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Bold idea sees hotel offer thousands in cash back if it rains

<p>In a move that's making waves in the travel industry, a posh hotel in the heart of Singapore has rolled out a revolutionary offer: rain insurance. Yes, you heard it right – rain insurance!</p> <p>InterContinental Singapore, a sanctuary for jet-setters seeking respite from both the humidity and the occasional tropical deluge, has unleashed a game-changer for travellers. Dubbed the "Rain Resist Bliss Package", this offer promises to keep your spirits high even when the rain gods decide to throw a dampener on your plans.</p> <p>Picture this: you've booked your suite at this 5-star haven, eagerly anticipating your Singapore escapade. But lo and behold, the forecast takes a turn for the soggy, threatening to rain on your parade – quite literally. Fear not, dear traveller, for with the Rain Resist Bliss Package, you can breathe easy knowing that if your plans get drenched, your wallet won't.</p> <p>Now, you might be wondering, how does this rain insurance work? Well, it's as simple as Singapore Sling on a sunny day. If the heavens decide to open up and rain on your parade for a cumulative 120 minutes within any four-hour block of daylight hours (that's 8am to 7pm for those not on island time), you're entitled to a refund equivalent to your single-night room rate. The package is available exclusively for suite room bookings starting from $SGD850 per night – so that’s around $965 rain-soaked dollars back in your pocket, no questions asked. No need to jump through hoops or perform a rain dance – just sit back, relax, and let the rain do its thing.</p> <p>And fret not about having to keep an eye on the sky – the clever folks at InterContinental Singapore have got you covered. They're tapping into the data from the National Environmental Agency Weather Station to automatically trigger those rain refunds. It's like having your own personal meteorologist ensuring that your plans stay as dry as your martini.</p> <p>But hey, if the rain does decide to crash your party, fear not! The hotel has an array of dining options to keep your tastebuds entertained while you wait for the clouds to part. And let's not forget, Singapore isn't just about sunshine and rainbows – there are plenty of indoor activities to keep you occupied, from feasting at Lau Pa Sat for an authentic hawker experience to retail therapy at Takashimaya.</p> <p>And here's a silver lining to those rain clouds: fewer tourists! That's right, while others might be scrambling for cover, you could be enjoying shorter lines, less crowded attractions, and even snagging better deals on accommodations. Plus, let's not overlook the fact that the rain brings a welcome respite from the tropical heat, making outdoor adventures all the more enjoyable once the showers subside.</p> <p>So, pack your umbrella and leave your worries behind. With InterContinental Singapore's Rain Resist Bliss Package, you can embrace the unpredictable and turn even the rainiest of days into a memorable adventure. After all, as they say, when life gives you lemons, make Singapore Slings and dance in the rain!</p> <p><em>Images: InterContinental Singapore / Getty Images</em></p>

International Travel

Tiny ancient Christmas tree sells for thousands

<p>One of the world's first mass-produced Christmas trees has sold at auction for a whopping 56 times higher than its original purchase price. </p> <p>The tree was first bought in 1920 for just six pence, and was snapped up at the auction in England by an anonymous buyer for £3,400, or $6,433 AUD. </p> <p>The tree was described by the auctioneer as “the humblest Christmas tree in the world”, measuring just 79cm in height, boasting 25 branches, 12 berries and six mini candle holders.</p> <p>The tree sits in a small, red-painted wooden base with a simple decorative emblem.</p> <p>The Christmas tree was first bought by the family of eight-year-old Dorothy Grant in 1920, with Dorothy using it as her tree until she passed away at the age of 101. </p> <p>The tree is believed to have been bought from Woolworths, with Grant decorating the tree as a child with cotton wool to mimic snow, given that baubles were considered a luxury at the time.</p> <p>After Grant's passing in 2014, the charming tree was passed down to her daughter Shirley Hall, who was "parting with the tree now to honour her mother's memory and to ensure it survives as a humble reminder of 1920s life". </p> <p>It was expected to sell for between £60 and £80 (between $110 and $150 AUD) but was bought for the astonishing price of £3,411 when it went under the hammer at Hansons auctioneers on Friday.</p> <p>Charles Hanson, the owner of Hansons and a regular guest on the BBC’s <em>Bargain Hunt</em> said, “This is one of the earliest Christmas trees of its type we have seen. The humblest Christmas tree in the world has a new home and we’re delighted for both buyer and seller … I think it’s down to the power of nostalgia. Dorothy’s story resonated with people.”</p> <p>He added, “As simple as it was, Dorothy loved that tree. It became a staple part of family celebrations for decades. The fact that it brought such joy to Dorothy is humbling in itself. It reminds us that extravagance and excess are not required to capture the spirit of Christmas. For Dorothy it was enough to have a tree."</p> <p>“Some of the first artificial Christmas trees utilised machinery which had been designed to manufacture toilet brushes. The waste-not, want-not generations of old are still teaching us an important lesson about valuing the simple things and not replacing objects just for the sake of it."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Hansons Auctioneers</em></p>

Money & Banking

Drivers missing out on thousands in unclaimed toll rebates

<p>Motorists in New South Wales could be sitting on hundred of dollars in unclaimed toll rebates and not even know it. </p> <p>After a scheme was introduced by NSW premier Dom Perrottet to help ease cost of living pressures, drivers can get cash back for their road usage.</p> <p>The scheme entitles eligible drivers who spent more than $375 on tolls in the 2022-2023 financial year to a 40 per cent rebate of up to $750.</p> <p>Motorists have until June 30, 2024 to claim the rebate.</p> <p>This financial year, motorists who spend more than $402 on tolls can claim up to $802 back.</p> <p>In order to claim your rebate, you need to be a resident of New South Wales with an active NSW E-Toll or Transurban Linkt account and have already paid for the tolls.</p> <p>Drivers also must have accrued tolls on a vehicle that is privately registered in NSW and have travelled on an eligible NSW road.</p> <p>The toll roads included in the rebate are:</p> <ul> <li>M5 South-West (unless you already claim for the M5 South-West Cashback Scheme)</li> <li>Westlink M7</li> <li>Hills M2</li> <li>NorthConnex</li> <li>WestConnex</li> <li>Sydney Harbour Bridge</li> <li>Sydney Harbour Tunnel</li> <li>Lane Cove Tunnel</li> <li>Eastern Distributor</li> <li>Cross City Tunnel</li> <li>Military Rd E-Ramp (Falcon St off-ramp of the Warringah Fwy).</li> </ul> <p>To access the toll tracker service, you need to link your toll account with your MyService NSW profile before you check your eligibility via the <a href="https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/claim-the-toll-relief-rebate#eligibility" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-type="article-inline">Service NSW website</a>, select “claim online” and follow the prompts.</p> <p>Once approved, Service NSW says you will receive your rebate within three to eight business days.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

