skip to Main Content

Big names missing from England Roses to meet Silver Ferns

England's biggest netball stars will be missing from the side that meets the Silver Ferns late next month for the first international Tests since Covid-19 disrupted the sport. Jo Harten Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2018 www.photosport.nz Head Coach of the Roses, Jess Thirlby has named 16 players who will travel to New Zealand to face the Silver Ferns in three Tests in Hamilton for the Taini Jamison Trophy. The England side are set to arrive on 8 October, after which the team will quarantine for two weeks before facing the world champions on 28 October, 30 October and 1 November. But the Roses, who are currently ranked third in the world, might struggle. None of the Roses who currently play in the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) league in Australia, including the likes of Helen Housby, Jo Harten and Geva Mentor, will be partaking in the series. Nor will Natalie Haythornthwaite, and defenders Layla Guscoth and Stacey Francis after a condensed SSN season which also meant living in a quarantine 'hub' for an extended period. The SSN league, which started late due to the pandemic, has its grand final on 18th October, which could potentially tie up a couple of the English players. Thirlby said while they would miss them it was important they got the opportunity to rest both mentally and physically after an intense season. Serena Guthrie, who had great success in both the New Zealand and Australian domestic leagues, is a world class player and is likely to be named captain for the series. The well-travelled Jade Clarke is by far England's most capped player with 176 Tests, while Kadeen Corbin adds experience to the shooting end with 70 caps. Southern Steel fans will get a sneak peek of their recently signed import George Fisher, who is a tall target in the shooting circle. Defender Fran Williams has shown huge potential for some time and will relish solid court time along with fellow defender Jodie Gibson. Thirlby said the series was a massive opportunity for the team after what had been an extremely difficult period. "After both the Vitality Netball Superleague and the international season were disrupted due to COVID-19, we weren't sure whether we were going to get an opportunity like this in 2020. "I am so proud of how well the Vitality Roses athletes and staff have handled training in a different environment and of how they have come together in uncertain times. I know they're all excited to get out there now and to get playing." Thirlby said it was a great opportunity to blood some new talent in the lead up to a home Commonwealth Games. "We've got a great pool of talent heading out to face the Silver Ferns, including some rising stars like Imogen Allison who is yet to gain her first senior cap, plus some household names such as Serena Guthrie who could achieve her 100th cap during the series and Jade Clarke who is the most capped England player." Thirlby said they were thankful for New Zealand hosting them. "It can't be underestimated what an achievement it is for both nations to enable this opportunity to happen, not only for both nations but for the visibility of international netball and female sport during such challenging times." England Roses squad Jade Clarke Halimat Adio Imogen Allison Serena Guthrie Sophie Drakeford-Lewis Yasmin Parsons Vicki Oyesola Amy Carter Gabriella Marshall Razia Quashie George Fisher Fran Williams Jodie Gibson Eleanor Cardwell Laura Malcolm Kadeen Corbin
Continue Reading

Dreamworld operator Ardent Leisure fined $3.6m for Thunder River Rapids Ride deaths

