Sony has updated the price of Marvel’sSpider-Man Remastered on the Steam Store due to what it’s calling “incorrect pricing.”
The game was originally listed at $109.95, at a price well above the median for new release titles on the platform. This did not escape the notice of local players, or even our illustrious former editor for that matter.
At $AU109.95, the PC version of Spider-Man Remastered was selling for 30% more on the Australian Steam Store than in the US (excluding trading costs and Forex fees). In the States, it’s available for preorder at $US59.99 (or about $AU77).
Yesterday, Sony updated the game’s Steam page, dropping the price by $15, down to $94.95, and provided a rationale for the price drop.
According to Sony’s post, the game was priced incorrectly in several markets. This included not only Australia, but also Israel, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Switzerland, and the UK.
if you did preorder Spider-Man Remastered on PC via the Steam Store at the old price, Sony advises canceling your pre-order, which will trigger a full refund. You can then pre-purchase the game again via the Steam Store at the new, cheaper price. As long as you do this before the game launches on August 12, you’ll still get a handful of preorder goodies.
At the time of writing, the version of Spider-Man Remastered on the Epic Games Store is still available for preorder at $109.95.
Kotaku Australia has reached out to PlayStation AU for comment on the price change, and clarification on the Epic Games Store pricing. We’ll update this piece as soon as we hear back.
Fans have waited a long time for Spidey to make the leap to a platform outside the PlayStation ecosystem. With a bit over a week to go, that long wait is almost over. Insomniac Games remains at work on Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and new title Marvel’s Wolverines for the PlayStation 5.
English actor Dev Patel successfully broke up a fight outside a convenience store in South Australia in which a man was stabbed in the chest.
Representatives confirmed Patel – who has starred in films including Slumdog Millionaire, Lion and The Green Knight – and his friends witnessed “a violent altercation that was already in progress outside a convenience store”.
In a statement given to Variety, they said: “Dev acted on his natural instinct to try and de-escalate the situation and break up the fight.”
English actor Dev Patel has witnessed a stabbing in Adelaide’s CBD which left a man hospitalized.
The Slumdog Millionaire and Lion actor was questioned by police after the incident on Gouger Street last night. pic.twitter.com/nnsTZuvwrS
— 10 News First Adelaide (@10NewsFirstAdl) August 2, 2022
“The group was thankfully successful in doing so and they remained on site to ensure that the police and eventually the ambulance arrived.”
South Australia police confirmed that a woman has been arrested after an incident in the Adelaide city center where she allegedly stabbed a man in the chest.
In a statement, police said: “About 8.45pm on Monday 1 August, police were called to Gouger Street after reports of a man and woman fighting in the street. The couple continued fighting inside a nearby service station where witnesses attempted to break up the fight.”
“The pair are known to each other, and this is not a random incident.”
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“A 32-year-old man from Glengowrie was treated at the scene by ambulance officers before being taken to the Royal Adelaide hospital. His injuries to him are not considered life threatening.”
“A 34-year-old woman from Park Holme was charged with an aggravated assault causing harm.”
The woman has been refused bail and appeared in the Adelaide magistrates court Tuesday, according to police.
Patel’s team made a statement about the incident.
“There are no heroes in this situation and sadly this specific incident highlights a larger systemic issue of marginalized members of society not being treated with the dignity and respect they deserve,” the statement said.
“The hope is that the same level of media attention this story is receiving (solely because Dev, as a famous person, was involved) can be a catalyst for lawmakers to be compassionate in determining long-term solutions to help not only the individuals who were involved but the community at large,” it concluded.
Patel was staying in Adelaide, the home of his girlfriend, Tilda Cobham-Hervey.
The two met filming Hotel Mumbai, after Cobham-Hervey stepped in as the female lead when Teresa Palmer pulled out due to her pregnancy.
Oscar Piastri’s public rejection of a Formula 1 race deal with Alpine is likely to be very bad news for Daniel Ricciardo, whose days at McLaren seem numbered.
Just hours after Alpine announced that Piastri would drive for the team in 2023, a release that pointedly did not include any quotes from the 21-year-old, the Australian went nuclear.
“I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year,” he said.
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“This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.”
Such a public repudiation of Alpine, the team that has funded much of his career to date, suggests the Piastri camp feel they are on very solid ground in terms of a drive with another team for next season.
That team, according to all reports, is McLaren. And there isn’t a room at the inn for both Piastri and Ricciardo.
Ricciardo has a contract for 2023, and recently stated publicly that he intended to honor it, a statement he made on social media without an involvement from the team, which might prove to be significant.
Daniel Ricciardo driving for McLaren during Miami Grand Prix qualifying. (Wilfredo Lee/AP)
But Piastri isn’t a complete stranger to the Woking-based team, having driven their simulator at least twice already this year in his role as one of the team’s reserve drivers. He came within 24 hours of making his F1 debut for McLaren in Monaco, when he was placed on standby as regular driver Lando Norris battled tonsillitis.
