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Sam Kerr's alleged racial comments revealed by UK paper

<p>The legal controversy surrounding <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Matildas star Sam Kerr </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">following allegations of racially charged remarks directed towards a police officer in London continues to unfold, after a UK newspaper published those alleged remarks. </span></p> <p>According to <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/26401266/sam-kerr-football-charge-crime-police-fifa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a>, Kerr allegedly called a police officer a "stupid white bastard" during a dispute over a taxi fare. The details emerged as Kerr faced charges for using insulting, threatening or abusive words towards the officer, causing alarm or distress. The seriousness of the allegations is underscored by the potential consequences, with Kerr facing a maximum sentence of two years' imprisonment if convicted.</p> <p>The incident is said to have taken place in January 2023 shortly after Kerr's remarkable performance in a Chelsea FA Cup victory, and Kerr has maintained her innocence, pleading not guilty to the charges brought against her.</p> <p>The delayed prosecution in Kerr's case has sparked speculation, with reports suggesting that determining the appropriate charge was a complex process for the Crown Prosecution Service. However, as the trial approaches, the focus shifts towards the legal proceedings and the evidence that will be presented in court.</p> <p>Throughout her career, Kerr has been a prominent figure in the fight against racism in sport. Her past actions, including posing with an Aboriginal flag alongside her Matildas teammates, reflect a commitment to promoting inclusivity and unity. Kerr's accolades both on and off the field have solidified her iconic status, making the allegations against her all the more surprising.</p> <p>In response to the controversy, Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson and Football Australia CEO James Johnson expressed their lack of prior knowledge regarding the incident. </p> <p>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declined to comment directly on the matter, but said that Kerr's actions during her tenure as the national flag bearer exemplified pride and dignity. </p> <p>“I don’t comment on legal matters before Australian courts, let alone other ones,” Albanese said. “I will say this about my contact with Sam Kerr, she was our flag bearer at the coronation. My contact with her was exemplary. She did Australia proud at that time and I think that my contact with her has been nothing but delightful.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

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Why can’t WE do this?! UK company unveils "Grans Go Free" flights

<p>EasyJet Holidays has unveiled their "first of its kind" offer allowing older relatives to travel for free on family bookings to popular European destinations, including Spain, Greece and Italy. </p> <p>The offer was announced during the final week of the easyJet Holidays Big Orange Sale last week, where customers could get up to £400 off. </p> <p>The move was made after a survey they conducted found that half of families have never holidayed abroad with grandparents.</p> <p>From the survey of 2,000 British adults, half of them said they regret not spending more time with grandparents and hoped to travel with them in their upcoming holidays. </p> <p>"We're proud to offer thousands of free kids' places, but we feel it's time to recognise the grandparents," easyJet Holidays Chief Operating Officer, Matt Callaghan said. </p> <p>"This research shows how important grandparent and grandchild relationships are and how much can be learned from making time for them."</p> <p>The tour operator hopes to encourage people in the UK to take a "3G" holiday - the term used for getaways with three or more generations. </p> <p>They found that seventy-seven per cent of the people surveyed agreed that the bond between grandparents and grandchildren is one of the most special relationships within a family. </p> <p>73 percent of these people also said that they would use the holiday opportunity to learn more about their grandparents' lives, and almost half of them want to benefit from their grandparents' wisdom. </p> <p>The most popular destinations for multi-generational holidays abroad are Spain (18 per cent), Italy and France, which both sit at 13 per cent. </p> <p>Limited spaces for the offer were made available and to qualify, the grandparent had to travel as part of a family booking with at least one child, and provide proof of age and relation had to be provided upon arrival at the hotel. </p> <p>The offer ended on the 5th of February, but it does make us wonder, when will Australia follow in their footsteps?</p> <p><em>Image: EasyJet/ Getty</em></p>

International Travel

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Escape to the Country host dies aged 50

