Home ” News » Upcoming Dying Light 2 Patch 1.5 Adds New Missions, Bounties, & Enemies
Today, Techland revealed that its hit open-world RPG, Dying Light 2, would be dropping a lot of new content in a couple of weeks alongside its Patch 1.5. Players will get to experience new missions, bounties, and enemies as a part of the game’s next post-launch implementation, and all for free.
Included in that content is a mysterious new character, Shen Xiu: a Chapter Agent and expert tracker that players will meet her in the new story “A Huntress and a Hag.” You can check out a little bit more about her and the upcoming content in the video below.
Meet Shen Xiu, AKA The Huntress—our newest Chapter Agent! Who is she? Where does she come from? What is her business in the City? For now, just know this extremely proficient tracker and archery expert has a very special task for Nightrunners.
Will you become the hunter… or the prey? Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks as we reveal more information about new missions, bounties, enemies, and weapons that the second Chapter will introduce.
Dying Light 2 is available now for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, with a Nintendo Switch version set to arrive later this year. Anyone interested can check out our official review of the game right here.
Two things have left me scratching my head over the past week in rugby league.
The NRL has made it clear it’ll do whatever it takes to protect the head and neck of players, with league bosses making the point in the weekend newspapers that they’re “winning the war against concussion” with a reduction in head-knocks of 40 per cent this season.
Why then are dangerous acts of foul play going unpunished by the match review committee when there are players being fined and/or even escaping sanction for elbowing others in the head like Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Nelson Asofa-Solomona?
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The Roosters enforcer copped a $3000 fine for driving his elbow into a defenseless Manly debutant Zac Fulton who was on the ground at the time, and Asofa-Solomona wasn’t even charged after dropping his forearm onto the head of Warriors hooker Wayde Egan, who is facing a trip to the dentist to repair some busted teeth. He’s lucky it wasn’t worse.
The last time I checked, that’s dangerous contact with the head and under the NRL rules should be punished heavily, so what is the match review committee looking at?
Andrew Johns believes Nelson Asofa-Solomona should’ve been sent off for this act on Wayde Egan. (Supplied)
To make matters worse, South Sydney forward Tom Burgess copped a one match ban for a good old fashioned coat hanger to the head of Ronaldo Mulitalo that warranted a send off, but again the MRC hit him with a feather.
Adding to the confusion around foul-play is the two-match suspension imposed by the NRL judiciary last week on Cronulla forward Dale Finucane for an accidental head clash with Stephen Crichton, who suffered a lacerated ear.
Finucane said after the hearing that the decision “will set a dangerous precedent”, but the match review committee has instead ignored at least two other incidents which I consider much worse than the tackle involving the Sharks veteran.
I don’t want to sound frivolous, but why wasn’t Lindsay Collins charged for the collision with Andrew Davey on Thursday night? Is it because the Roosters player came off second best and was knocked out before hitting the ground? We’ve all been crying out for consistency from the MRC, but you’d have more luck finding a needle in a haystack.
Roosters enforcer penalized for dirty act
The other issue that’s left me puzzled is a difficult one. It’s the pride jersey at Manly. We refer to the game as being inclusive with NRL boss Andrew Abdo and ARLC chairman Peter V’landys declaring “we’re a game for everyone”, yet we’ve spent the last seven days ostracising a group of Sea Eagles players for their religious beliefs.
For the record, I support the pride jersey and while I disagree with the likes of Josh Aloiai, Jason Saab and Josh Schuster who refused to wear the rainbow colors on Thursday night against the Roosters, are they not entitled to their religious beliefs?
There is a huge Pasifika presence in the NRL with around 50 per cent of the players who are of Pacific origin or with Pacific heritage and that’s something we should be extremely proud of. It’s what makes us not only an inclusive game, but a multicultural game as well.
The Sea Eagles handled the pride jersey appallingly and hijacked the build-up to a special weekend in which we celebrated the Harvey Norman Women in League Round.
