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NC-REC-HP-SHOPPING-STRAP Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

For many Americans, the celebrations to welcome the new year are looking quite different to last year's - with some New Yorkers spending thousands of dollars on COVID tests for their party guests. This year's celebration in Times Square has been scaled back with additional safety measures. However, New York is not the only city scaling back - in Chicago, the fireworks show has been designed to make social distancing easier. Despite the setbacks, many people are determined to spend this New Year's together. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

The man was last seen diving at The Box north of Surfers Point - a popular yet dangerous break because of its shallow, jagged reef - about midday.It’s understood beach witnesses called police having seen the man enter but not leave the water.Beachgoers shared their concerns about the man’s welfare.“We saw the guy head down. He looked like he knew what he was doing, but three hours seemed like a long time to be out there so we’re all a bit worried for him,” one said.“Better to be safe than sorry, I always say.”Surf Life Saving raised the alarm about 1pm, sparking a huge search operation in the area that included the deployment of police air wing and a marine crew.On Saturday, however, police suspended the search as they said no missing persons had been reported, and they had failed to find any belongings or car abandoned at the beach.The man, who was described as being in his 30s with long, dark hair, was wearing a full black wetsuit and camouflage diving fins.Anyone with information is...

Four protesters were fatally shot in the head or chest in Omdurman, according to the pro-democracy Doctors' Committee, while a fifth succumbed to his wounds Friday after he was shot in central Khartoum. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

CA’s head of high performance Ben Oliver revealed there would be consultation with players and staff about a possible new deal for Langer when his contract expires in June. Catch every moment of The Ashes live and ad-break free during play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-days free now.“We always seek feedback from players and staff,” Oliver told reporters on Friday morning.“We’re about trying to get better. And that goes for our coaching staff. It goes through our players and everyone who’s around the team.“So we’ll do that as a matter of course, after the (Ashes) series is completed, and the players’ feedback on a range of factors, including how we best support them, will be considered in that process.”It is unknown who between Oliver, CA chief executive Nick Hockley and the Board will make the ultimate call on Langer’s future. However, Oliver revealed the player input four months ago had a positive effect on the squad, who have since won the T20 World Cup and are on track for a 5-0 Ashe...

The inferno was sparked by a vehicle fire in Wrattonbully southeast of Naracoorte, before spreading to nearby grassland and quickly travelling east across the Victorian border.The blaze on the South Australian side is now under control, though CFS is still monitoring the situation and are currently assembling strike teams and other resources to help the Victorian Country Fire Association.In Victoria, on Saturday morning the fire was the subject of a “watch and act” message from the CFA. You can monitor the latest warnings here.The CFA has deployed 20 appliances and a number of strike teams to combat the blaze.The CFS will continue to assist from the South Australian side of the border.At around 5.15pm over 4000ha had been destroyed by the fire.What to do: Emergency Fire Warning SA CFS Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

A vibrant Adelaide and South Australia had its own unique New Years celebration. In unusually quiet conditions, New Years Eve celebrations began with artists bouncing down empty streets. People were left confused with the COVID restrictions initially, but soon the party fired up with the sold out Light Up festival – with fire dancers spinning flames through the warm air. There were 5,000 people who roamed through a socially distanced 30,000sqm area of parkland – full of family friendly entertainment and good advice for 2022. The latter end of the night saw nightclubs filled with partygoers farewelling the last hours of 2021. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

Latest South Australian case numbers for January 1, 2021, will be reported here when they are announced. Friday cases: December 31, 2021SA has recorded two more deaths and a “significant” rise of 2093 Covid cases on the last day of the year, a huge jump on Thursday’s figure of 1374. Two aged-care residents, both Covid positive, died – a woman in her 90s and a man in his 80s. The cause of death is not confirmed and have been referred to the Coroner.Friday’s cases include 206 children and 145 teenagers. There are 44 people in hospital with Covid and four in intensive care, one is on a ventilator but all are considered stable. SA had 25,943 tests on Thursday – a new record, Premier Steven Marshall said.MORE STORIES■ January 1 national wrap: 22,500 cases in NSW and Victoria’s surging too■ $90 for five tests ... who can afford a rapid antigen test?■ Questions remain as Premier tries to clarify contacts confusion■ $40m rescue package for hospitality and fitness industries■ Aussie camp rocked...