<p>British TV presenter Jonnie Irwin has passed away aged 50 following a battle with terminal cancer. </p> <p>Irwin was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2020, when the disease spread from his lungs to his brain. </p> <p>He was initially given just six months to live, but managed to defy the odds and made his illness public after two years of keeping it a secret. </p> <p>The TV presenter rose to fame in the UK for his roles on shows including <em>A Place in the Sun </em>and <em>Escape to the Country</em>. </p> <p>A statement was shared to Instagram on Friday announcing his death, where he was described as "a truly remarkable soul." </p> <p>"It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Jonnie’s passing," the statement began. </p> <p>"A truly remarkable soul, he fought bravely against cancer with unwavering strength and courage. Jonnie touched the lives of so many with his kindness, warmth, and infectious spirit."</p> <p>“At this time, we kindly ask for the privacy of Jonnie’s family as they navigate through this profound loss," the statement continued. </p> <p>“Their grief is immeasurable, and your thoughts, prayers, and support are deeply appreciated. As we remember the beautiful moments shared with Jonnie, let us celebrate a life well-lived and a legacy that will forever be etched in our hearts.”</p> <p>“Jonnie may be gone from our sight, but his love, laughter, and memories will live on. Rest in peace, dear Jonnie. You will be dearly missed, but never forgotten.”</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/C22vrMPCwmB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/C22vrMPCwmB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jonnie Irwin (@jonnieirwintv)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Following his death, BBC have paid tribute to the fallen host and described him as an “extraordinary man and wonderful presenter”.</p> <p>“He brought such warmth and fun to Escape To The Country where he was a firm favourite with not just viewers, but the production team too," head of BBC daytime Rob Unsworth said.</p> <p>“More recently, he did some truly inspirational reports for <em>Morning Live</em> about his illness, tackling taboos around end-of-life care and wonderfully demonstrating the limitless positivity that he brought to everything he did.”</p> <p>Irwin’s longtime co-star Jasmine Harman, also shared a tribute on Instagram.</p> <p>“I have never admired you more than over the last few years as you’ve faced life with cancer with positivity, determination and bloody mindedness,” she wrote. “The world is a little darker today without you, but I will always smile when I think of you.” </p> <p>Irwin is survived by his wife Jessica and their three children, Rex, five and three-year-old twins Rafa and Cormac.</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

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UK PM causes outrage over transgender comments

<p dir="ltr">Rishi Sunak has sparked outrage after making very controversial comments about transgender people at his first party conference as leader.</p> <p dir="ltr">The UK Prime Minister, who is campaigning to get people to support his Conservative party ahead of next year’s general election, declared that “we shouldn’t get bullied into believing that people can be any sex they want to be”.</p> <p dir="ltr">At the party’s annual conference, Mr Sunak spoke for more than an hour as he promised that the Tories would break the mould of the last 30 years of government.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite being in power for 13 years, the Conservative party is on the road to defeat the next election, after increasing dissatisfaction among voters. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We will be bold, we will be radical. We will face resistance and we will meet it,” he told delegates at the conference.</p> <p dir="ltr">Many have seen his comments about transgender people as the most bold and radical parts of his speech.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It shouldn’t be controversial for parents to know what their children are being taught in school about relationships,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Patients should know when hospitals are talking about men or women. We shouldn’t get bullied.”</p> <p dir="ltr">His delegates applauded his controversial statements, to which Sunak continued, “We shouldn’t get bullied into believing that people can be any sex they want to be. They can’t.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“A man is a man and a woman is a woman, that’s just common sense.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Sunak’s comments quickly went viral online, with many people expressing their concern over such a prominent figure making such divisive comments. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Outrageous hate, which is going to encourage bullying and physical attacks by thugs, utterly vile,” transgender British newsreader India Willoughby wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If a single trans person gets attacked or murdered after today then Rishi Sunak should be arrested and charged,” added another.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Never had so many DMs from worried UK trans people and their families,” wrote a third.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The important thing following Rishi Sunak’s hate speech: IT IS NOT LAW. Nothing has changed. Trans are still legally recognised and protected. Yes it’s scary – but they do not have time to change rules/law.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

News

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Sapling planted at Sycamore Gap to "restore hope" removed by National Trust

<p>UK resident Kieran Chapman, 27, is "absolutely gutted" after the sapling he planted in memory of the<a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/you-can-t-forgive-that-teen-arrested-after-felling-of-iconic-200-year-old-tree" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> felled Sycamore Gap tree</a> was heartbreakingly removed by National Trust. </p> <p>The 27-year-old spent hours on Friday planting the sapling just metres away from the stump of the iconic Sycamore Gap tree, but his efforts were in vain, as the sapling had been dug up by the National Trust on Sunday morning. </p> <p>The conservation charity said that they had to remove the sapling because it is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site.</p> <p>A National Trust spokesperson told the <em>Newcastle Chronicle </em>that while they understand  “the strength of feeling following the events at Sycamore Gap” the site “is a scheduled ancient monument and a globally important archaeological setting, with UNESCO world heritage designation”.</p> <p>“Altering or adding to it can damage the archaeology, and is unlawful without prior consent from government.”</p> <p>But Chapman couldn't hide his disappointment: “It’s just devastating, isn’t it? It genuinely brought people a lot of joy and that’s been taken away," he told the publication. </p> <p>“I honestly thought if it got a good response they might end up keeping it.”</p> <p>Chapman planted the sapling because he wanted to “restore people’s faith in humanity, bring a smile back to people’s faces and just give them a bit of hope”.</p> <p>“I planned to go and take the dog for a walk next weekend there," he added. </p> <p>In a follow up post on Facebook, Chapman added that he was told by the National Trust that his tree will be replanted on another piece of land at the Housesteads Visitor Centre on Hadrian’s Wall. </p> <p>“Too many politics around all this for my liking, the top and bottom of it, it’s a tree, planted in soil. I understand the land is protected, but to protect a tree from being planted in the earth, where they’re designed to be, no matter where it’s location, is crazy,” he wrote.</p> <p>Two people were arrested over the incident,  a 16-year-old boy and 69-year-old former lumberjack. </p> <p>Both have been released on bail, with the lumberjack insisting that he had no involvement in the felling. </p> <p>“You’ve got the wrong feller,” he told<em> The Sun</em>.</p> <p>“I’m a former lumberjack and I’ve just been kicked off my property so I can see why people have pointed the finger.</p> <p>“My brother came down to make sure I hadn’t been arrested as he had heard a rumour that I had cut it down. I didn’t do it," he added. </p> <p><em>Images: Getty/ Facebook</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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"You can't forgive that": Teen arrested after felling of iconic 200-year-old tree

