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Sports

Tiger Woods spurned offer in $800m range to join LIV Golf, Greg Norman says | Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods turned down an offer that Greg Norman says was in the region of $700m to $800m to take part in the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series.

During an appearance on Fox News with Tucker Carlson that aired Monday night, Norman confirmed what he told the Washington Post in a story two months ago. Norman told the Post in June the offer was “mind-blowingly enormous; we’re talking about high nine digits.”

Woods has been opposed to LIV Golf since late last year, and he delivered his strongest comments at the British Open when he said players who took the money funded by the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund had “turned their back” on the PGA Tour that made them famous.

When an offer was made to Woods it was not clear.

“That number was out there before I became CEO. So that number has been out there, yes,” Norman said in the Fox News interview, which took place Sunday at Trump National in Bedminster, New Jersey, where the third LIV Golf Invitational was held.

“And, look, Tiger is a needle-mover and of course you have to look at the best of the best,” Norman said. “So they had originally approached Tiger before I became CEO. So, yes, that number was somewhere in that neighborhood.”

Various reports out of the United Kingdom have said Phil Mickelson received a $200m signing bonus, while Dustin Johnson received $150m. The 48-man fields, which play 54 holes with no cut, offer $25m in prize money at each event. Norman announced a 14-tournament schedule for next year.

LIV Golf currently has only one player – Johnson at No 18 – from the top 20 in the world.

The source of the funding has led to sharp criticism of the series and the players who have enlisted because it is viewed as an attempt to distract attention from its human rights record and links to the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Asked why his rival tour has caused such an uproar among American golf fans, Norman responded plainly, “I don’t know.”

“I really don’t care,” Norman said. “I just love the game so much and I want to grow the game of golf and we at LIV see that opportunity not just for the men but for the women.”

The LIV Golf Invitational is off for a month during the FedEx Cup playoffs on the PGA Tour, returning over Labor Day weekend about an hour west of Boston, and then two weeks later plays in the Chicago suburbs.

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US

Man Charged in Fatal Stabbing During River Tubing Confrontation in Wisconsin

Man Charged in Fatal Stabbing During River Tubing Confrontation in Wisconsin

A 52-year-old Minnesota man was charged Monday with killing a teenager and stabbing four other people at a popular summer tubing spot in Wisconsin in a confrontation with a separate group that, according to the man, began as he searched the river for a lost phone.

The man, Nicolae Miu, of Prior Lake, Minn., was charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the Saturday killing of the teenager, identified by his family as 17-year-old Isaac Schuman of Stillwater, Minn. Mr. Miu also faces four charges of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, a felony, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday in the Circuit Court of St. Croix County, Wis.

The complaint described a bloody scene in which Mr. Miu “waved” a knife at a group of young people during a dispute on the Apple River, a tributary to the St. Croix River, that is frequented by tubers and campers who visit from nearby St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Mr. Miu — described in the complaint as “an older male” with gray hair, weighing approximately 250 pounds — was captured on video running toward a group shirtless and carrying a snorkel, according to the documents. In the video, the group can be heard telling him to “get away,” according to the documents.

According to interviews with witnesses and victims, Mr. Miu was “bothering a group of juveniles on their tubes.” Members of this group “were yelling for help from other individuals floating down the river nearby,” according to the documents.

Witnesses said that a group of people came and stood between Mr. Miu and the juveniles and told him to leave. They also said that he punched or slapped a woman in the second group who was confronting him. According to the witnesses, Mr. Miu was then punched by a man and fell into the river, documents say.

Mr. Miu then began “stabbing multiple individuals who were near him,” according to the complaint. They describe the knife as having a three-inch silver blade. After the stabbing, “there was enough blood in the river that the water turned a red tint in places,” court documents say.

The authorities have not released the names of the victims. The teenager was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital. The four other victims were in stable condition, the authorities said.

In an interview with the authorities, Mr. Miu claimed he was acting in self-defense, and that he had initially approached the group because he was looking for a lost phone and thought one of them might have found it.

