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Showing posts with label April 30. Show all posts
Showing posts with label April 30. Show all posts
Monday, April 30, 2018
Video shows stablehand allegedly doping Robert Smerdon-trained horse at Flemington
Incriminating footage capturing the moment racing stewards confront a stablehand allegedly doping a Robert Smerdon-trained horse at Flemington has been aired at a hearing into the Aquanita scandal.
Eight people connected to the powerful thoroughbred stables are facing 271 charges at a Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board hearing in Melbourne.
Racing Victoria lawyer Jeff Gleeson QC told the hearing trainers Robert Smerdon, Stuart Webb, Tony Vasil, Trent Pennuto and Liam Birchley, and stablehands Greg Nelligan, Denise Nelligan and Daniel Garland were involved in “knowing, brazen and systematic” doping between 2010 and 2017.
“It was … a habit of cheating,” he said.
The video footage — which the board declined to publicly release — shows stablehand Greg Nelligan in a box with the racehorse Lovani and a modified syringe plunger allegedly containing sodium bicarbonate paste concealed in a yellow plastic bag last October.
#AzerbaijanGP #F1 Ricciardo crash shows gutless Red Bull’s blunder. “Weak” response to Baku nightmare has dramatic consequences for the under pressure F1 team’s future.
ANOTHER Grand Prix, another dramatic twist in Daniel Ricciardo’s contract saga.
The Formula 1 world remains divided over which of Red Bull’s star drivers was responsible for the lap 40 disaster at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.
Many commentators have pointed angry fingers at Max Verstappen for the collision between the two Red Bull cars.
Mercedes godfather Niki Lauda on Monday (AEDT) said Ricciardo’s smash into the back of his teammate’s RB14 was “70 per cent” Verstappen’s fault and 30 per cent the result of a careless Ricciardo fake and bake down the inside line into turn one on the Baku street circuit.
The real fault surely lies at the feet of Red Bull boss Christian Horner and the team’s top brass for its failure to control its young superstar.
The team has always declared publicly there is no No. 1 driver in the Red Bull garage, despite Verstappen’s early re-signing in October, 2017, until the end of 2020. The decision to lock up the Dutchman has left Ricciardo as the sport’s most in-demand free agent heading into 2019.
The team has also allowed both its star drivers to race wheel-to-wheel.
It is those two factors that created a perfect storm on the windy Baku streets to wipe out the team’s push for a double podium finish.
Red Bull’s clear favouritism of Verstappen resulted in the radio silence that greeted its two drivers as Ricciardo fought for more than 35 laps to squeeze past his teammate.
Verstappen got the early jump on Ricciardo on lap one, but the Aussie was back on the Dutchman’s date looking for a passing spot as early as lap five.
VIDEO via F1 2018 Daniel Ricciardo Max Verstappen crash reaction
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Killer of Chinese international student Jeremy Hu sentenced to 11 years in prison
A man who bashed a Chinese international student to death in a Melbourne alleyway after an argument about a girl has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Shengliang Wan was found guilty of the manslaughter of Jeremy Hu, 19, for stomping on his head five times during a fight in Latrobe Place in Chinatown in April, 2016.
The Yarra Valley Grammar student died in hospital a week later.
Avengers: Infinity War assembles highest world and US opening weekends of all time. In Australia, the blockbuster netted a cool $30 million
A whole lot of superheroes added up to a whole lot of ticket sales.
Five all-time biggest US openings
Avengers: Infinity War — $US250 million
Star Wars: The Force Awakens — $US247 million
Star Wars: The Last Jedi — $US220 million
Jurassic World — $US208 million
Marvel’s The Avengers — $US207 million
The superhero smorgasbord Avengers: Infinity War opened with predictable shock and awe, earning $US630 million ($831 million) worldwide to set the highest opening weekend of all time.Infinity War, which brings together some two dozen superheroes in a 10-year climax of Marvel Studio’s “cinematic universe”, also set a new domestic record with $US250 million ($330 million) at the American box office, edging past Star Wars: The Force Awakens as the all-time highest opening weekend in the United States.
In Australia, the blockbuster netted a cool $30 million over its opening weekend down under.
#F1: Red Bull chief orders #Perth’s Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen to apologise after crash in #AzerbaijanGP
Furious Red Bull boss Christian Horner has demanded that Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo apologise in person to the team’s 800 staff after the teammates’ refusal to back off led to their crash on lap 40 of the Azerbaijan Formula One Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton won the race after the unlucky Valtteri Bottas suffered a puncture three laps from the finish, but the Red Bull drama was just as gripping, despite it not involving a spot on the podium.
Verstappen and Ricciardo had been at each other’s throats for much of the race on the streets of Baku, and their high-speed collision with 11 laps remaining appeared almost inevitable.
On the longest and fastest straight on the Formula One calendar, Ricciardo lined up his overtake in the battle for fourth.
But as Verstappen moved to his left to cover off his team-mate, Ricciardo was left with little room for manoeuvre and thudded into the back of him. In an instant, both cars were wiped out of the race.
