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Sydney Opera House at 50: a public appeal, a controversial build, a lavish opening – and a venue for all

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-arrow-45">Michelle Arrow</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174">Macquarie University</a> It is one of the most famous buildings in the world. It has an instantly recognisable silhouette that adorns tea towels, bottle openers and souvenir sweatshirts. Miniature versions huddle in snow domes. You can build your own from <a href="https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/sydney-opera-house-10234">Lego</a>. Bidjigal artist and elder Esme Timbery constructed a replica in her trademark <a href="https://recollections.nma.gov.au/issues/volume_7_number_2/papers/displaying_the_decorative">shell art</a>. Ken Done put it on doona covers and bikinis. If you search the hashtag on Instagram, you will see over a million posts. Fifty years ago today, after a prolonged and controversial period of construction, the Sydney Opera House was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in a lavish ceremony. Spectators carrying flasks of coffee and cushions watched from the sidelines. More than 2,000 small boats viewed the ceremony from the water. After the national anthem was played and nine F111 aircraft roared overhead, the crowd heard a didgeridoo and Aboriginal actor Ben Blakeney delivered a prologue “representing the <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110753207">spirit of Bennelong</a>”. In her speech, the Queen remarked the Opera House had “captured the imagination of the world”. The opening festivities gestured both to Australia’s deep Indigenous roots and white imperial origins. The building itself symbolised a new era of state investment in cultural infrastructure. This was a hallmark of the “new nationalism” in the 1970s: the arts were regarded as essential to Australia’s newly confident sense of national identity. Today, the Sydney Opera House reminds us Australia can value culture for its own sake. But what did the Opera House mean to Australians when it opened 50 years ago? <h2>Building the Opera House</h2> The campaign for an Opera House in Sydney was initiated by Sir Eugene Goosens, who came to Australia as conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1947. He found a sympathetic ear in Joe Cahill, the Labor premier who committed Bennelong Point to the project and launched an international competition to design the building in 1955. This part of the story is well-known (indeed, there was even an <a href="https://www.theeighthwondertheopera.com">opera</a>). Danish architect Jørn Utzon’s bold, avant garde design won the competition and construction began in 1961, funded – in a democratic touch – by the NSW government’s Opera House lottery. Construction was plagued by difficulties and expanding costs. Utzon famously resigned from the project in 1966; Australian architect Peter Hall oversaw the construction of the interior. In spite of the jokes and doubts, by the time the building was finished, Australians had embraced the Opera House as their own. The Queen tactfully acknowledged the building’s construction delays in her speech at the opening ceremony, <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110753207">suggesting</a> “every great imaginative venture has had to be tempered by the fire of controversy”. <h2>Cringe and strut</h2> As historians Richard White and Sylvia Lawson <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/35026797/version/50553486?keyword=symbols%20of%20Australia">note</a>, while the Opera House was intended for all performing arts, the centrality of opera – with its expense and small audiences – made a symbolic statement a “new, more sophisticated Australia” had arrived. As Australia sought to find an identity independent of Britain, the Opera House became a symbol of this new nationalist turn. Some fitted the Opera House into older narratives of Britishness: in his book Sydney Builds an Opera House, Oswald Zeigler remarked we needed to thank Captain Arthur Phillip “for finding the site for this symbol of the Australian cultural revolution”. <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110752757">Gough Whitlam declared</a> it was "a magnificent building, Our civilisations are known by their buildings and future generations will honour the people of this generation […] by this building." In spite of this, there was still cultural cringe. The <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110753207">Canberra Times</a> reported the British media believed the Opera House was a sign that “the country had turned a corner artistically”. It was a telling sign of cultural cringe that their opinions were sought at all. The Opera House was part of an Australian cultural renaissance in 1973. The ABC broadcast an adaptation of Ethel Turner’s beloved Seven Little Australians. The bawdy Alvin Purple was a box-office smash. Patrick White became the first (and so far, only) Australian to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. The new wave of Australian drama was in full swing, and the Opera House’s opening season included a play by new wave star David Williamson alongside Shakespeare’s Richard II. Historians have nominated many emblems for the new nationalist mood (from the new national anthem to The Adventures of Barry McKenzie) but I would suggest the Opera House embodies it best: the soaring sails, the bold, rich colours of the interiors, and John Coburn’s glorious, confident curtains for the performance venues. <h2>For the elite or for the people?</h2> There were always objections on the grounds that government investment would be better focused elsewhere, rather than on a performance venue for “elites”. These arguments are wearyingly familiar today. Premier Joe Cahill rejected this charge from the outset: in <a href="https://mhnsw.au/stories/general/sydney-opera-house-the-gold-book/">1959 he declared "</a>the average working family will be able to afford to go there […] the Opera House will, in fact, be a monument to democratic nationhood in its fullest sense." Cahill’s insistence this was a building for everyone to enjoy and be proud of has been fulfilled by its creative use ever since. School children regularly perform; new audiences have been drawn by musicians of all genres, from punk to Prince. But the Opera House has also been a place for creative experimentation and innovative performance – as it should be. Today, 50 years from its opening, the Sydney Opera House reminds us the state still has a role to play in supporting the performing and creative arts in Australia. This radiant, soaring building belongs to all of us: a great reason to celebrate its birthday.<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/213252/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-arrow-45">Michelle Arrow</a>, Professor of History, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174">Macquarie University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/sydney-opera-house-at-50-a-public-appeal-a-controversial-build-a-lavish-opening-and-a-venue-for-all-213252">original article</a>.

