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Two Sydney women "assassinated" on public street

<p dir="ltr">An investigation is underway after two women were shot and killed in what police have described as an assassination. </p> <p dir="ltr">Lametta Fadlallah, 48, and Amy Al-Hazzouri, 39, were targetted in their car which was parked on Hendy Avenue, Panania in Sydney’s inner south-west about 10pm on Saturday.</p> <p dir="ltr">A 16-year-old girl and 20-year-old man were also inside the car at the time but were not injured.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Fadlallah died at the scene while Ms Al-Hazzouri was rushed to Liverpool Hospital where she died a short time later. </p> <p dir="ltr">Police are currently investigating whether Ms Fadlallah was killed because had information about Sydney's underworld.</p> <p dir="ltr">The mother-of-two, who was known to police, had been in a relationship with a founding member of a street gang before moving on to a Kings Cross standover man, Halal Safi, who has since died. </p> <p dir="ltr">Police believe Ms Al-Hazzouri was in the wrong place at the wrong time during the time of the attack. </p> <p dir="ltr">Four torched cars were found nearby in Presland Ave in Revesby, Devlin Drive in Wattle Grove and Elizabeth Crescent in Yagoona, with police hoping to find any links relating to the shooting. </p> <p dir="ltr">NSW Police Force Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty described the shooting as a "organised, methodical murder".</p> <p dir="ltr">"This is an appalling attack on two women who have lost their lives in a planned murder, an assassination really, that's happened in a public street in Sydney," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's not acceptable by any standards. It's unprecedented, really and we're determined to get the answers for the family.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He went on to say that the attackers “threw the book out” when targeting the women. </p> <p dir="ltr">"There used to be an unwritten law with the criminal element that you don't touch family," Superintendent Doherty continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">"You don't touch women. It looks like that rule book has been thrown out the window.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It shows how low they've gotten at this point, that anyone associated with targets, they don't discriminate if you're male or female."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

News

Anne Heche to be taken off life support

<p dir="ltr">US actress Anne Heche will be taken off life support days after she was reported to be brain dead.</p> <p dir="ltr">The decision comes after the 53-year-old was matched with an organ recipient, per CNN, in line with her wishes, after Heche was pulled out of her burning car, which she had <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/actress-fighting-for-her-life-after-horror-car-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">driven into an LA home</a> while driving 104 km/h on August 5.</p> <p dir="ltr">Heche's publicist broke the news that the <em>Six Days, Seven Nights</em> star was "not expected to survive" on Friday, revealing that Heche had "suffered a severe anoxic brain injury".</p> <p dir="ltr">“We have lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend,” her spokesperson told <em>Page Six</em> at the time.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-02f14bcd-7fff-85ab-3ecc-d0d822147ddc"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdUqTdKLo6E/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdUqTdKLo6E/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Anne Heche (@anneheche)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The following day, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said in a statement that the investigation into the crash would not move forward.</p> <p dir="ltr">"As of today, there will be no further investigative efforts made in this case," the LAPD said in a statement to <em><a href="https://pagesix.com/2022/08/14/anne-heche-police-investigation-dismissed-following-stars-death/?_ga=2.230917663.184706205.1660479883-1122528718.1567945808" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Page Six</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Any information or records that have been requested prior to this turn of events will still be collected as they arrive as a matter of formalities and included in the overall case.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When a person suspected of a crime expires, we do not present for filing consideration.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After the results for Heche’s blood test following the crash <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/anne-heche-s-blood-test-results-revealed-after-horror-smash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detected “the presence of drugs” in her system</a>, police investigations escalated to a “preliminary” felony DUI.</p> <p dir="ltr">Gossip magazine <em>TMZ </em>reported on August 10 that the investigation was escalated after a woman claimed she was injured and needed medical assistance due to Heche crashing into her home.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7a45620a-7fff-a523-348f-68564680d4f2"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">However, an LAPD public information officer told <em>Page Six</em> that the felony was preliminary due to pending further toxicology testing.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChKkPVLukOi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChKkPVLukOi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by James Tupper (@mrjamestupper)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Heche, who never regained consciousness after the crash, is survived by her 13-year-old son Atlas, who she shares with actor James Trupper, as well as her 20-year-old son Homer, shared with ex-husband Coleman Laffoon.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-661f6c10-7fff-c097-316a-6f5c947cb84c"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">On Saturday, Tupper shared a sweet tribute to his late wife to Instagram, posting a single photo of Heche along with the caption: “love you forever 💔”.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChLAEgaPFFF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChLAEgaPFFF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Coley Laffoon (@coleylaffoon)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Laffoon took to social media to wish his ex-wife peace on her journey, sharing a throwback photo of Heche with their son as a baby.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s important to remember the real love in the best times. Thank you Anne. Peace on your journey,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-dd5ef628-7fff-d8e9-c738-71dae7ec97e9"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @anneheche (Instagram)</em></p>

News

Canberra airport shooting: gunman arrested

<p>A 63-year-old man has been arrested after he allegedly fired several shots inside Canberra airport on Sunday.</p> <p>His rampage caused several bullet holes in terminal windows, and the evacuation of the airport.</p> <p>ACT police said one person was taken into custody and a firearm was recovered after the shooting, with no reported injuries from the scene. </p> <p>On Monday morning, ACT police confirmed the man has been charged with firearm offences and will remain in police custody.</p> <p>Police will allege the man arrived at the airport about 1.20pm on Sunday when he sat near the southern check-in desks on the first floor. </p> <p>Around 1.25pm, the man allegedly withdrew a firearm and fired a number of shots into the windows of the building.</p> <p>The man has been charged with discharging a firearm at a building, unlawful possession of a firearm and discharging a firearm near a person causing alarm, police said.</p> <p>He will face ACT magistrates court on Monday.</p> <p>All planes were grounded during the shooting, while some parts of the airport were evacuated while others were locked down. </p> <p>Frightened travellers documented their experience during the shooting online, with some witnesses saying they heard "8 to 10 gunshots".</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">More than a dozen police cars and an ambulance at Canberra airport, after reports of gunshots fired inside the terminal this afternoon. One witness told me they heard “8 to 10 shots”. Hundreds of people outside after the airport was evacuated <a href="https://t.co/wJQ8rsdRv7">pic.twitter.com/wJQ8rsdRv7</a></p> <p>— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshButler/status/1558670417443037184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">From Facebook: “Fun times at Canberra Airport. All evacuated due to gunman. None hurt from what I understand. Suspect apprehended by AFP.” <a href="https://t.co/ErnNj9KHlB">pic.twitter.com/ErnNj9KHlB</a></p> <p>— ayden dawkins (@AydenDawkins) <a href="https://twitter.com/AydenDawkins/status/1558666478882549760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>ABC reporter Dan Bourchier was on the tarmac at the time and said the plane was held as police did a “security sweep”.</p> <p>Another man, who declined to give his name, said, “They told us ‘run, run’. It was very scary.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

