The former president’s decision to endorse “Eric” for a race with two Erics as the main contenders has plunged Trumpworld into open chaos.
The trouble began Monday night when Donald Trump tossed his political weight behind “Eric,” meaning that two Missouri Senate Republican candidates, Eric Greitens and Eric Schmitt, could legitimately claim to have his blessing.
(Rep. Vicky Hartzler, the one candidate in the race Trump explicitly said he would not endorse, congratulated the third little-known “Eric” on the ballot, Eric McElroy, in a tongue-in-cheek statement.)
Within minutes, both Schmitt and Greitens had put out tweets touting the endorsement without acknowledging it was a joint venture.
By Tuesday morning it was clear, that Trumpworld pundits were not amused.
Fox News host and right-wing media heavyweight Dan Bongino had a meltdown on Twitter over Greitens asserting Trump had endorsed him.
“Nope. Not a chance in hell,” he wrote in response to a Greitens tweet touting the coveted Trump backing. “Flush that seat down the toilet if Greitens wins.”
“Bullshit. Read the endorsement,” the Fox News host continued. “This dude is a FRAUD.”
Convinced that two tweets weren’t enough on the matter, Bongino kept tweeting.
“If you listen to any of my shows, you know that I generally stay out of primaries. But this is different. PLEASE, do not vote for Greitens. Trust me on this. Please,” I completed. “I can’t emphasize this using strong enough English words.”
Likewise, upon Greitens claiming the Trump endorsement as his own, former NRA spokesperson and firearm fanatic Dana Loesch jumped into the fold to take a swing at Greitens.
“Greitens is down double-digits to Schmitt in the polls and camped outside Mar-a-Lago for weeks hoping to score an endorsement, only to get this,” she tweeted. “Greitens is the Beto [O’Rourke] of Missouri.”
A senior Greitens campaign adviser fired back on the Loesch claim Tuesday afternoon, telling The Daily Beast, “There’s only one candidate who camped out, and that’s RINO Eric Schmitt.”
It didn’t end there, as the influential Loesch ripped into Rep. Matt Gaetz over his support for the former Missouri governor.
“That ain’t no endorsement, dude,” Loesch said in response to a Gaetz tweet congratulating Greitens.
In a tweet Tuesday, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz (TX) cheered on Schmitt.
“Missouri, the polls are open right now! Vote for my friend Eric Schmitt,” the senator said. “He is the strongest conservative in the Missouri Senate race!”
A Trump spokesperson didn’t return The Daily Beast’s request for comment on the story Tuesday morning.
Political reported late Monday that the dual endorsement came at the end of a seven-hour lobbying campaign that occurred at Trump’s Bedminster golf club. The scramble featured Donald Trump Jr.’s fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle working overtime on behalf of Greitens and RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel attempting to convince the ex-president to stay neutral.
In the end, Trump, setting aside fears that a double endorsement might be “too cute,” backed both candidates and phoned them up to congratulate them while leaving out that he also backed their rival, according to Political.
While there were plenty of Greitens detractors, there were also supporters.
“Missouri get out and vote Eric Greitens,” Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani declared. “I’m personally very proud of President Trump for having the courage, guts and balls to endorse Eric Greitens,” right-wing radio talker and Steve Bannon pal John Fredericks chimed in. “#BallsWins.”
On Trump’s own social media site, Truth Social, opinions on the endorsement ranged widely, with many pro-Trump users getting into arguments with each other in the comment section.
“Schmitt is an Establishment RINO,” wrote the user “@MidnightLouie,” while other pro-Trump users squabbled over which “Eric” was Trump’s favorite in the race.
On Tuesday morning, Greitens, who refers to himself as a “MAGA warrior,” appearing on Steve Bannon’s WarRoom program, said, “At the end of the day, this race is very simple…this is MAGA vs. [Mitch] McConnell.”
“They’re in park as opposed to fifth gear at the top end.”
Now, this is a sharp reversal of the usual pattern. Typically, when house prices fall, it’s the top end of the market that suffers the most savage declines.
Few can forget the eye-watering falls in house prices seen in prestige Sydney suburbs such as Mosman and Double Bay following the 2008 financial crisis.
Of course, there is a solid economic reason why the top end of the market is more vulnerable.
