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Sports

The fall out of Piastri’s F1 contract saga

The fall out of Piastri's F1 contract saga

Oscar Piastri

The ongoing Formula 1 saga surrounding exactly where Oscar Piastri will drive in 2023 is unlikely to be resolved quickly.

It’s a story that has dominated headlines around the world following the bizarre sequence of announcements in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Both announcements were preceded by a media conference with Alpine Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer which, rather than clarifying the situation surrounding its 2023 driver line-up (clearly the intent) it instead served only to cloud things further – especially when Szafnauer suggested Fernando Alonso was on a boat in the Greek isles, only for the Spaniard to appear on social media in his native Oviedo (Spain) just hours later.

That highlighted the current disconnect at Alpine, further evidenced by its statement ‘confirming’ Piastri and subsequent denial from the man himself soon after.

At its simplest, the current situation boils down to a dispute with Alpine, which believes it has a valid contract with Piastri, and the fact the Australian (and his management team which includes Mark Webber) disagrees with.

It is strongly suggested that the reason for that disagreement is because he has a contract in place with McLaren.

At no point has it been formally confirmed that the ‘other team’ is in fact McLaren, though there are a number of strong indicators which suggest as much.

Speaking to the press on Wednesday morning, Szafnauer mentioned the team in relation to discussions over a potential loan deal.

Furthermore, Piastri, Webber, and McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown are known to have had a scheduled dinner meeting in the days prior to the French Grand Prix.

Combined with other factors, such as the fact Daniel Ricciardo has been under pressure for much of the last 12 months, and few other teams have available seats (save Williams, realistically), we can with a certain degree of confidence determine that the other team is indeed McLaren.

Knowing that, moving through the process a step, one of three outcomes is now likely.

The first and simplest is that Piastri is contractually bound to Alpine and will be compelled to compete with the Anglo-French squad in 2023.

Another is that a clause in the Alpine contact has been exercised and the 2021 F2 Champion will instead be free to race for McLaren next season.

A third is that the Alpine contract is enforceable, and the team opts to bench him – an unlikely outcome but a possibility in a sport where the paddock is often referred to as the Piranha Club.

There are other important ramifications that will have a lasting legacy for both Piastri and others.

First and foremost, the 21-year-old’s loyalty and honesty has been drawn into question.

Having been largely funded by Alpine (or Renault under its previous guise) there is something of an obligation to the company. It has, after all, played a very significant role in getting him to where he is.

For Piastri to effectively turn his back on that in favor of another opportunity will not have done his reputation any help.

He will have also done himself no favors within Alpine, especially with its senior management; Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer and CEO Laurent Rossi.

Where once he’d have had their unwavering support, can that ever be the case again?

Then comes the question of the mechanics and their loyalty to the Australian, should he remain at Alpine.

While there’s no doubt that all would be continue to work professionally together, a positive and supportive environment in the garage cannot be overstated for a rookie in Formula 1.

Another implication is that the relationship between Daniel Ricciardo and McLaren is far more damaged than first thought.

Publicly, support has been forthcoming from Team Principal Andreas Seidl, and even at points Brown despite who has also shared his criticisms.

Ricciardo himself recently reaffirmed his commitment to the team for the balance of his contract, which runs until 2023.

That the team has apparently not only held talks with Piastri and Webber about a deal, but appears to have even agreed one, very much contradicts that ‘we support Daniel’ rhetoric proffered by the team.

Given Piastri is seemingly prepared to walk away from a guaranteed race seat with Alpine, whatever was put on the table by McLaren must be significant and serious.

That leaves Ricciardo in a seemingly untenable position, even if his countryman doesn’t end up joining the team as is seemingly preferred.

Clearly Danny Ric no longer has the support of the team’s senior leadership, raising the same questions for the 33-year-old as it does for Piastri with Alpine; regardless of the outcome from here, can the relationship continue?

It’s a remarkable situation which has the potential to significantly, and negatively, impact the careers and reputations of two Australian drivers in one fell swoop.

Alonso’s decision to leave Alpine clearly caught the squad unaware. Had it had an inclination that his departure from him was a realistic chance, Piastri would have been kept on a much tighter leash.

In turn, more confident and comfortable with his own position, Piastri and Webber would have been less motivated to shop around, safe in the knowledge the future was set.

Instead, until Monday, he faced an uncertain future and was looking to wrap some certainty around his career, seemingly with the good graces of Alpin which was happy to loan him out.

Even still, it begs the question: was Piastri presumptuous in agreeing to a deal elsewhere? That is the crux of the matter.

Did Piastri and Webber act appropriately in seemingly agreeing to a deal with McLaren, and have they breached contract in doing so?