<p>A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in northern England after what police describe as the "deliberate" felling of the iconic Sycamore Gap tree. </p> <p>The tree had stood next to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hadrian's Wall for nearly 200 years before it was tragically vandalised. </p> <p>Both locals and tourists have frequently stopped to capture a photo and appreciate the stunning tree ever since it gained fame for its appearance in Kevin Costner's 1991 film, <em>Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves</em>. </p> <p>Now, photographs from the scene on early Thursday showed that the tree had been cut off near the base of its trunk, and the locals are fuming. </p> <p>"The tree is a world-renowned landmark and the vandalism has caused understandable shock and anger throughout the local community and beyond," Northumbria Police said in a statement.</p> <p>"This is an incredibly sad day," they added. </p> <p>"The tree was iconic to the North East and enjoyed by so many who live in or who have visited this region."</p> <p>Alison Hawkins, was the first person to spot the damage while she was walking on the Hadrian's Wall path. </p> <p>"It was a proper shock. It's basically the iconic picture that everyone wants to see," she said.</p> <p>"You can forgive nature doing it but you can't forgive that."</p> <p>The Northumberland National Park authority have asked the public not to visit the iconic tree, which was voted as English Tree of the Year in 2016. </p> <p>Police report that the teen has since been arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage, and has been assisting officers with their inquiries.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p> <p> </p>

Legal

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UK family at risk of deportation for being "too old"

<p>A family from the UK are at risk of being deported from Australia, after the immigration policy deemed them "too old" to stay. </p> <p>In 2015, Parents Glenn, 57, and Sheena Tunnicliff, 50, moved from the UK to Perth to start a new life with their two young daughters, Tazmin and Molly.</p> <p>The family settled in the city's north, where Glenn started working as a plasterer and Sheena opened a Helloworld franchise, where she employed three others. </p> <p>Their daughters are now starting their own careers, as Tazmin, 21, has started working as a nurse and Molly, 18, is studying Australian Sign Language (ASLAN). </p> <p>Despite living, studying and working in Australia for almost a decade, the entire family is now being faced with the reality of being deported back to their home country. </p> <p>Glenn and Sheena were ordered to leave the country by August 4th after they were unable to secure permanent residency due to various visa and job changes over the years. </p> <p>Permanent residency has an age limit of 45, meaning now, neither parent qualifies. </p> <p>“We don’t want to go back to the UK. We’ve made a life here,” Sheena previously told <em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/visa-exclusive-immigration-australia-perth-family-face-being-sent-back-to-uk-despite-in-demand-job/2d59c8eb-e720-48bc-8d74-7be5a883ebf4?ocid=Social-9News" target="_self" data-tgev="event119" data-tgev-container="bodylink" data-tgev-order="2d59c8eb-e720-48bc-8d74-7be5a883ebf4" data-tgev-label="national" data-tgev-metric="ev">Nine News</a></em>. </p> <p>“Now we are over that magic figure of 45 there is no route to PR for us. Australia classes us as too old [but] we are the ones with the experience and training.”</p> <p>Since moving to Australia, the family has spent over $80,000 in visas, and will now have to fork out more for a "temporary Band-Aid fix" hat will extend their visas until July 2024. </p> <p>However, the family are planning to relocate to New Zealand, where the age cut-off for permanent residency is 55, meaning Sheena would be eligible.</p> <p>Bizarrely, after five years across the Tasman, the Tunnicliffs could become New Zealand citizens which would allow them to return to Australia to live. </p> <p>“We’d take all our skills and we’d go to New Zealand,” Sheena said. </p> <p>“It’s crazy. Australia’s lost all our skills. In five years time we could walk back into Australia.” </p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook</em></p>

