It was thought that Schmitt might secure Donald Trump’s prized endorsement, but the former president instead made the unusual choice Monday of announcing he was endorsing “ERIC” — without specifying a last name. Both Schmitt and Greitens, who had the support of Donald Trump Jr. and his fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle jumped at the opportunity to claim Trump’s endorsement was intended for them.
There were 21 candidates in total vying for the Republican nomination. In the final days of the race, Hartzler and Schmitt zeroed in on each other, with Hartzler using her background as a rural farmer to attack her leading opponent as a lawyer from St. Louis. Schmitt used her speeches in the final days to cast Hartzler as a Washington insider.
All three leading contenders in the final leg of the race made sure to distance themselves from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Hartzler, Schmitt and Greitens each said they wouldn’t support McConnell as Senate leader if Republicans take back Congress, a nod to Trump’s attacks and calls for new leadership.
Democrats also had a crowded field this year of 11 candidates, but now that Schmitt locked up the nomination, the race isn’t expected to be all that competitive in the deeply red state come November. Schmitt will face off with one of two Democrats: Lucas Kunce, a veteran, or Trudy Busch Valentine, a former nurse and member of the Busch brewing family. Independent John Wood, who is backed by a super PAC financed by former GOP Sen. John Danforth also turned in petition signatures to make the fall ballot.
Chemicals and mining explosives company Orica has paid $260 million in cash to buy Axis mining technology, a specialized geospatial tool which will help miners explore, extract and refine material from “mine to mill.”
The deal is funded through the proceeds of a fully underwritten $650 million institutional share placement, reported earlier by Street Talk.
Orica’s shares went into a trading halt on Wednesday morning ahead of the deal.
Orica told investors Axis geospatial technology will accelerate Orica’s capabilities to support new mineral discoveries required for decarbonisation – as new mineral discoveries are increasingly located at greater depths and demand more precise geophysics.
Axis’ gold and copper exposure also accelerates Orica’s broader commodity mix objectives.
In addition to the cash payout, a deferred earn-out payment of up to $90 million is payable based on Axis’ cumulative earnings generated from 1 October, 2022 to the end of December, 2024. That is contingent on key management remaining employed by Orica during the earn-out period.
Orica Managing Director and CEO Sanjeev Gandhi said: “We are extremely pleased to welcome Axis into Orica.”
“This strategic acquisition further strengthens our existing Digital Solutions vertical and expands our Orebody Intelligence portfolio upstream.”
Now that TVs are getting progressively thinner, manufacturers are having a tough time building decent speakers into them. It doesn’t help either that TV speakers often face downwards, creating low audio that loses much of its detail.
By comparison, soundbars have speakers that actually face towards you, making sound clearer and speech more understandable.
In fact, you would be surprised by how much your audio can be improved even with just a budget soundbar.
RELATED: Best Australian TV deals and offers
RELATED: Sonos Ray Soundbar hands-on review
Many soundbars also have Bluetooth integrated too, so you can play your tunes and get more dynamic sound.
Ready to ditch mediocre audio for a better entertainment experience? We’ve rounded up the best soundbars available in Australia below, based on our own experience with the products and real customer ratings and reviews.
QUICK LINKS
BEST SOUNDBAR UNDER $1,500
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
This premium soundbar delivers fantastic audio with clear vocals and deep bass, while offering an immersive sound experience thanks to its side speakers.
If you do want to kick things up a notch, you can also pair the Arc with other Sonos speakers (such as the Sonos One SLs) to create a full surround sound setup. The Arc comes with plenty of great features too, including Dolby Atmos playback, a quick and easy set-up process and Alexa and the Google Assistant built-in.
It does only have one HDMI port with no passthrough, and there’s no Bluetooth streaming, but the Arc remains a top choice for those who can afford it. You can also grab it in white here.
Equipped with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, along with Samsung’s Acoustic Beam virtual surround technology, the HW-Q700A bar produces balanced and neutral sound and clear dialogue.
It does struggle with low and mid-bass, so you won’t get the full effects of action-packed scenes or the deep immersion you get with higher-end bars. There’s plenty of great features that make it seriously decent for both TV and music though, such as a dialogue enhancement feature, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 compatibility, graphic EQ and bass and treble adjustments.
