Latest news with #Eddy
ABC News
8 hours ago
- Sport
- ABC News
Simone McKinnis reveals 'turning point' as Vixens eye fairytale ending in Super Netball grand final
Simone McKinnis stunned the netball world when she announced her 13th season at the Melbourne Vixens would be her last. It proved the turning point that took the Vixens from strugglers to Super Netball grand finalists, and now they will hope to ride that wave of emotion to glory. Melbourne will face the West Coast Fever in Saturday's decider at John Cain Arena after mounting an emotional comeback from 10 goals down at the final change to beat the NSW Swifts by one goal last week. It meant McKinnis's decorated career would stretch into one more game — a tilt at a third national league title. McKinnis announced after her 200th game in May — a defeat to Sunshine Coast Lightning — that she would be moving on, before later joking her "flat" charges, then sitting 2-4, needed to head to the pub. Since then, Melbourne has won eight of 10 games to reach their second consecutive decider. "The turning point was moving on, having that announcement," McKinnis said on Wednesday. "It was just, 'Alright, that's out there. Let's just go and have fun.' "I think that was the turning point for us." McKinnis admitted a third triumph would be particularly special. "It'd be enormous. It would be brilliant," she said. "Because I'm just so super proud of how we've got here from where we started this season, and how we've got to this position, and I'm not sure that many people would have seen us in the grand final. "So, I'm just super proud of the girls." Defender Kate Eddy started her career as a training partner at the Vixens and, apart from two years at the Swifts, has only played under McKinnis. She and her teammates, fuelled by the fire of losing last year's grand final to NSW, are trying not to think too much about their coach's last hurrah. "After the siren goes, I think it'll be lots of emotions and everything as well next week," Eddy said. "But trying to put out all of my energy and focus into this week, because obviously Simone means the world to all of us and to me as well. "So, it'll be really hard. But try not to think about that too much." First, the Vixens need to get the better of the Fever, who have beaten them twice this season, with star goaler Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard averaging 60 goals in those two games. Eddy stressed the Vixens' full-court defence needed to stop the ball getting to Fowler-Nembhard, while McKinnis wants her charges switched on early. "You're never out of the contest until the whistle is gone and the final siren's gone. It's never over," McKinnis said. "But … you can't afford to be giving a team like Fever that sort of head start. "The important part for us is being able to put that pressure on and show our intent and purpose right from the first whistle." AAP
Perth Now
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Vixens ride wave of emotion into Super Netball decider
Simone McKinnis stunned the netball world when she announced her 13th season at the Melbourne Vixens would be her last. It proved the turning point that took the Vixens from strugglers to Super Netball grand finalists. Now, they will hope to ride that wave of emotion to glory. Melbourne will face the West Coast Fever in Saturday's decider at John Cain Arena after mounting an emotional comeback from 10 goals down at the final change to beat NSW by one goal last week. It meant McKinnis's decorated career stretches into one more game - a tilt at a third national league title. McKinnis announced after her 200th game in May - a defeat to Sunshine Coast Lightning - that she would be moving on, before later joking her "flat" charges, then sitting 2-4, needed to head to the pub. Since then, Melbourne have won eight of 10 games to reach their second consecutive decider. "The turning point was moving on, having that announcement," McKinnis said on Wednesday. "It was just, 'alright, that's out there. Let's just go and have fun.' "I think that was the turning point for us." McKinnis admits a third triumph would be particularly special. "It'd be enormous. It would be brilliant," she said. "Because I'm just so super proud of how we've got here from where we started this season, and how we've got to this position, and I'm not sure that many people would have seen us in the grand final. "So I'm just super proud of the girls." Defender Kate Eddy started her career as a training partner at the Vixens and apart from two years at the Swifts, has only played under McKinnis. She and her teammates, fuelled by the fire of losing last year's grand final to NSW, are trying not to think too much about their coach's last hurrah. "After the siren goes, I think it'll be lots of emotions and everything as well next week," Eddy said. "But trying to put out all of my energy and focus into this week, because obviously Simone means the world to all of us and to me as well. "So it'll be really hard. But try not to think about that too much." First, the Vixens need to get the better of the Fever, who have beaten them twice this season, with star goaler Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard averaging 60 goals in those two games. Eddy stressed the Vixens' full-court defence needed to stop the ball getting to Fowler-Nembhard, while McKinnis wants her charges switched on early. "You're never out of the contest until the whistle is gone and final siren's gone. It's never over," McKinnis said. "But ... you can't afford to be giving a team like Fever that sort of head start. "The important part for us is being able to put that pressure on and show our intent and purpose right from the first whistle."
The Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Future of Channel 4 comedy series with big name host revealed after four series
AFTER four successful series of Jimmy Carr's gameshow I Literally Just Told You, the future of the show has been revealed. Although it hasn't been officially green lit by Channel 4, the comedy show is set to return for it's fifth series, with filming reportedly take place next year. 3 3 The most recent series, which aired in July last year, was filmed back in 2023. The delay in filming the next instalment is reportedly down to diary dates but the much-loved show is still very much on Channel 4's programming slate. I Literally Just Told You sees four contestants battle it out for a cash prize of up to £25,000 by answering questions that have been written live while the show is being filmed. Two contestants are axed during the episode, leaving two finalists to face off, with questions steadily increasing from £250 to £2,000. The questions can present themselves in the form of anything that happens on the show to a celebrity cameo or an off the cuff joke. The show first aired on Channel 4 in December 2021 and immediately became a hit with viewers, with 24 episodes having aired so far. It was created by Blue Peter's Richard Bacon and is narrated by none other than Loose Women's Judi Love. A previous episode of I Literally Just Told You saw a contestant almost left empty-handed after a mistake. Sainsbury's worker Eddy, from Glasgow, lost out on the £18,000 when he could not give pop star Ariana Grande 's age - although there had been an error. Comedian Jimmy, 51, who recently asked security to remove an audience member from his gig, 'owned the mistake' - as he later forked up the prize money. Lorraine Kelly wins £18,000 jackpot on I Literally Just Told You celebrity special After being brought on stage at one of Jimmy's gigs, Eddy was surprised with a giant cheque. The 8 Out Of 10 Cats host said: 'Now I've got something to tell you, I've got something to confess. 'You lost the money on a question – it was Ariana Grande's age. 'We talked about her age but we never gave you the specific age so we messed up. BACK ON THE BOX 'And when you mess up in life, you've got to own your mistakes. Here's a cheque for £18,000.' This isn't the only show of Jimmy's that is returning, as 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown returns to Channel 4 tonight (July 25). The long-running show sparked fears it would not be returning after production was halted last year. The comedy's production company Zeppotron had been told no new episodes would be filmed. A spokesperson for Channel 4 said at the time: 'We have already shot episodes which are ready to air. 'To keep the show current we will shoot further episodes nearer transmission.' However, 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown is now returning to the studio this month to record a brand new series. 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 4. 3
Perth Now
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
JoJo Siwa has her own nicknames for Chris Hughes' private parts
JoJo Siwa has come up with nicknames for Chris Hughes' testicles. The former Love Island UK star has, 32, has opened up about his relationship with the 22-year-old singer - who he met earlier this year on British reality show Celebrity Big Brother - and revealed how she decided to use some "rhyming lingo" to give his private parts a wholesome moniker after wanting to name her future children Freddie, Eddy and Teddy. He told E! News: "She's mentioned those names before. She calls my balls Jimmy and Timmy! [laughs] She must love the rhyming lingo within her life! "I don't know about those [children's] names. I have names that I like. I'm still kind of undecided on them." However, he insisted he isn't fussed about the couple - who confirmed their romance last month - reaching an agreement if and when they start a family together. He added: "We'll work it out for sure. It might end up being something we have to pick names out of a hat for." However, JoJo herself recently insisted Freddie, Eddy and Teddy are no longer top of her list. She told Capital Buzz: "Absolutely not. I was a bad girl, did some bad things and that includes naming children. "Got a new name for children. And I think it's Silver. Silver Siwa." In February 2024, JoJo claimed she had already got tattoos on her arm "dedicated" to the original names. Speaking to Access Daily, she said: "I actually have two tattoos dedicated to them. "This one is dedicated to my baby girl one day. Her name is Freddie. Then this is dedicated to twin boys Eddy and Teddy." Meanwhile, Chris recently admitted he would "love to marry" JoJo one day, and he's already thought of "scenarios of their wedding day". When it comes to a family he added to The Sun newspaper: "We both want kids. We come from loving families. My mum loves her. "She's my best friend. I love that she's the person I have to do nothing with and still have the best time. That's everything to me."