Legal

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Australia can learn from the UK’s experience by making banks pay for scam losses

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/muhammad-al-mamun-1454182">Muhammad Al Mamun</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842">La Trobe University</a></em></p> <p>British banks will soon be required to reimburse customers who fall victim to authorised push payment fraud – where a scammer convinces you to authorise a payment, generally by masquerading as a legitimate business or person.</p> <p>The new rules from the UK’s <a href="https://www.psr.org.uk/">Payment Systems Regulator</a> are intended to incentivise all businesses involved in payments to take more action against scam activity, with reimbursement costs split 50:50 between the bank that sends and the bank that receives the payment.</p> <p>There is a strong case that banks and other payment providers in Australia (and New Zealand) should be made to do the same. Scam-related losses are soaring, and banks are falling short of detecting, stopping and recovering losses.</p> <p>In 2022 Australians <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Targeting%20scams%202022.pdf">lost at least $3.1 billion</a> to scams – an 80% increase on 2021. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says the actual losses were far higher, because about 30% of victims don’t report their loss to anyone.</p> <p>While the biggest losses came from investment scams (totalling $1.5 billion), payment redirection scams – where a scammer impersonates a business or individual asking for payment – amounted to A$224 million.</p> <p>Among the most vulnerable groups are older people (25% of losses were reported by those aged 65+), people with a disability (6% of reported losses), and people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities (almost 10% of reported losses).</p> <h2>What are Australian banks doing?</h2> <p>No regulations oblige Australian banks to reimburse scam victims, though some banks have self-governed reimbursement policies.</p> <p>While banks have dedicated fraud teams to prevent scams and support victims, the most recent review of the four major banks’ processes by the Australian Investments and Securities Commission, <a href="https://download.asic.gov.au/media/mbhoz0pc/rep761-published-20-april-2023.pdf">published in April</a>, says they detected and stopped just 13% of scam payments.</p> <p>Reimbursement policies and practices varied from bank to bank but the overall rate was low – ranging from 2% to 5%.</p> <p>The review described the banks’ approaches to liability, reimbursement and compensation as “inconsistent and generally very narrow”.</p> <h2>Why the UK has made banks responsible</h2> <p>The greater obligations being imposed on British banks follows attempts by the UK’s <a href="https://www.psr.org.uk/">Payment Systems Regulator</a> to improve consumer protections through a voluntary code of conduct.</p> <p>Introduced in May 2019, this voluntary code was intended, under certain conditions, to ensure the reimbursement of victims of “authorised push payment” scams. These conditions included the customer taking reasonable care and notifying any scam incident to the bank.</p> <p>It had modest success, with <a href="https://www.psr.org.uk/news-and-updates/latest-news/news/psr-sets-out-proposals-to-give-greater-protection-against-app-scams/">46% of reported scam losses</a> being reimbursed between 2020 and 2022.</p> <p>But the Payment Systems Regulator wants 95%. So it has pressed for a mandatory reimbursement scheme. Under the new provisions money must be reimbursed within 48 hours of a fraud being reported.</p> <p>The idea is to get banks to put more effort into detecting and preventing scams.</p> <p>Overall, the UK has accepted the need for a more regimented regulatory approach over a market-based one.</p> <h2>A more pragmatic approach needed</h2> <p>While the Australian Investments and Securities Commission’s own reports have revealed the sorry state of scam prevention, management, and reimbursement practices at major banks, the regulatory body is still not walking in the footsteps of the UK. It is instead advising banks to improve their governance and scam management practices.</p> <p>The Australian Banking Association, which represents the banking sector, has strongly argued against regulation supporting mandatory reimbursement. It has even suggested this <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/big-banks-fight-push-for-billions-of-dollars-in-scam-refunds-20220131-p59sp3.html">could increase scamming losses</a> because of the risk customers will take less care if they know any losses will be covered by their bank. It has called for greater personal responsibility in preventing scam losses.</p> <p>But such an argument ignores the effects of the digitisation push by financial service providers, which has made scamming so much easier. Scammers are also becoming more sophisticated.</p> <p>The statistics speak for themselves. Scamming losses are increasing. Recovery rates are meagre. A more pragmatic approach based on this reality and banks’ fiduciary responsibilities is needed.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/209585/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/muhammad-al-mamun-1454182">Muhammad Al Mamun</a>, Senior Lecturer in Finance, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842">La Trobe University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>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/australia-can-learn-from-the-uks-experience-by-making-banks-pay-for-scam-losses-209585">original article</a>.</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Iconic UK actor proudly reveals new name

