Search

Virgin Australia announces big news for pet owners

Virgin Australia has made a major announcement for pet owners who worried about leaving their furry friends at home when they travel. Outgoing Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka announced on Thursday that they will be the first Australian airline to let small animals travel in the cabin. The revolutionary move is subject to regulatory approval, but if it gets through, Virgin will launch the pet flights on specific domestic routes within the next 12 months. Only small animals will be allowed to travel under the new rules, with specific rows on pet flights reserved for those travelling with their small dogs and cats. They will also be required to be held in a pet carrier under the seat in front of the owner for the duration of the flight, and will not be able to roam around freely or sit on people’s laps for the entirety of the journey. “Overwhelmingly, our guests tell us they want to travel with their pets, and we are now on a journey to make that a reality. It’s something that commonly happens overseas and is proven to work well,” Hrdlicka said. “Almost 70 per cent of Australian households have a pet, so this announcement is really significant for a large proportion of the country." “It’s also a great thing for pet-friendly accommodation providers who will benefit greatly from increased connectivity and the ease for travellers to fly with their pets. It really will be a whole new economy for pet travel in Australia.” This change will not affect existing arrangements for approved service animals, and passengers travelling with larger pets could still pay for them to be transported as cargo. Image credits: Virgin Australia

Domestic Travel

Mistake in email causes Virgin Australia passenger to miss flight

A Virgin Australia passenger was left $800 out of pocket after he arrived at a closed check-in desk despite arriving well before the departure time, and he now believes that it's because of a mistake in the email he received from the airline. Max Cameron, 64, flies several times a week between Launceston airport in Tasmania and Melbourne for work, and received an email from the airline saying his flight was delayed back in January. "I got a text and an email from Virgin saying, very sorry to let you know your plane has been delayed by 45 minutes," he told Yahoo News Australia. The email also read "Check-in will now close 30 minutes prior to this time." "I thought, well done Virgin. You've come through… you've let me know when I have to be there. And as a result, I got out to the airport at 9:25pm for a 9:45pm closure of check-in," Cameron said. However when he arrived there was "literally not one person in the Virgin terminal," so he eventually had to leave, with no choice but to buy another flight ticket which cost him $800 including extra accommodation and transport costs. "I put my tail between the legs, went back and bought another ticket. I was very annoyed about that but I had no choice... check-in closed early," he said. After submitting an enquiry to the customer service team, they told him he had to arrive 30 minutes before the original departure time - a different instruction to what he received in the email, with the revised departure time. At the time, the enquiry was closed and the team said he would not receive any compensation. Cameron, who was unsatisfied with the response, then spoke to a supervisor at the airport, who told him: "Oh my God, it looks like they sent you the wrong email". According to Yahoo News Australia, Cameron reportedly did receive incorrect information which led him to miss his flight. Cameron has since been in touch with the airline and hopes to be reimbursed, but remains "unhappy" after what he had to go through. "It's not the money but the lack of accountability... there is no service mentality anymore," he said. "What Virgin has done to me is just so wrong". <em style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Figtree, Roboto, 'Noto Sans Hebrew', 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">Images: Yahoo News / Getty

Travel Trouble

Sir Richard Branson shocks 150 Virgin passengers with free $7000 cruises

Sir Richard Branson has shocked passengers onboard a domestic flight by gifting all travellers a free cruise. There were 150 passengers onboard a flight from Melbourne to Hobart when the Virgin Group founder dialled in via FaceTime to share the exciting news. Speaking over the PA system, Branson told travellers of the arrival of Virgin Voyages' in Australia, with those onboard making the same trip as the upcoming maiden voyage from Melbourne to Hobart on December 11th. “We’re counting down to Virgin Voyages’ arrival Down Under – setting sail the Virgin way with adults-only itineraries across Australia and New Zealand. Sorry kids, you’ll have to sit this one out,” Branson told passengers. “Well, today, you happen to be travelling on the same route as our Aussie Mermaiden Voyage." Branson then shared the exciting news that those onboard the flight would be receiving an incredible gift. “To celebrate this milestone, I’m pleased to gift each adult on board a free Virgin Voyages cruise,” he said. <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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzspCI4LyMA/?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/reel/CzspCI4LyMA/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Virgin Australia (@virginaustralia)</a> </div> </blockquote> Each person was gifted a $7,000 cruise voucher to claim on a Virgin Voyages trip anywhere around Australia. Branson continued speaking to those onboard the flight, saying, “The foundations of Virgin Australia were about keeping the air fair and we’re proud to be taking that same mantra to the sea with Virgin Voyages.” He said he wanted to give Aussies the opportunity to have an “affordable, stress-free holiday” where they could take a well-earned break, have fun and get a dose of vitamin sea. A Virgin Australia spokesperson told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/flights/richard-branson-gifts-virgin-passengers-on-a-domestic-flight-a-free-cruise/news-story/57421f325fcffd5634d554c75aedaf5f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a> the feeling on-board was “electric” with passengers left stunned. “We are committed to creating wonderful moments on-board so it was a real pleasure to see so many surprised faces when Sir Richard finally made the announcement all guests had won a free cruise,” the spokesperson said. “The operating crew were in on the secret and stayed tight-lipped until Sir Richard’s call came through.” Image credits: Courtesy of Virgin Australia

Cruising

Virgin Galactic’s use of the ‘Overview Effect’ to promote space tourism is a terrible irony

