Emboldened by the view from the top of the NFC North, the Detroit Lions are out to eliminate nightmare holiday gatherings when the Chicago Bears come to town Thursday for a lunchtime division duel. The Lions (10-1) are streaking one direction, the Bears (4-7) the other in the first matchup of the season between teams on opposite ends of the division. Riding a nine-game winning streak, their longest since a 10-game streak during their first season in Detroit in 1934, the Lions are burdened by losses in their traditional Thanksgiving Day game the past seven seasons. Three of the defeats are courtesy of Chicago. The Bears and Lions get together for the 20th time on Thanksgiving -- the Bears have 11 wins -- this week in the first of two meetings between the teams in a 25-day span. Detroit goes to Soldier Field on Dec. 22. "I think there's two things," Campbell said of the Thanksgiving losing streak. "Number one -- Get a W. And it's a division win that's why this huge. Number two is because the players are going to get a couple of days off. So, they have family, friends in, it'd be nice to feel good about it when you're with everybody because it's just not real fun. It's not real fun to be around." Detroit (10-1) owns the best record in the NFC but the Lions aren't even assured of a division title. Minnesota sits one game behind them and Green Bay is two games back. The Bears (4-7) sit in last place and would likely need to run the table to have any chance of making the playoffs. The Lions have been dominant in all phases and haven't allowed a touchdown in the past 10 consecutive quarters. Detroit's offense ranks first in points per game (32.7) and second in total yardage (394.3) The Lions defense has not given up a touchdown in the last 10 quarters. Rookie placekicker Jake Bates has made all 16 of his field goal attempts, including four from 50-plus yards over the past three games. Chicago shows up in a foul mood. The Bears are saddled with a five-game losing streak and Chicago's defense has been destroyed for nearly 2,000 total yards in the last four games. The Bears failed to reach the 20-point mark four times in five outings since they last won a game. In their latest defeat, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the offense perked up but they lost to Minnesota in overtime, 30-27. "We have to play complementary football for us to be able to win these games," coach Matt Eberflus said. "The games we have won, we have done that. The games we have been close we've missed the mark a little bit. Over the course of the year, it's been one side or the other, this side or that side. In this league you have to be good on all sides to win. That's what we are searching for." Williams threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. The wide receiver trio of DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Romeo Odunze combined for 21 receptions and two touchdowns while tight end Cole Kmet caught seven passes. "What I've been impressed with is just how he has grown," Campbell said. "He has grown every game but these last two I really feel like he's taken off and what they're doing with him has been really good for him and he just looks very composed. He doesn't get frazzled, plays pretty fast, and he's an accurate passer, big arm, and he's got some guys that can get open for him." Detroit's banged-up secondary could be susceptible against the Bears' veteran receivers in their bid to pull off an upset on Thursday. The Lions put two defensive backs on injured reserve in the past week and top cornerback Carlton Davis isn't expected to play due to knee and thumb injuries. Detroit offensive tackle Taylor Decker (knee) and top returner Kalif Raymond (foot) are also expected to miss the game, though Campbell expressed optimism that running back David Montgomery (shoulder), formerly of the Bears, would play. Bears safety Elijah Hicks was listed as a DNP for Tuesday's walkthrough. --Field Level MediaAdorable Peanuts Décor for a Holly Jolly Holiday DALLAS , Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Spread cheer with Gemmy's charming Peanuts ® Christmas decorations, available at Lowe's. Life-Size Animated Snoopy For tons of festive fun, include the Life-Size Animated Snoopy in your setup. Dressed in a Santa suit, the fuzzy 3.6-ft Snoopy holds an antler-wearing Woodstock and dances to the iconic "Linus and Lucy" tune. Airblown ® Inflatables Make merry moments with Peanuts Airblown ® Inflatables: Car Scene : Snoopy and Woodstock's red car features a C9 light string, green bow, and a "SNOOPY" license plate. Wearing a Santa hat, Snoopy waves from the driver's seat while Woodstock perches on the hood. (6-ft) Igloo Scene : Chill out! Lounging atop an igloo with a candy cane, Snoopy takes a break from the festivities. In a matching Santa hat, Woodstock stands on the wreath-adorned entrance. (4.5-ft) Mistletoe Snoopy : Snoopy stands with outstretched arms, dressed