In a statement, the teenager’s family described him as an honor roll student looking forward to his senior year at Stillwater High School. They said he had hoped to pursue a degree in electrical engineering, and in the last year, he had started a car and boat detailing business.

“Isaac entered every room with a big smile, infectiously positive aura, and lifted everyone around him up,” his family said in the statement. “He had an incredibly bright future ahead of him and we are all heartbroken and devastated.”

The injured were described as two men, ages 20 and 22, from Luck, Wis.; a woman, 24, from Burnsville, Minn.; and a 22-year-old man from Elk River, Minn., Sheriff Scott Knudson of the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Sunday.

On a GoFundMe page, Ryhley Mattison said that she was among those injured in the attack.

Credit…St. Croix County’s Sheriff’s Office

Deputies waded about 100 yards through waist-deep water to reach the victims, who were also assisted by others in the river and emergency medical workers, Sheriff Knudson said. Mr. Miu had left the scene and was taken into custody at an exit point for tubers, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Mr. Miu was with a group of friends, including his wife, Sondra Dee Miu, according to documents. She told the authorities that she and her husband de ella had arrived at the river around 10:45 am, and that at some point, he had left their group to try to find “a member of their parties’ phone that was lost.”

Ms. Miu told the authorities that while her husband was looking for the phone, a group of men got off their tubes and began to hit Mr. Miu, and that two members of her party had run toward Mr. Miu and the men who were fighting. Ms. Miu said that “all she heard was screaming” and that she did not see what happened, documents say.

She told the authorities that Mr. Miu had a knife in his pocket that was not very big. “Those guys grabbed it from him,” she said, adding that her husband de ella had told her that a group of people “were calling him a pedophile and attacked him.”

After the stabbing, he ran back upriver and entered the woods, according to the complaint. The authorities arrested him after receiving reports at about 4:45 pm that witnesses had spotted him, documents say.

Jeremiah Harrelson, a public defender who represented Mr. Miu at Monday’s hearing, said he could not comment further on the case as he was no longer representing him.

In an interview with Brandie Hart, a lieutenant with the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office, Mr. Miu said that he worked as a mechanical engineer, had bachelor’s degrees in engineering and mathematics, and that he had “never been in trouble with the law before.”

He said that his actions were an act of “self-defense” and that he had been looking for a lost cellphone which he believed was inside a “floater” — one of the bags provided to tubers to prevent valuables from sinking.

The group, he said, had insulted him for being in the water with his snorkel gear, calling him a “child molester.”

“They attacked me,” he told Lieutenant Hart, according to the complaint. “Everything happened so fast.”

A preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 12.

Vimal Patel contributed reporting.

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Technology

How Do Optus’ New Phone Plans Stack Up?

Optus Has Changed Its Postpaid Mobile Plans, Here’s How They Stack Up

At Gizmodo, 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.

Optus has refreshed its postpaid mobile phone plans, upping both prices and data allowances.

Optus’ SIM-only postpaid phone plans previously started at $45 per month with 20GB, but you’re now looking at $49 per month with 30GB. The $55 per month plan with 80GB is now $59 per month with 100GB. $65 per month previously got you 200GB, which has now become $69 per month with 220GB. And lastly, the $85 per month plan with 240GB is now an $89 per month plan with 360GB.

In addition, Optus has rejigged its Optus Plus Promo plan. It still comes with 500GB, but you’re now looking at $69 per month for your first six months, and $119 per month thereafter. This offer runs until August 4.

So how do these new plans compare to Telstra and Vodafone? Before we start, here’s the new core range of Optus SIM-only plans:

No contract SIM-only plans

Despite Optus’ plans now costing $4 per month more across the board, Telstra is still the most expensive option on a SIM-only plan.

Vodafone has the cheapest SIM-only plan out of the three, offering 40GB of data for $40 per month. On the other hand, you’re looking at $49 per month for 30GB on Optus, or $58 per month for 40GB on Telstra.

