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Allan Border's desperate plea to PM

<p>Allan Border has joined Parkinson’s Australia chief executive Olivia Nassaris in a plea for the Federal Government to provide more funding and research into the condition. </p> <p>The 68-year-old cricket legend is one of over 150,000 Australians living with Parkinson’s, after being diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disorder back in 2016. </p> <p>A new report from the organisation revealed that there are 19,500 new cases every year, with one Australian diagnosed with the condition every 27 minutes.</p> <p>“A lot of people know the disease but they don’t know the impact that it has — 150,000 people in Australia have the disease, it does present in different ways,” Border said. </p> <p>“When I was told I was suffering, my first image was of (boxer) Muhammad Ali and the Olympic torch, I just thought people suffered from a tremor.</p> <p>“But there’s about 100,000 different ways of it presenting.”</p> <p>Border joined the Parkinson’s Australia chief executive on April 11 to raise awareness for World Parkinson’s Day.</p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Nassaris </span>estimated that the number of Australians impacted by Parkinson’s would almost triple by 2050.</p> <p>“At the moment we don’t have a cause or cure, so it is frightening that a disease like this is going to almost triple in numbers,” she said.</p> <p>Responding to the cricketer’s plea, the Prime Minister described Border as a “great Australian” and hinted at a potential boost to government support in providing more resources into the condition. </p> <p>“Our heart goes out to him,” the PM said on Thursday. </p> <p>“I will have a word with the Health Minister about what more we can do. We have contributed over $100m to research into Parkinson’s.</p> <p>“There’s also a pilot program for nurses about people suffering from Parkinson’s at the moment. There’s some $6.5m being used for that pilot program. We want to wait and see what the assessment of that is.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Caring

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Entire town bans annoying influencers from entering its borders

<p>In the serene hamlet of Pomfret, Vermont, an extraordinary decision has been reached to combat the overwhelming presence of influencers and tourists who have inundated the town's peaceful streets.</p> <p>This picturesque countryside haven, renowned for its breathtaking landscapes, has taken the audacious step of barring entry to all influencers and tourists.</p> <p>Pomfret, nestled in the heart of New England, has long been a magnet for visitors seeking to capture the exquisite autumnal tapestry that paints the town in warm, rustic hues – a perfect setting for their coveted "fall" photographs.</p> <p>Vermont, as a whole, typically draws more than 13 million tourists annually, and Pomfret, with its population of a mere 916, has witnessed a significant influx during the autumn months, particularly September and October.</p> <p>While the town has a history of welcoming tourists, the character of these visitors has undergone a profound transformation in the last half-decade. Gone are the days of nature enthusiasts and out-of-town guests staying at cozy local bed-and-breakfasts. Pomfret is now attracting a new breed of visitor: the social media luminaries eagerly hunting for content to grace their online profiles.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">‘Christian Girl Autumn’ influencer Caitlin Covington announces she is going to Vermont in October to take her annual Fall photos. 🍂 <a href="https://t.co/nZjRCWvPIE">pic.twitter.com/nZjRCWvPIE</a></p> <p>— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) <a href="https://twitter.com/PopCrave/status/1703840317907021849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>Mike Doten, a resident whose family has deep roots in the area, humorously dubs this emerging group "TikTockers" and cites them as the catalyst behind this drastic measure.</p> <p>Cloudland Road, a narrow, unpaved stretch renowned for its spectacular views of picturesque farms, rolling hills and vibrant foliage, was once a tranquil destination for nature enthusiasts. However, it has now become an internet sensation and a must-visit spot for "leaf-peepers" across the state.</p> <p>Unfortunately, this newfound fame has brought a series of issues in its wake. The new wave of tourists is often described as rude, disrespectful, impatient and selfish. They go to great lengths to capture the perfect photograph or video, often disregarding the impact on those around them.</p> <p>Local farmer Cathy Emmons recounted an incident where an influencer trespassed onto private property, erecting a makeshift changing booth and emerging in different outfits for her selfies. There have also been reports of tourists casually invading farms and helping themselves to produce, with one individual spotted plucking tomatoes from Cathy's farm.</p> <p>Another resident recalled a particularly unsettling incident when a drone hovered just feet above his head during an evening dinner with his family. In a separate incident, a tourist parked illegally in a resident's driveway and, astonishingly, used the garden shed as a makeshift toilet.</p> <p>The surge in tour buses and cars has caused gridlock on Pomfret's narrow roads, rendering them impassable and obstructing the movement of emergency vehicles. In response, the local council issued a memo announcing road closures to motor vehicle traffic from September 23rd to October 15th, specifically targeting Cloudland Road in Pomfret and the entire length of Cloudland Road in Woodstock, both heavily frequented tourist areas.</p> <p>Furthermore, the town has implemented temporary parking restrictions, signage and barriers. The memo cited concerns related to safety, environmental impact, aesthetics, and overall quality of life, emphasising a comprehensive effort to address these issues in collaboration with residents, local government partners and through communication on various information platforms.</p> <p>These traffic mitigation measures will also restrict access to the famed Sleepy Hollow Farm, a private residence that has become a hotspot for influencers seeking the perfect selfie backdrop. In response to these challenges, local residents have launched a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-cloudland-road" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe campaign titled "Save Cloudland Road"</a> to raise funds for road closures and traffic enforcement during the autumn season.</p> <p>The campaign's description highlights the surge of Instagram and TikTok-driven tourists, many of whom derive income from sponsorships and have transformed a private residence on Cloudland Road into a sought-after social media photo destination. The influx has led to overcrowding, accidents, damage to roads, gardens, and private property, as well as confrontations with residents.</p> <p>Can the community surrounding Cloudland Road, in partnership with the towns of Pomfret and Woodstock, restore tranquility, safety and civility to their cherished enclave? Their plea is clear: to regain peace for the families who call this idyllic corner of Vermont home.</p> <p><em>Images: GoFundMe / Instagram</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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00-No: US traveller puts border security to the test with a golden gun

<p>A 28-year-old traveller from the United States has been arrested after Australian Border Force officers allegedly discovered a firearm in her luggage. </p> <p>According to a report on the ABF website, the weapon - a 24-carat gold-plated handgun - was unregistered, and the passenger was not in possession of “a permit to import or possess the firearm in Australia.”</p> <p>If convicted, she will face up to 10 years of imprisonment. And while she was arrested and charged, she was released on bail at Downing Centre Local Court, and is expected to face court again in a month’s time. She remains subject to visa cancellation, and faces the likelihood of being removed from Australia. </p> <p>As ABF Enforcement and Detained Goods East Commander Justin Bathurst explained, the discovery was made with a combination of ABC officer skills and detection technology, one that served to prevent a dangerous weapon from entering the Australian community. </p> <p>“Time and time again, we have seen just how good ABF officers are at targeting and stopping illegal, and highly dangerous, goods from crossing Australia's border," he said.</p> <p>“The ABF is Australia's first and most important line of defence. ABF officers are committed to protecting our community by working with law enforcement partners to prevent items like unregistered firearms getting through at the border."</p> <p>Photos distributed by the ABF present the image of the gun in its case, as well as a scan of the passenger’s luggage, with the gun clearly visible among the rest of her possessions. </p> <p>While travellers on domestic flights within the United States are able to carry firearms in their checked luggage - granted they are unloaded and securely locked away, and the proper authorities have been informed - Australia has much stricter laws surrounding firearms. </p> <p>In the wake of a 1996 Tasmanian tragedy, in which 35 people lost their lives to a gunman, all automatic and semi-automatic weapons were outlawed in the country. Meanwhile, in the United States, a frightening sum of 6,301 were confiscated at checkpoints as of December 2022, according to the Transportation Security Administration.</p> <p>For many, the news was broken on social media, with comments sections reflecting the shock - and disapproval - of the masses, with the occasional 007 reference thrown in. </p> <p>“Smuggling firearms into Australia is a serious offence,” wrote one on Twitter, “and should be met with the full force of the law as it endangers citizen safety.”</p> <p>“That’s a fantastic bit of security work by our airport staff,” someone commended. </p> <p>Another had one very important question, asking “how did she get it out of the US to begin with...??? TSA should have caught that at the airport before she even left. Even if it was in a checked bag, it still had to be declared.”</p> <p><em>Images: Australian Border Force</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Being declared dead when you’re still alive – why these very rare events occur

