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Sports

All Blacks v South Africa (Mbombela) » allblacks.com

All Blacks v South Africa (Mbombela) » allblacks.com

All eyes turn to Mbombela Stadium in the early hours of Sunday morning (NZT) as the All Blacks open their Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship campaign with their first Test on South African soil since 2018.

Match details: All Blacks v South Africa, Sunday 7 August, 3.05am NZT (local time: Saturday 6 August, 5.05pm), Mbombela Stadium, Mbombela

Played: 101

Won: All Blacks 60, South Africa 37, Drawn 4

Last time: All Blacks 29, South Africa 31 (2 October 2021)

Referee: Angus Gardner

INTERNATIONAL BROADCAST DETAILS

FRONT ROW SHUFFLE

There’s ample change up front for the All Blacks with Samisoni Taukei’aho named at hooker alongside George Bower and Angus Ta’avao in a new look front row. On the bench, Tyrel Lomax and Ethan de Groot are named for the first time in the 2022 season while Dane Cole gets the nod on the pine ahead of Codie Taylor. The Springboks have named a powerful starting trio of Trevor Nyakane, Malcolm Marx and Frans Malherbe. The inspirational Marx will also be playing his 50th Test match.

WELCOME BACK CALEB

An eye-catching selection for the All Blacks is Caleb Clarke in the number 11 jersey for the first time since 2020. With Olympics aspirations and injury keeping him off the All Blacks team sheet since his then, Clarke will provide genuine firepower out wide and completes a dangerous back three of Will Jordan and Jordie Barrett. Clarke will provide an unknown quantity for the Springboks having never faced the South Africans in a Test match previously.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP GLORY

First played for under the guise of the Tri Nations back in 1996, the Rugby Championship is one of the most prestigious and hotly contested titles in world rugby. The All Blacks are the reigning Rugby Championship holders having taken out the title on Australian soil in 2021. South Africa have claimed the title on four occasions (1998, 2004, 2009 and 2019) and will be buoyed by hosting the All Blacks in the opening two Tests of the 2022 tournament. Whoever emerges on top in Mbombela will also claim early favorites status for the 2022 crown.

FOZZY’S WORD

All Blacks coach Ian Foster said a stark reality of the 101-year All Blacks-Springboks rivalry would be borne out again in the opening Test Mbombela. “If you are not at your best, you lose.” Foster said.“It sets things very simple and clear in your mind at the start, but to have two [Tests] in a row here is something special for this team. We’re determined to prove this team’s got the character to grow from our last series and the frustrations from that,” Foster said.

OLD RIVALRIES IGNITE

While the All Blacks have not played on South African soil since their nail-biting 32-30 win at Loftus Versfeld in 2018, the Test will also see several classic player rivalries summarized. This is nowhere more apparent than at halfback where Aaron Smith faces Faf de Klerk. The two world class halfbacks have had many great battles at Super Rugby and Test level over the years, and de Klerk said their was a mutual respect between the pair. “We’ve become friends off the field, but once we’re on the field, it’s back to business,” de Klerk said. “He’s one of their key players with over 100 Tests which makes him unbelievably successful. There’s a lot to learn from him – it’s always good to learn from one of the best players in the world.”

STACHAT

The All Blacks have won their last four matches on South African soil, with the last two wins coming by a margin of two points or less.

TEAMS (caps in brackets)

All Blacks

1. George Bower (14) 2. Samisoni Taukei’aho (11) 3. Angus Ta’avao (22) 4. Sam Whitelock (134) 5. Scott Barrett (50) 6. Akira Ioane (14) 7. Sam Cane © (80) 8. Ardie Savea (62) 9. Aaron Smith (105) 10. Beauden Barrett (104) 11. Caleb Clarke (5) 12. David Havili (16) 13. Rieko Ioane (50) 14. Will Jordan (15) 15. Jordie Barrett (39)