in a mistletoe Santa hat and a "Mistletoe Tester" red sweater. (3.5-ft) Yard Décor Enhance your display with adorable Snoopy yard decorations, including a Doghouse Tinsel Sculpture and Blow Mold ! Shop Gemmy's Peanuts collection at Lowe's. About Gemmy Industries Gemmy Industries is a leader in the seasonal décor market, bringing festive fun and holiday cheer to homes everywhere. Dedicated to innovation and creative design, Gemmy has elevated industry standards and established recognizable brands like Airblown ® Inflatable and LightShow ® Lighting. For more information on products and retailers, visit www.gemmy.com . Connect with us on Instagram and Facebook . About Peanuts The characters of Peanuts and related intellectual property are owned by Peanuts Worldwide, which is 41% owned by WildBrain Ltd., 39% owned by Sony Music Entertainment ( Japan ) Inc., and 20% owned by the family of Charles M. Schulz , who first introduced the world to Peanuts in 1950, when the comic strip debuted in seven newspapers. Since then, Charlie Brown , Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang have made an indelible mark on popular culture. In addition to enjoying beloved Peanuts shows and specials on Apple TV+, fans of all ages celebrate the Peanuts brand worldwide through thousands of consumer products, as well as amusement park attractions, cultural events, social media, and comic strips available in all formats, from traditional to digital. In 2018, Peanuts partnered with NASA on a multi-year Space Act Agreement designed to inspire a passion for space exploration and STEM among the next generation of students. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/celebrate-the-season-with-snoopy-decorations-at-lowes-302316922.html SOURCE Gemmy Industries © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
What the Penguins have done since Thanksgiving Eve has been admirable. When everyone thought they were circling the drain, they won nine of 13 entering the NHL's Christmas break, flirting with a possible playoff spot. Their power play, which last year was a significant drag, was clicking at 30.8% during that time, their penalty kill at 90.6%. Meanwhile, they had simplified their breakouts, played tighter in the neutral zone and displayed a willingness to dump and chase to create offense. Perhaps most important, they showed during various stretches an ability to sustain momentum. Crazy, I know. But what happened Saturday on Long Island during a 6-3 loss to the Islanders at UBS Arena felt a little like a splash of cold water to the face, a reminder that problems still exist and that this remains a fringe playoff team at best. It's an uncomfortable reality, sure. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang only have so many years left. There's an inherent sense of urgency there, a need for Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas to place at least some importance on the present and not turn 100% of his attention to the future. But the best thing for Dubas and Co. remains to take a sober look at the assets the Penguins have, where they stand in the Eastern Conference playoff race, and probably make a couple ruthless decisions in the months ahead. In other words, Dubas should not deviate from the plan or get lulled into some false sense of security provided by this team's pre-holiday run. If Rickard Rakell (17 goals) is playing well enough that the Penguins might be able to attach Ryan Graves' contract to a deal and get talent back, Dubas should accept short-term frustration for the long-term gain the vacated salary-cap space would provide. Provided Marcus Pettersson (lower-body injury) returns soon, he's also an enticing trade chip — and someone more natural to move considering he's playing on an expiring contract. Now, this doesn't mean the Penguins should exclusively target draft picks in return. They should want players who are either NHL-ready or darn close in exchange for Rakell, Pettersson and other movable pieces. The tradeoff, of course, is functioning with less this season to receive contributions from new guys as early as 2025-26, when Crosby, Malkin and Letang (plus Erik Karlsson if you want to include him with that group) are still around to enjoy it. As far as Karlsson, I'd absolutely listen to offers, though I'm not sure how they'd sound considering the combination of his age, salary and play this season. Fortunately for Dubas and the Penguins, no decisions need to be made now. What the Penguins lacked on Saturday could prove to be a one-game blip — and that would be great. Change everything if the Penguins can somehow show that their 9-3-1 run heading into the break was real. I just don't know how much it has raised the group's collective ceiling. Given the team's depth issues on defense, it's natural to worry about the Penguins' ability to prevent opposing teams from scoring; they're still permitting an NHL-worst 3.70 goals against per