Hasler apologizes for Manly ‘mistake’ – Manly Sea Eagles coach Des
The club officials who failed to consult the players were nowhere to be seen, it was instead left up to Des Hasler to handle the firestorm of criticism at one of the most impressive press conferences I’ve ever seen from an NRL head coach.
Des spoke passionately, emotionally and with empathy as he navigated his way through a minefield of questions from the waiting media who would usually turn up in the same numbers to speak to the prime minister.
His opening remarks pointed to the cause of the controversy and that it was “sadly, the execution of what was intended to be an extremely important initiative was poor.”
Chairman Scott Penn returned from the United States to meet with the players and said on Thursday night in an interview with Danny Weidler on Nine News that they were open to wearing the pride jersey in the future.
Manly rainbow meeting held amid fears of ‘rift’
“That’s the message they were very clear on, let’s work together” said Penn.
The seven Manly players have since rejected that suggestion from the Sea Eagles chairman, insisting they’ll never soften their stance when it comes to religion, so this is an issue that’s not going away for the club or the National Rugby League.
Peter V’landys is refusing to rule out the possibility of the league introducing a pride round as early as next season, insisting inclusivity and different opinions have to be equally respected as we “don’t live in Russia.”
If that’s the case, I’m questioning why the NRL would head down the path of a pride round which has the potential to alienate the 50 per cent of Pasifika players in the game who may or may not support it because of their religious beliefs.
Again, I disagree with their religious beliefs and I find them difficult to accept in 2022, but if we’re not “living in Russia”, how can we then force the Polynesian players to support something they don’t believe in?
Sexual preference and inclusivity shouldn’t be such a complex issue, especially in sport. At the same time, when you look at the players, coaches and officials who make up the National Rugby League, it’s very much a complex issue in need of more discussion.
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Uniform controversies that have rocked sport around the world
Extra warning signs should be installed at a popular lookout and selfie spot in Victoria’s Grampians National Park where a woman fell to her death, a coroner has found.
Key points:
Rosy Loomba had finished taking a selfie with her husband at Boroka Lookout when she fell
Deputy state coroner Jacqui Hawkins found extra safety warnings could prevent similar deaths happening in the future
She said Ms Loomba’s death was “a reminder of the dangers” associated with ignoring safety mechanisms
Rosy Loomba, 38, was taking a photo at the Boroka Lookout — nicknamed “selfie rock” — when she fell to her death on December 12, 2020.
Ms Loomba had traveled with her family from Craigieburn in Melbourne’s north to the park for a picnic.
Deputy State Coroner Jacqui Hawkins found Ms Loomba and her husband had been taking photos after climbing an “easily scaled” fence surrounding the lookout.
Ms Loomba turned to walk back when she lost her balance and fell over.
“Mr Loomba jumped down to her and tried to pull her back up but was unable to reach her hand,” the coroner said in findings handed down on Monday.
“He held onto her legs and her clothing but was unable to grasp her. Mrs Loomba fell over the edge.”
About 30 people were at the lookout and there was a small queue of people waiting to have their photo taken at the time.
Victoria Police later investigated the incident and found it was a “tragic accident,” Ms Hawkins said.
The coroner accepted the opinion of a forensic pathologist who found the cause of death was multiple injuries sustained in a fall from a height.
Boroka Lookout is one of the most popular spots in the Grampians.(Supplied: Visit Grampians)
The coronial inquest found there was noticeable damage to the fence surrounding the lookout, likely caused by people standing on the wires to scale the fence.
“Parks Victoria provided a copy of the asset review for the Boroka Lookout area as of 23 June 2020, which did not identify the loose wires in the wire fencing,” Ms Hawkins found.
“I consider this to be a minor structural issue of the fencing in this area and am not of the view that it contributed to Mrs Loomba climbing over the fence or her subsequent fall.”
The coroner noted Parks Victoria had already added additional safety signage earlier this year in response to a death at that same lookout in 1999.
“Despite this earlier recommendation, I am of the view that extra signage could be added to this area to prevent such deaths occurring in the future,” she wrote in her findings.
