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Aussies brave flood waters for a drink at the pub

<p>A group of flood-stricken Queenslanders are braving the aftermath of the devastating Cyclone Jasper, and risking it all to head out to their local pub. </p> <p>On the banks of the Tully River, 155km south of Cairns, locals flocked to the Hotel Euramo to wait out the storm, with everyone arriving by boat.</p> <p>Instead of the carpark being full of cars, 18 tinnies brought thirsty locals to their watering hole, in what has become a tradition for when the area is impacted by floods. </p> <p>Hotel owner Ollie Muzic told <em>ABC News Breakfast</em> on Monday that it was a local tradition for patrons to turn up at the by either boat or tractor when the town was flooded.</p> <p>"We had no tractors turn up yesterday, but the water level was higher than it ever was before," she said.</p> <p>"Everyone was very high-spirited. We are lucky our water disperses very quickly."</p> <p>Hotel manager Tish Ottone said patrons made the best of the bad situation, and did what they could do enjoy their day at the pub. </p> <p>"It was really good, the atmosphere was amazing," she said.</p> <p>"It was definitely on my bucket list (to arrive by boat) and it is ticked off now so it was surreal, it was pretty cool."</p> <p id="ext-gen32">Six people stayed at the pu8b overnight on Sunday and Ms Muzic said she and staff would be on the premises until waters recede, providing what they could to locals who need help. </p> <p>"The majority of people who are here say they got everything sorted yesterday morning before coming here, everything high and dry and there’s pretty well nothing much you can do except sit around until the water drops down," she said.</p> <p>Although the atmosphere at the pub was festive, Ms Muzic said she was mindful of those in more catastrophic conditions in Queensland, as Cyclone Jasper continues to wreak havoc.</p> <p>"We do understand there are a lot of places in north Queensland absolutely devastated by these floods," she said.</p> <p>"Our hearts go to everybody in Cairns and the surrounding areas who have lost their homes and roads."</p> <p>"Hopefully our government gets in to fix everything up as quick as possible, it’s the week of Christmas."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Floods, cyclones, thunderstorms: is climate change to blame for New Zealand’s summer of extreme weather?

<p>The final months of New Zealand’s summer carried a massive sting, bringing “unprecedented” rainfalls several times over, from widespread flooding in Auckland at the end of January to ex-tropical Cyclone Gabrielle dumping record rains and causing devastating floods across the east coast of the North Island.</p> <p>After all that, New Zealand experienced spells of thunderstorms, bringing repeat floods to parts of Auckland and then Gisborne.</p> <p>The obvious question is what role climate change plays in these record-breaking rainfalls.</p> <p>Some answers come from the international <a href="https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/">World Weather Attribution</a> team, which today released a <a href="https://spiral.imperial.ac.uk/bitstream/10044/1/102624/10/Scientific%20report%20New%20Zealand%20Floods.pdf">rapid assessment</a> which shows very heavy rain, like that associated with Cyclone Gabrielle, has become about four times more common in the region and extreme downpours now drop 30% more rain.</p> <p>The team analysed weather data from several stations, which show the observed increase in heavy rain. It then used computer models to compare the climate as it is today, after about 1.2℃ of global warming since the late 1800s, with the climate of the past.</p> <p>The small size of the analysed region meant the team could not quantify the extent to which human-caused warming is responsible for the observed increase in heavy rain in this part of New Zealand, but concluded it was the likely cause.</p> <h2>More energy in the atmosphere and ocean</h2> <p>Many factors add to the strength of a storm and the intensity of rainfall, especially for short bursts. A crucial factor is always the amount of energy available.</p> <p>Climate change is increasing that amount of energy in two main ways. First, everything is getting warmer. Rising sea surface temperatures provide <a href="https://sciencebrief.org/uploads/reviews/ScienceBrief_Review_CYCLONES_Mar2021.pdf">extra fuel for the development of tropical cyclones</a> because they grow by heating from below.</p> <p>Warmer seas mean potentially faster development of tropical cyclones, and stronger, more vigorous storms overall. Sea temperatures must be at least 26.5℃ to support the build-up of a tropical cyclone. So, as the oceans warm, these storms can reach farther from the equator.</p> <p>Second, warmer air can hold more water vapour. Every degree of warming increases the maximum amount of water vapour by around 7%. That extra water vapour tends to fall out as extra rain, but it also provides extra energy to a storm.</p> <h2>Driving waves further inland</h2> <p>The energy it takes to evaporate the water from the ocean surface and turn it into vapour is released again when the vapour condenses back into liquid water. A moister airmass heats the atmosphere more when clouds and rain form, making the air more buoyant and able to rise up more. This creates deeper, more vigorous clouds with stronger updrafts, and again more rain.</p> <p>Stronger updrafts in a storm mean more air will have to be drawn into the storm near the Earth’s surface, ensuring more “convergence” of air and moisture (water vapour). That’s why, even though a degree of warming translates to 7% more water vapour in the air, we can get 20% increases, or larger, in extreme rainfalls.</p> <p>All of this extra energy can contribute to making the storm stronger overall, with stronger winds and lower air pressures in its centre. This seems to have happened with Cyclone Gabrielle. Record low pressures were recorded at a few North Island locations as the storm passed.</p> <p>The low pressures act like a vacuum cleaner, sucking the sea surface up above normal sea level. The strong winds can then drive waves much further inland. Add in a bit of sea-level rise, and coastal inundation can get a lot worse a lot quicker.</p> <p>As the climate continues to change, storm intensity is likely to increase on average, as sea levels continue to rise. Those effects together are bound to lead to more dramatic coastal erosion and inundation.</p> <h2>Thunderstorms riding warming seas</h2> <p>These processes work for thunderstorms as well. A thunder cloud often starts as a buoyant mass of air over a warm surface. As the air rises (or convects), it cools and forces water vapour to condense back to liquid water, releasing heat and increasing the buoyancy and speed of the rising air.</p> <p>Again, that allows more moist air to be drawn into the cloud, and that convergence of moist air can increase rainfall amounts well above the 7% per degree of warming, for short bursts of very intense convection. The more intense the convection, the stronger the convergence of moisture and the heavier the resulting rainfall.</p> <p>Tropical cyclones have rings of thunderstorms around their eye during the time when they are truly tropical storms. As they transition out of the tropics into our neighbourhood, they change their structure but retain a lot of the moisture and buoyancy of the air. An ex-tropical cyclone like Gabrielle, moving over very warm water, can pack a devastating punch.</p> <p>Why has New Zealand had so much of this very heavy rain during the weeks from late January? Partly it’s the very warm ocean waters around Aotearoa (up to marine heatwave conditions) and farther north into the Coral Sea. That itself is partly related to the ongoing La Niña event in the tropical Pacific, which tends to pile up warm water (and tropical cyclones) in the west.</p> <p>But it is also related to ongoing global warming. As sea temperatures increase, it becomes easier to reach heatwave conditions. Warmer seas load the atmosphere with water vapour.</p> <p>Partly, too, the air over the North Island has been unusually “unstable” lately, very warm near ground level but cooler than normal higher up. That makes the buoyance in thunderstorms work even better and more strongly, encouraging very heavy rainfall.</p> <p>These conditions seem to have eased now, but severe thunderstorms continue to develop. As we move from summer into autumn, as the warmest seas move eastwards away from us and as La Niña fades in the tropics, the chances of a repeat event are diminishing. For now at least.</p> <p>But if we continue to warm the climate with more greenhouse gas emissions, we will continue to load the dice towards more very heavy rain over Aotearoa. Let us hope those regions and communities so badly affected by recent events have a chance to dry out, rebuild and recover before the next extreme weather.</p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/floods-cyclones-thunderstorms-is-climate-change-to-blame-for-new-zealands-summer-of-extreme-weather-201161" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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“It’s a very exciting time”: How the Whitsundays is rebuilding after damaging cyclones