Domestic Travel

Return to Venus: private space venture to explore the evening star for life

Is there life on Venus? Research says it once had oceans and would have supported temperatures of about 20-50 degrees Celsius (68-122 degrees Fahrenheit). Towards the end of this decade, NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/return-to-the-forgotten-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">will send probes</a> to find out. If, however, you can’t wait that long, then you’ll want to be getting across a recent announcement of a collaboration between Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) scientists and <a href="https://www.rocketlabusa.com/missions/upcoming-missions/first-private-mission-to-venus/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rocket Lab</a> which will launch a small probe to Venus in May next year. It’s only a small rocket and probe, but it marks a big shift in the way humanity is interacting with space. The first 50 years of spaceflight typically involved governments and their agencies, which resulted in proportionally big steps for humankind, think: the first satellites, humans in space, walking on the moon, orbiting habitats like Skylab, the ISS, spacewalks and <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/881/10-things-going-interstellar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">interstellar exploration</a>. The last decade or so has seen a rapid increase in commercial interest in the sector. <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p204715-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> <form class="wpcf7-form mailchimp-ext-0.5.62 spai-bg-prepared init" action="/space/life-on-venus-private-venture/#wpcf7-f6-p204715-o1" method="post" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="init"> <input class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page" name="referer-page" type="hidden" value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/" data-value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/" aria-invalid="false" /> </form> </div> </div> Spurred by reports in 2020 of the potential <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/venus-keeps-teasing-us-about-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">detection of phosphine gas</a> in the clouds of Venus (which is a gas typically produced by living organisms), Sara Seager, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at MIT and her team realised Rocket Lab’s Electron Launch vehicle and Photon spacecraft could be the perfect mission to get to Venus much sooner than the end of the decade. The <a href="https://www.rocketlabusa.com/launch/electron/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Electron rocket</a> is only 18 metres tall, but it’s powerful enough to push the Photon spacecraft and small probe into orbit 165 km above Earth. From there the Photon upper stage will take over and head to Venus. On arrival, the spacecraft will deploy a small 40cm probe which weighs around 20 kg. The probe will fall through the upper atmosphere of Venus, collecting information on suspended particles in the clouds for around five and a half minutes, transmitting data back to Earth for 20 minutes, before succumbing to Venus’s inhospitable environment. It won’t be able to detect phosphine directly, but the instrument, known as an autofluorescing nephlometer will use an ultraviolet laser, causing any organic compounds within to fluoresce. A detection would not be a proof of microbial life as organic molecules can be related to many non-biological processes. But, says Seager in a <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/08/29/1058724/the-first-private-mission-to-venus-will-have-just-five-minutes-to-hunt-for-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recent interview</a> for MIT Technology Review, if they were found it would be a step “toward us considering Venus as a potentially habitable environment”. The trip to Venus should take around 5 months, meaning a private company could be exploring the atmosphere of our sister planet for the very first time by October 2023.  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=204715&title=Return+to+Venus%3A+private+space+venture+to+explore+the+evening+star+for+life" width="1" height="1" />  <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/life-on-venus-private-venture/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/clare-kenyon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Clare Kenyon</a>. Clare Kenyon is a science journalist for Cosmos. An ex-high school teacher, she is currently wrangling the death throes of her PhD in astrophysics, has a Masters in astronomy and another in education. Clare also has diplomas in music and criminology and a graduate certificate of leadership and learning. Image: Rocket Lab </div>

Technology

Poor Nat Barr's massive red carpet fail

Natalie Barr was left embarrassed and flustered on the Oscars red carpet as she failed to wave down celebrities with a packet of Tim Tams. This is the first time the Sunrise co-host covered the Oscars and was left a rambling mess with many viewers unsure she was the right person for the job. Holding a packet of Tim Tams in an attempt to lure celebrities, Barr was embarrassingly unsuccessful given the fact that other experienced reporters were nearby. “We’ve got ET one side and Access Hollywood on the other side,” she said. “These guys know what they’re doing … I’m basically just stealing all the people who stop for them. “I just sort of butt-in. Sometimes it works, sometimes it fails dismally.” Barr managed to interview Nicole Kidman, Tiffany Haddish, Billie Eilish, Kirsten Dunst, Kevin Costner and Jesse Plemons while the others walked past ignoring her. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Even the lure of a Tim Tam wasn't enough for <a href="https://twitter.com/sunriseon7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sunriseon7</a> host <a href="https://twitter.com/natalie_barr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@natalie_barr</a> to tempt <a href="https://twitter.com/serenawilliams?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@serenawilliams</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/Venuseswilliams?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Venuseswilliams</a> for an <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/oscars?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#oscars</a> red carpet chat! Catch <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAcademy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAcademy</a> Awards exclusively on <a href="https://twitter.com/Channel7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@channel7</a> <a href="https://t.co/jeeLjxD9oG">pic.twitter.com/jeeLjxD9oG</a> — The Morning Show (@morningshowon7) <a href="https://twitter.com/morningshowon7/status/1508230129201266689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2022</a></blockquote> Another mishap was when she was snubbed by Venus Williams, who completely ignored Barr after calling her her sister’s name Serena. Back in the studio in Australia, The Morning Show’s Kylie Gillies pointed out that it was actually Venus, while Larry Emdur chuckled next to her. Barr tried to call her back introducing “Australian television” saying “we love tennis”. Venus was seen walking away as Barr stood there unsure of what to do, before she bent down and grabbed the packet of Tim Tams. “Would you like a Tim Tam? It’s an Australian delicacy,” Barr asked as she turned around, only to find Venus had already walked off and was being interviewed by ET. Barr hovered nearby listening to the interview before asking the studio if it was “rude to put my mic in”. The interview finished and Barr tried one more time to call Venus over before she was shut down by Kylie who said they’d go back to her when she had someone else. Viewers were left stunned and criticised Barr’s coverage, saying someone with more experience should have been at the Oscars. “Oh dear God. What a mess.Laughing stock,” someone wrote. “So embarrassing, Nat is so out of her league,” another commented. “Dickie or Angela Bishop would've had a better chance in getting Serena or Venus,” someone suggested. “Embarrassing for Australian TV,” another wrote. Image: The Morning Show

