SpaceX’s launchpad at Starbase — the name of the company’s sprawling facility that has popped up by the Gulf of Mexico at the southernmost tip of Texas — has some unique features.
The large metal arms that look like they’re giving the rocket a hug aren’t a typical launchpad feature. SpaceX has a unique plan for this structure, which CEO Elon Musk has dubbed “Mechazilla.”
Eventually, SpaceX hopes these arms will catch the Starship spacecraft mid-air as it flies back home from a trip to space.
That maneuver has never been tried before — but it’s not entirely unlike the method SpaceX uses to land and recover its other rockets.
The company’s Falcon 9 rocket pioneered propulsive landing: It became the firstto complete a soft touchdown of its booster after a flight in April 2016.
It used its engines, a set of hardware called grid fins to steer itself, and four legs attached to the base to make a gentle landing on a seafaring platform, called a droneship.
SpaceX has since perfected the maneuver, with 230 booster landings under its belt. (And that doesn’t even count Falcon Heavy booster landings.)
The main difference for Starship is that — instead of relying on landing legs — SpaceX plans to fly the rocket booster straight into Mechazilla’s giant metal arms, catching it before it hits the ground.
SpaceX won’t attempt to land Starship or Super Heavy today. Both will instead be discarded into the ocean.
But, before it hits the water, SpaceX will attempt to test out a landing maneuver by reigniting Super Heavy’s engines.
That should happen about six minutes and 30 seconds into flight — if all goes well.
Later, the Starship spacecraft may attempt something similar, making use of a belly flop maneuver as it heads in for landing over an hour into its flight.
The California population of immigrants lacking lawful status decreased by 150,000 between 2017 and 2021, but the state continues to have the highest number — 1.9 million — of unauthorized residents among the states.
According to a report published Thursday by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center, only two states saw an increase in such residents during the same period: Florida, which increased by 80,000 people, and Washington, which increased by 60,000.
Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey and Illinois follow California as states with the largest unauthorized immigrant populations. Such immigrants have become less geographically concentrated, however, with those six states being home to 56% of that population in the U.S., down from 80% in 1990.
The Pew Research Center analyzed the most current data from the U.S. Census Bureau and government surveys such as the American Community Survey to estimate the size and characteristics of that population.
Among those counted as unauthorized immigrants by Pew are more than 2 million people with temporary permission to be in the U.S., including through pending asylum petitions, temporary protected status and the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Across the country, 10.5 million immigrants lacked legal status in 2021, down from a peak of 12.2 million in 2007, but up slightly from a low of 10.2 million in 2019.
Jeffrey Passel, a senior demographer at Pew, said the rebound is due in part to pent-up requests for U.S. entry after strict enforcement during the Trump administration and then pandemic closures.
The foreign-born population made up about 14% of the country’s total population in 2021. Between 2007 and 2021, the lawful immigrant population grew by a quarter and the number of naturalized U.S. citizens grew substantially, accounting for about half of all immigrants in the country.
Passel said naturalizations probably increased because of restrictions on legal immigrants, as well as the desire of immigrants to vote in presidential elections since 2008. After U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reopened following a pandemic closure, nearly a million immigrants became naturalized citizens in fiscal year 2022, the third-highest number on record.
But the Pew report notes that the new estimates don’t reflect changes since migrant arrests and expulsions started increasing in March 2021, later reaching historic highs.
The number of unauthorized immigrants from Mexico decreased by 900,000 to 4.1 million in 2021. Meanwhile, the number of people from nearly every other region in the world grew rapidly, including from Venezuela, India and Canada. Immigrants from East Asia and India probably drove the increase in Washington, Passel said.
Passel said the decrease in Mexican immigrants partly explains the overall decrease in unauthorized immigrants in California. That‘s because many Mexican immigrants have returned to Mexico while fewer have entered the U.S., he said.
“In some ways it’s a status quo, but I think it’s notable that the sources are really changing quite a bit,” Passel said of the countries where immigrants were born. “We’re seeing some growth from almost every region of the world — not huge, but some — and the continued decline in Mexico as a source. I think that’s likely to continue for the next couple of years.”
During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing last week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas described the changes reflected at the southern U.S. border as a global phenomenon.
“We are facing economic, political and climate instability across the world, exacerbated in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic — instability that is fueling the greatest level of global migration since World War II,” Mayorkas said.
France captain Antoine Dupont is set to take a break from the 15-a-side game in order to focus on sevens in the build up to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris; the decision is set to be announced on Monday
Last Updated: 15/11/23 5:59pm
France’s Antoine Dupont is set to announce his intention to miss the Six Nations in order to prepare for the 2024 Olympic Games
France captain Antoine Dupont is set to miss next year’s Six Nations in order to prepare for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The French rugby federation (FFR) told AFP the news on Wednesday, with the decision coming just a month after the disappointment of an early World Cup exit.
Dupont, 27, is set to miss the Six Nations, held between February 2 – March 16 next year in order to participate in legs of the World Rugby seven-a-side circuit, now known as SVNS.
His club Toulouse, the FFR and Dupont are set to hold a press conference on Monday, 250 days from the start of the Games, when they are expected to announce Dupont’s intentions.
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Members of the France squad and head coach Fabien Galthie criticise the standard of refereeing following their quarter-final defeat to South Africa
Members of the France squad and head coach Fabien Galthie criticise the standard of refereeing following their quarter-final defeat to South Africa
Dupont will join France’s sevens squad in January before SVNS events in Vancouver, Canada on February 23-24 and Los Angeles on March 2-3.
Scrum-half Dupont’s most recent 15-a-side appearance for France was last month’s agonising World Cup quarter-final defeat to eventual winners South Africa at the Stade de France.
The stadium in northern Paris will also host next July’s sevens competitions, for men and women, at the Olympics.
As far back as last December, Dupont opened the door to playing in the event, which first featured in the Olympics in 2016.
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Despite thrashing Namibia 96-0 for their biggest win ever, the Rugby World Cup hosts will be concerned to have seen Antoine Dupont go off in the second half with an injury
Despite thrashing Namibia 96-0 for their biggest win ever, the Rugby World Cup hosts will be concerned to have seen Antoine Dupont go off in the second half with an injury
“It’s highly motivating,” Dupont told RTL.
“It’s incredible when you see the enthusiasm it can create. There is a desire from my side to put things in place for me to participate.
“It will be a discussion between the different coaching staffs,” he added.
A host of other leading 15-a-side players have featured at past Olympic Games including South Africa winger Cheslin Kolbe and former New Zealand centre Sonny Bill Williams, who have both won the World Cup twice.
Fiji have won the two men’s gold medals since seven-a-side rugby was introduced into the Olympics with the longer format of the sport having last featured in 1924.
The absence of Dupont in the Six Nations will force France head coach Fabien Galthie to name a new captain and starting scrum-half for the Six Nations, which they start against Ireland on February 2.
Bath returned to winning ways with a big win over Gloucester in a rollercoaster West Country derby that featured eight tries; Bath are two points ahead of Exeter, with Gloucester still in eighth after a third loss of the season
Last Updated: 10/11/23 10:23pm
Bath produced a stunning second-half performance to win a pulsating West Country derby against Gloucester 45-27 at a sold-out Kingsholm.
Trailing 20-10 at the interval, after being comfortably second best in the first half, Bath turned the game on its head with their pack taking control to score four tries in a devastating 15-minute spell as their opponents imploded.
Ollie Lawrence scored two tries for Bath with Will Muir, Thomas du Toit and Beno Obano also touching down for the visitors. There was also a penalty try award with Finn Russell adding five conversions and a penalty.
Santiago Carreras, Chris Harris and Matias Alemanno scored Gloucester’s tries with George Barton kicking two penalties and three conversions.
Gloucester made an explosive start, with Jonny May heavily involved. A pre-planned move saw the former England international tear through the Bath ranks to set up a period of pressure, with the wing soon producing another strong run which ended with Carreras being hauled down metres from the try-line.
Bath captain Ben Spencer was yellow-carded as he sought to slow down Gloucester’s possession and the hosts soon capitalised with a Barton penalty.
The away side’s response was swift with a Russell penalty rewarding a powerful burst from Lawrence, meaning Spencer was able to return to the fray with no damage done to the scoreboard.