Reserves: 16. Dane Coles (81) 17. Ethan de Groot (4) 18. Tyrel Lomax (14) 19. Tupou Vaa’i (12) 20. Shannon Frizell (17) 21. Finlay Christie (6) 22. Richie Mo’unga (35) 23. Quinn Tupaea (9)

south africa

1. Trevor Nyakane (56) 2. Malcolm Marx (49) 3. Frans Malherbe (48) 4. Eben Etzebeth (100) 5. Lood de Jager (58) 6. Siya Kolisi (65) – captain 7. Pieter-Steph du Toit (60) 8. Jasper Wiese (13) 9. Faf de Klerk (38) 10. Handre Pollard (62) 11. Makazole Mapimpi (27) 12. Damian de Allende (60) 13. Lukhanyo Am (28) 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse (1) 15. Damian Willemse (18)

Reservations:16. Bongi Mbonambi (50) 17. Steven Kitshoff (61) 18. Vincent Koch (34) 19. Salmaan Moerat (1) 20. Franco Mostert (53) 21. Kwagga Smith (21) 22. Jaden Hendrikse (4) 23. Willie Le Roux (74)

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US

Brooklyn McDonald’s worker Matthew Webb shot over cold fries has died

Brooklyn McDonald's worker Matthew Webb shot over cold fries has died

The Brooklyn McDonald’s worker who was shot in the neck in a spat over cold fries has died, cops announced Friday.

Matthew Webb, 23, “succumbed to his injuries” after he was shot Monday outside the Bedford-Stuyvesant fast-food restaurant where he worked, the NYPD said.

The attack “has been deemed a homicide,” the force said early Friday, stressing that “the investigation remains ongoing.”

Michael Morgan, 20, has already been charged with attempted murder and criminal possession of a loaded firearm for blasting Webb in anger at his mom getting served cold fries.

He is expected to face upgraded homicide charges, prosecutors told a court hearing Thursday, even before Webb’s death was confirmed.

Matthew Webb.
Matthew Webb, 23, “succumbed to his injuries” Wednesday, two days after he was shot in the neck in the fight at the Brooklyn McDonald’s where he worked.

Webb was serving at the Fulton Street eatery on Monday evening when Morgan’s mom, Lisa Fulmore, complained to workers that her fries were cold and asked to speak to a manager.

Tap the right side of the screen below to watch this web story:

NYC McDonald's worker shot over cold french fries

When the workers began laughing at her, Fulmore was FaceTiming with Morgan, who came to the restaurant and got into a fight with Webb that spilled out onto the sidewalk.

Morgan punched Webb in the face and when he got back up, he pulled out a gun and blasted him in the neck, prosecutors alleged.

Matthew Webb, 23, died after being shot outside the Brooklyn fast-food joint Monday.
Matthew Webb, 23, died after being shot outside the Brooklyn fast-food joint Monday.

His mom later told the police that her son told her “he gotta do what he gotta do.”

The suspect’s girlfriend, Camellia Dunlap, has also been charged with weapons possession for allegedly handing Morgan the gun. She was arraigned later on Wednesday and held on a $50,000 cash bail, after prosecutors said she admitted to possessing the gun.

Michael Morgan, 20.
Michael Morgan, 20, is expected to be hit with upgraded murder charges.
Paul Martinka

Morgan was also charged with an earlier murder after allegedly confessing during questioning about the McDonald’s shooting.

He allegedly killed Kevin Holloman in October 2021.

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Technology

Square Enix Is Potentially Looking To Sell Stakes In Its Studios

Square Enix Is Potentially Looking To Sell Stakes In Its Studios

CRISIS CORE FINAL FANTASY VII REUNION Announcement Trailer 1 46 Screenshot
Image: Square Enix

Square Enix has been a mainstay in the industry for years, but it looks like the Japanese publisher and developer is struggling, having reported declining financial results for Q1 2023 (besides the huge success of its MMORPG, Final Fantasy XIV). And, following the publication of those results, Eurogamer reports that the company is looking to “improve capital efficiency” by selling stakes in its studies.

This comes from an internal conference call held after the results were shared, with MST Financial analyst David Gibson breaking down the discussion on Twitter.

Square Enix recently sold a number of its Western studios to Embracer Group, but that was only phase one of the company’s plans. The next stage is for Square Enix to diversify the studio’s capital structure, and be more selective with resources due to rising costs.