The 27-year-old allegedly drove the car through the tent which had two adults and three children sleeping inside at the West Kentish Road Campgrounds, in the state’s northwest, about 2am Saturday.Tasmania Police said he then narrowly missed other tents and people in the area before crashing into a tree.The family were rushed to the Northwest Regional Hospital with injuries ranging from minor lacerations to suspected internal injuries.“Tasmania Police would like to thank all members of the public that assisted with this incident, as their actions undoubtedly prevented further people from being seriously injured,” police said in a statement.Acting Sergeant Fabienne Jamieson said the male, who is now in police custody, was allegedly “exhibiting anti-social behaviour prior to the crash”.Investigations are ongoing and anyone with information about the crash has been asked to come forward.“As we continue our investigation into the incident, we seek any information from members of the public ...

The star-studded, 16-country tournament begins in Sydney on Saturday, but Australia opens its campaign against title favourite Italy on Sunday night.Russian world No.5 Andrey Rublev and Austrian star Dominic Thiem withdrawing helps Australia’s cause, but the group’s incredible depth still means the host nation faces a huge task to advance.France replaced Austria in the group, joining Australia, Italy and defending champion Russia.De Minaur, 22, will lock horns with Russia’s world No.2 Daniil Medvedev, Italy’s seventh-ranked Matteo Berrettini and France’s Ugo Humbert, who is ranked No.35.Australia’s other team members are big improver James Duckworth and doubles trio John Peers, Luke Saville and Max Purcell.De Minaur has a combined 0-5 head-to-head record against his three projected opponents but hopes playing in his “backyard” will work in his favour.“I think this is the beauty of the ATP Cup at the start of the year,” de Minaur said.“I’ve experienced it before and it’s a great way to ...

Covid is spreading faster in Australia than ever before – but one figure could signal we don’t have another Delta situation on our hands. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

Cricket Australia confirmed the batter is asymptomatic but returned a positive PCR test and will remain in Melbourne to isolate for seven days with his partner.Catch every moment of The Ashes live and ad-break free during play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-days free now.CA said in a statement Mitchell Marsh, Nic Maddinson and Josh Inglis have been drafted into the squad as cover, while the governing body is hopeful Head will be available for the fifth match against England in Hobart.“The remainder of the Australian squad, their families and the support staff have undergone PCR and RAT tests this morning. Both the Australian and England squads are expected to separately travel to Sydney as planned today,” CA said.A CA spokesperson added: “As part of our testing procedures, we are PCR testing players, their families and our support staff daily. Unfortunately, Travis returned a positive Covid-19 result earlier today. Thankfully, he is asymptomatic at this stage. We anticipate that he will ...

It is not clear whether the US government will offer Ghislaine Maxwell a deal, even if the disgraced socialite agrees to be a witness against other child sex traffickers, according to New York University’s Stephen Gillers. Ms Maxwell is now facing the prospect of years in prison, after being found guilty on five out of six charges against her. She was accused of recruiting and grooming four teenagers for Jeffrey Epstein to molest between 1994 and 2004 at his various properties. It is alleged multiple powerful people may have been implicated in the child sex trafficking ring run by Maxwell and Epstein. Professor Gillers said Ms Maxwell may offer to provide names of alleged perpetrators to authorities, however it is not clear if this would mitigate her sentence. “She did not offer to cooperate to identify others,” Professor Gillers told Sky News. “Now she might offer to be a witness against others in an effort to keep her sentence lower than it otherwise would be. “Whether the government...

Currently sitting on the cusp of the 2YO Classic field, Minks Star needs a prizemoney boost to get into the $2m race at the Gold Coast and Anderson is hoping Saturday’s $105,000 2YO Handicap (1200m) can provide it. While he is realistic about his chances, Anderson said a minor placing could be just enough to secure a berth.With huge money on offer for the Magic Millions Women In Racing bonus, Anderson just wants to get into the field on January 15.“To be honest I can’t see Annabel’s horse (Soaring Ambition) getting beat on Saturday but our horse is all-female owned too so it is a bit of a race within a race if she happens to get there,” he said.“We have realistic expectations but to get an all-female owned one into the big race, there is so much prizemoney on offer.“I just want to get her into the Magic Millions in a fortnight, she just needs a little bit more.”Running second behind Queensland’s top two-year-old to date, Exo Lady, in the Listed Calaway Gal (1000m), Minks Star is rated ...

