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League in mourning after Mitch Cronin dies, aged 27

The Australian rugby league community is in mourning following the untimely death of Wynnum-Manly Seagulls hooker Mitch Cronin, aged 27.

Cronin, who was due to celebrate his 28th birthday next Saturday, had stints with the Brisbane Broncos and Canberra Raiders and although he did not play in the Telstra Premiership, he played in the NRL Nines in Auckland for each club.

He captained the Seagulls to the Intrust Super Cup grand final last year.

His manager, Paul Hogan, confirmed the tragic news to The Courier Mail on Saturday morning, saying he was found in his parents' backyard pool in Brisbane on Friday after suffering a suspected heart attack following a weights session.

Cronin, who also represented Queensland Residents over the past four years, played in the opening round of the Intrust Super Cup season last month before the competition was shut down and subsequently cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A veteran of 108 matches in the Intrust Super Cup, he made his debut in 2014 playing for Souths Logan.

The Wynnum Manly Seagulls issued a statement on Saturday to offer their condolences to the family of their club captain.

"We are devastated by the passing of our captain Mitch Cronin and we send out love to Chris, Andrea, Ben, Amy and the Cronin family," said Wynnum Manly Seagulls chief executive Hanan Laban.

"Mitch was an exceptional young man who was loved and respected by his teammates, his coaching staff, our supporters and the wider rugby league community.

"From the moment he arrived at Wynnum he embodied the values of the Seagulls through his positive attitude, strong work ethic, and deep care for his teammates and his club.

"He was a fantastic leader who was genuine, caring and selfless with his actions.

"Mitch was a quiet achiever with a humble nature, who did not need to say too much to be held with enormous respect by his peers.

"He was fearless on the field, yet kind and modest off it – Mitch is forever in our hearts."

Broncos CEO Paul White issued a statement describing Cronin as "a quality young man who left his mark in our game through his actions both on and off the field".

"He spent plenty of time in the Broncos system and we got to know him well - he was the kind of bloke you wanted playing alongside you, and he was highly regarded across all of rugby league.

"We are all in mourning today and our thoughts are with his family, friends and teammates."

Canberra also posted a tribute on their website to say Cronin was "a well liked and respected part of the Raiders during his time at the club and was a talented player who could cover a number of positions".

The QRL remembered Cronin as an outstanding person and leader who inspired those around him.

"Mitchell was a fantastic leader of men and a quality player," QRL competitions manager Dave Maiden said.

"More importantly though, he was a quality human being who will be mourned by many and missed by all.

"The people who came across him will be in state of disbelief … he’s one of the good ones."

His former Raiders teammate Jordan Rapana led the tributes to Cronin on social media, posting a heartfelt message on Instagram.

nrl

Frontline heroes to join Bastille Day parade in Paris?

Demand is growing for frontline medical staff, carers and key workers to be honoured with a place in the July 14th Bastille Day celebrations in Paris.

The move for these ‘heroes’ of the Covid-19 pandemic to join France’s military parade in the French capital is being backed by politicians as well as online petitions.

Senator Catherine Dumas has written to President Macron requesting their participation.

In her letter, she wrote:"If the conditions allow it, I suggest we are joined on July 14 by the medical staff and all our everyday heroes (traders, transport drivers, garbage collectors, teachers enabling academic continuity ...)".

The biggest question mark is whether there will be a Bastille Day parade on the Champs Elysée, after President Macron announced on Monday that mass gatherings are not permitted until mid-July as a consequence of the coronavirus outbreak.

No decision has yet been taken on the Bastille Day event, the Defence Commission were informed yesterday by Army Minister Geneviève Darrieussecq.

She said: "With regards to July 14th, which follows the deconfinement, at the moment nothing is stopped, nothing is established."

Doubt has also been cast by several high-ranking military officers, according to Franceinfo, on citizens being part of a well-organised military event.

connexionfrance

Coronavirus crisis: Lindsay Lohan reveals what lockdown life is like in Dubai

Lindsay Lohan needs a permit to go to the supermarket during the coronavirus lockdown in Dubai.

The 33-year-old actress - who lives in the United Arab Emirates city - has been locked inside her home as the government guidelines in Dubai are "very strict" and residents can be fined for leaving their home without a valid reason.

Appearing via video call on 'Lights Out with David Spade', she explained: "It is very strict here. You are not allowed outside, they take it very seriously."