Resources will be focused on Japanese-developed games, with European and American studies impacting the most.

One way Square Enix thinks it will improve its capital efficiency and offset rising costs is by selling stakes in some of its studies. Gibson suspects that the likes of Sony, Tencent, and Nexon would be among the interested parties. What this means is that Square Enix won’t entirely sell studios, but rather a percentage of them,

Interestingly, once the sale with Embracer Group goes through, Square Enix will gain $1.4 billion and potentially remove any debt they have, Gibson states.

Following the call, Square Enix’s shares have risen. At the time of writing this, Square Enix Holdings Co Ltd has seen an 11% increase today.

The company has a huge slate of releases coming out at the end of this year, including on the Switch. The DioField Chronicle launches on the 22nd September, followed by the Switch port of NieR: Automata in October, farming sim Harvestella and Tactics Ogre: Reborn in November, and Dragon Quest Treasures in December. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is also due out in the winter.

It’s also already released two fantastic games earlier in the year, and a long-awaited port — Triangle Strategy, Live A Live, and Chrono Cross. So it’s been a busy year for Square Enix. We’ll have to wait and see what happens with the company for the rest of the year.

What do you think of this announcement? Do you think Square Enix will sell stakes in any of its studios? Let us know.

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Sports

NRL 2022: Newcastle Knights investigation racism allegations; David Klemmer, news, updates

NRL 2022: Newcastle Knights investigation racism allegations; David Klemmer, news, updates

The Newcastle Knights’ season has been thrown into even more disarray after it was revealed that the club was investigating an alleged racist remark made by a staff member.

According to Newcastle Heraldthe complaint was made after a lower-grade indigenous player was told to “stop playing like a blackfella and get back to structure”.

Newcastle are reportedly investigating the alleged racist remark, and are taking the matter very seriously.

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According to the Herald, it was not the player in question who raised the complaint to the Knights.

“I can confirm the process if there are any allegations of racial vilification,” Knights chief executive Phil Gardner said told Newcastle Herald.

“They will be handled very firmly by the club.

“The outcomes could lead to a range of sanctions, which could be suspended, ends or

“Anyone found guilty would be dealt with on that basis, although it’s very important that allegations aren’t treated as truth or fact, because it could impact on those people in their future careers … if it’s not factual, it shouldn’t be reported .”

This investigation it not at all linked to David Klemmer’s situation at the club, after he was given a show cause notice after an on-field incident.

Klemmer allegedly refused to leave the field and verbally abused trainer Hayden Knowles during the Knights’ 14-point loss to the Bulldogs.

The Telegraph reported on Thursday that claimed the star forward had called the trainer a “c***” and told him to “shut the f*** up”.

Journalist Brent Read understands that the former Blues representative had apologized to coach Adam O’Brien over text message.

While the prop has been dropped for this weekend’s clash with the Wests Tigers, amid earlier reports that he could have his contract torn up, it’s believed that he could return next weekend.

Originally published as Under-fire Newcastle Knights rocked as racism allegations revealed

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Categories
Australia

WA Police rescue ducklings in pouring rain on Perth’s Mitchell Freeway

WA Police rescue ducklings in pouring rain on Perth's Mitchell Freeway

WA Police have proven there is no case they can’t quack, braving the pouring rain to help rescue adorable ducklings that lost their way and waddled onto a Perth freeway earlier this week.

The group of about 10 Shelduck ducklings was spotted trying to cross the northbound lanes of Mitchell Freeway, just before the Hodges Drive exit in Heathridge, around 10.20am on Tuesday, August 2.

A WA Police spokesperson said police received multiple calls alerting them to the situation and Traffic Enforcement Group North officers sprang into action.

“Unfortunately, there was no sign of a mother duck, and the ducklings were in danger of being hit by cars,” they said.