<p>An 82-year-old woman who was recently pronounced dead at a New York nursing home was later <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/07/us/new-york-woman-found-alive-funeral-home/index.html">discovered to be alive</a> by funeral home staff. This follows a similar incident in Iowa where a 66-year-old woman with early-onset dementia was declared dead by a nurse, only to be found <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/05/us/iowa-presumed-dead-body-bag-alzheimers.html">gasping for air</a> when funeral home staff unzipped the body bag.</p> <p>Fortunately, these events are very rare. But fear of them is visceral, which might explain an <a href="https://www.usni.org/press/books/naval-ceremonies-customs-and-traditions-6th-edition">old naval custom</a>. When sewing the canvas shroud for a dead sailor, the sailmaker would take the last stitch through the nose of the deceased. Having a sailcloth needle through the nose was presumed to be a potent enough stimulus to wake any sailor who was actually still alive.</p> <p>Confirmation of death these days is thankfully a lot less brutal. </p> <p>An absence of heart and breath sounds over a period of time, the presence of fixed, dilated pupils, and a failure to respond to any stimulus should mean that the person is deceased. All doctors are taught how to do this and all are aware of their duties.</p> <p>Unfortunately, there have been instances where death has been confirmed by this process, yet the patient has shown signs of life afterwards. </p> <p>Over the years, I have seen this happen. One day in a hospital, a colleague pronounced an elderly woman dead, but a short while later, she started breathing again and her pulse was briefly restored. </p> <p>In another unforgettable incident, the medical emergency team was summoned with the words: “Cardiac arrest. Mortuary. This is not a joke!” A woman had taken an overdose of barbiturates prescribed for her epilepsy. She had been seen by a general practitioner who certified that she was dead. </p> <p>But on arrival at the mortuary, one of her legs was seen to be twitching. Excruciating embarrassment all round. And if I recall correctly, she recovered.</p> <p>Failure to perform the confirmation-of-death procedure properly explains some instances of people being incorrectly declared dead. A cursory examination while distracted could easily lead to a failure to hear heart sounds and spot shallow, infrequent breaths. It pays to be thorough. However, some drugs we give patients can make the task harder. </p> <h2>Drugs, toxins and cold water</h2> <p>Sedating drugs are thought in some way to protect the brain from damage and this is made use of in anaesthesia for major surgical procedures, particularly if it is necessary to stop the circulation for a time. </p> <p>Less usefully, and with the potential to cause alarm, an overdose of sedatives reduces responsiveness and depresses the breathing and circulation, leading to the impression of death while protecting the brain from hypoxia (oxygen starvation). Later on, as the drug is cleared from the body, the person may wake up. </p> <p><a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/man-wakes-up-funeral-open-casket-mourners-family-members-watson-franklin-mandujano-doroteo-peru-tingo-maria-a8021851.html">Diazepam</a> (brand name Valium), <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/woman-mistakenly-pronounced-dead-breathing-body-bag-funeral/story?id=96871056">alprazolam</a> (brand name Xanax) have both caused people to mistakenly be declared dead.</p> <p>Certain toxins may have a similar effect. Voodoo practitioners called Bokors apparently <a href="https://sites.duke.edu/ginalisgh323/zombification-process/">administered powders to victims</a> to make them seem dead. These powders reportedly contained small doses of tetrodotoxin from puffer fish to paralyse the victim, who was then presumably abducted before burial and enslaved. Could neurological damage from the “zombification” process account for the popular image of the zombie?</p> <p>Immersion in cold water can also lead to the illusion of death because of its effect on slowing the heart rate. Survival after <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S073646791930424X?casa_token=fWpL51aDu6wAAAAA:Mr0x81LUUog0hT-HSRneimKcRlYW6DHK4nUBODKqOao_L82J8bLIMHszMNwR9qVd69GkuCh8zqsb">considerable periods of time</a> in the water is well documented.</p> <p>In emergency medicine, it has long been taught that a drowned patient is not proven dead until they have been warmed up. Good neurological recovery has been reported after periods of cold water immersion of <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/aor.13818?casa_token=ukJcJCgH-n4AAAAA%3Annr3Tgd4LuJ8Ky-l_1UGB_IxLHuU-odWkM1DKgJEhXw3IYXP8_DrpfNxr2eIL8KJJ3PSRX_JUltjpfsLTg">up to 70 minutes</a></p> <p>Fainting might also deceive the certifying doctor. Activation of the vagus nerve (the longest cranial nerve in the body) occurs during fainting, slowing the heart and reducing blood pressure. </p> <p>This might account for <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/dead-teen-wakes-screaming-inside-6315389">a very sad case</a> reported from Honduras. A pregnant teenager was thought to have died from shock after hearing gunfire in her neighbourhood. She was heard screaming within her tomb a day after her funeral. It is quite possible that she had woken up after a prolonged faint.</p> <p>Many cases seem to originate outside of Europe. Geographical variation in medical confirmation of death procedure may explain this. Perhaps errors arise when people are less likely to be able to afford the costs of a doctor. </p> <p>Whatever the cause, these cases appear in the media because they are sensational and attract lurid attention, but ultimately they are very rare.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/being-declared-dead-when-youre-still-alive-why-these-very-rare-events-occur-199524" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Caring

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Channel 10 declares January 26th a day "not for celebration"

<p>A top boss at Network Ten has told staff they should work on the January 26th public holiday, rather than take the day off. </p> <p>In an email sent by the station's chief content officer, Beverley McGarvey, the day off was not referred to as Australia Day, and was encouraging senior staffers to work on the national day off. </p> <p>Ms McGarvey, who is the executive vice president of Paramount Australia and New Zealand, told staff it was "not a day of celebration". </p> <p>"At Paramount ANZ we aim to create a safe place to work where cultural differences are appreciated, understood and respected," she wrote in the email, The Australian's Media Diary column reported.</p> <p>"For our First Nations people, we as an organisation acknowledge that January 26 is not a day of celebration. We recognise that there has been a turbulent history, particularly around that date and the recognition of that date being Australia Day."</p> <p>Ms McGarvey said staff could choose to work through the national holiday if they didn't feel comfortable celebrating it and could take another day of leave instead.</p> <p>"We recognise that January 26 evokes different emotions for our employees across the business, and we are receptive to employees who do not feel comfortable taking this day as a public holiday," the email read.</p> <p>The network's boss was adamant that those who did wish to celebrate Australia Day "reflect and respect the different perspectives and viewpoints of all Australians".</p> <p>Controversy has surrounded the celebration of Australia Day in recent years, with many calling for the date to be changed in respect of Indigenous Australians, with various councils around the country boycotting the holiday, saying it doesn't align with their views.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Network Ten</em></p>