News

This single spending habit could threaten your savings

<p dir="ltr">As inflation rates hit record highs - at 7.75 percent for Australia and 7.3 percent for New Zealand - many are finding their savings are taking a hit under the soaring cost of living.</p> <p dir="ltr">But it isn’t just rising fuel and food prices you need to worry about, according to ANZ Plus team member Danielle Curry.</p> <p dir="ltr">In fact, there’s one commonly forgotten expense that’s making staying on top of our finances even trickier: phone apps.</p> <p dir="ltr">Apps like Uber Eats, Afterpay services, and those for your favourite stores, along with “must-have” shopping trends are making it so that mobile apps are driving our desire to spend money easily and beyond our means.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to new research from ANZ Plus, over recent years Aussies have consistently “overspent” the most on eating out and takeaway, with 53 percent noting that their top expenses were food-related.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There’s this real immediacy of spending that is becoming very normal for Australians,” Ms Curry told <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/money/budgeting/out-of-control-the-spending-habit-threatening-your-savings/news-story/f38d98db818c8f01191a4069106eb6af" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And especially during the pandemic, we saw a lot of restaurants convert to home delivery services so people were still ‘eating out’ but just a bit differently.”</p> <p dir="ltr">A noticeable surge in online shopping and subscribing to streaming services also coincided with thousands starting to work from home during pandemic-induced lockdowns, accounting for Aussies’ overspending by 35 percent and 19 percent respectively.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And with the advent of things like buy now, pay later services it has really allowed that real immediacy of spending,” Ms Curry added.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Twenty years ago you couldn’t order something from Amazon and have it arrive the next day … so if you’re not tracking your expenses, are you really sure exactly how much you’re spending on things like Amazon?”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Curry said one of the most concerning findings from the research was that a third of Ausies struggle to manage their finances, with 1.5 million of those surveyed admitting they “don’t feel in control of their money at all”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though data from Westpac suggests that the average Australian has around $22,000 in savings, big savers that skew the data means that a more realistic figure is closer to $3500.</p> <p dir="ltr">In response to skyrocketing electricity bills and other living expenses, many have chosen to cut down on “unnecessary expenses” and try to save any way they can.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Curry said that even though most are trying to make ends meet, poor budgeting skills could leave many blindsided.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We know that a lot of people don’t feel in control and it’s because they don’t have the knowledge about their own finances,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But the first thing to understand is that it’s going to be different for every single Australian … and it’s important that everyone understands their own situation.</p> <p dir="ltr">“(It’s different) for some who might be financially struggling to make ends meet has to make choices between food and the electricity bill versus someone who is financially comfortable and is quite able to make a luxury purchase.”</p> <p dir="ltr">But, there are some ways we can take back control of our finances, such as tagging and categorising your spending through your banking app.</p> <p dir="ltr">This can help you identify “unnecessary” or passive purchases that can be stopped, such as forgotten subscriptions.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Everyone is at a different stage in their lives and make custom everyday expenses,” Ms Perez said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“(But) once we can really understand what we’re doing with that money we can see if there are trade-offs … to find that extra five dollars to add towards our savings.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Digital budgeting apps and tracking tools, including those offered in banking apps can also help you set up savings goals, a budget, and a savings buffer based on your financial situation.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Using these kinds of nifty features that we’ve got around expense categorisation and setting up savings goals, really help push your finances to the next level,” Ms Curry said.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-587d039a-7fff-d6bb-bc0c-b218a9d62332"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Money & Banking

Supermarket delivery by robot better for the climate

<p>Along with their <a href="https://twitter.com/historymatt/status/1525776275939418113" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cult following on social media</a>, autonomous delivery robots travelling on footpaths could be the most climate-friendly way to do your grocery shopping.</p> <p>Around the world, <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/will-covid-19-change-our-cities/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">COVID-19 has seen a change</a> in the way people shop for groceries. Instead of driving to the supermarket more people are ordering online for pick-up or home delivery, and even in some places, delivery <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/robotics/drone-delivery-groceries-canberra/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">by drone</a> or robot.</p> <p>In the United States supermarket home delivery services grew 54% between 2019 and 2020. In Australia, Woolworths and Coles experienced <a href="https://theconversation.com/coles-and-woolworths-are-moving-to-robot-warehouses-and-on-demand-labour-as-home-deliveries-soar-166556" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">unprecedented demand.</a></p> <p>The rapid growth in e-commerce has seen an increased focus on the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/sustainability/to-help-the-environment-should-you-shop-in-store-or-online/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">‘last-mile’ delivery</a>.</p> <p>A study by University of Michigan researchers and the Ford Motor Co modelled the emissions associated with the journey of a 36-item grocery basket from shop to home via a number of alternative transport options. Their study is <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.est.2c02050" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">published</a> in the journal <em>Environmental Science & Technology</em>.</p> <p>“This research lays the groundwork for understanding the impact of e-commerce on greenhouse gas emissions produced by the grocery supply chain,” says the study’s senior author Greg Keoleian<a href="https://seas.umich.edu/research/faculty/greg-keoleian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">,</a> director of the Centre for Sustainable Systems at University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability.</p> <p>The researchers modelled 72 different ways the groceries could travel from the warehouse to the customer. Across all options, the results showed ‘last-mile’ transport emissions to be the major source of <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/food-transport-emissions-cost/">supply chain emissions</a>.</p> <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p201307-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> <form class="wpcf7-form mailchimp-ext-0.5.62 spai-bg-prepared init" action="/earth/climate/robot-delivery-better-for-the-climate/#wpcf7-f6-p201307-o1" method="post" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="init"> <p style="display: none !important;"><span class="wpcf7-form-control-wrap referer-page"><input class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page" name="referer-page" type="hidden" value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/" data-value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/" aria-invalid="false" /></span></p> <p></form> </div> </div> <p>They found the conventional option of driving to the supermarket in a petrol or diesel car to be the most polluting, creating six kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>). All other choices had lower emissions, with footpath delivery robots the cleanest for the climate, at one kg CO<sub>2</sub>.</p> <p>A customer who switched to an electric vehicle could halve their emissions. But they could achieve a similar impact on emissions by reducing their shopping frequency. Without buying a new car, households who halved the frequency of supermarket trips reduced emissions by 44%.</p> <p>Keoleian says the study emphasises the “important role consumers can serve in reducing emissions through the use of trip chaining and by making carefully planned grocery orders.” Trip chaining refers to combining grocery shopping with other errands.</p> <p>All home delivery options had lower emissions than in-store shopping – in part due to the efficiencies gained in store operation and transport – with the potential to cut emissions by 22 – 65%.</p> <p>Footpath robots are being trialled in cities across the United States, Europe and China. These four or six wheeled robots carry items like supermarket shopping or retail items over short distances. Most have a delivery range around three kilometres.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"> <div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered spai-bg-prepared" style="display: flex; max-width: 500px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" class="spai-bg-prepared" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 500px; height: 612px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=CosmosMagazine&dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1525776275939418113&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fcosmosmagazine.com%2Fearth%2Fclimate%2Frobot-delivery-better-for-the-climate%2F&sessionId=84ec360f0f0db6f38136f997db6585736d09d60a&siteScreenName=CosmosMagazine&theme=light&widgetsVersion=b7df0f50e1ec1%3A1659558317797&width=500px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-tweet-id="1525776275939418113"></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </figure> <p><a>Starship robots</a> is one example. Since launching in 2014, their robots have completed three million autonomous home deliveries in cities across Estonia, the United Kingdom, Finland and the United States.</p> <p></p> <p><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=201307&title=Supermarket+delivery+by+robot+better+for+the+climate" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/climate/robot-delivery-better-for-the-climate/" 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/petra-stock" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Petra Stock</a>. Petra Stock has a degree in environmental engineering and a Masters in Journalism from University of Melbourne. She has previously worked as a climate and energy analyst.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> </div>

