When John Richards was asked to climb into a bulldozer and clear the road for Jacobs Ladder in the early 1960s, he admits it was a daunting task.
“At the start, it was just a lot of rocks and a steep mountain,” he recalls, adding that local road builder Roy Bugg marked the course out on rocks to show where the mountain needed to be cleared.
“Roy was adamant we could get up there and he knew what he was about. I was fairly pig-headed, I wouldn’t have liked to say I couldn’t get up there.”
But the process proved to be slow going because of the large boulders on the intended path and the steep incline.
Construction of Jacobs Ladder was completed at the end of 1964.(Supplied: Robert Diprose)
“We had a lot of other people there blasting the rock too so that we could move it,” Mr Richards says.
“A lot of the rocks were too big to move with one machine and, if you did move them, they went right down to the bottom and wiped everything else out that you had already done, so they had to be broken up.”
Red tape and steep inclines
The road to the edge of the Ben Lomond plateau at 1,500m in the state’s north east was government-funded, and the Northern Tasmanian Alpine Club, the most established ski club at the time, was the main driver of the process.
Mr Richards recalls that authorities remained reluctant to provide all the money in one payment though.
“They just allowed a bit of funding at a time. It took us a while to get up the Ladder — probably three or four attempts,” he says.
An early Ben Lomond ski resort guide showing the area’s snow-capped plateau above 1,200m.(Supplied: David Harvey)
The road was eventually finished by the end of 1964 and construction teams then carved a quick path to the growing ski village at the bottom of Ben Lomond.
“There wasn’t any celebration when we got to the top,” Mr Richards says.
“The next step was to get across to where the village is now across the plain.
“Once we got on top, we were probably a kilometre-and-a-half from where the village is, so we had to put that in too.”
Bill Mitchell (second from left) was one of Ben Lomond’s major power players by the 1960s.(Facebook: Friends of Ben Lomond)
controversial beginnings
Jacobs Ladder was the long-standing idea of Bill Mitchell, a car wrecker by trade, who was one of the key figures in Ben Lomond’s early development.
His suggested route was controversial because there was already an alternative hiking path onto the Ben Lomond plateau that was less steep.
But Mr Mitchell was a persuasive personality and pushed for the new route, not least because it was protected from the elements and its aspect faced north, allowing any ice on the road to melt.
Early visitors to Ben Lomond often walked 2 kilometers up to the plateau to ski.(Supplied: David Harvey)
In the decades before, most tourists would drive to Carr Villa at the bottom of the plateau and carry their skis and supplies 2 kilometers up the mountain.
David Harvey’s book The Ben Lomond Story even tells the tale of how, on one occasion, a group of men carried two heavy metal frames for a rope tow up to the summit on their backs.
But as Tasmania’s ski scene grew, it became clear that road access was imperative for the area to fulfill its tourism potential.
By the late 1960s skiing at Ben Lomond was popular and winter tourism was booming.(Supplied: David Harvey)
Six hairpins and minimal fencing
Launceston-based former surgeon Berni Einoder started visiting Ben Lomond in the 1960s and remembers early forays up Jacobs Ladder.
“I drove up there the first time in my Volvo; I made it approximately halfway then turned around and walked up,” he says.
“The road was fairly dangerous without fences on either side, and when it was wet and full of snow and ice in patches, it was quite treacherous.”
Ben Lomond ski pioneers Fred Smithies and ET Emmett didn’t have the luxury of vehicle transport in 1929.(Supplied: Karl Stackhouse)
Geoff Foot says the Ladder still poses challenges for drivers today. The former owner of Ben Lomond Snowsports drove shuttle buses daily along the road until recently.
“We used to get people stuck quite regularly. In a lot of cases, running the buses, we didn’t have time to stop and help them.
“We just pushed them across to the side of the road so we could get past and deliver people to the top of the mountain.”
Before Geoff Foot, Robert Diprose drove a Bombardier snow bus on Jacobs Ladder.(Supplied: David Harvey)
still going strong
Jacobs Ladder can take scores of cars each day, although they are required to carry snow chains in the winter and four-wheel drives fare the best.
The road is still gravel, as that helps with traction, and stopping to take selfies is a no-go, even if the hairpins have been enlarged.
There’s a parking spot at the top where visitors can pull over safely and take a photo back down the mountain.
For John Richards, seeing his handiwork intact nearly 60 years on is very satisfying.
“It’s actually quite spectacular when you look at it from afar. It’s beautiful scenery up there, it’s well worth the trip up,” he says.
Modern drivers still find Jacobs Ladder an awe-inspiring drive.(Supplied: Alex Weir Photography)
Mr Einoder says while tourists do grumble about how hard Jacobs Ladder is to drive, the road’s condition is now “very good”.