Should Piastri join Norris at McLaren, there’s two ways it could play out for Ricciardo.
Piastri’s signing could be being orchestrated with the full knowledge of his fellow Australian, who would then accept a payout to drive elsewhere in 2023, either in F1 or even the IndyCar series, bringing to an end what’s been a miserable two seasons with the team, his Monza won notwithstanding.
The other option is far less palatable. It’s possible Ricciardo is simply being forced out of the team against his will by him, in which case it’s likely to be a case of lawyers at 10 peaces.
A similar situation occurred in 1991 with another highly-touted rookie, when Michael Schumacher moved from Jordan to Benetton in a very messy deal that left team owner Eddie Jordan furious. The man behind that move was then-Benetton boss Flavio Briatore, who happened to pop up at the recent Austrian Grand Prix.
Oscar Piastri has again been linked to Daniel Ricciardo’s seat at McLaren. (Getty)
Briatore manages Fernando Alonso, whose departure from Alpine created the opening for Piastri, and also looked after the career of Piastri’s manager, Mark Webber. It’s not out of the question that Briatore has had some influence in the proceedings of the last week, especially around the timing of Alonso’s departure from Alpine, which at face value has left the team in something of an awkward position.
Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer said that as late as Sunday evening he expected Alonso to re-sign, and only found out the world champion was leaving when Aston Martin put out a media release announcing his signing on Monday. That left Alpine floundering, with suggestions they missed a July 31 deadline to confirm a drive for Piastri, leaving the Australian free to go elsewhere.
Oscar Piastri in action for Alpine during a test session. (Getty)
Certainly, Alpine’s stance changed considerably in the space of a few hours. On Tuesday evening, Szafnauer said Piastri was the team’s “preferred option” to partner Esteban Ocon in 2023, but conceded that Webber wasn’t returning calls.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, Alpine then went on the front foot, announcing Piastri as one of the team’s drivers even though the driver himself claims nothing has been signed. Such a step from Alpine seems misplaced if its contract is as watertight as the team seems to believe.
What’s not out of the question is a straight swap between the two Australian drivers, with Piastri partnering Norris at McLaren and Ricciardo returning to Alpine, the team he walked out on to join McLaren.
Regardless, it’s looming as an expensive legal mess.
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Incredible exhausts: The worst crashes in motorsport history
As the Reserve Bank raises interest rates for the fourth time in four months, home loan borrowers are bracing for more repayment pain.
Key points:
Banks are offering big discounts to new home loan customers
The number of borrowers refinancing their home loans is at a record high
Borrowers are shying away from more expensive fixed-term mortgages
The official interest rate is now at its highest level in six years, at 1.85 per cent, up from a record low of 0.1 per cent at the start of May.
Some economists say the RBA is only halfway through its rate-hiking cycle, with the goal of reaching, or even exceeding, 3 per cent by the end of the year.
As the cost of money goes up, the big four banks have dramatically raised interest rates for existing customers with variable-rate loans, and more rate rises are expected.
RateCity said bank customers could expect to see an average variable rate of 4.61 per cent if today’s RBA rate rise was passed on in full.
It said the accumulated 1.75 per cent rise in borrowing costs that had occurred since early May would add an extra $472 a month to mortgage repayments for the typical borrower with a 25-year, $500,000 loan.
Borrowers with a $1 million mortgage would have to pay an extra $944 a month.
RateCity’s estimate of the cost of RBA rate rises on monthly mortgage repayments. (RateCity: Supplied)
Fixed rates are rising
The rates offered for new fixed-rate loans are rising noticeably.
It comes as new Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data show the proportion of new home loans being written with fixed rates has plunged to 9 per cent, down from the July 2021 peak of 46 per cent.
Sally Tindall, the research director at RateCity.com.au, said 90 lenders raised rates on fixed-term home loans last month before this latest increase.
“Fixed-rate hikes are coming thick and fast as the cost of funding continues to put pressure on the banks’ bottom line,” she said.
The financial comparison service Mozo said the fixed rates offered by some online lenders had already emerged to as high as 8 per cent.
As of Tuesday evening, no major bank had announced an interest rate increase in response to RBA’s latest rate hike.
But Macquarie Bank announced a range of different price responses.
It said it would increase its variable home loan reference rates by 0.5 per cent from 12 August.
It will decrease its fixed-home-loan interest rates by up to 0.75 per cent for new customers and existing variable-rate customers who want to fix their interest rate, from 5 August.
And it will increase the ongoing interest rate on its savings and everyday transaction accounts by 0.5 per cent, to 2.25 per cent, on balances up to $250,000.