Stepping up, Vodafone gets you your best data for dollar option: you’ll pay $60 per month for 300GB. For comparison, Optus charges $59 for 100GB, or Telstra $68 for 180GB.

If you go over your allowance, all three providers offer unlimited data at capped speeds. On Telstra and Optus, you’ll get restricted to 1.5Mbps. Vodafone plan capped speeds vary between 2Mbps and 10Mbps, depending on how much your monthly spend is. The more expensive your bill, the faster your capped speeds are. Vodafone also has a truly unlimited plan currently available for $65 per month.

Optus plans with a phone

All telcos now sell phones the same way: you pick from one of their SIM-only plans, and then add on a handset. You’ll then pay it off over 12, 24 or 36 months, interest-free, at an overall cost that’s roughly equivalent to the outright price. Telstra doesn’t consistently offer 36-month repayments, but Optus and Vodafone do.

The similarity between how all three telcos now sell phones means pricing is a lot more predictable: you’re just taking the outright price of the phone and tacking it onto your chosen plan. However, a few other factors can alter this equation. We’ve seen telcos apply discounts to the outright price of a phone to make them a little cheaper, for example.

Here’s a look at how the cheapest options from the Big Three providers compare for some of the latest devices:

iPhone 13 (128GB)

iPhone 13 Pro (128GB)

Samsung Galaxy S22 (128GB)

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (128GB)

Google Pixel 6a plans (128GB)

Google Pixel 6 Pro (128GB)

OPPO Find X5 Pro (256GB)

International calls

Optus postpaid plans worth at least $59 per month (excluding handset repayments) include unlimited talk and text to 35 countries.

For comparison, Telstra’s Upfront mobile plans include unlimited SMS and MMS to all international numbers and 30 minutes of calls to any standard international number. If you want to make more than 30 minutes of international calls in a month, you’ll need to add on a $10 per month International Calling Pack.

Lastly, Vodafone postpaid plans start to get international calling inclusions from the $45 per month and up mark. These are typically broken down into Zone 1 and Zone 2 destinations. For example, Vodafone’s $50 per month plan includes 1,000 minutes to Zone 1 destinations and 100 minutes to Zone 2. All Vodafone postpaid plans include unlimited standard international SMS.

Additional features

On top of talk, text and data, plans from the Big Three all include a couple of extras.

Optus customers don’t have as many extras as they used to. While Optus Sport used to be a free inclusion on all Optus postpaid plans, Optus customers now get a discounted rate. Instead of paying $24.99 per month, you’ll pay $6.99 per month if you’ve got a postpaid mobile plan with Optus. Optus customers also get discounted tickets through Hoyts.

Telstra plans to get you discounted movie tickets from Event Cinemas and data-free access to Apple Music. You’ll need to join Telstra Plus if you want cheap movie tickets, however.

Joining Telstra Plus also earns 10 points for every dollar you spend on your monthly bill as part of a Frequent Flyer style rewards scheme. You can spend these points on selected gadgets or use the points discounts on devices. Telstra Plus is free to join.

Telstra customers are also currently eligible for a one-month free trial of Foxtel Now and a one-month free trial of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Vodafone doesn’t have much in terms of extras, but if you’ve got multiple postpaid plans on the same Vodafone account, you’ll save 5 per cent on your total bill for each plan after the first, up to a maximum of 20 per cent This includes SIM-only, mobile, tablet, and mobile broadband. Vodafone mobile customers can also get a discount on Vodafone 4G home internet, 5G home internet, and NBN plans.

What are my other options?

If you’re looking for a cheaper plan on the Optus network, these plans with at least 40GB start at $20 per month. The standout offer comes from Circles.Life where you can pay $25 per month for 50GB with the promo code FREEZE50. This pricing lasts for the life of your plan.

Alex Choros is Managing Editor at Whistle OutAustralia’s phone and internet comparison website.

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Sports

Heath Davis becomes first male New Zealand cricketer to come out as gay | New Zealand cricket team

Former New Zealand Test player Heath Davis has become the country’s first male international cricketer to publicly speak about being gay.