TV

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Fisherman declared a hero after Tanzanian crash efforts

<p dir="ltr">After a plane crashed in Tanzania’s Lake Victoria on November 6, one fisherman who nearly lost his life trying to save the trapped pilots has spoken about his efforts.</p> <p dir="ltr">The passenger plane was carrying 43 people when the pilots attempted to land at Bukoba airport after encountering problems and enduring bad weather.</p> <p dir="ltr">Majaliwa Jackson, who was officially declared a hero and awarded 1 million Tanzanian shillings ($AU 665), told the <em><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-63540823" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a></em> from hospital of the panic he felt when he saw the passenger plane approaching from the wrong direction before crashing into the lake.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Jackson told the outlet that he rushed to the scene with three other fishermen, helping to open the rear door by smashing it with a rowing oar and allowing passengers seated towards the back of the plane to be rescued.</p> <p dir="ltr">After moving to the front of the plane and diving into the water, Mr Jackson said he and one of the other pilots communicated by making signs through the cockpit window.</p> <p dir="ltr">"He directed me to break the window screen. I emerged from the water and asked airport security, who had arrived, if they have any tools that we can use to smash the screen,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"They gave me an axe, but I was stopped by a man with a public announcement speaker from going down and smashing the screen. He said they were already in communication with the pilots and there was no water leakage in the cockpit.”</p> <p dir="ltr">But, when he dived back in and waved goodbye to the pilot after he was stopped from smashing the screen, the pilot then indicated he wanted to be rescued.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Jackson then attempted to pull the cockpit emergency door off by tying a rope from it to other boats, but he was knocked unconscious when the rope broke and struck him in the face.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The next thing I knew I was here at the hospital,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">In addition to his monetary reward, Mr Jackson was offered a job with the firefighting and rescue brigade, as well as training in rescue operations to sharpen his skills.</p> <p dir="ltr">The pilots were among 19 confirmed fatalities from the crash.</p> <p dir="ltr">Emergency crews used ropes to pull the plane, which had been completely submerged, closer to shore.</p> <p dir="ltr">Airline Precision Air previously said that 26 passengers had been rescued and taken to hospital, but has since said there were only 24 survivors.</p> <p dir="ltr">Kagera police commander William Mwampaghale said that the crash occurred at around 8.50am local time on Sunday.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When the aircraft was about 100m mid-air, it encountered problems and bad weather. It was raining and the plane plunged into the water,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Tanzania’s Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has said an extensive investigation would be conducted to determine the cause of the crash, and that the government would cover the costs of funerals for the 19 victims.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-03395493-7fff-e56c-87e9-b77dca5d94f1"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

International Travel

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An Italian lodge jumps the Swiss border

<p dir="ltr">The borders in the European Alps have been the source of some strange happenings recently, including a border-jumping ski lodge.</p> <p dir="ltr">Refugio Cervino, a two-storey lodge built on the Italian side of Theodul Glacier, has been slowly moving towards Switzerland - and its international movement has called its ownership and national boundaries into dispute.</p> <p dir="ltr">The border between Italy and Switzerland has previously been defined at the boundary of the Theodul drainage divide, the point where melted water either flows south to Italy or north towards Switzerland.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, rising temperatures have changed the flow of water.</p> <p dir="ltr">As a result, two-thirds of the Refugio sits in Switzerland while the remaining third is in Italy, and has become a subject of diplomatic negotiations.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to Agence France Presse, a compromise to redraw the boundaries was reached last year - but that doesn’t stop the ever-increasing glacier melt.</p> <p dir="ltr">Swisstopo, which stays on top of the official boundaries of the Confédération Helvétique, will be changing the boundaries in 2023.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We agreed to split the difference," chief border official Alain Wicht told AFP.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though international surveyors have previously been brought in to determine where the boundary should sit previously, Mr Wicht says the Refugio is a sensitive issue as the Theodul Glacier is “the only place where we suddenly had a building involved”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Swiss have taken a more neutral stance in the debate, but the Italians are unwilling to part with the building without compensation, </p> <p dir="ltr">"The refuge remains Italian because we have always been Italian," Refugio’s caretaker, 51-year-old Lucio Trucco, says.</p> <p dir="ltr">For now, the refuge will be an enclave of Italy within Switzerland until the borders are changed.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3d7b9463-7fff-3769-cf91-d68e9a97682f"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

International Travel

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Cats declared an “invasive alien species” in Poland

<p dir="ltr">A scientific institute in Poland has categorised domestic cats as an “invasive alien species”, joining a menagerie of animals on their invasive species list.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Polish Academy of Sciences has deemed the house cat (Felis catus) as an “alien” species as it was domesticated in the Middle East, and “invasive” due to the “negative influence of domestic cats on native biodiversity”, according to a statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">Cats join a long list of animals and plants deemed an “invasive alien species” by the institute, including Japanese knotweed, racoons, clearwing moths and mandarin ducks.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Academy states that cats pose “an unpredictable risk to local wildlife”, citing <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989418303196?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a study</a> that shows cats kill 41.1 million mammals and 8.9 million birds each year, eating an additional 583.4 million mammals and 135.7 birds.</p> <p dir="ltr">Wojciech Solarz, a biologist at the state-run institute, told <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-poland-wildlife-cats-birds-b942a55135832d085375de73c9cc2e23?user_email=d892765ed707c6b27af3429c2e8ec0607119ec5a15758542d760a9bac7b882a8&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=July27_MorningWire&amp;utm_term=Morning%20Wire%20Subscribers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AP</a> that the criteria to be declared an alien invasive species “are 100 percent met by the cat”.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, cat owners and lovers have expressed outrage at the decision, arguing it could incite abuse or mistreatment of cats, with concerned commenters declaring it “simply stupid and harmful” on the Academy’s Facebook page.</p> <p dir="ltr">AP has also reported that some media reports have incorrectly given the impression that the Academy was calling for cats to be euthanized.</p> <p dir="ltr">Solarz told the outlet he hadn’t expected such a response, adding that no other entry on their database of invasive and alien species had resulted in such an emotional response.</p> <p dir="ltr">He suggested that the negative feedback may be due to a misunderstanding that the Academy was implying that people harm their cats.</p> <p dir="ltr">In actuality, the Academy has only recommended that cat owners limit the amount of time their pets spend outdoors during bird breeding season.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3485969e-7fff-54f6-de1d-11099865d6bb"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Surprise twist in traveller who failed to declare sandwich ingredients

<p dir="ltr">The Aussie<a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/traveller-slapped-2-664-fine-for-sandwich" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> traveller who was fined $2,664</a> for bringing in a Subway sandwich and not declaring two ingredients has been given an amazing surprise. </p> <p dir="ltr">Jessica Lee was heading back from Singapore to Perth and purchased a footlong sandwich but only ate half and decided to keep the other for the flight. </p> <p dir="ltr">While on the way back to Australia, Jessica did not eat the sandwich and failed to declare chicken and lettuce when she arrived back in Australia.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 19-year-old was slapped with a hefty $2,664 fine and shared the news on TikTok urging others not to make the same mistake she did. </p> <p dir="ltr">In an update, Jessica announced that she was gifted a $2,664 Subway gift card from the restaurant as well as a box of merchandise. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Subway makes my fine worth every single cent,” Jessica said in the new TikTok video.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Looking at positives over negatives always pays off.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She then proceeded to read the letter the restaurant sent her, thanking her for eating from them.</p> <p dir="ltr">“To say thank you for eating fresh, we’ve uploaded a sub card with $2,664 just for you,” the letter read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We hope this covers all your chicken and lettuce needs.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Love your Subway fans.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Natural disaster declared for NSW

