Latest news with #Yang
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Expert reveals why Kyle Sandilands' chauffeur sustained horrific injuries in car crash - and why driver of $1M Rolls-Royce walked away unscathed
A motoring expert has weighed in on the shocking crash that left Kyle Sandilands ' chauffeur with harrowing injuries. George Plassaras, 52, was involved in a collision with a $1million Rolls-Royce in Sydney 's Rose Bay at 3.30am on Saturday. The crash left Plassaras, who was driving a Mercedes-Benz van, with a broken spine, broken ribs, a ruptured spleen and diaphragm, a torn open abdomen, two broken hips and two broken femurs. Meanwhile, the young woman allegedly behind the wheel of the Rolls, LanLan Yang, escaped the collision unscathed. Motoring expert Alborz Fallah, co-founder of website has weighed in on the accident revealing why the driver of the Rolls-Royce escaped injury. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. He told Daily Mail that while both cars are considered safe, the size and weight differential between the two cars played an important role in the outcome of the collision. 'The Rolls-Royce Cullinan has a V12 engine at the front and a very long bonnet. It also weighs 300kg-plus more than the Mercedes-Benz van – which appears to be a Vito in this case,' he said. 'Both vehicles are considered safe, but in a head-on collision like that, there is no denying that physics, vehicle mass and dimensions play a big part in the impact result – as witnessed here.' Fallah added that the incident could've been much worse if both vehicles weren't equipped with 'advanced safety systems'. 'The fortunate thing is that both drivers survived. Thanks in large to the advanced safety systems of both vehicles,' he said. LanLan Yang crashed her $1million Rolls-Royce Cullinan into the Mercedes van being driven by Plassaras in Rose Bay on Saturday morning. NSW Police allege 23-year-old Yang veered onto the wrong side of the road, having watched CCTV footage of the collision. Plassaras, who runs Dakota Limousines, was trapped in the wreckage while bystanders called triple zero. He could be heard yelling for help inside the crushed vehicle, as emergency crews from NSW Police Rescue and Fire and Rescue NSW worked to free him. Police say Yang returned a positive result in a roadside breath test, and she was arrested at the scene. At Waverley Police Station, she allegedly refused to undergo a breath analysis. Yang was charged with causing bodily harm by misconduct while in charge of a motor vehicle, and refusing or failing to submit to a breath analysis. She was granted conditional bail and ordered to surrender her passport. Under the strict conditions, she has been prohibited from driving a car and must remain at her Waverley mansion between 8pm and 6am daily. Yang is scheduled to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on August 15. Speaking from the ICU on Wednesday's Kyle & Jackie O show, George revealed that he has a lengthy road to recovery. 'The Rolls-Royce Cullinan [pictured] has a V12 engine at the front and a very long bonnet. It also weighs 300kg-plus more than the Mercedes-Benz van – which appears to be a Vito in this case,' he said 'Both vehicles are considered safe, but in a head-on collision like that, there is no denying that physics, vehicle mass and dimensions play a big part in the impact result – as witnessed here, said motoring expert Alborz Fallah. Pictured: A Mercedes-Benz Vito 'I've got no right hip. It's totally gone,' Plassaras told hosts Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson. 'I've just been laying flat since Saturday, since the accident.' Plassaras, who has known Sandilands for a decade, mentioned that he will need hip surgery on his driving leg, which will keep him off the road for some time. He will also have to undergo a second operation on his knee. The driver added that doctors will have to wait until his hip operation to ascertain the extent of the damage to his spine. 'I've basically got no hip. After the operation, I can't legally drive for six weeks,' Plassaras continued. 'After the hip [surgery], I've got to do my right knee, they've got to check my X-ray for my spine, once I do my hip. 'There's a long list of injuries.'