Money & Banking

Erin Doherty’s new role sure to be approved by Princess Anne

<p dir="ltr">Erin Doherty might just get the tick of approval from Princess Anne as she holds the reins in the forthcoming series <em>A Thousand Blows</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Doherty, 30, who played the role of horse-mad Princess Anne in <em>The Crown</em>, will star in the new drama which tells the story of the Forty Elephants, an all-woman crime syndicate specialising in shoplifting from department stores. </p> <p dir="ltr">Much like her role as Princess Anne, images from the upcoming series have seen the actress in a Victorian outfit driving a horse-drawn carriage on set in London. </p> <p dir="ltr">The period drama will also star actor Stephen Graham and it’s created by Stephen Knight who was responsible for the hit gangster drama Peaky Blinders.</p> <p dir="ltr">The presence of horses is sure to please King Charle’s sister as she is a known horse-lover. Prince Phillip once joked, “If it doesn’t fart or eat hay, she isn’t interested.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The series will also be heavy on boxing but will explore the social climate of London during the post-industrial revolution era. </p> <p dir="ltr">It is still under production and is set to be released on Disney+ with 12 episodes.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Instagram</em></p>

We make thousands of unconscious decisions every day. Here’s how your brain copes with that

<p>Do you remember learning to drive a car? You probably fumbled around for the controls, checked every mirror multiple times, made sure your foot was on the brake pedal, then ever-so-slowly rolled your car forward.</p> <p>Fast forward to now and you’re probably driving places and thinking, “how did I even get here? I don’t remember the drive”. The task of driving, which used to take a lot of mental energy and concentration, has now become subconscious, automatic – habitual.</p> <p>But how – and why – do you go from concentrating on a task to making it automatic?</p> <p><strong>Habits are there to help us cope</strong></p> <p>We live in a vibrant, complex and transient world where we constantly face a barrage of information competing for our attention. For example, our eyes take in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1564115/">over one megabyte of data every second</a>. That’s equivalent to reading 500 pages of information or an entire encyclopedia every minute.</p> <p>Just one whiff of a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12744840/">familiar smell</a> can trigger a memory from childhood in less than a millisecond, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.08.004">our skin</a> contains up to 4 million receptors that provide us with important information about temperature, pressure, texture, and pain.</p> <p>And if that wasn’t enough data to process, <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/REPS-10-2018-011/full/html">we make thousands of decisions</a> every single day. Many of them are unconscious and/or minor, such as putting seasoning on your food, picking a pair of shoes to wear, choosing which street to walk down, and so on.</p> <p>Some people are neurodiverse, and the ways we sense and process the world differ. But generally speaking, because we simply cannot process <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1364661305001178">all the incoming data</a>, our brains create habits – automations of the behaviours and actions we often repeat.</p> <p><strong>Two brain systems</strong></p> <p>There are two forces that govern our behaviour: intention and habit. In simple terms, our brain has <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17437199.2016.1244647">dual processing systems</a>, sort of like a computer with two processors.</p> <p>Performing a behaviour for the first time requires intention, attention and planning – even if plans are made only moments before the action is performed.</p> <p>This happens in our prefrontal cortex. More than any other part of the brain, the prefrontal cortex is responsible for making deliberate and logical decisions. It’s the key to reasoning, problem-solving, comprehension, impulse control and perseverance. It affects behaviour via <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/handbook-of-behavior-change/changing-behavior-using-the-reflectiveimpulsive-model/A35DBA6BF0E784F491E936F2BE910FF7">goal-driven decisions</a>.</p> <p>For example, you use your “reflective” system (intention) to make yourself go to bed on time because sleep is important, or to move your body because you’ll feel great afterwards. When you are learning a new skill or acquiring new knowledge, you will draw heavily on the reflective brain system to form new memory connections in the brain. This system requires mental energy and effort. </p> <p><strong>From impulse to habit</strong></p> <p>On the other hand, your “impulsive” (habit) system is in your brain’s <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev.neuro.29.051605.112851">basal ganglia</a>, which plays a key role in the development of emotions, memories, and pattern recognition. It’s impetuous, spontaneous, and pleasure seeking.</p> <p>For example, your impulsive system might influence you to pick up greasy takeaway on the way home from a hard day at work, even though there’s a home-cooked meal waiting for you. Or it might prompt you to spontaneously buy a new, expensive television. This system requires no energy or cognitive effort as it operates reflexively, subconsciously and automatically.</p> <p>When we repeat a behaviour in a consistent context, our brain recognises the patterns and moves the control of that behaviour from intention to habit. A habit occurs when your impulse towards doing something is automatically initiated because you encounter a setting in which you’ve done the same thing <a href="https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-015-0065-4">in the past</a>. For example, getting your favourite takeaway because you walk past the food joint on the way home from work every night – and it’s delicious every time, giving you a pleasurable reward.</p> <p><strong>Shortcuts of the mind</strong></p> <p>Because habits sit in the impulsive part of our brain, they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.03.978">don’t require much cognitive input or mental energy</a> to be performed.</p> <p>In other words, habits are the mind’s shortcuts, allowing us to successfully engage in our daily life while reserving our reasoning and executive functioning capacities for other thoughts and actions.</p> <p>Your brain remembers how to drive a car because it’s something you’ve done many times before. Forming habits is, therefore, a natural process that contributes to <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0033-2909.124.1.54">energy preservation</a>.</p> <p>That way, your brain doesn’t have to consciously think about your every move and is free to consider other things – like what to make for dinner, or where to go on your next holiday.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-make-thousands-of-unconscious-decisions-every-day-heres-how-your-brain-copes-with-that-201379" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Mind

Detective steals thousands from elderly woman

<p>An elderly woman who was scammed out of $30,000 in an online scam has once again been stolen from, after the police officer helping her recover the money stole her bank details. </p> <p>In May 2021, 74-year-old Sonia was robbed by fraudsters pretending to be NBN workers after they convinced her to transfer the hefty five-figure sum.</p> <p>After discovering it was a scam, Sonia then reported the crime to NSW Police, who sent a detective to her home to investigate.</p> <p>The officer was supposed to be helping Sonia recover her stolen money, but instead tried to use her credit card and banking details and purchase almost $20,000 worth of goods.</p> <p>The police officer fronted Liverpool Local Court on Wednesday where his barrister tried to explain his client's behaviour saying he had gone "off the rails" and fallen into a depression due to the nature of his work.</p> <p>In June 2021, the detective, who cannot be named, attended Sonia's home several times to investigate what happened, often wearing his full police uniform. </p> <p>To gain her sympathy, he said he had a brain aneurysm and had not yet told his girlfriend or work. </p> <p>According to police documents tendered to the court, Sonia trusted him and he told her she "reminded him of his own grandmother", the <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-nsw/detective-investigating-30k-fraud-on-74yo-woman-steals-her-credit-card-for-16k-shopping-spree/news-story/1823067b8a55dc184f1278ce6a933b69" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Daily Telegraph</a> reported.</p> <p>When he asked to see her online banking details, credit cards and passwords, Sonia gave them to him willingly, assuming they were needed for his investigation.</p> <p>The detective tried to buy close to $20,000 worth of items from JB Hi Fi, Big W and Myer, including iPhones, GoPro cameras and Apple Watches.</p> <p>Thankfully for Sonia, none of the attempted purchases went through, as they were all rejected by Sonia's bank as suspicious activity.</p> <p>When Sonia was notified of the attempted transactions, she immediately suspected the detective who had been supposed to be helping her. </p> <p>In court this week, the now former detective pleaded guilty to stealing Sonia's bank details, and will will face Downing Centre District Court in Sydney on May 12th when he will be sentenced.</p> <p>More than 18 months after the events, Sonia is still very troubled by what happened and blames herself. </p> <p>"I can't switch off a feeling that I was stupid in the first place ... I trusted this guy and then he did that," she said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