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A billion-dollar transformation is underway for the Whitsundays as the once-popular tourist destination works hard to bring families back to the area.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marine biologist Johnny Gaskell was one of the first to return back to the Whitsundays after the destructive Cyclone Debbie first hit the island back in 2017.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to </span><a href="https://travel.nine.com.au/latest/whitsundays-transformation-a-current-affair/0c1cb522-9144-48f9-9c3d-97007b27c2b9"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>A Current Affair</em></span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gaskell, who runs the island's living reef, returned to the island expecting the worst. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The one pump that we had on for the living reef which got submerged, had big waves crashing all over it, it's not a pump that's supposed to go under water. Somehow kept running," he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Daydream Island’s living reef is now the centrepiece of the resort after it underwent a $120-million-dollar upgrade with families at the forefront.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are upgraded rooms and facilities as well as a larger focus on reef restoration and education. There is also a coral garden that is supporting the restoration of three Whitsunday reefs that were damaged by Cyclone Debbie.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"It takes about a year to get the corals to a point where we can out plant them into a damaged site and then hopefully nature does the rest," Mr Gaskell said.</span></p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FACurrentAffair9%2Fvideos%2F423994431654777%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tourism Whitsundays CEO Tash Wheeler says it is part of a $1.2 billion rebuild.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"We've got new hotels, we've got revitalised hotels, we have new experiences for people to enjoy, we have a new airport, it's a very very exciting time," she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The rebound and resilience of the community and the development that's happened right now is spectacular,” says Venue Manager Brad Henstock.</span></p>

Domestic Travel

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Dunk Island in Queensland sells for $32 million