Technology

Ancient insect calls for update to Jurassic Park soundtrack

<p>For the past 150 years, the single known specimen of a species of katydid-like insect known as <a href="http://orthoptera.speciesfile.org/Common/basic/Taxa.aspx?TaxonNameID=1129138" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Prophalangopsis obscura</em></a> has sat quietly in the London Natural History Museum but now some scientists have worked out what it would have sounded like.</p> <p>A British/Austrian team, used some seriously fancy equipment and an understanding of the physics of insect acoustics to work out what this species would have sounded like when it sang for a mate, giving insight into the ancient insect soundscape of the Jurassic period.</p> <p>Katydids are grasshoppers and crickets.</p> <p>This holotype, or single known specimen, is one of only eight remaining species from the 90 or so which were abundant during the Jurassic period.</p> <p>The research team has shown the sounds produced by this particular insect would have been similar to, although distinguishable from, other related species around this period.</p> <figure class="wp-block-audio"><audio src="../wp-content/uploads/2022/08/journal.pone_.0270498.s002.wav?x88132" controls="controls"></audio><figcaption>The reconstructed calling song of <em>Prophalangopsis obscura</em>. Credit: Woodrow et al. 2002/PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0</figcaption></figure> <p>The chirp produced by <em>P. obscura</em> is a pure tone, emitted at around 4.7 kHz — well-within the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10924/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">range of human hearing</a>.</p> <p>Aside from helping researchers understand what the insect world sounded like when dinosaurs roamed the Earth some 145 to 201 million years ago, the findings also suggest that early insects of this type were limited to frequencies below 20 kHz.</p> <div class="newsletter-box"> </div> <p>This is important because the other species of <em>Prophalangopsis </em>known today have evolved to be flightless, using their wings exclusively for sound production and attracting a mate. These evolved species have also developed ultrasonic sound production organs to assist in deterring ground-based predators.</p> <p>That <em>P. obscura </em>retained its ability to fly — even just short distances — and did not develop ultrasonic capabilities, suggests it followed a different evolutionary path to the other species still in existence today, giving extra insight into the evolution of this species and their relatives.</p> <p>But, how do you hear an insect that has been dead for 150 years?</p> <p>Like katydids and their relatives, <em>P. obscura</em>, produced sound by scraping one of its wings with a ‘file’ (or row of teeth). These vibrations would then by amplified by special structures within the insect’s wing and radiated out into the surrounding environment.</p> <p>Scientists at the University of Lincoln, the Natural History Museum, London, UK and Karl-Franzens-University, Graz, Austria used a technique called micro-scanning Laser-Doppler Vibrometry (LDV) to scan and then reconstruct the wings and sound-producing organs of the holotype. They then applied knowledge of close relatives of the species, they were then able to infer the “carrier frequency” (the central frequency at which the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jeb.13179" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">overall sound reaches its maximum energy</a>).</p> <p>Due to its low frequency and pure tone, the song <em>P. obscura</em> sang may have reverberated far and wide across the Jurassic landscape.</p> <p></p> <p><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=201424&title=Ancient+insect+calls+for+update+to+Jurassic+Park+soundtrack" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/biology/ancient-insect-jurassic-sound/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">T<em>his article</em></a><em> 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 writer for Cosmos. She is currently wrangling the death throes of her PhD in astrophysics, has a Masters in astronomy and another in education, and has classroom experience teaching high school science, maths and physics. Clare also has diplomas in music and criminology and a graduate certificate of leadership and learning.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Charlie Woodrow</em></p> </div>

Family & Pets

This EU country is the first to trial digital passports

<p dir="ltr">Finland will be the first country to trial digital passports that would allow people to travel without paper documents.</p> <p dir="ltr">Instead, travellers will be able to use a mobile app that stores digital copies of their important travel documents, as reported by the <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/finland-set-to-become-the-first-eu-country-to-trial-digital-passports/MDLD7UORHB4GACBOZ35SZ3NUQQ/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">A successful trial would be a big step towards EU-wide adoption of digital passports, but Europeans shouldn’t be ditching their paper passports just yet.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mikko Väisänen, an inspector of the Finnish Border Guard, said the trial is dependent on the Finnish government finishing the drafting of a funding application which will be submitted to the European Commission at the end of the month.</p> <p dir="ltr">Once the funding is approved, a select group of volunteers will be able to take part in the pilot run, held at Helsinki Airport for flights between Finland and Croatia.</p> <p dir="ltr">The volunteers will still need their paper passports, but will be given a mobile app to download onto their phone so they can share the necessary information with border security.</p> <p dir="ltr">Väisänen said that adopting digital passports wouldn’t just make the lives of travellers easier, especially for those who forget or lose their documents while abroad, but can also make border checks more efficient.</p> <p dir="ltr">Christoph Wolff, the Head of Mobility at the World Economic Forum, agreed, saying that electronic, paperless systems could be key to managing demand in airports.</p> <p dir="ltr">"By 2030, international air arrivals are expected to reach 1.8 billion passengers, up 50 per cent from 2016. Under today's systems, airports cannot keep up with this growth," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">If the Finnish government’s application is successful, the trial would begin at the end of 2022.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-71dfee4d-7fff-6ba3-056f-0a3907b16c4b"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

International Travel

How to pack your carry-on luggage

<p>Depending on what luggage you travel with, your baggage can determine how easy you find your travels. Savvy travellers, who often pack light, get through security faster and have an easier time on the plane. Carry-ons don’t have to be used as supplementary baggage for your next trip, you can, in fact use it as your primary bag. It will force you to travel light, save you time at baggage collection, any extra luggage fees - plus, your bag cannot be lost by the airline.</p> <p>Here's a guide to not only packing light, but packing right!</p> <p><strong>Choosing a bag:</strong> Even for carry-on, size matters. Most airlines now have restrictions on the size and weight of your bag. Check with the airline as to what your allowance is. In any case, opt for a bag that is light and has lots of room inside without being too flimsy. You want something sturdy and durable but that doesn’t weigh you down before you’ve packed it. A bag that has wheels and a handle will allow you to get around with ease and quickly if need be.</p> <p><strong>Getting dressed:</strong> Wear your heaviest items on the plane – think denim, heavy shoes and a jacket, if you intend to pack one.</p> <p><strong>Wearable luggage:</strong> This sounds strange but if you want to maximise your carry-on packing space – this is especially useful if you are only travelling with carry-on – then you might want to consider buying some wearable luggage like a bum bag or cross-body bag that sits flat against you. You can put items in here like passport, phone, money and cards and a couple of little items which will free up some space in your bag. Every bit counts!</p> <p><strong>What to pack:</strong> You’ll want to ensure you pack all of your essential items in your carry-on bag. This is not only important to ensure nothing gets stolen, but if your bag is lost at least when you land you will have enough essential items to comfortably get by until alternative arrangements are made or your bag is returned to you. Essential carry-on bag items include: passport, return flight details, accommodation and transport information, cash and cards, pen, home house key, key electronics such a phone and tablet or laptop along with the chargers, change of clothes, mini bag to house your at-seat essentials so you don’t have to get up and down to the overhead compartment, headphones, medication, glasses and possibly a snack and bottle of water.</p> <p><strong>Perfect packing:</strong> Roll your clothes as not only will it allows you to fit them into corners and in between items when packing, but they surprisingly come out almost wrinkle free. Layering is the key technique of master packers. Think of your bag as being divided into three horizontal layers. Place shoes and any other bulky or hard items (like a travel hair dryer) in first as the bottom layer. Fill in the space between these items with smaller things like underwear, T-shirts, toiletries etc. The second layer is for larger clothing items and the third tier is for anything you might to access on your way to your destination. Then the majority of your toiletries (packed in your clear bag) should go in this layer, too. Also anything else that might break or spill – think make-up – should be on top so other items don’t squish them.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

Travel Tips

News

Rugby League icon dead at 49

<p dir="ltr">The NRL world is in mourning following the death of legendary coach and former player Paul Green at the age of 49. </p> <p dir="ltr">The premiership-winning coach had reportedly not complained about any illness and was found dead at his home in Brisbane on Thursday. </p> <p dir="ltr">A post-mortem will be carried out to determine his cause of death. </p> <p dir="ltr">Former Melbourne Storm and Maroons hooker Cameron Smith, who was coached by Green in the earlier days said he was “heartbroken” upon hearing the news.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A very sad part of the day,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s certainly rocked myself…and everyone in the rugby league world.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s a sad day for everyone involved in the rugby league family and community. We send our best wishes and condolences out to the entire Green family.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was fortunate enough, he was my kicking and catching coach when I was coming through at the Broncos and he was also my coach when I was at Wynnum.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I had a small amount to do with him but in the time I did, it was actually really interesting the year I was at Wynnum I ended up signing with another club to leave but we had a really tough start to the season. Greeny managed to turn the Wynnum Seagulls around and we won the premiership that year.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He’s a fighter. It’s a very sad day to see Greeny go like that.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Green had an incredible NRL career, playing 162 first grade matches between 1994-2004 and winning the prestigious Rothmans Medal in 1995 as the game's best and fairest.</p> <p dir="ltr">He played for several different clubs including Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, North Queensland Cowboys, Sydney Roosters, Parramatta Eels and the Brisbane Broncos.</p> <p dir="ltr">Green eventually swapped his playing boots to coaching ones as he took on the North Queensland Cowboys from 2014-2020.</p> <p dir="ltr">He helped the Cowboys finally win their first ever premiership in 2015. </p> <p dir="ltr">Green last coached Queensland’s State of Origin side in 2021 and was due for a comeback into coaching in 2023 with the new NRL team, Dolphins. </p> <p dir="ltr">Green is survived by wife Amanda and children Emerson and Jed.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