<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true">A</span>ctor and comedian Eddie Izzard has revealed the name she’s always wanted after changing her pronouns to “she” and “her”.</p> <p>Izzard shared her new name, admitting that it’s what she has wanted to be called since she was 10 years old.</p> <p>On an episode of The Political Party podcast, the British icon, 61, said, “I’m gonna be Suzy Eddie Izzard.</p> <p>“I’ll put Suzy there and then Eddie and then people can choose what they want and no one can go wrong,” <em>The Sun</em> reported.</p> <p>She added, “I’ve wanted to be S-U-Z-Y since I was 10.</p> <p>“That’s how I’m gonna roll so people can choose what they want. They can’t make a mistake; they can’t go wrong.”</p> <p>In December 2020, the British comedian and former political candidate was dubbed a “trailblazer” by fans when she first asked to use the pronouns “she” and “her” during the filming of the UK TV show, Portrait Artist Of The Year, revealing she was “gender fluid”.</p> <p>The transition, however, has been 35 years in the making. Izzard first came out as a transvestite in 1985. In 2021, she told <em>The Guardian</em> that as far as she was concerned, being a transvestite simply meant being transgender without physically transitioning. She now identifies as a trans woman and wants to be “based in girl mode”.</p> <p>The comedian also admitted, “I make mistakes with my own pronouns.”</p> <p>She then spoke to the podcast about political ambitions after not being selected at the UK Labour’s parliamentary candidate in Sheffield Central in 2022.</p> <p>“I will keep going until I get in,” she said.</p> <p>Prior to the TV show in late 2020, Izzard also requested in 2019 to be described as “she” while receiving an honorary degree at Swansea University.</p> <p>The press release from the ceremony described her using female pronouns with a university spokesperson confirming, “we were asked by Eddie to use her/she pronouns.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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“Please don’t be mad”: British expat’s bone to pick with Australia

<p>British expat Jordana Grace has taken to TikTok to share her three biggest gripes with Australia, with the claim that most Australians don’t bat an eyelid at them.</p> <p>Jordana lives on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast after leaving the United Kingdom behind, and boasts a following of almost 300k on her TikTok where she regularly shares insight into her Australian adventure.</p> <p>“Sorry in advance,” the budding MixFM radio host began, “I’m gonna make Australia mad.”</p> <p>“Three things I don’t like about Australia,” she went on, “that Aussies don’t even realise is a thing.”</p> <p>From there, Jordana went on to list the aspects of life in Australia that were causing her the most trouble, though her claim about Aussies may have missed the mark, with Jordana’s gripes known frustrations across the country.</p> <p>“First up is the slow internet speed - like, what the fudge?” She said, “sorry for the salty language, but it’s like nails on a chalkboard how in some areas in Australia the internet and WiFi is just so slow.”</p> <p>In 2023, the UK ranked 45th in the world for average broadband speed with 145.33 Mbps, while Australia came in at 73rd with an average speed of 88.77 Mbps.</p> <p>“Please don’t be mad,” Jordana continued, “but next is the terrible phone service. There’s like three major providers in Australia, and they all have nicknames like Vodafone is Vodafail, Optus is Optus Droptus, and Telstra … no-one can come up with a clever nickname for but it’s just very inconsistent phone service over here."</p> <div class="embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; vertical-align: baseline; width: 620px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7197724229943446789&amp;display_name=tiktok&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40thejordanagrace%2Fvideo%2F7197724229943446789&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-va.tiktokcdn.com%2Ftos-maliva-p-0068%2Fo0hBIk9tbBrEQhCIsd8xABfiuj1zkbogAuDFjA%7Etplv-dmt-logom%3Atos-useast2a-v-0068%2F0f22bd61bc15443ea1f3e5214fcdd9f3.image%3Fx-expires%3D1676361600%26x-signature%3D1ck2cF1fvQNZsDbJz4kKysELBSg%253D&amp;key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p> </p> <p>“And finally, the postage cost and speed," she said. "In the UK I didn’t realise that next day delivery was such a luxury, because over here postage not only can take weeks but the postage cost can cost as much as the item sometimes.”</p> <p>In the United Kingdom, prices to post a parcel begin at £3.95 for 1st class ($6.90). In Australia, 1st class parcel postage begins at $9.70. And as any Australian knows, postage times can span from a couple of days to a couple of weeks in busy periods.</p> <p>“Okay, but that’s it!” Jordana concluded, before pleading for everyone’s understanding, “I love you Australia, please don’t hate me.”</p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Prince Andrew to appeal loss of another royal perk