The Mean Girls star also revealed residents are being reprimanded if they are caught breaking any of the regulations.

She said: "Just one person can go out of the house at a time. If you don't have a reason or aren't approved for a permit to go to the supermarket, are found without gloves or a mask, or surpass 90 minutes."

Lindsay moved to Dubai six years ago and travels between the Middle East and her family home in New York, but hasn't been back to her old home in Los Angeles in 10 years after the paparazzi scared her off.

She said: "I live here, yep, I have been here for about six years. But I go to New York a lot to see my family ... and I was in London before this. I haven't been to LA in over 10 years.

"The paparazzi definitely scared me a lot [in LA], but I haven't had any real reasons to [come back] recently."

However, since the release of her new song, Lindsay was planning to travel to the US on her promotional tour before the virus.

Though she previously revealed she is planning to leave the UAE to revive her acting career and is hoping to star in a sequel to her hit film 'Mean Girls' with the original cast and writer Tina Fey.

She said: "I was hanging on to [Mean Girls] for a really long time, I wanted to come back with a 'Mean Girls 2'. With the same cast, and work with Tina [Fey] ... that was really what I wanted. I was really excited to do that. That's all in their hands really."

perthnow

Severe storms possible for SEQ before cold snap and morning frost

Widespread storms are on the cards for the state's south-east on Saturday, with the potential for severe cells bringing damaging winds and large hail to parts of the region.

The Bureau of Meteorology then expects a cold snap to grip large parts of southern Queensland and reduce overnight minimum temperatures to single digits.

Meteorologist Alex Majchrowski said severe storms could extend from the northern Sunshine Coast to the Fraser Coast city of Maryborough and as far north as the Wide Bay-Burnett city of Bundaberg.

"We have an upper trough moving through the southern interior and that is expected to pass through the south-east today [Saturday]," Mr Majchrowski said.

"With those possible severe storms, we are not expecting any significant rainfall, it will more [likely] be damaging wind gusts and large hail.

"We could also see storm activity further south in the likes of Brisbane and extending down to the Gold Coast, but this is less likely and these storms are unlikely to be severe.

This storm activity in the south-east is expected to be in the late afternoon and tonight."

Mr Majchrowski said behind the upper trough was a pool of cold air, which was forecast to drag minimum overnight temperatures down in the Darling Downs, Maranoa and Warrego regions.

He said the temperatures would also create the potential for morning frost in the state's southern areas.

On Sunday night and into Monday morning, the weather bureau expects Stanthorpe, near the NSW border, to drop to 5 degrees, Warwick and Oakey should hit 7, and Toowoomba will reach 8.

Further inland in central southern Queensland, Roma was forecast to drop to 5 degrees on Sunday night and Monday morning, while Charleville and Bollon were expecting lows of 9.

Brisbane was expecting a minimum of 15 degrees on Sunday night and Monday morning, Caloundra was forecast to fall to 14, Surfers would reach 13, Ipswich should hit 11, and Logan was set for 12 degrees.

Looking further into next week, maximum temperatures were forecast to remain in the high 20s or early 30s across the south-east, and the lows were expected to be in the mid to late teens.

"Once that upper trough passes through, it will be replaced by a cooler air mass initially, which will create that cold snap, but after that, it will be pretty dry air coming through, which should create stable conditions for the week ahead," Mr Majchrowski said.

brisbanetimes

Not Only Should You Stream The Phantom of the Opera This Weekend, You Have To

https://youtu.be/nINQjT7Zr9w

You spend your days eating Doritos and drinking Dr. Pepper, wearing the same gigantic sweatshirt and watching Friends. If you’re basically living life like you’re 12 years old again, you might as well take a moment and enjoy the Broadway musical you loved most at that age: The Phantom of the Opera. On Friday, London’s Royal Albert Hall 2011 staging of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 12th most insane musical, starring Ramin Karimloo, Sierra Boggess, and Hadley Fraser, livestreamed on Webber’s “The Shows Must Go On” YouTube channel to benefit the Actors Fund.

“During these unprecedented times, charitable organizations continue to make heroic efforts to help those affected COVID-19,” the video begins. “The Actors Fund provides emergency financial aid to help cover essential medication costs and basic living expenses to those affected.” You can also find the donation links for Acting for Others, Broadway Cares, and other arts nonprofits, here.

