The venue’s promoter said the speedway wouldn’t host the show if it wasn’t confident.

One man dead after suspected road rage knife attack – two teens arrested.

A man has been charged with animal cruelty and refused bail after allegedly hurling an eight-week-old puppy against a wall.

Police were called to an alleged dispute at Raymond Terrace yesterday, north of Newcastle, after receiving reports of animal cruelty.

When officers arrived, they found two men – aged 18 and 24 – had been involved in an argument.

READ MORE: Sydneysiders warned of major traffic delays as weekend of chaos gets underway

The younger man allegedly attacked the older man, leaving him with an eye injury.

It's alleged the younger man had also thrown "Dax", a cattle cross kelpie puppy, against a wall, leaving the animal badly wounded.

READ MORE: WA police arrest 12, seize $1 billion worth of cocaine in Australia's largest-ever bust

Dax was transported to a vet for treatment, but a leg required amputation.

Police later arrested the 18-year-old man in Maitland about 7pm last night.

He was taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station and charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and committing an act of aggravated cruelty upon an animal.

He was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Court.

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Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, has been laughed at and ridiculed around the world after falsely claiming that the war in Ukraine was "launched against us".

Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue conference in India, Lavrov attempted to respond to a question about energy use when he interjected with comments about the ongoing war in Ukraine, which he claims was waged against Moscow.

"The war, which we are trying to stop, which was launched against us," Lavrov said, before crowds of laughter by audience members cut him off.

READ MORE: WA police arrest 12, seize $1 billion worth of cocaine in Australia's largest-ever bust

"Using Ukrainian people," he went on, before laughter again erupted him mid-speech.

A voice is then heard again interrupting the minister saying: "Come on".

He then continues to speak on how the war "influenced Russia's energy policy" before changing topics.

It comes after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Lavrov on Thursday for the first time since the war in Ukraine began more than a year ago.

The brief contact on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting in New Delhi marked a significant moment, as high-level engagements between the US and Russia became exceedingly rare since the start of the war last February.

READ MORE: Sydneysiders warned of major traffic delays as weekend of chaos gets underway

Their conversation took place not only against the backdrop of the ongoing war – and stern warnings to the Chinese about materially supporting Russia's conflict – but also amid deteriorating bilateral relations.

Moscow has suspended its participation in the New START Treaty, the only remaining nuclear arms control agreement between Russia and the US, and it continues to hold American Paul Whelan in what the State Department has deemed as wrongful detention.

READ MORE: What is New START, the nuclear treaty Russia is pulling back from?

Blinken raised those three key issues – the war, New START, and Whelan – in his roughly 10-minute-long engagement with Lavrov, according to a State Department official travelling with the top US diplomat. Blinken was the one to initiate the conversation, the official and Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maria Zakharova both said.

However, the official noted that there aren't high expectations the meeting will lead to a breakthrough on key issues of tension between the countries.

"I wouldn't say that coming out of this encounter there was any expectation that things will change in the near term," the State Department official told the travelling press.

– With reporting from CNN 

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Black Fern Krystal Murray wins Te Tai Tokerau top sports award

Emergency services rushed to scene after 3pm today.

Josh Komen said ice baths were a real catalyst to reclaiming mental and physical health.

The single-vehicle crash occurred about 4pm this afternoon.

The athlete died at the start of the Motatapu annual off-road race.

Tom Sizemore, an actor known for his work in hit films like Saving Private Ryan, Natural Born Killers and Heat, has died, his representative has confirmed. He was 61.

The actor was hospitalised after suffering a brain aneurysm in mid-February. On Monday, his family announced in a statement provided to CNN that they were "deciding end-of-life matters."

"Today, doctors informed his family that there is no further hope and have recommended end of life decision. The family is now deciding end-of-life matters and a further statement will be issued on Wednesday," their statement read.

READ MORE: Sydneysiders warned of major traffic delays as weekend of chaos gets underway

"We are asking for privacy for his family during this difficult time and they wish to thank everyone for the hundreds of messages of support, and prayers that have been received. This has been a difficult time for them."

Born in Detroit, Sizemore made a name for himself in Hollywood playing tough guys.

He had an early, small role in the 1989 Oliver Stone film Born on the Fourth of July and scored his television break playing Sgt. Vinnie Ventresca in the ABC series China Beach.

Sizemore followed that with performances in various films, including Point Break in 1991, True Romance in 1993, Natural Born Killers in 1994 and Strange Days in 1995.

His co-starring role as Bat Masterson in Kevin Costner's western Wyatt Earp earned Sizemore acclaim. He went on to other major roles in Pearl Harbor and Black Hawk Down, both released in 2001.

He was perhaps best known for his role as Sgt. Mike Horvath in the 1998 World War II film Saving Private Ryan.

Sizemore recently appeared in the Netflix series Cobra Kai and the independent supernatural film, Impuratus.

Off-screen woes and recovery

Sizemore's fame on screen was at times overshadowed by coverage of his life off-screen.

Battling substance abuse for years, in 2003 he was convicted of domestic abuse against former girlfriend and Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss. He had other legal run-ins and appeared on the VH1 series Celebrity Rehab with Dr Drew in 2010.

That same year, he told CNN's Larry King that he had been addicted to cocaine, heroin and meth.

READ MORE: WA police arrest 12, seize $1 billion worth of cocaine in Australia's largest-ever bust

Sizemore later talked about starring in the comedy series Barbee Rehab in a 2022 interview with Decider and was asked if he had some hesitancy in taking on the role.

"There was some, but it was so goofy and so not like rehab that I got over it," Sizemore said, laughing at the time.

"Plus, it wasn't about drugs. It's about obsessions and compulsions and… Barbees!"

In the same interview, Sizemore reflected on seeing magic in movies like The Wizard of Oz as a child and later as a teen watching Taxi Driver.

"I saw that movie every week for, like, two months when it was playing in the theatre. I saw it eleven weeks in a row," Sizemore said.

"That's when I first started thinking, 'Whatever that is they're doing up there, I want to be part of it. I want to do that.'"

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