World’s most beautiful sporting venues

We can all agree that sport brings people together, but does anyone ever go watch a game just because the venue is a total beaut? From an artificial grass field in the middle of the desert to swimming pools transformed into a basketball field, one man compiled a list of these phenomenal sporting venues. Joe Pompliano, the founder of Huddle Up, a media platform that breaks down the business and money behind sports, took to <a href="https://twitter.com/JoePompliano/status/1500534375590543363" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> to share his list. OverSixty brings you the Top 10 sporting venues from Joe’s dedicated list of 50 places, which can be viewed <a href="https://twitter.com/JoePompliano/status/1500534375590543363" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

International Travel

Venus and Serena Williams’ nephew dead at just 21

The nephew of tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams, Alphonse Williams, has taken his own life.The 21-year-old never met his famous aunties and grandfather King Richard, even though his mother – Sabrina, 57 – is the sporting duo’s half-sister from Richard’s first marriage to Betty Johnson, where he walked out on the five children when Sabrina was just eight, according to The Sun.Now, tragically her youngest son took his own life on February the 3rd after battling his own demons, which included a recent diagnosis of Peyronie’s disease, which causes a curvature of the penis.A third of those with the disease are also hit with “serious depression”.Sabrina told The Sun: “When my son attempted [to end] his life two and a half years ago, I asked God, save his life and give me a little bit more time, please.“I knew he was on loan and God called in that loan.” Sabrina, who lives in Las Vegas and shared a home with Alphonse and his elder brother Elijah, 23, only knew the devastating impact Peyronie's disease can have on mental health after her son's passing when she read about the condition online.Alphonse, who also had bipolar disorder, felt like his life was over and is believed to have taken an overdose of an unknown medication. His autopsy results are yet to be released.“It’s going to take six to eight weeks for the coroner to find out what he bought. We know he’s taken some strong medicines which would have made him fall asleep, he would have gone into respiratory distress, but wouldn't have known. He just never woke up.”Sabrina also revealed: “My older son is still sending texts to his phone, talking about sports, he doesn't want to let go, that's part of his grieving process.“I had my own mental health issues, but it wasn't until my late 30s that it was sorted out, when I was quitting jobs and jeopardising myself, screwing up, I was just so suicidal." Sabrina's earlier life was blighted with mental health struggles, as a consequence of a tough, poverty-stricken upbringing after her father's abandonment.“The rest of the family are now dead to me,” Sabrina said of her estranged father and siblings.Image: Shutterstock

News

Wedding venue sued for millions over "destroying" couple's big day

When Russell and Marjorie Newman spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on their daughter's wedding, they hoped the big day would be perfect. However, the fairytale wedding has ended in legal action being taken over the luxurious venue, who the Newman's claim "destroyed" their daughter's day. Marjorie and Russell's daughter Jessica married Matt Alovis at the Brooklyn Pier 1 Hotel in September 2021, in a night that left Jessica "hysterically crying". The Newman's filed a lawsuit in the Brooklyn Supreme Court last week, after the venue failed to disclose a new "severe" noise restriction. The lawsuit states that the newlywed's first dance was ruined when the DJ refused to turn the music up, keeping it so low during the celebration that guests could hardly hear it. In order to continue dancing, the newlyweds and their 200 wedding guests were allegedly forced to squeeze into a 'dingy' room off-site meant for 60 people. "It was very, very devastating," Marjorie, who is also suing their wedding planner, Real Housewives of Miami star Guerdy Abraira, told the <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/02/06/nyc-couples-dream-wedding-destroyed-by-hotels-noise-restriction-5m-suit-claims/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">New York Post</a>."This was supposed to be her night to shine and it was all taken away from her."Brooklyn Pier 1 Hotel reportedly implemented the noise restriction rule just three weeks before Jessica and Matt's wedding due to residential condos in the building, but the Newman's claim the hotel "never made them aware" of the rule. "They never brought us in to say, 'This is what it is going to sound like or not sound like,' they never gave us the opportunity to move the venue," Russell explained. The Newmans, who spent $150,000 on flowers alone for the wedding, are demanding $5 million from the hotel and wedding planner for the "destroyed" event caused by a "breach of contract" and the "deceptive concealment of sound restrictions" which resulted in "humiliation, indignity, distress of mind, mental suffering, inconvenience, and physical discomfort," according to the lawsuit. "There were countless hours spent over at least a one year planning period for what should have been a once in a lifetime special event which was single handily destroyed by the egregious actions of the defendants," the lawsuit says. Image credits: Getty Images