The group of about 10 Shelduck ducklings was spotted trying to cross the northbound lanes of Mitchell Freeway, just before the Hodges Drive exit in Heathridge, around 10.20am on Tuesday, August 2.
Camera IconThe group of about 10 Shelduck ducklings was spotted trying to cross the northbound lanes of Mitchell Freeway, just before the Hodges Drive exit in Heathridge, around 10.20am on Tuesday, August 2. Credit: WA Police

The spokesperson said the officers, with the assistance of Main Roads WA staff and members of the public, were able to safely secure all but one of the ducklings.

Video of the rescue shows officers in the rain collecting the birds and entering a roadside storm drain in an attempt to scoop out the last duckling that got washed away.

“After several attempts, [the officer] was able to safely rescue the last duckling,” the spokesperson said.

Main Roads WA maintained a safe working area using their incident response service vehicle on the side of the freeway, while the rescue took place.

The ducklings were taken to Native Animal Rescue in Malaga, where they are now being cared for.

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US

Indiana Congresswoman Jackie Walorski’s SUV veered into oncoming traffic before deadly crash

GOP Rep. Jackie Walorski killed in car crash, sheriff says

The car Indiana Congresswoman Jackie Walorski was riding in when she and three others died was the one that caused a crash when it veered into oncoming traffic, contrary to initial reports that it was the other driver’s fault, authorities said.

CBS Chicago points out that the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office originally said a maroon Buick LeSabre headed south on State Road 19 crossed the center line and hit the Toyota RAV 4 in which Walorski and two aides were heading north on Wednesday afternoon.

But the sheriff’s office said Thursday morning that, based on new information, it had determined that its preliminary findings were incorrect. It said additional eyewitness and video evidence confirmed it was the RAV 4 that crossed into oncoming traffic “for reasons that are unknown at this time.”

All three people in the RAV 4—Walorski, 58; her district director Zachery Potts, 27; and communications director Emma Thomson, 28 — died as a result of their injuries. The driver and sole occupant of the LeSabre — 56-year-old Edith Schmucker — also died in the crash.

Officials said all four were wearing seatbelts and the vehicles’ airbags did deploy.

The crash remains under investigation.

cbsn-fusion-rep-jackie-walorski-killed-in-indiana-car-crash-thumbnail-1172014-640x360.jpg
Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind., speaks during a news conference in the Capitol on legislation that would increase the accountability of the Veterans Affairs Department, on April 3, 2014.

Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call


Walorski was elected to represent Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes South Bend, in 2012 after serving three terms in the statehouse. She was the top Republican on the House Ethics Committee and served on the Ways and Means Committee as well.

“She has returned home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said in a statement on Walorski’s death. “Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers.”

Tributes for Walorski quickly poured in from elected officials on both sides of the aisle and from members of Indiana’s congressional delegation.

Rep. Kevin Brady, the top Republican on the Ways and Means panel, said the congresswoman was “the ‘happy Hoosier’ who would light up a room with her joy, passion, brilliance and love of life.”

“There is nothing [Walorski] couldn’t do,” I tweeted.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat from New York, said on Twitter she is “absolutely heartbroken” and “my heart goes out to the families of each of the victims,” ​​while fellow Indiana Rep. Jim Banks praised Walorski as a “true public servant — selfless, humble, and compassionate.”

“From my first day in Congress, Jackie showed me kindness and grace,” he said in a statement. “She had a heart of gold, and I will miss her dearly.”

Former Vice President Mike Pence, who also represented Indiana in the House before serving as the state’s governor from 2013 to 2017, said he and his wife are praying for Walorski’s family and the families of Potts and Thomson.

“She served Indiana in the statehouse and the Congress with integrity and principle for nearly two decades and will be deeply missed,” he said in a pair of tweets.

Indiana Sen. Todd Young tweeted that he is “truly devastated” by Walorski’s death and said she “loved Hoosiers and devoted her life to fighting for them. I’ll never forget her spirit from her, her positive attitude, and most importantly her friendship from her. “

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Technology

Planning to buy Nothing Phone (1), you may be ‘late’ for now

Planning to buy Nothing Phone (1), you may be 'late' for now

Planning to buy Nothing Phone (1), you may be 'late' for now

Nothing Phone (1) has gone out of stock minutes after it went on sale at 12 pm earlier today. It’s not clear how many units were available for sale. All the models of the smartphone are showing ‘Currently Unavailable’ right now. There’s so far also no update when the phone will go on sale again. It seems delivery issues still persist for the brand. Soon after the smartphone went on sale there were reports that several buyers who had pre-ordered the smartphone did not get the device on the promised date. Flipkart reportedly sent Rs 1000 gift card to these buyers to ‘apologise’ for the delay in delivery. While Nothing has officially not said anything about the delayed delivery of the Nothing Phone (1), it does seem to be an issue.