“The road has been improved a lot. It is scary if you have not been there before because it is one of the steepest zig-zags in the world,” he says.
“But the other thing worth remembering is that it is one of the only roads that goes within 500 meters of the top of a mountain.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention loosened Covid-19 guidelines on Thursday, freeing schools and businesses from the onus of requiring unvaccinated people exposed to the virus to quarantine at home.
The changes are a sharp move away from measures such as social distancing requirements and quarantining, which had polarized much of the country, and effectively acknowledge the way many Americans have been navigating the pandemic for some time. The agency’s action comes as children across the country return to school and many offices have reopened.
“We know that Covid-19 is here to stay,” Greta Massetti, a CDC epidemiologist, said at a news briefing on Thursday. “High levels of population immunity due to vaccination and previous infection, and the many tools that we have available to protect people from severe illness and death, have put us in a different place.”
The CDC’s new guidelines come after more than two years of a pandemic in which more than one million Americans have died. With the highly contagious BA.5 subvariant of Omicron spreading, the United States is recording more than 100,000 cases and nearly 500 deaths a day on average.
But many Americans dispensed with practices such as social distancing, quarantine and mask-wearing long ago.
“I think they are attempting to meet up with the reality that everyone in the public is pretty much done with this pandemic,” said Michael T. Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, referring to the CDC
The agency has been working for months on the new guidance, which builds on previous recommendations issued in February, when the agency shortened isolation times for many Americans. The CDC said it is making changes now because vaccination and prior infections have granted many Americans some degree of protection against the virus, and treatments, vaccines and boosters are available to reduce the risk of severe illness.
The changes shift much of the responsibility for risk reduction from institutions to individuals. The CDC no longer recommends that people stay six feet away from others. Instead, it notes that avoiding crowded areas and maintaining a distance from others are strategies that people may want to consider in order to reduce their risk.
And the recommended prevention strategies no longer draw a distinction between people who are up-to-date on their vaccinations and those who are not, streamlining a complicated set of rules that could be difficult for schools and businesses to navigate.
People who are exposed to the virus no longer must quarantine at home regardless of their vaccination status, although they should wear a mask for 10 days and get tested for the virus on day 5, according to the new guidelines. Contact tracing and routine surveillance testing of people without symptoms are no longer recommended in most settings.
Read More on the Coronavirus Pandemic
Instead of focusing on slowing transmission of the virus, the recommendations prioritize preventing severe illness. They emphasize the importance of vaccination and other prevention measures, including antiviral treatments and ventilation.
The guidelines around masking — which recommend that people wear them indoors in places where community Covid-19 levels are high — have not changed.
And people who test positive for the virus should still isolate themselves at home for at least five days. Those who had moderate or severe illness, or are immunocompromised, should isolate through day 10.
The agency also addressed the rebound infections that some people reported after taking the antiviral treatment Paxlovid; if symptoms return, people should restart the clock on isolation, the CDC said.
Many health experts praised the new guidelines as representing a pragmatic approach to living with the virus in the longer term.
“I think this is a welcome change,” said Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “It actually shows how far we’ve come.”
The new guidelines will also be easier for the public to follow, I have added.
But the pandemic has not ended, experts noted, and more stringent measures may be needed in the event of new variants or future surges.
While nearly all Americans are now eligible to be vaccinated, many are not up-to-date on their shots. Just 30 percent of 5- to 11-year-olds and 60 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds have received their primary vaccine series nationwide. Among adults 65 and older, who are at highest risk of severe illness, 65 percent have received a booster. Critical therapeutics, such as antiviral treatments, remain difficult for many to access.
“Obviously, we have to do more work to make sure that more people avail themselves of the protection that those tools have to offer and that more people can access those tools,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at the Brown University School of Public Health. “I do think there’s been an overall dial-back in the ground game that’s needed to get people vaccinated.”
The guidance moves away from sweeping, population-level precautions to more targeted advice for vulnerable populations and specific high-risk settings and circumstances.
For instance, the guidelines note that schools may want to consider surveillance testing in certain scenarios, such as for when students are returning from school breaks or for those who are participating in contact sports.
Unvaccinated students who are exposed to the virus will no longer need to test frequently in order to remain in the classroom, an approach known as “test to stay.” The CDC no longer recommends a practice known as cohorting, in which schools divide students into smaller groups and limit contact between them to reduce the risk of viral transmission.
Health experts said the change in guidance was particularly welcome as students head back to school, a setting in which quarantines had been especially disruptive.
“This really will help to minimize the impact of Covid-19 on education,” said Christina Ramirez, a biostatistician at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Mercedes Carnethon, an epidemiologist at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said that she did not see the changes, even the elimination of quarantines in favor of 10 days of masking, as a loosening of the agency’s guidance.