At the lower end of the market, a growing population feeds into an increasing demand for housing. But the value of housing is underpinned by the cost of bringing new houses to market – the cost of the land, for instance, and construction costs.
This effectively puts a floor under housing prices at the lower end of the market because developers have very limited scope for reducing the cost of new housing. This is especially the case when construction costs are soaring, as they are now.
As a result, even if mortgage rates rise sharply, the drop in house prices at the lower end of the market tends to be more moderate.
But at the top end of the market, a very high proportion of the cost of a prestige house reflects the cost of land, rather than the cost of construction.
And the cost of land at the top end of the market is a function of demand. Typically, the combination of rising interest rates and a slowing economy causes demand to drop sharply.
And this translates into a steep drop in land values. And because land values at the top end of the market aren’t determined by, say, the cost of putting in roads, or building sewerage, land prices are much more responsive to general economic conditions.
What’s more, as bankers are aware, many people at the top end stretch themselves to the limit to afford expensive housing.
But the rise in interest rates – combined with falling share markets and the collapse in the value of digital currencies – mean that many new buyers are unlikely to want to pay the inflated prices that properties were trading at 12 months ago.
So why are prestige property prices so robust at present?
The most likely explanation is that there is a relative dearth of such properties on the market, and a sizeable cohort of buyers, including international buyers, and returning expats, with large chequebooks.
But if that’s the case, we should expect to see property values at the top end of the market drop sharply once this temporary imbalance between supply and demand is cleared.
Indeed, as the Financial Review’s Nila Sweeney reported this week, house prices in some of the most expensive suburbs are now tumbling four times faster than the national average.
For instance, house prices in the Sydney northern beaches suburbs of Pittwater and Manly recorded price drops of 8.8 per cent and 7.4 per cent respectively in the July quarter, compared with a 2.2 per cent drop in the median house price nationwide.
Still, this could partly reflect an unwinding of the outsized gains these suburbs notched up in the past two years.
In Pittwater, for instance, house prices jumped by 53.3 per cent from the COVID-19 lows to the peak, but values have since dropped by 10.1 per cent in total.
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile on the original PlayStation was one of those strange games that I experienced exclusively through a coveted PS1 demo disc. Whether it was PlayStation Underground or Official PlayStation Magazine, I can’t particularly remember, but here’s what I do know: I absolutely loved running through the 2.5D platformer’s bright and colorful first level over and over, relishing the excellent soundtrack and charming visuals. It was like Crystal Dynamics Pandemonium!only starring a bunny cat…thing?
You’d figure such a positive impression would have led me to acquire the full game at some point, but no, this (sadly) never happened. Considering the complete game’s astronomical Ebay value at this point, you can probably understand my ongoing regret.
Gamers from that era can relate to this sort of problem, I’m sure. We all had those select games we worshiped via demo discs, though something kept us from taking the MSRP retail plunge. Do young gamers today even know what demo discs are? I feel so ancient. Excuse me while I go cough dust.
I suppose my ’90s stories don’t matter much at this point, because Bandai Namco has benevolently released Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Seriesa heartfelt — though terribly named and somewhat barebones — remastered compilation of the first two Klonoa games. This includes the aforementioned Door to Phantomile as well as Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil, the cel-shaded PS2-relegated sequel. The latter isn’t cel-shaded anymore, but we’ll get to that.
As far as I can tell, the remastered Door to Phantomile is based on the 2008/2009 Nintendo Wii version, which itself was a remake of the original PS1. So in essence, the new 2022 Door to Phantomile is a remaster of a remake, which totally isn’t confusing at all. On the other hand, the included sequel game is a remake-ish remaster, I suppose, since it’s also based on its corresponding original PS2 version but adds some changes.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series
Credit: Bandai Namco
Basically, if you haven’t played any of the Klonoa games, they’re arguably great platformers with an interesting surrealist style. Between the two of them, they’ve occupied a somewhat niche corner of Namco’s storied library, and I still don’t think a whole lot of people have played these games. Probably more gamers experienced the Wii remake, so it’s nice that we’re getting a pair of largely ignored classics in one modern, accessible, updated collection.