So, go ahead. Light approximately a million drippy candles, throw the cover off your basement gondola, and enjoy the music of the night. But be sure to enjoy the music of the night this weekend, because due to copyright restrictions, the Phantom video will be taken down after 48 hours.

vulture

Hurry! New iPhone SE 2020 deal drops price to just $199

iPhone SE 2020 preorders have officially started and Walmart has one of the best iPhone SE 2020 deals we've seen. In fact, this is one of the best Apple deals ever. 

For a limited time, Walmart has the iPhone SE 2020 on sale for $199. That's a generous $200 off and the best iPhone SE 2020 discount we've seen. The offer requires activation and an installment plan with AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon. This is likely the best iPhone SE deal we'll see till Amazon Prime Day.  

iPhone SE 2020: was $399 now $199 @ Walmart

The ultimate iPhone SE deal is here. Walmart is offering preorders of the new iPhone SE 2020 for $199. That's $200 off and the best iPhone SE deal we've seen period. The offer is valid with purchase and activation on AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint. An installment plan is required with the carrier, although there's no penalty for early pay off. 

The new iPhone SE 2020 packs a fast A13 Bionic chip, 4.7-inch Retina display, Touch ID sensor, and wireless charging. It's the least expensive iPhone in Apple's lineup and one of the best cheap phones we're likely to see all year. 

That said, there are a few compromises Apple had to make to reach this price point. First, there's no Face ID support — a feature that's been standard on all new iPhones. In addition, the new iPhone SE 2020 only has one camera on the front and back. Fortunately, the cameras get a boost from Apple's machine learning tricks to capture portraits. In spite of those few limitations, the new iPhone SE is an excellent phone if you don't require cutting-edge horsepower. 

Walmart's iPhone SE 2020 deal is valid through July 17. The iPhone SE 2020 will be available next Friday, April 24. 

tomsguide

‘Fortnite’ Deadpool Pants Location: Where To Salute Deadpool’s Pants

Deadpool’s ninth week of Fortnite challenges are live.

This time around, you’ll unlock the very cool X-Force skin style (pictured above). All you have to do is find Deadpool’s shorts and then salute his pants.

It’s a very trousery week for our “merc with a mouth” I suppose.

In any case, once you’ve found his shorts, you’ll need to go find the hero’s pants. There was rumor that these would be flying atop the agency, but the actual location is at Sweaty Sands.

Deadpool’s pants are on top of a high building in the eastern portion of town:

You’ll see them as you glide down, floating in the breeze like so:

I was intending on taking a better screenshot when I landed, but I dropped in next to a half dozen other players and completely forgot. In other words, be prepared for a fight if you head to this location any time soon.

It wasn’t too bad, though. Everyone was saluting Deadpool’s pants so there was a brief period of time to successfully complete the challenge before bloodshed. Of course, this would also be a good spot to get in some pickaxe damage if you’re still working on that challenge.

Either way, once you’ve completed this step you’ll get the very cool X-Force skin style for Deadpool. Then it’s on to Week 10 and the end of the Battle Pass, though Season 2 is being extended by about a month so who knows, maybe we’ll get some extra Deadpool content as well.

.forbes.

Ways to Watch One World: Together at Home

Global Citizen, in association with WHO is organizing a massive virtual concert “One World: Together at Home”. This concert is a global scream to the COVID-19 and to raise funds for crucial needs.

This vast virtual contest has been the trending No. 1 before its telecast and is hosted by Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert. The Global Citizen has raised $40 million. The sponsors include The Coca-Cola, Verizon, PepsiCo, Johnson&Johnson and many more.

The long list of performers includes Lady Gaga, Rolling Stones, Elton John, Jennifer Lopez, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Lizzo, John Legend, Amy Poehler, Camila Cabello, Kerry Washington, Sam Smith, Matthew McConaughey, Balvin, David Beckham, Pharell Williams, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Shah Rukh Khan, Shawn Mendes, Burna Boy, Lang Lang and Keith Urban.

The concert will be in two parts; first, there will be a multi-hour live stream and the second will be a two-hour broadcast after the live stream.

The program is all set to air on April 18, 2020, Saturday on ABC, The CW, iHeartMedia channels and on all NBC networks.

The digital platforms where the program will be live-streamed are Amazon Prime Video, Facebook, Instagram, Yahoo, TIDAL, Twitter, Youtube, Twitch and Apple platforms.

universalnews