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">London-based group Mayfair 101 has bought once-popular Dunk Island for nearly $32 million.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The group has promised to bring the Queensland resort island back to its former glory and are hopeful they can turn things around.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mayfair 101’s ambitions are to create “one of the most sought-after island destinations in the Asia-Pacific region,” with the resort an international attraction.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Located between two world-heritage areas, our vision is to create a tourism mecca with Dunk Island becoming one of the most sought-after island destinations in the Asia-Pacific region,” James Mawhinney said to </span><a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/australian-holidays/queensland/dunk-island-sells-for-32-million-as-part-of-a-queensland-tourism-vision-for-investment-group/news-story/c17a0786ff4db9c0152cd3bcf26b61da"><span style="font-weight: 400;">news.com.au</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The island appeared on </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">60 Minutes </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">on a segment that visited “eerie resorts” that have been left scattered around Queensland.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Dunk Island was left in ruins after Cyclone Yasi more than eight years ago. Now, the commercial real estate agent trying to sell the island to the highest bidder is banking on the resort being a renovators delight. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/60Mins?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#60Mins</a> <a href="https://t.co/0Wg24Kxt0H">pic.twitter.com/0Wg24Kxt0H</a></p> — 60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) <a href="https://twitter.com/60Mins/status/1147833667747627009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">7 July 2019</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Mayfair 101 will be working to revitalise the local economy, support upgrades to local infrastructure and create new local jobs,” he added.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cassowary Coast Major John Kremastos is hopeful that the reboot of the island will bring success to the local tourism industry.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We welcome this type of investment into our region, which reinforces this Council’s decision to develop a strong local tourism strategy and offer development incentives to drive investment to our region, and in particular, Mission Beach,” Mr Kremastos said.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Dunk Island vision includes plans for budget accommodation and high end Beach Club on mainland .. also want to upgrade local airports to get jets to fly in.. allege $1.6b investment ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/abcbrisbane?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@abcbrisbane</a>⁩ ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/abcnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@abcnews</a>⁩ <a href="https://t.co/fMWVLqM2eo">pic.twitter.com/fMWVLqM2eo</a></p> — Lexy Hamilton-Smith (@LexyHS1) <a href="https://twitter.com/LexyHS1/status/1175562936225431552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">22 September 2019</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With significant redevelopment to the island’s resort and upgrades to infrastructure on the mainland, Mayfair 101 have predicted that it would be creating 10,500 jobs over the next 15 years as well as facilitating over $1.6 billion into the region. </span></p>

Domestic Travel

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Blondie’s Debbie Harry: “I escaped serial killer Ted Bundy”

<p>Debbie Harry has made an explosive claim as she says she was once lured into a taxi by serial killer Ted Bundy in the early ‘70s.</p> <p>The 73-year-old is planning to reveal the entire story in her autobiography,<span> </span><em>Face It</em>, which is set to be released in October this year.</p> <p>In a previous interview with<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/8191211/Blondies-Debbie-Harry-claims-serial-killer-Ted-Bundy-lured-her-into-car.html" target="_blank"><em>The Sun</em></a>, the Blondie singer spoke about the unsettling encounter which occurred in New York City: “It was in the early ‘70s and I was trying to get across town at two or three o’clock in the morning.</p> <p>“This little car kept coming around and offering me a ride.”</p> <p>Harry then said she hopped inside the vehicle after many failed attempts at finding a taxi.</p> <p>“I got in the car and the windows were all rolled up, except for a tiny crack. This driver had an incredibly bad smell to him.</p> <p>“I looked down and there were no door handles. The inside of the car was stripped. The hairs on the back of my neck just stood up.</p> <p>“I wigged my arm out of the window and pulled the door handle from the outside. I don’t know how I did it, but I got out.</p> <p>“He tried to stop me by spinning the car, but it sort of helped me fling myself out. Afterwards I saw him on the news, it was Ted Bundy.”</p> <p>Once Bundy was arrested, he admitted to his lawyer that he first attempted to kidnap a woman in 1969 and implied that his first murder happened in 1972.</p> <p>He was only 27-years-old when his first recorded murder occurred in 1974.</p> <p>He went on to kill 30 women.</p> <p>But even after the serial killer was imprisoned, the nightmare wasn’t over as he managed to escape lockup twice.</p>

Legal

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Inside Michael Jackson’s mysterious second marriage