USA Today
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Stephen Colbert inquires about a new gig after 'Late Show' cancellation
Is Stephen Colbert eyeing a pivot to podcasting? The comedian, 61, playfully teased his possible next steps on the July 28 episode of "The Late Show" in the wake of CBS' announcement that his late-night program is coming to an end. Colbert spoke with Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers, the hosts of "Las Culturistas," a popular podcast. During their chat, he picked their brains about podcasting, suggesting that he could move into the field after "The Late Show" ends. "I'm going to need a gig soon, so sell me on podcasting," Colbert said to Yang and Rogers. "Is it fun?" The comic also asked his guests if podcasting is "hard" or if it's "just like this, but with no pictures?" Rogers joked in response that "Las Culturistas," a comedy podcast with a focus on pop culture, has been successful because he and Yang started it under the assumption that no one would listen. He added that the "secret sauce" is that a podcast must be "real." Colbert's cancellation: A ratings crisis or a political bribe? We investigate Yang, meanwhile, offered a pitch for what Colbert should make a podcast about. "I think you and your wife, Evie, should just go on dates, and either turn the microphones on during the date, or just recap us," the "Saturday Night Live" star said. "That sounds really sweet to me." "I don't know how you guys feel about that," Yang added, and Colbert's studio audience cheered to indicate they liked the idea. "Done," Colbert replied before getting Yang and Rogers to agree to produce the podcast. "I would love to produce it," Yang said. While the three were joking around, Yang wasn't the first person to suggest that Colbert could move to podcasting after CBS announced the surprise cancellation of "The Late Show." Seth Meyers reveals concern about his show being canceled: 'I would worry about myself' Conan O'Brien continued hosting a podcast after retiring from late-night in 2021. On the "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend" podcast, which he launched in 2018, the comedian has interviewed guests, including Paul McCartney and former President Joe Biden. Colbert is also no stranger to podcasting. In 2023, while their late-night shows were off the air due to a writers' strike, Colbert teamed up with Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel and John Oliver to host the "Strike Force Five" podcast, which they kept on the air until the strike ended. "The Late Show" also has an official podcast, "The Late Show Pod Show." Colbert still has time to settle on what he might do next, as "The Late Show" will remain on the air until May.
DW
a day ago
- Science
- DW
Why climate change causes more dangerous sinkholes – DW – 07/27/2025
Drought, falling groundwater levels and heavy rains have sped up the formation of huge craters suddenly appearing in the ground known as sinkholes. On the northeastern tip of the Brazilian Amazon, houses teeter on the edge of huge chasms that have suddenly opened up in the ground. The massive sinkholes put over a thousand people at risk of losing their homes, prompting the state government to declare an emergency. Such sinkholes have appeared in cities in all around the world, including the US, Turkey and Iran. They can appear suddenly, posing threats to lives and homes. Sinkholes are depressions in the ground formed when water erodes soil. This can happen naturally when rainfall trickles through the soil, dissolving underlying bedrock. But it can also be the result of leaky underground water pipes, fracking for fossil fuels and mining activity. Sinkholes are more likely to occur in regions with "karst terrain" — areas made up of soluble bedrock such as limestone, salt beds, or gypsum — that can be dissolved by groundwater, said Hong Yang, environmental science professor with the UK's University of Reading. Yang has recently published research on mitigating sinkhole hazards intensified by climate change. "In the United States, about 20% of the land is susceptible, with Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Pennsylvania experiencing the most significant damage," he told DW. Other hot spots include the UK, specifically areas like Ripon and the Yorkshire Dales in Northern England, Italy's Lazio region, Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, parts of China, Iran and Turkey. Climate change is increasing the frequency of sinkholes by intensifying extreme weather events, according to research. "Droughts lower the water table, removing subterranean support for the land above. When followed by intense storms or heavy rain — which are also becoming more common due to climate change — the sudden weight and saturation of water can cause the weakened ground to collapse," said Yang. He pointed to Turkey's breadbasket, the Konya