“I note that adventurers and park attendees may continue to climb fences to access lookouts in order to get a photo or for their own curiosity.
“Mrs Loomba’s death is a reminder of the dangers associated with ignoring signage and fencing which is put in place to keep people safe.”
Al-Qaeda Leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed over the weekend in a drone strike in a US counterterrorism operation, President Joe Biden announced Monday night.
“He carved a trail of murder and violence against American citizens, American service members, American diplomats, and American interests,” President Biden said in his brief remarks from the White House balcony. “Now, justice has been delivered. And this terrorist leader is no more.”
The president said that al-Zawahiri was killed in Kabul. US government had multiple, independent sources confirming al-Zawahiri’s whereabouts of him at a safehouse, a senior administration official told reporters on a call Monday evening. He was ultimately taken out by a drone at 9:48 pm ET Saturday, while he was on the balcony of the safehouse, and his family members of him were in different rooms of the house. The US government, the senior administration official said, has a high level of confidence that no one else was killed in the strike.
The senior administration official said the strike was a result of careful, patient and persistent work by counterterrorism officials over the course of months and years. The official also noted the quick, decisive action of Mr. Biden once they determined where the al Qaeda leader was located.
The senior administration official said the president received regular updates as the US government zeroed in on al-Zawahiri. Once the safehouse was located, the president wanted to understand more about the layout of the safehouse’s doors and windows to avoid other casualties. In a July 25 meeting, the president authorized a precise, tailored air strike that would minimize civilian deaths as much as possible, the senior administration official said.
With al-Zawahiri’s death, all of the top plotters of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks are either dead or captured.
The strike comes nearly one year after US troops withdrew from Afghanistan, something that was not lost on the president. The Biden administration has long made the argument that it can continue to address terrorist threats to the American people without boots on the ground in Afghanistan, from “over the horizon.”
US President Joe Biden addresses the nation on the killing of Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a US drone strike, in Washington, US August 1, 2022. Jim Watson/Pool
POOL/REUTERS
“When I ended our military mission in Afghanistan almost a year ago, I made a decision that after 20 years of war, the United States no longer needed thousands of boots on the ground in Afghanistan to protect America from terrorists who seek to do us harm ,” Mr. Biden said. “I made a promise to the American people that we’d continue to conduct effective counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan and beyond. We’ve done just that.”
Two intelligence sources familiar with the matter said the strike was carried out by the CIA. A senior administration official said there were no civilian casualties, which the president reiterated Monday night.
The president, who tested positive with a rebound case of COVID-19delivered his remarks outdoors from a balcony at the White House.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on Monday confirmed an airstrike conducted by a drone in Kabul. He said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan views that as a clear violation of international principles.
But former Acting CIA Director and CBS News contributor Michael Morell said after the president’s remarks that “it’s really hard for me to believe [al-Zawahiri] was in Kabul without the knowledge of at least some of the Taliban leadership.”
Noting that al-Zawahiri was “living there fairly openly, not trying to hide,” Morell said the strike makes clear to any other al Qaeda members in Afghanistan that they must still worry about their security, despite the fact that the US no longer has troops there.
Al-Zawahiri has long been a wanted man. After the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, then-President George W. Bush released a list of the FBI’s 22 most wanted terrorists, with al-Zawahiri near the top of the list along with Osama bin Laden.
For years, al-Zawahiri was known as al Qaeda’s No. 2, but many analysts believe he was really the brains behind bin Laden’s operation.
Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, left, sits with his adviser Ayman al-Zawahiri, during an interview with a Pakistani journalist at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan for an article published Nov. 10, 2001.
Getty Images
Bin Laden was killed by US special forces in 2011, but al-Zawahiri avoided attempts on his life and an international manhunt until his death.
Zawahiri continued to release video statements, including one on Sept. 11, 2021, although it was unclear if that recording was new or old. It was rumored for years that he had died, and the US offered $25 million for information that could lead to his apprehension of him.