<p>Michael Jackson’s first marriage to Lisa Marie Presley is the one that garners the attention of the masses, but his second trip down the aisle is one that is just as intriguing as the former.</p> <p>After starting a blossoming friendship with nurse Debbie Rowe at the medical centre where she worked, the King of Pop looked to her for comfort after his break-up with Presley.</p> <p>“[He and Lisa Marie] had broken up and I was trying to console him because he was really upset,” revealed Debbie in the Jackson-approved TV special <em>Michael Jackson: The Footage You Were Never Meant To See</em>.</p> <p>It wasn’t long before Jackson and Rowe said “I do” at the Sheraton on the Park Hotel in Sydney in November 1996, surrounded by close family and friends.</p> <p>His best man was an eight-year-old boy.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BuIkdmRB4IL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BuIkdmRB4IL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Michael Jackson ❤️ Debbie Rowe (@rowejackson.96)</a> on Feb 20, 2019 at 10:32pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>During the wedding, Rowe was heavily pregnant with her first child – Prince Michael – who she would later “gift” to Jackson and exclude herself from their lives.</p> <p>The <em>Thriller</em> star had previously had his heart broken by Presley, who refused to give in to his desires of becoming a father, saying he was too emotionally immature to raise a child.</p> <p>Presley filed for divorce in 1996, citing “irreconcilable differences”. Their short but incredibly public stint came to an end and now, in <em>Leaving Neverland</em>, the star’s child sex abuse accusers claim the entire marriage was a stunt.</p> <p>The explosive documentary claims that Jackson hoped to distract the public as his relationship with young boys became more frequent.</p> <p>“I remember Michael saying to me that he’s going to have to have these public relationships with women, so that people don’t think anything,” accuser James Safechuck said.</p> <p>“He would always say that he’d have to go get married at some point, but that it wouldn’t mean anything.”</p> <p>Despite Presley admitting that her feelings for Jackson were always real, she was not prepared to give him the one thing he desperately wanted: A baby.</p> <p>That’s where Rowe came in, as the nurse was willing to provide him with a child.</p> <p>“He said, ‘I really want to be a dad,’ and I said, ‘So be a dad.’ He looked at me puzzled. I said, ‘Let me do this. I want to do this. You’ve been so good to me. Please let me do this: You need to be a dad.’ I nagged him into it, if you will,” said Rowe.</p> <p>Jackson went on to confirm the story, saying: “She said, ‘You need to be a daddy.’ She wanted to do that for me as a present.”</p> <p>Rowe went on to give birth to their first child, Prince Michael, in February of 1997. Jackson later told Martin Bashir on <em>Living With Michael Jackson</em> that both the couple’s children were “natural conceptions”.</p> <p>Rowe remembered the birth of their first child.</p> <p>“Michael was definitely more excited than I was. He was SO excited when I had a contraction. He was welling up ... and then his son was born. The look on his face ... I'd never seen him that happy. That’s what made it wonderful for me, to see the look on his face.”</p> <p>The child was immediately taken to Jackson’s Neverland ranch and was cared for by a team of nannies. Rowe saw him six weeks after she gave birth.</p> <p>Then 14 months later, daughter Paris was born. Jackson said he “snatched” his baby girl from the hospital when she was only a newborn.</p> <p>“I snatched her and just went home with all the placenta and everything all over her.”</p> <p>Rowe didn’t seem to mind that her relationship with her kids was kept to a minimum.</p> <p>“We have a non-traditional family, and if it makes people uncomfortable, it’s a shame they’re not more open,” Rowe said in 2003. </p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt8Rt9EgFOz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt8Rt9EgFOz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Michael Debbie Jackson💜 (@debbiemichaeljackson)</a> on Feb 16, 2019 at 3:58am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“We have a family unit, and I will always be there for him and the children. People make remarks: ‘I can’t believe she left the children.’ I did not leave my children. My children are with their father, where they’re supposed to be.</p> <p>“My kids don’t call me mum because I don’t want them to. They’re Michael’s children. It’s not that they’re not my children, but I had them because I wanted him to be a father. I believe there are people who should be parents, and he’s one of them. I could do something for him, and this is what I could do.”</p> <p>The couple filed for divorce in October 1999, and Rowe gave Jackson full custody of their two children.</p> <p>It was something that was already in place during the marriage, as Rowe lived away from Jackson’s place of residence.</p> <p>She blames the lack of privacy for their separation.</p> <p>“We split up because I couldn’t deal with it. I couldn’t go to the grocery store. I wasn’t used to it. Michael was more than generous: ‘You don’t have to go to the grocery store.’ But I want to. I really want to,” she said in 2003.</p> <p>It is understood that Rowe has a closer relationship with her daughter Paris, who is now 20, compared to her son Prince Michael.</p> <p>Taking to social media, the mother made a supposed jab against her former spouse saying, “One of the saddest things in this world is to see a child grow up hating one of their parents because they only got one side of the story."</p> <p>Do you remember when Michael Jackson married Debbie Rowe? Tell us in the comments below. </p>

Music

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Cyclone Oma wreaks havoc: Cruise ship passengers stranded off the coast of Australia

