hard team to stop.

“They’re a bit of a one-trick pony at times, so hopefully we can dampen the way they want to play and off the back of that go out and offensively play the way we want to play.”

The Pies enter Friday night’s game equal with Melbourne on points, but trailing significantly on percentage.

.

Categories
Australia

No new gas connections for ACT homes and businesses from 2023 under plan to phase out fossil fuels

Cooking on a gas stove

Canberra homes and businesses will be unable to install a gas connection from next year under the ACT government’s plan to ditch fossil fuels by 2045.

Households are already leading the way, as natural gas prices convince them to switch to electricity to save money.

And Canberra’s new suburbs have already been designed without gas connections.

However, the government tabled legislation today to end all connections to new builds — including in older suburbs — as of January 1.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the transition — far ahead of the rest of the country’s schedule — would be “gradual and gentle.”

He said cutting off new gas connections was the only way to meet the ACT’s target of eliminating greenhouse-gas emissions.

“The days of cheap gas in Australia appear to be over,” Mr Barr said.

“Renewable electricity is now the cheapest and cleanest way to power our homes and businesses.”

An aerial view of houses with solar panels on their rooftops.
About two-thirds of Canberra homes have a gas connection, though the number has been shrinking.(Supplied: ACT government)

About two-thirds of Canberra homes use natural gas — for heating, water systems or cooking — and the fuel accounts for about 20 per cent of the ACT’s emissions.

The ACT already buys more electricity from renewable sources than it uses: it reached its 100 per cent target three years ago.

Most remaining emissions come from transport, and the government revealed plans last month to phase out petrol and diesel engines.

Mr Barr said the government would help Canberrans to turn off their gas entirely by 2045.

“We know we need to make this transition in a responsible and considered manner — a way that provides certainty to households and businesses but also supports them during the transition,” he said.

Market forces already encouraging Canberrans to switch

A tradesman in bright yellow working on a power meter.
Each year, about one in 50 ACT households year switches from gas to electricity.(Supplied: ACT government)

Even before the Ukraine war worsened the global energy crisis, prices had been driving Canberrans to disconnect from mains gas.

In the two decades to 2020, gas costs for ACT households doubled after accounting for inflation.

They are expected to rise a further 19 per cent over the coming decade — about $220 a year more for a typical home.

Meanwhile, electricity prices are predicted to fall 3 per cent.

As a result of these pressures and environmental concerns, about 2 per cent of Canberra households each year have been cutting off their gas supply.

The government now expects that to increase to 2.5 per cent a year.

Its modeling also suggests that, without any policy interventions, market forces alone would reduce Canberra’s gas use by almost 60 per cent by 2045.

Change-over costs the biggest barrier: survey

Photo from above a person's head as they pour seeds into a pan sitting on a flat, black induction cook top.
Shane Rattenbury says induction electric cooktops are preferred even by chefs.(Unsplash: Conscious Design)

The government says a range of incentives will help people and businesses change over.

These include the existing interest-free household loans of up to $15,000 to improve energy efficiency or switch to electricity.

Lower-value homes are also eligible for direct subsidies of up to $5,000.

Climate Change Minister Shane Rattenbury said disconnecting from mains gas was a longer-term goal, and there was no need to hurry, though it made sense to avoid the annual connection fees.

“As your current gas devices come to the end of their life, our advice to you is: make your next one electric,” he said.

“As you go to replace your hot water or heating system, don’t put another gas one in: choose an electric one today.

“It’s better for the environment and it’ll be better for your bank account — and we’ll help you make that transition over the coming years.”

A recent government survey found cost was the biggest barrier preventing Canberrans from switching to electricity.

At present, removing a gas meter and supply pipes costs about $800 per household.

The government said it would work with the Australian Energy Regulator to reduce or abolish that charge.

Mr Rattenbury said the ACT gas network would be switched off in 2045, but the government would not stop people from buying gas in LPG tanks if they wanted to.

“But I would say to those people: those new induction cooktops perform like gas, and the chefs we’ve talked to who’ve tried it love it.”

.

Categories
US

US says Russia aims to manufacture evidence in prison deaths

US says Russia aims to manufacture evidence in prison deaths

WASHINGTON (AP) — US officials believe Russia is working to fabricate evidence concerning last week’s deadly strike on prison housing prisoners of war in a separatist region of eastern Ukraine.

US intelligence officials have determined that Russia is looking to plant false evidence to make it appear that Ukrainian forces were responsible for the July 29 attack on Olenivka Prison that left 53 dead and wounded dozens more, a US official familiar with the intelligence finding told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Russia has claimed that Ukraine’s military used US-supplied rocket launchers to strike the prison in Olenivka, a settlement controlled by the Moscow-backed Donetsk People’s Republic.

The Ukrainian military denied making any rocket or artillery strikes in Olenivka. The intelligence arm of the Ukrainian defense ministry claimed in a statement Wednesday to have evidence that local Kremlin-backed separatists colluded with the Russian FSB, the KGB’s main successor agency, and mercenary group Wagner to mine the barrack before “using a flammable substance, which led to the rapid spread of fire in the room.”

The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the classified intelligence — which was recently downgraded — shows that Russian officials might even plant ammunition from medium-ranged High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, as evidence that the systems provided by the US to Ukraine were used in the attack.