Nothing Phone (1) price, offers and more
Nothing Phone (1) launched to much fanfare last month. The smartphone comes in three variants– 8GB+128GB (Rs 32,999), 8GB+256GB (Rs 35,999) and 12GB+256GB (Rs 38,999). The smartphone comes in two color options– Black and White. So far, Nothing has only launched Black version of the phone in India.

Flipkart is also showing discounts up to 13% on the phone. With discounts, customers can get the 8GB+128GB version at Rs 31,999, while 8GB+256GB and 12GB+ 256GB versions can be purchased at Rs 34,999 and Rs 37,999 respectively. But then, as mentioned above no model is available to purchase right now.

Nothing Phone (1) features and specifications
Nothing Phone (1) features a transparent back with a unique design composed of over 400 components. On the back, it has to Glyph Interfacewhich according to Nothing, is a new way of communicating to help minimize screen time.

Nothing Phone (1) sports a 6.55-inch OLED display with a 2400×1080 pixels resolution. Phone (1) comes with 60Hz-120HZ of adaptive refresh rate. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ chipset designed specifically for Nothing and runs Nothing OS.

The handset features a dual camera setup with a 5OMP sensor, where the main camera is powered by Sony IMX766.

Nothing Phone (1) offers 18 hours of usage on a single charge and gets 50% charged within 30 minutes.

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Entertainment

Prey ending explained – how it links to Predator mystery

Prey ending explained - how it links to Predator mystery

Prey ending spoilers follow.

Taking predator back to the 18th century, Prey revitalizes the series with the best movie since the iconic original.

The new movie centers on Naru (Amber Midthunder), a young Comanche warrior who dreams of being a hunter, only to be denied the chance as she’s a woman. However, the arrival of the Predator near her home gives Naru the ideal opportunity to provide her worth.

While it is set in 1719, Prey does feature references and Easter eggs to the predator franchise and the biggest one comes in the finale. It’s a nod to a long-running mystery in the series that goes all the way back to predator 2.

But if you weren’t aware of the significance, we’re here to help. We need to go into some major spoilers to do that though, so don’t read on if you haven’t seen the movie yet.

a young woman stands in the foreground looking worried with face paint on and two more women stand behind in prey

20th Century Studios

Prey ending explained

During the hunt for the Predator, Naru and her brother Taabe (Dakota Beevers) get captured by a group of fur trappers. The trappers intend to use the two as bait to lure the Predator so they can kill it, but that turns out as well as expected.

Naru and Taabe escape, and when she goes back to the trappers’ camp to fetch her dog, she comes across one of the trappers. He’s still alive, but barely, and he gives her a pistol to protect them both. Again, it doesn’t go well and the trapper is killed.

Unfortunately for Naru, Taabe is also killed by the Predator. However, she’s worked out a way to outwit the predator. Using an orange flower that cools her blood, Naru sneaks up on the Predator and lures it into a trap where she manages to remove its helmet, which she then uses to get the Predator to target itself. Bye-bye Predator.

Naru returns to her camp, reunites with her mother and is made a hunter after she presents the War Chief with the Predator’s head and the pistol. As the War Chief looks at it, we see an important inscription “Raphael Adolini 1715” on it that tells us this is no ordinary pistol.

prey

Disney+

predator fans will know it has a history in the series, but we’ll refresh your memory if you weren’t aware.

At the end of predator 2Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) is given a flintlock pistol, inscribed with “Raphael Adolini 1715”, by Greyback after he’s provided himself by killing the City Hunter.