After 17 minutes, Gloucester’s early dominance was rewarded when Harris powered over after Bath’s defence had been dragged from side to side as the hosts’ skilful inter-play had them chasing shadows.
Bath beat Gloucester at a sold-out Kingsholm
Bath then missed a golden opportunity for an immediate reply when another break from Lawrence set up a scoring chance for Miles Reid but the flanker stumbled when challenged by Carreras with the line beckoning.
It mattered little as Lawrence took matters into his own hands by brushing off Stephen Varney’s tackle to score Bath’s opening try, with Russell’s conversion bringing the scores level. However, Gloucester were soon back in front with more intricate back play creating the space for Carreras to walk over in the corner.
A Russell penalty attempt rebounded back off a post but Barton had no such issues as he slotted over from 30 metres out to give his side a deserved 20-10 interval lead.
After the restart Bath were quickly out of the traps and roared back into contention when Muir collected Max Ojomoh’s long pass before bumping off two defenders to score. Russell converted before Bath took the lead for the first time when Du Toit finished off a succession of forward drives.
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In the second half, it was one-way traffic as Gloucester could not get out of their 22 and it came as no surprise when Obano crashed over for Bath’s bonus-point try.
Gloucester conceded a fourth score in the space of 15 minutes, a penalty try being awarded with their flanker Jack Clement sin-binned for collapsing.
Gloucester showed some spirit with a try from Alemanno before Clement returned from the sin-bin in time to see Lawrence seal Bath’s victory with his second try of the night.
A couple of significant things happened in the world of online gaming over the first weekend of November. At its BlizzCon convention in California, Blizzard devoted quite a lot of time to World of Warcraft Classic — the nostalgic, retro version of its 19-year-old massively multiplayer game — and revealed surprisingly ambitious plans for Classic’s future. At the same time, Fortnite’s servers were melting under the load of its biggest day ever, which was all down to the launch of Fortnite OG, a special season bringing back the game’s original map and 2018 gameplay.
All of a sudden, in the proudly impermanent world of online gaming — where change is always good, and if it’s not, never mind, because here comes more change — winding back the clock is big business. It’s a kind of paradox: Because online games are always evolving, a sense of scarcity and intense nostalgia forms around the way they used to be. If you can find a way to bring that feeling back, especially for an audience that’s getting jaded, then you’re on to something.
Blizzard initially seemed reluctant to get on board with a growing movement in WoW’s community that wanted to go back to the way things were in 2004-2005. It squashed unofficial “vanilla” servers and prevaricated over creating an official alternative for years. In a way, it’s understandable: If you have spent many years of effort on (in your eyes) modernizing and improving your game, why would you want to indulge this rose-tinted exercise? Isn’t World of Warcraft just better now?
Of course, that’s a value judgment — but what’s undeniable is that WoW is now extremely different from how it used to be. And that’s exactly what makes Classic a viable and interesting, if slightly old-fashioned, alternative. After Classic arrived in 2019, included in a standard WoW subscription, it became a roaring success, partly because of the strong contrast between it and the two unloved expansions (Battle for Azeroth and Shadowlands) it launched between.
But what’s really fascinating about Classic is where Blizzard is taking it next — because Classic is an online game, and no online game can stand still, even a throwback. It began as a relatively faithful version of the original MMO with smart tweaks: It moved through content patches at an accelerated rate, while locking to a single iteration of game design and balance. Then it bifurcated, with some servers moving forward through classic expansions, while others stayed in the “vanilla” era. This year, it acquired a third track, something completely new that WoW had never had before: a permadeath Hardcore mode, which turned out to be a game-reviving innovation that was quite brilliant in its simplicity.
From its showing at BlizzCon, Blizzard is doubling down on morphing WoW Classic into its own game. The expansion servers are moving on to Cataclysm, which is probably the point at which “classic” becomes a misnomer: Whatever your feelings about this divisive expansion, its sweeping rewrite of the “old world” questing experience is the point at which original WoW died, and is still represented in the game today. Blizzard is going even further than it has before in tweaking and fixing this expansion for Classic, accelerating leveling, adding quality-of-life features, and throwing in new dungeon difficulties and loot.
World of Wacraft Classic’s Season of Discovery seeds the well-explored world of Azeroth with secrets.Image: Blizzard Entertainment
But that isn’t even the headline. Blizzard — drawing inspiration from sister series Diablo, as it did for the Hardcore mode — is also introducing a fourth track to the WoW Classic servers that seasonally remixes the original “vanilla” game. Season of Discovery, which launches on Nov. 30, seeds entirely new content across the original world of Azeroth in the form of Discoveries, which producer Josh Greenfield said at BlizzCon were a way to disrupt the “solved nature” of original WoW and restore a “feeling of adventure and exploration.” It also offers a Rune Engraving system that endows classes with entirely new abilities, even allowing them to switch archetypes (you’ll be able to create a tank Warlock or a healer Mage, to name a couple).
The game is furthermore being broken up into level-banded phases — the initial level cap will be only 25 — and interpolated with all-new endgames, one for each phase. The first of these reworks the classic leveling dungeon Blackfathom Deeps as a 10-player raid, but Blizzard is also teasing adding unfinished or cut content, and even all-new dungeons, to Season of Discovery. It’s not just a new way to think about classic WoW — it’s a new approach to structuring MMOs, borrowing liberally from across the online gaming landscape. It’s pretty exciting.
That Blizzard is going to all this effort shows that WoW Classic is working both for the business and for the WoW community. It also demonstrates that for an online gaming nostalgia mode to succeed in the long term, it needs to evolve away from being an emulation or restoration of a bygone experience, and become a (sort of) fresh game in its own right. (Or, in Classic’s case, four games.)
Tilted Towers has returned in Fortnite OG.Image: Epic Games
Currently, Epic has no plans to keep Fortnite OG going past its current monthlong season, which sprints through six seasons of the game’s Chapter 1 in a matter of weeks instead of months. The branding clearly allows for OG to return and revisit later chapters, but given the enormous surge in interest, Epic would be foolish not to be considering ways to keep some of these new or returning players in the fold permanently.
It’s true that WoW and Fortnite are very different games with, crucially, different business models. Splitting the game’s audience might be more of a worry for Epic than it is for Blizzard, which is presumably happy as long as all those players stay within the one subscription-paying bucket. But WoW has proven that a big online game — especially one with a history — can support a family of sub-communities enjoying different flavors of the same game. Indeed, that might be the healthiest way forward for a game of that sort, certainly one approaching its 20th anniversary.
More importantly, perhaps, what WoW Classic and Fortnite OGdemonstrate is that the history of online games doesn’t have to be consigned to the scrapheap of memory. There’s a genuine hunger from players to turn back the clock, which, when met by an inventive studio that understands what was special about what it created but is willing to take some risks with it, can create something vibrant and sustainable in the long term — a kind of multiverse of paths not taken for your favorite old multiplayer games. What’s next, Vault of Glass in modern Destiny 2? Sign me up.
Hours before the Hollywood actors’ strike officially ended, Beth Goodnight’s phone began ringing with opportunity.
The head of a Hollywood construction company and prop shop that bears her name dispatched two project managers to begin bidding for work. By the end of the day Wednesday, they had crunched numbers on seven projects, including a Super Bowl commercial, a television show, a large event and smaller pieces that add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“My phone would not stop ringing and buzzing last night,” said Goodnight, who estimated she may have spoken to as many as 100 people, including her laid-off workers. “I did not imagine the wave of tears that came, because … like Sisyphus being able to put down a 200-pound rock, I wasn’t even aware of how much pressure I was under.”
How will end of Hollywood actors’ strike impact B.C. film industry?
The SAG-AFTRA actors’ union reached a tentative deal with the major studios and streamers Wednesday, opening the floodgates to Hollywood production and returning the entertainment industry to work after dual writers’ and actors’ strikes stopped most filming. Writers reached a deal in late September after going on strike in May.
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Major film projects, such as Ridley Scott’s historical epic “Gladiator 2,” are expected to return to production by the end of the year or early next year, according to one source familiar with the project. Schedules are being matched, flights to Malta and accommodations are being booked, and other preparations are under way.
Marvel Studios’ “Deadpool 3,” a high-priority project for Walt Disney, will most likely resume filming before Thanksgiving, after the actors’ strike shut down production in July. Disney announced Thursday that the new “Deadpool” movie would debut in late July, rather than early May as originally planned.