Legal

NSW hospitality venues to reopen as part of vaccine passport trial

NSW is set to open allow the reopening of some hospitality venues in suburbs with low COVID-19 numbers and high jab rates by early October – but only for those who are fully vaccinated. It’s been announced this will be a trial of the new vaccine passport. The Service NSW app will be upgraded so it will enable people to check in and prove their vaccination status at the same time. Customer Services Minister Victor Dominello shared a sneak peek of what the updated app will look like. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTdKvYuBrGC/?utm_source=ig_embed&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/p/CTdKvYuBrGC/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Victor Dominello MP (@victordominello)</a> </div> </blockquote> It shows a user signed in to a café, with a green tick next to their name and the word ‘vaccinated’ in green. It also shows two dependents signed in with the user, with orange highlighting the words: ‘Proof of vaccination needed.’ Minister Dominello posted: ‘Aiming to undertake testing later this month and some pilots in the first half of next month.’ Four-square metre rule will still apply It’s expected venues will still be subject to the four-square metre rule and standing while drinking and dancing are expected to be banned. News of the reopening came after Premier Gladys Berejiklian revealed on Sunrise that restrictions will ease for fully vaccinated NSW residents when vaccination targets are met. She said that life “will feel very much more normal” for locked down residents once 70 per cent and 80 per cent of the eligible population has been double jabbed. “Whether it is attending a public event or having a drink, if you are fully vaccinated and the state has hit its 70 percent double dose target, please expect to do all of those things we have been missing for too long,” Berejiklian said last week. “I’m looking forward to that and I want to thank everybody for coming forward and getting vaccinated,” she added. As of Monday, 60.8 percent of eligible NSW residents have currently had their first jab and 41 percent are fully vaccinated. Image: Getty Images

Legal

The big mistake you're making when checking into COVIDSafe venues

Every time you walk out of a restaurant or cafe, you could be setting yourself up for mandatory 14 days of isolation because of one small mistake. For those residing in NSW, every time you visit a hospitality venue, you must check in and out using the ServiceNSW app. Since January 1, the state government has made it mandatory for all businesses to use the ServiceNSW app for contact tracing purposes. Most venues already had the app in place before the mandate. However, if you forget to "check out" after you leave, you could land yourself in trouble. The "check out" feature was added on November 16 2020, to help contact tracers pinpoint the exact movements of active COVID-19 cases. It means if an active case visits a venue you were at hours after you, but you haven't "checked out", you could be made to self-isolate for 14 days. Roughly two out of three NSW patrons forget to check out. A spokesperson for the government told 7NEWS they had recorded 9.2 million (checkouts) since November 2020 - which is 35 per cent of people using the app. That means around 17 million people haven't checked out. The spokesperson said “The ‘Check Out’ feature is not mandatory for customers – and businesses don’t need to ask them to do so – but it is strongly encouraged. “An update to the ‘Check Out’ feature is one of many enhancements in the pipeline for the COVID Safe Check In.” To check out of a venue, you need to go back into the ServiceNSW app and tick "check out". If you have closed the app then you need to navigate back to the home screen, click "COVID Safe Check in" then click "Last Check-in". Data on the COVID Safe Check is deleted by the government after 28 days.

Legal

“We were scared”: Venue worker speaks out after police bust up health breach wedding

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> A waiter has spoken out about what happened after management allowed more than 600 guests at a wedding reception, which is in violation of current NSW COVID-19 restrictions. Norman, who's worked at the Imperial Paradiso in Fairfield, said that employees were "incredibly concerned" they'd get in trouble despite having no idea management breached restrictions until the hordes of guests arrived. “I was really worried about getting a personal fine,” he told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/we-were-scared-waiter-at-a-fairfield-wedding-venue-fined-for-having-more-than-600-guests-speaks/news-story/1c3f0e1c9a8eda44695e0ec0bfcbbf7e" target="_blank">NCA NewsWire</a>. “I didn’t know the amount of people who were coming and I don’t control the number of people, I’m not a manager. “We all knew once (we saw the guestlist) but as a normal employee if I said anything it wouldn’t have worked. “It was out of my hands.” NSW Police confirmed on Monday that the venue had been fined $5,000. Norman said things were tense as soon as police arrived, as staff were told to get in the kitchen and stay there. “The chefs were really upset too,” he said. “Even the band, I could hear them talking, and they said ‘let's eat dinner and leave’.” NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro has warned that the breach could have drastic flow-on effects for the larger community. “Firstly can I say when you have a deliberate act like the venue operators – normally we thank businesses that are working hand in glove with government in relation with dealing with the pandemic, in this scenario and this case we got an example of someone who's done it bloody wrong,” he said. “He puts his own business and that business’s reputation at risk, the sector at risk, the broader economy and jobs, and worse the health of this state.” </div> </div> </div>