On that note, the updated graphics do look excellent, minus some egregious blooming effects here and there. I’ll always prefer the rudimentary sprite-heavy visuals of the PS1 release, but what’s here is nicely and lovingly brought into the current generation. If you go in expecting graphical powerhouses, you’ll surely be disappointed, but Klonoa has never really been about pushing hardware. The draw is in the art, the environments, and the cute appealing nature of our anthropomorphic hero’s entire world.
It does seem that Bandai Namco has altered the look of Klonoa 2, stripping the game of its charming cel-shading in favor of a more homogenized display. This bummed me out, because I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for cel-shading, and I blame Jet Set Radio for that. At least the music from the first game appears to be in-tact from the PS1 release, though I can’t be certain for the sequel, since I didn’t play that title nearly as much.
The last thing I’ll mention is that I was definitely expecting a little bit more in terms of franchise history with Phantasy Reverie Series. I’m thinking in terms of stuff like design documents, interviews, anything to ‘plus’ a retro compilation like this. Many of the recent throwback collections (say, from Capcom) have dabbled in such extras and I think it goes a long way in making a re-release like this more special. It should also be noted that none of the other Klonoa games, like from the Game Boy Advance, made the cut.
It looks like a digital artbook is included in the special edition, but I’d have preferred some kind of Klonoa museum feature in-game. I mean, Namco is no stranger to awesome PS1 museum compilations, so I feel a bit let down.
That said, the Klonoa games are beautiful, fun, (mostly) hidden gems and I’m hoping that enough interest shows up for this new collection that Bandai Namco seriously considers making Klonoa 3. In the meantime, I’ll be listening to the amazing Windmill Song on the first level of Door to Phantomile over and over, just like I did all those years ago.
But if you haven’t played these games yet, do yourself a favor and give them a shot. You might be pleasantly surprised.
Disclosure: Bandai Namco provided a review code for coverage purposes.
The DC Comics film batgirl will be completely “shelved” by Warner Bros, a top Hollywood source told new york post.
That means it won’t hit theaters or the US streaming service HBO Max. Fans will not see it.
The reportedly $100 million movie (the source said the budget was actually more than $140 million), which was doing test screenings for audiences in anticipation of a late 2022 debut, would rank among the most expensive cinematic cast-offs ever.
Those tests were said to be so poorly received by moviegoers that the studio decided to cut its losses and run, for the sake of the brand’s future. It’s a DC disaster.
“They think an unspeakable batgirl is going to be irredeemable,” the source said.
The Post has reached out to Warner Bros. for comment.
It’s been a months-long walk of shame for the movie. Batgirl, directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys for Life), received not a single mention at DC’s Comic-Con panel in San Diego in July — an unusual move that raised industry eyebrows. The much-publicized event, after all, is designed to boost exposure for forthcoming projects just like this one.
Marvel’s Comic-Con presentation, on the flip side, announced more than a dozen films in the so-called Phases 5 and 6 of the MCU, to be released through fall 2025, with even more surely in the hopper.
batgirlwhich stars Leslie Grace (In the Heights) in the title role, alongside JK Simmons, Michael Keaton and Brendan Fraser, was originally planned for a release on HBO Max. The Puck newsletter reported in April that WB’s then-chair, Toby Emmerich, was considering a theatrical run for the film too.
But Emmerich stepped down in June to form his own production company — not long after Warner Bros. merged with Discovery and David Zaslav became the CEO of the new entity. He replaced Emmerich with MGM’s Michael De Luca (who likely had to deliver the “Bat” news) and Pam Abdy.
While the film’s co-directors have done some scattered interviews about casting, the studio has been mum on plans for batgirl ever since.
Shelving a multimillion-dollar effort would not be unusual for Zaslav, a ruthless cost-cutter. Remember, he’s the same guy who gave the $400 million streaming service CNN+ the ax just days after its splashy launch because it didn’t snare enough subscribers.
The budget-conscious CEO, according to Varietyhas split WB into multiple segments, including a reorganized “DC-based film production” group.
With that in mind, WB is said to be searching for a head honcho to run the flailing DC Extended Universe and whip it into a coherent shape, like Kevin Feige did with the far more successful Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is owned by Disney. The current president of DC film production is Walter Hamada. Warner Bros. Discovery will report their Q2 earnings and announce future plans on Thursday.
DC urgently needs all the help it can get.