<p dir="ltr">The Australian Government has declared a natural disaster for parts of New South Wales. </p> <p dir="ltr">Torrential rain has continued to batter the state as tens of thousands of residents have evacuated flood prone areas, others have been left stranded waiting to be rescued by the SES, and 21 people are stuck in a cargo ship following an engine failure. </p> <p dir="ltr">The SES said there were 5,300 calls for help, 252 people were rescued overnight and a further 45,000 people have been forced to flee their homes. </p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the rain expecting to ease today, SES Assistant Commissioner Sean Kearns there’s concern for certain areas. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Our biggest concern today is ongoing riverine flooding along the Hawkesbury, Nepean and the Georges rivers, with our focus areas being McGraths Hill, Pitt Town, Woronora, Liverpool and Milperra," he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">A natural disaster has been declared in 23 Local Government Areas which have been left submerged by rising waters.</p> <p dir="ltr">The residents in the 23 LGAs affected by the severe storms and flooding since June 27, will now be eligible for disaster relief payments funded by the NSW government and the Commonwealth.</p> <p dir="ltr">The LGAs include Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Camden, Canterbury Bankstown, Campbelltown, Central Coast, Cessnock, Fairfield, Georges River, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Kiama, Lithgow, Liverpool, Northern Beaches, Penrith, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Sutherland, The Hills, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly and Wollongong.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We have seen some of these impacted communities being hit by floods for a third and fourth time in 18 months, which is extremely distressing to the residents of these communities,” Minister for Emergency Management, Senator Watt said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The Australian and New South Wales governments have worked very cooperatively through this latest flood emergency, to ensure defence and other resources were deployed early and fast.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Similarly, we’re now working hard together to make sure that impacted communities get the financial and other assistance they need as soon as possible.”</p> <p dir="ltr">It comes as a delicate rescue operation continues for bulk carrier ship Portland Bay after it lost power on Monday leaving 21 crew members stranded. </p> <p dir="ltr">The ship then began drifting towards the coast of the Royal National Park, south of Sydney but the crew managed to drop two anchors in the wild 5.5m swells. </p> <p dir="ltr">John Finch, chief operating officer at Port Authority, said the main objective was to move the ship to deeper waters. </p> <p dir="ltr">"The priority is getting this vessel and its crew into safer waters and away from land and the potential of grounding," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"All tugs have now arrived and connected to the ship so the operation has commenced to raise its anchors and move this ship safely out to sea in a slow and controlled manner.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The conditions make the towage operation quite difficult. In eight-metre swell, the vessel is going to be rising and falling and rolling. That's going to put a lot of stress on the equipment and the tug lines." </p> <p dir="ltr">The port authority has managed to move the ship about 20 nautical miles offshore and out of immediate danger.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: SES/Nine News</em></p>

News

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Alcohol marketing has crossed borders and entered the metaverse – how do we regulate the new digital risk?

<p>The World Health Organization’s newly <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240046504" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released report</a> on regulating cross-border alcohol marketing raises the alarm for countries like Australia and New Zealand, given their light touch towards alcohol advertising.</p> <p>Alcohol is widely consumed in Australasia but there is ongoing tension over how much restraint, if any, should be placed on the marketing of these products.</p> <p>Australia and New Zealand are at the unrestrained end of the marketing continuum. Both countries rely on industry-led policy in the form of voluntary codes – an approach identified as insufficient by the WHO report.</p> <p><strong>What is cross-border alcohol marketing?</strong></p> <p>Alcohol marketing, created and disseminated in one country and spread across borders into others, is commonly used by multinational corporations striving to increase sales and normalise alcohol as an everyday product. Much of this advertising is taking place in the digital media sphere.</p> <p>The increased use of these media platforms by alcohol corporations allows them access to cheap advertising opportunities. For as <a href="https://au.reset.tech/uploads/resettechaustralia_profiling-children-for-advertising-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">little as US$2</a>, an advertising campaign based in Australia could reach a thousand young people profiled as interested in alcohol, for example.</p> <p>Marketing across digital media has also increased the impact of those messages.</p> <p>Brands interact with users on social media platforms, encouraging the posting, sharing and liking of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33573719/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">branded images and messages</a>. Higher user engagement is associated with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32079562/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more drinking</a>.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464113/original/file-20220518-21284-beeqsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464113/original/file-20220518-21284-beeqsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464113/original/file-20220518-21284-beeqsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464113/original/file-20220518-21284-beeqsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464113/original/file-20220518-21284-beeqsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464113/original/file-20220518-21284-beeqsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464113/original/file-20220518-21284-beeqsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="AB InBev logo behind a smartphone also showing the logo" /><figcaption><em><span class="caption">Multinational corporations like AB InBev have been quick to embrace digital platforms as a new way to advertise alcohol products.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/in-this-photo-illustration-an-ab-inbev-logo-is-seen-on-a-news-photo/1234971135?adppopup=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pavlo Gonchar/Getty Images</a></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>Targeting the individual</strong></p> <p>The increased power of these advertisements reflects the effectiveness of “personalised marketing”. Companies can now target individuals and “look alike” audiences.</p> <p>This approach is made possible thanks to the enormous amount of data collected as we interact together, purchase products and indicate our interests and passions through our clicks and likes.</p> <p>This data is extremely valuable to marketers and alcohol corporations. It gives them insight into the best time of day, the best brand of alcohol and the best type of marketing message to send our way.</p> <p>All groups across society are vulnerable to being bombarded by messages encouraging the purchase and consumption of alcohol.</p> <p>Digital advertising can target everyone: teenagers looking for brands which exemplify their identity; young adults, the heaviest “occasion drinkers” in Australia and New Zealand, some of whom are developing drinking habits that may be hard to change in later life; and adults of all ages who wish to reduce their consumption, often for health reasons.</p> <p>Digital media has become an all-encompassing marketing environment in which the “buy” button – with home delivery and often no checks on age or intoxication – provides a seamless marketing and distribution system.</p> <p>In New Zealand, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/dar.13222" target="_blank" rel="noopener">online sales</a> increased significantly during the COVID-19 lockdowns, particularly among heavier drinkers.</p> <p><strong>Entering the metaverse</strong></p> <p>The alcohol industry is now showing its initiative by entering the emerging <a href="https://www.ypulse.com/article/2022/02/03/metaverse-mansions-more-tiktok-how-brands-are-marketing-for-this-years-super-bowl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">metaverse</a>. To understand the metaverse, <a href="https://thedecisionlab.com/insights/technology/brave-new-world-how-the-metaverse-may-shape-our-psychology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to one commentator</a>, you should</p> <blockquote> <p>take today’s social media, add a splash of sophisticated 3D, fold in a plethora of options for entertainment and gaming, garnish it all with data-driven personalisation, and you are all set to take away your order of a supersized social media network, the metaverse.</p> </blockquote> <p>In terms of marketing, this provides a new opportunity. The biometric data essential to a virtual reality experience is also available to develop “<a href="https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/jetlaw/vol23/iss1/1/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">biometric psychographics</a>”, allowing for the even greater personalisation of advertising.</p> <p>Virtual alcohol brands created and used by avatars in the metaverse support the development of brand allegiance in real life, and virtual reality will transform e-commerce experiences and increase the power of sponsorship.</p> <p>AB InBev, the largest global alcohol corporation, was an early adopter of the metaverse. One of its brands, <a href="https://sifted.eu/articles/metaverse-brands-nft/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stella Artois</a>, is sponsoring the Australian Zed Run platform on which virtual horses can be raced, bred and traded. The Zed Run platform experienced 1,000% growth in early 2021.</p> <figure class="align-center "><em><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464116/original/file-20220518-23-f6cjil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464116/original/file-20220518-23-f6cjil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464116/original/file-20220518-23-f6cjil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464116/original/file-20220518-23-f6cjil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464116/original/file-20220518-23-f6cjil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464116/original/file-20220518-23-f6cjil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464116/original/file-20220518-23-f6cjil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Two people stand in front of a screen with a digital image of a horse." /></em><figcaption><em><span class="caption">Digital horse racing game Zed Run has exploded in popularity, with alcohol companies using the digital platform to reach a new audience.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/performers-tyra-cartledge-and-kendall-drury-takes-part-in-a-news-photo/1329475903?adppopup=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images</a></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>Regulating to reduce alcohol harm</strong></p> <p>The digital world is extremely dynamic. It is also opaque to most policy makers and public health practitioners. It is telling that there is no reference to the metaverse as a cross-border alcohol marketing opportunity in the WHO report.</p> <p>There is an urgent need for debate regarding how policy makers should better understand the risks involved with the targeted marketing of hazardous products such as alcohol.</p> <p>The WHO report outlines various partial and unsuccessful approaches to regulating marketing in the digital media.</p> <p>Attempts, such as <a href="https://helda.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10138/303690/Alcohol_marketing_on_social_media_sites_in_Finland_and_Sweden_2019.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Finland’s</a> regulation of user-shared branded material, have failed because they did not interfere with the basic architecture of the social media platforms, which is predicated on engagement via sharing and liking.</p> <p>The most successful examples offered by the WHO report have been countries like Norway, which have imposed a complete ban on alcohol marketing including in the digital media.</p> <p>The report emphasises the need for surveillance and enforcement, suggesting ways in which alcohol companies could be penalised for marketing breaches.</p> <p>The support provided by international agreements such as the <a href="https://fctc.who.int/who-fctc/overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Framework Convention on Tobacco Control</a> is identified as a possible template for future discussions.</p> <p>The response to tobacco marketing provides a good and largely effective model for officials and policy makers. That said, the public health goal for alcohol is not equivalent to the smokefree goal. Advocates are not trying to eliminate alcohol altogether.</p> <p>However, there are parallel arguments in favour of creating a healthier media environment through regulation to prevent the promotion of alcohol products via increasingly sophisticated technological and psychological tools.</p> <p>These products are significant causes of reduced well-being, and this marketing increases consumption and therefore harm. The messages of the WHO report are timely and should be heeded.<!-- 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/183334/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/sally-casswell-862029" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sally Casswell</a>, Professor of public health policy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/massey-university-806" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Massey University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/alcohol-marketing-has-crossed-borders-and-entered-the-metaverse-how-do-we-regulate-the-new-digital-risk-183334" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