Categories
Australia

Resilience NSW boss to be dumped, agency scaled down, under key recommendation of flood inquiry report

Resilience NSW boss to be dumped, agency scaled down, under key recommendation of flood inquiry report

It has since faced scrutiny over its role, budget and employee-related expenses amounting to $38.5 million for 245 staff.

Fitzsimmons in April said the agency was designed to provide “a more streamlined and co-ordinated approach” to handle recovery operations.

However, the flood inquiry report will recommend a significantly smaller, more agile office.

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 the agency should instead focus on the response in the first 100 days after a disaster.

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Other recommendations in the report will include strategies to address the future management of flood prone areas.

Perrottet is yet to release the inquiry’s findings, which were delivered by Fuller and O’Kane over the weekend.

The premier’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Last week Deputy Premier Paul Toole said the government wanted to report back to flood-affected communities as soon as possible, committing to releasing the report in August.

“I think there are going to be things the government can do in the short term, the medium term and the longer term and this is about giving some clarity and certainty to the community.”

NSW Labor leader Chris Minns on Thursday said he had concerns about Resilience NSW, but stopped short of calling for a decision on its future before the report was released.

“I think the evidence is overwhelming at this point, that the massive bureaucracy that is Resilience NSW being placed on top of our emergency services has not worked,” Minns said.

with Natassia Chrysanthos

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Categories
US

China claims ‘precision missile strikes’ in Taiwan Strait

China claims 'precision missile strikes' in Taiwan Strait

BEIJING (AP) — China says it conducted “precision missile strikes” in the Taiwan Strait on Thursday as part of military exercises that have raised tensions in the region to their highest level in decades.

China earlier that announced military exercises by its navy, air force and other departments were underway in six zones surrounding Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary.

The drills were prompted by a visit to the island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this week and are intended to advertise China’s threat to attack the self-governing island republic. Along with its moves to isolate Taiwan diplomatically, China has long threatened military retaliation over moves by the island to solidify its de-facto independence with the support of key allies including the US

“Long-range armed live fire precision missile strikes were carried out on selected targets in the eastern area of ​​the Taiwan Strait,” the Eastern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army, the ruling Communist Party’s military wing, said in a statement on its social media platform.

“The expected outcome was achieved,” it added. No other details were given.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said it tracked the firing of Chinese Dongfeng series missiles beginning around 1:56 pm on Thursday. It said in a statement it used various early warning surveillance systems to track the missile launches, which were directed at waters northeast and southwest of Taiwan.

Earlier during the day, Taiwa’s Defense ministry said its forces were on alert and monitoring the situation, while seeking to avoid escalating tensions. Civil defense drills have also been held and notices were placed on designated air raid shelters.

China’s “irrational behavior” intends to alter the status quo and disrupt regional peace and stability, the ministry said.

“The three service branches will combine efforts with all the people to jointly safeguard national security and territorial integrity” while adapting to the situation as it develops, the statement said.

China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported the exercises were joint operations focused on “blockade, sea target assault, strike on ground targets, and airspace control.”

While the US has not said it would intervene, it has bases and forward-deployed assets in the area, including aircraft carrier battle groups. US law requires the government to treat threats to Taiwan, including blockades, as matters of “grave concern.”

The drills are due to run from Thursday to Sunday and include missile strikes on targets in the seas north and south of the island in an echo of the last major Chinese military drills aimed at intimidating Taiwan’s leaders and voters held in 1995 and 1996.

While China has given no word on numbers of troops and military assets involved, the exercises appear to be the largest held near Taiwan in geographical terms.

The exercises involved troops from the navy, air force, rocket force, strategic support force and logistic support force, Xinhua reported.

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Categories
Business

Move over Qualitas, Apollo writes a $1b check to MaxCap

Move over Qualitas, Apollo writes a $1b check to MaxCap

While Melbourne real estate house Qualitas is the talk of the town thanks to its eye-watering mandate, rival MaxCap has gone one better.

MaxCap’s investments include a $97 million debt facility to Franze Developments’ Geelong Quarter in the regional Victorian city of Geelong.

Not to be outdone by Qualitas’ $700 million from ADIA, MaxCap is understood to have received a near $1 billion check from its now biggest client, Apollo Global Management.

Sources said MaxCap was looking to deploy the capital in the property credit market, providing construction facilities, first mortgages on land and the like, at a time when there’s no shortage of deals for credit funds.

It’s not surprising to see Apollo Global go big in property credit – it is the firm’s bread and butter globally. It’s also not surprising seeing it getting closer to MaxCap, with Apollo having taken aa 50 per cent stake in the Melbourne-based property financier last year.

But it’s interesting to see the sheer size of Apollo’s commitment, particularly at a time when analysts and property market watchers are fawning over Qualitas. The company’s shares are up nearly 40 per cent this week.

Qualitas announced on Monday that it had secured a $700 million investment mandate from the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), in a deal that could also see ADIA take a near 10 per cent stake in the manager.