<p>A cruise liner through P&amp;O will be forced to stay at sea at least one extra night to avoid rough swells and high winds as Tropical cyclone Oma tears through waters.</p> <p>Passengers onboard the Pacific Dawn cruise ship were set to dock in Brisbane on Saturday but forecasts are forcing the vessel to wait out the waters in less harsher seas in New Caledonia.</p> <p>One stranded passenger told the <span><em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/2019/02/22/06/15/cyclone-oma-live-coverage-queensland-coast-hit-by-storm">Today show</a></em></span> that the cyclone's unpredictable conditions meant the ship captain is taking all precautions necessary.</p> <p>“We’re experiencing five metre swells just outside of New Caledonia,” Nakayla Murnane said.</p> <p>“P&amp;O are trying to work out a way to get us all home safely, but at the moment we don’t really know much except for captains' updates at 9 am and 12 pm daily.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Tropical Cyclone <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Oma?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Oma</a>, South Pacific ocean, near <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Australia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Australia</a>, taken from space, the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ISS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ISS</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NASA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NASA</a> astronaut <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroAnnimal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AstroAnnimal</a> on February 20, 2019 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CycloneOma?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CycloneOma</a>. <a href="https://t.co/O7NtRduRL4">pic.twitter.com/O7NtRduRL4</a></p> — HGRh Space Science☀️ (@InterstelSpace) <a href="https://twitter.com/InterstelSpace/status/1098694587361648640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Meanwhile, P&amp;O Cruises Australia’s official Facebook page has alerted passengers set to leave Brisbane on Saturday for a three-night cruise that the departure date has been “unavoidably cancelled”.</p> <p>While customers were disappointed with the outcome, many took to Facebook to share their relief.  </p> <p>“Naww this Saturday was going to be my first cruise. Understandable that it's been cancelled... safety first of course,” Melissa commented below the post.</p> <p>Barbara said: “I understand why they have cancelled but one very disappointed boy as it is his 10th birthday on Monday. Need to think of [a] plan B.”</p> <p>A cruise liner through P&amp;O will be forced to stay at sea at least one extra night to avoid rough swells and high winds as Tropical cyclone Oma tears through waters.</p> <p>Passengers onboard the Pacific Dawn cruise ship were set to dock in Brisbane on Saturday but forecasts are forcing the vessel to wait out the waters in less harsher seas in New Caledonia.</p> <p>One stranded passenger told the <span><em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/2019/02/22/06/15/cyclone-oma-live-coverage-queensland-coast-hit-by-storm">Today show</a></em></span> that the cyclone's unpredictable conditions meant the ship captain is taking all precautions necessary.</p> <p>“We’re experiencing five metre swells just outside of New Caledonia,” Nakayla Murnane said.</p> <p>“P&amp;O are trying to work out a way to get us all home safely, but at the moment we don’t really know much except for captains' updates at 9 am and 12 pm daily.”</p> <p>Meanwhile, P&amp;O Cruises Australia’s official Facebook page has alerted passengers set to leave Brisbane on Saturday for a three-night cruise that the departure date has been “unavoidably cancelled”.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FPOCruises%2Fposts%2F10156670094891187&amp;width=500" width="500" height="270" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p>While customers were disappointed with the outcome, many took to Facebook to share their relief.  </p> <p>“Naww this Saturday was going to be my first cruise. Understandable that it's been cancelled... safety first of course,” Melissa commented below the post.</p> <p>Barbara said: “I understand why they have cancelled but one very disappointed boy as it is his 10th birthday on Monday. Need to think of [a] plan B.”</p>

Travel Trouble

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Carrie Fisher’s brother reveals her one big regret

<p>Shortly before her death in December 2016, Carrie Fisher revealed for the first time in her memoir that she had a <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2016/11/carrie-fisher-reveals-affair-with-harrison-ford-on-star-wars/">brief on-set affair with Star Wars co-star Harrison Ford</a></span>.</strong></p> <p>Carrie’s brother, Todd, has now revealed in his new book, <em>My Girls: A Lifetime with Carrie and Debbie</em>, that Carrie rued the day she told the public about her three-month fling, which she detailed in her own autobiography, <em>The Princess Diarist.</em></p> <p>In the book, Todd writes that his and Carrie’s mother, Debbie Reynolds, didn’t know about Carrie’s affair with Ford when she was a single 19-year-old and he was a married 33-year-old father of two.</p> <p>Todd says that Reynolds disapproved of both the affair and of Carrie’s decision to make it public.</p> <p>Carrie eventually told Reynolds: “You’re right. I shouldn’t have told that story.”</p> <p>At the time of her memoir’s release, Carrie describe their first intimate experience as clumsy.</p> <p> "I was so inexperienced, but I trusted something about him. He was kind," she said.</p> <p>"It was so intense," <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://people.com/movies/carrie-fisher-reveals-affair-with-harrison-ford-star-wars/?xid=socialflow_twitter_peoplemag">Fisher told People</a></strong></span> during an interview to promote the book.</p> <p>"It was Han and Leia during the week, and Carrie and Harrison during the weekend."</p> <p>Carrie died in December 2016 of cardiac arrest, with Debbie passing away just a day later.</p> <p>In his book, Todd explains how he saw what happened: “The common theory about Mum’s passing was that, after losing Carrie, Debbie Reynolds died of a broken heart. Take it from the son who was there, who knew her better than anyone else on earth — that’s simply not true. Debbie Reynolds willed herself right off this planet to personally see to it that Carrie would never be alone.”</p>

Books

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Cruise ship forced to divert after dangerous encounter with cyclone