Unlike the behavior that is Marvel Studios, whose movies occasionally get bad reviews but reliably print money, DC is a disorganized, confusing, not-very-profitable mess. Aquaman and Wonder Woman 1984 got mixed reviews from critics; birds of prey and Suicide Squad were admired flops.
batman performed OK at the box office for Warner Bros., netting $1.1 billion worldwide with an R rating, and got good notices. However, the only DC Extended Universe film that has managed to beat the $1.45 billion box office gross of Dark Knightwhich came out 14 long years ago (joker with Joaquin Phoenix was not part of the DCEU), was Aquaman.
Meanwhile, Marvel’s pandemic-era Spider-Man: No Way Home has grossed $2.75 billion worldwide and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness you have managed a solid $1.4 billion.
Lately, DC’s nasty star drama has eclipsed the buzz — such as it is — surrounding its movies.
Ezra Miller, who plays the Flash, has caused a string of embarrassing controversies this year. In the spring, the actor was twice arrested in Hawaii — first for disorderly conduct and harassment, then for second-degree assault. Then in June, the Standing Rock Sioux tribal court issued an order of protection against the 29-year-old for allegedly using “violence, intimidation, threat of violence, fear, paranoia, delusions and drugs” to groom an 18-year-old whom the actor has known since she was 12. (Miller has not publicly commented on the latest allegation; a police investigation into the Hawaii incidents are reportedly ongoing.)
Ben Affleck, meanwhile, consistently claims he’s done with playing the Caped Crusader — even going so far as to allow Robert Pattinson to take over the role in this year’s batman — but keeps coming back like a bad ex-boyfriend. It was reported this week by Screen Rant that the actor will appear yet again as Bruce Wayne in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Perplexing.
And Gal Gadot is said to be starring in Wonder Woman 3, but the actress and director Patty Jenkins have said nothing — including a title or release date — beyond that they’re throwing around script ideas. DC, which squanders legendary properties with abandon, appears to have no grand plan whatsoever.
Soon, however, Wonder Woman won’t be the one holding the golden lasso anymore. Instead, power will be wielded by an all-controlling DC film production head who will attempt to turn things around. Before they arrive, killing batgirl is Step 1.
“This is the end of DC as a hobby,” the source said.
This story originally appeared on Page Six and is republished here with permission
The $11 billion Western sydneyAirport is taking shape from a paddock to a construction site and soon-to-be bustling travel spot.
More than 22 million cubic meters of earth have been moved from the Badgerys Creek site and more than half the concreting is now complete for a terminal that will welcome 10 million passengers a year.
More than 2,300 workers are on-site to build the airport.
More than 22 million cubic meters of earth has been moved from the Badgerys Creek site and more than half the concreting is now complete for a terminal that will welcome 10 million passengers a year. (Nine)
“That will grow up to 4000, so this is a really significant build,” NSW Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said.
“I can’t remember the last time we built an airport from scratch.”
The $11 billion Western Sydney Airport is taking shape from a paddock to a construction site and soon-to-be bustling travel spot. (Nine)
Beneath the entrance to the airport is an enormous basement built to fit the country’s most advanced and automated baggage sorting system.
A computer sends traveler’s bags from check-in directly to the flight beneath all their feet.
Most of our airports were built many years ago, so they have a belt-based system. This a tote-based system, just like you see at Amazon down the road at Kemps Creek,” CEO of Western Sydney Airport Simon Hickey said.
Beneath the entrance to the airport is an enormous basement built to fit the country’s most advanced and automated baggage sorting system. (Nine)
“This is a more modern system that you see in the best airport in the world.”
Every detail of the airport’s design has been poured over by a panel of everyday Australians to make sure it’s fit for purpose.
John and Gillian Jocys from nearly Middleton Grange were among those invited to see the plans and share their thoughts on what the airport should offer.
Every detail of the airport’s design has been poured over by a panel of everyday Australians to make sure it’s fit for purpose. (Nine)
“To see it in life-size format, how awesome, absolutely awesome,” the pair said.
“This will be a place for people to come to, whether they’re traveling or not, it’ll be a destination in its own right,” Hickey said.
Despite the pandemic and this year’s heavy rain impacting construction, the airport is expected to open as scheduled with the first flights taking off in late 2026.