News

Life on Venus? Traces of phosphine may be a sign of biological activity

The discovery that the atmosphere of Venus absorbs a precise frequency of microwave radiation has just <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-020-1174-4">turned planetary science on its head</a>. An international team of scientists used radio telescopes in Hawaii and Chile to find signs that the clouds on Earth’s neighbouring planet contain tiny quantities of a molecule called phosphine. Phosphine is a compound made from phosphorus and hydrogen, and on Earth its only natural source is tiny microbes that live in oxygen-free environments. It’s too early to say whether phosphine is also a sign of life on Venus – but no other explanation so far proposed seems to fit. This video shows how methane was detected in the atmosphere of Mars. The process is the same for finding phosphine on Venus. What makes an atmosphere? The molecular makeup of a planet’s atmosphere normally depends on what its parent star is made of, the planet’s position in its star’s system, and the chemical and geological processes that take place given these conditions. There is phosphine in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn, for example, but there it’s not a sign of life. Scientists think it is formed in the deep atmosphere at high pressures and temperatures, then dredged into the upper atmosphere by a strong convection current. Join 130,000 people who subscribe to free evidence-based news. Although phosphine quickly breaks down into phosphorus and hydrogen in the top clouds of these planets, enough lingers – 4.8 parts per million – to be observable. The phosphorus may be what gives clouds on Jupiter a reddish tinge. Things are different on a rocky planet like Venus. The new research has found fainter traces of phosphine in the atmosphere, at 20 parts per billion. Lightning, clouds, volcanoes and meteorite impacts might all produce some phosphine, but not enough to counter the rapid destruction of the compound in Venus’s highly oxidising atmosphere. The researchers considered all the chemical processes they could think of on Venus, but none could explain the concentration of phosphine. What’s left? On Earth, phosphine is only produced by microbial life (and by various industrial processes) – and the concentration in our atmosphere is in the parts per trillion range. The much higher concentration on Venus cannot be ignored. Signs of life? To determine whether the phosphine on Venus is really produced by life, chemists and geologists will be trying to identify other reactions and processes that could be alternative explanations. Meanwhile, biologists will be trying to better understand the microbes that live in Venus-like conditions on Earth – high temperatures, high acidity, and high levels of carbon dioxide – and also ones that produce phosphine. When Earth microbes produce phosphine, they do it via an “anaerobic” process, which means it happens where no oxygen is present. It has been observed in places such as activated sludge and sewage treatment plants, but the exact collection of microbes and processes is not well understood. Biologists will also be trying to work out whether the microbes on Earth that produce phosphine could conceivably do it under the harsh Venusian conditions. If there is some biological process producing phosphine on Venus, it may be a form of “life” very different from what we know on Earth. Searches for life beyond Earth have often skipped over Venus, because its surface temperature is around 500℃ and the atmospheric pressure is almost 100 times greater than on Earth. Conditions are <a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/ast.2017.1783">more hospitable for life</a> as we know it about 50 kilometres off the ground, although there are still vast clouds of sulfuric acid to deal with. Molecular barcodes The researchers found the phosphine using spectroscopy, which is the study of how light interacts with molecules. When sunlight passes through Venus’s atmosphere, each molecule absorbs very specific colours of this light. Using telescopes on Earth, we can take this light and split it into a massive rainbow. Each type of molecule present in Venus’ atmosphere produces a distinctive pattern of dark absorption lines in this rainbow, like an identifying barcode. This barcode is not always strongest in visible light. Sometimes it can only be detected in the parts of the electromagnetic spectrum that are invisible to the human eye, such as UV rays, microwave, radio waves and infrared. The barcode of carbon dioxide, for example, is most evident in the infrared region of the spectrum. While phosphine on Jupiter was first detected in infrared, for Venus observations astronomers used radio telescopes: the <a href="https://www.almaobservatory.org/en/home/">Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array</a> (ALMA) and <a href="https://www.eaobservatory.org/jcmt/about-jcmt/">James Clerk Maxwell Telescope</a> (JCMT), which can detect the barcode of phosphine in millimetre wavelengths. New barcodes, new discoveries The discovery of phosphine on Venus relied not only on new observations, but also a more detailed knowledge of the compound’s barcode. Accurately predicting the barcode of phosphine across all relevant frequencies took <a href="http://www.tampa.phys.ucl.ac.uk/ftp/eThesis/ClaraSousaSilva2015.pdf">the whole PhD</a> of astrochemist Clara Sousa-Silva in the <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/exoplanets/research/spectroscopy-exoplanets">ExoMol group</a> at University College London in 2015. She used computational quantum chemistry – basically putting her molecule into a computer and solving the equations that describe its behaviour – to predict the strength of the barcode at different colours. She then tuned her model using available experimental data before making the <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1410.2917">16.8 billion lines of phosphine’s barcode</a> available to astronomers. Sousa-Silva originally thought her data would be used to study Jupiter and Saturn, as well as weird stars and distant “hot Jupiter” exoplanets. More recently, she led the detailed consideration of <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1910.05224">phosphine as a biosignature</a> – a molecule whose presence implies life. This analysis demonstrated that, on small rocky exoplanets, phosphine should not be present in observable concentrations unless there was life there as well. But she no doubt wouldn’t have dreamed of a phone call from an astronomer who has discovered phosphine on our nearest planetary neighbour. With phosphine on Venus, we won’t be limited to speculating and looking for molecular barcodes. We will be able to send probes there and hunt for the microbes directly. Written by Laura McKemmish, UNSW; Brendan Paul Burns, UNSW, and Lucyna Kedziora-Chudczer, Swinburne University of Technology. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/life-on-venus-traces-of-phosphine-may-be-a-sign-of-biological-activity-146093">The Conversation.</a>

Art

Wedding venue company announces plans to defy NSW coronavirus restrictions

The man behind several popular Sydney wedding venues has said he would flout the NSW Government’s coronavirus restrictions to reopen his business to “any numbers” next month, saying he did not want to “deal with upset clients anymore”. Sal Navarra, the chief executive of Navarra Venues, took to Instagram to announce that his business was “taking a stance” after seeing the lack of social distancing in restaurants and protests over the last weekend. “We are reopening, and we are reopening to any numbers,” Navarra said on a video posted Monday. “We don’t want to deal with upset brides anymore, upset clients anymore because it’s not fair on them.” <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/CBKq1sVnloX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CBKq1sVnloX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Navarra Venues took a stance to to keep our clients safe by upholding the NSW Government restrictions, now we are taking a stance to open - NAVARRA venues are bringing back events. #fightingforourindustry #fightingforourclients #navarravenues</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/navarra_venues/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Navarra Venues</a> (@navarra_venues) on Jun 8, 2020 at 1:07am PDT </div> </blockquote> Navarra claimed he saw restaurants seating in more than 50 customers, in contravention of the limit applied by the state government. “The restaurants were doing more than they were supposed to, which I don’t blame them because they’ve been closed for three and a half months,” he said. But Navarra said the limit breach and the Black Lives Matter protest at the Town Hall led him to make the decision. More than 20,000 people took to Sydney’s streets on Saturday to rally against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths in custody. Attendees were unable to maintain social distancing, the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-06/arrests-at-sydney-black-lives-matter-protests/12329066">ABC</a> reported. “With the government okaying to all of this and leaving our industries sort of closed is something I don’t understand,” he said. “Hopefully in the next 10 days when we don’t have a spike in the coronavirus and my prediction is correct ... will make us open on the first or the seventh or the 15th of July.” He said social distancing measures, including provision of hand sanitisers, would be applied at the company’s five venues. On June 1, the NSW Government eased wedding restrictions to allow up to 20 attendees.