<p>The P&amp;O cruise ship, which was recently forced to turn back to Sydney to kick off seven passengers involved in a buck’s party brawl, has encountered trouble again.</p> <p>The Pacific Explorer has been diverted after heading towards the eye of a category four tropical cyclone.</p> <p>Crew members were caught off guard as the ship rerouted to Nouméa, New Caledonia, instead of stopping in the Isle of Pines.</p> <p>The cyclone is expected to pass through Vanuatu and New Caledonian before making its way toward Auckland.</p> <p>Residents in Vanuatu, New Caledonia and New Zealand have been instructed to monitor the storm as it is expected to be destructive.</p> <p>A spokesman for Carnival Cruises said, “Our marine operations people have been tracking the development of this weather system for several days.</p> <p>“As a general principle our ships sail away from severe weather systems and this one is no exception. </p> <p>“Pacific Explorer is alongside at Noumea today instead of making a scheduled call to Isle of Pines. We will continue to monitor conditions and respond accordingly on the basis that safety is, as always, the first priority.”</p> <p>Recently, the same ship returned to Sydney after two different <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/cruising/2018/02/woman-charged-cruise-ship-returns-to-sydney-after-alcohol-fuelled-brawl/" target="_blank"><strong>bucks parties started fighting</strong></a></span> after an argument over a queue for the toilet.</p> <p>Six men and one woman were kicked off the cruise when it arrived in Sydney.</p> <p>The 37-year-old woman was later charged for allegedly smashing an empty wine bottle over a man’s head.</p> <p>Witnesses of the fight said it broke out at a bar on the ship in front of 100 other passengers.</p> <p>“It was just a very good bucks party,” one of the men later told 7 News.</p> <p>Have you ever been on a cruise and encountered bad weather? Tell us in the comments below. </p>

Travel Trouble

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Terrified passengers feared massive cyclone would sink cruise ship

<p>A terrified passenger on the Norwegian Breakaway has captured the moment she feared a massive storm would sink her cruise ship as it was pummelled by nine-metre swells.</p> <p>The vessel, which holds 4,000 holidaymakers, docked safely in New York on Saturday, but not after passengers enduring two frightening days of massive swells.</p> <p>New York mother and model Christina Mendez captured every moment of the cruise from hell on Twitter, which left her young boys with a nasty bout of sea sickness.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-video"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BOMBCYLONE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BOMBCYLONE</a> at sea aboard the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NCLbreakaway?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NCLbreakaway</a> <a href="https://t.co/o2T4s7iv5M">pic.twitter.com/o2T4s7iv5M</a></p> — Christina Mendez (@christinamendez) <a href="https://twitter.com/christinamendez/status/949004705790943236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>Mendez’s videos show the vessel lurching from side-to-side in the rough seas, as screeching winds can be heard from deep within the bowels of the ship.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-video"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NCLbreakaway?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NCLbreakaway</a> still fighting the good fight against these wild <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BOMBCYLONE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BOMBCYLONE</a> winds. Both kids are sea sick now...I am on barf duties tonight. Jeez. <a href="https://t.co/qqGRFCmGvK">pic.twitter.com/qqGRFCmGvK</a></p> — Christina Mendez (@christinamendez) <a href="https://twitter.com/christinamendez/status/949105002693451777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>Passenger Karoline Ross described the terrifying experience in an interview with <a href="http://www.cbs.com/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>CBS</strong></em></span></a>.</p> <p>"When you're on a boat in the middle of the ocean and water is pouring down the stairs, you're thinking 'this is not going to end well," Ms Ross said.</p> <p>"This was the worst moment of my life."</p> <p>What are your thoughts? Do you think the cruise is as terrifying as the passengers made it out to be? Or do you think they’re being a tad melodramatic?</p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-insurance/?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_campaign=travel-insurance&amp;utm_medium=in-article-banner&amp;utm_content=travel-insurance" target="_blank"><img src="http://media.oversixty.com.au/images/banners/Travel-Insurance_Website_GIF_468x602.gif" alt="Over60 Travel Insurance"/></a></p>

Travel Trouble

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Fruit and veggie prices to rise after Cyclone Debbie

<p>The price of your weekly grocery shop is set to rise, with the havoc caused by Cyclone Debbie increasing fruit and veggie prices by up to 400 per cent.</p> <p>The tropic storm struck far north Queensland in March, ravaging the nation’s “produce capital” of Bowen. Despite the cyclone hitting three months ago, the impact of the storm is still being felt across Australia.</p> <p>The Queensland Farmers' Federation estimates 20 per cent of crops were lost and consumers on the east coast are only now feeling the $100 million hit.</p> <p>The prices of tomatoes have soared to as much as $10 a kilogram.</p> <p> “It's mainly tomatoes, capsicums and beans – all of those crops that were grown on the eastern seaboard along Queensland,” produce farmer Wayne Shields told the Today Show.</p> <p>“It was the middle of planting season when the cyclone came through so that pushed everyone's season back by two, three, four weeks.”</p> <p>Although the price increase so far has only affected tomatoes, capsicums and beans, Bowen farms also produce chillies, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, pumpkins, zucchini and squash.</p> <p>However, Mr Shields remains optimistic and says that it may just be a few weeks before supplies return to normal levels. However, the price rise may be here to stay.</p> <p>“They're probably at the peak at the moment and I suspect in a couple of weeks there could be a bit better supply, but how long before prices drop back,” he said.</p>

Money & Banking

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Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds reunited in stunning memorial