<p dir="ltr">Prince Andrew has lost another costly royal perk in the wake of his various controversies, but his appeal against it may spark ire among Brits struggling with a cost-of-living crisis.</p> <p dir="ltr">The former royal has been told he will no longer be granted taxpayer-funded armed guards from next month, nearly a year after he was stripped of his titles and duties after his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein was publicised.</p> <p dir="ltr">Unlike titles and duties, security for the royal family is determined by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, including the Home Office, Metropolitan Police and palace officials.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to <em>The Sun</em>, insider sources said Andrew has written to the Home Office and Met Police over losing his security detail.</p> <p dir="ltr">''He is going to write to the Home Office and the Met Police to complain about losing his taxpayer-funded security,'' the source told the outlet.</p> <p dir="ltr">Currently, Andrew is escorted by police guards whenever he leaves the grounds of Windsor, with the escort estimated to cost taxpayers up to three million pounds ($AU 5.3 million) a year.</p> <p dir="ltr">With the UK facing a cost-of-living crisis and skyrocketing bills this winter, there is speculation that Andrew’s complaints may cause more negative reactions towards him.</p> <p dir="ltr">''He doesn't seem to understand that he's in disgrace and people don't want to hear from him anymore - especially him with his begging bowl,” a Labour MP said, as reported by <em>Express UK</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The latest loss comes after the 62-year-old was told to stop using His Royal Highness and his royal military titles in January, with his royal patronages also returned to the late Queen.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the following months, Andrew settled a lawsuit launched against him by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager.</p> <p dir="ltr">With the ultimate decision surrounding his security detail lying with Home Secretary Suella Braverman and given his recent controversies, it seems unlikely that Andrew’s appeal will be a success.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d10cf40b-7fff-cd55-9619-9ca938bdf68d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Why this mum who stabbed a man to death was hailed a hero by her sons

<p>UK mother Sarah Sands stabbed a paedophile to death after finding out her children were sexually abused.</p> <p>The paedophile, Michael Pleasted, aged 77, was stabbed eight times in 2014 in a “determined and sustained attack” that saw him bleed to death.</p> <p>Pleasted was already a convicted paedophile and had legally changed his name from Robin Moult to conceal a long past of abusing children.</p> <p>Ms Sands’ three children told her Pleasted, who lived across the road from the family in London, had abused them.</p> <p>She took matters into her own hands. “For paedophiles, if you touch children, there has to be consequences,” Ms Sands told BBC Breakfast.</p> <p>“And hiding behind name changes … it has to be taken away from them. That right to change their name has to taken away from them.”</p> <p>Her children, who have waived their anonymity, said they think their mum is a hero for killing their abuser.</p> <p>Bradley, who was 11 at the time, said: “I thought, ‘hats off’. I’m not going to deny it.”</p> <p>Alfie added: “It did make us feel safer. It didn’t slow down the nightmares. But it did give us a sense of security because you didn’t have to walk down the street thinking he was going to come around the corner.</p> <p>“He lived literally across the road from us. I could open that window over there and I’d see his house.”</p> <p>Pleasted’s council flat overlooked a playground and school in Canning Town, East London. However, nobody knew of his past because he had changed his name and his crimes predated the sex offenders' register.</p> <p>Ms Sands was convicted of manslaughter on the basis of loss of control after trial in 2015, and was eventually jailed for seven and a half years after having her sentenced increased by the Court of Appeal.</p> <p>She said she originally intended to threaten Pleasted, who was on bail awaiting trial, to make him plead guilty so her children did not have to give evidence in court.</p> <p>Labour MP Sarah Champion told the BBC some offenders are using name changes to avoid criminal records checks needed for jobs – including working with children.</p> <p>“Once they have changed their names, they are able to get a new driving licence and passport in that name. That enables them to get a new DBS (disclosure and barring service) check,” she said.</p> <p>The UK Home Office said it has already carried out a review of the issue and the UK already has strict rules in place to deal with sex offenders living in the community.</p> <p><em>Image: BBC</em></p>

Family & Pets

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“His music lives on”: Legendary UK rocker dies aged 75