SAG-AFTRA, Hollywood studios reach tentative deal to end actors strike
Martial arts film “Mortal Kombat 2” will resume shooting on the Gold Coast of Australia.
“We don’t have a lot of locations, so we ended up just holding all the sets,” said producer Todd Garner. “We’re basically ready to go, we just have to turn the lights back on and get everybody back.”
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One major hurdle to resuming production will be coordinating the schedule of A-list actors.
“It’s going to be bedlam,” said a talent agent, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. Some actors will want to spend their next few months promoting their films in the Oscar race rather than going to a set to shoot, holding up a production that other actors want to return to. The scheduling conflicts could force some projects to be dropped altogether.
“A lot of plans, I think, are going to fall by the wayside,” the agent said.
In the meantime, production executives throughout the industry are contacting lighting houses, prop shops and costumers, many of whom were forced to lay off workers, to make preparations for returning to the set.
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It will take time, however, for many projects to restart. Producers will have to book facilities and hire staff before they begin building sets and renting props.
“It’s not going to be business as usual for a few months, and probably not until after the first of the year,” said Pam Elyea, owner of prop supplier History for Hire. Her company has provided props for movies from the 1997 hit “Titanic” to this year’s “Oppenheimer.”
Lingering impact of the Hollywood writers’ strike
One feature film the company had been working on just got delayed until 2024, she said.
Broadcast TV networks are trying to salvage part of their season. After filling the fall schedule with reality shows and repeats, executives hope to air some episodes of hits such as “Abbott Elementary,” “NCIS” and “Law & Order” next year.
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ABC Studios aims to begin production this month on new seasons of long-running medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” and the police show “The Rookie,” according to a source familiar with the productions. Fresh episodes could debut early next year. “Tracker,” a new drama that ABC Studios is producing for CBS, also is expected to start filming this month.
Actors were preparing to hit red carpets, talk shows and social media to tout their projects. Most had been forbidden from promoting films and TV shows during the strike. Studios are eager to have actors promoting Oscar hopefuls such as Leonardo DiCaprio’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro.”
“YES!!! Hallelujah. I can tweet a certain trailer that I am VERY EXCITED ABOUT,” actor Kumail Nanjiani wrote on social media platform X. Nanjiani then posted a trailer for “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” which had been scheduled for release in December but was pushed back by distributor Sony Pictures to March 2024 because of the strikes.
Hollywood’s actors union reached a tentative deal with studios Wednesday to end its strike, bringing a close to months of labor strife that ground the entertainment industry to a historic halt.
The three-year contract agreement must be approved by votes from the union’s board and its members in the coming days, but the leadership declared that the strike will end at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday.
At nearly four months, it was by far the longest strike ever for film and television actors.
More than 60,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Performers went on strike July 14, joining screenwriters who had walked off the job more than two months earlier. It was the first time the two unions had been on strike together since 1960. Studios chose to negotiate with the writers first, striking a deal that their leadership marked as a major win and bringing their strike to an end on Sept. 26.
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The terms of the agreement were not immediately released. SAG-AFTRA said details would be made public after a meeting on Friday where board members review the contract. Issues on the table included both short-term compensation and future royalty payments for film and TV performances, along with control over actors’ images and likenesses regenerated with artificial intelligence.
Hollywood writers, studios reach tentative deal to end strike
Executives from top entertainment companies including Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery and Universal had a direct hand in negotiations, which like all Hollywood union talks were led by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
The end of the strike announcement came hours after Disney CEO Robert Iger and Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav reported their latest earning statements. Both executives said they hoped the strike would be resolved soon.
Disney’s shares rose based on its report, which said its net income jumped 63% to $264 million in the quarter that ended Sept. 30, up from $162 million a year earlier. Zaslav said on an earnings call that the studios’ last offer “ met virtually all of the union’s goals and includes the highest wage increase in 40 years.”
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Warner Bros. Discovery reported losses and saw its shares fall 19% Wednesday.
Although the writers strike had immediate, visible effects for viewers, including the months-long suspension of late-night talk shows and “ Saturday Night Live,” the impact of the actors’ absence was not as immediately apparent. But its ripple effects — delayed release dates and waits for new show seasons — could be felt for months or even years.
Actors should quickly return to movie sets where productions were paused, including “Deadpool 3,” “Gladiator 2” and “Wicked.” Other movies and shows will restart shooting once returning writers finish scripts.
And beyond scripted productions, the end of the strike allows actors to return to red carpets, talk shows and podcasts, as Hollywood’s awards season approaches.
“The SAG strike is over!! I can finally say it: watch my documentary Saturday night at 8 on HBO/MAX!” actor-director Albert Brooks said on social media moments after the strike ended. “Couldn’t say a word until now!!”
The only major awards show directly effected by the strike was the Emmys, which was moved from September to January. Now, the usual fall Oscar campaigns will mobilize.
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But any feeling of industry normalcy could prove temporary. The circumstances that brought on the strikes — the shift from traditional theatrical and broadcast media to streaming, and emerging tech like AI — have not been slowed. And the gains made by the strikes may embolden other Hollywood unions, or these same guilds in negotiations that will come up again in just a few years.
Union leaders treated the strike like a watershed moment from the start, coming as it did amid wider labor fights in other industries.
“I think it’s a conversation now about the culture of big business, and how it treats everybody up and down the ladder in the name of profit,” SAG-AFTRA President and “The Nanny” star Fran Drescher told The Associated Press in an August interview.
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the executive director and chief negotiator who led the team that struck the deal for the guild, told the AP in August that he was “honored to be part of making sure that our members get a fair contract that’s going to protect them going into the future and make sure that the 14-year-olds I talked to on the Disney picket line still have the ability to be an actor when they turn 18.”
The agreement also means a return to sets for thousands of film crew members who have left with nothing to work on during the strikes. SAG-AFTRA sought to offset their hardship by allowing sometimes controversial interim agreements for some smaller productions to proceed, and by making their strike relief fund available to all workers in the industry.
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Associated Press Writer Krysta Fauria contributed to this report.
Kevin Sinfield to run seven ultra-marathons in seven days to raise funds for motor neurone disease; 43-year-old will start in Leeds, then head to Cardiff, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Dublin and Brighton before finishing in London; Sinfield has raised millions for MND since Rob Burrow diagnosis
Last Updated: 08/11/23 10:30am
Kevin Sinfield will run seven ultra-marathons in seven days in December to raise funds for MND
Kevin Sinfield will undertake a new challenge to help those affected by motor neurone disease by running seven ultra-marathons in seven days in December.
Sinfield has raised millions of pounds for MND charities since his former Leeds Rhinos team-mate and great friend Rob Burrow was diagnosed in 2019.
The 43-year-old, currently defence coach of the England men’s rugby union team, will start in Leeds on December 1.
He will then head to Cardiff, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Dublin and Brighton before finishing in London on December 7, when he runs from Twickenham Stadium to The Mall.
Sinfield will run 27.2 miles a day – full marathon length plus an extra mile to show how people can always do even more to help friends needing support.
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Sinfield says carrying Rob Burrow over the finish line at the Leeds Marathon was ‘really, really special’
Sinfield says carrying Rob Burrow over the finish line at the Leeds Marathon was ‘really, really special’
This will be Sinfield’s fourth fundraiser, with the former Rhinos man telling the BBC: “I did say last year that the Ultra 7 in7 would complete the trilogy, but there was always that caveat that Rocky 4 was my favourite Rocky film.”
“For the MND community, every second counts and we will be making the most of every step on this challenge to raise awareness, funds and support for that community.
“The MND community have always given us incredible support and we wanted to find a way we could show that support for more people around the country.
The charities supported by this latest challenge include the Rob Burrow Centre for MND in Leeds.
Donations will also go to the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, the Irish MND Association, the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation, and the 4ED campaign, with the latter supporting former Leicester rugby union player Ed Slater.
Slater, who also represented Gloucester and Nottingham, was diagnosed with MND in 2022.
The Super Mario Bros. series is packed full of outstanding games, which means it’s time to take a look back at them and see which ones were the cream of the crop. Here’s our ranking of all the best Super Mario Bros. games.
Note: Due to the expansive nature of the Super Mario Bros. series, spin-offs have been omitted from the rankings. This includes: Mario Party, Mario & Luigi, Mario Maker, and more.