<p>They had a bond like no other parent-child acting duo in Hollywood, and it appears the love between Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds is just as strong in death.</p> <p>The two screen legends, who died within just one day of each other in December, were laid to rest in January at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills. Now, just a few months on, a touching new tribute has been unveiled at their gravesite.</p> <p><img width="499" height="500" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/36035/image__499x500.jpg" alt="carrie fisher debbie reynolds tombstone" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Instead of two separate tombstones, the loving mother and daughter share a beautiful marble sculpture atop a head stone bearing their names and dates of birth and death. Fisher and Reynolds are joined in the cemetery by fellow Hollywood icons such as Liberace, Bette Davis and Lucille Ball.</p> <p>Fans have already flooded the site with bouquets of flowers, candles and notes bearing messages including, “May the force be with you always.”</p>

Movies

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Man who sheltered cyclone Debbie victims wins Cash Cow jackpot

<p>John Wade won $90,000 in Sunrise’s Cash Cow giveaway after entering the competition every day for four years.</p> <p>Described as a worthy winner and good Samaritan, John opened his homes to victims of cyclone Debbie.</p> <p>The retired teacher from Kingscliff, New South Wales, rushed to answer the phone call on Tuesday morning despite a dodgy knee as he knew it would be a profitable call.</p> <p>John said to <em>Sunrise</em> hours after being announced as the winner, “It's still very hard to believe actually, but it's fantastic.”</p> <p>Despite John’s excitement over the winnings he explained the condition his extended family were in due to the aftermath of cyclone Debbie.</p> <p>“My brother and sister-in-law are down at Tindarra which really copped it a lot,” John said.</p> <p>“And my sister-in-law's mother actually lost the house - it will really need to almost be rebuilt.”</p> <p>The win has been a long time coming for John after he entered the draw every day for four years and would not leave the house until a winner had been drawn in the morning.</p> <p>“These things don't happen to us,” his wife Colleen said after admitting she would stop teasing John about being obsessed with the competition.</p> <p>After winning the money, the couple have decided that Colleen will now join her husband in retirement. </p> <p><em>Image credit: Sunrise</em></p>

News

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Target slammed after shocking photo goes viral

<p>A Target store has been accused of price gouging customers in Bowen, one of the Queensland towns that has been left ravaged in the <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2017/03/shark-found-in-puddle-after-cyclone-debbie/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>wake of Cyclone Debbie</strong></span></a>.</p> <p>The retailer was slammed after a photo depicted a 24 pack of bottled water being sold for double the normal price went viral. The pack, which normally retails for $36.99 at other outlets, was being sold at this Target for an extortionate $72.</p> <p>Natalie Maher originally posted the picture of Facebook, enquiring to the worker if the labelling was a mistake, and was shocked when they confirmed the pricing.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fkurt.engelhardt.1%2Fposts%2F1639623996062716&amp;width=500" width="500" height="603" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true"></iframe></p> <p>Water concerns continue to be a problem<a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-tips/2017/03/what-to-do-if-your-plans-have-been-affected-by-cyclone-debbie/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong> in the wake of Cyclone Debbie</strong></span></a>, and while tap water has been restored to Bowen residents have been told to boil it, with the local council warning it could still contain dangerous levels of bacteria.</p> <p>A Target spokeswoman told <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>News Corp</strong></span></em></a> that sign was a “misunderstanding”.</p> <p>“It was an unfortunate misunderstanding at store level. A worker thought they were helping the community by selling the water by the slab,” she said.</p> <p>“But we don’t sell water by the slab, only individually.”</p> <p>What’s your take? Do you buy Target’s response? Or do you think it’s not good enough?</p>

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What to do if your plans have been affected by Cyclone Debbie

<p>As the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2017/03/mass-evacuations-in-queensland-ahead-of-cyclone-debbie/">scope of destruction caused by Cyclone Debbie</a></strong></span> becomes evident, Allianz has released information for those affected by the extreme weather event.</p> <p>The category 4 cyclone <strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2017/03/shark-found-in-puddle-after-cyclone-debbie/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">wreaked havoc in Queensland</span></a></strong> causing heavy rain fall, gale force winds, flooding and tidal surges. With flow on weather events expected across the Queensland coast line, the insurance provider recommends you stay informed.</p> <p>Asides from following advice of authorities, Allianz says, “We recommend you regularly check the Bureau of Meteorology, news and media outlines and transport websites for up to date information about the event and its impact on transportation services.”</p> <p>Allianz also touches on advice for people looking to make an insurance claim in the wake of the natural disaster, suggesting people, “Keep all receipts for any additional transport, food or accommodation expenses. If you are claiming cancellation or additional expenses you will need to submit documents showing what your original planned pre-paid arrangements were, along with any receipts and showing your new arrangements, and advice from the travel provider indicating the non-refundable portion of the journey.”</p> <p>For more information, <a href="http://www.travelclaims.com.au" target="_blank"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>click here</strong></span></em></a>. </p> <p>Do you know anyone caught up in this disaster?</p> <p><em>Hero image credit: Instagram/paddy_moore via Storyful</em></p>

Travel Tips

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Shark found in puddle after cyclone Debbie