Russia is expected to take the action as it anticipates independent investigators and journalists eventually getting access to Olenivka, the official added.

Ukraine has effectively used HIMARS launchers, which fire medium-range rockets and can be quickly moved before Russia can target them with return fire, and have been seeking more launchers from the United States.

Earlier Wednesday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he is appointing a fact-finding mission in response to requests from Russia and Ukraine to investigate the killings at the prison.

Guterres told reporters he doesn’t have authority to conduct criminal investigations but does have authority to conduct fact-finding missions. I have added that the terms of reference for a mission to Ukraine are currently being prepared and will be sent to the governments of Ukraine and Russia for approval.

The Ukrainian POWs at the Donetsk prison included troops captured during the fall of Mariupol. They spent months holed up with civilians at the giant Azovstal steel mill in the southern port city. Their resistance during a relentless Russian bombardment became a symbol of Ukrainian defiance against Russia’s aggression.

More than 2,400 soldiers from the Azov Regiment of the Ukrainian national guard and other military units gave up their fight and surrendered under orders from Ukraine’s military in May.

Scores of Ukrainian soldiers have been taken to prisons in Russian-controlled areas. Some have returned to Ukraine as part of prisoner exchanges with Russia, but other families have no idea whether their loved ones are still alive, or if they will ever come home.

—

Lederer reported from the United Nations. Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report.

.

Categories
Business

Australian Wagyu beef producers report 300 per cent increase in demand

Wagyu beef cooking on barbecue.

Australian Wagyu producers are unable to meet domestic and international demand as an appetite for the premium meat soars.

Irongate Wagyu, based near Albany in Western Australia’s Great Southern region, produces full-blood Wagyu, which can sell for as much as $450 per kilogram.

Managing director Peter Gilmore said interest in the company’s carcasses and genetics had tripled over the past 12 months.

“The increase is demand, I would say, is around 300 per cent,” he said.

“If we had three times the number of animals, we probably could not meet that demand.”

A smiling man in a cap and work shirt stands in a paddock in front of some cattle.
Irongate’s Peter Gilmore says there are about 1,000 breeders, 700 weaners and 500 feeder animals on farm.(ABC Great Southern: Angus Mackintosh)

Irongate sells genetics to Australian producers and Mr Gilmore predicts the domestic Wagyu industry will expand.

“On the animal production side, we have seen a very big uptick and a lot of people are purchasing … to try and obviously lift their own farm gate receipt — I mean, Wagyu produces a significant premium over the rest of beef production,” he said.

“I think the industry has the potential to actually, in the future, get up there with equal to Japanese production.”

The increased investment in Wagyu is not limited to the southern parts of the state.

Pardoo Beef Corporation, based in the north, has invested more than $75 million in its Wagyu operation.

Its Singaporean owner, Bruce Cheung, plans to run more than 100,000 head of cattle across the Pilbara and Kimberley by 2035 in a business worth $3 billion.

A smiling butcher with a rich dark beard stands behind the counter with his arms folded.
Nathan Robb was one of the first butchers to sell full-blood Wagyu in Western Australia.(Supplied: Nathan Robb)

Domestic demand sounds

Nathan Robb, the owner of Bullsbrook-based Bully Butcher, says he needs more than double what Irongate supplies him with to meet demand.

“We receive [the Wagyu] on a Monday, by the following Monday it’s gone,” he said.

“Everything is pretty much put on hold for customers in advance.

“In the last 12 to 18 months it has gone from a little bit of interest to almost every customer asking a question about it.

“A lot of people don’t know what it is, they see it and think, ‘Wow I wouldn’t mind trying that.'”

Mr Gilmore said that increase in domestic demand was correlated to a changed health focus.

“People understand that intramuscular fat can actually be good for you … I think there has been a real health focus shift and enjoyment for producing,” he said.

“If you go back two years when COVID first started, we had very little domestic output, almost nothing.

“Now domestic would be 40 per cent of our total production.”

Wagyu cows in a paddock.
Japan ceased releasing full-blood Wagyu genetics in the mid-1990s.(ABC Great Southern: Sophie Johnson)

Markets boom amid FMD threat

South-East Asian countries are asking for more Australian Wagyu because Japan is a selective exporter.

“Japan has a very satiated market,” Mr Gilmore said.

“They’re a net importer of meat, so they don’t really need to export.

“The international demand for Wagyu has been quite extraordinary over the past year, the amount of inquiry that has come in at a range of different levels from many different countries.

“There’s a Chinese demand which is enormous and certainly is the kind of demand that we would struggle with supply to meet.”

A calf lies down in the grass near his mother.
There are huge growth opportunities for Australian producers, but a disease outbreak could undo years of work.(ABC Great Southern: Sophie Johnson)

Scott Richardson, the managing director of producer and distributor Stone Ax Pastoral Company, says a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak could stop the trade in its tracks.

“If foot-and-mouth disease was introduced into Australia it would potentially decimate the Australian Wagyu beef breed, along with other elite genetics within the cattle breeding industry,” he said.

“It would particularly impact the full-blood Wagyu breed, given that Japan isn’t releasing any more full-blood Wagyu genetics.

“Australia would need to rebuild its herd with the genetics left on hand and what can be sourced internationally.

“It would take years and years to rebuild the herd to its current numbers.”

.