HMAS Arunta docks in #Perth to an excited crowd after nine months at sea

HMAS Arunta is welcomed home by a big crowd in Perth after a nine-month deployment to the Middle East.

Ashleigh Spencer had not seen her fiancé Brendon Davies since the day after he proposed nine months ago.

Today, she finally got to see him again after he spent a long stint as a Commanding Officer Secretary onboard HMAS Arunta. It had been deployed to the Middle East on counter-terrorism and maritime security operations.

Photo: Ashleigh Spencer and Brendon Davies are to be married in November. (ABC News: Eliza Laschon)

The Royal Australian Navy Anzac-class frigate, which had a company of 191 men and women onboard, arrived at a naval base in Rockingham today to be welcome by an excited crowd.

“I’m a bit of an OCD planner so it was kind of convenient that I had our wedding to plan,” Ms Spencer said.

“This is the first deployment that I’ve experienced in our relationship together, so there’s things you worry about when you see it on the news … there are times where you don’t get communication from them.

Source: HMAS Arunta docks in Perth to an excited crowd after nine months at sea – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Perisher Bus fire: 49 skiers escape injury | Video

DOZENS of skiers have escaped injury after the bus transporting them from a NSW ski resort burst into flames.

The bus was travelling along Kosciuszko Road between Perisher snowfield and Jindabyne about 4.30pm on Saturday when the 56-year-old driver noticed smoke coming from the vehicle’s engine.

VIDEO Below

The driver pulled over on the road near Wilsons Valley and helped the 49 passengers on board get out of the bus before it became engulfed by flames, police said.

A witness filmed the explosion and broadcast it on Facebook live.

The video shows thick smoke billowing from the vehicle as the fire spreads from the back of the bus.

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After about two minutes of filming, bright yellow and orange flames can be seen spilling out of each of the bus’s windows and leaping from its roof.

The woman, who was stuck in traffic held up by the incident, said it took about an hour for the fire brigade to attend but assured nobody had been injured.

In a statement sent to news.com.au, police said officers from the Monaro Local Area Command attended and transported the passengers to a nearby ski lodge.

Fire and Rescue NSW attended and extinguished the blaze, but the bus was completely destroyed, police said.

The cause of the blaze is being investigated.

Source: Perisher Bus fire: 49 skiers escape injury | Video

This presidency can’t be saved. It’s all downhill from here

All the scenarios are bad.

In light of news reports that President Trump’s team is scouring the record for conflicts of interest on special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s team (the essence of chutzpah) and contemplating pardons (of aides and/or himself), it is worth considering how this may all play out.

We offer several scenarios:

1. Trump orders Attorney General Jeff Sessions to fire Mueller. Sessions quits, as does Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein and Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand. Eventually someone agrees to fire Mueller. Republicans either will not pursue impeachment or are obliged to begin impeachment hearings but refuse to vote out articles of impeachment. In 2018, Democrats sweep to victory in the House and gain a seat or two in the Senate. Trump cannot be removed (two-thirds of the Senate is required for removal), but his presidency is in tatters. Some aides or ex-aides face criminal prosecution. LESSON: Republicans’ failure to stand up to Trump early dooms his presidency and crashes the GOP…

READ THE OTHER 4: This presidency can’t be saved. It’s all downhill from here. – The Washington Post

USS Ronald Reagan steams into Brisbane carrying 3000 sailors + 1500 air force personnel; CLIP

The huge USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier steams into Brisbane Port, carrying more than 3000 sailors and 1500 air force personnel #TenNews http://pic.twitter.com/o9z5GhdTsb

— TEN Eyewitness News (@channeltennews) July 23, 2017

#PERTH Sean Szalek wins, rolls ankle, pays tribute to mum

PERTH high jumper Sean Szalek received his gold medal on crutches and dedicated his emotional victory at the Commonwealth Youth Games to his mother just weeks into her recovery from successful cancer surgery.

It might have been 4am in Australia’s most western city but Michelle Szalek wasn’t going to miss the computer livestream or a single trackside update from husband Bo as their son made four faultless clearances in the Bahamas.

That precision secured gold at 2.11m but, cruelly, he rolled his left ankle badly on take-off with his bonus jump attempting a new personal best of 2.15m

Source: Aussie wins, rolls ankle, pays tribute to mum

Crane collapse kills 7, injures 2 in China

 

Seven people have been killed and two more injured when a crane leaned and collapsed on a construction site in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.