Dreamworld's parent company Ardent Leisure has been fined A$3.6 million over the deaths of four people, including New Zealander Cindy Low, on the Thunder River Rapids Ride in 2016. Flowers outside Dreamworld in Queensland, where four people died. Photo: AFP Ardent Leisure pleaded guilty to three breaches of workplace health and safety laws. The maximum penalty for each breach is A$1.5 million - A$4.5 million in total. Cindy Low, Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett and his partner Roozi Araghi died when their raft collided with an empty raft and flipped in October 2016. Earlier today, the Southport Magistrates Court heard emotional victims impact statements from the family of victims, including a teenager who saw her mother and two uncles killed on the Dreamworld ride four years ago. Ebony Turner was 12 when she witnessed the deadly accident on the Thunder River Rapids Ride in 2016. The teenager has been accompanied by Kim Dorsett, who is her grandmother and the mother of ride victims Kate Godchild and Luke Dorsett. Dorsett's partner Roozi Araghi and Cindy Low also died when their raft collided with an empty raft and flipped. Dorsett gave a victim impact statement at the theme park's sentencing at Southport Magistrates Court this morning. She recounted the moment when she saw her granddaughter Ebony at the police station after being told about the tragedy. "Ebony had survived the accident and was hysterical trying to tell of the events that had taken place that afternoon," Ms Dorsett told the court. "'I couldn't find Mummy. "These words have become a recurring nightmare, words that will be with me until I too take my last breath." Dorsett stopped several times to reach for tissues during her emotional address, which she had travelled from Canberra with Ebony to deliver in person. She described her daily struggles with PTSD, loss of memory and organisational skills, and a life now lived in a "lonely village of grief". Victims watch proceedings via video link A number of the victims' family members have been watching proceedings via video link, including Low's brother, Michael Cook, and her husband, Matthew Low. Queensland's independent Work Health and Safety Prosecutor, Aaron Guilfoyle, has charged Dreamworld's parent company Ardent Leisure with three counts of Failure to Comply with Health and Safety Duty, Category 2, under the Queensland Health and Safety Act. The maximum penalty for each breach is $1.5 million - equating to $4.5 million in total. In July, Ardent Leisure appeared briefly in the Southport Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to all three charges. A coronial inquest into the four deaths made findings of a series of failures at the park, including safety and maintenance systems that the coroner described as "rudimentary at best" and "frighteningly unsophisticated". Work Health and Safety prosecutor Aaron Guilfoyle recommended Magistrate Pamela Dowse heavily penalise Ardent Leisure, and that a conviction be recorded. "The failures of the defendant were not momentary," Guilfoyle said. "The failures did not occur solely on the day of the incident, they were failures well before then, which led ultimately to what transpired. "This is a rare case in which a penalty close to the available maximum is appropriate." 'Ardent apologises for the terrible tragedy' Ardent Leisure's legal representative, Bruce Hodgkinson SC told the court the company did not dispute the facts presented by Guilfoyle, opening his submissions with an apology. "Ardent apologises for the terrible tragedy which occurred," Hodgkinson told the court. "Ardent apologises unreservedly to the family and friends of Roozi Araghi, Luke Dorsett, Kate Goodchild and Cindy Low for the past failures of Dreamworld as identified by this prosecution. "Ardent expresses its deepest sympathies to the immediate and extended families for their enormous loss and ongoing suffering. "Ardent also apologises to all those who have been so deeply impacted by this tragedy: first responders, bystanders, Queensland police and ambulance services, Dreamworld staff and many other people involved who have been affected." Hodgkinson said since the tragedy, Ardent Leisure had been working with cross-industry experts to bring Dreamworld's safety and systems up to world standards. He told the court this included comprehensive engineering reviews, situational emergency training on a planned and ad-hoc basis for staff, and the development of new safety regulations for theme parks with the Queensland Government. "In addition to working with the regulator, Dreamworld has consulted extensively with industry and broad experience, both in the theme park industry and in the aviation, mining and oil and gas industries," Hodgkinson said. "They are industries that have had a lot of scrutiny, both internal and external, in the relation to development of safety mechanisms. "Those have been drawn upon to ensure that the park, on an ongoing basis, has been made safe and has been brought up to world safety standards." 'Largest workplace fine in Queensland history' In a statement issued after the fine, Ardent Leisure chairman Gary Weiss and CEO John Osborne said they accepted the court's decision to impose "the largest fine in Queensland history for a workplace tragedy". "Ardent accepts responsibility for this tragedy without qualification or reservation," their statement said. "The majority of families, first responders and others impacted by the tragedy have received compensation. "The Ardent board has, and continues to, press for the expeditious resolution of the remaining claims noting that, in the case of compensation for minors, the court's approval is required before compensation can be finalised. "The construction of the Memorial Garden announced in February was put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic and this project will recommence in the next few months following consultation with immediate family members." - ABC
Continue Reading

Donald Trump paid no income taxes for years – New York Times report

US president Donald Trump paid extremely little in recent income taxes as heavy losses from his enterprises offset hundreds of millions of dollars in income, according to the New York Times. The New York Times report said Trump paid no income taxes in 10 of the last 15 years. Photo: AFP Citing tax-return data, the Times reported Trump, who is seeking re-election in November, paid just $US750 in federal income taxes in both 2016 and 2017, and paid no income taxes in 10 of the last 15 years. This was despite receiving $US427.4 million through 2018 from his reality television program and other endorsement and licensing deals. Trump was able to minimize his tax bill by reporting heavy losses across his business empire. The Times reported that Trump claimed $US47.4 million in losses in 2018, despite claiming income of at least $US434.9 million in a financial disclosure that year. Trump denied the report on Sunday, calling it "total fake news" at a White House news conference. In a statement to the Times, Alan Garten, a lawyer for the Trump Organization, said Trump had paid millions of dollars in personal taxes over the past decade, without weighing in on the specific income tax finding. Trump has consistently refused to release his taxes, departing from standard practice for presidential candidates, saying they are under audit. The Times said it had obtained tax-return data covering over two decades for Trump and companies within his business organisation. It did not have information about his personal returns from 2018 or 2019. The Times also reported Trump is currently embroiled in a decade-long Internal Revenue Service audit over a $US72.9 million tax refund he claimed after declaring large losses. If the IRS rules against him, he could have to pay over $US100 million, according to the newspaper. - Reuters
Continue Reading