RNZ News
20-07-2025
- RNZ News
Stiff jail sentences for South American-linked Operation Bali cocaine and meth smuggling syndicate
By Ric Stevens, Open Justice reporter of Claudia Romero Lopez and Peter Wellman were both sent to prison. Photo: Supplied / Facebook When a joint police and customs operation, Operation Bali , culminated in 2022, officers seized 28kg of imported methamphetamine, 5kg of cocaine and $450,000 in cash. Ric Stevens looks at the people who are now serving hefty jail terms for their parts in the South American-linked drug syndicate. Claudia Romero Lopez grew up in poverty, enduring a chaotic and abusive childhood caught up among the infamous drug cartels of South America. In 2011, she got the chance to escape her traumatic past and begin a new life in New Zealand. But she didn't leave her old life in Colombia completely behind her. She stayed in contact with her ex-husband back home, an alleged drug dealer named Eddy, and when her son joined her in New Zealand some years later, she helped him in his drug-dealing activities too. Now she is in prison. So is her Kiwi husband, her son and another South American immigrant, who all joined forces in a criminal group to import Class A drugs - cocaine and methamphetamine. The Wellington-based syndicate operated at least between February 2021 and June 2022, importing an estimated 28.6kg of methamphetamine and 5kg of cocaine. A joint police and Customs investigation, codenamed Operation Bali, was started after Customs intercepted several drug consignments at the border. The amounts in each and the packaging led Customs to believe the consignments were somehow related to each other. They notified police, and a joint investigation was set up, with a core group of five Customs investigators and between five and 10 police officers. Some of the suspects were identified as foreign nationals who were using Spanish in their communications. Spanish-speaking police officers were brought in to provide translations in "close to real time", according to Detective Senior Sergeant Trevor Collett of the National Organised Crime Group. Collett told NZME that authorities have seen an increase in methamphetamine and cocaine coming into New Zealand in recent years from Central and South America. He said this could be attributed to the drug cartels in those areas expanding into the South Pacific. "New Zealand is considered by international standards a very lucrative market for the sale of methamphetamine and cocaine," Collett said. "Users in New Zealand pay premium prices for the controlled drugs, and suppliers such as the South American cartels can maximise their profit by supplying the New Zealand market." In Operation Bali, the drugs arrived in packages and consignments addressed to fictitious people, or hidden in imported items, including the legs of a wooden table, a plate from a roading compactor, a metal cog, and a sausage grill. Some of the meth seized in Operation Bali was concealed in a package containing a picture of the Virgin Mary. Photo: Supplied / NZ Police Some of it was even in a package containing a painting of the Virgin Mary. Operation Bali culminated in June 2022, when police with 11 search warrants raided properties in Wellington, the Hutt Valley and Hamilton. The searches uncovered not only drugs, but also more than $450,000 in cash. The subsequent court cases resulted in hefty prison sentences for syndicate members, handed down by Justice Helen McQueen in the High Court at Wellington. Romero Lopez's New Zealand husband, Peter Alexander Wellman, got the stiffest prison sentence in the group after pleading guilty to importing cocaine, importing and supplying methamphetamine, conspiring to possess methamphetamine for supply, and money laundering. He was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison, with no chance of parole for three years and four months. Another leading member of the group, Sergio Antonio Vargas Gonzalez, was sentenced to seven years and three months for importing methamphetamine and cocaine. Romero Lopez's son, Juan Sebastian Galicia Romero, pleaded guilty to importing methamphetamine and cocaine and conspiring to possess meth for supply. He was sentenced to six years and nine months in jail. Romero Lopez herself, who said she was acting in deference to Wellman and to please her son, pleaded guilty to importing cocaine and money laundering. She was sent to prison for four years. Gonzalez's former partner, Frances Petersen, pleaded guilty to being a party to the importation of methamphetamine and received a sentence of eight-and-a-half months of home detention. Court documents say Wellman used his business, Specialty Glaziers, to rent a storage container where the drugs were extracted from the imported goods and processed. When police searched the house that Wellman and Romero Lopez shared, they found $144,000 hidden in the hot-water cupboard. Peter Wellman used his company, Speciality Glaziers, to rent a storage