It wasn’t quite clear how the Predator got its hands on an ancient pistol or why it was treasured enough to be given as a gift to a worthy foe. Prey adds another interesting element into the mystery, which was addressed in a comic book short story released in July 1996 called predator: 1718.

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The story – set in 1718, obviously – seemingly solved the mystery about how Greyback ended up with the pistol. In it, Adolini faced a mutiny over a case of gold that his crew stole from a church, much to his anger.

Adolini battled his crew, and a watching Predator decided to join the battle and fight with Adolini. With most of the crew dead, the Predator turned his attention to Adolini and prepared to find out if he was a worthy warrior, only for the last alive member of Adolini’s crew to shoot him in the back.

The Predator killed the remaining crew member and as Adolini was dying, he gave the Predator his flintlock pistol. It’s how two centuries later, the pistol ended up in Greyback’s possession to give to Harrigan.

However, it now seems unclear whether this story is officially canon in the predator franchise. We’d assume the pistols are one-and-the-same (after all, that’s a big coincidence if not), so it’s unlikely a fur trapper would have possession of it in 1719 in order to give it to Naru.

amber midthunder as naru, prey

Disney

It’s possible that the trappers came across the same Predator who fought with Adolini, killing him and taking the pistol. The trappers didn’t seem to be much use against the Predator in Preyso if they knew how to kill a Predator, then how come they struggled so much in the movie?

A cleaner explanation would be that the story is no longer canon and the trappers got it from Adolini in 1718 or earlier (either gifted or stolen, doesn’t matter). But whichever story you believe, it doesn’t bode well for Naru’s future.

If it was the same pistol, it would mean that a Predator gets its hands on it after the events of Preyin order for Greyback to give it to Harrigan in 1997. The bleakest answer would be that another Predator returned to Earth in the 18th century, battled with Naru and killed her, taking the pistol back.

We’d prefer to think that a Predator just comes across the pistol long after Naru has lived a healthy and long life. But perhaps that’s a story a potential Prey sequel can tell…

Prey is available to watch now on Disney+ in the UK and on Hulu in the US.

Stream Prey on Disney+

Stream Prey on Disney+

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predator

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predator 2

predator 2

20th Century Studios
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£3.49

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predators

20th Century Studios
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£3.49

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predator

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£7.99

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Sports

PremiAir signs Hill for Bathurst 1000

PremiAir signs Hill for Bathurst 1000

Cameron Hill (left) and Chris Pither (right)

Cameron Hill will make his Great Race debut in this year’s Repco Bathurst 1000 as co-driver to PremiAir Racing’s Chris Pither.

Hill is currently second in the Dunlop Super2 Series for Triple Eight Race Engineering, and the deal means he will drive another Triple Eight-built car at Mount Panorama, namely the #22 Coca-Cola ZB Commodore.

The 25-year-old won in his last start at the iconic circuit, the Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour, and claimed last year’s Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia title.

He is thus high on confidence ahead of what will be not only his Supercars Championship debut, but first weekend racing at Mount Panorama in a Supercar.

“This will be my first main game race, and what better way to make my debut?” said Hill.

“While it may be my first time at Bathurst in a Supercar, I’ve got plenty of laps under my belt, having recently won the Bathurst 6 Hour after starting 60th due to a technical infringement.

“I’ve also raced in the Bathurst 12 Hour, in Carrera Cup, and the Toyota 86 Racing Series.

“For me, this is going to be an incredible experience, and I’m looking forward to being on the mountain. Hopefully, between Chris and I we can achieve a great result.”

Pither has strong expectations of his co-driver.

“It’s very hard to get your first opportunity in the Supercars Championship,” he said of Hill.

“Cam’s been going well in Super2, this year, so he deserves the opportunity.

“Racing in the Bathurst 1000 for the first time is a special experience I look forward to sharing with him.

“I know he’ll do a great job.”

Team Principal Matt Cook is hoping for “big things” given the synergy which plugging Hill into one of its cars represents.

“We are very excited to have Cam coming on board with Chris to co-drive the PremiAir Coca-Cola Racing Supercar,” Cook stated.