You may get some distortion at maximum power, but it remains a top-rated option for mixed use.
pros
Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support
Graphic EQ and presets
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi compatibility
get’s loud
Cons
No Chromecast built-in support
Lacks low-bass
BEST SOUNDBAR UNDER $500
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Despite being much more compact than its predecessors, the Ray offers a surprisingly wide soundstage, with audio that can be fine tuned through adjustable EQ in the Sonos app.
The two-channel speaker is compatible with both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Digital Surround information, although it doesn’t include support for Dolby Atmos surround sound. It also packs in a Speech Enhancement function to clarify dialogue, Wi-Fi for music streaming and support for Apple Airplay 2 and Spotify Connect.
Unlike the Beam and the Arc, there is no voice assistance included with the Ray, so you won’t be able to control it with Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant. In fact, there is no microphone array at all, but that could actually be a bonus if you’re particularly concerned about privacy. The Sonos Ray is also available here in white.
pros
Adjustable EQ through the Sonos app
Conveniently compact size
Can be wall mounted
Cons
Not HDMI
No Dolby Atmos surround sound support
No voice assistance
RELATED: Sonos Ray hands-on review
Yamaha YAS-209 Sound Bar, $495
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Arriving with a subwoofer in tow, the YAS-209 smart combo has an impressively wide soundstage and crisp, clear audio.
The sound profile is nicely balanced and the subwoofer helps to boost low-end frequencies, making the duo great for bass-heavy music. There’s also DTS Virtual:X for simulated surround effects and built-in Alexa voice control for easy music streaming.
On the downside, there’s also only one HDMI port on the back of the YAS-209 and it doesn’t support MusicCast, so you won’t be able to connect it to other Yamaha MusicCast-enabled speakers. For the price though, it delivers powerful sound and plenty of great features.
pros
Amazon Alexa built-in
great for music
DTS Virtual:X
Cons
Only one HDMI input
No MusicCast
Additional space needed for subwoofer
BEST SOUNDBAR FOR SMALLER SPACES
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
While it doesn’t look a whole lot different from the first generation, the Beam (Gen 2) brings a range of great upgrades including HDMI eARC support, immersive Dolby Atmos interpretation, a new CPU and more audio formats.
It doesn’t have the upfiring tweeters needed for ‘true’ Dolby Atmos, but you do still get a seriously decent performance out of it. Audio is rich and detailed and can also be fine tuned to suit your space through TruePlay in the Sonos app.
The Beam is also a smart speaker, which means it pairs with both Alexa and the Google Assistant, and it can be paired with other Sonos speakers to further expand your system. It’s also versatile and straightforward to use, making it the best soundbar for most people.
pros
HDMI eARC support
3D audio with support for Dolby Atmos
True Play tuning
Choice of Alexa or Google Assistant on-board
Cons
Doesn’t support DTS:X
No additional HDMI ports
Not Bluetooth
BEST SOUNDBAR WITH DOLBY ATMOS
Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar, $3,999.95
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Even without the addition of satellite speakers or a subwoofer, the Ambeo produces rich, natural sound and delivers a convincing surround sound effect.
It can get very loud, making it ideal for movie nights and parties, and includes features like speech enhancement, DTS:X support, Google Chromecast built-in, 4K HDR pass-through and a night mode for a better listening experience. The Ambeo is also controlled entirely by remote control, making it incredibly simple to use.
It’s definitely a luxury buy and it is a huge unit that requires a lot of space, but it’s also arguably the best-sounding bar money can buy.
Featuring 12 speakers (including the accompanying wireless subwoofer), the U5120G delivers rich, multidimensional audio with plenty of depth and detail. HDMI eARC support also allows you to experience uncompressed Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, though Atmos’ immersive sense of height is still better delivered on higher-end soundbar models.
There are plenty of other great features though, including 4K Ultra HD Pass Through, optimized sound through Eilex PRISM and Bluetooth connectivity for music streaming.