NC-REC-HP-LIFESTYLE-PARTNER3 Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

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The city will begin 2022 on a brighter note amid coronavirus chaos with a scorching start to the year expected to stick around.The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting temperatures to top 30C across the Harbour City on New Year’s Day.And it’s expected to be a clear and muggy New Year’s Eve night ahead of the scorching temperatures as high as 34C coming Sydney’s way. But then showers are forecast from Tuesday.With beaches expected to be packed, Sydneysiders are finding other ways to cool down.If you live in the city’s west you’ll have no problem escaping the heat at one of the several pop-up water parks. “They’re an excellent idea for families, it saves them all the hassle of trips to the beach,” Ramsen Mikhaeel said at one in Middleton Grange this week.“We can’t go that often but having this just down the road, a water park, is excellent. “We wish there was one water park in each suburb it would have been an excellent idea for the future because the beach will always be packed.”“We’re c...

Kyrgios posted a photo with new partner Costeen Hatzi on Thursday, captioning it: “I’m blessed. This is to the New year & a chance for all of us to get it right.”Hatzi also posted a photo of the couple on her own Instagram profile and shared Kyrgios’ picture.But Chiara Passari, who dated Kyrgios before their ugly relationship breakdown earlier this year, isn’t holding out high hopes for the new woman in the world No. 93’s life.As reported by theDaily Mail, Passari told the publication Kyrgios chased a new relationship after their split because he is “afraid to be alone” and suggested he only stopped texting her “about feelings” a few weeks ago.“This girl has no idea what she’s in for,” Passari said. “The exact same things happened to me. He moves on (quickly) because he is too afraid to be alone.”Costeen HatziIt was confirmed Kyrgios and Hatzi — who the Daily Mail reports graduated from university this year with a degree in psychological science — were an item when they were photog...

Campers and rock climbers could face new restrictions in the Grampians National Park in Victoria. Under a new government plan, camping will be restricted to 47 areas from 2024 - while rock climbing will be limited to 104 zones. Off-track hiking will be outlawed unless people have permission to explore special protection areas. Recreational drones will be banned. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

The advice follows Thursday’s national cabinet meeting, which saw a national definition for close contact created. The decision, made by Scott Morrison and state leaders, will drastically change the number of Australians needing to get tested and isolate.Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard agreed with the change but said people should prepare for a major case spike as Covid seeps across the community.“I’m talking to my colleagues in hospitals regularly and I can say it is likely in the coming days that there will be intensive care admissions … there definitely are sick patients in hospital,” he said.“We’re not going to be talking about 8000 cases in a few weeks, we’re going to be talking about tens of thousands of cases and that’s what a pandemic is about – very large numbers of cases.”However, Dr Gerrard also said the surge was happening at a relatively optimal time due to warm summer weather and more than 86 per cent of the state being fully vaccinated.“This is the time to...

There are currently 763 people in hospital with COVID-19 in New South Wales. It comes as the state recorded a surge in COVID-19 infections on Friday. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

NC-NN-REC/NEWS.COM.AU HOME TECHNOLOGY MODULE (171523) Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

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It will be the second telephone call in less than a month between the two leaders, with Biden in early December warning Putin of "severe consequences" if Russian troops invaded."But we are also prepared to respond if Russia advances with a further invasion of Ukraine," Biden will tell Putin, the official said, adding that Washington remained "gravely concerned" about the military build-up and wanted to see the Russian forces return “to their regular training areas."- US support for Ukraine -In a potential step to defuse tensions, senior US and Russian officials plan to meet on January 10 in Geneva.The United States has called some of the Russian positions non-starters but said it is willing to talk and will also bring up its own concerns.The administration official made clear there were no plans for another in-person summit.Ahead of the US-Russia talks, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by telephone on Wednesday with Ukrainian President Volod...

There’s no better time to buy a second-hand caravan in Australia. But before you, make sure you read this first.  Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

During Thursday’s NBA game between the New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons, eagle-eyed viewers spotted Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley’s surname had been misspelled on the back of his jersey. Watch the 21/22 NBA Season with ESPN on Kayo. Live coverage every week plus every game of the NBA Finals. New to Kayo? Start your free trial >Quickley took to the court at New York’s Madison Square Garden with his last name spelled “Qucikley”. Clearly the person emblazoning the names on the back of the Knicks’ singlets had done the job a little too … quickly. NBA fans noticed the mistake but Quickley even played part of the game with the incorrect spelling of his name on his back before appearing to change jerseys to one with the letters in the right order. Knicks beat writer for The Athletic Fred Katz tweeted: “Immanuel Quickley’s name is spelled wrong on the back of his jersey lol”. Making matters worse, it wasn’t the first time his own team had got his name wrong on a jersey. The Knicks o...