The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to prohibit homeless people from setting up tents within 500 feet of schools and daycare centers, during a raucous meeting where protesters shouted down council members and, at one point, halted the meeting.
The new restrictions, approved by a vote of 11-3, dramatically expand the number of locations where sleeping and camping are off-limits. And they come amid a furious debate about how the city should respond to encampments that have taken hold in many parts of the city.
Audience members repeatedly chanted “shut it down” as Councilmember Joe Buscaino, a longtime proponent of increased enforcement, attempted to speak in favor of the restrictions. Council President Nury Martinez then stopped the meeting for more than an hour so police could clear the room.
After audience members had exited, council members reconvened, discussed the measure and voted.
“I think people were trying this morning to shut this place down and keep us from doing the very job that we were all elected to do,” Martinez said before the vote. “And that, I think, is incredibly disturbing.”
Under the new restrictions, people would be prohibited from sitting, sleeping, lying or storing property within 500 feet of every public and private school, not just the few dozen selected by the council over the past year.
Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who represents South Los Angeles, voted against the restrictions, telling reporters they would move the city toward an “inhumanity that is beneath the citizens of the city.”
Councilmember Mike Bonin, another opponent of the restrictions, said city leaders should devote their energy instead toward improving programs that help homeless Angelenos, such as those that help people with housing vouchers secure an apartment.
“We need to have a relentless, exclusive focus on getting people indoors,” said Bonin, who represents coastal neighborhoods from Los Angeles International Airport north to Pacific Palisades.
A second vote will be required next week. Bonin predicted the changes would result in a roughly tenfold increase in the number of sites subject to enforcement, taking it from more than 200 to about 2,000. The city’s supporting documents on the proposal did not give a clear figure showing how many sites would be covered.
Los Angeles Unified School District officials told The Times that about 750 school sites are within the city limits, a figure that does not include private or parochial schools. Nearly 1,000 commercial daycare businesses are registered with the city’s Office of Finance, although it’s not clear whether all of those locations would be covered by the city’s new law.
Tuesday’s vote came more than two months after Alberto M. Carvalho, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, made a surprise in-person appearance before council members to ask for the new restrictions. Parents and school staff have also spoken out in favor of the changes, saying they have observed erratic or even violent behavior near or on LA Unified campuses.
Martha Alvarez, who oversees government relations for the school district, told the council that LA Unified had found 120 campuses with encampments over the past year.
“These conditions are a public health hazard,” she said. “They are unsafe and traumatic for students, families and staff as they enter school campuses.”
Councilmember Joe Buscaino also spoke in favor, saying he has already been working to open more beds for homeless people across the city, using a variety of strategies.
“I’ve supported Bridge Home shelters. I’ve supported tiny homes, Project Roomkey, Project Homekey, permanent supportive housing,” Buscaino said. “But what I don’t support are drug dens near our schools, parks, or anywhere children congregate.”
Sarah Tindall, middle school, walks with school kids past a homeless encampment near Larchmont Charter School in August 2021.
(Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
The new school year starts Aug. 15.
Foes of the proposal have repeatedly argued the council’s restrictions would effectively outlaw poverty, leading to the deaths of homeless Angelenos. Prohibiting encampments around schools, they said, would simply push people and their belongings a block or two away.
“There are a lot of people who are struggling right now, and we should be helping them,” said Andrew Graebner, appearing before the council.
The new restrictions come as city officials are gradually closing one of the signature programs set up to help homeless Angelenos during the COVID-19 pandemic: Project Roomkey, which turned multi-story hotels into makeshift shelters.
Those facilities allowed the city to bring far more people indoors than they had before, at a time when the congregate shelter system, where many people sleep in a single room, had to operate well below capacity under social distancing guidelines.
The Mayfair Hotel, which provided 252 rooms under the program, recently ended its participation in the program. The LA Grand Hotel in downtown and the Highland Gardens Hotel in Hollywood, which provided a combined 553 rooms, are scheduled to cease operation as Project Roomkey sites at the end of the month, according to Brian Buchner, the city’s homelessness coordinator.
The Airtel Plaza Hotel, which has provided 237 rooms, is set to end its participation in the program on Sept. 30.
Buchner said there are “active discussions” at City Hall and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority about extending the deadline at one or more of those facilities.