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New Zealand’s borders to open earlier than expected

<p dir="ltr">New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed that New Zealand’s border will be open to all visitors from July 31 - two months earlier than expected.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-dbea8701-7fff-c58d-99ec-45bddeacb5ad"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">While speaking at a Business NZ lunch in Auckland on Wednesday, Ms Ardern confirmed the new date for reopening, initially set for October, which will see all visa categories be allowed in.</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/CdZ_FWOsVC5/?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/CdZ_FWOsVC5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Grounded Kiwis (@groundedkiwis)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Ms Ardern also announced changes to immigration, including pathways for highly skilled workers in global demand to gain residency, as reported by the <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-omicron-outbreak-jacinda-ardern-confirms-new-zealands-borders-fully-reopen-from-july-31/XF6OWFMGGLRGXTENVOSRQKGV5U/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“New Zealand is in demand and now fully open for business,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This will be welcome news for families, businesses and our migrant communities. It also provides certainty and good preparation time for airlines  and cruise ship companies planning a return to New Zealand in the peak spring and summer seasons.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The changes will also be welcomed by the tertiary education sector - who can now welcome back international students, as well as industries suffering from worker shortages and split migrant families who need visas and have been separated for over two years.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d5a93264-7fff-db7a-b2a6-ce020df09509"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Pauline Hanson declared Mother of the Year

<p>One Nation senator Pauline Hanson has been declared Mother of the Year, despite not knowing she was nominated for the award. </p> <p>Hanson, who is a mother of four children and a stepdaughter, was chosen by the Christian organisation Family Voice as a “worthy recipient, given her commitment to family and the community and indeed Australia as a member of federal parliament”.</p> <p>The politician ad grandmother of six said she was "very honoured" to receive the award, and said she is looking forward to spending time with her family on Mother's Day after working hard on the campaign trail. </p> <p>“You’re never over being a mother until the day that you die,” she said. “The children may be adults but they come to you for guidance and ­advice and support they need throughout their lives.”</p> <p>Pauline said the award came as a great shock, as the 67-year-old had no idea she was in the running. </p> <p>“I had no idea, I didn’t even know I was nominated,” she said. “Until they contacted my office and said they had this competition and they wanted you to nominate and they told me there was overwhelming support for me."</p> <p>“It’s out of the box. As a politician people look at you for the policies and what you stand so this is something completely different. Very few politicians get awards of this sort outside of their political career. So it’s a great honour.”</p> <p>Last year's winner of the coveted award was Sydney woman Leila Abdallah, who lost three of her children after a drunk and drugged driver hit them on a street in Sydney‘s west.</p> <p>NSW director of Family Voice Australia Greg Bondar said the criteria for nominees was to “exemplify in her life and conduct the power of a mother’s inner strength to deal with the successes and challenges in life”.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

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As borders reopen, can New Zealand reset from high volume to ‘high values’ tourism?

