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Julia Child's iconic home hits the market

<p dir="ltr">The Washington DC home of famed chef Julia Child has hit the market with an asking price of $3.5 million.</p> <p dir="ltr">Child lived at the 290-square metre yellow clapboard house, where she created some of her most famous dishes that appeared in her book,<span> </span><em>Master the Art of French Cooking</em>, between 1948 and 1959.</p> <p dir="ltr">The three-bedroom and three-and-a-half bathroom home has been restored and renovated by its current owner, Rory Veveers-Carter, since he purchased it for $935,000 in 2015.</p> <p dir="ltr">It also underwent renovations during Child’s time, when she installed a $400 Garland Model stove that is now on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.</p> <p dir="ltr">Now, the kitchen features stainless steel Viking appliances, an eight-burner cooktop stove, double stacked ovens, a wooden hearth, and a wine fridge.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, the original kitchen walls and window that appeared on Child’s cooking shows have remained untouched.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Encased in glass, this window to history that sparked an American food revolution is a classic conversation starter for guests,” the<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2706-Olive-St-NW-Washington-DC-20007/428757_zpid/" target="_blank">listing</a><span> </span>said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The listing also revealed that Mr Veveers-Carter's grandmother was an "avid watcher of Julia's cooking shows" and was drawn to the home after "the building fell into disrepair … work(ing) tirelessly to preserve this landmark house".</p> <p dir="ltr">Along with the famed kitchen where Child created many of her well-known recipes, the house has an open-plan design including an office, living room, foyer, fireplace and powder room.</p> <p dir="ltr">The upstairs floor houses a master bedroom and ensure, as well as two other bedrooms, with one that comes with an adjacent full bath.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Veveers-Carter also transformed the space under the kitchen into a den, laundry area and private Turkish steam room.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the<span> </span><em>Washington Post</em>, the home was first built in 1869 by African American architect Edgar Murphy, who lived there with his family until his death in 1908.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images, Zillow</em></p>

Real Estate

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Denzel Washington to star in R-rated Macbeth

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Academy Award winner Denzel Washington will be taking on the titular character of Macbeth in </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Tragedy of Macbeth</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a new adaptation of the famous Shakespearean tragedy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://movieweb.com/the-tragedy-of-macbeth-teaser-a24/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">new teaser</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> sees Washington depict the fictional Scottish lord in stark black-and-white in an eerie and otherworldly version of medieval Scotland.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height:0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845673/_0-19-screenshot-1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/6feccf71e63c402d99b87f90984344e9" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Frances McDormand will star alongside Washington in the new adaptation. Image: A24</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“In meticulously world-weary performances, a strikingly inward Denzel Washington is the man who would be king, and an effortlessly Machiavellian Frances McDormand is his Lady,” the New York Film Festival’s announcement of the film reads.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The film is directed by Joel Coen - one half of the Coen brothers - though this time he will be working solo. </span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRoxy5pIXjd/?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> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRoxy5pIXjd/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by A24 (@a24)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Famed actress Kathryn Hunter will also join the cast as a trio of ‘weird sisters’, alongside Brendan Gleeson as King Duncan, Corey Hawkins as Macduff, and </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Queen’s Gambit </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">star Moses Ingram as Lady MacDuff.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Though it echoes the forbidding visual designs - and aspect ratios - of Laurence Olivier’s classic 1940’s Shakespeare adaptations, as well as the bloody medieval madness of Kurosawa’s </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Throne of Blood</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Coen’s tale of sound and fury is entirely his own,” the announcement reads.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUDKPNFrkku/?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> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUDKPNFrkku/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by A24 (@a24)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coen previously shared his aspirations for the film, with hopes it will be a “boldly inventive visualisation of the Scottish Play” and “an anguished film that stares, mouth agape, at a sorrowful world undone by blind greed and thoughtless ambition”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The film made its debut at the 2021 New York Film Festival in September and is due to be released in select theatres on December 25. It will then be streaming on Apple TV+ on January 14, 2022.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">See the latest teaser trailer below.</span></p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bk6VArB6_us" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: A24</span></em></p>

Movies

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"Grief hits us like tsunamis": Heartbreak for Richard E Grant