The crane collapsed late on Saturday at the construction site for the southern headquarters of the state-owned China Communications Construction Company Ltd., which builds infrastructure and provides urban development. The city’s Haizhu district says investigators are looking into how it happened.

The company could not be reached for comment on Sunday.

Work safety is a major concern in China where safety regulations are often ignored.

The district says the two injured are in stable condition.

Source: Crane collapse kills 7, injures 2 in China | Perth Now

Paige Spiranac deemed too sexy for the LPGA Tour

PAIGE SPIRANAC has been deemed too sexy for the LPGA Tour — as they bring in strict new dress code rules.

And Major winner Lexi Thompson has mocked the move in a hilarious Instagram post.

Social media star Paige is famed for her tantalising photos.

They show her wearing low cut tops and skimpy shorts as she biffs away drives and splashes some bunker shots.

Spiranac does not have a spot on the LPGA Tour but she recently spoke out about their decision to bring in new guidelines, which includes no leggings unless under a skirt or short and no jogging bottoms.

“As both an ambassador for golf and an advocate for the continued progress of women’s rights and equality in society, I fear that these new rules are stifling the growth of the women’s game,” she wrote in Fortune.

CLIP: Paige Spiranac Instagram mocks LPGA dress code rules

Thor Ragnarok Trailer 2: Hulk Speaks

Director Taika Waititi shared footage from Thor: Ragnarok at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday night. This time around, the Hulk can actually talk.

“Because he’s been the Hulk for two years now, he has the vocabulary of a two year old. So we have a speaking Hulk. Can I say that?” Mark Ruffalo, who plays the big green guy, asked.

“Too late,” said Waititi.

“We may or may not have a speaking Hulk in Thor 3 where everyone may or may not die,” said Ruffalo, mocking a recent interview where he said that everyone dies at the end of Avengers: Infinity War.

MORE: Captain Marvel Will Feature a Favorite Marvel Villain Opposite Brie Larson

In the new footage, Thor is sent through a rollercoaster-type experience on his way to meet Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster, who examines him as a fighter. The whole things is very psychedelic and elicits a “what the hell?” from Thor.

Then he meets the Hulk in battle. “Everyone’s been worried sick about you. I’m just kind of doing my own thing now. I’m not really hanging out with the Avengers anymore. It got very corporate,” says Thor. It turns out Hulk is enjoying fighting in the arena and doesn’t want to turn back into Bruce Banner.

Source: Thor Ragnarok Trailer 2: Hulk Speaks | Time.com

Where Did Trump Dig Up 45,000 Mining Jobs? Data says there’s ONLY 800! FAKE NEWS?

Trump boasted Monday that the nation added 45,000 mining jobs recently — but there’s scant data to back that up. One thing there is evidence for: Only 800 coal mining jobs have been created during his tenure.

“In Pennsylvania, two weeks ago, they opened a mine, the first mine that was opened in decades….Well, we picked up 45,000 mining jobs in a very short period of time,” Trump said during an event pegged to American manufacturing. “Everybody was saying, ‘Well, you won’t get any mining jobs,’ we picked up 45,000 mining jobs. Well, the miners are very happy with Trump and with Pence, and we’re very proud of that.”

During the campaign, Trump repeatedly vowed to bring back coal jobs and attacked Hillary Clinton for turning her back on the industry.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates there are roughly 50,800 coal mining jobs nationwide, 800 of which have been added since Trump took office. (The six months before that, under President Barack Obama’s administration, 1,300 coal jobs were added.)

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard Trump’s numbers. Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt made a similar claim speaking about all mining and logging jobs earlier this year, earning a PolitiFact ruling of “mostly false.”

BLS data estimates the nation has added roughly 41,500 new mining and logging jobs in the first six months of 2017, but just 1,000 of them are mining (not including oil and gas mining jobs, which account for another couple thousand.)

The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Source: Where Did Trump Dig Up 45,000 Mining Jobs? – NBC News

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Melbourne’s Crown Casino 3 people were stabbed during a wild brawl

VIOLENT scenes erupted at Melbourne’s Crown Casino last night after three people were stabbed during a wild brawl.