It may not quite stand up to its pricier rivals, but its great features and wide speaker array will make it a solid addition to your lounge room.
pros
Affordable Dolby Atmos sound bar
HDMI eARC support
DTS:X support
Bluetooth-connectivity
Cons
Remote control is hard to read
No voice assistance
Not Wi-Fi
BEST SOUNDBAR WITH SUBWOOFER
Samsung HW-Q950A Atmos Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer, $2,099
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Both the HW-Q950A soundbar and the rears are fitted with upfiring drivers which bring Atmos-enabled height to your audio, while the sizeable sub gives you plenty of bass.
There’s also 3D audio format support from both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, two HDMI inputs and one output with support for eARC, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. On the music front, Spotify is the only music source incorporated in the accompanying SmartThings app, but Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay 2 support and Alexa compatibility gives you plenty of other ways to stream.
The HW-Q950A is also about as close as you can get to a true wired system too, making it great for those who hate the clutter of cables. It’s not the most nuanced soundbar out there, and you will need plenty of room for the whole system, but it’s extremely impressive for movies thanks to its room-filling sound.
pros
Dolby Vision and HDR10+ passthrough
DTS:X support
Bluetooth-connectivity
Rear speakers and sub included
Cons
expensive
Sound could be more refined
Requires plenty of space
BEST SOUNDBAR FOR TV
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
The TV Speaker doesn’t have a tonne of features, but it’s well-equipped for watching your favorite shows thanks to a dialogue enhancement feature and a bass adjustment feature.
There’s no Dolby Atmos support, which is what we would expect at this price point, but there are HDMI ARC and Optical ports and Bluetooth compatibility for music streaming. Audio is smooth and reasonably well balanced though it does lack low-bass, so sound isn’t as immersive as other bars on this list.
If you’re looking for a simple option with an easy setup though, this is the way to go.
pros
bluetooth supported
Dialogue enhancement feature
simple-setup
optional subwoofer
Cons
Doesn’t get very loud
No Dolby Atmos support
Lacks low-bass
CAN I USE A SOUNDBAR WITH ANY TV?
Generally speaking, yes you can use a soundbar with any TV, although you will need to check that they have compatible connections. To get the most out of your soundbar, it can help to match the brand of your bar to that of your TV, but this isn’t a hard and fast rule you need to follow.
WHERE DO I PLACE MY SOUNDBAR?
Most soundbars are designed to be placed in front of your TV, though it’s always worth taking measurements to ensure the bar can fit comfortably on your stand without blocking your view. Plenty of models are also able to be wall-mounted and either come with brackets included or have compatible brackets that can be purchased separately.
HOW DO I CHOOSE A SOUNDBAR?
The three main considerations when buying a soundbar are the price, the dimensions of your TV and the size of your room. Most soundbars are suited to small to medium rooms, though large, powerful bars will likely overwhelm rooms that are on the smaller side.
The best rule of thumb is to look to single-bar systems for smaller TVs and rooms and to soundbar/subwoofer combos for medium rooms and higher-end TVs. It is worth noting that combination units are more expensive, so you’ll also want to factor in your budget before committing to a purchase.
Looking to discover more great devices? Head to our Best Of electronics section to see all the latest product guides and reviews. You can also sign up to our Best Of shopping newsletter to be kept in the loop about popular products and upcoming sales or head to news.com.au Coupons to see a list of current deals and offers.
lauren chaplinBest Of Writer
Lauren is news.com.au’s Best Of consumer technology writer. She previously worked at comparison site Finder as the senior shopping writer where she reported on everything from tech gadgets to the latest home products. She has a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of South Australia and prior to cutting her teeth as a journalist, she worked as a media advisor for JB Hi-Fi where she sold the very products she now writes about.
Roosters star Luke Keary has opened up on his concussion battles, how he’s dealt with the setbacks and why it can be one of the more frustrating injuries.
He has also revealed that teammate Lindsay Collins will take a break from the game after suffering a head knock against Manly — his second in as many weeks.
Keary suffered a head knock in the Roosters’ Round 14 loss to the Storm and was sidelined for four weeks before starring in his return game against the Knights.
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The 30-year-old has a well-documented history with concussion. He suffered four in the space of 14 months between January 2018 and May 2019 — with the last one during that period forcing him into an extended break from the game.
When he suffered his latest knock, many in the game feared for his long-term future. But Keary had the advice of those who know best to guide him through a tricky period.