Melbourne has cancelled one of its highly-anticipated New Year's Eve events due to the COVID pandemic. The drone show at Docklands has been axed due to staff isolations and major delays in the shipping of key equipment. The event which features 350 drones forming festive images above Victoria Harbour is the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The council hired UK-based firm Celestial to deliver the lightshow. Authorities hope the display can be moved to January next year. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

Emergency services responded to a fire at Old Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday morning, December 30, according to local reports citing authorities. Footage by Simon Foster shows smoke rising from the building as people gather outside. The building was evacuated as a safety precaution and the fire was extinguished not long after crews arrived on the scene, 9News reported. Credit: Simon Foster via Storyful Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard has warned in a few weeks the state may see tens of thousands of active COVID cases after 2,222 new infections were recorded. Dr Gerrard said there are now 8,586 active cases in the state. "We're not going to be talking about 8,000 cases in a few weeks – we're going to be talking about tens of thousands of cases," he said during a media conference on Thursday. Dr Gerrard said when the state reaches that point, everyone will know somebody who has the virus. "The good thing is the vaccines are working, and they have been clearly demonstrated to work," he said. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced Braftovi – a medicine for bowel cancer – will be added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from January 1. "I am delighted that from the first of January we will be listing a new medicine for bowel cancer, Braftovi, on the PBS," Mr Hunt said during a media conference on Thursday. He said the medicine can be available for as little as $6.80 per script. "This is a medicine which would otherwise cost over $33,000 a year and will help 340 patients a year have access to a potentially life-changing, life-extending, life-saving medicine that would otherwise would have been not available and out of their reach," he said. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

NC-REC-HP-TOP VIDEO Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

About 3.20pm on Wednesday, emergency services arrived following reports of a single-vehicle crash on the intersection of Mulgoa and Blaikie Rds, Penrith.Police found a Ford Falcon sedan had mounted a median strip and crashed into a street sign. The driver, aged 31 of Glenmore Park, was made to take a roadside breath test and allegedly returned a positive result.He was arrested and taken to Penrith Police Station where he took another breath analysis, which allegedly returned a positive reading of 0.313 — more than six times over the legal limit.His license was immediately suspended and confiscated. He was charged with drive with high-range drink driving, negligent driving (not death or grievous bodily harm), and use unregistered registrable Class A motor Vehicle on road.The man was given conditional bail to appear at Penrith Local Court on January 11. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell has been found guilty of sex crimes, including sex trafficking a minor. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

England rejoiced when the star all-rounder was added as a late inclusion to the Ashes squad after spending a long time out of the game because of injury and mental health issues.Catch every moment of The Ashes live and ad-break free during play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-days free now.Memories of his matchwinning hundred at Headingley in 2019 — where he did the impossible by driving England to a famous one-wicket win — came flooding back and the Barmy Army would have been hoping for similar heroics on Australian shores.But those fantasies have died a quick death as England has imploded, going down 3-0 after a humiliating loss at the MCG.In six innings this Ashes series, Stokes has managed only 101 runs with a top score of 34, and although he has bowled with plenty of heart — particularly on a lifeless track in Adelaide — he has just the four wickets to show for his efforts.In fact, Stokes has been outshone in the all-rounder department by Mitchell Starc — who batted all the way down ...

NC-REC-HP-SHOPPING-STRAP Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

The jury has reached a guilty verdict in the sex trafficking trial of Ghislaine Maxwell. Ms Maxwell has been found guilty on five of six counts – a charge that is punishable by up to 40 years in prison. She has been on trial since late November – deliberations began December 20, halting for the Christmas holiday before resuming on Monday. Prosecutors argued that Maxwell acted as the Jeffrey Epstein’s madam – recruiting teenagers between 1994 and 2004 Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

Zahra will return from the four-month suspension he copped after the infamous Airbnb saga in August.He could have resumed riding earlier in the week but Zahra decided January 1 would be the right time to return.“I thought lets just aim for New Year’s Day with a fresh start in a new year and kick off slowly,” he said.Three of the five suspended riders, including premier jockey Jamie Kah, have returned to riding but Zahra wanted to make a measured comeback to the saddle.Zahra’s Chester Manifold Stakes mount Yulong January will be the lightest of his three rides at 59.5kg.“The fitness is all right but after having so much time off, I’m still just above the 60 (kg) mark,” Zahra said.“I don’t want to rush back into it too much. I’ve asked Reece (Murphy) my manager to look for horses around the 60kg mark early.”While Kah and Ethan Brown rode trackwork during their suspensions, Zahra took a different approach to his forced break from racing.Zahra decided to leave Melbourne while taking only p...