AMP chairman Catherine Brenner steps down from board
AMP chairman Catherine Brenner has resigned following damning evidence at the banking royal commission of misconduct by the company’s staff.
In a statement, the financial services company said directors will take a 25 per cent pay cut for the remainder of 2018 as a result of the issues raised at the commission.
It is still considering “employment and remuneration consequences” for those staff directly involved in charging fees for no services.
Mike Wilkins has been appointed as executive chair of the financial services company, effective immediately.
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Valtteri Bottas wins first ever F1 race at #F1 #RussianGP 🇷🇺
Valtteri Bottas won the Russian Grand Prix like a rocket at the start and like a limpet at the finish. In doing so he poured a can of worms all over Lewis Hamilton’s head.
The victory was established at the first couple of corners, where the Finn charged bravely on the outside of pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel through the gentle first curve and, travelling at 220mph, was far enough in front by the tight second bend to zip across and cover the racing line.
It was a bravura display from the 27-year-old from Nastola, southern Finland, where he cuts holes in the ice to bathe in the long cold days of winter. Ice veined, one might say.
He needed those qualities as Vettel piled on the pressure towards the end, just after Vladimir Putin arrived in the sun-kissed complex. It got nervy, edgy out there on the Tarmac, but Bottas held on to win by half-a-second.
Bottas became the first Finnish grand prix winner since Kimi Raikkonen in Melbourne just over four years ago and is the ninth of his countryman ever to achieve the feat. The idea that he is a patsy at Mercedes no longer holds up to scrutiny.
Instead, it was Hamilton who finished a struggling, miserable fourth on a weekend to forget and on a day when he had several borderline fractious exchanges with his pit wall. Why was he overheating? Why this, why that? He asked for updates. Every inquiry, bar a Freedom of Information request.
Everything he tried, and he tried hard, was unavailing.
So at the end of the race – the fourth of the season – Vettel, who finished second, a place ahead of his Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, has a lead of 13 points over Hamilton in the drivers’ standings. Bottas comes next, 10 further points behind.
In truth this race on the Black Sea had languorous phases. The outcome was secured in those opening moments. But for pit stops the top four remained in their positions throughout.
Jolyon Palmer’s race ended through no fault of his own on that self-same second corner, home of drama caused by heavy braking going into the right-hander.
Romain Grosjean’s Haas caught him and Palmer then collected his destroyer as they both spun out of the race. Palmer, who started 16th after a crash in qualifying, could hardly believe luck was running so cruelly against him as he tried to salvage his weekend.
‘He jumped the kerb and ended up going into the side of me,’ said the Brit. ‘He was too ambitious. If you come in from the inside, it always bunches on the apex. I had cars outside me. I had to turn the corner and hope he used his brain.’
It was another dire day for McLaren, who seem unable to start both cars. It was Stoffel Vandoorne who missed out in Bahrain a fortnight ago, and this time Fernando Alonso conked out during the formation lap and had to walk back to the paddock.
This is beyond an embarrassment for McLaren. Heads might have to roll.
Alonso, who later watched glumly from a virtually empty McLaren hospitality area, said: ‘It’s obviously frustrating. Four races into the championship, four DNFs. This time we did not even make the start. That’s sad but there’s nothing we can do.
‘I come here, drive as fast as I can to try to help the team. We just hope the next race will be better.
‘I’m just a driver. I help the team but the team have to look at the bigger picture.’
Source: Valtteri Bottas wins first ever F1 race at Russian GP | Daily Mail Online
BREAKING NEWS: ‘Swiss Machine’ climber Ueli Steck is killed on Mount Everest
Famed Swiss climber Ueli Steck was killed in a mountaineering accident on Mount Everest in Nepal, expedition organisers say.
Mingma Sherpa of the Seven Summit Treks says Steck was killed near Camp II of Everest on Sunday morning.
His body has been recovered from Nuptse Face and was taken to Lukla, where the only airport in the Mount Everest area is located.
It was not clear how Steck died but he was planning to climb 29,035-foot Mount Everest and nearby Mount Lhotse next month.
The 40-year-old Steck was one of the most-renowned mountaineers of his generation.
Steck’s death is the first of the season on the world’s highest mountain.
He posted on Facebook for the last time on April 26, when he wrote: ‘Quick Day from Basecamp up to 7000m and back. I love it its such a great place here.
‘I still believe in active aclimatisation. This is way more effective then spending Nights up in the Altitude!’
He won two Piolet d’Or awards for mountaineering in 2009 and 2014 and the speed record for climbing the North Face trilogy in the Alps.
Source: Swiss climber Ueli Steck is killed on Mount Everest | Daily Mail Online
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7 killed as storm hits US Midwest, Southwest states
A strong storm caused severe flooding and tornadoes that killed at least seven people and injured dozens more in Missouri, Arkansas and Texas.
Several tornadoes touched down in east Texas, leaving five people dead, Van Zandt County officials said.