Speaking for the first time since that head knock, Keary told the Fox League Podcast that he was “a little bit nervous” to return in Round 19.
But shared that “compartmentalizing” and listening to medical advice is what helped him get back onto the field.
“I think the way you deal with it initially and the big one is the medical advice you get. I found the top neurologist in the country giving you advice — they’re the ones you should listen to,” he said.
“There’s a lot of people who are going to have an opinion about it, which is fair enough, but if you can just listen to them (neurologist), they’re not going to put you at risk. They’re not going to let you get back out there if they think there’s a risk to your long-term future.
“If you can kind of compartmentalize everything and take the right people’s advice it makes you a little less nervous to come back.
“But it’s always a tough one to come back from… you don’t want to get them as a player and you don’t want to see other players get them.”
O’Brien’s time at Knights running out? | 02:43
Keary also gave a rare insight into what the recovery period actually looks like for players — and why it’s different for everyone.
“I’ve had ones where I’ve had symptoms and with those you can’t do anything, you’ve just got to rest and wait for the symptoms to go, the NRL has a return to play policy which you follow and it’s a pretty safe way to get back into contact and games,” he said.
“Then there’s others… In 2019 I had a few in a row and I had a forced six-week lay-off. I was actually fine, I didn’t have any symptoms, but the doctors thought it was the best thing to have a month off.
“I was fine the whole time, I had a couple of weeks off then I trained with the boys for three or four weeks. I think they’re all different depending on symptoms.”
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It’s those types of concussions where there’s no symptoms that Keary admitted are “definitely” frustrating because his body may have felt fine but he had to put his long-term health first.
“Obviously with other injuries you just know straight away, whatever it is there’s sort of a set time limit. Head (injuries) are very different,” he said.
“Every single player is different. Some players take an hour to recover, some take weeks, some take months.
“The neurologist will tell you too, I think it’s the brain patterns don’t go back to normal for a few weeks so I think in society and even in medical they admit don’t have all the information they need at the moment.
“But I’m pretty experienced with them so I can tell you they’re very cautious and they don’t take footy into consideration — they take into consideration your health.
“As a game we’re doing as good a job as we can to protect the players and put in the best measures and protocols we know at the moment which are going to help.
“It’s never going to be perfect because as I said even the top docs will admit they just don’t have enough information yet.”
Nofoaluma vows to honor Tigers deal | 01:16
Between Keary’s history and the early retirements of Boyd Cordner and Jake Friend last season, the Roosters are well-equipped for concussion challenges.
They’ll take their time with Collins, who suffered a head knock in Origin III and then another against Manly last Thursday.
Keary revealed Collins, who is “in good spirits,” will take a break but is hopeful of returning before the end of the season.
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“It was real unfortunate,” Keary said of Collins’ concussion.
“Obviously the Origin one and then first game back, that wasn’t a pretty sight. But he was in really good spirits.
“It’s funny, everyone’s different and some knocks you’re rattled by, they make you sick and then others you’re fine five minutes late.
“Linds was in real good spirits after the game, he’s been at training every day — he wanted to train with us yesterday but the doctors wouldn’t let him.
“He’s obviously going to have some time off, get himself right, make sure his head and neck are right, make sure everything is OK, go see some independent doctors and take the time he needs to come back, make sure he’s healthy and strong and to make sure he’s OK to play.
“Hopefully we get him back before the end of the season, but if not, we all just want Linds to get healthy again.”
The man accused of murdering an alleged home intruder near Katherine earlier this year, will likely plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter, a court has heard.
Key points:
Kim Kellett, 38, will likely plead guilty to a charge of manslaughter
Prosecutors have withdrawn the earlier murder charge
Mr Kellett is accused of shooting dead an alleged home intruder in March
Kim Kellett has been in prison sincely alleged shooting a 26-year-old man on his property at the Cutta Cutta Caves National Park in March.
The 38-year-old appeared in the Darwin Local Court on Wednesday via video link from the local correctional centre, dressed in a red prison-issued T-shirt which usually indicates the inmate is held under maximum security conditions.
Senior Crown Prosecutor, Marty Aust, told the court the original murder charge would be withdrawn and replaced with the lesser charge of manslaughter.