“We certainly know that wearing a high-quality mask is going to provide some of the strongest protection against spreading it to somebody else, and quarantine is logistically burdensome,” she said. “That could be seen as a relaxing of guidelines, but I think it’s a much more appropriate and targeted solution.”
Joseph Allen, a Harvard University researcher who studies indoor environmental quality, praised the new guidelines for putting more emphasis on improving ventilation.
“Good ventilation is something that helps reduce the risk of transmission that isn’t political and doesn’t require any behavior change,” he said.
Selling everything in bulk from fresh food to fridges and clothing to coffins, the international wholesale retailer are opening up three new warehouses in and around Melbourne, with $50 million allocated to each development. A members-only shop, punters have to purchase a membership before they’re allowed to shop in the stores. The first of the Costcos is coming to Melbourne’s west – they’re demolishing a warehouse to make way for the new supermarket at 740 Ballarat Road in Ardeer.
What you need to know
Wholesale bulk retailer Costco are opening three stores in Victoria
Two are set to open in Melbourne and one will open in Geelong
They’re all set to open within the next two years
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
Costco is a membership only wholesale warehouse, which means that customers must purchase a $60 membership before shopping in their stores. It’s kinda steep just to enter a shop – unless you’re shopping for a large family and can get to Costco a couple of times a year, where you’ll save tons in the store’s savings and go membership benefits.
With the first warehouse opening in Seattle in 1983, the wholesale corporation has since taken over the world. According to the National Retail Federation, Costco was the third largest retailer in the world, and as reported by Fortune 500, they ranked #10 on their rankings of the largest United States corporations by total revenue. There are currently 13 Costco stores open in Australia.
Find out more about what Costco has to offer in Australia by heading to their website.
Flip phones are back, but not as we’ve ever known them. Photo: Supplied
This is branded content for Samsung
Samsung Electronics has today delighted fans with the announcement of their latest generation of premium, foldable smartphones and wearables within the Galaxy Series.
The latest additions to the Galaxy family includes a range of Galaxy Watches, buds and the highly anticipated smartphones, featuring the latest foldable technology.
The Galaxy Flip4 and Galaxy Fold4 have been long awaited by eager and curious consumers, and they challenge everything preconceived about the possibilities of hand-held tech.
The Galaxy Flip4 features an upgrade thanks to a larger screen and enhanced performance, all with the unrivaled portability and style that Samsung is renowned for.
Available in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB and in four beautiful colours, including the iconic new Bora Purple, Pink Gold, Graphite and Blue, the Flip4 redefines the art of self-expression through a powerful design that slips right into your back pocket.
The Galaxy Flip4 retails from $1,499 and comes in either the base or Bespoke model, for a more personalized experience.
Its cousin in the Galaxy series, the Galaxy Fold4, pushes all limits in smartphone technology, pairing convenience with luxury where other manufacturers have compromised.
As one of Samsung’s most premium designs, the Z Fold4 provides the ultimate one-hand experience with a slim, reengineered hinge for the thinnest, lightest Galaxy Fold yet.
The Z Fold4 provides the ultimate one-hand experience with a slim, reengineered hinge for the thinnest, lightest Galaxy Fold yet. Photo: Supplied
The Galaxy Fold4 gives consumers the best of both worlds, with an extra large immersive screen to work with that folds in half, providing portability, and dual screen capabilities that allow for seamless integration between apps.
“The new Galaxy Z Series range is the generation of foldables that will see the category become mainstream. Adoption cues are steadily growing from the volume of foldable devices ‘in the wild’, increasing consumer online search trends, indication of purchase intent, app optimization and more,” said Garry McGregor, vice president of Mobile Experience division at Samsung Australia.
“We know there’s been a doubling in consideration for foldables among 18 to 45 year olds, and generation Z specifically showing a colossal 273% increase since last year.
“Without a doubt foldables have more than emerged, they’ve arrived and have a bright future.
“The foldables market is predicted to continue its rapid growth, more than doubling in 2023, and the fact Samsung Australia has maintained year-on-year pricing we see this being very much the case in this market,” said Mr McGregor.
The Galaxy Fold4 comes in Phantom Black, Beige or Greygreen and offers multiple memory options, with 256GB, 512GB and 1TB memory variants. The Galaxy Fold4 retails from $2,449, and both Z series smartphones are available for pre-order from August 11, 2022.
Samsung foldables are engineered to be strong, with Gorilla Glass Victus and aircraft-grade strength Armor Aluminum. Photo: Supplied.
But smartphones weren’t the only gadgets unveiled in the latest product lineup.
Samsung’s expanded Galaxy Watch 5 Series and Galaxy Buds2 Pro also made their Australian debut this week.