Davis, 50, played five Tests and 11 one-day internationals for the Black Caps between 1994 and 1997 and was known as an intimidating, if inconsistent, pace bowler.

Three decades after his Test debut, Davis publicly revealed his sexuality for the first time, in an episode of the documentary series Scratched: Aotearoa’s Lost Sporting Legends.

The first international male cricketer to come out publicly was the former England wicketkeeper Steven Davies in 2011.

It was during Davis’s first tour to England in 1994 when he started to really discover himself, he told The Spinoff, though he had told his mother at an early age he was gay.

“I went to a few bars and things privately, just to see what life was like. You’re on the other side of the world, no one’s going to know you,” he said. But he left that part of his life there. “There was a lot of that, keeping your personal life separate.”

He guessed some of his teammates knew he was gay before he told a couple of them in 1997 but he was never questioned about it. “I certainly wasn’t living a gay life, wasn’t part of the scene, didn’t have a partner. There was nothing to tie it to, if you know what I mean,” Davis said.

Davis entered his first gay relationship when he was 27 years old, while playing for Wellington, but he was reluctant to appear in public as a couple. When an offer of a contract came from Auckland, Davis saw an opportunity to move away from the city he did not feel comfortable being out in.

After the couple made the move to Auckland, Davis told his new team’s manager he was gay, which was passed on to his team members and “didn’t seem to be that big an issue”.

Davis is now on a new journey – one that exists in tension with his sexuality. “I’m living single, part of a group of other men as a Christian group.”

Heath Davis during his playing days.
Heath Davis during his playing days. Photograph: supplied by Heath Davis

An international study on homophobia in sport, released in May, revealed that New Zealand gay and bisexual men were the most likely to keep their sexuality secret in both youth and adult sports, with many saying they feared bullying from teammates and discrimination from coaches and officials .

More than half of all participants believed team sport is more homophobic than the rest of New Zealand society, while gay men were much more likely to believe this (69%) than anyone else.

Former Wellington Firebirds player, Stephen Mather, said Davis told him about his sexuality in 1997, when there were no other outwardly gay men playing first class cricket at that time.

“There were 80 or 90 men – so that doesn’t make a huge amount of sense on a probability scale,” Mather said in the video. “There was some pretty free thinking people in the cricket circles at that time but there were also some pretty old school attitudes as well.”

Homophobic attitudes in sport still very much exist, said Madeleine Chapman, The Spinoff’s editor and producer of the documentary series.

“But I do think that [Davis’s story] could potentially be an opening for other athletes to share parts of themselves if they’re comfortable with it,” Chapman said.

The responses have so far been very positive, she said. “I think other athletes, particularly young athletes being able to see that sort of honesty and vulnerability be warmly accepted by readers and viewers can only be encouraging.”

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US

Trump baffles GOP by endorsing ‘Eric’ in the Missouri Senate primary — a race with three Erics

Trump baffles GOP by endorsing 'Eric' in the Missouri Senate primary — a race with three Erics

Former President Donald Trump injected some last-minute confusion ahead of Missouri’s Senate primary on Tuesday by endorsing “ERIC” in a Monday night statement.

Eric who? Former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens? State Attorney General Eric Schmitt? Or maybe even little-known Eric McElroy?

“I trust the Great People of Missouri, on this one, to make up their own minds, much as they did when they gave me landslide victories in the 2016 and 2020 Elections, and I am therefore proud to announce that ERIC has my Complete and Full Endorsement!” Trump said in a statement after emphasizing voters “must send a MAGA Champion and True Warrior to the US Senate, someone who will fight for Border Security, Election Integrity, our Military and Great Veterans, together with having a powerful toughness on Crime and the Border .”

When reached for comment, Trump’s team did not provide any clarity, saying only that the “endorsement speaks for itself.”

Allies of Greitens and Schmitt separately argued that their candidate was the true recipient of the endorsement, or that the other guy wasn’t MAGA enough to win Trump’s approval.