“The Crown will be relying on a reckless manslaughter charge,” he said.
“The facts that make out that charge have been reduced to writing and there is agreement between the parties as to the facts in full, for plea in the Supreme Court.”
A set of agreed facts was given to the judge, but not read in open court.
The court heard the man is likely to plead guilty. (ABC News: Hamish Harty)
Mr Kellett’s lawyer, Peter Maley, told the court his client would likely plead guilty when the matter reached the Supreme Court next month.
“It will be ultimately a plea of guilty to an amended count two, for recklessly causing the death,” he said.
Despite indicating a guilty plea, the charge Mr Kellett faces is too serious to be dealt with by the Local Court.
“I am satisfied the evidence is sufficient to put the defendant on his trial in respect of count two [manslaughter],” Judge John Neill said.
“I direct he be tried at the Supreme Court in Darwin.”
Manslaughter carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Mr Kellett’s case will be mentioned in the Northern Territory Supreme Court on September 1.
AUSTIN, Texas — For 90 searing minutes in a courtroom on Tuesday, a Sandy Hook mother brought the conspiracy broadcaster Alex Jones face-to-face with the havoc she said his lies about the mass shooting that killed her son had wrought on her family and on the national discourse.
“Truth — truth is so vital to our world. Truth is what we base our reality on, and we have to agree on that to have a civil society,” Scarlett Lewis, whose son Jesse, 6, was among the 20 first graders and six educators killed in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., told Mr. Jones from the witness stand.
Mr. Jones has questioned the events at Sandy Hook, but “you know that’s not true,” she said, staring at him while he fidgeted at the defense table. “When you say those things, there’s a fringe of society that believe you that are actually dangerous.”
It was a remarkable moment in the long-running legal battles between the Sandy Hook families and the Infowars fabulist, who for years broadcast lies that the shooting was a government hoax and that the families were “actors” in the plot. Mr. Jones, who has regularly berated the families on the air, has rarely appeared in the same room as them, even as he has been found liable in a series of defamation suits brought by the families of 10 victims.
The trial involving Ms. Lewis and Neil Heslin, Jesse’s father, is the first of three in which juries will decide how much Mr. Jones must pay for defaming the families. Mr. Jones has mostly avoided showing up in court. But through an accident of scheduling as he prepared to testify in his defense of him, he wound up face-to-face with Ms. Lewis, who addressed him personally throughout her testimony of her.
The Sandy Hook School Massacre
Cards 1 of 5
A devastating attack. On Dec. 14, 2012, a 20-year-old gunman killed his mother and then walked into the elementary school armed with semiautomatic pistols and a semiautomatic rifle. He killed 26 people there, 20 of them children, before killing himself.
The push for gun control. Then-President Barack Obama vowed to “use whatever power this office holds” to stop such massacres from happening again. Though legislative efforts to pass a ban on assault weapons and expand background checks failed, a new wave of activism focused on gun control gained traction following the shooting.
“Alex, I want you to hear this,” Ms. Lewis said, fixing him in her gaze. “We’re more polarized than ever as a country. Some of that is because of you.” Mr. Jones nervously shook his head.
The Sandy Hook families have suffered years of torment and threats after Mr. Jones, beginning hours after the shooting, deemed Sandy Hook a “false flag” operation planned by the government as a pretext for confiscating Americans’ firearms.
Business records released during the proceedings indicate Mr. Jones has reaped more than $50 million annually selling diet supplements, gun paraphernalia, body armor and doomsday prepper gear by hawking conspiracy theories to millions listening to his radio and online show. Jesse Lewis’s parents are requesting $150 million in compensatory damages. More important than money, Ms. Lewis said on Tuesday, “I hope to accomplish an era of truth.”
At the heart of the trial, which is set to conclude this week, is a June 2017 episode of NBC’s “Sunday Night With Megyn Kelly,” in which Ms. Kelly profiled Mr. Jones. In the broadcast, Mr. Heslin protested Mr. Jones’s denial of the shooting. He recalled his last moments of him with Jesse, saying, “I held my son with a bullet hole through his head of him.” Afterward, Mr. Jones and a sidekick, Owen Shroyer, implied on Infowars that Mr. Heslin was lying.