Tuesday’s vote represents a shift in the city’s approach on enforcement of its anti-camping law, reducing the amount of discretion wielded by individual council members and establishing a more sweeping policy. That’s a major contrast from last summer, when backers of the law pitched it as a narrow and targeted measure, with enforcement accompanied by offers of services from outreach workers.
Over the past year, permanent metal signs setting deadlines for homeless people to leave have been posted at more than 200 locations, 33 of them schools or daycare centers. At some locations, tents and makeshift shelters have remained weeks or months past the enforcement deadline, as outreach workers struggled to persuade people to move voluntarily.
Although some sites are now clear of tents and encampments, others have had more people living on the sidewalk than they did when outreach workers initially assessed the spots.
City and county officials along with homeless services providers previously told The Times that an insufficient number of outreach workers and a lack of interim housing options have hindered the implementation of the law.
Foes of the council’s homelessness strategy have repeatedly called for the restrictions on sidewalk camping to be repealed. Some of those critics are now leading candidates in the Nov. 8 election.
newsletter
Get the lowdown on LA politics
In this pivotal election year, we’ll break down the ballot and tell you why it matters in our LA on the Record newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
Accountant Kenneth Mejia, frontrunner in the race to replace City Controller Ron Galperin, said the new rules would render about one-fifth of the city’s sidewalks off limits to homeless people. I have warned that the restrictions would simply push homeless people to other nearby blocks.
Councilmember Paul Koretz, who trailed Mejia by nearly 20 points last month, voted in favor of the new law.
The council’s new anti-encampment law has quickly become an issue in other contests. Civil rights lawyer Faisal Gill, now running to succeed City Atty. Mike Feuer, has previously promised not to enforce the law, saying it is unconstitutional and will be struck down by the 9th Circuit.
Gill’s opponent, attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, declined to take a position on the measure when contacted by The Times.
“The validity, interpretation and enforceability of the [anti-encampment] ordinance will certainly come before the next LA city attorney,” she said in a statement. “And if I am the city attorney, I would want the opportunity to consult with my clients — LA City Council — before taking a fixed position.”
One citywide contest where there is some agreement on the council’s approach is the race for mayor. US Rep. Karen Bass and real estate developer Rick Caruso, both running for mayor, have both come out in favor of the restrictions on encampments near schools and daycare centers.
Volkswagen has drawn up battle plans to make the new Amarok the must-have ute of 2023.
Based on the new Ford Ranger, the new Amarok represents a significant leap beyond the previous model.
It shares core underpinnings and diesel engines with the Ranger, as well as new safety features including auto emergency braking, active cruise control and blind-spot monitoring.
Volkswagen’s best-selling model is also likely to share the Ford’s 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel engine, a motor that sends 184kW and 600Nm to all four wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission.
But it won’t get the 292kW/283Nm petrol V6 exclusively offered in Ford’s Ranger Raptor.
Ford elected not to offer the Australian Ranger with a 2.3-litre turbo petrol engine found in some Amarok models, one that delivers 222kW and 452Nm of performance.
But the cars are not identical.
VW’s machine wears butch styling shaped by a Melbourne-based design team.
It has the same core interior as the Ranger, though high-end Amarok models have fancier 10-way electric seat adjustment than the Ranger’s eight-way chairs.
And Volkswagen’s 12-inch digital dashboard display is larger than the 8-inch readouts fitted as standard to the Ranger.
Top-grade Amarok variants ride on 21-inch wheels that are significantly larger than the 18-inch rims of a Ranger Wildtrak, which could return more car-like precision from a steering wheel shared with VW’s passenger cars.
VW says the new machine, built in South Africa as opposed to the Thailand-sourced Ranger, benefits from shorter and more frequent shipping routes than the older model, which came from Argentina.
That “ensures steadier supply”, according to Volkswagen.
But it will also mean the Amarok is subject to a 5 per cent vehicle import tariff that does not apply to the Thai-built Ranger, a factor likely to make the VW more expensive than its Blue Oval cousin.
VW will reveal prices for the Amarok closer to its official debut in the first quarter of 2023.
Nintendo has confirmed it isn’t planning on bumping up the price of its Nintendo Switch in Japan. The publisher, along with fellow console makers Microsoft and Sony, was recently asked about this possibility by Bloomberg. Nintendo’s response was that it had “no plans” to do so at this time.