20. Super Mario Land
Image Source: Nintendo
Nintendo pulled off the impossible when they released Super Mario Land for the Game Boy. Many thought Mario’s gameplay was meant solely for home console releases. Thanks to Gunpei Yokoi, creator of the Game Boy, and the rest of the team at Nintendo’s R&D1, Super Mario Land was a successful port of the traditional Mario gameplay.
While the game didn’t do much to innovate Mario gameplay, it did introduce a fun alternative to traditional underwater levels by giving Mario access to a submarine capable of shooting missiles, transforming Mario into a side-scrolling shooter.
19. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Image Source: Nintendo
The second installment of the Land series saw the introduction of Mario’s infamous rival, Wario.
6 Golden Coins expanded on its predecessor with improved graphics, a save feature, and new power-ups. Unlike the original game, 6 Golden Coins added a significant amount of gameplay. Mario could now explore six new worlds in his quest to thwart Wario’s evil plan.
18. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Image Source: Nintendo
The Wii release of New Super Mario Bros. transplanted the agility of Mario’s DS foray and mixed it beautifully with cooperative gameplay. The resulting game, when played with three other friends, transforms the usual precision of a typical side-scrolling Mario game into a chaotic game of precision and teamwork.
The biggest downside to the game is its difficulty – or lack of it. The game is pretty easy, even allowing players to “bubble” to safety at the tap of a button should they venture off a cliff or come dangerously close to an enemy Koopa.
17. Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels
Image Source: Nintendo
The official sequel to the original Super Mario Bros game didn’t come to the US for quite some time, due to Nintendo believing the game to be too difficult for American audiences.
Fortunately, given the crazy success of Mario in general, they ultimately released this “Super Mario 2,” as The Lost Levels. Instead of walking you around the mechanics of the game, Lost Levels pushes you into the deep end right from world 1-1. This game is meant for people who’ve mastered the original game – the added challenge is nice, but can be discouraging for new players.
16. New Super Mario Bros. 2
Image Source: Nintendo
New Super Mario Bros. 2 holds on to its “new” moniker, and actually means it. The focus of NSMB2 is coins. Lots of coins. The game motivates players to actually collect coins, by making it feel good to actually grab them. The key? Shoving loads of coins in players faces, and giving players access to new power-ups, like the Golden Block, which continues to give Mario coins the faster he runs.
This simple gameplay tweak introduces an interesting new dynamic: throw caution to the wind and collect tons of coins. However, racing towards the end of the level now comes with a risk – death. This gambling-esque gameplay tweak is fun and refreshing. But for all the coins the game manages to shove in players faces, it doesn’t do much to reward greedy players.
15. New Super Mario Bros. (NDS)
Image Source: Nintendo
New Super Mario Bros. breathes a breath of fresh air into the traditional side-scrolling Mario experience. Mario retains his acrobatic abilities first introduced in Super Mario 64, and allows Mario to traverse a 2d landscape with style.
Fun new power-ups like the Propellor Mushroom and the Giant Mushroom force players to approach levels in new ways. And of all the “New” Super Mario games, this original DS title has the most cohesive level design, by forcing players to navigate thoughtfully made worlds.
14. New Super Mario Bros. U/New Super Luigi U
Image Source: Nintendo
New Super Mario Bros U iterates on the cooperative gameplay introduced in the Wii version of New Super Mario Bros, and expands on it by introducing a fifth player to the mix via use of the Wii U gamepad. This fifth player has the ability to draw platforms and stun enemies.
New Super Luigi U ups the difficulty ten-fold, bringing a challenging new take on an otherwise easy game.
13. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
Image Source: Nintendo
Despite the confusing name and shift to a more action-oriented gameplay style, Yoshi’s Island features some of the most interesting level design in the series. There’s tons of collectibles and each level has many different routes. If you compare the levels of Yoshi’s Island to Mario World, it’s clear that the former’s levels are much longer and more explorative.
Despite all the excellent level design and charm the game has going for it, there are some annoyances. The game manages to elevate player stress through its clever timer mechanic and crying Baby Mario. Should an enemy manage to land a hit on Yoshi, the little green dinosaur sheds Baby Mario from his back, and players are then forced to scramble their way back towards a crying Mario trapped in a floating bubble threatening to float away. We still hear that crying Mario in our dreams sometimes, and it’s one of the reasons this game isn’t higher than it is on the list.
12. Super Mario Bros. 2
Image Source: Nintendo
This unofficial sequel to the original Super Mario Bros game was actually a completely different game to begin with. Before the Mario title was added to the cartridge, Super Mario Bros 2 was actually a game called Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic.
The resulting game is classic Mario gameplay with an action-adventure twist. Not only does the game introduce a new cast of characters in addition to Mario, each with their own unique abilities, but it also allows players to go on the offensive by throwing items at enemies. The dream-like nature of the levels makes progression interesting and refreshing, ensuring players never grow weary of whatever challenge lies ahead.
11. Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Image Source: Nintendo
The 10-year return of 2D Mario couldn’t have been better. Not only does Super Mario Wonder give Mario fans unique mechanics and gimmicks that surprise at every turn, but the game honors the series’ 30-year legacy with it’s familiar tight control scheme and classic roots. Super Mario Wonder feels like a modern-day Super Mario World; the secret exits, special world, and level design are prevelant in both games.
What sets this title apart is the fresh ideas and concepts across every level. This tremendous variety between levels makes the 2D Platforming genre fresh and exciting again, just when it was starting to feel overdone with Mario Maker 2. The only things keeping Super Mario Wonder from the taking the top spots on this list are its easy difficulty and derivative boss battles.
10. Super Mario 3D Land
Image Source: Nintendo
One of the few rare games to actually make excellent use of the 3DS’ 3D capabilities, Super Mario 3D Land brings the excellent design of 3D Mario games and squishes them into bite-sized chunks perfect for any road trip.
For those who aren’t big fans of New Super Mario’s gameplay, Super Mario 3D Land is intimate and puzzle-heavy. Perfect for player who want to feel invested in the portable world.
9. Super Mario Bros.
Image Source: Nintendo
The game that started a legacy, and provided the gaming industry the shot in the arm it needed to stay alive, Super Mario Bros is a definitive masterpiece.
In terms of design and mechanics, Super Mario Bros reinforces player expectations through thoughtful, unobtrusive “teaching” moments disguised as challenges. Many platformers look to the source for inspiration, even newer Mario games, but few come close to capturing the feel of of loading into world 1-1 for the first time.
8. Super Mario Sunshine
Image Source: Nintendo
Mario’s shift to a higher polygon count came with a fresh new coat of paint – literally. Sunshine introduces a new twist to the standard Mario gameplay by giving Mario access to a new world to play around in and a new tool: F.L.U.D.D.
This super-soaker backpack not only allows Mario to clean up the graffiti-drenched walls of the tropical Delfino Plaza, it also helps Mario traverse the land with new power-ups. Tired of walking from place to place? Slap on the jet, and race around the world at break-neck speeds. Having trouble with a distant platform? Switch nozzles to “hover,” and gracefully glide across the air.
Despite all the new additions to Mario’s repertoire and world, Sunshine falls painfully short of Super Mario 64’s open-world design by forcing players to return to the main hub world after completing any objective, as opposed to SM64’s design that allowed players to freely float from objective to objective at their leisure.
7. Super Mario 64
Image Source: Nintendo
Mario’s first appearance on the N64 shook the gaming world to the core. The 2D franchise was successfully brought into the third dimension, and showcased what a Z-axis provided for video games as a whole.
The brilliance of the game can be seen in the design of the Castle Courtyard seen shortly after Mario’s introduction. Players needed time to adjust to this added dimension of gameplay, and this courtyard served as a playground to see what new moves Mario picked up in the transition.
But Super Mario 64’s appeal isn’t limited to a retrospective glance. Despite being an early 3D hodgepodge of clumpy polygons, SM64 holds up remarkably well thanks to brilliant world design and challenges. Each new world introduced in SM64 adds a new layer of expectations for players, testing their mettle against the rising challenges presented as you progress throughout the game. Good luck acquiring all 120 stars though…
6. Super Mario 3D World
Image Source: Nintendo
Super Mario 3D World is a culmination of the cooperative mechanics introduced in the New Super Mario Bros. console games, with the thoughtful level design of the 3D Mario games.