The world No. 46 had been due to play in a lead-in tournament in Melbourne starting on January 4 but those plans have been disrupted. Watch Tennis Live with beIN SPORTS on Kayo. Live Coverage of ATP + WTA Tour Tournaments including Every Finals Match. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial >Paire appears to be in isolating in quarantine in an unknown location after testing positive for Covid, and he is clearly fed up by the ordeal. “Hey my name is Benoit Paire, and for the 250th time I tested positive for Covid!!” he said in an Instagram story posted on Wednesday. “Honestly I can’t deal with this Covid s*** anymore. How am I doing? Because of Covid I got a runny nose, but because of all these quarantines spent in an hotel room halfway across the world, I don’t feel good mentally. “Last year was tough, and this year start exactly the same way!!”The 32-year-old is vaccinated and clarified he is “100 per cent” in favour of vaccines. “Just one thing, I’m 100% for the vaccine, but let’s just...

College Football: The Mountaineers were completely powerless to stop Melbourne native Daniel Faalele from ploughing his 6ft9 172kg frame into the endzone. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

US Open: Phil Mickelson snaps during his opening round at the US Open, blaming a fan's phone for making too much noise. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

NC-REC-HP-LIFESTYLE-PARTNER2 Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

This week the Lakers legend wrote a blog post blasting James, titled: “Dear LeBron: Here’s the Covid-19 Help You Requested in Your Spider-Man Meme.”Watch the 21/22 NBA Season with ESPN on Kayo. Live coverage every week plus every game of the NBA Finals. New to Kayo? Start your free trial >The New York Post reports two days prior, James shared the aforementioned meme that showed three Spider-Man characters pointing at each other, labelled, “Covid,” “Flu” and “Cold”.The Lakers star captioned his Instagram post: “Help me out folks.”Abdul-Jabbar described the meme as “uninformed” and said “LeBron has encouraged vaccine hesitancy which puts lives and livelihoods at risk”.Abdul-Jabbar wrote: “With his message: ‘Help me out folks’ was a blow to his worthy legacy. The meme’s implication is that LeBron doesn’t understand the difference among these three illnesses, even after all the information that’s been presented in the press.”He concluded: “While LeBron is a necessary and dynamic voice c...

A winter weather advisory was issued for Truckee, California, and surrounding regions on Tuesday, December 28, as ongoing heavy snowfall continued to impact travel. Footage posted by Ricardo Cortes on December 27, who said it was taken in Truckee, shows wind gusts blowing across mounds of snow and a tractor removing snow from roads. Credit: Ricardo Cortes via Storyful Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

Queensland scraps PCR tests for interstate travellers, New South Wales changes close contact rules, firefighters on the Central Coast conduct an unusual rescue, Supermaxi Black Jack has won the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, Hugh Jackman has tested positive for Covid, Bindi Irwin, Steve Irwin Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

Football: Spanish giants Barcelona have reportedly signed Ferran Torres for a fee in excess of $85 million from Manchester City. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

NBA: A fan at the Rockets v Hornets match picked an unfortunate moment to take their eyes off the action Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

NN-REC/SPORT/NRL/NRL NEWS (154700) Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

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Joe Root’s men were bowled out for a paltry 68 on Tuesday as they slipped to an innings defeat in the third Test in Melbourne — handing Australia an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.Catch every moment of The Ashes live and ad-break free during play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-days free now.It was the latest in a string of woeful efforts with the bat — England have not once reached 300 in six innings in Australia.Harmison, who was part of the England team that won the Ashes in 2005, said the “embarrassment” could prove to be a moment of reckoning for some in the England set-up.“There is going to be a big inquest,” he told BT Sport. “There’s going to be a lot of things blamed, people’s careers on the line.“When you look at the history of the Ashes in Australia, the only teams that have gone over there and done anything meaningful are the teams that have got first-innings runs.“Last night, they (Australia) bowled brilliantly but that’s embarrassing, I’m sorry, no fight. The...