Remembering Matiu Ratana: 'The loveliest of blokes'

Members of the East Grinstead Rugby Football Club have paid tribute to London Met Police officer, Matiu Ratana - known as Matt to his friends, who was a role model to many as their coach. On Friday, Sergeant Ratana was shot dead by a handcuffed suspect who was in custody. The club held two periods of silence on Sunday - at 9.30am and 11am - to remember Sergeant Ratana and flew the club's flag at half-mast alongside the New Zealand flag and the All Blacks flag to honour his roots. At the 11am minute, there were about 500 to 700 people and when the minute's silence was up, Sussex's East Grinstead Rugby Football Club assistant coach Ryan Morlen said no one wanted to move. East Grinstead Rugby Football Club's tribute to Matt Ratana. Photo: East Grinstead RFC / Facebook "It was just in that moment then it felt a little more real. It felt as everyone had really lost a true friend, a true role model ... and then as they do how Matt would have liked it, they picked up a rugby ball and played again." Morlen told Morning Report he knew Ratana for about five to six years through the gym and then rugby. "[He was] really really passionate about rugby ... just a really kind bloke who could speak to absolutely anyone. "That was just Matt, he was just the loveliest of blokes." Morlen said he found out about Ratana's death when he saw the news that a sergeant had been shot at in Croydon. "At that moment it was unofficial but kind of tying things together it was highly likely it was going to be Matt. I knew he was on that shift there." He said Ratana as head coach had built a strong foundation for the rugby club. "Everyone's devastated. "He really has left a mark on so many people from senior men's rugby to women's rugby, to juniors. At that rugby club he's had the chance to coach everyone. He's just a real club man, he's really bought in ... he's laid the foundation. "His passing is terribly difficult for a lot of people at that rugby club." Clubs around the country have been holding a minute's applause in memory of Police Sergeant Matiu Ratana.Matt was Director of Rugby @RugbyEGRFC and a huge part of our rugby family. https://t.co/cW0Li2MvKI — England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) September 27, 2020 Morlen said although Ratana was involved in the coaching and training, he also sunk his teeth into various aspects like getting sponsors and deciding the type of kits. "He just wanted what was best for others. he was not a selfish person at all ... just a superb bloke." Morlen, who has been at the club only six months, hopes to carry on Ratana's legacy. "We need to continue building the rugby club as a community. Stopping now is not what he would have wanted." Ratana's cousin, Adrian Rurahwe, said friends and family are devastated by the news. "Not only to lose a close relative but the nature in which he was taken," Rurahwe said. The family was looking to hold a commemoration, but needed to take into consideration travel and health restrictions in light of Covid-19. He said the distance between New Zealand and the UK had also made things more difficult. "We're half a world away, so that's impacted on our ability to carry out all of the cultural aspects of losing someone close to you." He said family members were looking to go over to the UK and were in contact with friends of Ratana there. @WorcsRugbyClub girls junior section paying respects to #SgtMattRatana and all others in the #ThinBlueLine @metpoliceuk @RugbyEGRFC #NationalPoliceMemorialDay pic.twitter.com/ucGhgRQFNs — Butters Ant (@rugby_dad_146) September 27, 2020 Thank you to all the wonderful residents who have attended the police station with flowers, cards and pure love for #SgtMattRatanaWe are very taken aback and really appreciate your gestures. pic.twitter.com/ZkBhediB5Z — Hackney Police (gov.uk/coronavirus) (@MPSHackney) September 27, 2020
Continue Reading