3D World retains the charm of uncovering secrets strewn about the beautiful environments, while injecting a shot of stressful mania that comes about when one player decides to stray away and do things for themselves. Plus – cat suit power-ups!
5. Super Mario Galaxy 2
Image Source: Nintendo
The original Super Mario Galaxy was the first to bring players to space. Galaxy 2 was the reason for keeping them there. After having time to toy with 3D level design, Galaxy 2 features some of the most inventive level design in any Mario game.
But, the lack of any substantive hub world left the player rather lonely. Cohesion is an important part of tying all the levels together, and for Galaxy 2, it is sorely missed.
4. Super Mario Galaxy
Image Source: Nintendo
While Super Mario Sunshine shied away from the open level design of Super Mario 64, Galaxy retains it and brings it into the next logical representation of 3D space – space itself.
Bringing Mario to space brought with it an ability to overhaul traditional Nintendo level-design. While Galaxy 2 has arguably better level design, the original Galaxy has the luxury of being the first to wow audiences with a novel with a novel world….er, space.
3. Super Mario Odyssey
Image Source: Nintendo
Mario’s tremendous 3D streak reaches a climax with Super Mario Odyssey. This exemplifies the best in 3D platforming. Each stage is filled to the brim with creative challenges and fun collectibles. The hat transformations are a game-changer and completely freshen up the gameplay mechanics as if it were a different genre entierly at times.
There are no less than 50 hat transformations in Super Mario Odyssey, from a ridiculous T-Rex dinosaur to the series classic, Bullet Bill. This game is challenging, has tremendous depth, and has consistent quality through every single level. It’s also one of the very best Mario games of all time, so do yourself a favor and play it.
2. Super Mario Bros. 3
Image Source: Nintendo
In 1988 players all around the world thought that game developers had maximized the potential of what the NES hardware. Then Super Mario Bros. 3 released.
The world first gained a glimpse at the sequel to the beloved Mario Bros. franchise in the 80s film The Wizard, and what they glimpsed was a world of wonder and intrigue. SMB3 was completely different from the Mario games of the past. Sure – it still revolved around platforming, but now, Mario could bank power-ups, traverse floating airships, and utilize a wide variety of crazy new abilities that changed the fundamental nature of a Mario game.
1. Super Mario World
Image Source: Nintendo
Super Mario World debuted on the Super Nintendo in 1991 cementing Nintendo’s position as the premier console of the early 90s. Many games since have attempted at recreating the precise platforming, genuine feel-good momentum, and inventive power-up design, but none have come close to this platforming powerhouse.
Despite being a platformer, Super Mario World subverts the genre expectations by allowing players multiple ways of clearing new levels and old, thus incentivizing players to make their way back to previously completed locations. If you have yet to play this Mario masterpiece, you owe it to yourself to track down a copy.
Matthew Carmosino is a freelance writer for Twinfinite. He started gaming in the mid-90s where his love for SquareSoft RPGs like Chrono Trigger changed him forever. Matthew has been working in the game industry for two years covering everything from story-rich RPGs to puzzle-platformers.
Listening to piano music on a rainy day is his idea of a really good time, which probably explains his unnatural tolerance for level-grinding.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday as the U.S. grappled with rising tensions with the world’s second-largest economy and the Democratic governor worked to navigate a challenging diplomatic landscape on a trip meant to promote climate cooperation.
The meeting at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing came as China’s top diplomat announced plans to visit to Washington on Thursday, and weeks before the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in San Francisco where President Biden may meet with Xi — signals that both sides could make efforts to improve what’s become a frosty relationship.
It was Newsom’s second meeting with a foreign government leader in less than a week after he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on Friday — an extraordinary foray into international affairs for a governor who has no authority on global matters. Though he has repeatedly said he is not planning a run for president, Newsom’s sudden pivot to international diplomacy allows him to build experience that could help in a future run for higher office.
In Beijing, where Chinese handlers tightly controlled media access, American reporters were not allowed into the meeting between Newsom and Xi.
Talking with reporters afterwards, Newsom said he spoke with Xi about climate change, trade and tourism, and the fentanyl crisis that has gripped the United States, areas where he hopes the two nations can cooperate.
On fentanyl, Newsom said the two men discussed so-called “precursor chemicals” that make their way through the black market from China to Mexico and then into the U.S. as deadly pills.
“We talked about the importance of this issue and how it’s played an outsized role as the leading cause of death for 18-to-49-year-olds in the United States,” Newsom said. “It’s taking the life of one-plus person every single day in San Francisco.”
He described fentanyl as an issue that “should scare every parent out there” because of how many young people are dying from taking pills that they don’t know contain the drug.
“This is a big, big issue,” Newsom said.
Before his talks with Xi, Newsom met with three other Chinese officials. American media were allowed to cover just a few minutes of each of those meetings as Newsom and the Chinese dignitaries made introductory remarks.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom shakes hands with Zheng Shanjie, head of China’s National Development and Reform Commission, in Beijing on Wednesday.
(Ng Han Guan / Associated Press)
Newsom said he talked with them about issues including human rights abuses in Hong Kong, his desire to see a two-state solution in Israel and his hope that China will release David Lin, a California resident who has been detained in China for many years.
“We hope David Lin comes back. We hope he’s released,” Newsom said. “He’s 67 years old, he’s a man of faith, and he’s being held. … On the basis of what I know, and with humility, but with what I know, he should be released.”
Newsom said he sees discussions about cooperating to fight climate change as a way to open the door to broader alliances between nations, noting that “we all breathe the same air.”
A tense geopolitical climate has loomed over Newsom’s voyage to promote cooperation on climate-friendly technologies such as electric vehicles and wind energy. Relations between the U.S. and China were already strained before this month’s eruption of war between Israel and Hamas presented a new potential wedge between the world’s two superpowers.
China and Russia announced last week that they intend to work together to create an alliance that could attempt to counter U.S. support for Israel. The Pentagon reported recently that China is building up its nuclear weapons arsenal faster than previously projected and is likely studying Russia’s war in Ukraine to get a sense of how a conflict over Taiwan could play out. China immediately fired back that the report is false, and blasted the U.S. as the world’s “biggest disruptor of regional peace and stability,” citing America’s recent actions to help Israel and Ukraine.
All that comes on top of disagreements between the U.S. and China over trade, human rights and the militarization of the South China Sea. In February, the U.S. shot down a Chinese balloon that flew over sensitive military installations. In August, Biden signed an executive order to block and regulate U.S. investments in Chinese tech companies.
Newsom said he urged Xi to come to San Francisco for the APEC conference next month but said it was up to the Chinese president to announce if he will make the trip.
Newsom is the first U.S. governor to visit China since 2019. His visit could help improve dynamics between the two nations, said Susan Shirk, a political scientist who is the founding chair of the 21st Century China Center at UC San Diego.
“Right now the U.S. and China are in a downward spiral in their relationship. It’s really quite dangerous and we’re not going to prevent further deterioration of relations — or even the risk of war — unless our decision-makers talk to one another,” Shirk said.
“So diplomacy is really important.”
Newsom began the day in Beijing on Wednesday by signing a clean-energy agreement with the leader of China’s National Development and Reform Commission, which oversees the country’s economic development plans. Then he met with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is traveling to Washington this week to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken.
It was Newsom’s meeting with Vice President Han Zheng that showed the personal dimension of political relationships built over time. Han recalled meeting Newsom almost 20 years ago when he was the mayor of Shanghai and Newsom was the mayor of San Francisco. As sister cities, San Francisco and Shanghai developed longstanding economic and cultural exchanges that Han called “a good example of China-U.S. subnational cooperation.”
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China-U.S. relations are “the most important bilateral relations in the world, and subnational cooperation [plays] an indispensable part to facilitate a sound and steady growth of China-U.S. relations,” he said through an interpreter.
“National-level relations must also include the relations between states, between sectors of society and between the business communities. Only by doing this can we bring the relations back to the right channel of development.”
Newsom paid tribute to the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein in his remarks to the vice president, recalling her work to establish the sister-city relationship with Shanghai when she was San Francisco mayor in the 1980s:
“I cannot impress upon you more how indelible her memory and her mentorship is in relationship to maintaining the relationship to China,” Newsom said. “It’s the foundation that was built that reminds me of how important it is to continue to advance this spirit that unites us here today.”