One Trump adviser said the internal bickering demonstrated the former president’s enduring power and influence in the party.

“Instead of talking about Missouri, the Erics are debating what Trump’s endorsement means,” said the adviser. “Yes, it’s an epic troll.”

By not endorsing Greitens, though, Trump could have sealed his defeat.

“A Trump endorsement is a wild card Greitens needs. And if he doesn’t get it, it’s hard to see how he wins,” said John Lamping, a Republican and former state senator from Missouri.

Schmitt has led Greitens in most public polls, reaching about 30 percent support in the crowded GOP field, as Greitens tends to top out at 25 percent. Rep. Vicky Hartzler has statistically tied for second with Greitens in those surveys.

Greitens started to stumble after a withering assault of radio and TV ads from political committees financed by GOP establishment figures who savaged the former governor for his sex scandal, the domestic violence and a trade mission he took to China.

For months, Trump had considered endorsing Greitens but privately fretted to confidants that he was concerned about the sex scandal that helped drive Greitens from office in 2018. And he was troubled by allegations earlier this year from the former governor’s ex-wife that he physically abused her and their 3-year-old son. Greitens campaign manager Dylan Johnson at the time called the allegations “politically motivated” and “outright lies.”

Amid a recent lobbying campaign from Donald Trump Jr. and his fiancee Kimberly Guilfoyle — who co-chairs Greitens’ Senate campaign — some Trump-watchers started to believe the former president would give Greitens the nod.

But Schmitt also had Trump allies in his corner, namely former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was part of Trump’s defense team for his first impeachment trial.

Trump’s mood toward Schmitt’s campaign appeared to sour on Sunday when he grousing on his Truth Social website that Schmitt’s pollster, Jeff Roe, had released a survey of Missouri Republicans that failed to show Trump’s dominance in a hypothetical 2024 presidential primary, particularly against Florida Gov . Ron DeSantis. Trump won Missouri by more than 15 percentage points in 2020.

The winner of Tuesday’s Republican primary will face either former US Marine Lucas Kunce or Trudy Busch Valentine, heiress to the Busch family beer fortune, in November.

Meanwhile, independent John Wood, a Republican and a former investigator for the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot, said Monday that he has submitted enough signatures to qualify for the ballot in the general election.

Marc Caputo is a senior national political reporter for NBC News.

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Technology

Ferrari and Porsche unveil new GT3 challengers

Ferrari and Porsche unveil new GT3 challengers

The Ferrari 296 GT3

Ferrari and Porsche have unveiled their GT3 challengers for worldwide competition next year.

The Italian marque recently took the wraps of its new 296 GT3, while the German brand showcased its new 911 GT3 R.

Set to debut in the 2023 Rolex 24 At Daytona, the Ferrari 296 GT3 is the latest model of Ferrari’s two-seater, mid-rear-engine sports cars, with a six-cylinder engine.

Work on the 296 GT3 project began in 2020, with the first CFD simulations and simulator models.

Testing then moved into the wind tunnel to further define the car’s aerodynamics.

Following Maranello’s endurance testing, the first on-track shakedown came in April 2022.

Since then, the Scuderia has completed thousands of kilometers of testing, prior to the unveiling.

Meanwhile, Porsche showcased its new 911 GT3 R challenger to the public over the weekend at the 2022 24 Hours of Spa.

2023-Porsche-911-GT3-3-unveling-1

The new Porsche 911 GT3 R

Development began on the vehicle, which is based on the latest 992-generation 911, in 2019, and will be ready for competition in 2023.

Compared to its predecessor, the new 911 GT3 R features a larger engine producing up to 416 kW, with Porsche claiming it has a more constant aerodynamic performance, as well as optimized vehicle balance.

Priority was given to improving the drivability for professionals, gentleman drivers, as well as tapping larger performance reserves for different Balance of Performance (BoP) classifications.

Another focus was on streamlining the handling of the car for the teams, as well as reducing the running costs.