The sovereign wealth fund’s mandate could increase to $1.7 billion if it took the maximum 9.9 per cent equity stake.

Categories
Technology

Square Enix Shares Fresh New Details For Life Sim RPG Harvestella

Square Enix Shares Fresh New Details For Life Sim RPG Harvestella

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Image: Square Enix

Square Enix is ​​keeping its end-of-year release calendar extremely busy. Even if you discount titles like Star Ocean: The Divine Force and Valkyrie Elysium, its Switch line-up — which includes The DioField Chronicle, NieR: Automata, and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion — is a force to be reckoned with.

But those are all multiplatform releases or ports — and we know we haven’t covered everything there — but there’s one game Square Enix is ​​releasing that is a Switch console exclusive. Harvestella was revealed during Nintendo’s most recent Partner Direct, and it looks like something a bit different for the RPG developer.

Combining life simulation, farming, and RPG elements, this looks like the company’s answer to RuneFactory. With its lovely pastel environments and lush character designs, we’re extremely interested. Today, Square Enix showed off some new details for the game on its blog, focusing on the main town, the game’s job system, character stories, and the different crops you can harvest.

Let’s start off with a summary straight from the blog post then, shall we?

In daily life, you can spend a relaxing day farming, fishing, or raising livestock, before heading to town to socialize and build your relationships with residents. If you want to test your combat skills, you can step into a dungeon to take on hordes of monsters with a variety of weapons and jobs.

Whatever you do, time passes through the seasons, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. But between each one is a fifth season: Quietus! During this time, crops wither and die, and a deadly dust keeps people trapped indoors.

You’ll need to plan around the changing seasons and the grim inevitability of Quietus, as you attempt to solve the mysteries behind this season of death.

You’ll start your adventure in the town of spring, Nemea. This beautiful lilac-coloured town is full of blossoming flowers all year round, and at night, the cherry blossoms dance in the moonlight. But the appearance of a giant egg on the Spring Seaslight has caused monsters to appear and attack the town’s residents.

Joining forces with a member of the Argus brigade, Asyl, you’ll need to travel to the Seaslight to find out why the egg is causing this discord.

Alongside Asyl, you’ll also meet Istina, a teacher who looks after the children at the town’s orphanage. She has a bit of a hidden past, however, hiding it from the townsfolk and the children, and largely keeping to herself otherwise. But your appearance of her in the town will change all of that for her.

We like Istina. She likes reading and she’s very intelligent, and she enjoys reading aloud to children — especially about all of the world’s different locations. And we also appreciate her trepidation and her quiet nature of her.

We’re also getting a look at a brand new job coming to the game. Joining Fighter, Mage, and Shadow Walker (which is the coolest sounding job ever, if you ask us), there’s the Sky Lancer.

okay maybe Este is as cool sounding as Shadow Walker. It’s essentially a Dragoon class that uses a lance and focuses on wind element attacks. It’s also pretty good at crowd control apparently!

To learn new jobs, you need to work together with another character who has that job. Good thing Asyl is a Sky Lancer, then! We’ll be taking that as soon as we can in our playthrough.

Characters are also pretty important throughout the game, not just in battle. It’s an RPG, remember! And a life sim. Talking to the residents is key. These ‘Character Stories’ will focus on the character’s problems, and completing them will increase your closeness, while also granting rewards and combat boosts!

But you’ll also need to harvest, fish, and ship items out too! And you can whip up some delicious-looking dishes with the ingredients you grow, like strawberry shortcake and Nemea bolognese. And this is just a sampling of what you can make with spring season ingredients! The strawberries are called ‘strawbuddies’, though, and that’s totally worth noting

To make this more like Stardew Valley or Harvest Moon, you can harvest your crops and fish for…fish, and then ship the goods out to make money. You don’t have to cook with them, and sometimes, you’ll want to save up the pennies to buy more goods. And you’ll need to craft some stuff to actually make some other things like wheat.

We’re excited to see what the other seasons bring to the game, and what other jobs we’ll be able to play as in Harvestella. The game launches on 4th November, which means we don’t have very long to wait for this one to sprout!

You can read more about the game over on Square Enix’s blog post below. And make sure youet us know what you think of these new details on Harvestella in the comments!

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Categories
Entertainment

Elsa Pataky looks stylish as she takes her twin sons Tristan and Sasha to a bookshop in Byron Bay

Elsa Pataky looked stylish in loose pants and a cardigan as she took her twin sons Tristan and Sasha to a bookshop in Byron Bay on Wednesday

Elsa Pataky looks stylish in loose pants and a cardigan as she takes her twin sons Tristan and Sasha to a bookshop in Byron Bay

By Mary Mrad For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

Elsa Pataky enjoyed a shopping trip with her sons Tristan and Sasha in Byron Bay on Wednesday.