“Cam currently drives for Triple Eight Race Engineering in Super2 and our cars are Triple Eight cars, so the transition should be pretty seamless for him and we are hoping he can do some big things here with us.”

Hill will join the squad for a test day at Queensland Raceway on Tuesday, August 9 as part of PremiAir’s preparation for October’s Bathurst 1000.

The team is yet to announce James Golding’s co-driver for its Subway-backed car.

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Australia

Why Resilience NSW was doomed from the start

Why Resilience NSW was doomed from the start

Some emergency services confirmed on Friday they were provided with core recommendations from the report relevant to them and will review those findings.

Former premier Gladys Berejiklian created the disaster management agency in response to the Black Summer bushfires, installing Fitzsimmons as its boss. It has since faced scrutiny over its role, budget and employee-related expenses amounting to $38.5 million for 245 staff.

But former fire chief and climate advocate Greg Mullins said Resilience NSW did not have the easiest start. After forming on May 1, 2020, the disaster agency was forced to begin operating immediately – coordinating recovery in the aftermath of the bushfires. Then it was forced to respond to major flooding events and a COVID-19 pandemic.

Mullins said when the disaster agency was first formed there had been many former emergency leaders who supported the move. “It was the first state government that had acknowledged out-of-scale disasters were happening because of climate change,” he said.

But he said the agency was tasked with a massive remit: to look after resilience and recovery. “They are both very difficult long-term jobs. Our concern is that dumping [the agency] after two years and blaming the boss could put us back behind the eight-ball as we get more and more consecutive disasters.”

NSW has battled two years of back-to-back disasters, including bushfires, a pandemic and floods.

NSW has battled two years of back-to-back disasters, including bushfires, a pandemic and floods.Credit:Nick Moir

Mullins said the new approach to resilience will need closer inspection once the report is publicly released, but many former emergency service commissioners will be prepared to be highly critical of its findings if they feel the approach does not do enough to prepare communities. But Mullins, like many others, still supported Fitzsimmons and said he was the best person for the job.

“They better have a bloody good reason to lose the expertise of someone of his caliber… Good luck to them to find someone better, they won’t.”

Former ACT Emergency Services Authority commissioner Peter Dunn said the approach to resilience and recovery needed to be community-led rather than the centralized approach that had been favored by the government. He worried that recommendations to appoint a new police commissioner risked further centralizing the disaster agency and would take control away from communities.

“We have gone in the exact wrong direction with the wrong lessons and prepared for the wrong disasters,” he said.

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Dunn suggested more funding was needed for communities to control how they would prepare and respond to natural disasters. The Productivity Commission estimated last year that 97 per cent of disaster funding is spent on recovery and clean-up, while only 3 per cent is spent on preparing communities, mitigating and resilience.

Lismore City Councilor Elly Bird said the community’s experience with Resilience NSW post-floods had been a mixed bag. She praised the efforts of officers on the ground who had done the best they could to help the community, but she said that there had been frustrating experiences where bureaucracy had delayed urgent help.

For example, in the days following the floods, Bird said an organization offered 1000 volunteers to help with the clean-up and recovery efforts but Resilience NSW needed to grant permission. Despite her best efforts, Bird was unable to secure the necessary approvals. She said another model of adaptation, preparedness and resilience should be used.

“The model of external agencies coming into a community and telling that community what needs to happen is fundamentally flawed,” she said. “Even before the existence of Resilience NSW, the best approach in an emergency is a community lead recovery. But over many events, it doesn’t seem like the government understands or is able to enable effective community lead response.”

“A dollar spent in the community is much more effective than a dollar poured into government. We need to resource communities because communities will respond first and always step up to support themselves and each other to recover.”

The inquiry’s findings will also recommend that responsibilities like emergency accommodation in evacuation centers should be allocated to the Department of Communities and Justice, which has daily expertise in dealing with people in crisis. Increased funding will be critical to supporting this, the report will advise.

The office which replaces Resilience NSW should instead focus on the response in the first 100 days after a disaster. Other recommendations in the report will include strategies to address the future management of flood-prone areas.

The report and the government’s response will be publicly released later this year.

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