Premier League: Mohamed Salah had a penalty saved in Liverpool's 1-0 defeat to Leicester. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

There are currently 61 people in ICU with COVID-19 in New South Wales. On Wednesday, the state recorded 11,201 new COVID-19 cases. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

Cases have soared in NSW to a record with new infections almost doubling yesterday’s total and 625 people now in hospital with the virus. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

There are currently 625 people in hospital with COVID-19 in New South Wales. It comes after the state recorded 11,201 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

The England captain charged ahead of teammate Ben Stokes and practised his forward defence right next to the Australian players as they approached the centre square.Stokes was calmer, taking his time as he waltzed towards the middle.Catch every moment of The Ashes live and ad-break free during play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-days free now.Both were up for the challenge that lay ahead of them. England had lost 4/15 the previous evening, and the visitors needed another 51 runs to make the Aussies bat again.Root and Stokes had been England’s most consistent performers with the bat over the past five years, and if anyone could keep the Ashes series alive, it was them.Mitchell Starc delivered the first ball of day three, and Root punched it towards mid-off. The England skipper had mistimed the stroke, so he practised it a couple of times between deliveries.Later in the over, Starc overpitched again and Root made no mistake on this occasion, cracking a straight drive past mid-off for the f...

Berry was unable to ride at last Sunday’s meeting at Doomben after his Covid-19 test was not returned in time to make the trip to Brisbane.It forced him to forego several stakes rides including on Magic Millions hopeful Bright Blue Sky in the Group 3 B.J. McLachlan Stakes.He will make another attempt to head north less than a week later for another strong book including the feature ride on Jamaea in the Nudgee Stakes (1200m).Berry will also link up with Group 3 Vo Rogue Plate favourite Shihonka and Snowden Racing galloper Aim in The Buffering.“I will get tested on Wednesday and will be just hoping to get them back in time,” Berry said.“I am actually holidaying up north so will be flying out of Newcastle to ride then back for the holiday and have called around for the best clinic up here to get a quick turnaround.”Berry got tested on the same day as James McDonald last week but his premiership rival received clearance in time to pilot Magic Millions 2YO Classic favourite Coolangatta to ...

NC-REC-HP-LIFESTYLE-PARTNER3 Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

The Wildcats were due to face Adelaide 36ers at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Tuesday and Brisbane Bullets at Nissan Arena on Saturday, but both matches will be played at a later date.A 36ers team member tested positive for Covid, with all players and game-day staff deemed close contacts and forced into isolation.The Adelaide-South East Melbourne clash scheduled for Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Sunday has also been pushed onto another day.The new game dates are yet to be determined but are set to be released in the coming days.The latest postponements follow several positive Covid tests last week among players at the Bullets and Illawarra Hawks after they played each other.That resulted in a series of matches this week being put on hold as the NBL battles to keep the season on track despite the difficulties of the Omicron variant.An NBL statement on Tuesday said the decisions were made in line with its Covid health and safety protocols and respective state government close conta...

NC-REC-HP-TOP VIDEO Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

England lost a clump of wickets in the final hour on Monday and its batters need to produce something special today to keep the tourists from going down 3-0.Play is scheduled to begin at 10.30am AEDT.Catch every moment of The Ashes live and ad-break free during play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-days free now.Radio gag hits close to home for EnglandEngland’s batting has been horrendous all tour — failing to pass 300 once in five completed innings — and losing four wickets in 12 overs late on day two was another sad indication of just how poor the top order has been.Collapsing to 4/31 — still 51 runs behind the Aussies — jokes were being made about the hosts asking for an extra 30 minutes to take six more wickets and win the third Test last night.If the umpires believe a result is possible, they can extend the day’s play by half-an-hour. Such a move would normally be unthinkable with six wickets still in hand — surely a team wouldn’t lose 10 wickets in a single session, no matter how bad...

Laptops and computers by top-tier brands are currently being discounted for Boxing Day, which means you can invest in a great work or entertainment model at a heavily discounted price.To help you find the best available offers, we’ve rounded up the top deals we’ve seen on laptops, PCs, tablet and more below. BEST BOXING DAY LAPTOP, PC, TABLET AND ACCESSORY DEALSAmazon AustraliaUp to 50 per cent off select ChromebooksUp to 50 per cent off select Western Digital storageUp to 40 per cent off select gaming laptops from ASUS, MSI and DELLUp to 40 per cent off select DELL, HP, ACER, ASUS and MSI Windows laptopsUp to 40 per cent off select business and gaming monitors from DELL, ACER, BENQ and LENOVOUp to 30 per cent off select Wacom Intuos Graphic Drawing TabletsUp to 30 per cent off select ASUS range$250 off select Samsung tablets$200 off Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020) 256GB$150.95 off TP-Link AX3000 Whole Home Mesh WiFi 6 System$102 off Apple MacBook Air Laptop 13-inch (M1, 2020) 256...