The Spanish actress, 46, looked stylish in loose beige pants and a matching colored cardigan as she visited a local bookshop with her eight-year-old twin boys.

The Interceptor star completed her look with a brown shirt and a pair of comfortable white sneakers.

Elsa Pataky looked stylish in loose pants and a cardigan as she took her twin sons Tristan and Sasha to a bookshop in Byron Bay on Wednesday

Elsa Pataky looked stylish in loose pants and a cardigan as she took her twin sons Tristan and Sasha to a bookshop in Byron Bay on Wednesday

The Interceptor star completed her look with a brown shirt and a pair of comfortable white sneakers

The Interceptor star completed her look with a brown shirt and a pair of comfortable white sneakers

Elsa left her long blonde hair out and let her natural beauty shine by going makeup free for the outing.

The actress’ two boys appeared excited as they held several books after they visited the book store.

The trio were then spotted enjoying a meal from a nearby cafe.

Elsa left her long blonde hair out and let her natural beauty shine by going makeup free for the outing

Elsa left her long blonde hair out and let her natural beauty shine by going makeup free for the outing

The actress' two boys appeared excited as they held several books after they visited the book store

The actress’ two boys appeared excited as they held several books after they visited the book store

They were even spotted sitting on the foot path and reading their new books

They were even spotted sitting on the foot path and reading their new books

Elsa lives with her husband Chris Hemsworth and their three children, daughter India, nine, and twin sons Sasha and Tristan near Byron Bay, NSW.

Chris and Elsa met in early 2010 and married in December that year.

They reside in a $30million mansion in Broken Head, near the celebrity enclave of Byron Bay.

The trio were then spotted enjoying a meal from a nearby cafe

The trio were then spotted enjoying a meal from a nearby cafe

Elsa lives with her husband Chris Hemsworth and their three children, daughter India, nine, and twin sons Sasha and Tristan near Byron Bay, NSW

Elsa lives with her husband Chris Hemsworth and their three children, daughter India, nine, and twin sons Sasha and Tristan near Byron Bay, NSW

They spent years renovating their home, which sits on 4.2 hectares of land, with the help of Sydney-based MCK Architects – but the development faced some resistance from locals, who compared it to a multi-storey car park or shopping centre.

Elsa, who previously lived in Los Angeles with Chris and their three children, said she enjoys the more laid-back lifestyle Down Under.

‘We did the move three years ago and I’m so happy with it,’ she revealed to Women’s Health in April 2017.

They reside in a $30million mansion in Broken Head, near the celebrity enclave of Byron Bay

They reside in a $30million mansion in Broken Head, near the celebrity enclave of Byron Bay

Elsa, who previously lived in Los Angeles with Chris and their three children, said she enjoys the more laid-back lifestyle Down Under

Elsa, who previously lived in Los Angeles with Chris and their three children, said she enjoys the more laid-back lifestyle Down Under

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Categories
Sports

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All times AEST

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Melbourne v Collingwood

Friday – 7:50pm – MCG

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Type: Melbourne by 28 points.

Seb Mottram

Hawthorn v Gold Coast

Saturday – 1:45pm – University of Tasmania Stadium

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tip: Hawthorn by 13 points.

Lachlan Geleit

GWS Giants v Essendon

Saturday – 2:10pm – GIANTS Stadium

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Can’t wait for this game.

Tip: GWS by 8 points.

Hugh Fitzpatrick

Western Bulldogs v Fremantle

Saturday – 4:35pm – Marvel Stadium

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

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

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

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

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

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

Type: Fremantle by 9 points.

Laurence Rosen

Geelong vs St Kilda

Saturday – 7:25pm – GMHBA Stadium

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tip: Geelong by 20 points.

alex zaya

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Port Adelaide v Richmond

Saturday – 7:40pm – Adelaide Oval

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tip: Richmond by 11 points.

alex zaya

North Melbourne v Sydney

Sunday – 1:10pm – Marvel Stadium

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Type: Sydney by 35 points.

Nic Negrepontis

Brisbane v Carlton

Sunday – 3:20pm – Gabba

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tip: Brisbane by 14 points.

Andrew Slevison

West Coast v Adelaide

Sunday – 4:10pm – Optus Stadium

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Expect the keys at either end to decide this one.

Tip: Adelaide by 11 points.

Lachlan Geleit





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Categories
Australia

Sydney realtor says deaths of Saudi sisters not random crime

Sydney realtor says deaths of Saudi sisters not random crime

Comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Categories
US

Airbnb apologizes for slave cabin for rent in Mississippi | airbnb

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Categories
Business

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

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

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

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

By Mark Nicol Diplomacy Editor For The Daily Mail

Published: | Updated:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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