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Actor Richard E. Grant has shared how his heart is breaking following the death of Joan Washington, his wife of 35 years.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Grant said he was overwhelmed by the support he received from fans, fellow actors, and loved ones.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“[We’re] overwhelmed by the messages of love, condolence &amp; support we have received from loved ones and strangers from all over the world and the appreciation from actors Joan taught over the years,” the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Posh Nosh</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> star wrote on Twitter.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Overwhelmed by the messages of love, condolence &amp; support we have received from loved ones &amp; strangers from all over the world &amp; the appreciation from actors Joan taught over the years. Grief hits us like tsunamis as we try and put one foot in front of the other without her 💔 <a href="https://t.co/VDhpFQwmrh">pic.twitter.com/VDhpFQwmrh</a></p> — Richard E. Grant (@RichardEGrant) <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardEGrant/status/1434221078696562691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Grief hits us like tsunamis as we try and put one foot in front of the other without her.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Grant announced his wife’s passing on Twitter on Friday, sharing a video of him dancing with her to a song by the Platters.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“ONLY YOU! Joan - Love of my Life &amp; Giver of Life to our daughter Olivia,” he captioned the clip.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Our hearts are broken with the loss of your life last night. 35 years married &amp; 38 together.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“To be truly known and seen by you, is your immeasurable gift. Do not forget us, sweet Monkee-mine.”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">🎵ONLY YOU!🎵Joan - Love of my Life &amp; Giver of Life to our daughter Olivia. Our hearts are broken with the loss of your Life last night. 35 years married &amp; 38 together. To be truly known and seen by you, is your immeasurable gift. Do not forget us, sweet Monkee-mine 💔💔💔💔💔💔 <a href="https://t.co/YcdVAVK1ja">pic.twitter.com/YcdVAVK1ja</a></p> — Richard E. Grant (@RichardEGrant) <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardEGrant/status/1433723682870997001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Washington worked as a voice and dialect coach with many Hollywood stars during her long career.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She worked with Anne Hathaway, Cate Blanchett, Jessica Chastain, and Vanessa Redgrace, as well as with actors on both </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Star Wars: The Phantom Menace</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Attack of the Clones</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hollywood stars have since shared their tributes to the leading dialect coach, including Chastain.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“My heart is broken,” she wrote on Twitter. “Joan Washington had such a profound impact on me, yes, as an artist, but mostly as a woman. Every day I was excited to go to work and giggle with Joan.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“She was a barometer of truth with a wicked sense of humour. I loved her very much.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mad Max</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Favourite</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> actor Nicholas Hoult shared a message thanking Washington for her kindness.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I can never thank her enough for all her kindness, the lessons she taught me and the memories I’ll cherish,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Comic and actress Dawn French also paid tribute to Washington.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Joan Washington will ALWAYS be remembered by those of us who knew her and were taught by her, as a PHENOMENAL WOMAN. So much love to Richard E. Grant and all the family,” French said.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Richard E. Grant / Instagram</span></em></p>

Family & Pets

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Reporters’ book holds new insights on Trump

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A new book penned by </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Washington Post </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">reporters Yasmeen Abutaleb and Damian Paletta has become a source of </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jun/29/trump-white-house-covid-taskforce-fauci" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">shocking revelations</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> about the Trump administration at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Titled </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/nightmare-scenario-yasmeen-abutalebdamian-paletta" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nightmare Scenario</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">: Inside the Trump Administration’s Response to the Pandemic that Changed History</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the authors reported on Trump’s contempt for the COVID taskforce chaired by vice-president Mike Pence, which Trump took to referring as “that f****ing council that Mike has” as the pandemic worsened.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The authors wrote that his derisive term for the taskforce was “a signal that he wished it would go away” and “didn’t want anyone to exert leadership”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Many on the taskforce didn’t want the responsibility either, fearful of the consequences.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The book also revealed that Trump wanted to send Americans infected with the virus to Guantanamo Bay and that he hoped his former aide John Bolton would be “taken out” by COVID-19.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The book also examined the influence of “outside consultants” on Trump that undermined the work of the president’s scientific advisors.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This included unofficial advisor Stephen Moore, who the authors said acted as Trump’s “emissary [from] the conservative establishment” and “strode into the Oval Office to convince the president” to end shutdowns and kickstart the economy as cases continued to spiral and the death toll in the US passed 1,000 people.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moore is an economist who was nominated to the board of the Federal Reserve in 2019 by Trump, but withdrew after the Guardian and other outlets reported on controversies in his past.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moore told Abutaleb and Paletta that Trump’s promise to reopen the US economy by Easter 2020 was “the smart thing to do” because “the economic costs of this are mounting and there’s not a lot of evidence that lockdowns are working to stop the spread”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He has also been quoted attacking Dr Anthony Fauci, a former member of the COVID taskforce and the current chief medical advisor to Joe Biden.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Fauci is the villain here,” Moore said. “He has the Napoleon complex, and he thinks he is the dictator who could decide how to run the country.”</span></p>