Refinancing arises, demand for new loans weakens
As the higher cost of borrowing sees demand weakening for new home loans, more existing borrowers are refinancing to try to eke out lower interest rates from their banks’ competitors.
Mortgage broker Mortgage Choice said 42 per cent of borrowers who took out home loans in June were refinancing existing debt.
Discounts offered by banks for new borrowers saw refinancing jump 9.7 per cent in June to a record $12.7 billion.
Meanwhile, the value of new loan commitments being written each month remains near historically high levels, but it is clearly on the decline.
The ABS said the value of mortgage approvals fell by 4.4 per cent in June, on a seasonally adjusted basis, as the RBA’s rate hikes dampened appetite for borrowing.
The value of new loan commitments remains at an historically high level, but it is starting to fall away.(Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics)
“The value of new owner-occupier loan commitments fell 3.3 per cent in June 2022, while new investor loan commitments fell 6.3 per cent,” Katherine Keenan, ABS head of finance and wealth, said.
“These falls followed rises in May, attributed to a clearing of application processing backlogs by lenders.”
Discounts offered for lower-risk borrowers
Research from financial comparison website Canstar shows almost one in two lenders are offering loans with slightly lower rates to borrowers with large deposits.
It says for borrowers with a 40 per cent deposit or the equivalent equity in their property, 49 per cent of lenders on its comparison site are offering interest rates that are on average 0.21 per cent below the rate being paid by borrowers with a half deposit that size.
Canstar financial analyst Steve Mickenbecker said as the economic outlook became more uncertain, lenders were competing harder for lower-risk borrowers.
“Property prices are widely expected to fall by 10 per cent to 20 per cent,” he said.
“Lenders are looking for loans where there is a greater buffer for falls in property prices and almost half of them are rewarding these borrowers with lower interest rate offers,” he said.
“Having enjoyed strong house price increases over the last couple of years, borrowers who have been in their houses for several years now own a healthy share.
“There may be a strong case for borrowers in this position to open up a negotiation with their lenders for a rate reduction,” he said.
Late last month, ANZ reduced rates on new standard variable mortgages by up to 0.5 percentage points for borrowers with bigger deposits.
Ms Tindall told RN Breakfast that it paid for people to shop around, with 10 lenders cutting rates for new customers over the past three months.
“What we do know from all the data that comes through is that new customers, customers willing to switch to a different bank, often get the best deals,” she said.
“Why? Because banks discount rates for new customers, not loyal existing ones.”
A federal grand jury has subpoenaed former Trump White House counsel Pat Cipollone in his investigation into the Jan. 6 assault on the US Capitol and efforts to overturn the 2020 election, sources with direct knowledge of the matter told ABC News.
The sources told ABC News that attorneys for Cipollone — like they did with the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol — are expected to engage in negotiations around any appearance, while weighing concerns regarding potential claims of executive privilege.
The move to subpoena Cipollone signals an even more dramatic escalation in the Justice Department’s investigation of the Jan. 6 attack than previously known, following appearances by senior members of former Vice President Mike Pence’s staff before the grand jury two weeks ago.
Officials with the Justice Department declined to comment when contacted by ABC News.
A representative for Cipollone could not be reached for comment.
Last month, Cipollone spoke to the House Jan. 6 select committee for a lengthy closed-door interview, portions of which have been shown during two of the committee’s most recent public hearings.
Cipollone spoke to the committee on a number of topics, including how he wanted then-President Donald Trump to do more to quell the riot on the day of the attack, and how Cabinet secretaries contemplated convening a meeting to discuss Trump’s decision-making in the wake of the insurrection.
Pat Cipollone attends a briefing in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, March 29, 2020.
Patrick Semansky/AP, FILE
In videotaped testimony before the Jan. 6 committee, Cipollone made it clear that he wanted Trump to intervene sooner while the attack was underway.
“I was pretty clear there needed to be an immediate and forceful response, statement, public statement, that people need to leave the Capitol now,” Cipollone said.
Committee members also questioned Cipollone regarding discussions among members of Trump’s Cabinet about invoking the 25th Amendment to possibly remove Trump from office in advance of President Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Retail sales are 12 per cent higher over the year to June. Data due on Wednesday will show how much of the recent strength owes to higher prices rather than consumers buying more goods.
“There are some people who through COVID lost their job, lost their car, and ended up in a worse financial position,” Ms Timbrell said.
‘Helping spending stay a lot stronger’
“But there were also a lot of people who stayed home, got essentially a discount on their mortgages through low cash rates and ended up with more money than they would have had if COVID had never happened.
“That second group is helping spending stay a lot stronger than it would be under these cost of living pressures.”
Ms Timbrell said a pullback in spending was likely later in the year, at which point households would cut back on discretionary purchases such as cars and furniture.