— CBS News’ Arden Farhi, Nancy Cordes, Andres Triay, Ahmad Muktar, Pat Milton and Olivia Gazis contributed to this report.
Airbus A220, Airbus A320, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A350, Airbus A380
BusinessType:
planemaker
Jetstar’s new Airbus A321neo, which arrived in Melbourne yesterday, will bring a new level of comfort to low airfare travel in Australia. That’s according to Jetstar CEO Gareth Evans and after being among the first onboard Simple Flying is apt to agree with him.
SIMPLEFLYING VIDEO OF THE DAY
What the Jetstar A321neo brings to the passenger
Jetstar CEO Gareth Evans says that being able to provide good, low fares is what people want and the A321neo allows the airline to do that. Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying
Officially welcoming the Airbus A321neo was Airbus Head of Sales Pacific Marie-Frédérique Romain and Jetstar CEO Gareth Evans. Once the ceremonies were over, Simple Flying could see what the new cabin looked like and how Jetstar had tailored it to exceed anything currently available in the Australian low-airfare market. Simple Flying asked Evans how important these features are to customers when choosing a carrier. He told us, “Passengers always know when they are on a new plane, and that’s always a positive.”
“I think what we’re doing from a customer perspective is going to be important and they will notice the tweaks and adjustments, like the bigger bins and USB ports. But ultimately they just want to get from A to B and to know they have got good low fares, and this aircraft with its low cost base and reduced fuel burn enables us to offer great low prices, so people can travel more, and that’s what customers want.”
The wider cabin allows for wider slimline seats on Jetstar’s A321neo. Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying
Airbus continues its Airspace interior in the cabin with a familiar look and feel from the A220 to the A350. The A321neo has the widest interior of any single-aisle aircraft and gives that space back to passengers with wider seats. As a low-fare airline with Qantas as a parent, Jetstar will operate the A321LR in a single class, three-by-three layout of 232 seats, 46 more than what it can carry on its existing A320ceo fleet. The black seats with orange piping have a pitch of 74 centimeters (29 inches), except for the exits rows, and a width of 45.7 cms (17.7 in).
Will bigger bins ease the boarding stress?
The Jetstar A321neo has extra large overhead bins that are 40% larger than on similar-sized aircraft. Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying
Struggling to find space for carry-on bags is not only stressful but can also contribute to late departures. The A321neo overhead bins are 40% larger than standard and allow bags to be stored upright, creating even more room. Jetstar has made it much safer for passengers who bring their electronic devices on board, with a neat holder on the seatback. Also, there is no fumbling about looking for the USB power or attaching the charging cord because the unit sits at around eye-level on the seatback. Having the charging outlet close and in the same location as the device means no loose cords are dangling between the seat and seatback.
In another first, Jetstar has installed a digital streaming service, with content selected to match the flight length the aircraft is operating. To connect, it’s as simple as putting the device into flight mode, selecting the Jetstar entertainment app, scanning a QR code and browsing for something that suits your taste. There is no need to download anything before the flight, and with content changed every two months, the choices will include new releases not yet available to all streaming services. As a leisure carrier, Jetstar has added more ‘child-friendly’ programs, such as from Disney, and it also integrates popular games into the onboard system.
Pick a color and go with it
The mood lighting on the Jetstar A321LR ranges across a rainbow of colors, with a startlingly different effect. Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying
Mood lighting is another feature that long-haul passengers will have experienced, with the A321neo crew having all the colors of the rainbow to choose between. During Simple Flying’s preview, the crew shifted colors from a soothing blue to a soft green and a vibrant pink that would not have looked out of place at a dance party.
The A321neo is a great step forward for the Asia-Pacific region, and with Jetstar adding 18 in 2022/2023, followed by 20 A321XLRs, it will soon become the accepted standard. How much do you think about the passenger experience when shopping for holiday fares?
In an interesting achievement, scientists have supercharged the William Herschel Telescope (WHT) in La Palma, Spain with new technology that will reveal how our galaxy has formed in unprecedented detail. The supercharged telescope will now be able to survey 1,000 stars per hour until it has cataloged a total of five million.