The Galaxy Watch5 Pro is a brand new addition to the range, with toughness and durability at its core. Made with the adventurous athlete in mind, it acts as the perfect sidekick to an active lifestyle. The Watch5 on the other hand, is a customizable addition to enhance everybody’s everyday life.
“We know there is a clear desire for an ecosystem of connected products. That is why we are especially excited for our latest additions to the Galaxy portfolio of wearables as well as the all new Watch5 Pro,” said Mr McGregor.
“They offer our customers supreme audio and improved health and well-being functionality – bringing the best of the best.
“It is a very exciting time for the category and with the full support from our partners, offering complete ranges of color skews, memory variants at the best value, we know our customers in Australia are going to love these new devices.”
Pre-orders for all devices begin on August 11, with on-sale launching on September 2. Retailers have various different pre-order offers, with fantastic savings to be made.
The Galaxy Z Series smartphones will be available from the Samsung eStore and Experience Stores, as well as all Samsung retail and telco partners.
For more information about the latest Samsung Galaxy devices, including the Z Series, visit https://www.samsung.com/au/smartphones/galaxy-z/
Cliff Richard has been left ‘distraught’ by the death of his ‘soulmate’ Olivia Newton-John as he paid tribute to the iconic Australian star.
The singer, 81, who was close friends with the actress for more than 50 years, is devastated after it was announced on Monday she’d died aged 73.
Cliff and Olivia had a friendship that spanned decades after she regularly appeared on his show in the 1970s, with the musician even admitting he ‘fell in love’ with her.
Tragedy: Cliff Richard has been left ‘distraught’ by the death of his ‘soulmate’ Olivia Newton-John, according to DJ Mike Read (pictured in 1995)
Taking to social media to honor Olivia with a tribute, he wrote: ‘I find myself at a loss as to what to say. Death… well, he is a vicious enemy and all of us will be taken by him. But all of us are not taken by him at the same time and so while Olivia remains in our minds and memories, she remains very much alive!
‘I’m just one of an army of lucky people who knew and loved her. How could we not love her? She was gorgeous, gifted and had a heart of Gold. Also, a bunch of records that were Gold, but her Ella Golden Heart is her Ella legacy to us.
‘When she was first diagnosed with cancer Livvy put her career on hold for years. why? Because she wanted to inspire other sufferers to do as she did… fight the ugly disease, although she said in one interview that she was n’t in a battle with cancer just that she had something that she simply wanted to get rid of!
‘Olivia always had an up-beat approach to life. Only three weeks ago I was on the phone to her from her, and she was her bright positive self from her and I never thought for one moment of that call that I would be writing this and acknowledging her death from her. I hate that word!
‘From now on I will only believe that our gorgeous Olivia simply stopped living. I will miss her. The world will miss her, so let’s all keep her alive in our hearts and memories. God bless you Livvy. Rest In Peace…..Cliff xxx’
Iconic: The singer, 81, who was close friends with the Australian star for more than 50 years, is ‘devastated’ after it was announced on Monday she’d died aged 73 (pictured in 2004)
Cliff and Olivia met back in 1971 when she became a regular guest singer on his variety show, and she even joined him on tour as a backing singer.
The music legend has previously admitted he ‘fell in love’ with the Grease star, but ‘lost his chance’ because she was engaged to someone else.
Speaking in his autobiography The Dreamer, he said: ‘We hit it off straight away. She was the sort of soulmate that you meet and she you know she is a friend for life.
‘When I and many of us were in love with Olivia she was engaged to someone else. I’m afraid I lost the chance.’
Close bond: Cliff previously admitted he ‘fell in love’ with Olivia, but ‘lost his chance’ because she was engaged to someone else. He has repeatedly denied they dated (pictured in 2005)
Career: Also on Tuesday Cliff released pictures from his upcoming 2023 calendar as he posed in glamorous shots
Style: He looked dazzling in a gold embellished suit in one snap before later posing in a red leather ensemble
Iconic: Cliff is known for releasing a calendar every year much to the delight of his loyal fans
Speculation was rife that Cliff and Olivia were an item, but he has repeatedly denied the claims.
Olivia landed her big break when she sang a cover of Bob Dylan’s If Not for You on Cliff’s hit show, and went onto star in Grease, catapulting her to Hollywood stardom.
She and Cliff remained close friends for decade, and she stood by him when he was investigated by police, joining him on stage at the Royal Albert Hall in 2015 to mark his 75th birthday.
Blast from the past: Olivia landed her big break when she sang a cover of Bob Dylan’s If Not for You on Cliff’s hit show (pictured in 1964)
Iconic role: She is most known for her famous role as Sandy in the 1978 movie Grease (pictured, Newton-John with Grease co-star John Travolta)
Tributes have poured in for Olivia since her passing was announced on Monday, lead by her Grease co-star John Travolta.