Shirk at UC San Diego said it’s risky for American politicians to engage with Chinese officials. But, she said, it’s also beneficial.
“China’s going to be there forever, even after Xi Jinping,” she said. “So it’s really good to maintain relations at the people-to-people level.”
England got their WXV campaign off to a winning start beating Australia 42-7 last Friday; They come up against Canada on Friday in the second of their three games in New Zealand
Last Updated: 25/10/23 2:16pm
England Women’s will take on Canada on Friday after winning both games against them during pre-season
England Women’s interim head coach Louis Deacon has praised the changes made by the World Rugby Council saying it will help the women’s game grow.
The transformational reforms for the women’s game mean there will be no overlap between international and club fixtures for the first time from 2026.
It will allow for clearly defined global and regional player release periods in the women’s game which will promote opportunity and growth ahead of an expanded 16-team Rugby World Cup in 2025.
“This is massively exciting for the women’s game that these things have been put in place, really positive, it shows that it is continuing to grow and it will mean the players can solely focus on international periods or domestic periods,” said Deacon.
Red Roses captain Marlie Packer echoed this sentiment saying it will allow players will benefit from a schedule which should see less fixture congestion.
“The players will get a proper rest period so we can come into our pre-season ready to do,” Packer said.
“Calendars won’t be overlapping with each other which means seasons can be prolonged or extended or we have a quick turn around of tournaments.
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“It’s about the welfare of the players and I think it’s a really good thing that will happen to the game.”
The Red Roses will continue their inaugural WXV campaign this Friday when they take on Canada after kicking off the tournament with an emphatic 42-7 victory over Australia last Friday.
England have made nine changes to their starting line-up for their second match of the WXV 1 tournament against Canada on Friday.
Canada also began their WXV campaign with an impressive 42-22 win over Wales, but lost to England in their two pre-season matches, albeit the scoreline becoming tighter each time.
“Canada are a very athletic side, and their set-piece is very good. For me the standout player is Sophie de Goede, she can make anything happen. The way she plays the game and sees the game is exceptional,” said Packer.
Canada captain De Goede scored the opening try within four minutes and added six conversions in her side’s opening game against Wales.
England got their WXV tournament campaign off to a winning start with a 42-7 victory over Australia
During England’s game against Australia, Packer scored two tries and keeps her place in the side while full-back Ellie Kildunne – who has three tries in her last two outings against the Canadians – and wing Claudia MacDonald return to the back three, alongside Abby Dow.
Helena Rowland switches to outside centre where she will join Amber Reed in midfield, with scrum-half Natasha Hunt named as Holly Aitchison’s half-back partner.
“When you have got a squad of 30 players, you need to have players that are adaptable. In our first game it was about giving people opportunities and that was one of the combinations we looked at,” said Deacon.
“Players need to be versatile when you have 30 available, so that’s why we’ve moved Helena around.”
A fresh front row sees Mackenzie Carson, Lark Atkin-Davies and Sarah Bern start, while Cath O’Donnell is back in the second row beside Zoe Aldcroft.
Morwenna Talling is selected at blindside flanker as captain Marlie Packer and Alex Matthews continue at openside flanker and No 8 respectively.
“Every player will be ready for the game, just because we have played Canada twice won’t make us any less aware of what we’re going into and we have to put a good performance in,” said Packer.
“We’ve been training with each other and there’s been a lot of time to discuss things but whatever 15-players go out there, I know they will do the job.
“We’re striving to be the best version of ourselves and it doesn’t matter about who has started and who hasn’t.”
In a study of the brains of 31 former players, CTE was present in 21 of the brains (68 per cent) donated to research institutes in the USA, UK & Australia; Professor Willie Stewart: “Our data shows risk is linked to length of rugby career, with every extra year of play increasing risk”
Last Updated: 23/10/23 9:16pm
A player’s risk of developing an incurable brain disease uniquely associated with repeated head impacts is relative to the length of their career
A player’s risk of developing an incurable brain disease uniquely associated with repeated head impacts is relative to the length of their career, a new study indicates.
Each additional year of playing was found to increase the risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) by 14 per cent, in a study of the brains of 31 former players whose average career length was 18 years.
CTE can only be diagnosed postmortem, and to date the only recognised risk factor for CTE is traumatic brain injury and repeated head impact exposure.
The study, published in Acta Neuropathologica in the week of the Rugby World Cup final, found CTE present in 21 of the 31 brains (68 per cent) donated to research institutes in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Cases with CTE averaged a career length of 21.5 years, while in those without CTE the average was 12.1 years.
The study’s lead author Professor Willie Stewart said: “In this study, we have combined the experience and expertise of three leading international brain banks to look at CTE in former rugby players.
“These results provide new evidence regarding the association between rugby union participation and CTE. Specifically, our data shows risk is linked to length of rugby career, with every extra year of play increasing risk.
“Based on this it is imperative that the sport’s regulators reduce exposure to repeated head impacts in match play and in training to reduce risk of this otherwise preventable contact sport related neurodegenerative disease.”
Twenty-three of the players played at amateur level only, while eight also played at the elite level. The study found no correlation between the level the individual had played at and an increased risk of CTE, nor between whether they played as a forward or a back.
World Rugby is exploring ways to mitigate the risk of concussion and improve how diagnosed or suspected concussions are managed.
The governing body’s executive board has recommended that unions participate in an opt-in global trial of lowering the tackle height in the community game to below the sternum – also known as a “belly tackle”.
World Rugby also promotes a ‘recognise and remove’ approach to dealing with concussion in the amateur game, while it has detailed return-to-play protocols at that level and in the elite game.
A group of former professional and amateur players diagnosed with early-onset dementia are involved in legal action against World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union.
The players claim the governing bodies were negligent in that they failed to take reasonable action to protect them from permanent injury caused by repetitive concussive and sub-concussive blows.
A World Rugby spokesperson said: “World Rugby is aware of the findings from the University of Glasgow study and we are committed to always being informed by the latest science.
“Our Independent Concussion Working Group recently met with Boston University representatives, including Professor Ann McKee, alongside other world leading brain health experts, to continue our dialogue on how we can make the game safer for the whole rugby family.
“What all the experts told our Independent Concussion Working Group was, that we should continue to reduce the number of head impacts, and that is exactly what we will do.
“World Rugby will never stand still when it comes to protecting players’ brain health which is why community players around the globe are taking part in trials of a lower tackle height this season.
“It is also why we have rolled out the use of world leading smart mouthguard technology in WXV, our new elite women’s competition, and from 2024 all elite competitions using the Head Injury Assessment will use smart mouthguards, in addition to the current independent doctors and in-game video footage to ensure that players are receiving the best possible care.”
Corner of Queen St and Fort St in Auckland. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Empathy for CBD’s underdogs
Viv Beck’s concern regarding Auckland’s unsafe streets is not a new topic and largely a result of decades of inactivity due to governmental lack of empathy and a societal indifference to the root causes that create individuals to be addicted to substance abuse, alcohol included. Homelessness, gang affiliation and public intimidation are also indirect by-products of our collective lack of empathy towards “the underdog”.
When I lived and worked in the Auckland CBD in the early 1990s, substance abuse and rough sleeping was already prevalent, albeit probably much less in your face, with homeless people sleeping under the Victoria Park motorway and in alleyways along arterial routes such as Albert St or under trees in parks like Myers Park and Albert Park.
For someone like Viv to push for stricter enforcements is a bit like using a saw to remove a tiny staple. Viv herself may not yet be living a life of hardship, but were she a bit more aware of how growing costs are pushing more and more people towards the periphery of poverty, she could probably help set up an innovative system, where urban poverty becomes a thing of the past, where wealth distribution does not largely go to overseas manufacturers and banking corporations, but simultaneously assists the impoverished underprivileged to find a way out of the gutter.
Wasps were considering building a multi-use stadium, training facilities and a hotel on the outskirts of Swanley, with a public consultation planned next month; Wasps have been without a permanent home since leaving Coventry when they were suspended from all competitions last year
Last Updated: 23/10/23 5:11pm
Wasps have revealed a plan to try and move to a permanent location in Kent
Former Premiership giants Wasps have announced their intention to explore the
possibility of establishing a permanent home in Kent.
The club, who were removed from the Premiership last year after falling into administration, say they are “actively engaged” with Sevenoaks District Council to identify a suitable location.