Legal

Incredible upset at Wimbledon as 15-year-old knocks out Williams

In a shocking upset, 15-year-old Cori Gauff, who is the youngest ever Wimbledon qualifier, has beaten tennis legend Venus Williams in the first round. Venus, 39, has won the Wimbledon singles title five times, including twice before Cori was even born. Now, Cori has caused one of the biggest shocks in Wimbledon history as she beat Venus and made a mockery of the 269 ranking spots that separate the pair. Cori was relentless in her brand of tennis and bullied Venus into submission. Upon realising she had won, Cori burst into tears. "I don't even know how to explain how I feel," Cori said to the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-02/youngest-ever-wimbledon-qualifier-beats-venus-williams/11269888" target="_blank">ABC</a> moments after her remarkable win. Cori had no idea that she would win against the tennis legend. "I definitely had to tell myself to stay calm. I have never played on a court so big, but I had to remind myself that the lines on the court are the same size, everything around it might be bigger, but the lines are the same and after every point I was just telling myself to stay calm. "I never thought this would happen. I am literally living my dream right now, and not many get to say that.” Cori also explained that she is just happy that she had the chance to play at Wimbledon as she was handed a wildcard for the qualifying tournament at Roehampton. "So I am just happy that Wimbledon gave me the opportunity just to play and I obviously never thought it would be this far." Venus took it in her stride, with Cori saying that “she said congratulations”. "After the match I told her just thank you for everything she did. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her," she said. "I was just telling her that she is so inspiring and that I always wanted to tell her that. Even though I met her before, I guess I had the guts to [tell her today]." <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> "She [Venus Williams] said congratulations." "I told her thank you for everything that you did. I wouldn’t be here without you. I always wanted to tell her that." - <a href="https://twitter.com/CocoGauff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CocoGauff</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wimbledon</a> <a href="https://t.co/lGUYiGnq3Q">pic.twitter.com/lGUYiGnq3Q</a> — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) <a href="https://twitter.com/Wimbledon/status/1145764687574982657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">1 July 2019</a></blockquote>

Body

Inside Venus Williams' new $14 million mega mansion

Venus Williams has decided to splurge a whopping US$10 million (AUD$14 million) on a resort-style home in Florida, US. The 1962 home is right on the water and also includes a private beach, outdoor kitchen, bar as well as a private cottage for her sister Serena when she comes to visit. What's more, she has two guest houses to choose from! The one noticeable exception of this property is that there’s no tennis court, which is a surprising move for a former tennis champion. The house is on a 1.07-acre plot and features vaulted ceilings as well as an astonishing 25 rooms. With six bedrooms and eight bathrooms, there’s plenty of room to truly relax. Click through the gallery above to take a tour inside Venus's new $14 million mega mansion. Photos: Zillow.com