Books

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"All boarded up": Natalie Barr describes scenes in Washington

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>The US election is days away and <em>Sunrise</em> journalist Natalie Barr is on the ground in Washington D.C, describing the mood as "eerie and scary".</p> <p>Many businesses in the area are concerned about the possibility of violence and unrest after the announcement of the new U.S President and have boarded up their windows with plywood as a result.</p> <p>“I just didn’t expect it to be this bad,” Barr said</p> <p>“Shops, restaurants, cafes and government buildings right through the centre of D.C are all are being boarded up.”</p> <p>“It feels like they’re boarding up for a hurricane.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CHD_36oJjUI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CHD_36oJjUI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Sunrise (@sunriseon7)</a> on Nov 1, 2020 at 1:03pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Barr was in the US in 2016 to report on the election between Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton and said the mood difference was "just scary".</p> <p>“It doesn’t feel like an election, like the sort of celebration mood that we saw four years ago,” she explained.</p> <p>“Last time they were baking biscuits, there were chocolates with little Trump and Hillary faces, they were doing BBQs with the ‘Trump Burger’ and ‘Hillary Burger, it was kind of like a carnival”</p> <p>“But this is just scary.”</p> <p>“The concern is that no matter who wins, there will be unrest”</p> <p>“It feels like a bit of a battleground.”</p> <p>“It’s pretty awful.”</p> </div> </div> </div>

International Travel

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Why Seattle in the Unites States is worth a stay

<p>Seattle is a city of contrasts. Made famous by the grunge bands of the 1990s and the film Sleepless in Seattle starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, Seattle is built on maritime foundations. In a strange way it seems to exude both old-school charm and modern city know-how. Gourmands rub shoulders with tech heads, museums meet marketplaces and the old fuses with the new. </p> <p>Whether you’re here for a week, or en route to the Canadian ski-fields, you will find plenty to see and do in Seattle. </p> <p>The foodie trail is worth a trawl to get your taste buds tingling. Fresh produce abounds in the Pike Place Markets on the waterfront in downtown Seattle. Wander along the stalls at lunchtime and you will be serenaded by busking musicians. </p> <p>When in Seattle, you have to try deliciously fresh salmon. Pick up a fillet or some smoked salmon at one of the many Pike Place fish-mongers or dine in style at a quaint cafe. If you time it right, you may also witness the famous local tradition of fish-throwing. </p> <p>Across the road you’ll stumble on a hefty queue for the original Starbucks café, which is worth a visit, if only for the historical value. For something sweet, try a homemade treat from one of the First Avenue bakeries. Pop into Beecher’s Handmade Cheese to witness the dairy production process from pail to platter and they will let you do some taste-testing. </p> <p>Start with an Argosy Harbour Cruise tour for information about the history of trade and shipping. The cruise also offers great views from the shipyards. </p> <p>Nearby the Seattle Aquarium has a fabulous exhibition on the life cycle of salmon and introducing puffins, seals and otters. </p> <p>No trip to Seattle would be complete without a visit to the Space Needle. Seattle’s proudest monument, is worth a visit for bird’s eye views over the rooftops and city streets, although the ascent is not very accessible. </p> <p>In the shadow of the Space Needle you’ll find Chihuly Garden and gallery which, showcases the spectacular works of renowned glassblower and sculptor Dave Chihuly. The artist’s works are on display in many famous hotels, including Atlantis in the Bahamas. Inside the gallery,  large-scale long-stemmed flowers are illuminated in the dark exhibition space. Outisde colourful orbs and swirls bring a touch of fun to the garden. The show-stopper is the hanging glass vine on the ceiling of a huge glasshouse. It reflects the natural light beneath the silhouette of the Space Needle.</p> <p>If you’re feeling adventurous, other attractions covered by your City Pass include Pacific Science Centre, the funky Museum of Pop Culture, and the Woodland Park Zoo which is on Seattle’s outskirts. </p> <p>Perry Como and Bobby Sherman famously waxed lyrical about Seattle in their 1950s and 1960s hit singles, crooning that “the hills are the greenest green in Seattle.” A day trip to one of the parks outside the city will offer up excellent hiking trails and in winter great ski spots for the powder hounds. Canada’s Vancouver is also only a 3.5 hour drive from Seattle. If you hire a car in Seattle – it could save you up to a third of the cost of the Canadian equivalent. </p> <p>The beauty of Seattle’s tourist centre is that most sites are accessible on foot. Short walks, a cab or an Uber drive have the city covered – you can use the Monorail system although this is better suited to commuters than sightseers. </p> <p>The weather is characteristically wet and drizzly. It generally remains above zero year-round and reaches its hottest at 18C in July. The rain doesn’t stop people from being out and about so be sure to pack a light rain jacket or poncho. Chat to locals to find out more about the city’s best kept secrets, especially when it comes to up-and-coming cafes or quirky galleries and museums. Seattle’s population of roughly 700,000 are relaxed, approachable and welcoming.</p> <p>After a busy day out and about you won’t be sleepless in Seattle. We recommend a stay at the Mayflower Park Hotel. The cosy, intimate hotel with its grand, old-style interior is located within walking distance to the town centre, and right on the subway line making airport transfers easy. The staff will be calling you by name in no time, testament to the impressive hospitality and enchanting, traditional ambiance. A luxurious Executive Suite with two bathrooms, a sitting room and dining table can be enjoyed for less than $200 US.</p> <p><em>Written by Sophie Cullen. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.mydiscoveries.com.au/stories/settle-in-to-seattle-why-seattle-is-worth-a-stay/">MyDiscoveries.</a> </em></p>