Plain in central Anatolia. It's a karst terrain where increasing drought means more sinkholes are now opening up in populated regions. Before the 2000s, researchers in the area used to register one sinkhole every few years, said Fetullah Arik, a professor at Konya Technical University who heads the university's sinkhole research center. In 2024 alone, they documented 42. Groundwater levels across the Konya Basin have dropped by at least 60 meters (197 feet) compared to 1970. "In some areas close to the basin edges, groundwater cannot be found, although wells deeper than 300 meters are drilled," he added. Drought linked to climate change is lowering groundwater levels because rainfall is not replenishing water sources. But because people still need access to water, they are pumping lots of it, which in turn, exacerbates the risk of sinkholes. In populated areas, that also means buildings are more vulnerable to collapse. "If you pull water out of a juice box too fast, the sides cave in," said Antonios E. Marsellos, associate professor of geology, environment, and sustainability at Hofstra University in the state of New York."That's like pumping too much groundwater, so the support of the underground weakens and may collapse just like the juice box that bent." Marsellos, who published research on climate change effects on sinkhole formations, said it's made worse in big cities with air pollution where water gets more acidic and breaks down rock faster. Marsellos and his team looked at freeze-thaw cycles in Long Island, New York, over a period of close to 80 years and found that increased temperatures due to climate change has weakened the stability of the soil and has a direct impact on sinkhole formations. Experts rely on technologies such as satellite remote sensing and ground-penetrating radar to detect subtle ground subsidence and underground voids to spot sinkholes before they collapse, said Yang. Other detection methods include monitoring groundwater levels and conducting geotechnical surveys before building in the area. If an empty void is found underground, experts then act like a dentist, said Marsellos. "It's exactly the same thing that we do — we check if there is any cavity, basically any empty space under the ground that eventually will not be able to hold that empty space." Depending on local conditions such as the makeup of the rock and tectonic activity, the cavity could then be filled, with cement, for instance, he said. In Turkey's Konya Basin region, where over 80% of the water consumed is used by agriculture, Akir said the most important factor is to regulate excessive groundwater use so the soil has that natural stabilizer underneath. Farmers have now switched to more efficient irrigation techniques. The region has also tried out a number of water transfer projects, such as the Blue Tunnel project, which takes water from Goksu River to help fill the Konya Plain. Other prevention strategies include controlling drainage and fixing leaks and enforcing strict building codes, Yang said. "Engineering solutions can stabilize the ground by injecting grout to fill voids, compacting loose soil, or using geogrid technology to reinforce the land."To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
CNBC
a day ago
- Business
- CNBC
Yones: Positive China news boosts Yin; negative headlines drive Yang
Douglas Yones, Direxion CEO, tells Worldwide Exchange traders are piling into leveraged China ETFs like Yin and Yang, with flows driven more by headlines than fundamentals.
The National
2 days ago
- Sport
- The National
Celtic transfer need 'heightened' as Nygren clue factored in
The former Parkhead defender had forecast that his old club would need to bring in one more wideman before the closure of the transfer window. But that was with the expectation that new recruit Benjamin Nygren would play on one side. However, after watching the Swede play in central midfield against Ajax, that has forced him into a rethink. Celtic have already sold Nicolas Kuhn in this window and Yang has been linked with an exit, with Brendan Rodgers playing down the chance of him leaving. They've been on the trail of Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Jakob Breum but it remains to be seen if they can get deals done. Mulgrew would like to see both. Read more: "I said last week they need a winger," he told Go Radio. "After playing Ajax you seen Nygren playing as a kind of No8 midfielder. So you are thinking is that where he is going to play? So then you would think they need two wingers. "So I can understand why they wouldn't let Yang go. You can't let a winger go when you've not got any in the building or wingers ready to start and make an impact. "If Nygren is going to play as a No8 in the midfield area - I thought he came as a winger - then you need another two wingers. "So you need to keep a hold of Yang until you get replacements."