According to the reports, the super-fast mapping device linked up to WHT will analyze the make-up of each star and the speed at which it travels. This information tracked, will help scientists understand how our Milky Way galaxy assembled over billions of years.
In efforts to track the development of the Milky Way, Professor Gavin Dalton of Oxford University has spent more than a decade developing the instrument, named as ‘Weave’.
Weave installed on WHT
Weave has been charged on the WHT in order to track the movement of stars. The developed instrument, WHT Enhanced Area Velocity Explorer (Weave), sits high on a mountain top on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma. Notably, the newly developed instrument weave has 80,000 separate parts and is being considered a miracle of engineering in today’s era.
The Milky Way galaxy is a dense spiral swirl of nearly 400 billion stars, but it took billions of years to form a galaxy as it eventually started out as a relatively small collection of stars. Multiple small galaxies came together over years to form one galaxy.
With the help of weave, scientists will be able to calculate the speed, direction, age and composition of each star. The device also creates a motion picture of stars moving in the Milky Way by watching it. According to Professor Dalton, with the help of extrapolating backward, it will be possible to reconstruct the entire formation of the Milky Way in detail.
According to the professor, the device will be able to trace the galaxies that have been absorbed while the spiral galaxy was being built up. The instrument will help us understand how galaxies are formed. It is considered that weave is going to make big revelations and answer queries that astronomers and scientists have been trying to find for years.
Melbourne and Brisbane have been quizzed on the futures of two their respective out-of-contract stars as rumors swirl.
Plus the latest on a suitor’s Jordan De Goey bid as well as Dan Hannebery’s future.
Get the latest player movement news and updates in AFL Trade Whispers!
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DEES, LIONS CONFIRM HONEST CHATS WITH OFF-CONTRACT STARS
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has admitted he’s had “honest chats” with out-out-contract star Luke Jackson about his future, saying the youngster faces a massive call ahead.
Jackson has put off contract talks until the end of the season and been heavily linked with a move to Fremantle as he weighs up returning to his home state of Western Australia.
Speaking on Fox Footy’s AFL 360, Goodwin implored the 20-year old to not be distracted by his future plans and keep his focus on helping the Demons’ bid for back-to-back premierships.
“I’ve had some great chats with Luke and some were honest chats about we just want him to perform for the Melbourne footy club, however long that may be,” Goodwin told Fox Footy.
“That’s what our focus has been, whether that’s 10 weeks, whether that’s the next 10 years, and he’s been really open … he’s fully committed to Melbourne.”
Jackson rucking against Freo (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
“Our responsibility as a club is to be mature in our approach towards that end, and get the best out of the Luke for however long he’s at our footy club… those conversations have been held with Luke and he’s embraced it.
“He needs time to make his decision… we’ve said to Luke all along, ‘you take as much time as you need’.
“He’s got the chance to go home at some stage throughout his career and he’s got a footy club that he loves at the moment, so it’s a big decision for him to make.”
Brisbane faces a similar situation with key forward Dan McStay, who’s been heavily linked to Collingwood on a five-year, $3 million deal.
And like Goodwin, Lions coach Chris Fagan just wanted to see McStay put his best foot forward while wearing the Brisbane jumper.
Fagan addresses Clarko whispers | 00:43
“I’d have a couple of chats with Daniel during the season. These are challenging times for players when they’ve got to make decisions about their futures,” Fagan told AFL 360.
“I just wanted to make sure Daniel felt supported and also to encourage him to play the best football he can for the rest of the year.
“Whatever decision he makes he makes, hopefully he decides to stay with the Lions, but if he doesn’t he’s given us great service and we’re grateful for what he’s contributed to the club.”
Asked if players and clubs should announce moves ahead of time, like in the NRL, Fagan said: “That probably seems the mature way to do it, I just don’t know whether we’re ready for that and whether all clubs will be comfortable.
“Some players might feel like if they say they’re going, that would endanger their chances perhaps for selection for the rest of the year or the club might turn in a different direction.
“I don’t know whether we’ve arrived at that level of maturity with football yet, I’d like to think so.”
SAINTS WANT MORE BY GOEY CLARITY
St Kilda’s board has requested its football department for more information on Jordan De Goey before it ticks off making a formal push for the free agent Magpies star, reports TheAge.
The Saints have been linked to De Goey, who was discussed at the club’s board meeting on Thursday night as it weighs up an aggressive pursuit of the 26-year old.
It’s believed the board wants to be satisfied he’s the “right fit” for the club both on and off the field including its leadership and values and whether he could help the club win a premiership.
De Goey’s future at Collingwood is in doubt after the Pies pulled their most recent contract offer to him following his Bali exploits — a two-year deal with a trigger for another two years, totaling $3.2 million.
De Goey returned from a quad injury on the weekend (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
Geelong is also interested in the midfielder/forward, while St Kilda coach Brett Ratten confirmed in June his club would want to look at “all the evidence” around De Goey’s off-field indiscretions before ruling out a play for the out-of-contract Collingwood star.
“We’d have to do our homework and have a look at exactly what has happened and taking all the evidence as you do when you bring in any player, especially opponents from another club,” Ratten said.
“You’re looking at the on-field performance, and you’re looking at what you’re trying to build as a football club and culture and that as well. So we take in both sides of the equation, and then we make decisions around there and all those free agents will be singled out and sort of maybe targeting one or two, if it’s possible.
“We do assess everything they do on and off the field.”
HANNEBERY ‘PRETTY KEEN’ TO PLAY ON
Herald Sun journalist Jon Ralph reports Dan Hannebery is “pretty keen” to play on in 2023, but believes the out-of-contract Saint may have to settle for a rookie list spot.
Hannebery enjoyed a strong return to the field against Hawthorn — an inclusion that raised the eyebrows of some pundits — racking up 27 disposals and booting one goal in the St Kilda’s 12-point win in his first game since Round 23 last year.
However the injury-plagued 31-year old, who’s coming towards the end of a four-season deal worth around $800,000 per season — a contract renegotiated to a reduced figure this year — has struggled to stay on the park in recent years, playing just 16 senior games in four campaigns due to several setbacks.
Giants keen to ‘correct their cap’ | 04:04
Speaking on Fox Footy’s on the couch, Ralph provided the latest on Hannebery’s future.
“Officially out of contract, pretty keen to go again — probably needs to make the next three weeks a winner.
“He funded his own trip over to ‘Healing Hans’ the German soft tissue expert… he’s taken multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars pay cut.
“I think one possibility is if he gets through the year, you go onto the rookie list or you spend a summer trying to train yourself up — and if you can get through it, it gives you another year as a summer rookie.”
When asked about the contract, a spokesman for Guy said: “No such agreement (or any similar agreement) was entered into.”
Guy’s office did not answer detailed questions on what actions “supporting business interests” would require, and The Age was unable to identify the precise nature of the service.
The opposition leader’s office also declined to answer questions about whether the proposal could have been constructed as a donation; if the proposed payments may have breached a code of conduct for opposition staff; or if Catlin or his business from him were currently receiving any other payments from donors.
If the plan had gone ahead, Catlin’s private business would have begun invoicing the donor from September 7, 2021, until the end of this year, with a total estimated value of about $125,000.
In addition, Catlin requested the fee increase to $20,833 a month for four months after the state election if the Coalition was unsuccessful in November, potentially bringing the value of the overall contract to more than $195,000. The Coalition would gain a larger budget for staff if it won government.
“Fees payable by the company will be $8,333 plus GST per month until 31 December 2022,” the proposed contract said. “Additional payments, on the agreed amount of $20,833 plus GST per month, until 30 April 2023, will only occur if the Liberal Party does not win the election.”
It is not known what salary Catlin earns as chief of staff, although a source familiar with opposition staffing arrangements said his base salary would be about $140,000 a year.