International Travel

The siblings of Serena Williams you may not know about

Serena and Venus Williams are considered to be the most well-known siblings in the world – alongside being the most athletically trained. But while the world cannot get enough of the two tennis legends, what they may not know is that the pair have other siblings that they also share a special bond with. The Williams sisters are the only biological daughters of parents Richard Williams and Oracene Price, but before that, the couple have five and three children from previous marriages respectively. Here are the eight siblings you may not know about: Yetunde, Isha and Lyndrea Price The late daughter of Oracene Price and half-sister of the Williams’ sisters spent time working for the two as their personal assistant. But after a tragic turn of events, Yetunde was killed due to gun violence in 2003 at the mere age of 31 years old. “When [Venus and Serena] received the calls from all of us here, they were saying, ‘Are you sure this is correct?’ They couldn’t believe it,” said a spokesperson to <a rel="noopener" href="https://people.com/crime/serena-venus-williams-sister-yetunde-price-murdered/" target="_blank">People</a> magazine at the time. In honour of their late sister, the two athletes opened the Yetunde Price Resource Centre in Compton. “It meant a lot to us, to myself and to Venus and my other sisters as well, Isha and Lyndrea, that we’ve been wanting to do something for years in memory of her, especially the way it happened, a violent crime,” said Serena during the opening in 2016. <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/BfxNSmNFA0H/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BfxNSmNFA0H/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">#Sister Isha 💜💜💜💜💜</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/lyndrea_imani/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank"> Lyndrea I Price</a> (@lyndrea_imani) on Feb 28, 2018 at 9:28pm PST </div> </blockquote> Oracene had two other daughters with ex-husband Yusef Rasheed – Isha and Lyndrea – who’s career paths couldn’t be further from their much more famous sisters. Isha is a lawyer and Lyndrea works in fashion merchandising. Venus recently revealed that she considers Isha as one of her role models. “She’s always saving my life,” said Williams. “I’m grateful for her. I have three older sisters, one younger, and I have my mom. Those were the role models in my life. We’re a tightknit family. We were taught that your sisters are your best friends.” <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/Bd0K6tZh7_Y/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd0K6tZh7_Y/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">Women. They are so prominent strong and vital to my life. My mom raised 5 women (one passed) and 3 grand children. I love this photo because we have a close bond. This is what keeps me humble. They are not afraid to tell me anything after all I am the youngest of 5. I'm so happy Olympia has my mom as her grandma (of course she has Alexis Stepmom as well) and I"m happy she has aunts like my sisters Venus , Isha , Lyn and Alexis' sisters Amy and Hayley. Alll women! Coincidence? I think it not. She will fit right in. @voguemagazine @tonnegood hair @angelameadowssalon hair @vernonfrancois makeup @natashagrossmakeupartist @orijahnelmua</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/serenawilliams/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank"> Serena Williams</a> (@serenawilliams) on Jan 11, 2018 at 8:02am PST </div> </blockquote> Serena has also spoken about the love she has for her sisters through an Instagram post. “My mom raised 5 women (one passed) and 3 grandchildren,” she wrote. “They are not afraid to tell me anything, after all I am the youngest of 5.” “I’m so happy Olympia has my mom as her grandma (of course she has Alexis’ Stepmom as well) and I’m happy she has aunts like my sisters Venus, Isha, Lyn and Alexis’ sisters Amy and Hayley. All women! Coincidence? I think it not. She will fit right in.” Richard III, Ronner, Sabrina, Chavoita and Dylan Starr Williams Not much is known about the remainder of Serena and Venus’s other siblings, who they are related to through their father Richard. In 2018, a report published in The Telegraph revealed that Chavoita LeSane, 45, has power of attorney of their father’s property. Dylan Starr, the youngest of the clan was born in 2012 to Richard Williams’ partner Lakeisha Graham. Richard told the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.newyorker.com/" target="_blank">New Yorker</a> in 2014 that he did not want his youngest child to follow in the footsteps of his professional tennis player daughters, saying he didn’t want him to choose tennis as his future career path.

Family & Pets

Inside Serena Williams’ lavish $4 million Florida mansion

Tennis champions and sisters Serena and Venus Williams have put their jointly-owned Florida property up for sale, with the asking price set to a cool $3.8 million (US$2.7m). The enormous home is located in a Palm Beach Gardens golf community and comes complete with six bedrooms, eight bathrooms and 8,489 square feet of living space, so the lucky buyer is able to live comfortable and spaciously. The sisters purchased the mansion together in 1998 for $738,000, and then took it upon themselves to renovate the property, making it a completely customised home. Decorated with South Florida accents, the six bedrooms include two master suites. Also included is a gym, juice bar, pool and cabana. The home is filled with light and consists of an open floor plan. The kitchen has a vintage look and feel, with stone bench tops and an island right in the centre. Another added perk is that the two master suites also include their very own offices with floor-to-ceiling windows lighting up the space. Despite both sisters purchasing the property, Venus was the main occupant as Serena bought another home in Palm Beach Gardens in 2013. Scroll through the gallery above to look inside Serena and Venus’s lavish property.

News

John McEnroe’s swipe at Serena Williams

Despite his upcoming 60th birthday in February, tennis legend John McEnroe thinks he’s still got what it takes to beat women’s number one, Serena Williams, on the court. But while he has confidence in his abilities, that doesn’t mean he wants to face Williams anytime soon. Current US President Donald Trump was so adamant on McEnroe challenging the Williams sisters that he offered him a sum of $US1 million before he became President, to hopefully put on an iconic match that rivalled the 1973 battle-of-the-sexes showdown when Billie-Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs. But McEnroe declined the tempting offer and remains firm on his decision till this day. “It’s not something I ever wanted to do, honestly, but it’s something that I’m always asked,” he said when he sat down with Nine Networks’ <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.9now.com.au/60-minutes" target="_blank">60 Minutes</a>. “I don’t know why I’m the guy. Why doesn’t he ask someone else? Go ask any of the other players, whoever the hell it is. “It’s always me that somehow, it’s like I’m the one. “It started in Australia 20 years ago because Serena and Venus when they were, I think, 18 and 19 or whatever said, ‘We can play with the guys and beat the guys’.” With McEnroe considered one of the greatest tennis players the sport has ever seen, he has full faith in his abilities and believes he could beat the Williams sisters by a mile. “The short answer is, as of this moment, if I trained properly and worked hard, I still believe that I could do it,” said the former world No.1. “I’m not going to say (I couldn’t). I’m getting closer to not being sure.” The ambitious statements come a year after McEnroe publicly said that the Williams sisters – who are at the top of their league – would fail to rank in the top 700 in men’s tennis. Would you like to see a tennis match between Serena Williams and John McEnroe? Tell us in the comments below.