On Tuesday Didi Conn revealed Olivia opened up to her about her ailing health when they spoke ‘a couple of weeks ago.’
The star was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, but the disease returned in 2013 and in 2017.
‘She told me that her health was, you know, she wasn’t walking anymore and she had full-time care but her husband John and her daughter Chloe were there all the time, and she told me that they were just so hopelessly devoted ,’ she said on Good Morning America.
Tough time: The star was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, but the disease returned in 2013 and in 2017
Olivia’s husband John Easterling announced the tragic news that Olivia had lost her battle with cancer on social media on Monday.
‘Dame Olivia Newton-John passed away peacefully at her ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends,’ he said in a statement.
‘We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time.
‘Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer.
‘Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer.’
Emotional: Olivia’s husband John Easterling announced the tragic news that Olivia had lost her battle with cancer on social media on Monday (pictured in her final Instagram post)
Nick Kyrgios’ evolution was again on full display in Montreal, demolishing fellow Aussie Alex De Minaur in straight sets in another ominous sign for his rivals ahead of the US Open.
The 6-2 6-3 victory was his 15th in his last 16 matches, and sent Kyrgios into the tournament’s quarter-finals, while also pushing his live ranking to 27, all but securing a seeding for the year’s last grand slam at Flushing Meadows .
Kyrgios’ serve was again far too dominant to handle and virtually unplayable for de Minaur, with the star continuing his rich vein of form, which saw him go into the match winning 94 of his 95 service games.
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READMORE:Why Serena’s legacy will never be topped
He broke his countryman after being gifted two break point opportunities in the opening game and then consolidated the break to get off to a perfect start.
Kyrgios continued to dismantle de Minaur’s serve, breaking him again before pummeling him with a range of big serves to race to a 4-0 lead.
De Minaur and Kyrgios meet at the next after the clash. (beinsports)
Commentators were in disbelief. “Ridiculous” and “almost as flawless as you can get” were some of the superlatives being thrown around as they watched in awe at the Aussie’s clinical display, with his groundstrokes matching the impact of his serve to leave de Minaur with no answers in 17 of the first 21 points.
De Minaur finally managed to hold serve late in the set but Kyrgios put his foot down again, bamboozling his opponent with sheer speed off the racquet to take the first set in 23 minutes.
The second set started much like the first with Kyrgios breaking again only for de Minaur to put up some resistance in the following game.
Up until that point, Kyrgios had been quiet and going about his business, but as soon as de Minaur broke his serve and leveled it at 1-1, the chatter towards his box began, with the unpredictable star accusing them of not supporting him enough .
He nearly went off again the next game when a ball fell from de Minaur’s pocket onto the court during a rally he was dominating, forcing the umpire to intervene and stop the point, ruling that it should be replayed. But Kyrgios stayed composed and got things back on track soon after, breaking back and then holding serve from love-30 down to lead 3-1.
De Minaur showed grit to stay competitive in the second set but a failed drop shot in the sixth game gifted Kyrgios a double break and a chance to serve out the match. However, he faltered again, leaving him upset at his box.
That moment seemed to spur him on in the next game, converting one of three match points against de Minaur’s serve to seal it in just over an hour, racking up 22 winners in the 6-2 6-3 win.
“After yesterday’s big high of playing Daniil, the crowd was amazing. Today was mentally hard for me to play Alex we’re such good friends and he’s been having such a good career so far and carrying the Australian flag for so long, it was tough it’s not easy to play a friend like that,” Kyrgios said.
Even though he berated them throughout the match, the Aussie paid tribute to his team for giving him the belief throughout his recent purple patch.
“My girlfriend, my physio, my agent we’ve gone through ups and downs but these days are starting to blend into one another,” Kyrgios said.
“I’m just playing the game, eat, sleep and play, it’s tiring but that’s the sport. I am missing home a little bit.
“I’ve got my mum and my dad who I haven’t seen in three months. I’m missing home but at the same time I want a couple of more tournaments before I go home.”
Kyrgios will now play eighth seed Hubert Hurkacz in the next round. Hurkacz won their only previous meeting at Halle in June earlier this year.
If he can beat Hurkacz, he’ll soar up the rankings to No.21.
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Serena Williams at the Australian Open: Legend’s transformation after 1998 debut
A new dam slated for north-west NSW would cost more than three times the economic benefit it would produce, according to a NSW Greens MP.
Key points:
Cate Faehrmann MLC has obtained a summary of the business case
She argues the dam would have a very low value for money
The NSW Government remains committed to funding the project
Cate Faehrmann said she had seen a summary of the business case for the proposed Dungowan Dam near Tamworth, which the government has refused to release publicly.
Ms Faehrmann said the document showed the dam would only produce 27 cents of benefit for every dollar invested.