UK police arrest man after Matiu Ratana's death

A man has been arrested on suspicion of supplying a firearm as part of the investigation into the fatal shooting of New Zealand-born police officer Matiu Ratana in London. Matiu Ratana was fatally shot as a handcuffed suspect was being taken into custody in Croyden, London, on Friday. Photo: Hackney Police The 54-year-old custody sergeant died in hospital after being shot at the Croydon custody centre as a handcuffed suspect was taken into custody on Friday morning. The man is then believed to have turned the gun on himself, and remains in hospital. "He is in a critical condition and consequently we are not able to speak to him," the police said. Police said another man was arrested in the early hours of Sunday in Norwich, Norfolk, on suspicion of supplying a firearm. The second arrest came as Sgt Ratana was remembered by friends and teammates at East Grinstead Rugby Club, where he was head coach. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told Morning Report Police Commissioner Andrew Coster was in contact with his counterpart in the UK over the "tragic loss" of Ratana, who had family here and other ties to New Zealand. If his family were to travel there for the funeral and return, the cost of their managed isolation would be covered by the 'humanitarian reasons' exemption, Ardern said. The West Sussex club's vice chairman Matt Marriot said they had to arrange two separate minute's silences because the "interest has been pretty enormous", with "people coming from all over the country". He said Sgt Ratana, who was known as Matt, had been "a role model, a mentor and often a father figure", and the club mourned him "as a family member". PC Sarah D'Silva, who plays for the club's women's team as well as working at Croydon Police Station, said it felt "extremely poignant" joining the minute's silence. She wore her police uniform to pay her respects to Sgt Ratana, who she described as "an absolutely fantastic character, full of life, with the biggest smile you've ever seen". Met Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick, speaking at the National Police Memorial in central London earlier, said she "hadn't been surprised at all" by the number of tributes paid to him. "Matt was an extraordinary person... he had a wonderful personality and he was very good at his job," she said, adding that he was a "proud Kiwi". Prince Charles also paid tribute to Sgt Ratana during a National Police Memorial Day service, saying his death was the "latest heartbreaking evidence of the risks". Searches continue at Croydon Custody Centre, where the shooting happened, an address in Park Road, Banstead, Surrey, and an address in Southbrook Road, Norbury. Residents near one of the search areas, in Banstead, Surrey, reported hearing a loud noise on Saturday morning. and were later told that a controlled explosion had taken place. The Banstead address is down a long driveway and its land contains a series of concrete bunkers. A marked police car has been guarding the entrance to the property. - Reuters / BBC / RNZ
Continue Reading

Brain-eating microbe: Texas city told not to use water amid contamination concerns

Residents of Lake Jackson, Texas, have been urged not to use tap water because it might be contaminated with a deadly brain-eating microbe. File photo. Photo: 123RF The local water authority warned of the potential contamination of its supply to the town - home to about 27,000 people - by Naegleria fowleri. The amoeba typically infects people when contaminated water enters the body through the nose. It is usually fatal. Infections are rare in the US, with 34 reported between 2009 and 2018. Eight Texas communities were told on Friday night not to use their water supply for any reason except to flush toilets. But the warning was lifted on Saturday for everywhere but Lake Jackson. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said residents of Lake Jackson should continue to avoid using tap water "until the water system has been adequately flushed and samples indicate that the water is safe to use". It said it is not yet known how long this will take. Naegleria fowleri is found around the world. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the majority of infections in the US have been caused by contaminated freshwater in southern states. The CDC says people cannot get infected by swallowing contaminated water, and it cannot be passed from person to person. Those infected with Naegleria fowleri have symptoms including fever, nausea and vomiting, as well as a stiff neck and headaches. Most die within a week. An infection was previously confirmed in the US state of Florida earlier this year. At the time, health officials there urged locals to avoid nasal contact with water from taps and other sources. - BBC
Continue Reading

Susan Ryan, former Australian minister, age discrimination commissioner, dies aged 77

Susan Ryan, a trailblazing figure for women in politics who later served as Australia's first age discrimination commissioner, has died aged 77. Susan Ryan, former Australian minister. Photo: Supplied / Twitter Ryan served as a minister in Bob Hawke's Labor government, holding titles including special minister of state, minister for education and minister assisting the prime minister for the status women. She was the first woman to hold the portfolio relating to women's affairs, and the first female minister from the Labor Party. Key laws enshrining opportunity and rights for women were legislated on her watch, including the Sex Discrimination Act. She would later be quoted as calling the Sex Discrimination Act "probably the most useful thing I've done in my life". Ryan was elected to the Senate in 1975 as one of the first representatives for the ACT after it was granted two seats in the Senate. She remained in Parliament for 12 years before retiring in 1987. In 2011 she was appointed Australia's first age discrimination commissioner, later also serving as disability discrimination commissioner. - ABC
Continue Reading