News

Wedding venue mistakenly sends abusive email to bride-to-be

A venue owner has been forced to issue a grovelling apology to a bride-to-be after a staff member mistakenly sent her an abusive email. Jade Sharp and her partner wanted to scope out The Mulberry Tree in Kent, UK, for their wedding ceremony and reception. But were left feeling like the venue didn’t want their business after they were reluctantly given a tour and the manager on duty couldn’t answer any of their questions. “The tour was done quite reluctantly with very little enthusiasm or passion or even a smile … so I emailed when we returned home to express the disappointment,” Jade wrote in a TripAdvisor review. But Jade’s main complaint came a few hours later when she received a reply to her email. It was clear she was not the intended recipient. “[I] received an email that obviously was not meant for me. It was in fact an email from the lady we saw (manager of the day) to her mum (manager) about me and our visit,” Jade explained. "I cannot express how hurt and upset I was reading the email. How rude and unprofessional the way in which she spoke about us." The email read: “Well she's a cow. I actually didn't know about this, checked my emails and didn't have anything in my inbox. They didn't ask me about prices, the asked my [sic] how much it would be for bread rolls to start and a roast!” <img width="552" height="344" src="https://s.yimg.com/iu/api/res/1.2/rCRkqZb5z._aMCMVv71whw--~D/cm90YXRlPWF1dG87dz05NjA7YXBwaWQ9eXZpZGVv/https://s.yimg.com/cv/api/default/20171213/WEDDING_NOTE_ART_1.jpg" class="article-figure-image"/> After Jade shared details of her unpleasant experience on TripAdvisor, Karen Williams, who owns the venue, issued a public apology to the couple. “I am absolutely mortified, horrified and completely embarrassed that you had sight of such an email. It is completely unprofessional and indefensible,” the reply read. “I did telephone you as soon as I found out what had happened to offer my profuse and sincere apologies and did apologise repeatedly to you. “You were adamant that you did not want to get married at The Mulberry Tree, completely understandably so after the email you were sent, so I did not wish to insult you by attempting to make amends after such a catastrophic mistake on our part, especially when it is your wedding day involved. “Once again I offer my sincerest apologies to you.”

Technology

Venus Williams breaks down about fatal car crash

Venus Williams broke down into tears at a Wimbledon press conference, after being questioned about the fatal car crash she was involved in. Venus is being sued by the estate of an elderly man from Florida who died after his vehicle was hit by a car driven by Venus. The tennis star is being accused of running a red light, inattentive driving and negligent operation of a vehicle. Jerome Barson was left with a fractured spine and numerous internal injuries after the car accident before his death several weeks later. After her win over Elise Mertens in the Wimbledon first round, wold number 11 Venus was asked about the incident by the media which caused her to break down in front of the cameras. "There are really no words to describe, like, how devastating and – yeah. I'm completely speechless. It's just..." Venus said. <iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/90mYka2sLdA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Venus held her head for several moments and asked to leave the room before returning but still visibly emotional. She owns a home near the crash site and last week explained that she was “heartbroken” over the tragic incident. During the press conference, Venus tried to keep answers limited to tennis at first. "I've definitely played a lot of tennis. It's a good thing to be on the court," she said. "This is my 20th Wimbledon. I never thought that I'd play this many. But I'm grateful to be here and to play." Venus has not been charged as the accident remains under investigation. Venus’ attorney, Malcolm Cunningham, said his client entered an intersection on a green light that turned red during her turn. He explained she was stuck in the intersection due to traffic. The police report deemed Venus at fault for blocking the right of way of the other car. When asked how she was coping mentally, Venus said, “"I have no idea what tomorrow will bring. That's all I can say about it. That's what I've learned." During such a traumatic time, the seven-time Grand Slam winner said she would have loved to spend more time with her sister Serena. However, Serena is currently out of action as she prepares to give birth to her first child. "I miss her a lot. I think she misses me," Venus said.

News

5 most iconic Australian sporting venues

Australia is a nation that loves their sport. These are the best places in the country to catch a game, whatever your code. 1. Melbourne Cricket Ground The MCG is hallowed ground in Australia, spoken about with the kind of hushed reverence usually reserved for churches and battlefields. It’s the largest stadium in the country, holding up to 100,000 spectators, and plays host to iconic events like the Boxing Day Test and the AFL Grand Final. If it’s not game day, learn about the history of Australian sport at the National Sports Museum underneath the stands. 2. ANZ Stadium, Sydney Purpose-built for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, ANZ Stadium is at the centre of Olympic Park in the suburb of Homebush. Seating around 83,000 people, it’s one of the most technologically advanced stadiums in the world and its unique design features mean it can be converted from oval to rectangle in just 12 hours. It’s the only stadium in the world designed to host five different codes – rugby union, rugby league, soccer, AFL and cricket – so you’re spoilt for choice. 3. WACA, Perth The Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) was established in 1885 and the stadium followed in 1893. It’s been the home of cricket in Western Australia ever since and also hosts games from multiple other sports. The bouncy pitch and the afternoon winds of the Fremantle Doctor make for some of the fastest cricket games ever played. With a capacity for just under 25,000 people, it's one of the smaller stadiums in the country so watching a game here is a much more intimate experience. 4. Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne The race that stops a nation has been held here on the first Tuesday of November since 1861. Flemington is one of the most famous racecourses in the world with a capacity for 120,000 people, though up to 400,000 crowd the grounds every year for the Melbourne Cup. As well as an iconic sporting venue, Flemington is part of the history of Melbourne and is now a National Heritage listed site. Don’t miss the largest public rose garden in the Southern Hemisphere, right next to the track. 5. The Gabba, Brisbane Though it’s official name is the Brisbane Cricket Ground, everyone in Australia calls this stadium the Gabba. The name comes from the suburb of Woolloongabba, where the stadium is located, just outside of the Brisbane city centre. It’s a state of the art ground following multimillion dollar renovations and has a capacity of around 40,000. AFL has been played here for more than 100 years, as well as cricket, rugby union, rugby league and soccer. Do you agree with our list? Are there any venues you think we should add? Let us know in the comments section below. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/04/mcg-melbourne-greatest-stadium-in-world/">Is the MCG the world’s greatest stadium?</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/03/best-australian-cultural-experiences/">6 incredible Aussie cultural experiences</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/02/the-most-iconic-sporting-events-around-the-world/">8 iconic sporting events you have to experience</a>

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