The 41-year-old, known as The Undertaker, died at his home in Ciney, Belgium, after deciding to treat the “little virus” himself at home, The Sun reports.The three-time world champion, who was forced to get medical help by his coach back in November, shared pictures of himself in a hospital bed in intensive care breathing through an oxygen tube.After discharging himself from the hospital, the heavyweight fighter reportedly treated himself with oxygen at home.Sinistra’s death was announced by his partner in a Facebook post. “From the bottom of my heart thank you all for your support and all your wonderful tributes to my husband,” she wrote. “My husband was a generous man with a big heart who wanted to help others no matter what.”Anti-vaxxerThe athlete had previously shared a video where he could be seen struggling to breathe, saying in the caption he had “no time to waste with lazy people”.The anti-vaxxer said in other posts that the “little virus” will not stop him while raising his ob...

Department of Fire and Emergency Services incident controller Adrian Hamill said the arson squad was at the fire ground last night.“They have determined an area of origin of about 100m area. They are coming back today to further investigate. They didn’t really get anything because it was night and they will come back further but they do think it was suspicious,” Mr Hamill said.A police spokeswoman said the arson squad was investigating, however that was normal procedure and it was to early to confirm the cause of the fire.The fire, which was reported at 3.41pm on Boxing Day, has burnt through 167 hectares.While the fire was now contained and under control there is still a threat to lives and homes as firies work to douse embers high up in trees.People in an area bounded by Government Road, Old Northam Road, Forge Farm Riding School, Liberton Road and Jason Street in parts of Wooroloo, Chidlow and Gidgegannup have been told they are still in danger. This includes people in the Warrigal ...

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the state has recorded 784 new cases of COVID-19. “We are expecting those case numbers to increase, but like I said, we are monitoring it very closely,” Ms Palaszczuk said during a media conference on Monday. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

England’s horror tour went from bad to worse on Sunday as its batters capitulated once again after Australia won the toss and elected to bowl on a green wicket under cloudy skies.Play is scheduled to begin at 11am AEDT. Catch every moment of The Ashes live and ad-break free during play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-days free now.More Covid chaos hits the AshesCovid has caused havoc once again with the cricket.England released a statement at around 9.30am AEDT — approximately one hour before the first ball of the day was due to be bowled — saying the team was remaining in its hotel following a positive test result among the family group.The players underwent rapid tests and were staying put while they waited for the results.“The England team and management are currently at the team hotel awaiting results of RFT Covid tests following a positive test in the team’s family group,” the statement said.At 9.45am, it was confirmed England had been given the all-clear to leave the hotel and make ...

Heading into the teeth of brisk southerly winds on Sunday, Australian super maxi LawConnect grabbed the front position from rival 30-metre super maxi SHK Scallywag from Hong Kong, which hit a major technical problem with a jib sail fitting after having led the Covid-depleted fleet out of Sydney Harbour.Wild weather on Sunday night meant by Monday morning, Black Jack had regained the lead and according to The Australian, as of 8.30am 24 of the 88 yachts that started the race had retired — reducing the field down to 64.The Australian reports former overall winner Alive was wiped out with hull damage and overall handicap contender URM was also among the casualties after suffering damage to the mainsail.“It’s just heartbreaking,’’ URM skipper Marcus Ashley-Jones said. “We had a 30 knot squall come through. We were putting the reef in and the mainsail failed.”Spectator boats had crowded into a cloudy, breezy Sydney Harbour to enjoy the return of the blue-water classic, which was forced by C...

St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney has launched an emergency response after informing 400 people they had incorrectly received negative test results. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

ADVERTISER/NEWS/SA NEWS (171832) Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

Cricket: After missing the second test due to a COVID scare, Australian skipper Pat Cummins has returned with a bang, claiming all three wickets in the first session of the Boxing Day Test. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

Health Minister Brad Hazzard says those who choose to be unvaccinated are taking up more ICU places than they should as New South Wales records more than 6,000 cases for the second consecutive day. Mr Hazzard said while studies have indicated Omicron is less severe than other variants it nevertheless has an impact on the unvaccinated. "The majority of people who are in intensive care in New South Wales and requiring health staff to be looking after them, putting them at risk also, are people who have not been vaccinated," he told a media conference on Sunday. "So the unvaccinated are ... taking more places than they should be in our ICUs simply because they have chosen not to be vaccinated." Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