“One thing we saw through COVID was lots of people purchasing cars and renovating their homes – those big things tend to be the first things to go,” she said.
“We’ve also seen a real increase in dining and takeaway spending. We’re seeing some real increases in clothing and fashion spending. These kinds of discretionary items also may have not as good of a time under a pullback in total spending.”
Lower economic growth
The slowdown in consumer spending will feed into lower economic growth, which the RBA is forecasting to average just 1.75 per cent over next year and 2024.
Surveyor Daniel Jung and solicitor Dominique Salvestrin are among the Australian families concerned about the effects of high inflation and rising interest rates.
“We’re making a conscious effort to cut back on dining out,” Ms Salvestrin said. “We’re eating more meals at home and doing extra food preparation.”
The couple just settled on their first home in Orange, NSW, and are worried prices will start to fall as interest rates rise.
The RBA raised rates multiple times during their settlement period and attempts to fix their home loan rate have faced delays.
“Because of interest rate rises, we are certainly more aware that any potential savings we would have at the end of the year will be significantly decreased than what we would have had otherwise,” Ms Salvestrin said.
“The effect of that on our budget is that we have less long-term financial security.”
The couple are “scrupulous” with how they manage their money. But they are also dealing with the extra costs associated with having a newborn child, Giustina.
“With a newborn, it’s quite important to keep the house warm, so with the increased costs of electricity and gas that will affect the budget as well,” Mr Jung said.
JPMorgan’s Bryan Raymond said there was not much evidence that higher interest rates and cost of living pressures had caused a slowdown in consumer spending. But the retail analyst expects households to start pulling back by the end of the year.
“If your view was the consumer is doing it really tough, you’d expect people to trade down into lower price, lower quality items, or buy less, but we aren’t seeing that yet,” he said.
Mr Raymond also expects a slowdown from the end of this year, with a through somewhere around March next year.
He expects the largest falls to be in housing-related categories such as furniture, electronics, hardware and clothes.
At Kotaku, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you’ll like it too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.
Seriously, where the f*** can you buy a PS5 in Australia? And when will more be available? We asked all the retailers so you don’t have to.
If you’re looking to grab some games or extras for your PS5, you can check out a few of our sale roundups:
Update 3/8: The most recent PS5 hardware drop was a new Grand Touring 7 bundle at EB Games.
Amazon Australia: PS5 Stock
Update 12/7: And they’re gone again. Amazon remains the most reliable drop site of late, so we’ll keep you in the loop if more come up. With Prime Day approaching, we expect further stock drops to come.
Sony Store Australia: PS5 Stock
Image: Sony Store
Update 3/17: And they’re gone. Drops on the Sony store are very infrequent, and typically sell out within literal minutes so be fast. Keep an eye on this page for future drops.
Target Australia: PS5 Stock
Image:Target
Update: 11/5: Target is currently out of stock, but if you bookmark that link, you’ll be ready for their next drop.
Big W: PS5 Stock
Image: Big W
Update 1/6:Stock is gone again. Head to the store page right over here for future drops.
EB Games: PS5 Stock
Image: EB Games / Kotaku Australia
Update 3/8: EB Games has dropped a new bundle with a copy of Grand Touring 7 for delivery in mid-August. If you missed out, keep a link to EB’s preorder page handy for future drops.
JB Hi-Fi: PS5 Stock
Update 7/3: With online orders still not available, your best shot with JB is to call up your local store and ask if you can be added to a pre-order list. Kotaku Australia readers have had success with that in the past; you can find all the phone numbers you need via the JB Store Finder page.
Good luck!
Vodafone
Following in Telstra’s steps, Vodafone announced they’re offering the disc version and Digital consoles through their Customer Care channel.
Vodafone’s page is taking registrations for people who want to add a PlayStation 5 to their existing Vodafone services. You need at least two eligible postpaid mobile, NBN or tablet services with Vodafone to qualify. There’s no saving (or gouging) on the price of the full-size console or the Digital edition, and you can choose to pay it off over 12, 24 or 36 months. It’ll cost $20.83/month on top of whatever you’re already paying Vodafone to get the disc based ps5and $16.67/month for the Digital Edition. You’ll have to call up 1300 728 637 to confirm eligibility and place an order, but there’s no guarantee right now on stock.
The Good Guys: PS5 Stock
Image: The Good Guys
Update 7/3: All out, unfortunately, but hopefully with other retailers getting supply The Good Guys will be able to re-open orders soon. Keep an eye on the store page here for when drops do come through.
The Gamesmen: PS5 Stock
Update: 3/23: All gone for now, but keep an eye out. You never know when The Gamesmen will come in clutch.
Harvey Norman/Domayne: PS5 Stock
Update 7/3: Harvey Norman’s stock is gone for now, and there’s no word on when it’ll be back. Keep an eye on Harvey’s stock page right over here.