Thousands of Tasmanian devils are dying from cancer – but a new vaccine approach could help us save them

<p>Tasmanian devils are tough little creatures with a ferocious reputation. Tragically, each year thousands of Tasmanian devils suffer and die from contagious cancers – devil facial tumours.</p> <p>We have discovered that a modified virus, like the attenuated adenovirus used in the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, can make devil facial tumour cells more visible to the devil immune system.</p> <p>We have also found key immune targets on devil facial tumour cells. These combined advances allow us to move forward with a vaccine that helps the devil immune system find and fight the cancer.</p> <p>And we have a clever way to deliver this vaccine, too – with edible baits.</p> <p><strong>A puzzling cancer</strong></p> <p>Tasmanian devils mainly suffer from the original devil facial tumour, or DFT1. A second type of devil facial tumour (DFT2) has begun emerging in southern Tasmania that further threatens the already endangered devil population.</p> <p>DFT1 and DFT2 are <a href="https://www.tcg.vet.cam.ac.uk/about/DFTD">transmissible cancers</a> – they spread living cancer cells when the devils bite each other.</p> <p>This has presented a puzzle: a cancer cell that comes from another animal should be detected by the immune system as an invader, because it is “genetically mismatched”. For example, in human medicine, tissue transplants need to be genetically matched between the donor and recipient to avoid the immune system rejecting the transplant.</p> <p>Somehow, DFT1 and DFT2 seem to evade the immune system, and devils die from tumours spreading throughout their body or from malnutrition due to the facial tumours disrupting their ability to eat.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495558/original/file-20221116-12-jv29a8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495558/original/file-20221116-12-jv29a8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495558/original/file-20221116-12-jv29a8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495558/original/file-20221116-12-jv29a8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495558/original/file-20221116-12-jv29a8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495558/original/file-20221116-12-jv29a8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495558/original/file-20221116-12-jv29a8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495558/original/file-20221116-12-jv29a8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Close-up of a Tasmanian devil held by human hands, with a tumour on its lower jaw" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">A Tasmanian devil with DFT1.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Andrew S. Flies @WildImmunity</span></span></figcaption></figure> <p>On the bright side, the immune systems of a few wild devils <em>have</em> been able to overcome DFT1. Furthermore, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/srep43827">previous vaccine and immunotherapy trials</a> showed the devil immune system can be activated to kill DFT1 cells and clear away sizeable tumours.</p> <p>This good news from both the field and the laboratory has allowed our team to zoom in on key DFT protein targets that the devil immune system can attack. This helps us in our quest to develop a more effective and scalable vaccine.</p> <p><strong>How can we vaccinate wild animals?</strong></p> <p>Even if we succeed in producing a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14760584.2020.1711058">protective DFT vaccine</a>, we can’t trap and inject every devil.</p> <p>Luckily, clever researchers in Europe in the 1970s figured out that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0003953">vaccines can be incorporated into edible food baits</a> to vaccinate wildlife across diverse landscapes and ecosystems.</p> <p>In 2019, we hypothesised an oral bait vaccine could be made to protect devils from DFT1 and DFT2. Fast forward to November 2022 and the pieces of this ambitious project are falling into place.</p> <p>First, using samples from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-021-03601-x">devils with strong anti-tumour responses</a>, we have found that the main immune targets are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rsob.220208">major histocompatibility proteins</a>. These are usually the main targets in transplant rejection. This tells us what to put into the vaccine.</p> <p>Second, we tested a virus-based delivery system for the vaccine. We used a weakened adenovirus most of the human population has already been exposed to, and found that in the lab this virus can enter devil facial tumour cells.</p> <p>Importantly, the weakened adenovirus can be modified to produce proteins that can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.001812">stimulate the devil immune system</a>. This means it forces the devil facial tumour cells to show the major histocompatibility proteins they normally hide, making the cells “visible” to cancer-killing immune cells.</p> <p>This vaccine approach is much like the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine that uses a weakened chimpanzee adenovirus to deliver cargo to our immune system, getting it to recognise SARS-CoV-2. <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/nepa/states/US/us-2019-onrab-ea.pdf">Adenoviral vaccines have also been widely used</a> in oral bait vaccines to protect raccoons from the rabies virus.</p> <p><strong>Edible protection</strong></p> <p>But there were additional challenges to overcome. Our collaborators in the USA who research and develop other wildlife vaccines suggested that developing an effective bait for devils might be as challenging as making the vaccine itself.</p> <p>Our first studies of placebo baits in the wild confirmed this. Contrary to previous studies which showed devils eating most of the baits, we found the baits were also readily consumed by other species, including eastern quolls, brushtail possums, and Tasmanian pademelons.</p> <p>This led us to test an automatic bait dispenser supplied by our collaborators at the US Department of Agriculture National Wildlife Research Center. The <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/WR/justaccepted/WR22070">dispensers proved quite effective</a> at reducing the amount of “off target” bait consumption and showed devils could successfully retrieve the baits with their dexterous paws.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5BEBfFqOY8k?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">Tasmanian devil retrieving a placebo bait from an automatic bait dispenser.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>Encouragingly, a recent mathematical modelling study suggests an <a href="https://lettersinbiomath.journals.publicknowledgeproject.org/index.php/lib/article/view/555">oral bait vaccine could eliminate DFT1</a> from Tasmania.</p> <p>Successful delivery of the vaccine would be a demanding and long-term commitment. But with it, we could prevent the suffering and deaths of thousands of individual devils, along with helping to reestablish a healthy wild devil population.</p> <p><strong>Can’t stop now</strong></p> <p>A bit of additional good news fell into place in late 2022 with the announcement that our international team was awarded an Australian Research Council Linkage Project grant to develop better baits and ways to monitor wildlife health in the field.</p> <p>These oral bait vaccine techniques that eliminate the need to catch and jab animals could be applied to future wildlife and livestock diseases, not just Tassie devils.</p> <p>Building on this momentum, we are planning to start new vaccine trials in 2023. We don’t know yet if this new experimental vaccine can prevent devils from getting devil facial tumours.</p> <p>However, the leap we have made in the past three years and new technology gives us momentum and hope that we might be able to stop DFT2 before it spreads across the state. Perhaps, we can even eliminate DFT1.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194536/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>Writen by Andrew S. Flies, </em><em>Chrissie Ong</em><em> and Ruth Pye. Republished with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/thousands-of-tasmanian-devils-are-dying-from-cancer-but-a-new-vaccine-approach-could-help-us-save-them-194536" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

UK comedian shreds thousands in protest of David Beckham’s Qatar deal

<p dir="ltr">English comedian Joe Lycett has called out footballer David Beckham for his multi-million-dollar deal with Qatar by shredding £10,000 - but Lycett’s protest has come with a twist.</p> <p dir="ltr">After Beckham came under fire for accepting the cash from Qatar - where homosexuality is illegal and you can be jailed or put to death as punishment - to promote the World Cup, Lycett took to social media to call on the former English captain to put his money where his mouth is.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b0f7f24c-7fff-e87b-cd94-977224136cd7"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Lycett shared a video where he said he would donate £10,000 ($AU 17,700 or $NZ 19,386) if Beckham withdrew from his deal with Qatar before the World Cup started on November 19.</p> <p dir="ltr">If Beckham didn’t, Lycett said he would shred it.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" 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);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/ClGfxiQIvDb/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </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;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ClGfxiQIvDb/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Joe Lycett (@joelycett)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">"This is a message to David Beckham... I consider you to be a gay icon," Lycett said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"You were the first premiership footballer to do shoots with gay magazines like Attitude, to speak openly about your gay fans, and you married a Spice Girl, which is the gayest thing a human being can do.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Qatar was voted as one of the worst places in the world to be gay. You've always talked about the power of football to be a force for good... so with that in mind, I'm giving you a choice.</p> <p dir="ltr">"If you end your relationship with Qatar, I'll donate this 10 grand of my own money to charities that support queer people in football. However, if you do not... I will throw this money into a shredder.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Not just the money, but also your status as a gay icon will be shredded."</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-735f7414-7fff-0c3f-b123-4b37c34f34e3"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">After his video went viral, Lycett shared a message he sent to Beckham’s PR team on social media.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" 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);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/ClBdqBgoPAM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </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;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ClBdqBgoPAM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Joe Lycett (@joelycett)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve managed to get myself into a bit of a pickle - I’ve been a bit daft and publicly announced that I’m going to shred £10K on Sunday if David doesn’t end his relationship with Qatar, or donate the cash to LGBTQ+ charities if he does, yet we’re now four days out and I haven’t heard a peep from him,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Could you do me a solid and let me know if there’s a chance he might budge on his position, or am I to expect radio silence on this? I really don’t want to shred ten grand!!! I also really don’t want a national treasure that has historically supported the LGBTQ+ community to publicly endorse and advertise a nation state that has an appalling human rights record and has the death penalty for gays - call me old fashioned!!!!!!”</p> <p dir="ltr">With Beckham not responding or backing out of the deal with Qatar, Lycett shared a clip on Sunday of himself putting wads into a woodchipper, dressed in a rainbow coat.</p> <p dir="ltr">But that isn’t the end of the story.</p> <p dir="ltr">The comedian shared another video on Monday, where he revealed that the stunt wasn’t what it appeared to be.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is my final message to David Beckham,” he began the clip.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s me! That prick who shredded loads of money in a cost-of-living crisis.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I told you I was going to destroy £10,000 if you didn’t end your relationship with Qatar before the first day of the World Cup. And then when you didn’t end your relationship or even respond in any way, I streamed myself dropping 10K into a shredder.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Or did I?</p> <p dir="ltr">“I haven’t quite told you the whole truth. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Because the truth is, the money that went into the shredder was real, but the money that came out was fake.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Lycett added that he wouldn’t be “so irresponsible” to destroy “real money”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In fact, the ten grand had already been donated to LGBTQ+ charities before I even pressed send on the initial tweet last week,” he continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I never expected to hear from you. It was an empty threat designed to get people talking.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0189d111-7fff-2b5e-96d4-872ebc0b31b0"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“In many ways, it was like your deal with Qatar, David. Total bulls**t from the start.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" 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);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/ClOMLKuIY0r/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </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;" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/ClOMLKuIY0r/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Joe Lycett (@joelycett)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Lycett ended the clip by shredding another item: the 2002 cover of <em>Attitude </em>magazine that featured Beckham, which was the first gay magazine to feature a Premier League footballer on it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I asked <em>Attitude </em>if I could shred it and they were more than happy to oblige,” Lycett said, before running the cover through a paper shredder.</p> <p dir="ltr">His final video, captioned with a single rainbow flag, received a flood of praise from fellow celebrities and fans.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Oh you. It’s like you thought it all through or somethin …” Dawn French commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You are flipping amazing ❤️❤️❤️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈,” singer Sophie Ellis Bexter added.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d1dc9455-7fff-40cd-4ae9-c47bf33ab5ef"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Money & Banking

Proposed rule change could save renters thousands

<p dir="ltr">The competing pressures of Australia’s housing crisis and rising inflation has seen renters across the country feel the pinch - but one of Labor’s 2023 state election promises could provide some relief from renters in New South Wales.</p> <p dir="ltr">NSW Labor leader Chris Minns has made a proposal that would see bonds paid for rentals become “portable”, meaning that they could be transferred from one property to another when tenants move, as reported by <em><a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/news/simple-proposed-change-could-save-tenants-thousands-of-dollars/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">realestate.com.au</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The change could reduce the amount renters need to save prior to moving, given that bonds are one of the biggest costs for tenants, and allow a bond to be moved to another property when a new lease is signed.</p> <p dir="ltr">Landlords would receive a certificate from the NSW Rental Board that would hold the rental bond tenants paid on the previous property, with the Board also being responsible for managing payments of cost differences and claims for property damage.</p> <p dir="ltr">Tenants Union NSW CEO Leo Patterson Ross said the proposal was welcome and urged the rest of Australia to adopt similar legislation.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We support the proposal as part of addressing the increasing costs of bonds and renting generally," he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">"The legislation to allow it occurred in 2018, but was never implemented."</p> <p dir="ltr">Currently, renters moving between leases are forced to take out loans to pay for the new bond while waiting for their previous one to be refunded, in what Mr Patterson Ross called a “double bond”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The pain point of double bonds at the end of tenancies causes people a lot of issues," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The average bond in NSW at the moment is $2200 and more than 60% of bonds are returned in full to the renter, while less than 15% are kept in full by the landlord.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Having to produce $2200 to cover the gap between one tenancy and the next is increasingly being exploited by lightly regulated pay-day lenders, which may rely on fees as well as interest to apply very high lending costs."</p> <p dir="ltr">If NSW introduces the portable bond scheme, it would be an Australian first, but there are other ways governments can help renters out.</p> <p dir="ltr">In NSW and most other states, the government offers interest free loans to help cover the cost of bonds, but these programs are only available to those in social housing.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, renters in the ACT who are on moderate incomes - $101,868 for singles and $135,284 for couples - are also eligible for this scheme.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Minns is also proposing laws to require landlords to provide reasonable grounds for evicting tenants, a change from current rules where tenants can be evicted without a reason given if they are on six-month or 12-month leases.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-651948dd-7fff-a91c-694f-e37d80ec4971"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Money & Banking

Thousands of dollars now available for flood victims

<p dir="ltr">The victims of recent flooding events in Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania are now eligible for financial support from the federal government.</p> <p dir="ltr">Thousands of dollars in support will include ongoing payments for eligible Aussies who have lost income as a result of the floods, paid at the same rate as JobSeeker.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The disaster recovery allowance is a payment that’s currently being made across all 71 LGAs (local government areas) ... for a total of up to 13 weeks,” Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen told <em>Sunrise</em>.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-17a7461f-7fff-8d81-d790-8fdc3bbb12f0"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s to help people that have lost work or income as a direct result of the floods, regardless of whether you’re an employer, sole trader or an employee.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Financial support is now available for people affected by flooding in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.</p> <p>Claim online through <a href="https://twitter.com/myGovau?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@myGovau</a> or call our Emergency information line on 180 22 66.</p> <p>Read more: <a href="https://t.co/JZxDScPQsJ">https://t.co/JZxDScPQsJ</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NSWFloods?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NSWFloods</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VicFloods?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VicFloods</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TasFloods?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TasFloods</a> <a href="https://t.co/oF1ZEnpT40">pic.twitter.com/oF1ZEnpT40</a></p> <p>— Services Australia (@ServicesGovAU) <a href="https://twitter.com/ServicesGovAU/status/1581867612853899264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Mr Jongen explained that those already on JobSeeker weren’t eligible for the allowance, which is available on top of a one-off sum of $1000 for adults and $400 per child to help those seriously affected by the floods.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, fewer Local Government Areas (LGAs) qualify for the lump sum along with the allowance, with eligible LGAs being determined by the National Emergency Management Agency.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is an ever-changing situation and the National Emergency Management Agency is constantly monitoring, and it works with other government agencies in order to make these declarations,” Mr Jongen explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">The national support comes after <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/monetary-help-confirmed-for-victoria-s-flood-victims" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced assistance</a> would be available for victims of the floods which inundated the state since last Friday.</p> <p dir="ltr">To determine whether you are eligible for financial assistance from the federal government, head <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/natural-disaster-events?context=60042" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-b290c595-7fff-b55a-8661-cfa4f8957290"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Money & Banking

What will happen to the thousands of Paddington Bears left for the Queen

<p dir="ltr">More than 1,000 Paddinton Bears left for Queen Elizabeth II since her passing will be donated to charity. </p> <p dir="ltr">The plush toys were left at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle following the late monarch’s passing on September 8.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Palace announced that the toys will be cleaned and donated to children's charity Barnardos. </p> <p dir="ltr">They released a photo of the Queen Consort Camilla surrounded by the teddies to mark the special occasion. </p> <p dir="ltr">Queen Elizabeth and Paddington Bear had a loveable friendship when he made a surprise appearance at the Platinum Jubilee.</p> <p dir="ltr">The adorable skit showed the Queen sitting down for tea with Paddington Bear who told the monarch that he hoped she was “having a lovely Jubilee”. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Queen then offered Paddington some tea as the pair discussed their shared love for marmalade sandwiches. </p> <p dir="ltr">Paddington Bear then offered Her Majesty an emergency marmalade sandwich, something he always keeps hidden away in his hat. </p> <p dir="ltr">In a funny turn of events, the Queen did not need the emergency marmalade sandwich as she had also come prepared with her own sandwich in her handbag. </p> <p dir="ltr">The skit, which took the Queen half a day to film, was described better than her Olympic opening show cameo with James Bond.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

Family & Pets

Thousands of giant crabs amass off Australia’s coast

<p>Every winter in shallow waters off Australia’s southern coast, armies of native spider crabs appear in their thousands. They form huge underwater piles, some as tall as a person. These fascinating crustaceans are on a risky mission – to get bigger.</p> <p>Crabs cannot simply grow like humans and other soft-bodied creatures. They must break free from their shells, expand their soft flesh and harden a new shell – all while dodging hungry predators on the hunt for a soft, easy meal.</p> <p>This moulting process leaves crabs clumsy and uncoordinated, making any escape tricky. That’s thought to be one reason they clump together in such big numbers – to keep each other safe.</p> <p>The spectacular gatherings attract tourists from interstate and overseas and have even been featured in a BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09gl670" target="_blank" rel="noopener">documentary</a>. But despite all this attention, scientists know very little about these quirky creatures. We need your help to investigate.</p> <h2>Safety in numbers</h2> <p>Southern Australia’s spider crabs (Leptomithrax gaimardii) are usually orange to red-brown. They can reach 16cm across their shell and 40cm across their legs, and are commonly known as great spider crabs.</p> <p>Spider crabs are believed to be widely dispersed in deeper waters. But they’re most visible to humans when they congregate <a href="https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/species/14370" target="_blank" rel="noopener">near shore in winter</a>, and occasionally at other times of year.</p> <p>Once together, spider crabs shed their old shells in a synchronised act thought to take about <a href="https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/species/14370" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an hour</a>. The crabs stay together until their new hard shells form, which probably takes a few days.</p> <p>The aggregation can last a few weeks. Soft crabs are thought to take refuge in the middle of the piles, protected by crabs yet to moult.</p> <p>Afterwards, spider crabs return to deeper waters and their solitary lives, leaving the seafloor littered with discarded shells.</p> <h2>Plenty of mysteries to solve</h2> <p>Spider crab aggregations have been officially reported along the Victorian and Tasmanian coasts. Historically, most winter sightings have been reported on the Mornington Peninsula – particularly near the Rye and Blairgowrie piers.</p> <p>Anecdotal evidence suggests the gatherings can also happen elsewhere. For instance, an aggregation was reported this year on the western side of Port Phillip Bay.</p> <p>But there’s still so much we don’t know about spider crabs, such as:</p> <ul> <li>how many spider crabs are out there?</li> <li>how many gather en masse?</li> <li>how long do the crabs stay?</li> <li>what signals do crabs use to know it’s time to come together?</li> <li>why do the crabs aggregate at one location in several consecutive years then not return?</li> </ul> <p>Most spider crab gatherings seem to occur in winter, but they’re known to come together at other times. For example, aggregations in late spring, midsummer and early autumn have been reported in parts of Port Phillip Bay and elsewhere Victoria and Tasmania.</p> <p>Those aggregations don’t seem related to moulting – in fact, we have no idea why they occur!</p> <h2>We need your help</h2> <p>To better understand spider crab aggregations, a citizen science project called <a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/spider-crab-watch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spider Crab Watch</a> has been launched.</p> <p>We’re inviting everyone – including divers, fishermen, swimmers and boaters – to report where they see spider crabs, alone or in groups. We’d also love to hear from people who come across discarded spider crab shells on the beach, because that indicates an aggregation occurred nearby.</p> <p>The reports will help us determine the habitats and conditions suitable for spider crab aggregations. We welcome sightings from Port Phillip Bay and across the Great Southern Reef, where spider crabs live. The reef spans the southern part of Australia from New South Wales to Western Australia and Tasmania.</p> <p>Logging a sighting is a quick process. Just report the date, time and location of the spider crabs, and answer a few questions. Photos are not essential but always welcome.</p> <p>We’re also using traditional research to solve these mysteries. This includes underwater surveys, spider crab tagging and the use of timelapse cameras to capture images of spider crabs and their predators at sites where aggregations are expected.</p> <p>After the aggregations, the images captured will be uploaded to a web portal. Interested people from around the country (and the world) can then analyse the images to help us count spider crabs and identify their predators.</p> <p>If that interests you, <a href="https://redcap.link/ybjksj1z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sign up</a> for Spider Crab Watch updates.</p> <p>This program and the broader research is supported by funding from the Victorian government.</p> <h2>Understanding our oceans</h2> <p>The aims of this research go far beyond spider crabs. Scientists also want to know if spider crab gatherings help predators maintain healthy populations.</p> <p>Huge stingrays, seals, seabirds and some sharks are often spotted near aggregation sites. But we need more information to understand how crab aggregations affect animals at the top of the food chain.</p> <p>Spider crabs have captured the imagination of ocean lovers for decades – yet we know so little about their lives.</p> <p>This project will help us gather information on this amazing natural spectacle and the role it plays in the marine environment.</p> <p><em><strong><span id="docs-internal-guid-b48fe8be-7fff-2eb6-cfb8-219641f850f0">This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/thousands-of-giant-crabs-amass-off-australias-coast-scientists-need-your-help-to-understand-it-183342" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</span></strong></em></p> <p><em>Image: Museums Victoria</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Man fined thousands for unsolicited pruning in neighbourly dispute

<p dir="ltr">When one New Zealand man’s quest for extra sunshine in his bedroom saw him turn his neighbour’s line of trees into stumps, he didn’t expect that it would come with an eyewatering fine.</p> <p dir="ltr">The devastated neighbour took the imprudent gardener to small claims court, where it was found the man, referred to as HL, had trespassed on his neighbours property.</p> <p dir="ltr">The recently released Disputes Tribunal decision said HL had “practically removed” seven Ake Ake trees and several Elaegnus shrubs from his neighbours’ property, the <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/man-ordered-to-pay-neighbours-7k-for-cutting-their-trees-without-permission/ZFSMBS3EUKKE7AEMEWQKQCQO4I/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a></em> reported.</p> <p dir="ltr">HL was ordered to pay his neighbours, referred to as LG and KG, a hefty $NZD 7478 ($AUD 6800) to replace the trees and cover legal costs.</p> <p dir="ltr">The man admitted he cut the trees but claimed he did it after he and LG agreed they needed to be topped, adding that LG had picked the height at which HL should cut.</p> <p dir="ltr">But LG strongly denied the exchange, stating he had only acknowledged that the trees were hanging over HL’s property and needed trimming.</p> <p dir="ltr">“LG said there was a discussion about how they were to do it, that HL had a chainsaw and that LG would help him trim the overhanging branches and pay the tip fees,” the court decision said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Instead, the tribunal found that HL cut the trees and shrubs without the permission of LG and KG, and did so while they were away from their property for about 45 minutes.</p> <p dir="ltr">With HL unable to prove his version of events, the tribunal accepted LG’s evidence that he only discussed trimming back the overhanging branches with HL.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It does not make sense that LG would agree to taking height off the top of the trees, as that would result in a loss of privacy for him and his wife. THe only party who benefitted from the trees being topped was HL.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Photographs were also submitted to the tribunal, which said that it was impossible for the trees to have simply been topped based on the images.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Topping denotes the removal of the top part of the trees, but implies that some, or perhaps most, of the tree is left to grow. The pictures show that in some cases there are only stumps left, while other trees show some longer level of trunk with trimmed branches.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The pictures do not show that the trees have been trimmed, but rather practically removed.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-9876db2c-7fff-77d1-15d5-cc49fb0bb326"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

Small town receives "one in a thousand year" flood warning

<p>With water levels continuing to rise during a "one-in-a-1000-year" flooding event on the NSW far-north coast, locals are being warned not to be complacent.</p> <p>Ballina Lord Mayor Sharon Cadwallader told Today she had a sleepless night at a local evacuation centre, fielding calls from her anxious community about what the freak weather event would do next.</p> <p>"Water is unpredictable - you really don't know what it's going to do today," said Mayor Cadwallader</p> <p>"It is an evolving situation so we're monitoring it very closely. We've got some excellent staff working on this as we speak. We really don't know."</p> <p>Ms Cadwallader warns with the volume of water coming down the Wilsons and Richmond rivers, evacuations were a necessary precaution.</p> <p>"We can't rest on our laurels or become complacent about this - Sometimes in Ballina we do see high tides and water build-up in some of our streets," she said.</p> <p>"But not like this. We don't want people to think this is a normal event - It is far from a normal event, it's a one-in-1000-year flood, in fact."</p> <p>Authorities remain fearful the Richmond River will break its banks, with water continuing to spill over and flood the streets of Ballina. Emergency crews have been sandbagging and water could reach up to one metre at street-level. </p> <p>The SES is warning of life-threatening flooding over the next 24 hours with the Ballina Hospital already evacuated overnight.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty </em></p>

Travel Trouble

Here’s why this doghouse will likely sell for hundreds of thousands

<p dir="ltr">A doghouse up for auction could sell for more than $400,000 - the same price as a Brisbane apartment - and it's thanks to one small hole in its tin roof.</p><p dir="ltr">In 2019, a meteorite tore through the sky towards the city of Aguas Zarcas in north central Costa Rica, crash landing in the doghouse while the pooch was still inside.</p><p dir="ltr">The resulting seven-inch hole has made the simple wood and tin structure a highly sought after item, which is now estimated <a href="https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/deep-impact-martian-lunar-other-rare-meteorites/aguas-zarcas-doghouse-4/142783?ldp_breadcrumb=back" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to sell</a> for between $280,000 and $420,000 at Christie’s “<a href="https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/deep-impact-martian-lunar-other-rare-meteorites/lots/2134" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deep Impact: Martian, Lunar and other Rare Meteorites</a>”.</p><p dir="ltr">“On April 23, 2019 at 9.07pm, a German Shephard [sic] named Roky experienced quite a fright. A meteorite, part of a shower of exotic stone meteorites loaded with organic compounds, crashed through his doghouse, barely missing him,” Christie’s <a href="https://www.nine.com.au/property/news/doghouse-struck-by-meteorite-400k-dollars-christies-space-auction/ab31a7b3-7fb6-483b-8770-f024f90a0df5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explains</a>.</p><p dir="ltr">“Aguas Zarcas meteorites are the same type as Murchison, among the most researched meteorites of all time.</p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-41333ea3-7fff-466c-e226-f7e961f0f6e6"></span></p><p dir="ltr">“These samples not only contain tens of thousands of prebiotics, including amino acids, but also pre-solar grains ranging up to twice the age of the solar system. Today, many cosmochemists throughout the world are either investigating Aguas Zarcas specimens or waiting to obtain them.”</p><p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/meteorite-doghouse.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p><p dir="ltr"><em>A meteorite and the kennel it crashed into have both been put up for auction, with the doghouse expected to sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Image: Christie’s</em></p><p dir="ltr">With meteorites usually landing in the ocean or ending up buried deep underground in remote areas if they do end up on land, the one that struck Roky’s kennel is incredibly rare.</p><p dir="ltr">Unfortunately, Christie’s explains that the house belonging to Roky’s owners won’t see an increase in value thanks to the meteorite, and that objects are what benefit most.</p><p dir="ltr">“Although the few homes hit by falling meteorites do not become worth much more when struck, that is not the case with other objects,” the site reads.</p><p dir="ltr">The high-end auctioneer is also selling off the <a href="https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/deep-impact-martian-lunar-other-rare-meteorites/aguas-zarcas-cm2-meteorite-doghouse-8/142785" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meteorite</a> itself, which is expected to go for between $56-$84,000.</p><p dir="ltr">Though he may be separated from the meteor, Roky is leaving a permanent mark on the space stone.</p><p dir="ltr">“The front face of the meteorite is accented with a sienna-hued streak caused by the meteorite’s passage through the oxidized [sic] tin roof of Roky’s Doghouse.”</p><p dir="ltr">Currently, there are 16 bids on the doghouse and eight on the meteorite, with bidding due to end on February 23.</p><p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-1f0fb625-7fff-68db-e96a-c8ac088d7103"></span></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Christie’s</em></p>

Real Estate

Priest resigns after botching thousands of baptisms with single phrase

<p dir="ltr">An Arizona priest has voluntarily resigned from his church after it was ruled that he botched thousands of baptisms over the past 25 years - all by using one incorrect phrase.</p><p dir="ltr">Father Andres Arango left the St Gregory Catholic Church in Phoenix this month <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10511635/Phoenix-Catholic-priest-forced-resign-incorrectly-performed-THOUSANDS-baptisms.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">after</a> revealing he used an “incorrect formula” that made the baptisms invalid.</p><p dir="ltr">Rather than invoking the power of God by saying “I baptise you”, as required by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Father Arango said “we baptise you”, referring to the community.</p><p dir="ltr">As a result of his phrasing, every baptism he has performed since he was ordained in 1995 until June 2021 has been invalid.</p><p dir="ltr">This could also mean that subsequent confirmations and First Communions for those baptised by Arango could also be invalidated.</p><p dir="ltr">The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix said even some marriages could possibly be affected, though they did not expand on how.</p><p dir="ltr">Father Arango will now work full-time offering spiritual guidance to Catholics whose baptisms have been deemed invalid so he can baptise them again.</p><p dir="ltr">In 2020, the Vatican issued a doctoral note clarifying that baptisms performed with the phrase “We baptise you in the name of the Father and the Son of the Holy Spirit” were invalid, prompting church leaders to investigate faith leaders including Father Arango.</p><p dir="ltr">His invalidated baptisms also came from his time working in churches in Brazil and San Diego.</p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b2bb13ae-7fff-280b-bab7-d38f8c5653e4"></span></p><p dir="ltr">In a letter announcing his resignation, Father Arango apologised to those affected and asked the community for “prayers, forgiveness, and understanding”.</p><p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/father-arango-letter.png" alt="" width="322" height="826" /></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Father Arango announced he would leave the church after the Vatican ruled that baptisms he performed over the past 25 years have been invalid. Images: St Gregory Catholic Church Bulletin</em></p><p dir="ltr">“It saddens me to learn that I have performed invalid baptisms throughout my ministry as a priest by regularly using an incorrect formula,” Father Arango wrote.</p><p dir="ltr">“I deeply regret my error and how this affected numerous people in your parish and elsewhere.</p><p dir="ltr">“With the help of the Holy Spirit and in communion with the Diocese of Phoenix I will dedicate my energy and full time ministry to help remedy this and heal those affected.”</p><p dir="ltr">The Diocese has said Father Arango remains a priest in good standing and that he has not been disqualified from his vocation or ministry as a result of his mistake.</p><p dir="ltr">Diocese of Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted said he didn’t believe Father Arango intentionally harmed or deceived parishioners through his error.</p><p dir="ltr">“On behalf of our local Church, I am too sincerely sorry that this error has resulted in disruption to the sacramental lives of a number of the faithful,” Olmsted said in a <a href="https://www.stgregoryphx.com/note-on-baptism-validity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.</p><p dir="ltr">“This is why I pledge to take every step necessary to remedy the situation for everyone impacted.”</p><p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a7665fe9-7fff-43e3-b9f2-e43368b1e9d8"></span></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Padre Andres Arango Phoenix AZ (Facebook)</em></p>

Family & Pets

Toddler accidentally spends thousands on furniture on unsuspecting mum’s phone

<p dir="ltr">A toddler has accidentally spent $2800 on furniture while<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/shopping/toddler-accidentally-spends-2800-on-furniture-items-while-playing-with-his-unsuspecting-mums-phone-c-5449890" target="_blank">playing with his mother’s phone</a><span> </span>- with neither parent realising until the packages started arriving.</p> <p dir="ltr">Pramod and Madhu Kumar began receiving a seemingly endless supply of packages from Walmart after their 22-month-old son Ayaansh accidentally clicked the “place order” button on his mum’s phone.</p> <p dir="ltr">While playing with the device, Ayaansh managed to access the store’s website - and his mum’s full shopping cart - and completed the checkout for an almost $2,000 order ($AUD 2800).</p> <p dir="ltr">When the packages began arriving, the couple began to question each other over who placed the order and why they didn’t ask for input from the other person.</p> <p dir="ltr">They soon realised neither had made the order, and that in reality, their son was behind the suspicious transaction.</p> <p dir="ltr">The order contained items for their new home in New Jersey, which they moved into almost a year ago.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My wife does online shopping, so at the time, she was checking some things on Walmart and she added (them) to a cart,” Mr Kumar told<span> </span><em>TODAY</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She was not intending to purchase those, she just added (them) to a cart and said, ‘OK, we’ll come back later’. But then she put the phone down and somehow my son managed to get the phone.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Aayansh’s innocent use of his mum’s phone to play quickly turned into his first shopping spree, with the order including accent chairs, flower stands, and other items that continue to arrive at the family’s home.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 500px; height:375.3846153846154px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7847065/541f05ac7da3dba5c24eb824a49bc0c484bb9778.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c0471a88bae444c1b662717d2e3302ed" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>The Kumars had no idea who had made the large online order when packages began arriving on their doorstep. Image: Pramod Kumar</em></p> <p dir="ltr">“We’re still getting packages,” Mr Kumar said. “We have a bunch of packages. Like today, there are two packages just sitting outside of our house.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Kumar was initially surprised that his son was able to complete the transaction, as shoppers are usually asked “multiple times about the items you need to select and you have to click here to be able to confirm and then reconfirm to make sure before ordering”.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, the toddler was able to show just how much he knew about phones while his family spoke to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/shopping/toddler-accidentally-spends-2800-on-furniture-items-while-playing-with-his-unsuspecting-mums-phone-c-5449890" target="_blank"><em>NBC New York</em></a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Using a reporter's phone, Ayaansh was able to close the calendar app, send an email to the reporter’s mother, and search through their contacts.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We learned a big lesson,” Mr Kumar said of the incident.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Moving forward, we will put tough passcodes or face recognition so when he picks up the phone he finds it in locked condition,” he told<span> </span><em>NBC</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">As the deliveries continue to arrive, the Kumars are planning to wait until everything has arrived before going to Walmart for a full refund.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, they plan to keep a few items to remember the funny incident in the future.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We are asking the same questions (to Ayaansh) again and again, ‘Oh, did you order that?’” Mrs Kumar said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He’s totally clueless to what he did, because nothing he ordered is of interest to him,” Mr Kumar added.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Pramod Kumar</em></p>