game. It's also tough to see how their 53 goals scored (tied for the NHL lead) between Nov. 27 and Saturday is sustainable considering they shot 15.3% during that time. Last season, for context, the Penguins shot just 9.4%. At some point, the offense will normalize, and the Penguins will have to reliably prevent other teams from scoring. I've yet to see enough from Tristan Jarry and the Penguins' team defense to believe that's going to happen. Jarry wasn't the primary problem against the Islanders, but he also didn't offer much in the way of a solution. Since returning to the NHL club on Nov. 15, and prior to Saturday, Jarry had produced a modest .894 save percentage. The intriguing part might be if an opposing team has seen enough to give Dubas something for Jarry — which would be another move the Penguins absolutely must consider. With Joel Blomqvist in the minors, the Penguins have natural back-fill at the position. The dream would be if Blomqvist was able to get meaningful experience and show he's capable of handling an NHL workload. It's also highly questionable whether an offer would ever arrive for Jarry, which is another discussion. Sure, the Penguins are 16-16-5, their 37 points one back of the Ottawa Senators when it comes to the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Erasing a two-year playoff drought would be nice, especially when you consider how poorly this season started. However, pretty much anyone who has watched the Penguins this season should see that considerable flaws still exist. They lack consistent scoring outside of the top line. Defending the net-front was a sizable issue against the Islanders and has been for too much of this season. Offensive depth and owning the battle areas are keys to any sort of playoff run. The same for what happens far too frequently when their defensemen pinch. The same as he said back in April, Dubas shouldn't get caught up in any one snapshot and instead evaluate the team based on its entire body of work ... while simultaneously building a younger, deeper roster that can legitimately compete for a longer stretch of time. ©2024 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
As Americans are beyond burned out, Tricia Hersey’s Nap Ministry preaches the right to restThe Atlanta Braves had a down season in 2024, but at full strength, they are one of the best teams in Major League Baseball. They could be an attractive destination for an international superstar. While listing top landing spots for Rōki Sasaki, FanSided's Christopher Kline named the Braves as a potential suitor. He is going to be pursued by many MLB teams, and money will not be the deciding factor in where he goes. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said he expects Sasaki to sign in the 2025 signing period, according to ESPN's Jorge Castillo . Since Sasaki is an amateur free agent, teams will only be able to use funds from the international signing bonus pool to sign him. When the 2025 window opens on January 15, the Braves will have $6.2 million at their disposal . The Chiba Lotte Marines star could join the Braves and not have the pressure of being an ace. "We don't see too many Japanese stars taking their talents to the southeast, but Sasaki would be uniquely positioned to soak up the spotlight in Atlanta, on a team with genuine World Series aspirations and a favorable long-term outlook. The Braves should be contending for years to come, with Sasaki able to develop at his own pace," wrote Kline. "Max Fried and Charlie Morton are both free agents, so this is a unique chance for Atlanta to add a premium arm at a bargain-bin price." Sasaki had 129 strikeouts in 18 games in Nippon Professional Baseball last season. He is a two-time NPB All-Star and skills were on full display during the World Baseball Classic where his 100 mph fastball and splitter mowed through lineups. The Athletic's Jim Bowden noted that the Braves' track record of pitching development could make them a surprising landing spot for Sasaki. "Sasaki needs pitching development, which does make the Dodgers a fit, but it also gives advantages to teams such as the San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, Mets and Atlanta Braves," wrote Bowden. More MLB: Braves $136 million starter predicted to leave Atlanta and join AL contender