Currently, Japan’s yen is falling in value, having dropped 21 percent over the past year. As a result, electronics manufacturers have been slightly increasing the prices of electronics to compensate. For example, Apple products are now 25 percent costlier in Japan compared to in the United States.
As Bloomberg noted, video game consoles are currently $100 cheaper everywhere in the world except Japan. There’s reason for all three major console developers to worry that increasing the price of a console will turn away players and developers to competition.
Last week during its earnings call, Sony financial officer Hiroki Totoki simply said there was “nothing specific” to share about a PS5 price increase, though that question was in relation to the system across the world, rather than simply Japan. Like Sony, Microsoft declined to speak definitively on the possibility of a price increase.
Though console makers seem reluctant to hike up prices, analyst Kazunori Ito pointed out to Bloomberg that at this point, Japanese customers have adjusted to the country’s price inflation for TVs, monitors, and household appliances. “I don’t see them getting upset if game consoles followed suit,” he said.
Right now, the Switch’s most current model—the OLED, which released in 2021—is $349 in North America, and 37,980 yen in Japan, which converts to roughly $290. Scalpers and resellers have jumped on the opportunity, buying consoles at the Japanese price and upselling them when a major console game is close to release.
Both Sony and Microsoft (which made their own earnings call in late July) reported a drop in sales and service usage for their respective systems.
The Newcastle Knights and their coach Adam O’Brien are at a crossroads after a horror season that could see them go from the finals to the wooden spoon in one year.
The Knights have the worst defensive record in the NRL and their attack is not much better with the pressure ramping up on O’Brien to keep his job amid turmoil and player unrest at the club.
Paul Kent believes the recent changes to the club’s football department is evidence that the Knights desperately need to change the way they operate in time for next season.
Stream every game of every round of the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership Season Live & Ad-Break Free During Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
“This is a touchstone moment for Adam O’Brien,” Kent said on NRL 360.
“His career now is at a tipping point. After the season they have had where they have shown no improvement on the two previous seasons. In fact they have gone backwards.
“You have got player unrest. You have got a club that is trying to turn things around.
“Phil Gardner has moved himself away from much of the football operation, which he needed to do because he was inexperienced and after putting his toe in the water for 18 months he failed to come up with what they need.
“They have got a rookie football manager in Danny Buderus, who has suddenly been pushed sideways to bring in Peter Parr. They are trying to start the turnaround.
“Adam O’Brien has realized that he is either part of the solution or part of the problem and it starts now.”
MORE NRL NEWS
‘DONE 100’: Roosters star Keary’s confession reveals NRL big hip-drop problem
VERDICT: Broncos star cops four-game ban for controversial hip-drop tackle
TEAMS: Manly young gun dumped; Bellamy’s big Storm reshuffle
RUN HOME: Souths miss golden chance; Cowboys hunt unthinkable as rivals falter
Knights coach Adam O’Brien.Source: Supplied
Phil Rothfield revealed O’Brien admitted he has eight weeks next season to turn things around, but Kent believes that might be generous, given their current predicament.
“Buzz said he has six to eight weeks next year,” Kent said.
“I don’t think he has got that because if the Knights find out eight weeks into next season that they have made a blue, then next season has gone as well.
“Adam O’Brien touched on in that press conference that their summer training was not up to speed this year as it should have been.
“He said, that is the one thing he would like to get in order going into next season. That’s where it starts for them next season. It begins for him now.”
Get all the latest NRL news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!
Klemmer sanctioned for abusing trainer | 02:55
Kent accused the Knights of being too soft on their players in the wake of the decision to reprimand David Klemmer.
“It began it appears today with David Klemmer and let’s talk about player discipline and how players buy into what is going on at teams,” Kent said.
“David Klemmer is known for not wanting to go off the field. Let’s cop that. It happened at Canterbury. It has happened before.
“But we talk about Brandon Smith and what Melbourne have done to him since he got sin-binned and suspended a couple of weeks back and how they drive their discipline, which Adam O’Brien has been aware of.
“I think for too long up there he has been running a soft ship and they basically have been taking the mickey out of him, so I think that is where it starts.”