Mr. Heslin testified first on Tuesday. In a low voice and pausing frequently to weep, he described his son de él as an energetic boy with a booming voice, who liked to team up with his father to collect scrap metal and recyclables that he returned for spending money. When the gunman entered Jesse’s classroom, he shouted “Run!” during a pause in the shooting. Nine children ran, and survived.
Mr. Heslin said conspiracy theorists had tried to contact him by phone, confronted and shoved him on the street. Someone fired a gun into his house and car from him. This spring, he said, someone drove past his house and shouted “Alex Jones!” and he heard the sound of gunfire.
Glancing at Mr. Jones’s empty seat at the defense table, Mr. Heslin called his absence “a cowardly act.”
“The statements and the remarks made by both Infowars and Alex Jones have tarnished Jesse’s legacy,” he added.
While Mr. Heslin was testifying, Mr. Jones was across town broadcasting his show. After watching Mr. Heslin’s testimony on a courtroom YouTube feed, he called the grieving father “slow,” and “manipulated by some very bad people.”
An hour later, Mr. Jones turned up in court flanked by his spouse and a cadre of bodyguards. Ms. Lewis, who had seen the broadcast maligning Mr. Heslin during a break in her testimony from her, was waiting for him.
“I’ve had a hard time finding words today. It makes me feel astounded, in a bad way,” she told Mr. Jones. “Horrible. Horrific. Horrifying.”
Mr. Jones testified after Ms. Lewis, saying that he had repeatedly tried to apologize.
Judge Maya Guerra Gamble of Travis County District Court admonished him later for lying under oath in parts of his testimony. Mr. Jones had told the jury he is “bankrupt,” even though his bankruptcy filing has yet to be adjudicated and the families’ lawyers say it is a tactic to avoid upcoming trials. He also claimed that he had complied with court orders in the defamation suits, when in fact his years long failure to submit documents and testimony was the reason he lost all of them.
“You’re under oath. That means things must actually be true when you say them,” Judge Guerra Gamble told Mr. Jones. He tried to interject, but she stopped him: “Don’t talk.”
After the judge left the courtroom, Mr. Jones approached Mr. Heslin and Ms. Lewis and shook their hands. Their lawyers hustled them away, and Mr. Jones exploded in anger, claiming the parents were being “controlled.”
Perth Airport is in chaos after desperately trying to recover from a total blackout because of the severe storms crossing the State.
Flights were up and running but there was a huge backlog with passengers attempting to get through security.
Hundreds of people in high-vis were at Terminal 2 as regional flights were taking off. The line to get through to security was almost out the door as people raced to make their flight on time.
Terminal 1 was less chaotic, almost a ghost town in comparison, as several flights were still cancelled.
An airport spokeswoman said the terminals were “fully operational” as of 10pm last night but the flow-on effects of the impact could still be felt.
Perth Airport has announced a thorough review of its backup power systems in light of the power disruption.
While the backup power for the critical runways switched on, terminals were thrown into disarray chaos as backup power failed to come on.
Chief executive Kevin Brown said the review would start immediately to understand why parts of the back-up generation system did not deploy.
“We apologize for the inconvenience the power outage caused to passengers and we thank them for their patience and understanding that we were dealing with a unique and challenging weather event,” he said.
“The back-up generation system for critical safety systems such as the runway lighting worked as intended, meaning that aircraft could continue to land safely throughout the event.
“Other parts of the back-up generation system that provide power to the terminals did not work as intended.
“We need to understand why that happened.
Perth Airport has experienced a major power outage. Justin Benson Cooper Credit: Justin Benson Cooper/The West Australian
Thousands of passengers were disrupted overnight with dozens of flights delayed or cancelled.
The airport told its passengers to go home and declared all flights were canceled due to power outages “out of their control”, but by 8pm on Tuesday, changed its mind.
“With critical services back online, Perth Airport is now able to process some passengers through the outbound security processes,” a statement said.
“However it will take some time to clear the backlog of delayed services.”
By 10pm, the airport said it was working to activate its systems across its terminals in order to become fully-operational following delays and cancellations across the airline networks.