Cruising

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Bei Bei the giant panda leaves Washington for China

<p>Bei Bei the giant panda was born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington D.C in 2015.</p> <p>However, he’s heading back to China after an agreement with the zoo. It means that giant pandas go back to China after the giant panda turns 4.</p> <p>Bei Bei was named by former First Lady Michelle Obama and China’s First Lady Peng Liyuan and was the first generation of pandas to live at the National Zoo.</p> <p>"Bei Bei is part of our family," Steve Monfort, a zoo director, told <em><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/17/us/bei-bei-giant-panda-national-zoo-trnd/index.html">CNN</a></em>. "Our team has cared for him, learned from him and, along with millions, loved watching him grow."</p> <p>“We’re sad he’s leaving, but excited for the contributions he will make to the global giant panda population. Bei Bei is an ambassador for conservation and part of a 47-year program that proves bringing species and habitats back from the brink is possible through global cooperation.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Bei Bei always sticks the landing. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ByeByeBeiBei?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ByeByeBeiBei</a> <a href="https://t.co/gEFU641UGs">pic.twitter.com/gEFU641UGs</a></p> — National Zoo (@NationalZoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/NationalZoo/status/1196422839672475648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">18 November 2019</a></blockquote> <p>If you’re worried about how he’s travelling, Bei Bei gets his own private jet for the journey from Washington to China.</p> <p>It’s called the Panda Express and he has great snack options on board, including 66 pounds of bamboo, snacks and water. As giant pandas eat 20 to 40 pounds of bamboo each day, this should last Bei Bei a day and a half on his long journey.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Wheels up on the FedEx Panda 🐼 Express! ✈️ You can track Bei Bei’s flight FDX9759 here: <a href="https://t.co/PizokJyYDt">https://t.co/PizokJyYDt</a> Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/FedEx?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FedEx</a>! <a href="https://t.co/N93Y7HVS3r">pic.twitter.com/N93Y7HVS3r</a></p> — National Zoo (@NationalZoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/NationalZoo/status/1196844909979938818?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">19 November 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Bei Bei is the third giant panda that was born at the zoo to move to China, following Tai Shan who moved in 2010 and Bao Bao who moved in 2017.</p> <p>In order to celebrate his time at the zoo, Bei Bei was awarded with an ice cake which had some of his favourite treats, such as sugar cane and sweet potato.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">🐼🎂 Here’s a close up of Bei Bei’s ice cake! It featured some of his fav treats like sugar cane and sweet potato! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ByeByeBeiBei?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ByeByeBeiBei</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PandaStory?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PandaStory</a> <a href="https://t.co/MJYuLAoHEG">pic.twitter.com/MJYuLAoHEG</a></p> — National Zoo (@NationalZoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/NationalZoo/status/1196115384354721792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">17 November 2019</a></blockquote> <p>He has now arrived safely in China and is in safe hands at the Bifengxia Panda Base. The animal care team at the Smithsonian zoo will stay with him for a few days to make sure that Bei Bei adjusts well to his new home.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">🐼 🛬 Bei Bei has arrived safely in China. Our animal care team will go with Bei Bei to his new home and stay with him for a few days at the Bifengxia Panda Base. Thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/FedEx?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FedEx</a> and their crew! Thanks for the outpouring of support for Bei Bei ❤️and our panda team! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ByeByeBeiBei?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ByeByeBeiBei</a> <a href="https://t.co/rFf9aXZYQc">pic.twitter.com/rFf9aXZYQc</a></p> — National Zoo (@NationalZoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/NationalZoo/status/1197090641177649153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">20 November 2019</a></blockquote> <p>There are an estimated 1,800 giant pandas left in the wild and they are listed as “vulnerable” in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.</p>

Family & Pets

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Iconic Washington Monument set to reopen this month

<p><span>Washington Monument is slated to reopen to the public later this month after years of refurbishment works.</span></p> <p><span>For much of the past ten years, visitors were only able to enjoy the iconic American monument from a distance on the National Mall in Washington DC. The site of the obelisk structure was closed in 2011 after a rare 5.8-magnitude earthquake damaged the tower and its elevator, <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/washington-monument-will-reopen-august-180972754/"><em>Smithsonian</em></a> magazine reported.</span></p> <p><span>It took more than two years and US$15 million in repair work before the site reopened in May 2014. However, a couple years later a snapped cable on the elevator that takes people to the 500-foot observation level led to another closure.</span></p> <p><span>Apart from repairs, the National Park Service also added a new glass-and-steel visitor screening centre with “full ballistic and blast protection”, a security office, and a queuing space for 18 to 20 visitors at a time, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/washington-monument-reopening-washington-dc/index.html"><em>CNN Travel</em></a> reported.  </span></p> <p><span>“The modernization of the monument’s elevator is substantially complete, with just final testing and certification of the safety systems remaining,” a representative said in late July.</span></p>

International Travel

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"I've made massive strides": Nick Kyrgios' stunning victory

<p>Nick Kyrgios has won his sixth ATP title after defeating World no. 10 Daniil Medvedev at the Citi Open in Washington.</p> <p>The Aussie beat the 23-year-old Russian in a straight sets 7-6(6) 7-6(4) victory to secure his second ATP 500 title of the season and improve his record against top 10 players in 2019 to 5-1.</p> <p>Kyrgios is projected to move back into the world’s top 30 from his current ranking of number 52.</p> <p>“This has honestly been one of my favourite weeks of my life. I’ve made massive strides,” Kyrgios said.</p> <p>“I’ve proved to a lot of people and myself that I still have it and can produce at the highest level.</p> <p>“All props to Daniil, he’s one of the most consistent players there are on tour.</p> <p>“This week has been one of the best weeks of my life from a tennis perspective and I feel like I’m growing as a person and getting better every day.”</p> <p>Kyrgios shared that he created new friendships off court. </p> <p>“I made friends with the smoothie guy, he knew what smoothie I wanted, I was playing ping pongs with kids every day, you guys were awesome,” the 24-year-old said.</p> <p>“We all know how Nick can play when he wants to play,” Medvedev said during the trophy ceremony. “And this week he wanted to play, so it was tough.”</p> <p>According to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.atptour.com/en/news/medvedev-kyrgios-washington-2019-final" target="_blank"><em>ATP Tour</em></a>, Kyrgios is set to receive US$365,390 in prize money, while Medvedev as the runner-up will earn US$183,780.</p>

News

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The 5 best US cities to retire in