<p>A dead bull shark has been found in a puddle after flooding in north Queensland from cyclone Debbie.</p> <p>The shark was found in a puddle in Ayr, north of where cyclone Debbie made landfall earlier this week.</p> <p>A WIN News Townsville journalist, Philip Calder, found the 1.5m bull shark on Thursday morning.</p> <p>The shark is believed to have died from being stranded in the puddle after the cyclone caused pockets of flooding.</p> <p>“He must’ve gotten caught in a torrent and confused, beached himself on the side of the road,” Philip said.</p> <p>“We were pretty amazed, we were turning up to shoot a flooding road, we weren’t expecting to see wildlife as well.”</p> <p>Queensland Fire and Emergency Services have warned locals to be careful in the days following the cyclone.</p> <p>“You never know what lurks beneath the surface during a severe storm and what will wash up in the aftermath,” Queensland Fire and Emergency Services posted.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Philip Calder via Twitter</em></p>

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Grocery prices to soar in wake of Cyclone Debbie

<p>Cyclone Debbie has <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2017/03/incredible-shots-of-cyclone-debbie-from-space/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>left a trail of destruction across Queensland</strong></span></a>, and if forecasts are to be believed it looks as though the damage will extend to your local supermarket.</p> <p>Australian Retailers Association director Russell Zimmerman told <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>ABC News</strong></em></span></a>, “If you get a devastation of that kind... what happens is prices really work on supply and demand.</p> <p>“I think you're going to see in the coming weeks there will be a shortage and in some cases, not in all, but in some cases retailers may have to look overseas to buy products.</p> <p>“Unfortunately prices will rise at the supermarket and that's going to affect everyone across (Australia).”</p> <p>Prices for fruit and vegetables could be set to rise with capsicum, tomato, eggplant, pumpkin, cucumber beans and corn amongst those hit by the storm.</p> <p>National Farmers' Federation chief executive Tony Mahar said that while it’s still early days, he expects a <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2017/03/mass-evacuations-in-queensland-ahead-of-cyclone-debbie/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>number of growers would’ve been left devastated</strong></span></a>. </p> <p>Mr Mahar said, "It really is too early to confirm the extent of the damage in terms of the area of crop damage and the value of the damage. But it is safe to say, given the force of the storm, farmers in the region will have suffered significant losses to not only crops but also infrastructure."</p> <p>With the prediction of $1 billion worth of damage just to crops, Mr Mahar also noted the implications of damage to the surrounding infrastructure.</p> <p>Mr Mahar said, “Damage to roads and other transport infrastructure will be expensive and will also impact on the process of getting produce to market.</p> <p>"On-farm damage to sheds, machinery, fences and silos will be an additional hit for farmers. In the Bowen region horticulture alone turns over $450 million a year and employs 3,500 people. Any hurt suffered by this industry is felt throughout the community."</p> <p>But while you might be feeling the pinch in the checkout, it’s important to remember that the farmers are the hardest hit. Mr Zimmerman said it was important for consumers to support farmers by continuing to buy Australian fruit and vegetables, to help farmers who might still have small portions of goods undamaged rebuild their business.</p> <p>"It's important for the future of the economy," he said.</p>

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Incredible shots of cyclone Debbie from space

<p>The International Space Station (ISS) have captured footage of cyclone Debbie approaching the Queensland coast.</p> <p>The monster storm is expected to make landfall later today just south of the coastal town of Bowen.</p> <p>Cyclone Debbie is a category four cyclone with winds of up to 250km/h.</p> <p>YouTube account Force 13 shared the video of the footage which was recorded during the ISS live stream.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OxNl3RJ0Cgo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>The enormous storm cell is seen clouding over the Coral Sea and the eye of the storm is visible in the footage.</p> <p>Nasa shared a photo of the cyclone on Twitter and said, “Satellites watched as Tropical Cyclone Debbie intensified into a hurricane off the coast of eastern Australia.”</p> <p>Viewers around the globe sent wishes to residents in Queensland who are facing the storm.</p> <p>“Dear Australians and other people down under... Please stay safe,” one user said.</p> <p>“It's amazing how huge Debbie is. But a serious threat to the Australians living in Queensland. Stay safe! ” another wrote.</p> <p><em>Image credit: NASA</em></p>

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Mass evacuations in Queensland ahead of Cyclone Debbie

<p>North Queensland residents are preparing against a cyclone that is expected to hit landfall on Tuesday morning.</p> <p><em>The Australian</em> have reported that thousands are evacuating in order to get to higher land before the monster cyclone hits.</p> <p>The Bureau of Meteorology have warned that Cyclone Debbie is expected to be at category 4 or 5.</p> <p>Queensland regional director of BOM said, "I think you could say that Debbie's probably the most significant tropical cyclone since Yasi that we've had to deal with in Queensland.”</p> <p>Cyclone Debbie is currently 400km east of Townsville.</p> <p>Residents are being encouraged to seek safe shelter by 10am today and secure all their belongings.</p> <p>BOM’S warning zone includes towns from Lucina to St Lawrence, including Townsville, Mackay and the Whitsunday Islands.</p> <p>Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill has instructed residents to be cautious and stay safe.</p> <p>"Over the next few days we have to keep monitoring it and we have to assume the worst, which is why we're asking people to prepare themselves now in case we require them to evacuate," she said.</p>

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