News

Aussies fuming as Albo takes a break just 11 weeks into the job

<p dir="ltr">Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is under fire for taking a break from his job JUST 11 weeks in. </p> <p dir="ltr">After winning the election with soaring figures on May 21, Mr Albanese announced on August 5 that he will be taking a break with Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles covering for him. </p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Albanese jetsetted across the country with his girlfriend Jodie Haydon to Perth and spent Sunday night at the world-renowned Sydney Cove Oyster Bar.</p> <p dir="ltr">The restaurant’s Facebook page shared a photo of the Prime Minister with the workers announcing that they had the pleasure of hosting him. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Last night we had the pleasure of having the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon joining us for a romantic dinner on the outside deck,” the caption read. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Much to our surprise they knew about our story and the move from Circular Quay to Broome. </p> <p dir="ltr">“At the end of their dinner he politely offered us a chance for a quick photo and we couldn’t resist.”</p> <p><iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fscoysterbar%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02GjLPwSMeDccnEFXjisev1ZeLwksMUGxon91QbLKjtyC26DGRvJeikBtsuGrr7vX9l&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="821" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">Then on Monday, Mr Albanese was spotted at the Art Above exhibition as they spoke to local artists.</p> <p dir="ltr">He also gave a speech about how important art is for different communities. </p> <p dir="ltr">Several photos show him and Jodie intrigued in conversation with the organisers of the event who also shared an announcement online. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Well… it’s not every day you get to yarn to the PM about your art, women’s footy and your story of how it all began,” the caption read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“@albomp and Jodie Hayden were perfectly humble, curious and kind - and so generous with their time to engage with all of our KAN artists at the Art Above the 26th exhibition while on holiday here. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The PM gave an impromptu speech about the significant role art plays in communities - including the importance of art about women’s footy.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And yes! It is important. This is a huge moment in our history that deserves to be duly noted for the benefits to our communities of people coming together.”</p> <p dir="ltr">It seems that Mr Albanese’s break was not taken lightly by Aussies as the cost of living soars, with grocery prices and gas prices peaking. </p> <p dir="ltr">Many took to social media to call out the Prime Minister for abandoning Australians so early into his new job.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A break from what? Lousy good for nothing imposter,” one wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I remember when he hit back at criticism over his globetrotting overseas travel insisting he hasn’t ‘had a day off in a very long period of time’. He’s just getting in early so as to avoid criticism. He really should learn to read the mood,” another commented. </p> <p dir="ltr">“You have got to be joking. 32% primary vote, higher electricity prices, higher food prices and higher interest rates equates to a job well done so it’s time to have a break. Really?” someone else wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Needs a holiday after all his overseas holidays he’s just been on,” another comment read. </p> <p dir="ltr">Others however said Mr Albanese deserved the break while they shut down any comparison with former prime minister Scott Morrison. </p> <p dir="ltr">“He’s done more in a month than Morrison did in three years,” one pointed out. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Good - he's earned it. He's done more in 9 weeks than the LNP did in 9 years. He has a competent team. Hope he enjoys his break,” another commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Great news. Thank you for sharing that! He has worked tirelessly since the election was called, including while having and recovering from Covid-19. Labor is a strong team of competent ministers, we’re in great hands,” someone else wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

News

Rugby star dead at just 28

<p>Queensland rugby league has been rocked after Michael Purcell sadly passed away on the morning of Sunday the 7th of August following a tragic car accident in Brisbane.</p> <p>The talented winger-fullback had played a total of 82 games for the Ipswich Jets and Brisbane tigers, he was only 28-years-old and had stand-out talent.</p> <p>Nicknamed “The Kangaroo Catcher” he was said to have once chased down a kangaroo during a race and was one of the fastest players in Queensland. His super speed led him to signing an NRL contract with the Melbourne Storm in 2021.</p> <p>“I am shattered, it’s so, so sad,” said Ben Walker, Purcell’s former coach at the Ipswich Jets, to the <a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/michael-purcell-dead-ipswich-jets-and-brisbane-tigers-player-dies-in-car-crash-at-28/news-story/799b098ca32602dcb44f0a7e9f27b44e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Courier Mail.</a> “He was a really talented kid who definitely had the ability to play NRL.</p> <p>“We signed him to the Ipswich Jets and he ended up scoring 66 tries in 71 games. He had incredible speed.”</p> <p>His death has deeply rocked the rugby league community with tributes flooding in following the devastating news.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Queensland Rugby League has been rocked by the tragic death of former Ipswich Jets speedster Michael Purcell. He scored 66 tries in 71 games for the Jets and ran New York Marathon at age 18 as part of Rob de Castella’s indigenous running program. Sad news. <a href="https://t.co/BBpnkzZteJ">pic.twitter.com/BBpnkzZteJ</a></p> <p>— Pete Badel (@badel_cmail) <a href="https://twitter.com/badel_cmail/status/1556220720002109440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sending our deepest condolences to the family of Michael Purcell after his sudden passing. </p> <p>Michael spent time with us during the pre-season of 2021 and also featured in our Albury trial 💜</p> <p>— Melbourne Storm (@storm) <a href="https://twitter.com/storm/status/1556410197639196672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">We are extremely saddened to hear of the passing of former Suzuki Brisbane Tigers Hostplus Cup player Michael Purcell also known as the Kangaroo Catcher 🧡🖤</p> <p>Purcey, 28-years young was Tigers player no. 1344 and played nine games for the Tigers across ...<a href="https://t.co/xz97Unka0k">https://t.co/xz97Unka0k</a></p> <p>— Suzuki Brisbane Tigers (@EastsTigers) <a href="https://twitter.com/EastsTigers/status/1556212953656860674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Saddened to hear that the 'Kangaroo Catcher' Michael Purcell has passed away. A much loved member of the Jets family</p> <p>— Craig Sheppard (@CraigMSheppard) <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigMSheppard/status/1556247959075188736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

News

Man accused of shooting family of four identified

<p dir="ltr">The accused shooter who <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/three-confirmed-dead-after-horrific-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">killed two farmers and their son</a> and wounded the other has been identified.</p> <p dir="ltr">Darryl Young has been charged with the murder of his neighbours Mervyn, 71, Maree Schwarz, 59, and their son Graham Tighe, 35, following a dispute of boundary lines on their land in Bogie near Collinsville in Queensland.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 59-year-old was also charged with one count of attempted murder after Mervyn and Maree’s other son Ross Tighe survived following a gunshot wound to the abdomen.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police will allege Young invited the three members to the edge of his property on August 4 before shooting them “execution style”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Young allegedly shot at Ross who managed to escape the farm in a ute and alert police to the horrific attack against his family.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police charged Young with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder and he is due to appear at Proserpine Magistrates Court on Monday.</p> <p dir="ltr">Acting Superintendent Tom Armitt said it was incredible Ross was able to survive due to the properties being so far apart.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s actually a 45-minute drive between the neighbours,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“At the crime scene, which is at the front gate of one of the premises, it is a 3km drive between the gate and the house at that location.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In another devastating twist of events, Graham’s wife Lucy had just given birth to their second child.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s just devastating shock that things can happen so quickly in the blink of an eye and ruin so many lives so quickly,” Greg Austen, Graham’s uncle told 7News.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: 7News</em></p>

News

Travel

Is climate change causing more volcanic eruptions?