<p>With the <a href="https://covid19.govt.nz/international-travel/travel-to-new-zealand/when-new-zealand-borders-open/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reopening of New Zealand’s borders</a> from next week, the future of tourism comes into sharp relief. Flattened by the pandemic and having survived on domestic consumption for two years, the industry has a choice: try to revive the old ways, or develop a new model.</p> <p>If tourism minister Stuart Nash has his way, there is <a href="https://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/otago-university-tourism-policy-school-%E2%80%9Cstructural-change-regenerative-tourism%E2%80%9D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">no going back</a>. “Tourism won’t return to the way it was,” he told Otago University’s <a href="https://events.otago.ac.nz/otps2022/programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tourism Policy School</a> recently, “it will be better.”</p> <p>But how? The question is coming down to the various definitions of “value” – both the monetary and less tangible kinds.</p> <p>When Nash <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/430862/tourism-minister-to-ban-tourist-vans-that-are-not-self-contained" target="_blank" rel="noopener">addressed a tourism summit</a> in late 2020, “high value” clearly meant “high spending”. New Zealand would “unashamedly” target the wealthy – the type of tourist who “flies business class or premium economy, hires a helicopter, does a tour around Franz Josef and then eats at a high-end restaurant.”</p> <p>The minister also asked: “Do you think that we want to become a destination for those freedom campers and backpackers who don’t spend much and leave the high net worth individuals to other countries?”</p> <p>There was immediate concern that such a policy would overlook the broader <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-reasons-why-banishing-backpackers-and-targeting-wealthy-tourists-would-be-a-mistake-for-nz-150639" target="_blank" rel="noopener">value of “lower-end”</a> tourism: backpackers and other budget tourists might not spend as much per day, but they tend to travel for longer periods, bring dollars to remoter locations, and often work in understaffed industries like horticulture and hospitality.</p> <p>At the same time, high-spending tourists hiring helicopters tend to place a high per-capita burden on the environment and contribute more to <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-borders-open-and-international-travel-resumes-will-new-zealands-sky-high-aviation-emissions-take-off-again-179941" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate change</a>. Clearly, what constitutes “high value” is up for debate.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">'Warmest welcome you can imagine' - PM opens doors to tourists <a href="https://t.co/7zj7bHbbaw">https://t.co/7zj7bHbbaw</a></p> <p>— RNZ News (@rnz_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/rnz_news/status/1504711690478268416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><strong>From high value to high values</strong></p> <p>Now, however, the minister is <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/top/463982/tourism-can-no-longer-be-built-on-the-back-of-cheap-labour-stuart-nash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defining the high-value tourist</a> differently. They give back more than they take, appreciate those working in the tourism sector, are keen to learn about the people and places they are visiting, are environmentally aware and offset their carbon emissions.</p> <p>This shift in thinking prompted one participant at the tourism policy school to suggest that instead of “high value” tourism, New Zealand needs to be talking about “high values” tourism.</p> <p>The sentiment chimed with the policy school’s theme of “structural change for regenerative tourism”, and a general feeling that this will involve looking inward to certain core values that matter to the country.</p> <p>Attendees – including industry leaders, academics, government officials and tourism business owners – supported the idea that “regenerative” in this context matches the important Māori values of <a href="https://teara.govt.nz/en/kaitiakitanga-guardianship-and-conservation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kaitiakitanga</a>, <a href="https://teara.govt.nz/en/kotahitanga-unity-movements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kotahitanga</a> and <a href="https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?keywords=manaakitanga" target="_blank" rel="noopener">manaakitanga</a>, which should inform the future direction of tourism in Aotearoa.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/455950/original/file-20220403-95783-x0s687.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/455950/original/file-20220403-95783-x0s687.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455950/original/file-20220403-95783-x0s687.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455950/original/file-20220403-95783-x0s687.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455950/original/file-20220403-95783-x0s687.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455950/original/file-20220403-95783-x0s687.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455950/original/file-20220403-95783-x0s687.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A carving workshop at Rotorua: according the same respect and mana to hosts and visitors alike.</span> <span class="attribution">Shutterstock</span></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>Mana and manaakitanga</strong></p> <p>The implications of this approach were well articulated by Nadine ToeToe, director of Kohutapu Lodge, an award-winning tourism business in the central North Island. She proposed a new tourism model that advances manaakitanga (kindness and hospitality) to guests, while also enhancing the <a href="https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?idiom=&phrase=&proverb=&loan=&histLoanWords=&keywords=mana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mana</a> of their hosts, local communities and the surrounding environment.</p> <p>With her business based in the area around Murupara, which is beset by historical injustices and downturns in the forestry industry, ToeToe described the potential of tourism to move beyond simple service industry conventions.</p> <p>Rather, more authentic, culturally embedded experiences could be offered, based on building respectful relationships with the people and places visited. This would mean manaakitanga was reciprocal, benefiting both guests and local communities.</p> <p>By being designed to enhance people, community and place, tourism would necessarily break from the old volume-driven model that was putting many natural environments under <a href="https://www.pce.parliament.nz/media/196983/report-pristine-popular-imperilled.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">significant pressure</a> prior to the pandemic.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/455948/original/file-20220403-61039-4aohcx.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/455948/original/file-20220403-61039-4aohcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455948/original/file-20220403-61039-4aohcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455948/original/file-20220403-61039-4aohcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455948/original/file-20220403-61039-4aohcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455948/original/file-20220403-61039-4aohcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455948/original/file-20220403-61039-4aohcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Helicopter sightseeing in the Southern Alps: more than one definition of ‘high value’.</span> <span class="attribution">Shutterstock</span></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>Time for a reset</strong></p> <p>Of course, it is one thing to suggest that tourism respect the wairua (spirit) of the land, and quite another to put the legislative and regulatory frameworks around a pathway to sustainability.</p> <p>To a degree this is beginning to happen already. For example, following concerns about a promised crackdown on freedom camping, the minister stepped back from banning vans that weren’t self-contained. However, proposed <a href="https://www.mbie.govt.nz/immigration-and-tourism/tourism/tourism-projects/responsible-camping/freedom-camping-changes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">policy changes</a> will go to select committee this year, with new rules to be rolled out gradually from next summer.</p> <p>These should align with the <a href="https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-national/freedom-campers-welcome-right-vehicle-right-place" target="_blank" rel="noopener">minister’s view</a> that “… at the heart of the new law will be greater respect for the environment and communities through a ‘right vehicle, right place’ approach” (with fines of up to NZ$1,000 for offenders).</p> <p>The challenge now is to broaden that vision beyond individual businesses, or pockets of concern such as freedom camping, to encompass the entire industry. Because there can be no better time than now for a values-based reset of New Zealand tourism.<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/180298/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/regina-scheyvens-650907" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Regina Scheyvens</a>, Professor of Development Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/massey-university-806" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Massey University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/apisalome-movono-1108178">Apisalome Movono</a>, Senior Lecturer in Development Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/massey-university-806" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Massey University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-borders-reopen-can-new-zealand-reset-from-high-volume-to-high-values-tourism-180298" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Aldi to drop luxe travel range in celebration of international borders reopening

<p style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">International travel is finally back and ALDI is celebrating.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;">For its upcoming Special Buys on April the 6th, ALDI will release a range of products for the “executive traveller”.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;">ALDI said it was also launching the line to celebrate the reopening of New Zealand to Aussies on April the 12th, when we’ll be free to visit our Kiwi neighbours without having to quarantine on arrival.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;">The range includes everything from packing pouches, laptop sleeves and executive backpacks with an internal USB charging port. ALDI will also release premium noise cancelling headphones with bluetooth, an overnight leather bag and a leather satchel or sling bag. ALDI is advising customers to check the Special Buys delay page to know if the items they want will be in stock.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;">The full Executive Travel Special Buys range includes —</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong>Packing pouches — $8.99</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;">A 3-pack of lightweight packing pouches with mesh panels for visibility, a two-way zipper opening and carry handles.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Available in Black, Blue, Pink or White and sizes of 40cm x 30cm x 13cm, 30cm x 28cm x 13cm and 30cm x 21cm x 13cm</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong>Sukin travel pack </strong>— <strong>$11.99</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;">The pack contains cleanser, moisturiser, shampoo, conditioner and body wash all in 50ml sizes.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong>Rechargeable batteries — $11.99</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;">An eight-pack of AA or AAA ($1.50 per battery).</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong>Laptop sleeve — $19.99</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Hard case with soft padded inner, fits most laptops up to 14” and available in Blue, Black, Pink or Grey</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong>Premium two-piece suitcase set — $99.99</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Black with grey piping and comes with double spinner wheels, a TSA lock, an expandable main compartment (5cm).</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong>Premium carry on suitcase — $39.99</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Black with grey piping and comes with double spinner wheels, TSA lock, and an expandable main compartment (4cm).</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong>Overnight leather bag — $89.99</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Buffalo leather bag with easy carry handle, shoulder strap and a spacious interior compartment. Available in dark brown or vintage brown.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong>Leather satchel or sling bag — $69.99</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Assorted styles</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong>Executive backpack — $39.99</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;">With internal USB charging port, a padded laptop/document sleeve and available in Classic Black, Classic Grey or Black Roll-top Style.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong>Premium headphones — $69.99</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Active noise cancelling, built-in microphone for calls, on-ear controls, bluetooth connectivity, up to 21 hours battery life, 40mm driver and includes premium carry case.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 18pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;"><em>Images: Aldi</em></p>