“The business case that the government has produced just shows it doesn’t stack up,” she said.
“They cannot show there is enough benefit to the community to justify what is going to be upwards of $1.3 billion.”
The cost of the dam has blown out from $484 million when it was first announced at the height of the last drought in 2019.
The previous federal government committed to fund half the project’s costs, but the new Labor government has not yet announced a position.
Cate Faehrmann chaired an inquiry into new dam projects across NSW, and was critical of the Dungowan project.(Supplied: David Lowe)
Ms Faehrmann said the business case revealed the government considered, but decided against, other options to improve water security.
They include an increased reserve in the city’s main water storage, Chaffey Dam, for critical town needs, and a pipeline to Tamworth from the nearby Keepit Dam.
“To be honest, I feel it was very cursory. I don’t think a full options analysis has been undertaken,” Ms Faehrmann said.
government undeterred
Water Minister and Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson disputed the claims, and said it was impossible to put a price on water security for Tamworth and the wider region.
“The summary business case clearly shows that this city would run out of water again if we would go back to a 2019-2020 drought,” he said.
NSW Water Minister Kevin Anderson argues the dam is the best option for town, agricultural, and industry needs.(ABC New England North West: Patrick Bell)
“They’re putting a cost on that, and I think back to 2019 when we were on level-five water restrictions.”
“I think it’s disgraceful.”
He also rebuffed claims the dam was the best option for irrigators, rather than for human needs.
“This rubbish that this dam is for irrigators only is exactly that,” he said.
“It clearly says it needs water for the city, it needs water for agriculture and it needs water for industry.”
Ms Faehrmann said she would continue to push for the release of the full business case.
Extracts are expected to be made publicly available in the project’s Environment Impact Statement, which is due for release by the end of the year.
John Bolton urged the Biden administration to cease negotiations with Iran after a federal indictment revealed an alleged plot to assassinate the former Trump adviser. Bolton said others are also being targeted and called for the US to work on removing the regime from power.
“I do think it’s important for people to understand that this plot, this effort to kill me… and I’m certainly not alone in this, they’re after plenty of people, including average citizens, not just former government employees — that shows the real nature of the regime,” Bolton told Yahoo News in an interview Thursday.
On Wednesday the Justice Department unsealed charges against a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in what court documents describe as a brazen murder-for-hire plot to assassinate the former national security adviser to avenge the death of Iran’s top military general Qassem Soleimani. This comes after the Biden administration and Iranian officials recently concluded talks in Vienna to potentially revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran nuclear deal.
The US withdrew from the agreement in 2018 under the Trump administration but is now trying to resuscitate the deal.
A flag with an image of senior Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani is displayed by Hezbollah soldiers in Lebanon during a ceremony marking the first anniversary of his killing. (Aziz Tahr/Reuters)
“I wouldn’t restart the nuclear talks,” Bolton said. “To me, going back in the deal is a huge strategic mistake for the United States. So what I would do would be to terminate discussions. I don’t think you’re ever going to achieve peace and security in the Middle East as long as the current regime in Tehran is in power. So my policy would be removing the regime.”
He said this could be done by exploiting factions and rivalries within the regime’s military and leadership.
“I think finding those potential dissident military officers in particular, and very carefully communicating with them to separate the regime at the very top is the way, with careful planning, I think you can bring it down,” he told Yahoo News. “It’s not going to happen overnight. … It takes time. It’s hard. It’s very risky.”
The White House did not respond to Yahoo News’ request for comment on Bolton’s call for the US to topple Iran’s regime.
Bolton said this is the only way forward and skewered the Biden administration for solely focusing on restoring the 2015 deal.
An FBI wanted poster of Shahram Poursafi, also known as Mehdi Rezayi, of Tehran, Iran, who has been charged with plotting to murder John Bolton, the national security adviser to former President Donald Trump. (FBI/Handout via Reuters)
Bolton described the administration’s efforts to revive the deal as “the holy grail for them,” and said it would take something “extraordinary” for the administration to stop their efforts.
“I know many of the people involved in this in the administration, they are pursuing this with a religious zeal,” Bolton said.
Yahoo News reported on Wednesday that an unnamed second target, referred to as a former senior high-ranking Trump administration official, is former Secretary of State and CIA Director Mike Pompeo. A source close to Pompeo said the Justice Department contacted the former secretary of state last week to notify him of the plot and the charges.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani denied the allegations in a statement, calling them “fiction,” according to Israeli news outlet i24NEWS.
“The Islamic Republic warns against any action that targets Iranian citizens by resorting to ridiculous accusations,” Kanani said.