<p dir="ltr"><em>Game of Thrones</em> actor and guitarist Wilko Johnson has died aged 75.</p> <p dir="ltr">The beloved actor played Ser Ilyn Payne in the popular series but had found fame earlier as guitarist in the band Dr Feelgood.</p> <p dir="ltr">His devastated band mates released a statement announcing the heartbreaking news.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is the announcement we never wanted to make, &amp; we do so with a very heavy heart: Wilko Johnson has died,” the statement read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He passed away at home on Monday 21st November. Thank you for respecting the family’s privacy at this very sad time. RIP Wilko Johnson.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Before his rise to fame, Johnson worked as an English teacher before forming a band with some of his friends.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is the announcement we never wanted to make, &amp; we do so with a very heavy heart: Wilko Johnson has died. He passed away at home on Monday 21st November. Thank you for respecting the family's privacy at this very sad time. RIP Wilko Johnson.<br />(Image: Leif Laaksonen) <a href="https://t.co/1cRqyi9b9X">pic.twitter.com/1cRqyi9b9X</a></p> <p>— Wilko Johnson (@wilkojohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/wilkojohnson/status/1595358840400248832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The group rose to fame and eventually Johnson was cast as Ser Ilyn Payne in <em>Game of Thrones</em> in 2011.</p> <p dir="ltr">He was initially meant to be a guest star in the first season but reappeared in the second season.</p> <p dir="ltr">Unfortunately he was phased out of the show following a terminal pancreatic cancer diagnosis in 2013 and was given only 10 months to live.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I suddenly found myself in a position where nothing matters anymore," Johnson told the Associated Press in 2013.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I'm a miserable so-and-so normally. ... I'd be worrying about the taxman or all the things that we worry about that get in the way of the real things.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And suddenly it doesn't matter. All of that doesn't matter.</p> <p dir="ltr">"You walk down the street and you feel intensely alive. You're, 'Oh, look at that leaf!′ You're looking around and you think, 'I'm alive. Ain't it amazing?'"</p> <p dir="ltr">Johnson is survived by his sons Simon and Matthew and grandson Dylan.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

News

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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&amp;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&amp;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&amp;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&amp;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&amp;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&amp;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>

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Tabloid slammed for bizarre photoshop edit of Kate Middleton

<p>British publication The Mirror appears to have edited a photo of Kate Middleton to the point where she is almost unrecognisable.</p> <p>The popular UK-based tabloid covered a story about the Royal Family attending a Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph in London recently.</p> <p>Joining Kate Middleton at the event were King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla, Prince William and the Princess of Wales. Despite the attendance of the other royals, the outlet still chose to use a sombre photo of Catherine on the front page.</p> <p>The tabloid was then widely called out for the bizarre photoshop edit of that image. A very confused audience took to social media, calling out the publication for the rough photoshop hatchet job of the Princess.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">When i saw an image of kate doing rounds on Twitter, i thought it was photoshoped. This morning I went to my local co-op and took this pic of todays <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DailyMirror?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DailyMirror</a>. Surely <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KateMiddleton?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KateMiddleton</a> doesn’t look like this? <a href="https://t.co/kysKlr27zt">pic.twitter.com/kysKlr27zt</a></p> <p>— HK (@hasifah23) <a href="https://twitter.com/hasifah23/status/1592082881781805056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">What in the ever loving god did they do to Princess Catherine’s picture? How disgusting to photoshop the photo in this way! <a href="https://t.co/ziMhSnVy2h">pic.twitter.com/ziMhSnVy2h</a></p> <p>— Royal Tea With Brittany (@brittanygadoury) <a href="https://twitter.com/brittanygadoury/status/1591962064050098176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>Both The Royal Family or The Mirror are yet to comment.</p> <p><em>Images: Twitter</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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The new UK Prime Minister is richer than King Charles

<p>The new UK Prime Minister and his wife are richer than the royal family, making waves after featuring on the 2022 Rich List.</p> <p>Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty, who come from wealthy families and backgrounds, have an estimated fortune of £730 million ($A1.3 billion), according to the <a title="www.thetimes.co.uk" href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rishi-sunak-akshata-murty-net-worth-sunday-times-rich-list-86ls8n09h">Sunday Times </a><a title="www.thetimes.co.uk" href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rishi-sunak-akshata-murty-net-worth-sunday-times-rich-list-86ls8n09h">2022 Rich List</a>.</p> <p>The list placed them as the 222nd richest people in Britain. </p> <p>In comparison, the same list placed Queen Elizabeth II’s fortune at £370m ($A660m) before her death.</p> <p>King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort’s wealth is estimated to be between £300m ($A536m) and £350m ($A626m), according to The Guardian.</p> <p>Mr Sunak formerly worked as a hedge fund manager, while Ms Murty is the daughter of a tech giant who is known as one of the richest men in India.  </p> <p>She has a A$1.2 billion stake in her father's company, while also working as a fashion designer, and invests in start-ups through her private investment firm.</p> <p>The couple, both 42, met when they were studying at Stanford University and have two daughters together. </p> <p>They have a property portfolio of four homes worth an estimated £15m ($A26.7m), including a penthouse in Los Angeles. </p> <p>Mr Sunak won’t only be one, if not the, richest UK prime ministers in history, he will also be the first prime minister of colour and the youngest person to take office in more than 200 years.</p> <p>He takes over from Liz Truss, who he lost the leadership race to in September. She <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/revolving-door-of-chaos-uk-pm-quits-after-44-days-in-office" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resigned last week</a> after 44 days in office.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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"Revolving door of chaos": UK PM quits after 44 days in office