University of Melbourne integrity expert Professor Jee-Cheong Tham said if the proposal had gone ahead, it could have been argued that it constituted a donation because the Liberal Party was the main beneficiary. Victorian donation laws passed in 2018 require donations above $1050 to be disclosed and limit donations from individuals or organizations to $4210 over four years.
Tham said if the proposal had resulted in a genuine commercial exchange, then questions would be asked about the meaning of “supporting business interests”.
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“If, on the other hand, the agreement did not involve a genuine commercial exchange, then it may be a political donation under Victorian electoral laws,” he said. “Should the agreement have involved a political donation to the Liberal Party, then that would have breached the legislated [$4210] donation chap.”
Integrity in government will be a central issue at the November election and both the Coalition and the Greens are attempting to cast the Andrews government as unethical after a recent report from the anti-corruption commissioner and the ombudsman into Labor’s culture.
On Sunday, Guy announced new policies to increase funding to integrity agencies and weed out politicization and corruption in the public service, but the emergence of a plan to secure payments to his top adviser is likely to attract scrutiny from Labor.
Several experts on integrity and political donations told The Age the proposed contract raised integrity questions for the opposition.
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Opposition staff are employed under the Public Administration Act, but there is no legislated code of conduct covering their employment.
Dr Catherine Williams, a research director at the Center for Public Integrity, said the lack of a legislated code of conduct for parliamentary advisers in the opposition “is a gaping hole in Victoria’s integrity framework”.
Liberal sources told The Age that if the opposition leader has a code of conduct for his staff, there is no requirement for it to be made public.
The Age asked a spokesman for Guy’s office whether the arrangements discussed in the leaked documents would have breached any code in force, but no response was provided.
Ministerial staff in the Andrews government are subject to a code of conduct, which states: “Ministerial staff must have no involvement in outside paid employment or in the daily work of any business, or retain a directorship, without the written agreement of the premier’s chief of staff.”
In September 2021, Guy hired marketing expert Catlin to head up his office after toppling Michael O’Brien for the party’s leadership.
Before working for Guy, Catlin ran the Catchy Media Marketing and Management company, whose clients included basketballer Liz Cambage, former swimmer Geoff Huegill and rugby player James O’Connor.
A former television journalist and regular in tabloid gossip pages, Catlin transitioned to public relations and marketing in 2005 and had high-profile roles at Myer, where he worked closely with model Jennifer Hawkins, and Swiss vitamins.
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The Manchin-backed Inflation Reduction Act will actually cool inflation, Moody’s Analytics said Monday.
The measure will have “a material beneficial economic impact,” even if its effect on inflation is “modest.”
The IRA will also boost economic growth slightly by 2031, the team at Moody’s added.
The Inflation Reduction Act will do what it says on the tin, according to economists at Moody’s Analytics.
After months of discussions, roadblocks, and seemingly insurmountable disagreements, key Senate Democrats have agreed on a version of President Joe Biden’s economic agenda. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia struck a deal with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday to back a smaller version of the Build Back Better plan, reviving the measure after Manchin effectively killed it in late 2021.
If passed, the plan “will nudge the economy and inflation in the right direction,” economists led by Mark Zandi said in a Monday research note. The $790 billion package will be fully paid for by higher taxes on corporations and wealthy households, enhanced IRS enforcement, and lower Medicare drug costs. That cash will go toward lowering ACA health care premiums, funding clean energy projects, and reducing the government’s deficit.
That focus on fiscal restraint will have the most immediate impact on inflation, Moody’s said. Taxes on corporations will slow growth, in turn cooling the economic activity that’s helped push price growth to 40-year highs.
The extension of pandemic-era ACA credits will also help quickly ease inflation, the team said. Health insurance costs were poised to climb next year for millions of Americans buying insurance on Obamacare exchanges had Congress not prolonged the credits.