Is O’Brien under pressure at Knights? | 05:59
The Daily Telegraph’s Dave Riccio agreed O’Brien’s future is on thin ice, given they are unlikely to win another game in 2022, with the wooden spoon a real possibility.
“I think Adam’s coaching career is right on the precipice,” Riccio said.
“Don’t forget this Newcastle Knights side can still get the wooden spoon. They play the Tigers this weekend.
“If they lose to the Tigers you can bet your bottom dollar the heat will be turned up.
“They then play the Broncos away. They play the Raiders at home. The Titans away and they finish with the Sharks at home.
“I haven’t got the Knights winning any of those games.”
Kent believes the introduction of Parr as the club’s director of football means that Phil Gardner will no longer have the final say on O’Brien’s future.
Inside Klemmer’s failed move to the Eels | 02:08
“Gardner has no longer got the say,” Kent said.
“Parr will have the say. Parr will sit there over summer and if he decides things aren’t looking the way they need to look, he can still find himself a coach.
“He has got trainers and strength and conditioning coaches in from the Roosters and the Panthers and everywhere else. They are in good hands there.”
Riccio agreed the board will decide who the long-term coach will be based on a recommendation from Parr.
“I think it will come down to the board,” Riccio said.
“I think Peter Parr has been put there for a reason. Not only for his experience and know how, but I believe he can make a tough call.
“And Gardner can remove himself from what has been a car crash since he got there.”
In light of O’Brien’s comments that he has seen what success looks like at the Storm and the Roosters, Kent believes it is time for less talk and more action at the Knights.
“At some point you have got to start living the standard and not talking the standard,” Kent said.
“I think for too long at Newcastle they talk about what they want to do.
“It has been going on for too long where they just basically pull the shades down over everybody’s eyes and say, don’t worry about us we are going OK, when in fact they are not doing what Newcastle are known for, which is playing tough, hard football and being constantly competitive.”
Police are appealing for information into the assassination of a Turkish diplomat and his bodyguard in Sydney more than four decades ago, releasing audio of a claim of responsibility.
In the recording, a female voice is heard taken responsibility for the deaths of Turkish Consul-General Sarik Ariyak, aged 50, and his bodyguard, Engin Sever, aged 28.
The pair were shot outside a home in Dover Heights about 9:45 a.m. on December 17, 1980.
No-one has ever been charged over the murders, and a $1 million reward is on offer for anyone who can provide information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Turkish diplomat Sarik Ariyak, 50, and his bodyguard, Engin Sever, 28, were assassinated on a Sydney street in 1980. (NSW Police)A police officer stands guard over slain consular bodyguard Engin Sever’s car on December 17, 1980. (Alan Gilbert Purcell/Fairfax Media)
The female voice claims the assassination was done on behalf of “of the Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide.”
The assassination of Ariyak and Sever was the first international politically motivated attack on Australian soil.
Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Commander, Assistant Commissioner Mark Walton, has urged the community to listen to the recording intently as investigators are also seeking assistance to decipher inaudible words spoken after: “The authors of…”
Sarik Ariyak and his wife Demet, who witnessed the assassination from the driveway of her home. (Barry James Gilmour/Fairfax Media)
“Identifying the female through her voice – or recognizing any indecipherable words in the audio – will greatly assist us with this investigation,” Walton said.
“Police have strong reason to believe that there are members of the public who are aware of who this person is, and we urge them to come forward.
“While we continue this investigation, we suspect there are people who know exactly what happened that day but have not yet been willing to speak with authorities.
“We’d like to hear from these people as soon as possible, as well as anyone whose memory may be refreshed by the audio we’ve released – no matter how insignificant the information may seem, it could be invaluable to the investigation.”
Two men are wanted over the assassination of Turkish diplomat Sarik Ariyak in 1980. (NSW Police)Then federal treasurer, John Howard addresses the service for Sarik Ariyak and his bodyguard at the Turkish consulate in Woollahra on December 24, 1980. (Adrian GreerMichael Short/Fairfax Media)
Ariyak and Sever were killed as they left the residence in separate vehicles.
Police said they were approached by two men who fired “multiple shots at close range”.
They fled the scene on a motorbike.
Ariyak died on the scene and Sever passed away a short time later at St Vincent’s Hospital in Darlinghurst.
Anyone with information that may assist Strike Force Esslemont investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or here.