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Sports

Andrew McFadden to return to Warriors next season in new role

Andrew McFadden to return to Warriors next season in new role

Andrew McFadden will reunite with the Warriors next season.

Hagen-Hopkins/Getty Images

Andrew McFadden will reunite with the Warriors next season.

Andrew McFadden is coming back to the Warriors as the club’s general manager of recruitment, development and pathways.

McFadden, who was head coach of the Warriors between 2014 and 2016, before becoming an assistant to Stephen Kearney, has agreed to move back to New Zealand, replacing Craig Hodges.

Hodges moved into recruitment position at the end of last year, when Peter O’Sullivan left the club to move to the Dolphins.

However, Hodges wants to return to a coaching role in Australia, rather than have a managerial position.

READMORE:
* Warriors offer new contract to hooker Wayde Egan
* Stacey Jones returns to Warriors coaching staff as club appoints general manager
* Warriors assistant coach Tony Iro lands new recruitment job at the NRL club

After leaving the Warriors in 2018, McFadden returned to the Raiders, where he worked as an assistant coach to Ricky Stuart.

Craig Hodges wants to return to a coaching position in the NRL.

mma Steed / www.photosport.nz

Craig Hodges wants to return to a coaching position in the NRL.

In his new role, McFadden will be responsible for signing players to the club, choosing which ones stay and liaising with the coaches of all the teams at the Warriors, identifying and promoting the best ones through the club’s system.

McFadden will be meeting with incoming head coach Andrew Webster in Auckland as during his time as Warriors head coach, Webster was one of his assistant.

“Bringing Cappy and his family back to the Warriors is so exciting for us,” Warriors CEO Cameron George said.

“He has a great affinity with the club and with New Zealand. He’s driven now to step away from coaching at NRL level and step into the critical area of ​​recruitment, development and pathways.

“We’ve invested heavily in development and pathways while being based in Australia for the last three years and we have even bigger plans in this space with our full football operation coming back to New Zealand from next season.

“Part of his role will be to identify and mentor young coaches in our system.

“Cappy also has a relationship with Andrew Webster from the days when he was head coach here and Webby was an assistant coach.

”While George is looking forward to having McFadden back at the club, he paid tribute to the work Hodges has done at the Warriors.

“Craig started with us an assistant coach and then stepped into the role of general manager football,” he said.

“He has wonderful qualities and has made a fantastic contribution but he still has a strong desire to coach so unfortunately, with no position here, he is looking for opportunities in Australia.”

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US

US sending $550 million in military aid to Ukraine, including HIMARS ammunition

US sending $550 million in military aid to Ukraine, including HIMARS ammunition

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

US officials another announced $550 million in military aid will be sent to Ukraine, including 75,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition and additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).

Four more HIMARS, which have a longer range and are more precise than older artillery Soviet-era rocket systems, arrived in Ukraine on Monday morning.

“We have proven to be smart operators of this weapon,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov tweeted Monday morning.

Ukrainian forces have used the weapons system to destroy at least 50 Russian ammunition depots since June, Reznikov said previously.

CHILDREN TRAUMATIZED BY WAR IN UKRAINE FIND MENTORS FROM UNEXPECTED PLACES

In late July, Ukrainians used HIMARS to damage the Antonovsky Bridge, a key crossing that connects Russian forces in the occupied Kherson region to the Crimean peninsula.

FILE PHOTO: In this May 23, 2011, file photo a launch truck fires the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) produced by Lockheed Martin during combat training in the high desert of the Yakima Training Center, Wash.

FILE PHOTO: In this May 23, 2011, file photo a launch truck fires the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) produced by Lockheed Martin during combat training in the high desert of the Yakima Training Center, Wash.
(Tony Overman/The Olympian via AP)

“[The Ukrainians are] spending a lot of time striking targets like ammunition supplies, other logistical supplies, command-and-control,” a senior US military official said on a background call with reporters last month.

“All those things have a direct impact on the ability to conduct operations on the front line. So I would say yes, although they’re not shooting the HIMARS at the front lines, they’re having a very, very significant effect on that .”