Police were called to Whiteman St, Southbank, just before 10pm after reports of a fight between two groups of men.

One man, a 29-year-old from Craigieburn, suffered a stab wound to his upper body, while a 24-year-old Plumpton man and a 23-year-old Craigieburn man suffered minor injuries.

Source: Two men charged over stabbing at Melbourne’s Crown Casino | Perth Now

Halo: Is #F1’s new head-protection system an ‘overreaction’ or essential?

Formula 1 is introducing additional cockpit head protection for drivers in 2018 with the ‘halo’ – and it is fair to say the decision is a long way from universally popular.

Triple world champion Niki Lauda – a man who knows something about risk having survived a fiery accident at the 1976 German Grand Prix – has called it the “wrong” move.

Lauda, now non-executive chairman of world champions Mercedes, told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport the move is an “overreaction” that has “destroyed” the good work F1 has done by introducing faster and more dramatic cars this year.

Other leading figures – including 1996 world champion Damon Hill – have also said they disagree with the decision, and fans seem generally opposed as well. So why has it happened and what effect will it have on F1?

Why has the halo been introduced?

F1’s governing body the FIA is constantly striving to improve safety. While driving a racing car at such high speeds can never be safe, it has become clear in the past decade that the driver’s exposed head is the last major risk left unaddressed.

The FIA has been striving to come up with a way to reduce the danger without compromising F1’s central ethos as an open-cockpit, open-wheel formula.

Source: Halo: Is F1’s new head-protection system an ‘overreaction’ or essential? – BBC Sport

World’s largest ship, Shell’s floating LNG vessel Prelude, heading to WA

IT makes the Sydney Opera House, London Eye and Taj Mahal look like doll houses, contains five times more steel than the Sydney Harbour Bridge, is almost twice as long as the Titanic and 2 1/2 times as wide.

Feast your eyes on Prelude — the biggest vessel the world has ever seen.

Since the end of last month, four tugs have been towing the 488m long and 74m wide facility from a South Korean shipyard to the WA coast.

Prelude is due to arrive at the Prelude Offshore Gas Field at Browse Basin, 475km north-east of Broome, in the next couple of weeks and will call WA waters homes for the next 20 to 25 years…

Source: World’s largest ship, Shell’s floating LNG vessel Prelude, heading to WA | Perth Now

Westworld Season 2 Trailer: Comic Con

Ready to come back online? HBO has revealed the first footage from the second season of sci-fi thriller Westworld. The video released at the show’s…

HBO has revealed the first footage from the second season of sci-fi thriller Westworld. The video released at the show’s Comic-Con panel on Saturday is a violent and action-packed tease showing the return of Ed Harris’ Man in Black, Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) gunning down guests while riding her horse, and Bernard looking at a dead tiger,

Westworld just started production on season 2 earlier this month, so the footage is from the first week of filming.

“My perception of reality has shifted significantly since I started doing this,” showrunner Jonathan Nolan told Comic-Con at the show’s panel. “I’ve convinced we must be in a simulation of some kind. I just did a tequila shot with Ed Harris in a parking garage at Comic-Con.”

More tidbits from the panel:

— Jeffrey Wright on learning Bernard was a host: “I didn’t appreciate at that time what it meant, but going through the course of the season and into this season I’m starting to understand the opportunity there as an actor and existential metaphor.”

Source: Westworld Season 2 Trailer: Comic Con | Time.com

Hot air balloon crash lands on busy road forcing motorists to swerve in panic

THIS is the heartstopping moment a hot-air balloon narrowly missed cars on a busy road after it was forced to crash-land when it suddenly blew off course. Motorists were forced to swerve out of the way as the 40ft-high balloon suddenly descended when the pilot desperately attempted to lift it over the road.

Kim Foskett captured the dramatic crash landing on his dashcam as he travelled with his family along the A6 Market Harborough bypass in Leicestershire.

Truck driver Kim, 59, of Kettering, Northants., said: “Because of the trees we didn’t see it until we were really close.

“All of a sudden it was visible about five feet off the ground, and I thought, ‘Oh my God, it’s going to land in the middle of the road’.

“My wife and children were in the car with me and we were all just staring, wondering what was going to happen.

“One driver swerved out of the way, thinking it was going to hit his car.