A prospective move to Kent would mark another geographical shift for the club, who played most of their 156-year history in London, before moving to High Wycombe in 2002 and Coventry in 2014.
Wasps, who are two-time European champions and six-time Premiership winners, had £95m worth of debts when the club went into administration and said this decision “signifies a new chapter in the club’s journey, reaffirming its commitment to professional rugby”.
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A statement read: “Having faced significant challenges with regulation and funding, the club has persisted with its determination to revive Wasps at the highest possible level.”
The club has also agreed an option of utilising Worcester Warriors’ Sixways ground for both training and playing purposes, while Wasps say they will be actively exploring temporary facilities to underpin its operations in Kent.
A Sevenoaks District Council spokesman said Wasps were considering building a multi-use stadium, training facilities and a hotel on the outskirts of Swanley, with a public consultation planned next month.
Wasps played their home games in Coventry before dropping out of the Premiership
“As a top-tier club, with an international profile, we firmly believe this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” the spokesman added.
“Wasps would bring unparalleled economic, sports development, health, education, and skills benefits to the district and we are keen to explore how that could be achieved.”
It has yet to be confirmed what level of the league pyramid Wasps will be able to return to.
Ahead of England’s Rugby World Cup semi-final, we take a look at some reasons for optimism; England vs South Africa takes place on Saturday (8pm kick-off UK time); the match in Paris is a repeat of the 2019 final which the Springboks won
Last Updated: 19/10/23 5:52pm
England will be optimistic that they can provide an upset when they face South Africa in the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup
The beauty of knockout rugby is that there is always an upset on the cards and an England win on Saturday could be one for the ages.
Despite being a finalist against South Africa back in 2019, England’s form has significantly dipped, fresh faces and a fresh coaching team headed by Steve Borthwick now helping to drive a side which entered the competition with very little expectations on them from fans.
‘They won’t get out of the group,’ was the first cry, then it was ‘Fiji will get them in the quarter-finals like they did at Twickenham’, now it is ‘South Africa will cruise past England in the semi-finals’.
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England head coach, Steve Borthwick backs his players to succeed against South Africa in their Rugby World Cup semi-final on Saturday and has hailed their progression throughout the tournament
England head coach, Steve Borthwick backs his players to succeed against South Africa in their Rugby World Cup semi-final on Saturday and has hailed their progression throughout the tournament
The first two statements were proven to be incorrect and England will believe they can also prove the third as false too. Let’s take a look at why…
Producing a performance too early: Building towards the big dance
Throughout the years in the Rugby World Cup, several nations have performed magnificently in the last four, before failing to hit the same heights in the final. They’ve been said almost to have played their final in the semi-finals.
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Former England winger Mark Cueto does not rule out an England victory against South Africa in the Rugby World Cup semi-final and says all the pressure is on favourites South Africa.
Former England winger Mark Cueto does not rule out an England victory against South Africa in the Rugby World Cup semi-final and says all the pressure is on favourites South Africa.
This year, the script was slightly different as two of the quarter-finals produced final-esque clashes.
Ireland and New Zealand had fans at the edge of their seat in a war of attrition which the All Blacks ultimately won before France and South Africa dazzled with their skill and the Springboks edged by just one point. Both games set new heights and brought with it all the emotion that the latter stages of tournament rugby bring.
For England, their quarter-final was a slightly more muted contest against Fiji and it could be something which helps them come Saturday.
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James Cole has all the latest news ahead of the Rugby World Cup semi-finals as Freddie Steward is set to be recalled by England in place of Marcus Smith.
James Cole has all the latest news ahead of the Rugby World Cup semi-finals as Freddie Steward is set to be recalled by England in place of Marcus Smith.
Being on the opposite side of the draw to the tough Pool B, England’s group has not been where the eyes and attention have been focused and with each match, they have built confidence while flying slightly under the radar.
Knockout rugby is about backing performances up and while Ireland dazzled in their win against South Africa and France looked like a tournament favourite, both sides couldn’t bring it home in the moment it mattered.
England have made it to the big dance before and will have the confidence they have the know-how and the rugby smarts to do it again.
Picking up points: Farrell vs Libbok
Although everyone loves to see dazzling tries like those in the opening 20 minutes of the France-South Africa quarter-final but in big matches, it is paramount to pick up points when they are on offer and so focus always turns to the place kicker.
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South Africa have announced their line up for the World Cup semi-final against England.
South Africa have announced their line up for the World Cup semi-final against England.
Indeed, with the way in which Owen Farrell has been kicking from the tee recently, especially in his man-of-the-match performance against Fiji, it is one of England’s big strengths heading into Saturday.
Starting South Africa fly-half Manie Libbok has kicked dreadfully in the World Cup to date, and the man who has often taken over the duties in Faf de Klerk is sat on the bench.
Owen Farrell vs Manie Libbok: Rugby World Cup 2023
Conversions made:
Owen Farrell
10
Manie Libbok
5
Meanwhile, Farrell’s accuracy has improved as the tournament has unfolded and the England skipper knows how to step up on the big occasions.
The Springboks if required would call on Handre Pollard from the bench but if England have managed to take the contest that deep and make it about the tightest of points margins, they will be happy to have Farrell on their side.
Strength in depth: Avenging the 2019 loss
England’s Rugby World Cup final loss to South Africa in 2019 was a heartbreaking one and most certainly will be fuel for the fire on Saturday.
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England captain Owen Farrell says that the Rugby World Cup semi-final against South Africa on Saturday is a new challenge and nothing to do with the 2019 final when the two teams met in Japan.
England captain Owen Farrell says that the Rugby World Cup semi-final against South Africa on Saturday is a new challenge and nothing to do with the 2019 final when the two teams met in Japan.
The squad will want to avenge that moment and with Jonny May, Manu Tuilagi, Elliot Daly, Owen Farrell, Joe Marler, Jamie George, Dan Cole, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, Tom Curry, Kyle Sinckler, Billy Vunipola, and George Ford all involved in the matchday 23 from four years ago, there will be an abundance of desire in the dressing room to get the job done.
The experienced members of the squad who carry that scar will be alongside an abundance of youth too that carry no extra weight into the contest and so the coupling of the two could work out to be the driving force behind an England victory.
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Sky Sports News’ James Cole previews England’s semi-final clash against South Africa at the Rugby World Cup.
Sky Sports News’ James Cole previews England’s semi-final clash against South Africa at the Rugby World Cup.
Freddie Steward is back in the side in place of Marcus Smith and the full-back will try and nullify the dangerous high kicks that South Africa can produce.
If the effort matches the energy and the stars align, England will believe they can continue their unbeaten run in this Rugby World Cup.
On Saturday in Paris, we will find out if this is the case.
The MTV Europe Music Awards on Thursday cancelled its performance-packed ceremony slated for next month, citing the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The event had been scheduled for Paris on Nov. 5, with Ozuna, Renée Rapp and Thirty Seconds to Mars among the performers.
“The MTV EMAs are an annual celebration of global music. As we watch the devastating events in Israel and Gaza continue to unfold, this does not feel like a moment for a global celebration. With thousands of lives already lost, it is a moment of mourning,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.
Given the volatility of world events, we have decided not to move forward with the 2023 MTV EMAs out of an abundance of caution for the thousands of employees, crew members, artists, fans, and partners who travel from all corners of the world to bring the show to life.
The statement also said the decision was made “out of an abundance of caution for the thousands of employees, crew members, artists, fans, and partners who travel from all corners of the world to bring the show to life.”
MTV said the EMAs would return in November 2024.
Taylor Swift was the big winner at last year’s EMAs in Dusseldorf, Germany, collecting four trophies including for best artist, best video and best longform video.
Swift was again this year’s top nominee with seven, with Olivia Rodrigo and SZA tied for second with six apiece.
Mark Telea starts on the left flank in place of Leicester Fainga’anuku, who drops out of the matchday 23 for the All Blacks’ World Cup semi-final against Argentina
New Zealand have made two changes for their World Cup semi-final showdown against Argentina on Friday with Mark Telea and Sam Whitelock coming into the starting XV.
Telea was left out the All Blacks’ 28-24 quarter-final victory over Ireland after breaching team protocols.
The 26-year-old starts on the left flank in place of Leicester Fainga’anuku, who drops out of the matchday 23, despite scoring the first of the Kiwis’ three tries against the Irish.