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The Biden administration has sent more than $8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded, including anti-tank Javelin missiles, anti-aircraft Stinger missiles, drones, and thousands of small arms.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Paul Best is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @KincaidBest.

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Technology

Here Are 6 Smartwatch Alternatives if You Don’t Want an Apple Watch

6 of the Best Smartwatches That Weren’t Made by Apple

At Gizmodo, 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.

You’ve got to give it to Apple, they know how to keep you locked into the family. While they have fostered a loyal fanbase of iPhone users, those who have yet to convert are less likely to thanks to the brand’s aggressive exclusivity. Yes, we’re referring to the fact that the Apple Watch is only compatible with an iPhone.

So, if you need some smartwatch alternatives – because we can’t all just trade-up to an iPhone when we think we want an Apple Watch – then you’ve come to the right place.

From FitBit to Garmin, we’ve rounded up a few Apple alternatives that will more than scratch that smartwatch itch.

This article has been updated since its original publication.

FitBit Versa 3

The fitbit versa 3 is a great smartwatch alternative
Image: FitBit

When you think FitBit you probably think “fitness tracker”, and while its smartwatch offerings do indeed include plenty of exercise tracking options, the Versa 3 is more than just a simple step counter.

It features a 1.59-inch AMOLED display, a range of color choices and it’s also water resistant to 50m for all those swimmers out there. It’ll take voice control via Amazon’s Alexa and can store music or control your Spotify playlists with ease.

If fitness is a key part of your smartwatch ambitions, this would be a cheap and alternative choice to the Apple Watch.

You can read Gizmodo’s full review of the Fitbit Versa 3 here.

Where to buy: Amazon ($199.95) | eBay ($299.99) | catch ($268.20)

Samsung Galaxy Watch4

The samsung galaxy watch 4 is a great smartwatch alternative to an apple watch
Image: Samsung

Samsung’s been in the smartwatch game longer than Apple, but it doesn’t limit its smartwatches to only working with its own-brand phones, with broad compatibility across all of its watches to date.

The Galaxy Watch4 integrates LTE into the mix so you can use it standalone or paired with a handset of your choice. It features Samsung’s newer digital bezel for extra control, and Samsung’s long history in the smartwatch space means that there are a wide array of apps that you can install to it – and an even wider array of watch faces too.

Check out Gizmodo’s review of the Galaxy Watch4 here.

Where to buy: Amazon ($357.98) | eBay ($348) | Samsung ($399)

Fossil Gen 6 Smartwatch

6 of the Best Smartwatches That Weren't Made by Apple
Image: Fossil

Fossil’s smartwatches combine the flexibility of Google’s WearOS with the style of traditional watches, which isn’t always a given when you’re talking about wearable computing.

The Gen 6 models are water resistant, with support for NFC payments thanks to GPay and in-built GPS, as well as the expected heart rate tracking and fitness monitoring features. If you’re after a smartwatch that doesn’t make it apparent you’re wearing anything but a classic watch, it’s a solid option.

Where to buy: Amazon ($499) | eBay ($499) | The ICONIC ($499)

Garmin Venu 2 Plus

Garmin Venu 2 Plus
Image: Garmin

Lots of people want smartwatches for even more nuanced fitness tracking, and that’s precisely the market that Garmin chases with its Venu range. The Venu 2 Plus features a 1.3-inch circular always-on display, multi-sport tracking, enhanced heart rate and onboard oxygen saturation detection, as well as sleep tracking features.

Where to buy: Amazon ($635) | eBay ($626.05) | The Good Guys ($699)

Suunto 5 Peak

SUUNTO 5 Peak smartwatch
Image: Suunto

If you want a smartwatch that caters more towards fitness tracking, you can’t go wrong with the Suunto 5 Peak. Compared to its predecessor, the Suunto 5 Peak is 41% lighter, offers up to 100 hours of battery life, in-sport music controls and extensive outdoor navigation.