Guwahati, Dec 29, 2024- Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh, who has been scooping adulation across the world courtesy his live shows, dedicated his recent show in Guwahati to the former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The actor-singer took to his Instagram on Sunday, and shared a video from his show. In the video, Diljit paid a moving tribute to the former PM, and said that MMS was a man of grace, who always conducted himself in a sophisticated manner, and never answered anyone in an uncivilised manner. He said, “Today’s concert is dedicated to former late Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He led a very simple life. He never used to answer back or talk ill which is quite immpossible in a profession like politics”. He then went on to say a shayari once used by MMS, as he said, “Hazaro’n jawabo’n se meri khamoshi acchi, na jane kitne sawalo ki aabru dhak leti hai”. The superstar urged the youth including himself to learn such etiquettes from him. He wrote in the caption, “Today’s Concert is dedicated to Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. DIL-LUMINATI TOUR Year 24”. MMS passed away on December 26 after prolonged illness. Several members of the film fraternity condoled his demise, and thanked him for his service to the nation and materialising several key moments in modern India. Earlier, Diljit addressed the “conspiracy” that has been alleged against him over the spelling of the Indian state of Punjab. The actor-singer took to his X, formerly Twitter, and spoke about the same. He penned a long note in which he also spoke about how English is a very tricky language, and can particularly cause trouble to those whose first language is not English. He wrote, “Punjabi. If I mistakenly didn’t put up India’s flag after writing ‘Panjab’ in a tweet then it becomes a conspiracy. In a tweet from Bengaluru, I forgot to mention the Indian flag after writing ‘Panjab’, it became a conspiracy”. He further mentioned, “If you write ‘Panjab’ instead of ‘Punjab’, it will remain ‘Punjab’. Panj Aab – 5 Rivers. Bravo, those who create conspiracy around the usage in a language of the Englishmen. You know what, I will write ‘Panjab’. How many times do we prove that we LOVE INDIA. Bring something new, or is creating conspiracy is what you get paid for? #Vehley”. The superstar has seen a meteoric rise in the last couple of years with the box-office success of his films in Hindi and Punjabi cinema. The singer-actor also performed at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in April 2023 making him the first Indian performer to achieve the feat. He was followed by fellow Punjabi artiste A. P. Dhillon at Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in April 2024. Meanwhile, Diljit is set to conclude the India leg of Dil-Luminati tour in Ludhiana. (Agency)PHOENIX — Kansas State faced a daunting task when DJ Giddens, one of the top running backs in the Big 12, opted out of the Rate Bowl to prepare for the NFL draft. Dylan Edwards showed the Wildcats and their fans they had nothing to worry about. Edwards ran for 196 yards and scored his third touchdown on a 36-yard run in the fourth quarter, helping Kansas State rally past Rutgers 44-41 in the Rate Bowl on Thursday night. “Dylan and those young guys, those kids are really good players,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. “They just need belief and confidence.” They got it in the desert — after some early stumbles. The Scarlet Knights (7-6) led by 10 at halftime and went up 34-17 on Ja'shon Benjamin's 7-yard touchdown catch on the opening drive of the second half. But Edwards and the Wildcats (9-4) stormed back. Edwards scored on 65-yard touchdown run and, after an interception thrown by Rutgers’ Athan Kaliakmanis, Garrett Oakley caught a 13-yard touchdown pass to pull Kansas State within five. The Wildcats failed 2-point conversions after both touchdowns. Rutgers briefly regained momentum, going up 41-29 early in the fourth quarter on Antwan Raymond's 1-yard TD run on a fake tush push. Kansas State answered with Avery Johnson's 9-yard touchdown pass to Jadon Jackson. Edwards followed with his 36-yard score, capping an impressive night in place of Giddens, who ran for 1,343 yards and seven touchdowns during the regular season. “We worked on those plays for two weeks, so just trying to do my job and that's what I did,” Edwards said. Rutgers still had a chance. The Scarlet Knights moved from their 25 to Kansas State's 44, but gained just three more yards and turned it over on downs with just under two minutes left. “As I tell the players: in life, if you do everything you can to be the best you can be, you can be disappointed,” Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said. “I know that this team did everything they could, just came up a little short." Rutgers also was without its leading rusher, with Kyle Monangai opting out to prepare for the NFL draft. Raymond was solid in his place, running for 113 yards and three touchdowns. Kaliakmanis threw for 237 yards and a touchdown, but also had a key interception and was just 14 of 32 passing. Rutgers had 82 yards of offense in the second half after racking up 319 in the first. “They controlled the game in the second half with their offense and their defense,” Schiano said. Johnson's run Johnson has taken some criticism during his sophomore season, but he never let it bother him. Johnson threw for 195 yards and three touchdowns on 15-of-30 passing in the Rate Bowl, adding 57 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. The touchdown pass to Jackson in the fourth quarter was his 25th of the season, breaking the school record shared by Ell Roberson and Will Howard. “I’ve seen a lot of guys who have great talent and don't put in the work, but he’s got both those combos,” Kansas State linebacker Austin Moore said. “He’s going to continue to be special.” Takeaways Kansas State: The Wildcats struggled defensively until they needed it most, shutting down Rutgers most of the second half. Edwards took it from there, racking up 223 total yards — none bigger than his final TD run. Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights had a second straight bowl win within their grasp, but let it slip through their fingers with a slew of defensive miscues in the second half. Up next Kansas State: Johnson, Edwards and RB Joe Jackson are underclassmen, as is leading tackler Austin Romaine. DE Brendan Mott and Moore, anchors to K-State's defense, played their final college games. Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights will have plenty of holes to fill in the offseason. Kaliakmanis is one of six senior starters on offense, and the defense has eight.
Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed after Wall Street slips, led by tech giants
Airports around the country are bracing for chaos as hundreds of Qantas engineers walk off the job. But the airline has assured customers there will be no impact on their travel plans on one of the busiest travel days of the year. About 500 workers from three different unions began a 24-hour strike action at 3.30am this morning. It’s expected to impact major airports across the country, including Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide, and will end at 7.30am on Saturday. Friday marks the first day of the six-week summer travel period when 13.5 million travellers pass through Australia’s domestic airports. It’s also the first day of school holidays in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. The striking workers, responsible for the towing and marshalling of planes, are calling for a 5 per cent per year pay increase over 5 years after what they say is 3.5 years of frozen wages. Qantas says it has put forward a competitive package with 3 per cent per year over three years, with negotiations now at a stalemate. Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union National Secretary Steve Murphy says industrial action was the only way to get Qantas to the bargaining table. It’s been six weeks since the last strike. “Workers have no other choice. They will be taking industrial action to bring Qantas back to the bargaining table,” Murphy said. “Qantas is to blame if there’s any disruption to commuters over the holiday period. They have had six weeks to simply do what they said they would.” A Qantas spokesperson said a number of contingencies are in place to prevent delays. “Around 160 aircraft maintenance engineers are rostered on during Friday’s industrial action, and only members of the alliance unions can take industrial action,” said Qantas. The spokesperson noted there were no delays or cancellations during the previous strikes. It wasn’t just the Coalition dodging questions this morning, with Labor frontbenchers Chris Bowen and Bill Shorten playing coy on the broken 2022 election promise that power bills would come down by $275 by 2023. Energy Minister Chris Bowen was asked if he regretted making the promise in 2022, but he was keen to redirect the question to discuss the cost of renewable energy. Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen “I don’t regret obviously pointing out that renewables are the cheapest form of energy,” Bowen said. “I look forward to debating the competing plans before the Australian people at the next election.” Pushed to answer the question again, Bowen said we were dealing with “a different set of circumstances internationally” post-2022. “Australia’s increase in energy prices has been less than a lot of other comparable countries. We delivered billions of dollars of energy bill relief, which has been the appropriate thing to do, which has been opposed by the Liberal and National Party.” Asked about the promise on Nine’s Today , NDIS Minister Bill Shorten also opted to pivot to the Coalition’s nuclear plan. “We know that energy prices are part of the cost-of-living pressure on families. That’s why I think that the heroic assumptions of Peter Dutton promising some fanciful solution in 25 years’ time is just a crock,” Shorten said. “The idea we’re going to come from scratch and build a whole nuclear industry in Australia is, you know, just a fantasy.” The wait is over for Queensland’s year 12 graduates, with school-leavers across the state receiving their Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) results this morning. This year, 28,845 graduates received an ATAR – about 1000 more than last year – with 36 students achieving a top