“I don’t think it would have, but if a lorry had been coming along, the balloon could have been in real trouble.

VIDEO: Heartstopping moment hot air balloon crash lands near busy road forcing motorists to swerve in panic

Vladimir Putin: ‘I may not leave Russian presidency’

Asked what he plans to do when he leaves the presidency, Vladimir Putin paused and smiled. “But I haven’t decided yet if I will leave the presidency,” the Russian leader replied, to laughter and applause from an audience made up almost entirely of Russians who were born after he first became president in 2000.

A month after thousands of young Russians took to the streets to protest against corruption among the Kremlin elite, Putin held a set-piece discussion event on Friday with hundreds of children, in an apparent attempt to portray himself as a youth-friendly president.

Presidential elections will take place next March and Putin is widely expected to stand and win another six-year term. An opposition politician, Alexei Navalny, who organised the recent round of protests, has said he would like to stand but his name is unlikely to be allowed on the ballot paper.

Putin spent three hours speaking with the assembled children, in a session broadcast live on Russian television. Those present appeared to have been screened to ensure there would be no hostile questions.

Source: Vladimir Putin: ‘I may not leave Russian presidency’ | World news | The Guardian

Six dead as Israeli-Palestinian tensions boil over

Three Israelis stabbed to death in West Bank settlement after three Palestinians killed as row over highly sensitive holy site erupts

Escalating Israeli-Palestinian tensions over a highly sensitive holy site have turned into violence that killed six people: three Palestinians in street clashes in Jerusalem and three Israelis in a stabbing attack at a West Bank settlement.

A Palestinian entered a home in the Israeli settlement of Halamish in the West Bank after nightfall and stabbed three Israelis to death, the head of Israel’s rescue service said.

Earlier, three Palestinians were killed in Jerusalem amid escalating protests in the city and across Palestinian territories against new Israeli security measures at the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif complex.

Two died in separate incidents in Palestinian neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem after tense Friday prayers, during which thousands of Palestinians worshipped in the streets around the Old City after refusing to enter the compound – known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif, which houses the al-Aqsa mosque. A third died later in Ramallah.

The compound is considered the third holiest site in Islam and the most sacred for Jews, who call it Temple Mount.

Source: Six dead as Israeli-Palestinian tensions boil over | World news | The Guardian

Ugh, That Damn Creepy Puppet Is Back In The First Trailer For ‘Jigsaw’

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Seven years after the last ‘Saw’ Film, Jigsaw is back on his creepy little tricycle with the same ol’ message: “Live or die, the choice is yours.”

He just wants to play a little game.

Yep, the creepy nightmare fodder is back for the eighth instalment of the franchise, taking place 10 years after the death of John Kramer — the man behind the Jigsaw mask — who died in ‘Saw III’. So… who’s behind a series of the latest gruesome murders?

That’s the crux of ‘Jigsaw’, the identity of the masked figure who once again is rampaging against a city in a series of revenge-based “traps”, but can the investigators figure out who the new copycat killer is, if in fact it isn’t Kramer himself?

The film’s marketing strategy has already begun releasing a series of suuuuuper creepy posters that invite you to speculate just who might be behind the violent crimes.

 

Source: Ugh, That Damn Creepy Puppet Is Back In The First Trailer For ‘Jigsaw’

 

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Booing fails to dampen Froome’s spirits at Tour de France

Chris Froome looks set to win the Tour de France after extending his lead in Saturday’s time trial in Marseille.

This will be Froome’s fourth tour victory, a feat rarely achieved, meaning he’s now cemented his status as a cycling great.

He was booed and whistled by fans at the Stade Velodrome as he went down to the starting ramp, but that will do nothing to dampen Froome’s spirits.

For him, there have been ups and downs over the last three weeks.

He’s faced mechanical issues and he had to fight back after losing his lead.

A few days ago he told Sky News that if he won the 2017 Tour de France it would be his greatest achievement to date.

On retaining the yellow jersey on Saturday, he said: “It’s an amazing feeling to finish that off now.

“There was a lot of pressure coming into today’s stage with it being so close in the general classification, but there was an amazing atmosphere here.

“It’s a fitting way to stay in the GC (general classification), which was always going to be a close battle.”

Source: Booing fails to dampen Froome’s spirits at Tour de France