Travel Tips

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'My best man declared his love at my wedding - now we're married'

<p>The groom's best man - at his wedding - allegedly 'stole' the bride from the groom.</p> <p>Desiree White, aged 32, divorced her husband to marry her lifelong friend, who happened to be the best man at their wedding, named Bryant. He confessed his undying love for her while toasting her nuptials to his former best-friend.</p> <p>“He said, ‘I remember the first moment I saw Desiree, I loved her. I fell in love with her. I knew she had to be mine. I thought she was the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen in my life,’” Desiree, from Illinois, said of Bryant’s best man’s speech during her 2010 ceremony.</p> <p>“He said, ‘She’s the best person I’ve ever met. I’ve never met anyone like her. Then I found out she already had a boyfriend and I thought I needed to find out a way to get her, but then I met [White’s ex-husband] and we became friends,’” she recalled.</p> <p>The identity of Desiree’s former spouse is unknown, but she and her ex sat side-by-side, slack-jawed, as Bryant poured out his heart in front of them and their 200 wedding guests.</p> <p>“[Bryant] then just said, ‘Love you both — congratulations.’ It ended there,” she added, noting that her ears “turned red” with embarrassment after his admission.</p> <p>After, a wave of awkwardness then overcame the room, she remembered, saying, “Everyone was kind of laughing — and then it got quiet.”</p> <p>And she was admittedly “confused” by Bryant’s confession, most notably due to the staunchly platonic nature of their friendship.</p> <p>“Bryant and I met each other in class at high school,” she said.</p> <p>“I had a boyfriend at the time and, because of that, I really wasn’t going to talk to other people.”</p> <p>After showing him a picture of her then-boyfriend, Bryant immediately recognised the kid as someone who shared the same lunch period as him. The three formed a tight buddies bond shortly thereafter.</p> <p>“Bryant and my ex-husband became best friends and, because they were guys, they did a lot together. They did everything together,” Desiree said, insisting she did not have any romantic feelings for her now-husband during their formative years.</p> <p>“I set Bryant up [on dates with other women] so many times,” she said.</p> <p>“I’ve been on double dates with him and I always tell people I wouldn’t have ever dated the person he was then.</p> <p>“He had a lot of growing up to do. I didn’t really look at him in that way.”</p> <p>Desiree claims to have vividly remembered the look of affection that Bryant wore when he saw her adorned in her dress on the morning of her wedding.</p> <p>“On the wedding day, I walked into the living room, right when I was done getting ready with my wedding dress on and my hair done. Bryant came into my parents’ house and froze and stared at me,” she recounted.</p> <p>“I said, ‘Hey, what’s up?’ He said I looked beautiful. I’d never had a moment of him looking at me like that.”</p> <p>She ended up proceeding on to her wedding and got married. Bryant, in turn, reportedly got drunk and then publicly professed his love for her - but it didn’t stop at his best man’s speech.</p> <p>Later that evening, Desiree shared a dance with him while her new husband danced with her maid of honour. She recalled that while boogying with Bryant, he said, “Why didn’t you ever give me a chance? I would have always taken care of you.”</p> <p>“I asked him what he meant and he said, ‘Nothing. I love you, I love [White’s ex-husband],’ ” she recounted. “Then he got quiet.”</p> <p>Following her big day of festivities, she hoped she’d “misinterpreted” Bryant’s declaration of love and tried sweep it “under the carpet”.</p> <p>“I’m sure it was because he was really drunk and lonely,” she recalled thinking to herself at the time.</p> <p>However, less than a year later, when her marriage began to crumble because her then-husband had adopted “a totally different lifestyle,” Desiree’s relationship with Bryant took a sudden romantic turn.</p> <p>“When [my ex and I] broke up and divorced, I went through a depression and was really secluded myself. I just didn’t want to make an effort for anything,” she said, noting Bryant showered her with emotional support during the separation.</p> <p>“He’d ask me to eat with him or hang out and watch a show. He was trying to be there for me.”</p> <p>Then, to her surprise: “Bryant and I just kissed one day when we were hanging out.”</p> <p>“It was out of nowhere. When he kissed me, I didn’t stop it, then I kissed him back,” she said.</p> <p>Almost immediately, the friends became lovers. And, within a year, she became pregnant with their first son, Sawyer, who’s now 9, and the couple got married in 2012.</p> <p>“[Bryant] said, ‘I always wanted to marry you and this isn’t because of the baby, but let’s start this family right’,” she explained.</p> <p>“We were always friends but when we were together [romantically], it was like nothing was hard to do anymore knowing we had each other.”</p> <p>Now a mother to her and Bryant’s four boys, Desiree said she’s living the dream.</p> <p>“We love being parents. Twenty-year-old Desiree wouldn’t think she could be a mum-of-four kids,” she proclaimed.</p> <p>Desiree first shared her story on TikTok where it quickly went viral, many declaring the story was hard to believe.</p> <p>“This is for real,” she told one commenter. “It’s my real life.”</p>

Relationships

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What happens to your money when borders close?

<p dir="ltr">It’s probably on everybody’s bucket list to travel the world…or wherever they can afford.</p> <p dir="ltr">After two years of closed borders thanks to Covid, some individuals are still waiting for their refund for the trips that never happened. </p> <p dir="ltr">Australian owned and operated online travel company checkmyfares.com has recently come under fire for not refunding the money to their customers who weren’t able to travel. </p> <p dir="ltr">Jonathan Sanderson spent $3,200 on flights to Fiji and was unable to go due to the pandemic which saw Australia’s borders close. </p> <p dir="ltr">Almost two years since the borders shut, Mr Sanderson is still waiting for his money. </p> <p dir="ltr">"I want my refund and I want it now," he told <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/travel-company-refuses-customers-holiday-their-refunds/aaf75d38-735a-483e-8a27-e1eeeabd74f1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Current Affair</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I think it's disgusting. I can't believe a company like this can operate in Australia and get away with it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Fifi Sajuit was another customer waiting on $6,700 for a cancelled trip to Canada.</p> <p dir="ltr">She received confirmation from Air Canada that her tickets were refunded when in fact they weren’t. </p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Sajuit was eventually refunded most of her money after the episode aired, but she claims they “treated me really badly” every time she asked for it. </p> <p dir="ltr">Consumer advocate Adam Glezer slammed the company’s behaviour toward customers, saying money should always be given back “as soon as possible”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"You shouldn't be holding on to anyone's money for any lengthy period of time at all," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"If a travel agent of any kind receives money back, they should be giving it back as soon as possible."</p> <p dir="ltr">The company issued a statement to the program saying they had been working with clients non-stop throughout the pandemic. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Checkmyfares.com</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Groom moved to tears by step-daughter's emotional declaration