<p>The Fagradalsfjall volcano in Iceland began <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-04/iceland-volcano-fagradalsfjall-erupts/101302732" target="_blank" rel="noopener">erupting again</a> on Wednesday after eight months of slumber – so far without any adverse impacts on people or air traffic.</p> <p>The eruption was expected. It’s in a seismically active (uninhabited) area, and came after several days of earthquake activity close to Earth’s surface. It’s hard to say how long it will continue, although an eruption in the same area last year lasted about six months.</p> <p><a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Climate change</a> is causing the widespread warming of our land, oceans and atmosphere. Apart from this, it also has the potential to increase volcanic activity, affect the size of eruptions, and alter the “<a href="https://volcano.oregonstate.edu/climate-cooling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cooling effect</a>” that follows volcanic eruptions.</p> <p>Any of these scenarios could have far-reaching consequences. Yet we don’t fully understand the impact a warming climate could have on volcanic activity.</p> <h2>Cold volcanic regions</h2> <p>First, let’s take a look at volcanic regions covered in ice. There’s a <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/96JB01308" target="_blank" rel="noopener">long-established link</a> between the large-scale melting of ice in active volcanic regions and increased eruptions.</p> <p>Research on Iceland’s volcanic systems has identified a heightened period of activity related to the large-scale ice melt at the end of the last ice age. The average eruption rates were found to be up to <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2001GC000282" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100 times</a> higher after the end of the last glacial period, compared to the earlier colder glacial period. Eruptions were also smaller when ice cover was thicker.</p> <p>But why is this the case? Well, as glaciers and ice sheets melt, pressure is taken off Earth’s surface and there are changes in the forces (stress) acting on rocks within the crust and upper mantle. This can lead to more molten rock, or “magma”, being produced in the mantle – which can feed more eruptions.</p> <p>The changes can also affect where and how magma is stored in the crust, and can make it easier for magma to reach the surface.</p> <p>Magma generation beneath Iceland is already <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jgrb.50273" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increasing</a> due to a warming climate and melting glaciers.</p> <p>The intense ash-producing eruption of Iceland’s <a href="https://ncas.ac.uk/eyjafjallajokull-2010-how-an-icelandic-volcano-eruption-closed-european-skies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eyjafjallajökull</a> volcano in 2010 was the result of an explosive interaction between hot magma and cold glacial melt water. Based on what we know from the past, an increase in Iceland’s melting ice could lead to larger and more frequent volcanic eruptions.</p> <h2>Weather-triggered eruptions</h2> <p>But what about volcanic regions that aren’t covered in ice – could these also be affected by global warming?</p> <p>Possibly. We know climate change is increasing the severity of storms and other weather events in many parts of the world. These weather events may trigger more volcanic eruptions.</p> <p>On December 6 2021, an eruption at one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, Mount Semeru, caused ashfall, <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/programs/VHP/pyroclastic-flows-move-fast-and-destroy-everything-their-path" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pyroclastic flows</a> and volcanic mudflows (called “lahars”) that claimed the lives of at least 50 people.</p> <p>Local authorities hadn’t expected the scale of the eruption. As for the cause, they said several days of heavy rain had destabilised the dome of lava in the volcano’s summit crater. This led to the dome collapsing, which reduced pressure on the magma below and triggered an eruption.</p> <p>Signals of volcanic unrest are usually obtained from changes in volcanic systems (such as earthquake activity), changes in gas emissions from the volcano, or small changes in the shape of the volcano (which can be detected by ground-based or satellite monitoring).</p> <p>Predicting eruptions is already an incredibly complex task. It will become even more difficult as we begin to factor in risk posed by severe weather which could destabilise parts of a volcano.</p> <p>Some scientists <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2172-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suspect</a> increased rainfall led to the damaging 2018 Kīlauea eruption in Hawaii. This was preceded by months of heavy rainfall, which infiltrated the earth and increased underground water pressure within the <a href="https://earthresources.vic.gov.au/projects/victorian-gas-program/onshore-conventional-gas/porosity-permeability" target="_blank" rel="noopener">porous</a> rock. They believe this could have weakened and fractured the rock, facilitating the movement of magma and triggering the eruption.</p> <p>But other <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/publications/rainfall-unlikely-trigger-kilaueas-2018-rift-eruption" target="_blank" rel="noopener">experts</a> disagree, and say there’s no substantial link between rainfall events and eruptions at Kīlauea volcano.</p> <p>Rain-influenced volcanism has also been proposed at other volcanoes around the world, such as the Soufrière Hills <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0377027309002261" target="_blank" rel="noopener">volcano</a> in the Caribbean, and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1046/j.1365-3121.2001.00297.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Piton de la Fournaise</a> on Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean.</p> <h2>Changes to the ‘cooling effect’</h2> <p>There’s another layer we can’t ignore when it comes to assessing the potential link between climate change and volcanic activity. That is: volcanoes themselves can influence the climate.</p> <p>An eruption can lead to <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/programs/VHP/volcanoes-can-affect-climate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cooling or warming</a>, depending on the volcano’s geographical location, the amount and composition of ash and gas erupted, and how high the plume reaches into the atmosphere.</p> <p>Volcanic injections that were rich in sulphur dioxide gas have had the strongest climatic impact recorded in historic times. Sulphur dioxide eventually condenses to form sulfate aerosols in the stratosphere – and these aerosols reduce how much heat reaches Earth’s surface, causing cooling.</p> <p>As the climate warms, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-24943-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research</a> shows this will change how volcanic gases interact with the atmosphere. Importantly, the outcome won’t be the same for all eruptions. Some scenarios show that, in a warmer atmosphere, small to medium-sized eruptions could reduce the cooling effect of volcanic plumes by up to 75%.</p> <p>These scenarios assume the “tropopause” (the boundary between the troposphere and stratosphere) will increase in height as the atmosphere warms. But since the volcano’s eruption column will stay the same, the plume carrying sulphur dioxide will be less likely to reach the upper atmosphere – where it would have the largest impact on the climate.</p> <p>On the other hand, more powerful but less frequent volcanic eruptions could lead to a greater cooling effect. That’s because as the atmosphere gets warmer, plumes of ash and gas emitted from powerful eruptions are predicted to rise higher into the atmosphere, and spread <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2013RG000448" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rapidly</a> from the tropics to higher latitudes.</p> <p>One <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2022GL099381" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent study</a> has suggested the major Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption in January may contribute to global warming, by pumping massive amounts of water vapour (a greenhouse gas) into the stratosphere.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-volcano-is-erupting-again-in-iceland-is-climate-change-causing-more-eruptions-187858" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Amid flight cancellations and airport chaos, is it worth traveling right now?