container where the Class A drugs were extracted from imported goods and processed. Photo: Supplied / Facebook The money laundering transactions for which Romero Lopez and Wellman were charged involved buying vehicles with cash - the couple paid $25,500 for a Nissan X-Trail SUV, and Wellman handed over $48,000 in cash for a caravan. They explained their offending by saying it stemmed from a setback which caused them pain and financial hardship. Wellman and Romero Lopez were involved in a serious car accident in 2018. Wellman's ability to work was compromised by his injuries, and he turned to meth to deal with the pain while he was working. Before then, he had been considered a hard-working and highly regarded member of the community, according to references provided to the court from a former employer, a neighbour and friends. Wellman had previous convictions, not specified by the sentencing judge, but apart from a driving offence in 2002, they were all more than 30 years ago. But after Wellman started taking meth, he became addicted. His use increased dramatically, and he needed money to pay for the drug at the same time that he was earning less from his business and using up his savings. He was offered the chance to obtain meth at a reduced cost if he became a supplier and found other people to sell it to. Romero Lopez was described as having an "extremely difficult personal history" in South America before moving to New Zealand 14 years ago. She came from poverty. Her early life was unstable and abusive, chaotic and traumatic. She was caught up in a gang-related drug cartel, although she later claimed that she had never used illegal drugs herself. She had no previous convictions. She was married for a while to the alleged drug supplier Eddy. She later met and married Wellman in New Zealand, but suffered spinal injuries in the 2018 car crash, leaving her unable to work. Romero Lopez claimed she was unaware of the cash found at her home, telling a probation officer that she looked after the house, and he looked after the money. " didn't question where the money came from," she was quoted as saying. "Women from my culture and situation don't do that." Romero Lopez said that some of her offending was to help her son, Galicia Romero, who took a leading role in the syndicate. She said she would "try to do anything" to make her son happy. Galicia Romero worked with contacts overseas to send the drug imports to several New Zealand addresses. Court documents say he was personally responsible for the importation of 2.5kg of cocaine and 1kg of meth, and was found to have $63,450 hidden in a PVC pipe in his home. Operation Bali officers discovered 6.1kg of meth hidden in the base plate of a roading compactor. Photo: Supplied / NZ Police Galicia Romero, 27, was born in Colombia, and a report prepared for the court said that he grew up in the context of crime, violence and the idea that people could only succeed and get out of poverty through illegal activities. Another report said that when he was in his late teens, his father encouraged him to get to know older men involved in criminal activities, because they had money and status. Galicia Romero joined his mother and two brothers in New Zealand under a family resettlement programme. He has previous convictions and has struggled with addiction to cocaine and alcohol. He faces possible deportation after finishing his sentence, and thus separation from his New Zealand-born son. Vargaz Gonzalez was involved in importing the lion's share of the syndicate's drugs - 15.2kg of methamphetamine and 2.5kg of cocaine. Police found $299,000 hidden in a storage locker he had access to. He also directed his then partner, Petersen, to provide addresses where drug consignments could be delivered. These were sent to fictitious people, including "Teresa Hendricks". Teresa is Petersen's middle name, and Hendricks is her mother's maiden name. Petersen is a former psychology student who, according to court documents, is at risk of being trapped in a lifestyle of dancing in nightclubs, vulnerable to drug and alcohol use and predatory men. She applied for a discharge without conviction and name suppression, and was unsuccessful on both counts. Wristweights containing methamphetamine were seized by Customs during Operation Bali. Photo: Supplied / NZ Customs Detective Senior Sergeant Collett said offshore drug suppliers were using increasingly sophisticated methods to conceal drugs coming into the country. In many cases, even the recipients don't know how the consignments will arrive and in what form until they receive the goods. Wastewater analysis and increased seizures show that cocaine use in New Zealand is on the rise. The national drugs in wastewater testing programme estimated that in the first quarter of 2025, the national consumption of the drug was 4.5kg a week. This compares with 3.3kg in the first quarter of last year. - This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald