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ariane-moore-1060920">Ariane Moore</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a> Virgin Galactic, the space tourism company founded in 2004 by Richard Branson, <a href="https://www.virgingalactic.com/">promotes its flights</a> as offering: <blockquote> A Brand New Perspective: Deepen your connection to Earth and to humanity with the transformational experience known as the Overview Effect. </blockquote> First discussed in 1987 by space philosopher Frank White, the Overview Effect is a result of viewing Earth from space. Expressions of the effect range broadly. Astronauts might experience profound awe and wonder at the perception of Earth as a fragile living being. Some suffer crushing grief when considering the harm humans inflict on nature. While Virgin Galactic promotes access to the Overview Effect as a major drawcard, it is a terrible irony that space tourism is <a href="https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4527/1">enormously damaging</a> for the environment. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z6d7hyW5FDw?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>On May 25, Virgin Galactic completed a final test flight before it starts taking paying customers.</figcaption></figure> <h2>The Overview Effect</h2> The Overview Effect is not limited to astronauts from the West. Their Chinese and Russian counterparts have described the same profound connection to Earth when witnessing the planet from space. As Soviet Russian cosmonaut Yuri Artyushkin <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fcns0000086">reported</a>: <blockquote> The feeling of unity is not simply an observation. With it comes a strong sense of compassion and concern for the state of our planet and the effect humans are having on it. It isn’t important in which sea or lake you observe a slick of pollution, or in the forests of which country a fire breaks out, or on which continent a hurricane arises. You are standing guard over the whole of our Earth. </blockquote> Until recently, researching the Overview Effect has required interviews with professional astronauts. Today, commercial space tourism is increasing awareness of the phenomenon, particularly when experienced by celebrities with large platforms. In 2021, Star Trek actor William Shatner completed a suborbital flight with Jeff Bezos’ space tourism company <a href="https://www.blueorigin.com/">Blue Origin</a>. Shatner had anticipated emotions of celebration and joy when viewing “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/13/science/bezos-shatner-star-trek.html">mother and Earth and comfort</a>” from space. Instead, he <a href="https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/william-shatner-space-boldly-go-excerpt-1235395113/">later wrote</a>, he struggled with “the strongest feelings of grief I have ever encountered”. Shatner attributed his experience to the Overview Effect. <h2>Space flight has a huge environmental impact</h2> Virgin Galactic promotes the Overview Effect on its <a href="https://www.virgingalactic.com/">homepage</a> as an experience exclusive to space flight. However, access is extremely costly. While an eager space tourist consents to parting with US$450,000 to experience a profound connection with Earth, the planet itself has no say in receiving the massive pollution a single trip produces. Rocket emissions impact Earth’s atmosphere, temperatures and the ozone layer at an unprecedented level. A <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2021EF002612">2022 study</a> found space tourism produces black carbon particles that are almost 500 times more efficient at warming the atmosphere than all surface and airline sources of soot combined. After being released into the upper atmosphere, the black carbon particles circulate for <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/27/how-blue-origin-spacex-virgin-galactic-space-race-could-impact-the-atmosphere.html#:%7E:text=Experiencing%20a%20few%20minutes%20of,plane%20continuously%20for%20about%20three">four to five years</a> in a fine layer. This acts as a thin black umbrella <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/27/how-blue-origin-spacex-virgin-galactic-space-race-could-impact-the-atmosphere.html#:%7E:text=Experiencing%20a%20few%20minutes%20of,plane%20continuously%20for%20about%20three">absorbing solar radiation while blocking it from reaching Earth’s surface</a>. A 1.5-hour Virgin Galactic flight generates emissions <a href="https://www.nsr.com/space-com-the-rise-of-space-tourism-could-affect-earths-climate-in-unforeseen-ways-scientists-worry/">equivalent to a ten-hour trans-Atlantic commercial air flight</a>. However, the latter carries hundreds of passengers. With a passenger limit of six, a Virgin Galactic launch <a href="https://theconversation.com/tourisme-spatial-quand-les-plaisirs-de-quelques-uns-polluent-la-planete-de-tous-146552">emits 4.5 tonnes of carbon per person</a>. That’s more than twice the Paris Agreement’s recommended annual individual carbon budget. Space tourism rocket launches don’t currently compare to commercial airline flights in number. But the suborbital transportation and space tourism market is expected to be worth <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/outlook-on-the-sub-orbital-transportation-and-space-tourism-global-market-to-2031---featuring-blue-origin-spacex-and-virgin-galactic-among-others-301333701.html">US$2.58 billion by 2031</a>. It’s growing at an annual rate of 17.15%. Virgin Galactic is aiming to launch <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/06/virgin-galactic-each-spaceport-is-1-billion-annual-revenue-opportunity.html">400 space tourism flights every year</a>. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1SJ1ENmfgmE?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>In this video on its website, Virgin Galactic uses the Overview Effect to promote its space tourism business.</figcaption></figure> <h2>Caring for Earth doesn’t depend on space flight</h2> The desirability of the Overview Effect is not the overwhelming emotions experienced when witnessing Earth from space. As was evident in Shatner’s feelings of immense grief, these emotions are not always pleasant. Instead, researchers, astronauts and space philosophers are interested in the spontaneous and powerful awareness that occurs. Astronauts’ accounts of the moment vary, but a consistent theme emerges: a connection to planet Earth that inspires environmental care. Importantly, such clarity can be achieved without a suborbital space flight. <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/The_Overview_Effect/3a2rz-s3JJsC?hl=en">Frank White argues</a> that, while viewing Earth from space produces the “ultimate” Overview Effect, it might also be had while looking at landscapes from a great height – such as a mountain range. Commercial pilots flying at high altitudes have experienced similar phenomena. And for those considering a Virgin Galactic flight, there are no guarantees. Many astronauts with long careers <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fcns0000086">report</a> never experiencing the Overview Effect. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530799/original/file-20230608-27-brv39q.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/530799/original/file-20230608-27-brv39q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530799/original/file-20230608-27-brv39q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530799/original/file-20230608-27-brv39q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530799/original/file-20230608-27-brv39q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=755&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530799/original/file-20230608-27-brv39q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=755&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530799/original/file-20230608-27-brv39q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=755&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="View of whole Earth photographed by the orbiting Apollo 17 mission and dubbed 'Blue Marble'" /><figcaption>Being able to see the whole Earth from space was regarded as a transformative moment, but people can have environmental epiphanies without flying into space. <a class="source" href="https://www.nasa.gov/content/blue-marble-image-of-the-earth-from-apollo-17">NASA/Apollo 17</a></figcaption></figure> <h2>Environmental epiphanies happen on Earth</h2> Spontaneous clarity about the importance of nature can occur while standing on solid ground. “<a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/26506666#:%7E:text=The%20working%20definition%20of%20Environmental,shifts%20in%20a%20meaningful%20manner.">Environmental epiphanies</a>” are well documented and have no connection to specific religious or cultural beliefs. Involving profound emotions and sudden awareness similar to the Overview Effect, environmental epiphanies can be accessed for free in mundane locations – such as reading a book at home. And, like the Overview Effect, environmental epiphanies can lead to lasting change. As space tourism continues to “take off”, misaligned marketing tactics like Virgin Galactic’s promotion of the Overview Effect must be scrutinised. Being launched into space – and the massive pollution the process creates – isn’t necessary for us to want to sustain our Earth.<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/206868/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ariane-moore-1060920">Ariane Moore</a>, PhD Candidate in Philosophy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/virgin-galactics-use-of-the-overview-effect-to-promote-space-tourism-is-a-terrible-irony-206868">original article</a>. Images: Getty

Travel Trouble

“I am the woman who took Harry’s virginity”

Speaking out for the first time in an exclusive interview with <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/21277348/woman-took-prince-harry-virginity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a> on Sunday, the “older” woman detailed in Prince Harry’s memoir Spare has come forward to confirm that it was she who took the young royal’s virginity in a field behind a busy pub in Wiltshire in July 2001. Forty-year-old Sasha Walpole – who is two years older than Prince Harry – told the publication: “I am the woman who took Harry’s virginity. It was literally wham-bam between two friends.” The Sun went on to report that Mrs Walpole admitted that the encounter occurred after she and Harry had consumed 10 shots of tequila, Baileys and sambuca. “The sex was passionate and sparky because we shouldn’t have been doing it,” she said. “One thing just quickly led to another. We ended up on the floor.” The one-off encounter took place in a meadow behind the car park of the historic Vine Tree Inn in Norton, Wiltshire, in July 2001. Mrs Walpole and Prince Harry reportedly knew each other from when she was employed as a stable girl at Highgrove, the country retreat of the then Prince Charles. The evening in question was actually the occasion of Mrs Walpole’s 19th birthday, which was being celebrated at the pub – and the pair became intimate in the meadow after leaving the party. Afterwards Harry hid in a red phone box to avoid being seen, before one of Ms Walpole’s friends delivered a protection officer to the young prince in her blue Ford Fiesta. Mrs Walpole, now a married mum of two, said: “We went outside and both climbed a three-bar fence to the field. We were quite drunk at this point. I gave Harry a cigarette. I lit mine and then his. “We finished our cigarettes – Marlboro Lights – and it just happened. He started to kiss me. He was wearing boxers. There was no chatting, no words. It was exciting that it was happening. It was exciting that it was happening like the way it was. We were away for 15 minutes but the sex was about five minutes. “We didn’t set out to do it and it wasn’t premeditated. He was young. We had been purely friends and it was a little bit naughty, in the sense that it shouldn’t have been happening. “It wasn’t ‘Prince Harry’ to me. It was Harry, my friend – and something that got a little bit out of control. It just so happened that he was a prince. “Afterwards I did grab his bum and gave him a slap. It was with one hand. He had a lovely peachy bum – but he was young.” Mrs Walpole agreed to speak to The Sun after being left shocked by Harry’s disclosures in his book, and also went on to explain why she came forward. “No one warned me about the night being included in the book – and Harry, or his people, could have found me to tell me if they had wanted to do so,” she said. “I lead a peaceful life – I didn’t invite this.” “I don’t understand why he went into such detail. He could have said he lost his virginity and left it at that. But he described how it happened, in a field behind a pub. “That’s fine if you’re not the other person involved. But if you’re me, then you suddenly feel as if your world is getting a little bit smaller. He has done this to my privacy. “I was going to keep my head down and not talk about it. If it wasn’t in the book, none of this wouldn’t be happening. “I can sit quietly and hope it goes away, but then it is like a ticking timebomb, and you’re looking over your shoulder.” To listen to the entire interview with The Sun, <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/21277348/woman-took-prince-harry-virginity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">head here</a>. Image: The Sun

News

Happy Birthday! Princess Anne turns 72

<div> <div> <div> <div> <div> The Royal Family are sending their best wishes to Princess Anne in honour of her 72nd birthday. On Monday the 15th of August, the only daughter to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip was inundated with tributes via social media from all three of the Royal Family’s official accounts. The Royal’s man account shared a photo of Princess Anne from the Not Forgotten Association Garden Party held at Buckingham Palace in May. <blockquote> Wishing The Princess Royal a happy birthday today! <a href="https://t.co/dGgolFVGic">pic.twitter.com/dGgolFVGic</a> — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1559092626799853568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2022</a></blockquote> Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall shared that same post to their instagram story, while Prince William and Kate Middleton added their congratulations and well wishes over on Instagram and Twitter. <blockquote> Wishing a very happy birthday to The Princess Royal today!🎂 — The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1559098086395453441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2022</a></blockquote> Anne has two children, Zara Tindall and Peter Philips and previously held the honour of competing as an olympic level equestrian, with Zara has following in her foot steps. Known for her tough work ethic, she remains one of the hardest working Royals, attending hundreds of royal engagements each year. Princess Anna has clocked up an impressive 506 coming in second to her brother, Prince Charles while he sits at a whopping 521 events. She is involved with over 300 charities and organisations and was bestowed the honour of Royal Princess in 1987. Next in line for the title is Princess Charlotte when her father Prince William eventually becomes king. Image: Getty </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="post-action-bar-component-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff;"> <div class="post-actions-component" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible;"> <div class="upper-row" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 8px 16px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: center; height: 24px;"> </div> </div> </div>

Family & Pets

72-year-old hiker begins 22,000km trek following in footsteps of Marco Polo

A 72-year-old Italian hiker has begun a 22,000 kilometre trip from Venice to Beijing, following in the footsteps of her hero, Marco Polo. Vienna Cammarota started her journey from the explorer’s birthplace on Wednesday, April 27, and is planning to travel across 15 countries while following the medieval trade route. If all goes to plan, Ms Cammarota will be arriving in Beijing by December 2025, as reported by <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/italian-grandmother-sets-off-on-22000km-walk-in-footsteps-of-marco-polo/VACLCVOHGBPAC4QU5OG5R5HWAE/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a>. Following the route taken by Marco Polo 750 years ago, Ms Cammarota will be supported on her trip by her three daughters and grandchildren, who will send parcels of food and clothes as she needs them. But you can’t undertake such a trip without some cash, and Ms Cammarota told local media she has saved a total of 40,000 Euros ahead of the trek. “But I will look for hospitality to save as much as I can and where I can,” she added. This historically-inspired trip isn’t the first Ms Cammarota has taken, but it’s definitely her most ambitious. The experienced hiker previously walked the length of Nepal to Everest, followed Jesus’ Biblical route through Palestine, and trekked across the Italian Alps in the footsteps of German philosopher Goethe. “I love history, culture and archaeology, and I walk in order to see and recount, but above all to listen,” she explained. To make her journey less monotonous, she told the Euro-Cities blog she would spend the time reading her copy of Marco Polo’s diary and by performing mental arithmetic. Image: Vienna Cammarota (Facebook)

Domestic Travel

“You can see the Virgin Mary”: AJ’s mother speaks after miracle rescue

The mother of a three-year-old boy AJ Elfalak who miraculously survived three nights in rugged NSW bushland 150km north-west of Sydney, has spoken for the first time saying she believes the Virgin Mary kept her boy safe. AJ’s mother, Kelly Elfalak, has told the media the photos captured by the rescue helicopter, seen in the photo here, prove her theory that he was looked after by the Virgin Mary. “We’re a religious family. I always say that the Virgin Mary and all the saints and the angels are with my kids every day,” Kelly said in a video posted to social media. “The Virgin Mary is always with us and I knew she was always with AJ. “If you saw the picture of AJ in the creek, you can actually see the Virgin Mary next to him,” she added, referencing the rocks to his left. Kelly who had visited the Monastery to pray just hours before her son was found, said she also believed the power of prayer played a role. “I just had that feeling. I said to myself ‘I’m going to see him soon’,” she said. And soon after, he was found. AJ is the ‘miracle’ boy AJ went missing on Friday September 3rd from his house at his family’s 256ha rural property near Putty. A huge search party was set up to find him including an SES team and police from the area. He was found three days later sitting in a puddle, drinking water from a creek bed about half a kilometre from his home by a rescue helicopter which then directed ground search crews to his location. AJ had survived three nights in the bush, in temperatures which dipped as low as 3C with no food and only water from the creek. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f828426a4ff64bfc83d366e3484f3ad0" /><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/aa660738efad4941b52c86e81f0d1a04" /><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.5126050420168px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844137/aj-family-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/aa660738efad4941b52c86e81f0d1a04" /> ‘A little survivor’ Just hours after he was located, Special Operations Team Paramedic Gerry Pyke said the boy’s condition was “remarkable”, adding: “He is a little survivor”. “He had some lacerations on his lower legs ... he did have a bit of nappy rash but he hadn’t had a nappy change for a few days so we can’t hold that against him,” Pyke told reporters. “Once mum and dad were cuddling him, his spirits picked up and we had him in the back of the ambulance for about 1.5 hours, just checking him over. “He was sleeping the whole time which was not surprising and once he woke up all he wanted to do was eat,” he added. AJ was taken to Maitland Hospital as a precautionary measure and was released the next day. This week, his mother Kelly says he’s doing well after his harrowing ordeal, adding: “He’s healthy, he is happy, he only has a few cuts but nothing serious.” <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/6b753266a3524be8a53182479d65767c" /><img style="width: 500px; height: 500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844138/aj-search-facebook-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/6b753266a3524be8a53182479d65767c" /> Image: 7News and Facebook

Family & Pets

Scrumptious mocktail: Virgin Mojito

Prep time: 5 min Ingredients: <ul> <li>1 lime cut into wedges</li> <li>1 tbs maple syrup </li> <li>10 mint leaves</li> <li>2 cups mineral water with lemon and lime (or citrus mineral water of your choosing)</li> <li>Ice</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Place lime wedges into a tumblr or glass persevering one for decoration </li> <li>Add maple syrup into the glass</li> <li>With a muddling stick start to muddle the mixture to release the juice from the limes <div class="layoutArea"></div> </li> <li>Tear the mint leaves and them add them to the glass, pressing down again for a few seconds to release the flavours.</li> <li>Add ice cubs then pour mineral water over the top </li> <li>Add one level spoon of Life-space skin probiotics + skin rebalance and stir until dissolved</li> <li>Stir well to integrate the lime, maple syrup and mint together </li> <li>Decorate with lime wedge and a sprig of mint</li> </ol> Recipe supplied by Life-Space Probiotics + Skin range, visit: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.lifespaceprobiotics.com/collections/skin-health" target="_blank" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="4">www.lifespaceprobiotics.com</a>

Food & Wine

Virgin boss wants border reopened even though "some people may die"

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> Virgin Australia's chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka has compared COVID-19 to the flu and says that international borders should be reopened even if it means "some people may die". “COVID will be part of the community,” she told a business lunch in Brisbane on Monday. “We will become sick with COVID and it won’t put us in hospital, and it won’t put people into dire straits because we’ll have a vaccine. “Some people may die, but it will be way smaller than with the flu. “We’re forgetting the fact that we’ve learnt how to live with lots of viruses and challenges over the years and we’ve got to learn how to live with this.” More than 3.3 million people are estimated to have died since the COVID-19 pandemic began. A Virgin Australia Group spokesman later said that the airline would continue to work closely with state and federal governments to support the safety of the community. “We agree with state and federal leaders that eradication of COVID-19 cannot be the goal for our country,” he said. “The question is not if but when we will be sufficiently vaccinated to protect our people and our hospital system to open our international borders. “We must learn to live with COVID-19 in the community in a way that protects the health and safety of our people, but also opens Australia up to the rest of the world.” Brett Sutton, Victorian chief health officer, said that Australia needs to accept there would be cases of COVID-19 after borders reopened. “We need to somehow communicate to the public that we’ve gotten to a place of complacency because we’ve driven transmission to zero but we will face newly emerging transmission, and a critical juncture where we need to make a call on letting it run,” he said. </div> </div> </div>

International Travel

Why Virgin Australia was never going to last

Ever since Australia’s <a href="https://www.elgaronline.com/view/edcoll/9781786431851/9781786431851.00009.xml">two airline policy</a> of regulated competition was abandoned in 1990 ushering in an era of deregulation, Australian governments have prioritised <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-8462.00004?casa_token=4JwNClr1JIYAAAAA:YGxQ9XUi1LIB5EzV6Viwh48hEZEc3SyDclrlqPHs0xR5kBZk7dCz7Ht8uFDANUAWf9NBAaStDWympcm7">airline competition</a> over stability and reliability of services. Just how much airlines were operating on a wing and a prayer after the end of the policy was powerfully illustrated by the failure of <a href="https://www.ansett.com.au/">Ansett</a> in 2001. Ansett had been Australia’s second major airline. Its owner, Air New Zealand had been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/sep/17/patrickbarkham">sucking out cash</a> to cover its own losses. Ansett dramatically collapsed in the face of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks">September 11 attacks</a> and price-based competition from new entrant <a href="http://ozaviation.com.au/CurrentAirlines/VirginBlue/VirginBlue.html">Virgin Blue</a>. Virgin Blue was founded in 2000 by the flamboyant British entrepreneur Richard Branson, floated on the Australian Securities Exchange in <a href="https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/about-us/media/2003/VB_LAUNCHES_IPO/">2003</a> and rebranded Virgin Australia in 2011 after the original owners lost control. It was put into voluntary administration on <a href="https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20200421/pdf/44h3kq7kcb12fl.pdf">Tuesday</a> after a decade of near-continuous losses, owing 10,000 creditors <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/transport/virgin-owes-10-000-creditors-6-8bn-deloitte-20200424-p54mtv">A$6.8 billion</a>. Chief Executive Paul Scurrah <a href="https://www.skynews.com.au/details/_6150947041001">praised</a> the board’s decision to quickly enter administration. <blockquote> Our board made a very courageous decision last night to put the company into voluntary administration and do so quickly, with the intent of working with our administrator, Deloitte, to come through and be as strong as we possibly can on the other side of this crisis. </blockquote> But his “courageous” board had long been chancing fate. The company had always been dominated by a small number of overseas shareholders (often airlines) with little interest in building a well-capitalised profitable airline with cash buffers. The initial share offer raised <a href="https://www.virginaustralia.com/cs/groups/internetcontent/@wc/documents/webcontent/%7Eedisp/annual-rpt-2004.pdf">$371.7 million</a>, of which the board promptly handed back to the airline’s previous owners $90.4 million. Many of the board’s decisions seem to have been designed to benefit its dominant shareholders while minimising <a href="https://www.businessnewsaus.com.au/articles/virgin-australia-profits-crash-land-amid--disappointing--results.html">onshore profits</a> and <a href="https://www.michaelwest.com.au/when-it-comes-to-tax-its-virgin-by-name-and-virgin-by-nature/">corporate tax</a>. Strategies to achieve this include the extensive use of outsourcing and leasing, which is tax effective and allows companies to operate without much capital outlay. But its success depends on positive, stable and predictable cash flows. Virgin Australia’s major shareholders, Singapore Airlines and Etihad Airlines, and the two Chinese conglomerates Nanshan Group and HNA Group have historically had enormous access to capital. Branson spreads goodwill, but not cash Branson himself (now just a 10% shareholder through Virgin Group) is <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddawkins/2020/04/20/billionaire-branson-asks-for-government-money-to-save-virgin-atlantic-claims-he-did-not-leave-britain-for-tax-reasons/#51ad3e4be218">not short</a> of money. He is highly attuned to the politics of jobs and growth. The loss of air services and competition within aviation markets creates intense political pressure for governments to act. So rather than contributing more capital, Virgin Australia’s major shareholders have used the COVID-19 crisis to look for bail outs. State governments in the past offered, and now are again offering <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/apr/20/queensland-nsw-fight-headquarters-virgin-australia-if-it-survives">hundreds of millions of dollars</a> in incentives for Virgin to base its operations in their state. Predictably Branson has joined the campaign chorus, acting more like a cheerleader than a shareholder. He has made <a href="https://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/open-letter-virgin-employees">public appeals</a> to his Virgin Australia “<a href="https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/about-us/company-overview/the-virgin-family/">family</a>” praising all the <a href="https://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/non-profit-virgin-money-giving-raises-more-money-charity">good</a> that Virgin does <a href="https://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/my-response-global-crisis">across the world</a>. Virgin’s shareholders could have supported it He has offered to borrow against his <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/transport/richard-branson-offers-up-his-island-in-virgin-bailout-20200421-p54lmm">private island</a> located in the notorious tax haven the British Virgin Islands, although he hasn’t said how much of the money raised would go to Virgin Australia. The inescapable reality is that if Branson and the board really cared for Virgin Australia’s employees, they would have long ago put pressure on the major shareholders to properly capitalise the business. This week the international agencies <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/virgin-credit-rating-descending-into-junk/news-story/80a055212c87b8294a7f5891f216417c">Moody’s</a> and <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/fitch-downgrades-virgin-australia-credit-rating-to-d/news-story/8fa24a4df9a6ec059805aa75ba23aee2">Fitch</a>, downgraded Virgin Australia’s credit ratings to “junk” and “D” - ratings that are usually regarded as warnings not to invest. The administrators have said they have already received expressions of interest from <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/breaking-news/virgin-confirms-voluntary-administration/news-story/c5dc0361f1e75ce63994fd7dd429e43b">10</a> potential buyers. Its future isn’t guaranteed Paul Scurrah says without the debt Virgin Australia will come back “<a href="https://www.msn.com/en-au/finance/company-news/virgin-vows-to-bounce-back-leaner-stronger-and-fitter/ar-BB12WKiG">leaner, stronger and fitter</a>.” But Australia has long found it difficult to sustain <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-22/virgin-shows-again-that-australia-cannot-sustain-two-airlines/12169620">two major airlines</a>. Former Ansett and British Airways chief CEO Rod Eddington says it is possible, but that both airlines would need to be “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/pm-says-we-are-on-the-road-back-from-the-health-crisis/12175778">well run</a>”. Being “well run” implies being well capitalised and avoiding unsustainable price and capacity wars. Regular airline failures not only push costs onto employees and creditors, they undermine important Australian industries such as tourism and leave regional communities isolated. The government and regulators should ensure that any successor that takes to the skies is fit for purpose and won’t crash in 10 or 20 years time as a result of the poor governance and risky financial engineering.<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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/136847/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/warren-staples-426467">Warren Staples</a>, Senior Lecturer in Management, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-linden-330227">Andrew Linden</a>, Sessional Lecturer, PhD (Management) Candidate, School of Management, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mariano-l-m-heyden-117595">Mariano L.M. Heyden</a>, Associate Professor of Strategy & International Business, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/virgin-australia-was-never-going-to-last-136847">original article</a>.

International Travel

Virgin Australia gets a lifeline but will it be enough?

With commercial airline fleets grounded due to lack of demand, the Australian government will pay the nation’s two biggest airlines, Qantas and Virgin Australia, $A165 million to ensure they keep flying critical metropolitan and regional routes over the next two months. This measure comes on top of a <a href="https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/mccormack/media-release/additional-new-support-critical-regional-aviation-services-through-covid-19">A$198 million assistance package</a> for regional airlines and the waiver of A$715 million in fees and charges for domestic airlines. It’s particularly important for the cash-strapped Virgin Australia. The company this week asked the Australian Stock Exchange to <a href="https://www.businessnewsaus.com.au/articles/virgin-suspended-from-asx.html">suspend trading of its shares</a> after the federal government rebuffed its request for a $A1.4 billion loan. Without a significant cash injection, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-17/coronavirus-airline-support-package-qantas-rex/12064316">industry experts</a> say, the airline will collapse within six months. Prior to the government’s latest announcement there were reports it <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/apr/14/virgin-australia-considers-going-into-administration-as-labor-calls-for-government-rescue">could go into administration</a> within weeks. Virgin Australia is 90% owned by five international companies – Etihad Airways, Singapore Airlines, China’s Nanshan Group and HNA, and Richard Branson’s Virgin Group. Facing their own difficulties, they have signalled they will not inject further capital. This funding package gives the airline more time to find <a href="https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/private-equity-investors-circle-over-virgin-20200415-p54jwd">other investors</a>. But its longer-term future remains up in the air. Desperately seeking $1.4 billion While the US government has agreed to provide <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/business/coronavirus-airlines-bailout-treasury-department.html">US$50 billion</a> in loans and grants to its ten biggest domestic airlines, with the option to take equity stakes, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said this week the Australian government was “not in the business of owning an airline”. Having two major airlines had served Australia well, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-16/virgin-australia-disspears-from-skies-which-airline-coronavirus/12151072">he said</a>, but “our approach has been sector-wide support”. Complicating that type of support has been disagreement between Virgin Australia and Qantas. Qantas chief Alan Joyce has argued for “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-24/qantas-boss-comments-unhelpful-says-accc-boss/12085672">survival of the fittest</a>” and against assistance to “badly managed” businesses. His airline did not need government support, Joyce said this week. But if the government loaned Virgin Australia A$1.4 billion, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-16/virgin-australia-disspears-from-skies-which-airline-coronavirus/12151072">he wanted A$4.2 billion</a>. To bail or not to bail The federal government’s dilemma is whether it is better to bail out Virgin Australia or allow commercial forces to rule, as it has done in the past. Its interest in sector-wide support reflects the fact the entire domestic aviation industry is hurting. Freight and logistics, aircraft maintenance and repair, flight training and simulation, component manufacturing and research and design operations are all bundled together into a tightly bound sector. All up, the industry’s five subsectors – domestic commercial aviation, international commercial aviation, general aviation, freight transport and aviation support infrastructure – have provided employment for about <a href="http://www.australianindustrystandards.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Aviation-Key-Findings-Paper2018V4Web.pdf">90,000 Australians across 1,900 businesses</a>. So it’s not just the 10,000 people employed by Virgin Australia the government needs to think about. Systems shocks are nothing new History is also a factor. The global aviation industry is no stranger to “system shocks”. These have included the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, the SARS outbreak in 2003, the World Trade Centre attacks in 2001, the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 and the oil shocks of the 1970s. Typically the sector has “bounced back” within a year. The last big shakeup of the Australian airline industry was in 2001. Just days after the September 11 terrorist attacks, Ansett Airlines – flying since 1935 – went into administration. After Ansett’s collapse, Virgin Blue (established in 2000) saw explosive growth and former Ansett employees helped create regional operator Rex in 2002. So from the rubble of failure new enterprises and forms of aviation business can grow, just as Virgin Australia has taken Ansett’s place as the nation’s second major domestic carrier. Of course, the extent of the crisis is somewhat different this time. With domestic travel restrictions likely in place for at least six months, and international flight restrictions set to continue even longer, the sector will be changed forever. But history shows Australia can support two major airlines. We have extensive domestic aviation routes that will enable an early recovery compared with airlines in other parts of the world that rely on international routes. Written by Stephen Fankhauser and Mat Ebbatson. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/virgin-australia-gets-a-lifeline-but-will-it-be-enough-136399">The Conversation.</a>

Retirement Life

Virgin Australia axes Hong Kong flights

Virgin Australia is cutting all its flights between Australia and Hong Kong, citing challenging market conditions and uncertainties from the coronavirus outbreak. Starting March 2, 2020, the airline will cease all Sydney-Hong Kong services. It had previously announced the suspension of Melbourne-Hong Kong route, with the last flight taking place on February 11. “The Hong Kong market has remained challenging for the airline and demand has continued to decline following ongoing civil unrest,” a statement from Virgin said. “These factors, combined with growing uncertainty around the recent coronavirus outbreak, have led to the decision to cease operating services.” The airline’s chief commercial officer John MacLeod said the decision to withdraw from the Hong Kong market was a “difficult” one. “Current circumstances demonstrate that Hong Kong is no longer a commercially viable route for Virgin Australia to continue operating, however international tourism remains an important part of our strategy through our other international routes and partner airlines,” MacLeod said. Virgin said it is contacting customers who had already booked flights to assist them with alternative arrangements, including rebooking on other carriers or refunding tickets, <a href="https://www.finder.com.au/findings-virgin-hong-kong-route-ceases">Finder.com.au</a> reported.

International Travel

Virgin Australia flight diverts after part of wing comes loose mid-flight

A passenger on board a Virgin Australia flight has described the shocking moment the lower flat on the plane’s left hand wing came loose and started blowing in the wind. The flight took off from Brisbane Airport for Melbourne just before 6pm and was diverted mid-air back to Brisbane due to an “engineering issue”. Bill Mauger was travelling with his wife and noticed the issue soon after take-off. "As we were starting to get some altitude I looked over to the wing and it looked like there was something caught in it. It looked as though there was a bit of cardboard," he said. "I thought that is a bit weird. But then I took a bit of a closer look and it was actually part of the wing peeling away. "It was quite a large chunk of wing flapping in the breeze." When Bill tried to alert the flight attendant, he was shut down quickly. "I was waving to get her attention and she said, 'Yes, we've seen it, the captain is dealing with it.' She shut the conversation right down," Bill said. Virgin Australia spoke to <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/virgin-australia-flight-diverts-back-to-brisbane-after-wing-piece-comes-loose/aa934c7c-a3b4-4643-8b48-ff26108eb56b">9 News</a>, explaining that the plane wing’s issue was an “engineering issue” and not a “safety issue”. "This was not a safety issue, however the Captain made the decision to conduct an air return so the aircraft could be inspected by our engineers as a precautionary measure," the Virgin Australia spokesperson said. Photo credit: <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/virgin-australia-flight-diverts-back-to-brisbane-after-wing-piece-comes-loose/aa934c7c-a3b4-4643-8b48-ff26108eb56b">9news.com.au</a>

Travel Trouble

Calls for radio host Kyle Sandilands to be sacked after saying Virgin Mary was a “liar”

People of faith are protesting outside KIIS FM’s headquarters in Ryde, Sydney after Kyle Sandilands joked that the Virgin Mary was a “liar” who got “knocked up behind a camel shed”. “I thought Mary was his (Jesus’) girlfriend but apparently it was the mother,” he said. “And the mother lied obviously and told everyone, ‘Nah I got pregnant by a magical ghost’. Bulls**t.” He then called anyone who believed in the Bible story “dumb”. “You might believe everything that was written down 2000 years ago to be absolutely accurate. Good on you, you’re dumb. Dumb as dog s**t,” he said. Sandilands has apologised for the video and did so last week. He told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/kyle-sandilands-slammed-over-disgusting-video-on-virgin-mary/news-story/143daedd71a1651a7d4a3912a496de0a" target="_blank">The Daily Telegraph</a> that everyone is “entitled to their own religious beliefs” and that he’s “sorry if I offended anyone with my comments”. However, this isn’t enough for protesters. Protest leader Georgie Clark told <a rel="noopener" href="https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/protestors-want-kyle-sandilands-sacked-for-virgin-mary-blunder-002654337.html" target="_blank">Yahoo News Australia</a> about their thoughts on the incident. “We live in a country that has double standards because in the commercial code of conduct clause 214 states that a radio station cannot offend, discriminate against religion, sex, gender,” protest leader Georgie Clark said. “Rugby Australia have the same code of conduct and he [Israel Folau] got sacked for quoting something he didn’t even write. “Kyle from 106.5 KIIS FM went and discriminated against not only one religion but two. He discriminated and said things from his own heart. He called us dumb, he called us stupid, he called Muslims and Christians who believe in the Virgin Mary liars,” Clark said. “What is the difference between offending a homosexual or a thief or a liar or an adulterer or a fornicator like Israel Folau did? But when it comes to religion they just want to sweep us under the carpet.” Folau was sacked in April this year for sharing an image on his Instagram account which said ‘hell awaits drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists, idolaters’.

News

“Creepiest person in politics:” Tony Abbott’s disturbing joke at UK Brexit speech

Former Prime Minister Tony Aboott has made a strange joke where he said he would be “happy to meet” 72 virgins in an overall bizarre speech on Brexit in the UK. The politician during his speech, urged the British government to deliver Brexit. The MP’s remark came when he was asked a question from the audience about a novel the current British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote in 2004 called Seventy Two Virgins. “I too am a keen student of Mr Johnson, I’m not sure if you’ve read Seventy Two Virgins as well as his book on Churchill?” the man asked. “No, but I’d be happy to meet them though,” Mr Abbott replied laughing. “If you knew where you do meet 72 virgins, I don’t think you’d be so keen on that,” the questioner responded. “You obviously have more intelligence over these things than I do,” Mr Abbott then said. The novel by the British Prime Minister is about an MP’s bid to halt a suicide bomber from attmepting to assisinate the US President in London. The title is related to the highly-contentious idea that Muslim suicide bombers believe they will recieve 72 virgins for themselves if they sacrifice their own lives as martyrs for their faith. Critics took to social media to question the bizarre remarks made by the former MP, with one man labelling Mr Abbott as "the creepiest person in politics." "So Tony wanted to make a serious speech about Brexit. Unfortunately, this isn’t it," another comment read. One person wrote: "Deeply deeply weird, wasn't it!" However a number of people came to Mr Abbott's defence, with one writing: "Sensitive twitter is back again. Why are we so offended at a harmless joke?" Another added "Another great night for the perpetually offended." This wasn’t the only bizarre moment during the speech however, when Mr Abbott also used a bible reference to suggest Remainers would fail in a bid to sabotage Brexit. “As the scripture says: ‘He who puts his hand to the plough and then turns back is not worthy of the Kingdom’,” he said about those challenging Brexit. He also said they “will fail though, because in the end there won't be enough of them to usurp a democratic vote, to sacrifice their country for short-term political gain and to put Europe before Britain”.

News

Don’t try and take this item on checked luggage anymore: The everyday device now banned from Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin

Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia have banned passengers from bringing Apple MacBooks in their checked-in luggage due to safety concerns. Following the worldwide recall of some MacBooks over battery issues, Virgin announced that all MacBook laptops will have to be carried into the cabin with a passenger. The ban applies to all models. “Due to the worldwide recall of some Apple MacBooks, we are requesting all guests take their Apple MacBooks as carry-on luggage as a safety precaution,” a Virgin spokesman said in a statement. “The safety of our guests and crew is always our highest priority.” Qantas and Jetstar also confirmed in a <a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/flights/virgin-australia-announces-ban-on-macbooks-from-checkedin-luggage/news-story/c66101dc1a2e1fb82781fe73bc81f33f">joint statement</a> that they would ban MacBook Pros from checked-in baggage. “Until further notice, all Apple MacBook Pros must be carried in cabin baggage and switched off for flight following a recall notice issued by Apple,” the statement read. It is not known how long the laptop bans will remain in place. In June, Apple recalled some of its 15-inch MacBook Pro laptops over fears that their lithium-ion batteries “may overheat and pose a safety risk”. Owners of MacBook Pro sold between September 2015 and February 2017 were asked to stop using the devices and seek battery replacements as soon as possible. “Customer safety is always Apple’s top priority, and we have voluntarily decided to replace affected batteries, free of charge,” the company said in a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jun/21/apple-recalls-15-inch-macbook-pro-laptops-battery-fire-risk">statement</a>. According to <a href="https://www.productsafety.gov.au/recall/apple-inc-macbook-pro-retina-15-inch-mid-2015-model">Product Safety Australia</a>, laptop owners “can use the serial number lookup tool on Apple’s website, to determine if their 15-inch MacBook Pro is affected by the recall”.

Travel Tips

Sister’s 30-year prank war gets a helping hand from Virgin Australia

Many siblings find odd ways to pass the time and for grown-up Kiwi sisters Angela and Mari, they’ve passed the time for 30 years with a prank war. However, as the prank war has been going on for a long time, it’s easy for ideas to quickly run out. Angela realised that her sister was going on a flight to Tonga and decided to enlist the help of Virgin Australia for the ultimate sisterly prank. She reached out to the airline via Facebook and they were more than happy to get involved. "We find the stupidest things funny, which is why this game started," Angela told the airline. The prank involves their dad’s 40th birthday present, which is an odd-looking miniature “The Bearded Man” toy. The pranks initially started off small and quickly escalated. "We would hide it, and the other one would find it ... [we] couriered them, posted them, [hid it] under the pillow, planted him in the [car] sun visor." After messaging Virgin Australia, Angela left it up to the crew to decide what happened. The video has a very sweet ending, with both sisters ending up surprised. Watch the video below! <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fvirginaustralia%2Fvideos%2F2589086831178008%2F&show_text=0&width=380" width="380" height="476" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe>

International Travel

Princess Christina of Netherlands passes away at 72

The Dutch Royal house has confirmed the death of Princess Christina of the Netherlands. The sister of the former Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands lost her battle with bone cancer on Friday morning at the Noordeinde Palace, Netherlands. A heartfelt tweet by King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and Beatrix described the royal as a “striking personality with a warm heart". Princess Christina was a public-shy royal and preferred to spend her time out of the limelight – her wish was granted when she divorced from her former husband Jorge Guillermo in 1996 and was removed from the line of succession. The royal’s decision to relinquish her right to the throne created room for herself to lead her own life. "A life dominated by family, her great love of music and development of young singing talent,” said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, according to the <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/" target="_blank">Mirror</a>. Princess Christina spent her life living all across the world, including Italy, USA, Canada and more recently London. Christina leaves behind her three children with Guillermo – Bernardo, Nicolas and Juliana. Scroll through the gallery above to see Princess Christina through the ages.

Caring

"I was a virgin until I was 23": Elton John gets candidly honest about sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll

Legendary music star Elton John has gotten very candid and honest about his journey in the new film Rocketman, which is a biopic about his life and path to stardom. The new film stars Taron Egerton as Elton and Bodyguard and Game of Thrones star Richard Madden as his manager and lover, John Reid. In a new interview, Elton has revealed that he was a virgin until he was 23 – and this is played out in the film. “If I am telling my story, it has to be honest,” the now 72-year-old singer told the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/elton-john-reveals-didnt-joyous-16180367" target="_blank">Mirror</a>. “I was a virgin until then. I was desperate to be loved and desperate to have a tactile relationship. “When they tear their clothes off in the movie, that was how it happened. It was in San Francisco.” <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-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx7FGRcD_4j/" 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> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx7FGRcD_4j/" target="_blank">Many people have been asking me how I felt after watching the musical fantasy film #Rocketman. Check out the article in today’s Observer Magazine to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth. Here’s the link: https://www.theguardian.com/global/2019/may/26/elton-john-in-my-own-words-exclusive-my-life-and-making-rocketman?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other @rocketmanmovie @obsmagazine</a> <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 post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/eltonjohn/" target="_blank"> Elton John</a> (@eltonjohn) on May 26, 2019 at 3:54am PDT </div> </blockquote> Elton has also said that he wanted the film to celebrate gay lovemaking. “I’m so glad it’s in there because I am a gay man and I didn’t want to airbrush it under the carpet,” he said. “This is who I am and I was so joyous. When he is lying in my arms and I’m sitting back with a smile, I’m thinking, ‘Ah, I’m normal, I’ve had sex.’ “When I grew up, my father told me if I masturbated, I’d go blind. At 13 years of age, I started to have glasses and I went, ‘Oh my God! This is coming true!’” he laughed. Elton added: “I’m proud Rocketman is the first major studio film with a gay love sex scene in it. If I’d left it out, I’d have felt I was cheating people. “If they don’t like it, I understand, but it’s part of who I am. That night was a very, very important part.” <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-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BxxgK0Nj3cK/" 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> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BxxgK0Nj3cK/" target="_blank">Happy Birthday, Bernie! 🎂 Your friendship changed my life and this month, the world can see it told in the #Rocketman 🚀 movie. Have an amazing day, I love you @bernietaupinofficial. 🚀 @rocketmanmovie</a> <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 post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/eltonjohn/" target="_blank"> Elton John</a> (@eltonjohn) on May 22, 2019 at 10:38am PDT </div> </blockquote> Elton believes that he was saved by his partner of 25 years, David Furnish, 56, as well as their two children, Zachary, 8, and Elijah, 6. “There are still parts of being a performer which will lead to the dark side. But it doesn’t last long because I have David and I’ve my children. When my children are around, I never feel dark. I would never have thought I would be in a relationship for 25 years. I couldn’t last with any relationship because drugs came into it.” The film is set in the late 1960s and early 1970s and begins with Elton in rehab. The storyline is told in flashbacks and the singer-songwriter has been sober for almost 29 years. Elton explained: “Even though I was in a terrible state and I was doing a lot of drugs, I still kept working, I still kept making records and still kept touring and the music kept me alive. If I had stopped, I wouldn’t be here. It’s difficult to watch because I thought, ‘God, I don’t want to go back there.’” Rocketman is in cinemas from this Thursday.

Music

Our Partners

Over 60

News

Shop

Catalogues

Newspaper

Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

Compare

Games

Information

Keep up to date

Search

Virgin Australia announces big news for pet owners

Mistake in email causes Virgin Australia passenger to miss flight

Sir Richard Branson shocks 150 Virgin passengers with free $7000 cruises

Virgin Galactic’s use of the ‘Overview Effect’ to promote space tourism is a terrible irony