Passengers were warned some airlines could still decide to cancel and reschedule flights. “We ask passengers for their continued patience as our team and our airline partners work to get flights underway,” the airport said.
Travelers were left sitting in the dark with only torches to light their way.
Severe storms hitting Perth shut all the power down at the airport in what some experienced staff have never seen before.
Disgruntled passengers battled with freshly unloaded luggage as torrential wind and rain pelted them as they left the airport to board taxis.
Perth Airport announced the news about 5.15pm, warning that a power outage would result in lengthy delays for the next two hours.
The airport apologized to passengers, some of whom are understood to be stranded at other airports because they’re unable to land in Perth.
Perth Airport has experienced a major power outage. Picture are Angela and Han Nguyen Justin Benson-Cooper Credit: Justin Benson Cooper/The West Australian
“The safety of everyone who works in or is traveling through our airport remains our highest priority,” the airport said.
“We apologize to our passengers and customers for any inconvenience.”
Perth Airport said the decision to cancel flights earlier in the evening was made based on the advice of Western Power.
“Perth Airport has made the decision to delay all outbound services currently scheduled to depart before 7.30pm,” the statement said.
“All enroute inbound flights will be able to arrive safely. All scheduled flights into Perth which have not yet departed will be delayed until further notice.”
Hundreds of people were still crowding around baggage carousels at 7.30pm waiting for luggage to be unloaded from aircrafts.
Passengers in the Qantas terminal were reminded to stay patient while a “technical issue” prevented people from rebooking flights, as staff handed out water and chips to affected travellers.
A team in Sydney is currently working to “uncheck” passengers so flights can be rebooked. “Please be patient and go home, rebook from home as I’ve been advised delays could take up to another two hours,” staff announced.
Qantas Passengers Angela and Han Nguyen hoped to be on a flight to Sydney for a three-day work event.
Ms Nguyen, who is pregnant, said at about 3pm they were aware of flight delays.
Perth Airport has experienced a major power outage. Justin Benson Cooper Credit: Justin Benson Cooper/The West Australian
“We were Sitting in the lounge upstairs getting notifications from staff that it was out of their control and they had no idea what was happening,” she said.
“Staff working for 20 years told us they’d seen nothing like this.”
While “disappointed”, the couple said they were glad they could return to their Attadale home.
The lights came back on shortly before 7pm.
Passengers were told to leave as soon as their bags were collected and Perth visitors were told to find their own accommodation. Car park shelters were packed, as people waited to be picked up by transport services.
Melbourne woman Caren Vidler said she had no idea what to do as she frantically tried to find a bed for the night.
She was on her way to London when she was stopped at immigration and told her flight was cancelled.
“I’m going to watch some friends, who are divers, compete in the Commonwealth Games,” she said.
“I’ll be gutted if I can’t watch them, this was the whole purpose of my trip.”
“I’ve never experienced this before, I don’t know anyone in Perth…I’m going to need a bed for the night.”
Western Power says emergency crews are working hard in difficult conditions to restore power across Perth.
“Damaging and destructive winds associated with the front have thrown debris, including tree branches, into the network, damaging equipment and bringing down powerlines,” a spokesperson said.
“Our priority during the storm is responding to reported hazards to ensure the safety of the community and our crews.
A power outage has delayed flights at Perth Airport. Credit: Lincoln Baker/The West Australian
“Our network operations team is working to isolate damaged parts of the network and back feed where possible to restore power where it is safe to do so.”
It comes as Perth braces for more damaging winds set to smash the State after thousands were left without power and properties damaged overnight.
On Tuesday night, 11,000 homes in Perth and the South West remained without power.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for Goldfields, Eucla, Lower West, South West, South Coastal, South East Coastal, Great Southern, Central Wheat Belt and parts of Gascoyne, South Interior and Central West districts.
A strong wind warning is also in place for Melville Waters and the Gascoyne Coast.
These winds are forecast to continue through to dawn on Wednesday and the Bureau has warned that wind likes may cause damage to homes and property, particularly along the coast and nearby inland, becoming more isolated further inland.
SK hynix is joining Samsung and Micron by announcing CXL memory expansion. The SK hynix CXL 2.0 Memory Expansion modules bring RAM to EDSFF for next-generation servers. This will be a big deal as DDR5 moves to PCIe Gen5 channels.