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/frederic-dimanche-836528">Frederic Dimanche</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/toronto-metropolitan-university-1607">Toronto Metropolitan University</a></em> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/wayne-smith-1136529">Wayne Smith</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/toronto-metropolitan-university-1607">Toronto Metropolitan University</a></em> <iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/amid-flight-cancellations-and-airport-chaos--is-it-worth-traveling-right-now" width="100%" height="400"></iframe></p> <p>We all realized the importance of the COVID-19 pandemic when we were asked by the government to <a href="https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2020/03/16/prime-minister-announces-new-actions-under-canadas-covid-19-response">stay home</a> in Winter 2020.</p> <p>When <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-travel-international-covid-advisory-1.6220428">Canadians were given the green light to travel again</a>, the government and media instilled <a href="https://theconversation.com/fear-of-travelling-canadians-need-to-put-travel-risk-into-perspective-171193">a fear of travelling</a> and many chose not to.</p> <p>Although <a href="https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/second-opinions/99225">we’re not out of the pandemic yet</a>, when it comes to restrictions, things are looking better. Take the EU for example: Restrictions have <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/28/europes-travel-rules-are-dropping-as-fast-as-its-covid-cases-.html">been dropped</a>, and as a result, <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.18111/wtobarometereng.2022.20.1.3">international trips increased 182 per cent from 2021 to 2022</a> for the first three months of the year.</p> <p>And while some are still preferring <a href="https://ca.news.yahoo.com/canada-travel-summer-muir-halifax-hotel-vrbo-vacation-rental-banff-niagara-whistler-153800575.html">to stay at home or avoiding international air travel</a>, many are eager to fly, but are confronted with <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/travel-chaos-flight-cancellations-2022/index.html">difficult travel conditions</a>: Flights are delayed or cancelled, people are waiting in line for hours at airports and missing their flights, luggage is being lost and emotions are high.</p> <p>So, is it worth travelling right now?</p> <h2>Revenge travel and a labour crisis</h2> <p>On one hand, the good news is many people have overcome <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2020.104261">their fear of travelling</a> amid the pandemic. They long for a time when they could visit other places, or see friends and family they’ve missed these past 30 months.</p> <p><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/revenge-travel-explainer/index.html">Revenge travel</a> — a term coined to define people’s need to travel after being deprived of it — and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2021.2006858">nostalgia for travelling</a> are fuelling people’s return to travel. And Europe is a top destination.</p> <p>Compared to 2021, Europe <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.18111/wtobarometereng.2022.20.1.3">welcomed almost four times as many</a> international travellers during the first three months of the year, while the U.S. welcomed more than twice as many.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477253/original/file-20220802-11-14sdbs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477253/original/file-20220802-11-14sdbs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477253/original/file-20220802-11-14sdbs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477253/original/file-20220802-11-14sdbs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477253/original/file-20220802-11-14sdbs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477253/original/file-20220802-11-14sdbs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477253/original/file-20220802-11-14sdbs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A mountain with homes embedded along the side is pictured by the sea" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Europe is a top travel destination right now. Pictured: Portofino, Italy.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Kristine Tanne/Unsplash)</span></span></figcaption></figure> <p>On the other hand, the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/europes-summer-discontent-reveals-travel-sector-labour-crisis-2022-06-19/">travel rebound has met a labour crisis</a>: Employers are struggling to hire qualified people after many left due to pandemic unemployment. The result? Travel chaos.</p> <p>From lost luggage to missed connections and cancelled flights, airports are struggling. In particular, Toronto Pearson airport has received <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/toronto-pearson-airport-delays-1.6534360">poor publicity</a> the past several weeks and been ranked “<a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/27865/worst-offending-airports-for-delays/">worst in the world</a>” for the number of delayed flights (over 50 per cent of all flights) from the end of May until July 19.</p> <p>Is it going to be fixed anytime soon? Probably not. But airports like <a href="https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/toronto-pearson-seeing-measurable-improvements-following-weeks-of-delays-1.6015470">Pearson say they are seeing improvements</a>. In the meantime, it’s a safe bet for travellers to get accustomed to paying more for lower quality services.</p> <h2>Plenty of health benefits</h2> <p>But it is still worth travelling. We know how important travel is: We travel to reconnect with friends and family, to escape our normal lifestyles, to discover other landscapes and cultures. And taking vacations is actually <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0047287513496477">good for your health and wellness</a>, even when <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.1434">it’s a short trip</a>!</p> <p>Travelling <a href="https://travelhub.wttc.org/blog/9-reasons-travel-is-good-for-your-mental-health">has health benefits</a>, like recovering from mental and physical fatigue, improving household relationships and making people happier. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-004-5012-3">Researchers</a> have shown that satisfaction with leisure travel is positively connected to quality of life. And <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taab123">several studies</a> have even shown that international travel restrictions led to unintended negative health and social consequences.</p> <p>While travel for vacation is recommended, beware: According to air travel specialists, <a href="https://theconversation.com/coming-changes-to-the-canadian-airline-industry-could-lead-to-even-more-disruption-187425">more disruptions</a> are in the cards and <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/air-travel-chaos-more-to-come/index.html">more air travel chaos is on its way</a>. The labour issues that are the main reason for the disruptions are unlikely to disappear anytime soon and will continue to affect all tourism sectors, from transportation to hospitality and attractions.</p> <p>While travellers should not feel discouraged as the benefits outweigh the costs, it may be time to consider alternative, less environmentally damaging forms of travel: closer to home, without flying and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/19407963.2022.2100410">favouring domestic tourism as a substitute to international tourism</a>.</p> <p>The key to a successful trip is to properly plan for it, consider any alternatives that may be needed and be diligent about checking and double checking travel regulations and restrictions — even while on your trip, as they may change.</p> <p>Make sure you have digital copies of all relevant documents (like your passport, prescriptions and vaccination records) and pack at least a couple of days of clothes in your carry-on (or don’t check a bag at all). Also remember to be respectful of the people and countries you visit (wearing a mask, for example, may be encouraged or required in some countries or public places).</p> <p>Finally, bring some patience, flexibility and a willingness for adventure.<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/187045/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/frederic-dimanche-836528">Frederic Dimanche</a>, Professor and Director, Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/toronto-metropolitan-university-1607">Toronto Metropolitan University</a></em> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/wayne-smith-1136529">Wayne Smith</a>, Professor, Hospitality and Tourism Management, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/toronto-metropolitan-university-1607">Toronto Metropolitan University</a></em></p> <p>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/amid-flight-cancellations-and-airport-chaos-is-it-worth-traveling-right-now-187045">original article</a>.</p>

Domestic Travel

New discovery reveals last moments of Pompeii’s middle class

<p dir="ltr">A series of new finds in Pompeii’s archaeological park have shed light on the final moments of middle class Romans before they were buried beneath volcanic ash and debris from Mount Vesuvius.</p> <p dir="ltr">Plates, glasses, vases, amphorae and terracotta objects left behind in chests and cabinets have been recovered from four rooms in a house that was first excavated in 2018.</p> <p dir="ltr">Gabriel Zuchtriegal, the director of the popular Italian tourist destination, said the discovery revealed precious details about the ordinary citizens of the city.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In the Roman Empire there was a significant proportion of the population which fought for their social status and for whom the ‘daily bread’ was anything but taken for granted. It was a social class that was vulnerable during political crises and famines, but also ambitious to climb the social ladder,” Dr Zuchtriegal <a href="http://pompeiisites.org/en/comunicati/the-discovery-of-furnishings-from-the-house-of-the-lararium-in-regio-v-a-snapshot-of-middle-class-pompeii/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In the House of the Lararium at Pompeii, the owner was able to embellish the courtyard with the lararium and the basin for the cistern with exceptional paintings, yet evidently funds were insufficient to decorate the five rooms of the house, one of which was used for storage. </p> <p dir="ltr">“In the other rooms, two on the upper floor which could be reached by a mezzanine, we have discovered an array of objects, some of which are made of precious materials such as bronze and glass, while others were for everyday use. The wooden furniture, of which it has been possible to make casts, was extremely simple. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We do not know who the inhabitants of the house were, but certainly the culture of otium (leisure) which inspired the wonderful decoration of the courtyard represented for them more a future they dreamed of than a lived reality.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In the rooms on the lower floor of the house, all of the furnishings were able to be recovered by creating casts of the furniture.</p> <p dir="ltr">One bedroom even contained the remains of a bed frame and trace fabric from the pillow, similar to three cot-like beds unearthed last year in another Pompeiian home believed to be slaves’ quarters. </p> <p dir="ltr">Next to the bed, archaeologists found a bipartite wooden chest that was left open when the owners fled. Although heavily damaged by beams that crashed onto it during the eruption, it still held an oil lamp decorated with a relief of the Greek god Zeus being transformed into an eagle.</p> <p dir="ltr">A small, three-legged table was found next to the trunk, with a ceramic cup containing glass ampules, and two small plates sitting on top.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the storeroom, they found a wooden cupboard with its backboard still intact and the shelves caved in.</p> <p dir="ltr">Many of the items from the upper floor were found in the rooms below, including everyday items such as ceramic vessels, two bronze jugs, a bronze bowl with a beaded base, and an incense burner in the shape of a cradle.</p> <p dir="ltr">One of the unique and most interesting finds was a small cast of waxed tablets, made up of seven triptychs (carvings with three panels) that have been tied together by a small cord.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e3893194-7fff-a6cd-0f25-7ced2314fcef"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Parco Archeologico di Pompei</em></p>