Kogan
Update 7/3: There’s currently no stock at Kogan, and no PS5 landing page. Plenty of PS5 games, though.
Jamie Vardy has been pictured for the first time today behind the wheel of his £130,000 Bentley following the sensational Wagatha Christie verdict.
The Leicester City footballer, 35, was pictured looking glum in the front seat of his Bentley Bentayga Azure amid his wife Rebekah’s High Court defeat on Friday – as the couple face an expensive £3million legal bill.
The bombshell libel trial led to a dramatic showdown between two of English football’s most prolific strikers as Wayne Rooney and Jamie went on the attack in defense of their wives.
Former England teammates Wayne and Jamie were once described as ‘close friends on and off the field’ by former England manager Roy Hodson but all that was kicked into touch as the high-profile trial unfolded.
Wayne, 36 dutifully accompanied his wife Coleen for each day of the trial, dressed in sharp suits that matched her formal outfits and the two were photographed purposefully striding into the High Court as they put on a united front.
Jamie, on the other hand, only accompanied Rebekah once during the trial, ironically on the day when his former international colleague Wayne was giving evidence.
Meanwhile, Mrs Vardy could still appeal against the bombshell ruling as she declared herself ‘devastated’ and branded the decision ‘unjust’ and ‘wrong’.
Sources close to Rebekah said that ‘nothing has been ruled out’ and that lawyers were still ‘combing over’ the 75-page judgment as they searched for possible grounds to take Coleen back to court.
The 40-year-old’s reputation is in tatters after she scored one of the worst own goals in British legal history after a High Court judge dismissed her evidence as ‘evasive or implausible’ and said she had deliberately deleted WhatsApp messages central to the case. Her agent de ella was also told she had intentionally dropped her phone de ella in the North Sea.
Jamie Vardy (pictured) has been pictured for the first time today since the sensational Wagatha Christie verdict behind the wheel of his £130,000 Bentley
The Leicester City footballer, 35, was pictured looking glum in the front seat of his Bentley Bentayga Azure amid his wife Rebekah’s High Court defeat on Friday
Rebekah Vardy and her Leicester City footballer husband Jamie pictured together outside the High Court on May earlier this year
Mrs Vardy and her footballer husband have been left with a £3million legal bill after Mrs Justice Steyn ruled in favor of Mrs Rooney in a judgment that said swathes of her evidence given under oath had been ‘manifestly inconsistent’, ‘not credible’ and needed to be treated with ‘very considerable caution’.
Rebekah, who now risks losing a quarter of the £12million fortune she shares with her husband Jamie, said: ‘I am extremely sad and disappointed at the decision that the judge has reached. It is not the result that I had expected, nor believe it was just. I brought this action to vindicate my reputation and am devastated by the judge’s finding.
‘The judge accepted that publication of Coleen’s post was not in the ‘public interest’ and she also rejected her claim that I was the ‘Secret Wag’. But as for the rest of her judgement, she got it wrong and this is something I cannot accept’.
She added: ‘The case is over. I want to thank everyone who has supported me.’
It comes as Mrs Vardy returned to Instagram on Saturday and posted a picture of her walking away from a camera with the caption: ‘Peace out’ and showing a V-sign towards a camera.
The image shows Mrs Vardy wearing a black jacket with graffitied text reading ‘normal is boring’, along with blue denim shorts and black boots.
Mrs Vardy returned to Instagram on Saturday (pictured) and posted a picture of her walking away from a camera with the caption: ‘Peace out’ and showing a V-sign towards a camera
Rebekah Vardy and footballer husband Jamie (pictured leaving court at an earlier hearing) have been left with a £3m legal bill after Mrs Justice Steyn ruled in favor of Coleen Rooney
Coleen Rooney pictured arriving with husband Wayne to the High Court in London in May earlier this year
It comes as Vardy’s efforts to restore her reputation may include a documentary, a biography and two retail campaigns.
Sources close to Vardy hope a bidding war will break out among production companies, five of which are said to be interested, to create a documentary on the infamous case.
Bidders are expected to offer between £50,000 and £250,000 for her involvement, The Times reports.
Streaming giants Netflix, Amazon and Disney are already believed to be battling it out to broadcast Rooney’s side of the legal battle made by Lorton Entertainment – the same company responsible for the feature film on Wayne.
A source close to Coleen said she could be in line for ‘several million pounds’ for her participation.
Vardy’s Instagram post comes amid reports suggesting that Mrs Vardy has not ruled out a possible appeal despite legal experts claiming she has little hope of being successful and would be better off ‘retiring to a Scottish island’.
Vardy had sued over an accusation she had leaked details of her private life to the press. It came after Mrs Rooney had staged an elaborate sting operation to find out who she was passing on stories about her private life from Ella to The Sun.
Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy together in 2016. The WAGs have ended up in court in the libel trial of the year and Mrs Vardy’s reputation is in tatters after bringing the case and losing
The judge, Justice Karen Steyn, said in her ruling that Coleen had successfully proved her allegation was substantially true.
Mrs Vardy will have to pay her rival’s costs as well as her own, which sources in both camps say comes to between £2million and £3million.
The huge legal bill means the Vardys may be forced to sell their beloved Portuguese villa to cover the costs.
Mrs Vardy relentlessly pursued the case against her Wag rival Coleen Rooney for nearly three years after being accused of leaking private stories about Coleen and her family to The Sun newspaper.
The bombshell verdict from Court 13 of the High Court was handed down remotely online at noon by Mrs Justice Steyn just over two months after the hearing in May. Vardy’s failed libel suit has been branded the most ill-advised in history.
Mrs Vardy had insisted on a full trial in the glare of the international media – and lost.
Legal expert Mark Stephens dashed cold water on any ideas Mrs Vardy may have had in terms of an appeal and described her decision to go to court as ‘ill-advised’.
He told MailOnline: ‘She has got no hope whatsoever of appeal. The judge has made findings on the fact, in order to appeal she has to demonstrate that the judge has erred in law some way – and she has not.
Mrs Vardy will have to pay her rival’s costs as well as her own, which sources in both camps say comes to between £2million and £3million
‘This case was always ill-advised. If you go into a libel courtroom, the lawyers are paid to dissect you. They did it. They damaged both women reputationally.
‘Unfortunately for Vardy the stain will be very long lived. She will be better off retiring to a Scottish island and not saying much ever again.
‘An appeal is going to be throwing good money after bad and this is already an own-goal. What you don’t want is an own hattrick that makes a disaster out of a crisis.’
Media litigator Matthew Dando, a partner at Wiggin LLP, told MailOnline: ‘It is a devastating and damning judgment for Rebekah Vardy that leaves her credibility in tatters. It is hard to imagine a stronger judicial condemnation of her evidence.
‘It will do real damage to Rebekah Vardy’s finances too as she will have to pay Coleen Rooney’s legal costs as well as her own.
‘It is hard to imagine Rebekah Vardy emerging from this with anything less than a fatal wound to her character and credibility’.
The High Court found that Mrs Rooney’s social media post accusing her rival was ‘substantially true’ and that Mrs Vardy ‘knew of, condoned and was actively engaged’ in leaks to the media by her ex-agent Caroline Watt.
It was less than two days ago we thought Fernando Alonso had blown up the driver market. Little did we know how explosive the silly season was about to become.
When Alpine declined to immediately name Piastri as Alonso’s successor — the logical choice given the triple junior champion’s pedigree and standing inside the team — it was clear a twist was coming.
That twist was the manifestation of the long-running rumor that his Mark Webber-led management team was attempting to crowbar him into a seat at McLaren.
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Williams on loan had been shaping up as Piastri’s most likely destination in 2023 while Alpine held on to Alonso, but the backmarker with slim prospects was thought too likely to slow the Aussie’s already disrupted momentum.
Webber thus started lobbying McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl — who was his own team boss in his championship-winning World Endurance Championship campaign with Porsche — to replace the struggling Ricciardo.
Piastri’s social media protest that he “will not be driving for Alpine next year” can only be a sign that Webber is confident he’s got the job done.
But Piastri can claim a set of orange overalls only if F1’s other Aussie isn’t already in them. And so this latest — but not final — chapter of silly season shenanigans begs the question: what’s in store for Daniel Ricciardo?
MORE MOTORSPORTS
NO DEAL: Piastri denies he’ll race for Alpine next season, but Enstone hits back
REVEALED: How F1 star’s exit left team blindsided — and the big ‘question’ hanging over Aussie
ALONSO OUT: Why the two-time champion is moving to the second-worst team on the grid
Ricciardo pulls off epic double pass | 00:46
OPTION 1: STATUS QUO
The first alternative is what’s officially the case at the moment. With McLaren unwilling or unable to comment, with Alpine insisting Oscar Piastri will drive for Enstone next season and with Piastri himself not divulging what he expects to be doing next season, the official information is that Ricciardo and Lando Norris will drive for McLaren in 2023.
And that’s not just a matter of ignoring what’s being written between the lines of Piastri’s contract denial and Alpine’s slapdash press statement attempting to stake its claim on the young Aussie.
Ricciardo has a contract through to the end of next year, and reportedly the options to break it are entirely on his side of the ledger — a reminder of just how highly rated he was when he joined McLaren for last season.
Without termination triggers, McLaren would need Ricciardo to decide to walk away before it would have a vacancy to offer to his younger compatriot.
And we know what Ricciardo’s said about the prospect of wrapping up his deal early.