Technology

The “loneliest woman in America” who brewed root beer for thousands of visitors

<p dir="ltr">From 1934 to 1986, Dorothy Molter lived alone on the Isle of Pines in Minnesota’s million-acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Her home was 25km by canoe from the nearest road and 50km from the nearest town, and the waters and wilderness surrounding it played home to bald eagles, swans, deer, bear, and the occasional moose.</p> <p dir="ltr">During the summer, she operated a fishing camp, but lived in almost permanent solitude during the winter. Her interesting choice of residence wasn’t what cemented her<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/dorothy-molter-root-beer-lady" target="_blank">legacy</a>, however: it was the root beer she brewed with lake water and served to visitors. Thanks to this hobby, she became known as “the root beer lady”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Molter fell in love with the woods in 1930 during a family fishing trip, and after struggling to find work as a nurse during the Depression in her home city of Chicago, she returned. A man named Bill Berglund promised her that if she stayed to help him run his fishing camp, he would leave her the four-cabin resort in his will. True to his word, when he died in 1948, Molter took over.</p> <p dir="ltr">She gained a reputation as a wilderness “first responder”, using her nursing training to help injured canoers and animals alike. Her tendency to help those who were injured earned her another nickname, “Nightingale of the Northwoods”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jess Edberg, executive director of the Dorothy Molter Museum, said that despite all of this, it was her decision to live in solitude that most intrigued people. “An unmarried woman living alone in the wilderness was a curiosity,” she says.</p> <p dir="ltr">Molter herself once swore that she wouldn’t marry unless she found a man who could “portage heavier loads, chop more wood, or catch more fish” than her. It’s a good thing Molter was so self-sufficient, because living in such isolation is not for the faint of heart. Without electricity, a telephone, or running water, she chopped her own wood, hauled lake water, and harvested ice in winter to preserve food in warmer months. Communication, whether by mail, telegraph, or word-of-mouth, often took days.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her isolation was only exacerbated by the US government’s attempts to preserve the wilderness surrounding her home. After float plane flights to the island ended in 1952, Molter was dubbed the “loneliest woman in America” in the press.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Wilderness Act of 1964 mandated that residences and buildings had to be removed from the area. Molter ignored repeated orders from the US Forest Service to vacate, and eventually, following a groundswell of public support, she was allowed to stay on her island as a “volunteer-in-service”, although she was forced to close her camp. This made her the last resident of the Boundary Waters.</p> <p dir="ltr">With the cessation of flights to the area, it became impossible to transport drinks, so naturally, Molter began making her own root beer. She bought flavoured syrup from the nearby town or local Boy Scout base, and blended it with sugar, yeast for carbonation, and lake water in a 30-litre crock. She bottled the resulting beverage in hundreds of empty glass bottles she had collected over the years, with nowhere to dispose of them.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the quality of the drink not always being consistent, as many as 7000 visitors managed to consume around 12,000 bottles of the homemade soda, with the local Boy Scouts being particular fans.</p> <p dir="ltr">After Molter passed away at her cabin in 1986, a group that dubbed itself “Dorothy’s Angels” managed to move her buildings to the nearby town of Ely and create a museum in her honour. The Dorothy Molter Museum sits in a woodsy area at the edge of the town, offering visitors a sample of root beer and a taste of Molter’s quiet life.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Buddy Mays/Corbis via Getty Images</em></p>

Retirement Life

Thousands raised for family who lost twin girls in horrific tragedy

<p dir="ltr">Thousands of dollars have been raised to help the family of twin four-year old girls who died in a tragic fire in northern New South Wales. Twin girls Ophelia and Tarrow died when a fire broke out at their home in Goonengerry, west of Byron Bay, on Sunday morning.</p> <p dir="ltr">Emergency services were called to the home, but the girls could not be saved. They are reported to have inhaled a significant amount of smoke as a result of the fire. The fire is believed to have been started by an unattended candle that had been placed on a piano.</p> <p dir="ltr">On Monday, friends of the twins’ dad, James, launched a fundraiser to support the family.</p> <p dir="ltr">The fundraiser reads, “These beautiful little fairies left this earth too soon, and the loss for Jimmi and family is unspeakable.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It is now for us, his friends and family, to come together and create a legacy of lasting love and support. Aside from the onslaught of grief and sorrow, that is already devastating the family, there is an impending slew of debt, funeral costs, and day-to-day expenses that we hope to cover through this collection.”</p> <p dir="ltr">As of Tuesday morning, the GoFundMe had raised more than $20,000. A separate fundraiser, which has raised more than $2000, was started to support the twins’ mum, Akira Garton. The fundraiser says, “Tarrow and Ophelia were bright, playful, identical twins that had a sparkle in their eyes and angelic features.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They loved and adored their older sister Maitreya so so much … just as they were loved and adored by all close to them. There is no word in English for a parent who loses their child, and there shouldn’t be.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It is an unthinkable tragedy. Akira and her family are shattered to the core; they have an unbearable amount of grief to carry and heartbreaking pain to endure. Flowers and tributes were left at the property following the tragedy.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The twins were visiting their father for the weekend as part of a shared parenting arrangement. James, along with his new partner and friends, were believed to have been outside around a bonfire at the time and weren’t aware a fire had started. It wasn’t until he went in to check on the girls that he saw the smoke.</p> <p dir="ltr">A lawyer acting on behalf of Garton has asked detectives to examine why the girls were unattended, although there’s no suggestion the girls’ father has done anything wrong. No charges have been laid.</p>

Caring

Self-taught 14-year-old artist offered thousands for paintings

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">During lockdown, it was not uncommon for most people to try a new hobby they had been putting off. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But for 14-year-old Makenzy, it was a starting point for incredible success. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">During a period of self-isolation in Wales, Makenzy Beard found some old acrylic paints and an easel that once belonged to her mother, and decided to try her hand at painting. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Her first piece, an incredible portrait of her farming neighbour John Tucker, went viral on social media. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She told the </span><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-57670603"><span style="font-weight: 400;">BBC</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that the portrait took about 20 hours to complete over a three-week period.</span></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/COGXvlHH1Ax/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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/COGXvlHH1Ax/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Makenzy Beard (@makenzy_beard)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I was very busy at the time I decided to do this one, so I was taking five minutes before school, an hour after school before sport. It was all broken down, I never spent one long extended period of time on it", she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Makezny said her subject John “is a wonderful person and has a really lovely, kind and friendly demeanour," and thought he would be the perfect person to paint. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The post racked up thousands of likes online, as she was encouraged by art fans around the world to keep up her extraordinary talent. </span></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/CSpfvXipcmU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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/CSpfvXipcmU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Makenzy Beard (@makenzy_beard)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After adding more works to her collection, Makenzy has had her works displayed in a gallery in Cardiff. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some pieces have captured the attention of international art dealers, with one of her paintings selling for $18,000AUD.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the pieces in her showcase is a portrait of her grandfather Bernard Davis, but Makenzy said she will be keeping the artwork due to its sentimental value.</span></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/CUid6kGo0n6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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/CUid6kGo0n6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Makenzy Beard (@makenzy_beard)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite having international offers on her artwork, Makenzy is still keeping her options open in regards to her future. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While she is passionate about art, the 14-year-old is happy just keeping her talents as a hobby as she focuses on school. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Director of Blackwater Gallery, Kimberley Lewis, said, "I think anyone can be a good portrait artist, but I think it takes a lot to show real personality and the soul of a person through their pieces and I think for someone so young, Makenzy does this brilliantly."</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Instagram @makenzy_beard</span></em></p>

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Bold idea sees hotel offer thousands in cash back if it rains

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Self-taught 14-year-old artist offered thousands for paintings

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