International Travel

Indian airline cracks the code to halving disembark times

<p dir="ltr">A low-cost Indian airline has come up with a game-changing solution to get passengers off planes quicker during disembarking. </p> <p dir="ltr">A lot of planes rely on one door at the front of the plane to get travellers off the aircraft when they arrive at their destination.</p> <p dir="ltr">This often means passengers at the back of the plane have to let hundreds of others off the plane before they get the chance to disembark in an orderly fashion. </p> <p dir="ltr">To combat the wait, some airlines, including Virgin Australia and Qantas-owned Jetstar, regularly allow passengers to disembark from a set of stairs at the rear of the plane. </p> <p dir="ltr">But India’s largest carrier IndiGo has gone one step further and has introduced a third door for passengers to exit through.</p> <p dir="ltr">They have utilised the door in the middle of the plane, which is only ever used in an emergency, as another exit for passengers. </p> <p dir="ltr">The carrier reckons it could almost halve the time it takes to get passengers off the plane from up to 13 minutes to a mere seven minutes.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The new Three-Point Disembarkation process will be carried out from two forward and one rear exit ramp, making IndiGo the first airline to use this process,” an IndiGo spokesman told India’s <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/indigo-introduces-process-for-faster-de-boarding-of-passengers-101659598634339.html">Hindustan Times</a>. </p> <p dir="ltr">A video uploaded by Indian business journalist Sumit Chaturvedi shows the new process with passengers leaving an IndiGo Airbus A320 aircraft via the various ramps.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Indian carrier Indigo today introduced a new Three Point Disembarkation <br />which it claims will enable its customers to exit the aircraft faster than before. The new process <br />will be carried out from two forward and one rear exit ramp. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiGo?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiGo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ChhaviLeekha?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChhaviLeekha</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiGo6E?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndiGo6E</a> <a href="https://t.co/n7Xajg8dk0">pic.twitter.com/n7Xajg8dk0</a></p> <p>— Sumit Chaturvedi (@joinsumit) <a href="https://twitter.com/joinsumit/status/1555098794609455104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“An A320 aircraft usually takes around 13 minutes for its passengers to de-board the aircraft. However, the new process will make the drill faster and will reduce the disembarkation time from 13 minutes to seven minutes,” an IndiGo spokesman said.</p> <p dir="ltr">As well as being a major bonus for anxious passengers who are eager to make a swift exit from the plane, the changes could also greatly help the airline. </p> <p dir="ltr">The quicker passengers can leave the plane, the shorter the turnaround time to get it back in the air with more fare-paying passengers on board.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the revolutionary change exciting many, others are sceptical at the airline’s claims. </p> <p dir="ltr">Ben Schlappig of US aviation blog<a href="https://onemileatatime.com/news/indigo-deplaning-a320-three-doors/"> One Mile At A Time </a>questioned if all the claimed time savings would occur in real-life settings. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The process of actually getting out the door is one bottleneck, but I’d think that getting down the aisle is another thing that takes time, and that’s still an issue, even with a second door in the front.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em><span id="docs-internal-guid-9300df50-7fff-1f10-f327-9cda09fc8532"></span></p>

Travel Tips

Health

6 ways doodling can make you smarter, happier and more productive

<p><strong>Doodling and attention</strong></p> <p>Like a perpetually active toddler, the human brain constantly demands stimulation. When you’re in a setting that’s noticeably devoid of stimuli (say, on a long plane ride, or in an ultra-boring meeting) your brain compensates by creating its own stimulation in the form of daydreams. And while zoning out is a fine way to pass the time, it’s a dismal way to absorb information. Doodling, on the other hand, engages the brain’s planning and concentration centres just enough to keep you living in the moment – and according to some researchers, it may be even more effective for retaining information than active listening. In one study in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology, subjects who monitored a monotonous phone message for names of party guests recalled 29 percent more information later if they were doodling during the call. Meanwhile, in a 2012 study of science students who were asked to draw what they learned during lectures and reading sessions, doodlers not only retained more information, but also reported more enjoyment and engagement with the material.</p> <p><strong>Doodling and memory</strong></p> <p>In general, multitasking lowers cognitive performance on tasks, makes you think harder than you have to, and decreases productivity. However, recent experiments out of Waterloo University suggest that doodling might be an exception. In a series of tests, subjects were given 40 seconds to either draw a word in detail or write it by hand as many times as they could. When quizzed later, doodlers recalled more than twice as many words as writers did. Give this a try in your next meeting: Don’t just write down the crucial points – draw them.</p> <p><strong>Doodling and mindfulness</strong></p> <p><span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 16px;">So, doodlers, your pen is moving and your brain is engaged – do you feel the zen yet? According to Jesse Prinz, a philosophy professor at City University of New York Graduate Center, doodling keeps participants in a state of “pure listening” that borders on meditation. “Doodling helps hit that sweet spot between listening too much and listening too little,” Prinz says. “It keeps you in a state where your mind can’t wander, and your mind can’t also reflect or think more deeply about what you’re hearing… it’s to such a great extent that if I do not doodle, I find myself having difficulty concentrating.” With your mind so engaged, it becomes hard not to feel yourself in the present moment. And with meditation comes relaxation.</span></p> <p><strong>Doodling and your mood</strong></p> <p>Beyond the kindergarten wisdom that drawing is just plain fun, there may be psychological forces improving your mood when you put doodles to paper. The key: keep it positive. In a 2008 study where participants were asked to either draw something that was making them unhappy (to “vent” their emotions) or something that made them happy, those who focused on the positive showed a greater short-term elevation in mood than those who vented. So when you doodle through your next boring meeting, draw yourself on a train to your dream holiday location instead of drawing your blowhard boss tied to tracks.</p> <p><strong>Doodling and creativity</strong></p> <p>This may seem like a no-brainer, but creative acts lead to creative thinking. Take this case study from a 2014 paper published at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology: An architecture student hit a creative block while designing a new kindergarten building. To ease his mind, the student began habitually doodling his own signature, larger and larger. As the doodles grew in size, the student began seeing an outline for the building in the negative spaces between the letters of his name. The doodle soon became the architectural sketch on which he based his building.</p> <p><strong>Doodling and stress</strong></p> <p>Creative activities have been proven across dozens of studies to reduce stress, decrease negative emotions, and even improve the health of people who participate in them. The end product doesn’t even have to be a masterpiece; as the great doodling philosopher Charles Schulz wrote, “the joy is in the playing.” In no form of art is this more true than doodling, a game where your brain talks to itself by using your hand as a medium. There is no concern for the end product, or who else might see it. Relax in the fact that a doodle is just a little present from you, for you.</p> <p><em><span id="docs-internal-guid-19914df7-7fff-e4fb-40fd-fa5dcffbaa7b">Written by Brandon Specktor. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/thought-provoking/6-ways-doodling-can-make-you-smarter-happier-and-more-productive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here’s our best subscription offer.</a></span></em></p>

Mind

Johnny Ruffo marks five years since cancer diagnosis

<p>Johnny Ruffo has thanked his fans for sticking by him in an emotional Instagram post, as he marks five years since his life-changing cancer diagnosis. </p> <p>The former <em>Home and Away</em> actor took to Instagram to share a series of photos from his years-long health battle, with some featuring his girlfriend Tahnee Sims.</p> <p>After first being diagnosed with brain cancer in 2017, Ruffo underwent his first surgery. </p> <p>Ruffo announced in 2019 that he was in remission, but by November 2020 the cancer had returned.</p> <p>“Still fighting this son of a b****,” Ruffo’s most recent post was captioned, with the blunt hashtag, “F*** cancer.”</p> <p>“Thanks for all the support,” he added.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg89A0rL-mm/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg89A0rL-mm/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Johnny Ruffo (@johnny_ruffo)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Johnny received a flood of support in the comments, with Larry Emdur writing, "Luv ya, mate. Punch on and smash this!"</p> <p><em>Home and Away's</em> Emily Symons posted, “Sending so much love to you Johnny,” while his girlfriend simply said, "Superstar".</p> <p>Cameron Daddo called Ruffo a “brave and inspiring brother ... silky dancer too!,” referring to his recent appearance on <em>Dancing With The Stars</em>.</p> <p>“Your smile inspires the world, legend,” comedian Dave Hughes wrote, while entertainer Rhonda Burchmore said she was “sending big love.”</p> <p>On her own Instagram page, Tahnee Sims paid tribute to her boyfriend’s tenacity.</p> <p>“Five years on, in awe of you every single day,” she wrote.</p> <p>“Still a huge battle ahead but a major milestone reached that was at times uncertain."</p> <p>“Grateful for you always.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Pop legend unrecognisable after bee sting