Shifting the package’s focus was key to winning Manchin’s crucial support. The West Virginia senator backed the measure only after other senators and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers convinced him it wouldn’t worsen inflation, and that a slimmer version of the bill could actually counter the country’s months-long price arises.
“I never did walk away. We reorganized the bill,” Manchin said on a Sunday CNN appearance. “We got the bill down to where there’s nothing inflammatory in this bill.”
The IRA is much smaller than the $2 trillion BBB plan it succeeds, but it’s a better fit for the present moment, the economists said.
“It will have a material beneficial economic impact,” the team said. “While modest legislation, there is plenty to like in the Inflation Reduction Act.”
The overall impact on price growth will be limited, however. Moody’s expects the IRA to only lower the Consumer Price Index — a popular gauge of overall inflation — by 0.33% by the fourth quarter of 2031, according to the note.
The impact will be “marginal” through the middle of the 2020s but become more “meaningful” later in the decade, the team added.
The proposal will also have a positive effect on overall economic output. Passing the IRA will add an estimated 0.2% to real gross domestic product by the fourth quarter of 2031, the team said. The effect will first show up as a slight drag on GDP through the middle of 2025 as tax hikes slow corporate activity, but the impact will turn positive in the second half of the decade as the plan’s benefits filter throughout the economy, they added.
To be sure, the IRA isn’t a done deal. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona has yet to speak on the measure, and her opposition to tax hikes targeting the wealthy derailed a prior version of BBB.
Manchin’s plan could be similarly upended. The two senators disagree on carried interest, a loophole in the US tax code that allows investors to pay a lower tax rate on income made from held assets. Synema is known to object to close the loophole. Since the IRA needs unanimous support from all 50 Senate Democrats, that stance threatens to tank the legislation.
It likely won’t take long for Sinema’s stance to be revealed. Manchin said Sunday he hopes to pass the measure by the end of the week, before the Senate leaves Washington for an August recess.
With Moody’s analysis depicting the IRA as a true inflation fighter and a boon to economic growth, the West Virginia senator has one more tool with which to win over much-needed support.
It’s a toilet behind a shower screen and a tenant in Adelaide will pay $290 per week for the amusement.
The so-called shoilet is in a unit on the rental market, and the response from property watchers on social media has been good-natured glee.
Instagram account @lordsofproperty shared the rental listing photo of the shoilet – a word it coined – with its 64,000 followers, and asked fans to tag a mate who might like one in their own house.
“This is ideal in another toilet paper crisis,” one follower posted.
“I’m all about multitasking so it’s a big yes from me,” another said.
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The “shoilet” isn’t all it seems to amused social media followers. Note the actual shower screen in the left of the image. (price finder)
“I mostly hate the way I don’t hate it. Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all,” a fan commented, quoting a love poem from the late Heath Ledger’s movie Have Things I Hate About You.
One fan called the layout “next level genius”. Another said: “…maybe it’s a trend no one knew about…”. One follower tagged a friend and said: “hope you include this in the reindeer”.
The property at 3/24 Deepdene Avenue in Mitchell Park is a neat, older-style, two-bedroom brick home.
The bathroom includes taps for a washing machine.
The location of the shower head and faucets are not shown in the listing pictures, but in earlier photos, when the home was previously on the market, eagle eyes would have spotted a hint of another sliding screen over a bath, beside the glass-shrouded toot.
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Adelaide has Australia’s tightest rental market and its steepest rental price rises. (Getty)
As such, the loo paper may not get as wet as some social media users feared, and the dunny and shower are indeed separate on closer inspection.
For prospective renters in Adelaide’s severely-taut housing market, the giggle-worthy listing is a comical flash in a tough period.
Adelaide is Australia’s tightest rental market with a vacancy rate of 0.3 per cent, according to Domain data.
Adelaide renters have been hit the hardest by swiftly rising prices.
Its quarterly rental price increase is the greatest of all the capitals, at 4.3 per cent, to reach a median rental price of $492.
A healthy and balanced rental market in Australia has a vacancy rate of 3 per cent, real estate experts generally agree.