<p>A 12-year-old girl has found a way to make her mother's wedding all the more special. </p> <p>Just moments before her mother, Tia, was set to marry her soon-to-be husband Frank, 12-year-old Aryanna stepped onto the altar for a touching declaration. </p> <p>While all the guests knew what Aryanna had in store, the groom was the only one who was in the dark about what the girl was planning. </p> <p>When handing him an envelope, Aryanna said, “I’ve waited 2,555 days for this moment. Frank, will you be my dad?”</p> <p>Tyson teared up after hearing the question, immediately saying yes before embracing Aryanna into a hug.</p> <p>The significance of the 2,555 days is because that's the length of time Aryanna felt Tyson was already her father, having spent that number of days with her mum, Tia. </p> <p>In a video that was shared after the nuptials, the officiant of the ceremony said, “It was always a joke that Aryanna was going to get Frank’s last name before Tia.”</p> <p>Tyson also shared his feelings on the moment in a confessional style video after the wedding, explaining, “When she came up to the altar, I thought I knew what was about to happen and then as she started talking obviously I knew.”</p> <p>“It was an amazing feeling. When she started reading her note and it all clicked, I just pretty much became speechless,” Tyson said, before reflecting on what the future holds.</p> <p>“The most I’m looking forward to is just her being her. Her being the social butterfly and becoming into a woman and who she is and just being herself: a strong, independent woman, is what I love most and just being a successful person.”</p> <p>Tia, Frank and Aryanna are now waiting on a court date to make their new family official. </p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VLqObqwVNPg" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><em>Image credits: NBC</em></p>

Relationships

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Jacinda Ardern announces plan to reopen New Zealand

<p>After months of being closed to locals stranded overseas, New Zealand is planning to reopen its borders. </p><p>Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern annouced the plan for New Zealand citizens to return home in a speech on Thursday, and detailed a new scheme to reconnect the country to the rest of the world. </p><p>New Zealanders who have been stranded in Australia will be able to return home form February 27th, while citizens suck in other parts of the world will have to wait until March 13th.</p><p>The country still boasts strict border policies, with residents located across the world have been forced to enter a lottery system to gain a place in New Zealand's hotel quarantine system. </p><p>However, Ms Ardern said the stringent policies would now change. </p><p>"The tools we used yesterday to help battle this health crisis, they won't stay the same," she said. </p><p>She said there was "no question" the managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) system "has been one of the hardest parts of the pandemic".</p><p>From the end of the month, returning New Zealanders will be allowed to isolate at home instead of facing an overcrowded hotel quarantine system. </p><p>While this new rule only applies to New Zealand citizens, it is expected Australian tourists and travellers from visa-waiver countries will be allowed in under similar conditions "no later than" July. </p><p>Visa holders, including international students and migrant workers, will be allowed in and to isolate at home from mid-April. </p><p>Non-visa holders can expect to enter New Zealand in October. </p><p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

International Travel

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Damning full-page ad slams Ardern’s border policy

<p dir="ltr">New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/jacinda-ardern-popularity-plunges-as-kiwis-struggle-to-return-home/e350bbd6-907c-4bd9-be82-63037dc52269" target="_blank" rel="noopener">openly criticised</a> in a full-page ad regarding the country’s strict border policy, after news emerged of a pregnant New Zealand journalist fighting to return home to give birth.</p><p dir="ltr">The advertisement, taken out by prominent businessman Michael Horton in one of New Zealand’s most widely-read magazines, claimed that New Zealand was one of the few countries not allowing its citizens to return home.</p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-2ce06cae-7fff-55cf-e942-5c571f5e3dc0"></span></p><p dir="ltr">Under the headline, “The following countries do not ban their own citizens from returning to their home country”, the ad listed dozens of countries, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">This ad, sponsored by Michael Horton, appears in the January 29 <a href="https://twitter.com/nzlistener?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nzlistener</a>. Thank you Michael. <a href="https://twitter.com/nzgovt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nzgovt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/govtnz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@govtnz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jacindaardern?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jacindaardern</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZGTW2iFHUr">pic.twitter.com/ZGTW2iFHUr</a></p>— Graeme Jennings (@Graeme_rj) <a href="https://twitter.com/Graeme_rj/status/1484343384357494786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2022</a></blockquote><p dir="ltr">Above it, another headline read, “The following countries effectively ban their own citizens from returning to their home country”, with New Zealand as the only country listed.</p><p dir="ltr">The ad comes as Charlotte Bell, a 35-year-old journalist  who was working in Qatar for Al Jazeera until recently, remains stranded in Afghanistan, despite being triple-vaccinated and ready to isolate upon her return to her home country.</p><p dir="ltr">Kiwis looking to return home are required to secure a place in government-run quarantine, through a system called Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ).</p><p dir="ltr">According to the MIQ website, travellers are advised to book their place in MIQ - with spots gradually released in the months prior to flight arrivals - before booking their flights.</p><p dir="ltr">“In periods of high demand, some people will miss out on securing an MIQ voucher, regardless of the system that is used,” the website reads.</p><p dir="ltr">As a result of the high demand for the 4500 available spots, thousands of New Zealanders have been unable to return home in time to be with dying family members or be present for milestone moments.</p><p dir="ltr">The system, which used a weekly lottery system to allocate vouchers until early January, has been fully booked out for months in advance which has also meant that impromptu travel or returning for emergencies - such as in Ms Bell’s case - remains virtually impossible. </p><p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0e7e5743-7fff-7d75-76eb-89bdc2ad4ad7"></span></p><p dir="ltr">Ms Bell published an open letter in <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-omicron-charlotte-bellis-an-open-letter-on-miq/U4WQGYTJHUP36AGVOBN3F6PJSE/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New Zealand Herald</a></em> over the weekend detailing how she was forced to seek refuge in Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul, after she was no longer able to work in Qatar because it is illegal to be pregnant and unmarried there.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF;border: 0;border-radius: 3px;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/CZSRlVysIQF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"><div style="padding: 16px"><div style="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="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="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="flex-direction: row;margin-bottom: 14px;align-items: center"><div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 50%;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px"> </div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;height: 12.5px;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"> </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"> </div></div><div style="margin-left: auto"><div style="width: 0px;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right: 8px solid transparent"> </div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;flex-grow: 0;height: 12px;width: 16px"> </div><div style="width: 0;height: 0;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left: 8px solid transparent"> </div></div></div><div style="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"><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/CZSRlVysIQF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Charlotte Bellis (@charlottebellis)</a></p></div></blockquote><p dir="ltr">“This is ridiculous. It is my legal right to go to New Zealand, where I have healthcare, where I have family. All my support is there,” she <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/from-kabul-pregnant-reporter-fights-nz-govt-to-come-home/94ed99be-8bbf-4ed0-a0f3-10a77e52ff84" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.</p><p dir="ltr">Ms Bell first attempted to secure residency in Belgium - where her partner is from - but said the length of the process meant she would have been left in the country with an expired visa.</p><p dir="ltr">With the option to either hop from country to country on tourist visas or attempt to secure a more long-term stay while she fought to return home, Ms Bell and her partner returned to Afghanistan because they had a visa, felt welcome, and could continue their battle there.</p><p dir="ltr">Critics like Mr Horton have claimed the lottery system is a needlessly punishing process as more than 90 percent of the country’s population have been fully vaccinated and boosters continue to be administered.</p><p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, Ms Ardern’s approval ratings have taken a hit, with a recent 1 News Kantor poll indicating that her current approval rate sits at just 35 percent, the lowest it’s been since she became Prime Minister in 2017.</p><p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ff3c29b5-7fff-be5f-acb9-82fc7a0f93fa"></span></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @charlottebellis (Instagram)</em></p>

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