John Bolton, national security adviser, left, and Mike Pompeo, US secretary of state, in 2018. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The plot against Bolton stems from the death of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, according to the indictment. In January 2020, the Trump administration conducted a drone strike that killed Soleimani while he was on a trip to Iraq. Since then, the regime in Tehran has threatened revenge against those it deems responsible and has made a series of threats and started legal proceedings against US officials.
Bolton left the Trump White House prior to Soleimani’s death but his hawkish views on Iran and other past actions have been cited by Iran as reason for wanting him killed.
An intelligence report obtained by Yahoo News last month stated that the “Iranian regime is waging a multipronged campaign — including threats of lethal action, international legal maneuvering, and the issuance of Iranian arrest warrants and sanctions — against select US officials to avenge the death of IRGC-QF Commander Soleimani in January 2020, raising the threat at home and abroad for those Iran views as responsible for the killing.”
IRGC-QF stands for Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, an elite division of Iran’s military.
According to the report, Tehran has “consistently identified former President Donald Trump, former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, and former CENTCOM Commander General Kenneth McKenzie as among its priority targets for retribution” since January 2021.
Former national security adviser John Bolton speaking at Duke University in North Carolina, February 2020. (Logan Cyrus/AFP via Getty Images)
Yahoo News previously reported that concerns about retaliatory attacks after Soleimani’s death against officials involved in the strike against him prompted Congress to appropriate $15 million for security for departing Secretary of State Pompeo and others.
“I think in the White House, their brains are compartmentalized,” Bolton told Yahoo News Thursday. “Here, you have the nuclear problem here, you have the terrorist problem. They’re not compartmentalized in Iran. And unfortunately, Iran is the adversary that’s threatening us. So … at a conceptual level in the White House, they can distinguish between the nuclear program and attacks on Americans on American soil. That’s not how they see it in Tehran.”
Four former officials being targeted by Iran told Yahoo News that they were dismayed by the Biden administration’s continued efforts to negotiate with a regime actively trying to assassinate them and other former US officials. Two of these former officials told Yahoo News they supported the nuclear deal but urged the administration to put JCPOA talks on hold until Iran stops trying to kill officials on US soil.
The nuclear deal is not a good deal but it’s better than nothing, said one former official who said he supported the Biden administration efforts to revive the 2015 agreement. But, this person said, talks should only summarize if there are assurances Iran will stop trying to kill American officials on US soil. This person requested anonymity out of concern for the security of family members.
Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, center, at a meeting with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Tehran in 2016. (Office of Iranian Supreme Leader/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
“The real concern for all of us is not what Iran is doing, it’s what the US is not doing,” said Rob Greenway, former senior director for Middle Eastern and North African Affairs of the National Security Council.
Greenway said there were steps that the White House should take immediately to respond to the threats against former officials. Greenway is one of the former US officials sanctioned by Iran; Iran requested Interpol issue red alert notices on officials including Greenway, currently an adjunct fellow at the Hudson Institute.
“I would extend protection for all government officials against whom there are active Iranian threats. Not all those threatened by Iran have government-provided personal security details,” Greenway said.
The White House did not respond to Yahoo News’ questions about providing security for additional officials.
He also said he would “recommend we cease active negotiations with Iran until compelling and verifiable assurances made publicly and privately to cease all efforts targeting US citizens including former government officials.” Greenway told Yahoo News.
A White House spokesperson told Yahoo News that the Biden administration will continue to pursue JCPOA talks as long as he believes it’s in “US national security interests.”
President Biden at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, following an Arab summit there, July 16, 2022. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
“President Biden has been clear that he will ensure Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon. He believes diplomacy is the best path to achieving that goal,” a spokesperson said. “At the same time, the Biden administration has not and will not waive in protecting and defending all Americans against threats of violence and terrorism. We will continue to bring to bear the full resources of the US government to protect Americans.”
When asked how he thinks the US should be responding to the threats, Bolton reiterated his opposition to the Iran nuclear deal, and said he doesn’t believe there’ll be peace and security in the Middle East as long as the current regime in Tehran is inpower. Bolton called for the Biden administration to remove the regime from power, but demurred when asked if he’d tried to do this when he worked in the Trump administration.
I think [the regime is] far more vulnerable than people think. I think there’s enormous dissatisfaction across the country. The government has the weapons — that’s the problem. The people don’t have the weapons. So it’s a difficult situation, but nobody should think this regime is rock solid. It is definitely not.
The plot described in court records shows the world what Iran is capable of, he said.
“It’s a look inside their soul. And it’s a confirmation [that] they can make a lot of commitments about their nuclear weapons program, [and] have no intention whatsoever of honoring them.”
Modified by Sydney-based Youtube stars Mighty Car Mods, the Mazda RX-7 Series 2 sold for more than $13,000 above pre-auction estimates with a hammer price of $48,100.
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How much would you pay for a classic Japanese coupe modified by a pair of Australian Youtube stars?