Donald Trump nominates Amy Coney Barrett as Supreme Court Justice

US President Donald Trump announces Amy Coney Barrett as his nomination for the Supreme Court. Photo: Getty Images US President Donald Trump has announced conservative appellate judge Amy Coney Barrett as his third US Supreme Court appointment, setting off a scramble in the Republican-led Senate to confirm her before Election Day in five-and-a-half weeks. Barrett appeared at the White House with Trump as he made the announcement. Trump called her "one of our nation's most brilliant and gifted legal minds." If confirmed to replace liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died at age 87 on 18 September, Barrett would become the fifth woman ever to serve on the top US judicial body and push its conservative majority to a commanding 6-3. With Trump's fellow Republicans controlling the Senate, confirmation appears certain, though Democrats may try to make the process as difficult as possible. Barrett, 48, was appointed by Trump to the Chicago-based 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals in 2017 and is a favourite of religious conservatives, a key Trump voter bloc. Conservative activists have hailed Trump's selection, which surfaced on Friday night, while liberals have voiced dismay. Like Trump's two other appointees, Neil Gorsuch in 2017 and Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, Barrett is young enough that she could serve for decades. Barrett is the youngest Supreme Court nominee since conservative Clarence Thomas was 43 in 1991. The White House ceremony was decorated with American flags arranged in a way similar to the day when President Bill Clinton nominated Ginsburg in 1993. A makeshift memorial in honour of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in front of the US Supreme Court Photo: AFP The selection kicks off a flurry of activity that must take place before the final confirmation vote, including public hearings in the coming weeks before the Senate Judiciary Committee. A White House source said the nominee on Tuesday will begin the traditional courtesy calls on individual senators in their offices, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell up first. White House Counsel Pat Cipollone is expected to shepherd the nomination. Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, who mounted an angry defense of Kavanaugh during tense confirmation hearings in 2018, has signalled he expects to have Barrett confirmed as a justice by the 3 November election in which Trump is seeking a second term. Democrats are still furious over McConnell's 2016 refusal to consider President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland because it came during an election year. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has said the winner of the election should get to replace Ginsburg. Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority. Only two Republican senators have opposed proceeding with the confirmation process. Abortion rights advocates have voiced concern that Barrett, a devout Roman Catholic, could cast a vote for overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling legalising abortion nationwide. Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life, an anti-abortion group, in a statement on Saturday expressed confidence that Barrett "will fairly apply the law and Constitution as written, which includes protecting the most vulnerable in our nation: our unborn children." Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote, a faith-based advocacy group, added, "Catholics are thrilled with the expected nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett and believe she represents the best choice to protect the rule of law and our constitutional rights." Abortion rights groups and other liberal-leaning organisations announced plans for a protest against her nomination on Sunday in front of the Supreme Court. Barrett has staked out conservative legal positions in three years on the bench, voting in favor of one of Trump's hardline immigration policies and showing support for expansive gun rights. She also authored a ruling making it easier for college students accused of campus sexual assaults to sue their institutions. Amy Coney Barrett. Photo: AFP / University of Notre Dame / Julian Velasco She and her lawyer husband have seven children, two of whom were adopted from Haiti. Born in New Orleans, Barrett received her law degree from Notre Dame Law School, a Catholic institution in Indiana. The other finalist mentioned by Trump to fill the vacancy was Barbara Lagoa, a Cuban-American federal appeals court judge from Florida who he appointed last year. Trump has said he wants his nominee confirmed before the election so she would be able participate in any election-related cases that reach the justices, potentially casting a key vote in his favor. A US presidential election's outcome only once has been determined by the Supreme Court, in 2000 when it clinched Republican George W. Bush's victory over Democrat Al Gore. Trump has repeatedly without evidence said voting by mail, a regular feature of American elections, will lead to voter fraud. He also has refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose the election. This marks the first time since 1956 that a US president has moved to fill a Supreme Court vacancy so close to an election. In that year, President Dwight Eisenhower three weeks before winning re-election placed William Brennan on the court using a procedure called a "recess appointment" that bypassed the Senate, a tactic no longer available for installing justices. An emboldened Supreme Court conservative majority could shift the United States to the right on hot-button issues by, among other things, curbing abortion rights, expanding religious rights, striking down gun control laws, and endorsing new restrictions on voting rights.
Continue Reading
Back To Top