result of 99.95. ATARs were made available to eligible students through Queensland Tertiary Admission Centre (QTAC). Big smiles for Lachlan Howie and Kaiyu Su, two of the 36 students in Queensland to receive top ATAR scores of 99.95. Credit: QTAC Seventeen-year-old Brisbane Girls Grammar graduate Kaiyu Su was among those to achieve the top score. “I was definitely hoping for it but it’s been great to see that it’s a 99.95,” she said. “[I’m] definitely very happy and excited for where it might take me.” Read the full story. Queensland year 12 graduates are getting their ATAR results this morning, providing their ticket to tertiary study. But the Queensland government has not released the full data for year 12 results for years. The information released today in Queensland will include overall figures for the state, such as how many students received an ATAR and how many got the top rank of 99.95. Hardly illuminating. In comparison, our colleagues at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age can access individual school data, which they can use to celebrate wins, including when students get great results against the odds. Queensland journalists can only get school-by-school data if they contact each school individually, and putting aside resourcing issues in stretched newsrooms for a minute, it would hardly be surprising if only the top-performing schools were happy to share – and we all know how controversial these media-created league tables are, especially if they lack context about a school’s socio-economic background. Without the full data, we can’t understand individual school data in its proper context and explain it. This was not always the case in Queensland. Before the OP system was swapped for ATARs, the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority released a more than 200-page report showing how many students received OPs in each bracket at each individual school , but this was discontinued in 2021 under the ATAR system, with a brief Queensland-wide report now produced. NSW and Victoria also use ATAR, but release more comprehensive results than the Sunshine State. Amid our constraints, Brisbane Times journalist Courtney Kruk has put together a story celebrating the achievements of this year’s graduates. We’d love to have brought you even more. Two of the ABC’s most well-known broadcasters, Patricia Karvelas and Michael Rowland, have signed off for the final time from their respective morning programs. Rowland wrapped up nearly 15 years at ABC News Breakfast helm in an emotional final bulletin surrounded by his family and colleagues. ABC News Breakfast host Michael Rowland has signed off after 15 years in the role. Credit: ABC “Thank you very much, It’s been wonderful,” said Rowland. “I have been genuinely touched and overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and affection from our viewers. One of my great achievements over the last 15 years has been building up this fantastic audience.” Meanwhile, Karvelas signed off after three years hosting ABC’s flagship morning radio show RN Breakfast. “You’ve been there with me throughout great change in our country and the world, and I want to thank you for it,” Karvelas said, thanking listeners and the Radio National team. Karvelas reflected on her “uniquely Australian” story, growing up in a household where she didn’t speak English. Patricia Karvelas has been filling in as host since Grant’s departure and will now stay in the chair until the end of the year. Credit: Scott McNaughton “Because of a strong public education system and dedicated teachers and incredible family support, I got to grow up and host a national radio show where rigour and curiosity is at the centre of what we do,” she said. Karvelas wished the best of luck to her replacement Sally Sara. “I’ll be listening because I care about this show, and I care about journalism, and I care about telling the truth in a world where the truth is not to be contested.” Coalition frontbenchers have avoided promising energy bills will be cheaper if they win government, as Opposition Leader Peter Dutton prepares to reveal the costings of his signature nuclear policy later today. Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie and MP Barnaby Joyce were both asked if they would pledge power would be cheaper under the Coalition, but both dodged the question. McKenzie was asked on Nine’s Today , where she first said that the price is attached to the “cost of delivering something”. “And our plan is absolutely cheaper than Labor’s plan to get to 2050,” she said. Asked again if the Coalition would bring down power bills, McKenzie weaved again, saying prices would come down in the longer term. “By adding net zero nuclear to firm up the renewables that we’ve got in the grid as well, is the way to actually get prices down over the long term,” she said. Joyve was asked the same question on ABC’s RN Breakfast. On the fifth iteration of the question, would power bills come down under the Coalition, Joyce finally answered: “That is asking for a hypothetical question, which I could answer you, but I would not be telling the truth, because I don’t have the facts before me.” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took time out of his busy pre-Christmas schedule to join the farewell party for Sammy J on ABC Radio in Melbourne this morning, where he wasted no time using his appearance to go into political attack mode. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Credit: Kate Geraghty “It’s Friday the 13th, an auspicious day, I’ve got to say, for Peter Dutton to drop his nuclear nightmare policy out there,” Albanese said, bypassing the pleasantries and bonhomie in favour of dropping a bomb on the opposition leader. “Oh, so straight into it,” said Sammy J. “Have you had a sneak peek [at Dutton’s nuclear power plan]?” he asked. “I had a look at some of the fiction that’s out there,” the PM replied, claiming nuclear power would not lead to savings on the cost of household power but rather “increase bills by $1200”. “The truth is that renewables are the cheapest form of new energy. Everyone knows that’s the case. The science tells us that that’s the case. The economists tell us that’s the case.” The Brisbane City Council has offered sandbags to residents in the city’s tidal flood areas before a predicted anomaly from Sunday through to Tuesday next week. The council advised residents that tide peaks were expected to reach similar levels to September this year, and that “minor localised flooding may be experienced in bayside, riverside, and low-lying parts of nearby suburbs”. Sandbags were also made available for locals, and those in low-lying foreshore and riverside areas were warned to avoid parking their cars on the street. The higher-than-average tides were also expected to impact creeks within bayside suburbs. The Bureau of Meteorology predicts another top temperature over 30 degrees for the River City today, on a partly cloudy day. While there isn’t much hope for a shower, over the weekend there will be a 60 per cent chance of falls across Brisbane, lessening on Sunday. The weather will remain much the same early next week, with the days gradually becoming warmer. Here’s the outlook for the next seven days.
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Even if you were lucky enough to get a new console or games this Christmas, you've probably got your eye on some upcoming releases. And 2025 is shaping up to be a big one. Most agree that 2024 was a painful year for the games industry, with tens of thousands of layoffs and worldwide studio closures. There's a hope that things will bounce back - at least in part - next year. And two huge releases in particular are likely to cut through in a big way. A cultural moment, a day millions of gamers have been awaiting for a very, very long time. The release of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6). It's due to land in autumn, 12 years after prequel GTA 5 arrived on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, breaking launch records . The sequel already broke records with its first trailer, which racked up an astonishing 90 million views in 24 hours when it debuted last December. And that probably won't be the last record that will be broken. "The anticipation for this is impossible to measure," says James Batchelor, editor-in-chief of GamesIndustry.biz . "It's undoubtedly going to be one of, if not the biggest, game launches of all time." Developer Rockstar hasn't revealed a huge amount about the new game beyond its dual protagonists and scenes from its fictional, Florida-inspired setting Leonida. The big question on most fans' minds is whether the release date will slip, as has happened for previous big releases from Rockstar. James says he's seen nothing to suggest that it will - yet - but if things stay quiet it's time to start worrying. "If we still have seen absolutely nothing by summer, and certainly if we've seen nothing of it by, say, end of August, then yeah, that's going to 2026," he says. The release of GTA 6 is expected to have an impact on the wider games industry. "I think it will probably be one of those moments where the rising tide is going to lift all of the boats," says George Osborn, consultant and author of the Video Games Industry Memo newsletter . He says a big hit - especially one with the cultural resonance of GTA - can get more people "in the mood to buy video games" and publishers want to capitalise on that. There are other big releases planned for this year - Assassin's Creed Shadows from French publisher Ubisoft, Ghost of Yōtei from Sony and strategy game Civilization VII, to name just three. "The challenge for the developers is how do you keep yourself out of the Grand Theft Auto window?," says George. Avoiding the juggernaut of GTA 6 will likely mean other publishers launch their