SK hynix CXL 2.0 Memory Expansion Modules Launched
SK hynix showed the “current composition of local DDR5”. What is fun about this is that the company is showing 96GB DDR5 DIMMs. Current DDR4 capacities are 64GB and 128GB, so that is one change being shown in this image. The other is that we get 260-320GB/s of memory bandwidth on 30-40GB/s per channel. The capacity and bandwidth align with 8-channel memory, so this seems to assume an Intel Sapphire Rapids Xeon, not a full 12-channel Genoa system.
SK Hynix DDR5 Without CXL 2.0 Memory Expansion
SK hynix is showing EDSFF modules and saying that each can increase both the total amount of bandwidth and the total capacity with 96GB CXL 2.0 memory modules.
SK Hynix CXL 2.0 Memory Expansion With DDR5
CXL 2.0 is also where we see single level CXL switching come into play, so these are important products. You can learn more about CXL in Compute Express Link or CXL What it is and Examples plus the taco primer:
If you want to learn more about the EDSFF E3.S form factor that SK hynix is using, we have a primer on EDSFF as well:
The new CXL memory modules are clearly being designed for the next generation (or two) of servers.
End Words
While the company is showing 96GB modules at this point, given that Samsung Launched a 512GB CXL Memory Module we expect the line to have different capacity points.
SK Hynix CXL 2.0 Memory Expansion Closed
Still, adding memory into the same EDSFF slots that will hold SSDs in the future is going to be one of the biggest changes coming to servers. Vendors will still offer legacy 2.5″ servers, but many are going to want to EDSFF systems just to have the flexibility to add this type of memory expansion solution rather than just SSDs into slots. CXL will change servers forever, especially as we move to the CXL 3.0 generation.
Australia is well ahead in the medal tally on day five of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
It was another strong day of competition, with Australia winning 35 medals across multiple events. Here is the medal tally for Australia’s athletes so far:
Gold: 42
Silver: 32
Bronze: 32
Total: 106
You can check out how the latest batch of medals were won in our Commonwealth Games blog, or have a look at the medal winners and the top 10 medal standings by country below:
Day five:
Gold:
Kaylee McKeown, Zac Stubblety-Cook, Matthew Temple and Emma McKeon, swimming, mixed 4X100 medley
Two property academics have warned that Australian renters could be forced out of their homes if more is not done to help improve housing affordability.
Rising interest rates and the climbing cost-of-living has the housing experts from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology concerned that without government intervention, more renters will end up homeless.
“The plight of renters looks set to worsen as the knock-on effects of rising interest rates filter through to renters and combine with cost-of-living pressures,” Senior Research Fellow Dr Megan Nethercote said.
The academics are worried renters will have to move out of their home. (Supplied / Domain)
“With almost half of renters on rental assistance already in rental stress, the risk of some renters falling into homelessness is real and high.”
She said rising costs would likely mean some renters would lose their homes as landlords sold the properties.
Research Fellow Dr. Louise Dorignon added that rent prices being increased could force others, particularly those in private rentals, out of their homes.
The experts have pushed for stronger national leadership on how rental properties are built and operated.
“Renters deserve homes that are affordable, provide adequate security of tenure, are well-maintained and have appropriate provisions for tenant representation,” Dr Nethercote said.
She said meeting the needs of renters warranted “serious deliberation within a new national housing agenda.”
Rent prices are set to increase as landlords pass on their rising costs. (9News)
Dr Nethercote said purpose-built rental accommodation could help the situation by increasing the number of rentals, while Dr Dorignon has suggested that rental properties need to be constructed better to help renters keep their costs down.
“It is also often the same households who lack the funds to thermally improve their homes to reduce their electricity and gas bills,” she said.
“Better designing and building homes so they are affordable, durable, and energy-efficient could help alleviating the risk of rental affordability stress in the future.”
“The apartment stock does not provide sufficient quality to meet the needs of current and future households.
“We need to transition to alternative and innovative modes of housing production, such as using less carbon-intensive materials, which would create more liveable apartment homes and in the long term, more affordable ones for households.”
Fire at idyllic holiday resort leaves more than 50 dead