Looks-wise, it’s so light on your wrist that you’ll almost forget it’s there. In fact, this alternative to the Apple Watch is also a firm choice if you don’t want to feel a persistent buzzing on your wrist aka you’re just sensitive to vibration. It offers very little disturbance to your everyday adventures, while ensuring it still doesn’t miss a beat.

If you want to know more, you can read this in-depth review by our friends at Lifehacker Australia.

Where to buy: Amazon ($349) | eBay ($339) | catch ($396)

AmazFit GTR 3

Amazfit GTR 3
Image: AmazFit

On the cheaper end of the smartwatch spectrum is AmazFit and some of its budget-friendly Apple Watch alternatives. For about $300, this smartwatch packs a powerful battery, claiming that it can last a whopping 21 days on a single charge.

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Editor’s note: Descriptions and features are as taken from manufacturer/seller claims on Amazon.

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NSW Sports Minister says moving NRL grand final from Sydney would be ‘extraordinary’ move

NSW Sports Minister says moving NRL grand final from Sydney would be 'extraordinary' move

NSW Sports Minister Stuart Ayres says it would be “extraordinary” for the NRL grand final to be moved from Sydney over a row about upgrades to suburban stadiums.

The NSW government’s decision to back out of plans to upgrade several suburban stadiums across Sydney put it at odds with Australian Rugby League Commission (ALRC) chair Peter V’landys.

Mr Ayres attributed the financial impact of the recent flood crisis for the decision not to proceed with funding the agreement.

Mr Ayres, speaking from the rebuilt Sydney Football Stadium on Tuesday, said the government had spent more than $1.5 billion on sporting infrastructure since 2014.

That figure includes the $828 million redevelopment at Moore Park, the $300 million CommBank Stadium at Parramatta and funds for ground upgrades and centers of excellence, he said.

He said projects such as those “massively benefits the NRL”, and he was sure the grand finale would stay in Sydney.

“I think if the NRL walked away from the home of its sport here in NSW, the state that the grand final has always been played in, with the exception of the COVID grand final from last year, that would be an extraordinary move,” Mr Ayres said.

“I’m very confident that the NRL will keep the grand finale here in NSW. They know it’s the right thing to do.”

Stuart Ayres looks to the sky with a grandstand behind him
Sport Minister Stuart Ayres says the government has made big commitments to stadiums in Sydney. (AAP: Bianca De Marchi)
A large blue and white grandstand with pristine grass before it
Allianz Stadium has been rebuilt at a cost of $828 million.(AAP: Bianca De Marchi)

Mr V’landys has lobbied the state government to pay for the upgrade of heartland grounds including at Manly, Leichhardt, Cronulla and Penrith.

It is understood Mr V’landys used the threat of moving the NRL’s decider interstate as a bargaining chip during a meeting with the government in April.

Asked when leaving that meeting if the grand finale would stay in Sydney, he said: “At this stage, yes.”

There has only been one year when the premiership was not settled in Sydney — that came in 2021 when the game was moved to Brisbane due to COVID-19 restrictions in NSW.

Mr Ayres today said the government would honor its commitment to build a new stadium in Penrith, his home electorate, as the development also formed part of its three cities plan for Sydney.

“We also know that we’ve always got limitations on what we can do,” he said.

“We are continuing our engagement with the NRL. We want to be able to upgrade suburban infrastructure but we want to be able to do that when the fiscal capacity of the state allows for it.”

The Australian Rugby League chairman speaks at an NRL media conference.
ARLC chairman Peter V’landys has pushed for investment in suburban grounds.(AAP: Joel Carrett)

The Minister said the government was facing huge costs associated with the recovery effort from NSW’s devastating floods, which ranged from the state’s north to Sydney.

He said a similar decision was made at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when a planned rebuild of Stadium Australia was shelved.

“We’ll continue to talk with the NRL about what we can afford to do. But we’ve got priorities and we’ve gotta make sure we stick to those,” Mr Ayres said.

“These are the tough decisions governments have to make.

“It just might mean that we have to wait a little bit longer before we can spend additional money on those venues.”

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