new games early in the year or even hold them back to early 2026. One more thing we do know is that the game will release first on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles, with a PC release to follow later. Many gamers are still sticking with their previous-generation machines, and Sony and Microsoft will be hoping GTA 6 will finally inspire them to upgrade. "If anything is going to convince people to jump to a new console if they haven't already it's going to be GTA 6," says James, who estimates that PlayStation 4 users still count for 50% of Sony's active players. But if we're talking hardware upgrades, there could be some competition. Here's what we know, officially, about Nintendo's next console. It exists. Your current Switch games will work on it. And that's it. There's no official name yet, but fans have been calling it the Nintendo Switch 2. Despite unconfirmed leaks and rumours the machine's capabilities remain a mystery and the company's promised some sort of official announcement by the end of March. There's a feeling, though, that Nintendo won't want to change the winning formula of the original Switch, which has sold 146 million units since its 2017 launch. "The sensible money is on just a bigger, better Switch," says James. Expect it to look similar with more processing power under the bonnet. "That might sound reductive," he adds. "But given the level of success this has had they would be daft to not just build on the foundation they've made here." James argues that confirmation of backwards compatibility - being able to play games originally made for the first Switch - strongly suggests the new machine won't be a million miles away from its younger sibling. He says there is a danger that, as has happened with previous Nintendo consoles, customers might not understand that the new machine is different to what they've already got at home. But James isn't sure it will experience the same fate. "That was a long time ago," he says. "I think they've learned a lot of lessons since then." Some of 2024's biggest success stories came from small, independent developers. The most notable was Balatro - an addictive, poker-inspired card game that ended the year in the running for high-profile game of the year awards. Journalist Rachel Watts, who hosts the Indieventure podcast , feels that has helped to set the stage for more breakout success this year. "There's been so many great indies this year," she says. "On the triple-A side a lot of critics and players have said 'it's such a quiet year, there's not many big releases', but for indie games, there's always so many cool things to play." A success like Balatro is incredibly rare, and one of the big issues for indie developers in 2024 has been discoverability - getting players to actually find your game . Rachel says the number of releases on Steam - the online store where most PC games are bought - is "frankly bonkers" and getting noticed is "one of the most difficult things". "I just don't see that becoming any easier," she says. Rachel says indie developers are also struggling to find investment and the financial outlook is "pretty bleak" going into 2025. But she does think that more gamers are starting to recognise the creativity that exists in the sector - and more breakout hits will follow. "The indie space is a place where I retreat to just play games that get me excited about gaming again," says Rachel. "If Balatro can knock elbows with some of the biggest titles of the year, then I'm hoping other other indies will." There's another big moment to watch in 2025: the first Olympic Esports Games will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. "I think it's an important moment because the Olympic movement has traditionally not been too keen on esports," says George. After years of campaigning the International Olympics Committee agreed a 12-year deal with Saudi Arabia to host the gaming version. The first esports World Cup took place in the kingdom this summer, and George says the event "didn't really cut through" to a wider audience. "It'll be interesting to see whether or not the eSports Olympics with the official IOC branding and the official Olympic movement branding behind it has a different impact," says George. Some fans, players and commentators boycotted the World Cup in protest over Saudi Arabia's human rights records. George says the esports Olympics will revive conversations about sportswashing - the idea that Saudi Arabia uses its vast wealth to invest in sports and entertainment to improve its international reputation - something it's denied. "You have this really interesting thing," says George. "Your big esports moment - esports becomes an Olympic sport. "That's really interesting. But the only way it's basically been able to happen is because Saudi Arabia's bankrolled it. "So, you know, what do people feel about that?" 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