If you answered $48,100 then you’re probably the new owner of this 1982 Mazda RX-7 Series 2, which sold last night at the Shannons Winter Auction.
Last owned by Marty Mulholland – co-host of popular Sydney-based Youtube channel Mighty Car Mods – the Starlight Blue Metallic RX-7 was listed with no reserve price and expected to sell for anywhere between $25,000 to $35,000.
Mighty Car Mods featured the RX-7 in a 10-part video series on Youtubewith Mulholland and co-host Moog modifying the rotary-powered coupe in their Sydney workshop.
A number of mechanical upgrades were installed on the car with the aim of making it more reliable and modern, such as an electronic fuel injection conversion, a larger fuel tank, an aftermarket engine control unit, adjustable coilover suspension, and upgraded front brakes.
While a respray of the Mazda RX-7’s paint had been completed before it entered the Mighty Car Mods workshop, Mulholland sourced a set of 15-inch XR4 Longchamp wheels to cap off the exterior appearance.
The classic RX-7 may look good from afar, but on closer inspection it is apparently far from good looking.
In the vehicle report uploaded by Shannons, an independent vehicle assessor found a number of mechanical and aesthetic items were reportedly damaged or not properly secured, attributing to its overall grading of two-and-a-half out of five stars.
Of note in the report was a damaged left-hand-front chassis rail – providing evidence of a previous crash – while the new fuel tank was reportedly fitted with incorrect hoses.
Sold with registration in New South Wales until September 2022, Mulholland has said the Mazda RX-7 is making way for another rotary-powered vehicle in the Mighty Car Mods stable, although what it is remains to be seen.
Jordan Mulach is Canberra/Ngunnawal born, currently residing in Brisbane/Turrbal. Joining the Drive team in 2022, Jordan has previously worked for Auto Action, MotorsportM8, The Supercars Collective and TouringCarTimes, WhichCar, Wheels, Motor and Street Machine. Jordan is a self-described iRacing addict and can be found on weekends either behind the wheel of his Octavia RS or swearing at his ZH Fairlane.
Shipment revisions for AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA have occurred due to revenue projections for the remainder of the year. Analysts are estimating decreases in revenue for Intel and NVIDIA, reports DigiTimes. And, thanks to the recent decline in cryptocurrency, GPU shipments are also expected to decline as high as fifty percent.
NVIDIA and Intel are in danger of loss of critical sales of PC CPU & GPU components, while AMD and Apple anticipate a slight increase
Intel expects a decrease of between $8 and $11 billion in income and has dropped its income objective to $65 – $68 billion. The organization gauges a ten percent drop in PC revenue (contrasted with 2021). The COVID pandemic falsely helped interest in PC sales and components in 2021.
NVIDIA expects a lack of true success in sales because of the post-pandemic drop and the significant digital money crash. Taiwanese GPU providers gauge their 2022 shipments will fall close to fifty percent, and sources referred to by DigiTimes say this will make NVIDIA’s income fall “at a pace beyond imagination.”
NVIDIA is declining because of this issue and the significant digital currency crash this year. Accordingly, Taiwanese GPU providers have assessed their 2022 shipments will fall by as high as fifty percent. Sources say this will kill NVIDIA’s yearly income, with an expected fall. NVIDIA’s starter second quarter income report, delivered recently, showed a fundamentally more negative quarter than anticipated.
The decrease in consumer tech is currently influencing interest for less-significant chip part producers making displays, ICs, and boards, and that’s only for starters. One such organization, notebook MCU and touchscreen controller producer Elan Microelectronics expects an income drop of thirty percent at the end of the third quarter.
Chromebook shipments are expected to take as high as sixty percent volume hits. Lenovo and HP anticipate a sixty percent decrease in shipments for their specific Chromebook models. Windows notebook and PC sales are supposed to drop by up to fifteen percent consistently. Asus, Acer, Dell, and HP are experiencing issues driving higher deals in the gaming and business laptop areas.
While different manufacturers battle to keep sales afloat, AMD and Apple have figured out how to evade these broad issues.
AMD has seen gigantic development: the organization’s second quarter income taken expanded by seventy percent because of a piece of the market gains from Intel in data center processors and embedded CPU development.
However, AMD has expanded its assumptions for shipment drops as high as sixteen percent. AMD anticipates that its third-quarter incomes should increase, but only mildly.
Apple recently witnessed a record-breaking 28 million units sold in 2022.
As indicated by a DigiTimes report, AMD’s development is basically because of Intel losing its general piece of the pie. Intel rules practically eighty percent of the market. However, it lost a lot of requests from Apple when the last option turned into its CPU provider (with the M1 and M2 ARM chips). AMD’s fast extension in the server farm and its income stream from the Xilinx merger will add to Intel’s difficulties.