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Veteran second-row Whitelock swaps roles with Brodie Retallick in the other alteration to Ian Foster’s starting XV to win his 152nd cap. Retallick is on the bench.
Samisoni Taukei’aho takes the spot of fellow hooker Dane Coles among the replacements.
New Zealand players celebrate after beating No 1 side Ireland last weekend
Head coach Foster has warned his players “not to get softened” by the acclaim which followed their thrilling win over Ireland.
“The best way to recover is to refocus really quickly on what the next challenge is and not to listen too much to any praise you’re given as a group for a performance,” said Foster, who was assistant to Steve Hansen four years ago when New Zealand lost to England in the semi-finals.
“Not to go down that path, not to get softened because everyone’s patting you on the back saying you played well.
“That’s not a good place to be as a team.
“I love the way the team has buckled down, we’ve redefined the challenge for us as a group, we’re not satisfied with where we are now and when you’re clear about your goal for the week the recovery comes along pretty quickly.
“You know that if we’re not right on Friday night at Stade de France, it’s going to be a sad old night and we don’t want it to be like that.
“You get people talking to you about tomorrow and trying to take your eyes off today.
“In 2019 we probably didn’t stop being patted on the back after the quarter-final, hence some of my language today and we’re just trying to dial this back, keep things simple and let’s just worry about Friday.”
Argentina have shaken off a dismal opening-game loss to England to advance to the semi-finals
The Pumas have swapped Gonzalo Bertranou to start ahead of Tomas Cubelli in anticipation of a much faster game than when they overcame Wales 29-17 in Marseille.
There are seven survivors from their last World Cup semi-final in 2015, a loss to an Australia team coached by current Pumas mentor Michael Cheika.
The list includes Matias Alemanno, Agustin Creevy, Tomas Lavanini, Nicolas Sanchez, Guido Petti, captain Julian Montoya and No 8 Facundo Isa, who will play his 50th Test.
Another sell-out crowd of 80,000 fans is expected in Paris for what will be the third World Cup encounter between the two sides, and their second in the knockout stages.
The teams met earlier this year in Mendoza, where the All Blacks opened the Test season with a 41-12 win.
New Zealand: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Mark Telea, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Aaron Smith; 1 Ethan de Groot, 2 Codie Taylor, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 4 Sam Whitelock, 5 Scott Barrett, 6 Shannon Frizell, 7 Sam Cane (c), 8 Ardie Savea.
It’s a big week for Australia’s favourite wildlife family, The Irwins.
Robert Irwin, the 19-year-old son of late wildlife expert Steve Irwin, announced that a turtle had hatched at the Australia Zoo — and it carries a very special connection to his dad.
Robert choked up with emotion as he shared on an Instagram video that the zoo had welcome its very first Irwin’s turtle, the first time the rare freshwater species was bred in a zoo since Steve discovered the reptile species during a hunting trip in 1990.
“This is one of the highlights of my entire life and one of the most special moments ever for Australia Zoo. This is the very first Elseya irwini, or Irwin’s turtle, ever hatched for any zoological facility anywhere in the world,” he explained.
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The video shows a photo of Steve with the one of the turtle species, before cutting to footage of Robert releasing the baby into a pond at the zoo.
“For the first time, we’ve got a little baby, and he’s gonna get his first swim in a brand new pond.”
Choking back tears, Robert reflected on what this milestone would mean to Steve.
“It’s just so surreal,” he said, he voice wavering. “And all those stories from Dad about just how amazing and beautiful they are… I don’t get emotional that much, but I just know Dad would be really proud, Dad would be stoked,” he said.
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Steve Irwin poses with one of the Irwin’s turtles he discovered back in 1990.
Steve was killed in 2006, at the age of 44, after he was fatally pierced by a stingray barb while filming a television episode on the Great Barrier Reef.
He was mourned by people worldwide, many of whom tuned into his educational nature programming over the years, including the hit show The Crocodile Hunter.
Now, Robert and his sister, Bindi Irwin, are continuing their dad’s legacy of working with animals and both frequently share memories of Steve’s life and conservation work.
In the caption for the video, Robert called the turtle’s birth “a special moment.”
“I think Dad would be pretty proud that we’ve become the first to successfully breed the turtle that he discovered,” he wrote.
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Prince Charles meets late Crocodile Hunter’s family during Great Barrier Reef visit
The Hong Kong mega-mansion, listed for about $281 million (HKD 2.2 billion), is among the most … [+] expensive properties for sale in the world.
OKAY.com
The list of most expensive homes for sale in the world is ever-changing. In February, the Robb Report said a penthouse atop New York City’s Central Park Tower, priced at USD 250 million, topped the offerings. The next month numerous publications put the Holme, a palatial 40-bedroom waterfront residence in London, ahead of that at USD 300 million.
Repulse Bay, pictured via drone, is among the most exclusive areas for residential property in Hong … [+] Kong.
getty
No matter the pecking order, however, the locations of these ultraexpensive residences remain fairly select―Dubai, Hong Kong and Australia.
Designed on a grand scale, the residence offers more than 18,270 square feet of polished living … [+] space.
OKAY.com
Ensconced in these upper echelons is a mega-mansion along Hong Kong’s Repulse Bay Road priced at HKD 2.2 billion or about USD 281 million.
Modern sweeping staircases in the entry set the tone for the multi-level residence.
OKAY.com
“This mansion is amongst the most expensive properties within the city,” says Letizia G. Casalino, executive director at real estate company OKAY.com. “There aren’t many with this price tag.”
Open-concept areas offer ample space for entertaining.
OKAY.com
Contributing to the cost is the size. The gross square footage of interior and exterior space totals 18,274. There are 11 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. An elevator accesses all five floors.
Staircases and an in-house elevator navigate five floors of living.
OKAY.com
In addition to the terraces, garden and rooftop, the mansion’s backyard patio can accommodate more than 100 guests for large-scale events.
Bi-folding doors open rooms to terraces, extending the living space outdoors.
OKAY.com
Also bolstering the asking price is the prime location, Casalino says. “Within the Southern District, the price per square foot has been quite steady within HKD 90 to HKD 120.” Beaches and shopping are within walking distance.
The home’s large backyard patio can accommodate more than 100 guests.
OKAY.com
The brand new mansion was constructed in 2019, before the Hong Kong protests and rise of COVID-19, to appeal to the ultrahigh-net-worth buyer. “It was built when a number of mainland Chinese buyers, such as Jack Ma or Pony Ma, bought this type of trophy house,” she says.
The rooftop takes in seemingly endless views of Repulse Bay.
OKAY.com
In Hong Kong’s current more challenging ultraluxury market, Casalino sees the potential for a wider buyer pool. “Tycoons from all over the world but the target is mainland Chinese or perhaps ultrawealthy Hong Kong families. It will probably be for a large family or a family who can host a number of events within the property.” The mansion’s exterior walls are clad in natural stone. Arched windows and decorative details soften the symmetrical façade.
An automatic gated entrance ensures security with the garage and driveway accessible from inside.
OKAY.com
Interior details include two grand staircases, marble floors and black casement windows. An automatic gated entrance ensures security with the garage and driveway accessible from inside.
The Repulse Bay property is located in a highly private neighborhood and is in walking distance to … [+] the beaches and shopping plaza.
OKAY.com
Joshua Miller of OKAY.com is one of the agents representing the property.
Antoine Dupont will start for France vs South Africa in Sunday’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final
France captain Antoine Dupont has been named to start vs South Africa in their Rugby World Cup quarter-final on Sunday, a little over three weeks after suffering a fractured cheekbone.
France: 15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Damian Penaud, 13 Gael Fickou, 12 Jonathan Danty, 11 Louis Bielle Biarrey, 10 Matthieu Jalibert, 9 Antoine Dupont (c); 1 Cyril Baille, 2 Peato Mauvaka, 3 Uini Atonio, 4 Cameron Woki, 5 Thibaud Flament, 6 Anthony Jelonch, 7 Charles Ollivon, 8 Gregory Alldritt.
Replacements: 16 Pierre Bourgarit, 17 Reda Wardi, 18 Dorian Aldegheri, 19 Romain Taofifenua, 20 Francois Cros, 21 Sekou Macalou, 22 Maxime Lucu, 23 Yoram Moefana
More to follow…
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