“I am committed to McLaren until the end of next year and am not walking away from the sport,” he
If he has to say in it, he’s going nowhere.
Of course that doesn’t preclude him from changing his mind in changed circumstances — more on that below.
It also doesn’t mean he can’t be paid out in full if McLaren wants to move him on.
But Woking would only undertake such a costly exercise if it were guaranteed Piastri’s services, which is also not a given.
Alpine is clearly attempting to lay claim to the 21-year-old despite his intention to drive elsewhere, and while its legal standing is unclear, there’d be precedent for him getting stuck with Enstone.
Jenson Button attempted to join Williams in 2005 despite BAR insisting it had the right to exercise an option on his contract to retain him. F1’s Contract Recognition Board — set up specifically to handle these sorts of situations — ruled in favor of BAR, keeping the Briton tied to the team.
So while all signs point towards Piastri taking up a seat at Woking, it’s never over until it’s over.
OPTION 2: RETURN TO ALPINE
But with McLaren apparently clear in its intention to switch Ricciardo out for a younger alternative, the eight-time race winner may admit the writing is on the wall and seek employment elsewhere.
Conveniently enough, in those circumstances the best available seat would be at Alpine.
Would it be embarrassing to return to the team he spurned after only one season racing there?
It all depends on perspective.
The Renault that Ricciardo left at the end of 2020 is a different team to that we know at Alpine now, and those changes are deeper than just the name. The old management has been cleaned out, replaced by Laurent Rossi at the top as CEO and Otmar Szafnauer as team principal, neither of whom would hold a grudge for his departure from him.
‘He f****** hit me’ – Dan & Stroll crash | 00:32
When Ricciardo decided he’d walk away, there was also considerable speculation that Renault was considering ending its Formula 1 project after progress up the field had proved substantially more difficult than hoped.
Instead it decided to change tack and brand it with the name of its specialty sports car business, and just this year the team said it was increasing its headcount to 900 staff, which is in line with the sport’s frontrunners after years of trying to tackle F1 on the cheap. It’s also investing considerably in capital works at the factory.
Combined those things address many of the reasons Ricciardo will have been tempted away from Enstone, and the team has proven since that it’s at a minimum not slipping backwards. The appeal of racing for McLaren has also obviously been substantially discoloured by his unhappy experience adapting to the car.
He’d also have the opportunity to rebuild his reputation, which was at stratospheric levels at the end of his tenure at Enstone, having built the car around him in a relatively short period of time.
And considering Alpine is ahead of McLaren in the constructors’ standings — admittedly in part because Ricciardo isn’t scoring as heavily as Norris — he’d technically be trading up.
OPTION 3: TAKE A PUNT ON A SMALLER TEAM
If returning to Alpine were too bitter a pill to swallow but Ricciardo definitely wanted to continue racing in Formula 1, there are several teams with openings for 2023.
Alfa Romeo is yet to re-sign Zhou Guanyu, Mick Schumacher is still uncommitted to Haas and neither Williams driver is signed up for next season, though Alex Albon reportedly has an option on his contract the team is poised to exercise.
Ricciardo: I’m not done with yet | 16:38
AlphaTauri is expected to recommit to Yuki Tsunoda once Red Bull finalises its new commercial terms with Honda after its overnight announcement of a renewed technical partnership.
Alfa Romeo is the most attractive given widespread speculation it’s close to agreeing to a sale to Audi, which will turn it into a works constructor. It’s also in decent shape as it is at the moment considering its low base in recent years and is on track for one of its most lucrative point scores ever.
It would also facilitate Zhou’s return to Alpine, which brought him through the junior categories alongside Piastri.
Haas is less likely despite rumors Schumacher is looking to move elsewhere on the grid given his low prospects of a Ferrari call-up. Williams, meanwhile, would be least attractive of all given it’s a long-term project. The team is reportedly in talks with reigning Formula E champion Nyck de Vries to replace Nicholas Latifi.
OPTION 4: REMOVE
The last option will be the most crushing to contemplate for fans of the forever likeable Aussie, but Ricciardo may decide to call time on his F1 career after 232 starts and at least eight wins and 32 podiums.
McLaren was supposed to be the team that delivered him back to the front of the grid and into title contention, but not only has he not been able to achieve the highs he managed at previous squads, but McLaren itself has failed to fulfill its competitive ambitions .
Even under new regulations the chasm between the frontrunners and the midfield remains wide. The prospects for upwards mobility among the teams is still limited.
And with all the leading teams committed to their drivers for the medium term, Ricciardo may decide it’s not worth continuing in the infinity of the midfield and turn his attention to other pursuits.
But can you really imagine Ricciardo, at just 33 years old and in what is conventionally regarded as the peak age for a driver, wrapping it up?