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Retirement offers many options so you can get the most enjoyable experiences imaginable. Whether that be sitting at home, working on your fitness, or taking a few cruising trips a year. If you’re a retiree looking for a way to get the best out of where you live and are thinking of a relocation to enjoy your golden years, why not try out a completely different country altogether. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The US offers unique experiences and often an affordable lifestyle that promises you a whole new way of living. </span><em><a href="https://www.forbes.com/pictures/mjf45ejhd/25-best-cities-for-an-active-retirement/#120ccdf46f27"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Forbes</span></a> </em><span style="font-weight: 400;">identified cities that rank high based on outdoor cycling and walking facilities, volunteering opportunities, crime rates and availability of doctors. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Scroll through the gallery above to see the safest, most comfortable and beautiful cities in the US to retire in.   </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Have you been to any of these US cities? Let us know in the comments below. </span></p>

Retirement Life

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Terrified crowd looks on in horror as plane bursts into flames

<p>Terrified crowds looked on in horror as a Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330 plane burst into flames when landing on the tarmac at Seattle airport on Tuesday.</p> <p>The plane was reportedly on a ferry flight from Washington, intended to deliver the aircraft back to its base with members of the crew the only people on board.</p> <p>The shocking footage was captured by people waiting at the terminal.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Waiting to taxi to our gate at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/seatac?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#seatac</a><br />A plane just landed with what appears to be an engine fire. It went out on its own before fire trucks arrived. Hopefully everyone is ok! <a href="https://t.co/Cc8yZgMwSv">pic.twitter.com/Cc8yZgMwSv</a></p> — Cheryl Mander (@messymoose) <a href="https://twitter.com/messymoose/status/928128643347501056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2017</a></blockquote> <p>Hawaiian Airlines <a href="http://www.cbs.com/" target="_blank"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>told CBS news</strong></span></em></a> the aircraft, “experienced a left engine issue on final approach”.</p> <p>“A left engine fire reported upon landing was extinguished by the aircraft fire extinguishing system and local fire officials,” the airline said.</p> <p>Interestingly, the US Federal Aviation Administration has a different version, telling <a href="http://www.cbs.com/" target="_blank"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>CBS</strong> </span></em></a>the plane “experienced a right engine flyer fire upon landing. The fire had already been extinguished by the time fire crews arrived at the aircraft”.</p> <p>What are your thoughts? Have you ever encountered an aircraft issue?</p> <p><em>Hero image credit: Twitter / Cheryl Mander‏</em></p>

International Travel

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82-year-old keyboardist and her band bring the “funk” to Washington D.C. Bar

<p>Every Sunday for the past two years, crowds have flocked to a Washington, D.C. bar called Showtime for a very special musical act: Granny’s Ball of Odds, or Granny and the Boys as they’re called by locals.</p><p>Granny is Alice Donahue, the 82-year-old keyboardist of the funk fusion band who play every Sunday at Showtime. When her husband passed away in 1996, Alice joined a music class for seniors at the University of Maryland. Richard Lynch, the band's drummer, who was working at a restaurant in the school persuaded Alice to manage the group, which she did. More than willing to lend a helping hand, when a keyboardist was needed for a performance, Alice was happy to step into the role.</p><p>“We like to call ourselves an ‘old school’ band. Emphasis on the old,” said the band’s bassist, Roberto Santos. “I'm the baby of the bunch now. I’m 58.”</p><p>The band play a mix of different genres but Alice says their specialty is “funky” music.</p><p>“Funky – that we can do, no problem, and I know the audience likes it because it’s more of what I call ‘pumping music’ – they can get up and really get going on that,” Alice told the Washingtonian.</p><p>While “Granny and the Boys” have been playing together for more than a decade, Alice says that people are still surprised when than see her.</p><p>“Some of them will come up at the bar and watch my hands and look at my shorthand music to make sure I'm actually playing that,” Alice told WAMU. “That I’m not just a prop, sitting there pretending, you know.”</p><p><em>Image credit: Granny and the Boys Facebook&nbsp;</em></p><p><strong>Related links:&nbsp;</strong></p><p><a href="/news/news/2015/02/worlds-oldest-twins-103/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>World’s oldest twins are still close as ever at 103</strong></em></span></a></p><p><a href="/news/news/2015/02/90-year-old-woman-goes-to-school/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>90-year-old woman goes to school to learn to read and write with her great-great-grandchildren</strong></em></span></a></p><p><a href="/news/news/2015/02/paul-mccartney-number-one-single-australia/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Paul McCartney is the oldest person to score a number one single in Australia</strong></em></span></a></p>

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