The James Webb Space Telescope launched from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on December 25, in a joint effort between NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. NASA described the Webb Telescope expedition as their “revolutionary flagship mission to seek the light from the first galaxies in the early universe,” seeking to explore the Earth’s solar system as well as planets orbiting other stars. This video shows the telescope’s launch on an Ariane 5 rocket. “Liftoff from a tropical rainforest to the edge of time itself, James Webb begins a voyage back to the birth of the universe,” says the announcer. Credit: NASA via Storyful Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

Some lined up in the early hours of Sunday to snag a bargain for Boxing Day sales, but crowds were quieter than usual due to the pandemic. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

Mass fears of community transmission and two-weeks in hotel quarantine didn’t stop these backpacker revellers from partying until the very last moment. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

After travelling to Tasmania for a short holiday two friends have found themselves in hotel quarantine over Christmas after testing positive to COVID-19. Martin Wood and Josh Martin travelled around Tasmania with three other friends, with it not being until the day of the return flight that some of the group began feeling sick. “We were due to return on Wednesday and basically two out of the five of us started feeling sick so we thought to be safe all of us would take rapid tests and two of us came back positive,” Martin Wood told Sky News Australia. All five of the friends have since tested positive for the virus but do not know how they caught it. Josh Martin said the pair were doing quite well considering the circumstances. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

Big Bash: The Sydney Sixers bowling stocks have received a boost following the announcement Pakistan spinner Shadab Khan has signed with the defending champions. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

As rebels advanced on the CAR capital Bangui ahead of presidential elections, Russia flew in hundreds of paramilitaries, helping Touadera to turn the tide.The entwinement has alienated the CAR's traditional supporter France, triggered allegations of atrocities and failed to defuse hostility to Touadera's rule, they say.The CAR is facing a swelling humanitarian crisis -- out of a population of around five million people, more than three million will need aid next year, according to the United Nations humanitarian aid coordinator, OCHA.Russia, the CAR's ally since 2018, officially only acknowledges the presence of unarmed "military instructors" to train its poorly equipped armed forces."Me, I haven't signed anything with any company called Wagner," Touadera said in September in an interview with the publication Jeune Afrique.The CAR in 2013 plunged into a civil war along sectarian lines, which was then quelled by French military intervention, opening t...

Christmas Eve travel chaos has been felt worldwide as more 2,000 flights were cancelled yesterday. The disruptions were caused by staff shortages due to the rapidly spreading Omicron variant. The majority of the cancellations came from five carriers, including China Eastern which cancelled 474 journeys, and United Airlines which dropped 180. Some airlines are calling for the relaxation of quarantine rules for fully vaccinated staff during the busy holiday season. Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

NC-REC-HP-TOP VIDEO Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au

The men in magenta have lost Tom Curran and Ben Manenti to season-ending injuries, while Chris Jordan’s five-game contract ran out after the win over the Adelaide Strikers on Tuesday.A calf injury is also keeping veteran spinner Steve O’Keefe sidelined for the short term.Having already picked up young spinner Todd Murphy in the past week, the Sixers gave fans another early Christmas present on December 24, announcing that Khan, who has played for Pakistan internationally in all three formats of the game, would come into the side.Watch every game of the KFC Big Bash League Live & On-Demand on Kayo or catch up for FREE with minis on Kayo Freebies. Join Kayo Now >Pakistan was one of the tournament heavyweights at the T20 World Cup earlier this year, and Khan played all six of the side’s games.He was Pakistan’s most damaging bowler in the semi-final clash with Australia, dismissing Mitch Marsh, Steve Smith, David Warner and Glenn Maxwell with an impressive haul of 4-26.In total, he’...

Russian Conquest impressed on debut when she covered extra ground but still ran down Uncorked to win the Max Lees Classic at Newcastle month.Snowden, who trains in partnership, has given the filly a barrier trial between runs where she ran a close second to Pantonario at Rosehill. She is rated at $7 for the juvenile opener on Sunday.“Russian Conquest is a nice filly, I really like her,’’ said Snowden, who trains in partnership with his son, Paul.“She won well at Newcastle, her work since has been very good and I thought she went great in her trial the other day. I’m quietly confident she will be hard to beat.’’Russian Conquest, a daughter of the Snowden stable’s former brilliant sprinter Russian Revolution, cost $425,000 at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale earlier this year.Snowden confirmed Russian Conquest is being aimed at the $2 million Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast on January 15.“She probably has to win at Randwick to make sure she has enough prizemoney to g...