The body of a 72-year-old woman was recovered in southwestern Missouri after flood waters washed away her car, authorities said.
Another woman died Saturday after a tree fell on her mobile home in De Witt, Arkansas, about 80 miles east of Little Rock, according to police.
Tornadoes ripping through north Texas left widespread destruction and more than 50 people injured, officials said.
Millions have been under flash flood watches and warnings as the storm moves over the southwest and Midwest states since Friday.
Rainfall amounts of 4-6 inches have been reported in Missouri and Texas, with some areas seeing up to 9 inches, the National Weather Service said.
Hundreds of evacuations were underway due to the flooding and mass destruction left by the tornadoes.
Rainstorms began Friday around the state, bringing large amounts of rainfall and causing flooding, the National Weather Service said.
A couple was left stranded in their car when flood waters began to rise in Christian County, officials said.
Despite the husband’s efforts to rescue his wife, their car was swept away with the 72-year-old woman inside.
The woman’s body was found Saturday in a field near Clever, MO.
At least 150 roads, mostly in southern Missouri, were closed by flooding, the Missouri Department of Transportation said.
A total of 93 evacuations and 33 water rescues were reported Saturday, Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens said.
More here: 7 killed as storm hits Midwest, Southwest states – CNN.com
Massive 57kg fish caught by 15-year-old off WA coast south of Perth
A monster 57kg fish has been caught by a Western Australia teenager during his school holidays.
Jean-Luc Robert, 15, reeled in the human-sized bass groper last week off the coast of Rockingham, 50km south of Perth.
The teenager battled with the fish for 20 minutes in deep water, according to Perth Now.
The fish was eventually reeled in using an electric reel in a rod holder, as it was too heavy to be pulled in manually.
Jean-Luc’s father Andre posed with the impressive catch once back ashore.
In the picture, Andre can be seen lifting the giant fish off the ground with help from a winch.
Source: Massive fish caught by 15-year-old off WA coast | Daily Mail Online
Saturday, April 29, 2017
11 dead in Pakistan bus plunge into ravine
A minibus has plunged into a ravine in Pakistan’s mountainous northwest, killing 11 people.
Police official Ismail Khan says another nine people were injured in Sunday’s road accident in Upper Dir district, on the way to Chitral Valley.
He says the road was slippery after rain.
Road accidents are common in Pakistan due to a lack of infrastructure, poorly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.
Source: 11 dead in Pakistan bus plunge into ravine | Perth Now
Australia not on Trump’s top relationships list
US President Donald Trump has listed at a raucous rally to mark his 100 days in the White House the countries he has built great relationships with – and Australia didn’t receive a mention.
Trump was back in his comfort zone on Saturday, surrounded by placard waving faithful at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center for the rally.
“We have built such strong foundations with the leaders of foreign countries and we are set to rock,” Mr Trump told the packed crowd that chanted “USA, USA, USA”, “lock her up” and “drain the swamp” during his speech.
“But we have great relationships with Germany and Japan and China and so many others, the UK.
“Such great relationships.”
Mr Turnbull will spend less than two days in New York, with a 75th anniversary Battle of the Coral Sea commemorative dinner and a bilateral meeting with Mr Trump on the agenda.
The meeting follows the leaders’ acrimonious January 28 phone call where Mr Trump was upset about the asylum-seeker deal Mr Turnbull struck last year with then President Barack Obama.
Mr Trump has said he will honour the deal.
In his Pennsylvania speech he returned to many of his popular pre-election talking points.
That included his decision, just three days into his presidency, to withdraw the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership with Australia, New Zealand, Japan and eight other Pacific nations.
“To protect our jobs and economic freedom I immediately withdrew the United States from the horrible, disastrous, would have been another NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) but worse Trans-Pacific Partnership,” Mr Trump said.
“That would have taken your jobs in Pennsylvania.
“That I can tell you.
“That was a total hoax.”
In other comments that would have been closely watched in Canberra, Mr Trump said he would make a decision in the next two weeks on America’s support for the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Mr Trump appears to be leaning toward walking away from the agreement, describing it as “the one-sided Paris climate accord” and telling the rally the US has paid billions of dollars while China, Russia and India “have contributed, and will contribute, nothing”.
Mr Trump said full compliance with the agreement could shrink America’s Gross Domestic Product by $US2.5 trillion over a 10-year period and “that means factories and plants closing all over our country”.
“I’ll be making a big decision on the Paris accord over the next two weeks and we will see what happens,” Mr Trump said.
He chose to address the rally instead of attend Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ dinner, becoming the first president since Ronald Reagan in 1981 not to attend.
Mr Reagan was recovering from being shot in an assassination attempt.
Mr Trump described cable TV news channels CNN and MSNBC as “fake news” and said reporters from the outlets “would love to be with us right here tonight”.
“But they are trapped at the dinner which will be very, very boring,” he said.
Source: Aust not on Trump’s top relationships list | Perth Now
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