<p dir="ltr">Liz Truss has resigned as UK Prime Minister after just 44 days in the top job. </p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Truss was sworn in as prime minister on September 6 by Queen Elizabeth II. She has now become the shortest-serving prime minister in Britain's history. Previously, this record was held by George Canning, who served for 119 days in 1827.</p> <p dir="ltr">She explained that she tried to deliver on the "vision for a low-tax high-growth economy" but was unable to continue her role following pressure from members of her party. </p> <p dir="ltr">A leadership election will be held in the next week to find Truss’ replacement but until then she will remain Prime Minister.  </p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking in front of Number 10 Downing Street, Ms Truss accepted that she was unable to deliver her promises as leader of the Conservatives Party. </p> <p dir="ltr">Opposition Leader Keir Starmer said the Tory "soap opera" was damaging the country's economy and the issue needed to be sorted. </p> <p dir="ltr">"We can't have a revolving door of chaos," he told the BBC. </p> <p dir="ltr">"We can't have another experiment at the top of the Tory party. </p> <p dir="ltr">"There is an alternative and that's a stable Labour government and the public are entitled to have their say, and that's why there should be a general election."</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Liz Truss’ Full Speech</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">“I came into office at a time of great economic and international instability,” she said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Families and businesses were worried about how to pay their bills.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Putin's illegal war in Ukraine threatens the security of our whole continent.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And our country had been held back for too long by low economic growth.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was elected by the Conservative Party with a mandate to change this.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We delivered on energy bills and on cutting national insurance.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And we set out a vision for a low tax, high growth economy – that would take advantage of the freedoms of Brexit.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I recognise though, given the situation, I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have therefore spoken to His Majesty The King to notify him that I am resigning as Leader of the Conservative Party.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This morning I met the Chair of the 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We have agreed there will be a leadership election to be completed in the next week.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This will ensure we remain on a path to deliver our fiscal plans and maintain our country's economic stability and national security.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I will remain as Prime Minister until a successor has been chosen.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Thank you.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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British couple sell raffle tickets to offload home

<p dir="ltr">A family forced to sell their home have had to get creative to do it after they were knocked back for a loan for a new house - and it could see a new owner claim the property for a £3 raffle ticket.</p> <p dir="ltr">Declan Garrett and wife Leoni Webb have been forced to sell their property in Weston-super-Mare, a town in North Somerset, due to the soaring cost of their mortgage.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, they can’t get a loan for a new home as banks knocked them back due to the size of their blended family, with a total of seven kids.</p> <p dir="ltr">With pressure coming from inflation and a rising cost of living, the couple turned to raffle tickets to raise the money they need for a new home that is big enough for their soon-to-be teenage kids.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d6a1a0b4-7fff-e20c-f274-7fbc6355c960"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">All interested buyers need to do is grab a raffle ticket and they could be in the running to win the keys to the coastal home, with the winner to be drawn on October 26.</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/CeyIP3klfj4/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/CeyIP3klfj4/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Weston-super-Mare House Raffle (@wsmhouseraffle)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">But, there are some caveats.</p> <p dir="ltr">The couple launched the raffle through an online platform in June, telling <em>The Sun</em> that they need to sell about 100,000 tickets to raise the £300,000 they need.</p> <p dir="ltr">If they don’t reach their target, the main prize will instead become 75 percent of the amount raised through raffle ticket sales.</p> <p dir="ltr">In an emotional clip shared to an Instagram page dedicated to the house and raffle, Ms Webb explained that she and her husband would sell their home the usual way if they would.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2e5f4934-7fff-035c-39a1-f6e268360a40"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Why on earth would we choose to open ourselves up to the criticism and absolute tolling that we have?” she said.</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/CgAIYuNIPfL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/CgAIYuNIPfL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Weston-super-Mare House Raffle (@wsmhouseraffle)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“The cost of living is absolutely ridiculous right now – we understand more than most. We have seven children who need feeding and clothing.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My husband is a school teacher and I worked in behavioural education, so I also work within schools. Ordinarily we wouldn’t be able to afford a house. We were very, very lucky to buy a house when we did.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As we are looking to move…so we decided to raffle off our house to give somebody the gift of owning a house.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I really hope we can pull this off.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The sale of raffle tickets for four-bedroom home closes on October 21 local time, with tickets available to be purchased <a href="https://raffique.co.uk/product/win-a-house-in-weston-super-mare/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f02766e3-7fff-1d67-b62f-66b6e0a78285"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @wsmhouseraffle (Instagram)</em></p>

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