“The more people ask me [about retirement]I’m like, ‘F*** that, I want to stay longer!’,” he told RacingNews365 in May.
“What’s my shelf life? I still think there’s a good handful of years left in me competitively.
“It’s relative as well to competitiveness [and] desire.
“I think I’ve still got the desire in me for a good handful of years, results aside.”
Whether he gets that handful of years remains to be seen — and if he does, the significant matter of where he spends them is still unclear.
Investment NSW CEO Amy Brown has conceded Trade Minister Stuart Ayres’s input to the appointment of the New York trade posting carried “some weight”.
A parliamentary inquiry into the appointment of former deputy premier John Barilaro to the lucrative trade role has entered its fourth hearing just hours after Ayres resigned from cabinet.
Brown is facing questions for a second time.
Department secretary Amy Brown (right) during the inquiry into the appointment of John Barilaro as Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to the Americas, at NSW Parliament. Sydney, NSW. 2nd August, 2022. Photo: Kate Geraghty (Kate Geraghty)
In her opening statement, Brown said: “Any conversations I have with Minister Ayres were, therefore, influential on my decision. But, in my view, it did not amount to undue influence because, at all times, I felt the decision was mine.” , ultimately mine to make.”
Labor’s Daniel Mookhey later asked, “Surely the minister (Ayres) praising John Barilaro to you, after the applications have closed, would you have carried some weight with you?”
Brown also admitted Ayres wasn’t kept at “arms length” from the decision making and regularly sought his opinion.
“Objectively speaking, arm’s length is not a fair characterization of how the process was (done),” she said.
“A lot of it was actually initiated by me, because I felt the need that I had to keep checking, partly because of this gray area that we were in around public service.
“Broadly speaking, I wanted to make sure he (Ayres) was comfortable.”
The inquiry will continue for the remainder of Wednesday.
NSW Trade Minister Stuart Ayres resigns
It comes as Ayres today resigned from cabinet and his role as deputy Liberal leader, Premier Dominic Perrottet announced.
Ayres has faced intense scrutiny for any role he had in former deputy premier John Barilaro’s application for a high-profile trade envoy role to New York, and whether it was consistent with ministerial standards.
Ayres has consistently denied he breached any ministerial standards.
Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade, Tourism and Sport and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres has resigned. (Dominic Lorimer)
While he will remain an MP for Penrith, Ayres has stepped down as deputy leader of the NSW Liberals, as well as his ministerial roles (his portfolios included Enterprise, Investment and Trade; Tourism and Sport; and Western Sydney).
Perrottet said Ayres’ ministerial roles will be reassigned and announced in “due course.”
The premier said the independent review of Barilaro’s appointment had raised questions about Ayres’ contact with the recruitment process for the New York trade job.
“The draft review that I have seen, relating to those matters with respect to Mr Ayres, raises questions,” he said.
“It raises questions in respect to the ministerial code of conduct. I am the custodian as premier of the ministerial code of conduct.”
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has announced Trade Minister Stuart Ayres has resigned. (Nine)
“The issues in the review go directly to the engagement of Mr Ayres with a department secretary in respect to the recruitment process,” Perrottet said.
An investigation will now take place into whether Ayres breached the ministerial code of conduct. The premier said he would take action when that investigation is completed.
Ayres had been under fire for his handling of the former deputy premier’s appointment, following accusations he used discussions with NSW CEO Any Brown to promote Barilaro’s standing as a candidate.
He rejected that accusation, saying he was only receiving updates of the process.
Former NSW trade minister Stuart Ayres had been under intense scrutiny over the John Barilaro affair. (9News)
When asked directly by reporters whether Ayres had “lied” or “misled” him, Perrottet said he did not believe that was the case.
“What is important is, the information that comes to light is acted on, and that’s what I have done,” he said.
“I will make this very clear, Mr Ayers denies any wrongdoing at all. He denies any wrongdoing,” Perrottet said.
Perrottet stressed that Ayres had denied any wrongdoing.
Ayres became the second NSW cabinet minister to stand down this week after Perrottet sacked Fair Trading Minister Eleni Petinos on Sunday after allegations she bullied staff.
Political photo ops that captured the attention of punters on social media
Update 12/7: And they’re gone again. Amazon remains the most reliable drop site of late, so we’ll keep you in the loop if more come up. With Prime Day approaching, we expect further stock drops to come.
Update 7/3: With online orders still not available, your best shot with JB is to call up your local store and ask if you can be added to a pre-order list. Kotaku Australia readers have had success with that in the past; you can find all the phone numbers you need via the JB Store Finder page.
Update: 3/23: All gone for now, but keep an eye out. You never know when The Gamesmen will come in clutch.
Update 7/3: Harvey Norman’s stock is gone for now, and there’s no word on when it’ll be back. Keep an eye on Harvey’s stock page right over here.