<p dir="ltr">Irish pop legend Brian McFadden has been left with a swollen face after being stung by a bee, and has joked about how it looks like he received free botox and fillers.</p> <p dir="ltr">The former Australian Idol judge shared a series of posts to his Instagram showing how badly swollen his face became after a bee sting.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 42-year-old’s first post was a video of himself singing I’m Sexy And I Know It by LMFAO while laying in a hospital bed.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Stung by a bee and got an allergic reaction!! Owning that look! Free Botox and fillers!!!!!” his caption read as he laughed.</p> <p dir="ltr">In his next post, he shared photos from different angles showing massive lips and a swollen eye.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChFoNnkjRYU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChFoNnkjRYU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by brianmcfadden (@brianmcfadden123)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">He explained that the reaction from the bee sting was ongoing.</p> <p dir="ltr">Finally, his third post showed a selfie after his face had finally calmed down from the unfortunate incident.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My face is calming down again. Thanks for all your lovely messages,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Allergies to venoms caused by a stinging insect such as a bee, ant or wasp is known to cause an anaphylactic reaction.</p> <p dir="ltr">The most common symptoms include an all over rash, swelling of tongue or throat, trouble breathing, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting and a drop in blood pressure (shock).</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>What to do if you are stung by a bee</strong></p> <ol> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Remove the sting by sliding or scraping your fingernail across it, rather than pulling at it.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Wash the area and apply ice to reduce the swelling.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">If the person goes into anaphylactic shock the only treatment is an injection of adrenaline.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Immobilise the person, apply pressure to the bite and seek immediate medical help.</p> </li> </ol> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Body

Anne Heche's blood test results revealed after horror smash

<p dir="ltr">An investigation of Anne Heche’s blood results have detected “the presence of drugs” following <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/new-details-of-actor-anne-heche-s-fiery-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">her horror smash</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The US actress was pulled out of her burning car after she smashed into a mansion in Los Angeles while driving a terrifying 140km/h on August 5.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 53-year-old suffered severe injuries and soon after the crash fell into a coma and has not regained consciousness since. </p> <p dir="ltr">Almost a week after the incident, a Los Angeles Police Department Public Information Officer confirmed there was a “presence of drugs” in Anne’s blood system. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Based on the blood draw, it revealed the presence of drugs, however additional testing is required to rule out any substances that were administered at the hospital as part of her medical treatment,” they told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/anne-heche-blood-test-revealed-presence-of-drugs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News Digital</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Any secondary drugs [takes] up to 30 days for [a] secondary test to come back.” </p> <p dir="ltr">TMZ previously reported that Anne had cocaine in her system upon arrival at the hospital, but that is yet to be confirmed. </p> <p dir="ltr">The crash is currently being investigated by the LAPD who have confirmed that if Anne is found to have been drunk she would face significant charges. </p> <p dir="ltr">"If found intoxicated, [Heche] could be charged with misdemeanour DUI hit and run. No arrests have been made so far,” a representative said. </p> <p dir="ltr">Anne’s representative has confirmed that she is in an “extreme critical condition”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She has a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention,” her representative said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“She is in a coma and has not regained consciousness since shortly after the accident.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Caring

Lifestyle

How to create your own flower arrangements

<p>Flowers are a sure-fire way to make just about anyone’s day. Whether you’re giving them as a gift, using them to decorate you house or making a centrepiece for an occasion, flowers will instantly brighten with their beauty. Here are some tips for creating your own flower arrangements at home.</p> <p><strong>Look for inspiration</strong><br />With Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, inspiration for flower arrangements is now literally endless. Magazines and books are also a great source for ideas.</p> <p><strong>Select a colour scheme</strong><br />When deciding on a colour scheme for your flower arrangement, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, is it an arrangement to go in a vase in your home and if so, what are the colours of the room it is going in? Or perhaps it is a gift for a friend and if so, what’s the occasion? Lastly, what time of year is it? These factors will influence what you go for. If the arrangement is for a house then you’ll need to pick colours that suit the room. If it is for an occasion, you’ll want to consider if you need bright and happy colours, or something more subtle. Lastly, if it's summer, it’s best to opt for colours that celebrate that time of year.</p> <p><strong>Write up a recipe</strong><br />Prepare a recipe for your floral arrangements, just as you do when making a meal. Include tools and supplies needed, the amount of flowers and go from there. If you're making an arrangement for home, you’ll likely just need the bucket, vase, a couple of tools for grooming the flowers (see below). For a bouquet, you’ll need all of that minus the vase and add in some ribbon and string, or if you’re after a centrepiece, you will also need a block of floral foam and a votive to make your arrangement in. It’s always a good idea to buy a few more flowers than you think you’ll need. A standard flower arranging supply tool kit would include: clippers, floral tape, ribbons, floral moss, flower preservative, rose strippers if you have roses, and vases. Once you have your recipe, you'll know what you need.</p> <p><strong>Off to the market</strong><br />You have a few options when it comes to where to buy your blooms: you could start in your own garden if you’re on a budget, otherwise there are lots of wholesale flower markets, or grocery stores, store front florists, farmer’s markets and mail order. We recommend heading to wholesale markets. The produce comes straight from farms, the variety is amazing and you can generally get the best value for your money. Keep in mind that in order to get the best flowers from the markets, you’ll have to get there early and some markets open at 4 or 5am. Check what markets are closest to you.</p> <p><strong>Pick your flowers</strong><br />Peonies or gardenias, roses or carnations, orchids or irises? It is best to select flowers according to the time of year and what’s in season. Out-of-season flowers are likely to be harder to come by and expensive. There are some places in which you can pre-order, so it might be worth a phone call to discuss your options. Otherwise, just Google what you’re interested in and see what's in season where you live and make your plan around that. When you’re at the market or store, make sure the flowers you buy are not beginning to wilt. Ideally, there should be a few green buds in the mix and petals should feel firm and have no brown edges.</p> <p><strong>Grooming</strong><br />First you need to pick out any dead or broken blooms and petals. Next, you need to cut each stem by at least one inch at an angle using a sharp knife, scissors, or clippers. Then it is very important to get them into some water. Buckets work well to keep them in and a tall bucket in which the stems can gently rest on the sides will work best. The fewer leaves left below the waterline in the vase the better as leaves steal nutrients from blooms and can also cause the water to get nasty faster. Be sure to pull of the extra greenery. Most flowers (except tulips and hyacinths) do best in lukewarm water.</p> <p><strong>Caring for your flowers</strong><br />Keep the water fresh and change daily to keep the flowers healthy. It’s also good to trim the stems periodically to help them stay hydrated.</p> <p><strong>Step-by-step guide to flower arranging<br /></strong><br />1. Begin by placing two or three more branchy stems into the vase (or in your hand if you're making a bouquet) as this will help you get an idea of the overall shape you want your arrangement to take. You want to create a sense of width as well as height, so really work those angles.</p> <p>2. Now start adding the attention-grabbing blooms one at a time, again at different heights. Try placing one big bloom right on the edge of the vase, and one at least an inch or two higher. If it looks like your arrangement is growing a set of eyeballs, snip one of the stems.</p> <p>3. Turn your vase often and consider working from different angles. Even if you vase ends up in a corner or against a wall when you’re done, you want it looking good from all sides.</p> <p>4. Go slowly and don’t be afraid to take things out if it’s not working. Keep going, adding alternate colours, sizes and shapes. Mix foliage and greenery with vivid hues, ensuring you don’t damage them. When you feel like you’re done, try adding two or three longer gestural stems (ranunculus or anemones) at an unexpected height or angle to pump up the drama.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Home & Garden

Hairdresser reveals why you should NEVER pluck your grey hairs

<p dir="ltr">A world-renowned hairdresser has cautioned people against plucking out their grey hairs, claiming it does a lot more harm than good. </p> <p dir="ltr">Grey hairs are caused by the follicle failing to produce melanin, and therefore lose their colour: a process that is most often caused by the natural ageing process and sometimes stress. </p> <p dir="ltr">Trey Gillen, hairstylist and creative director of education at Sachajuan told Yahoo that trying to pull out grey hairs is cause for more damage.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said, “Plucking can traumatise the hair follicle, and you can damage it to the point where it will no longer grow any hair.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“If you're a serial plucker, repeated 'plucking trauma' can even cause infection, scar formation, and bald patches.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In recent years, scientists have finally proved what conventional wisdom has been telling us for decades - that being stressed causes hair to go grey prematurely. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, in a stunning revelation, researchers from Columbia University also found the process can be reversed in hairs that have only recently turned grey. </p> <p dir="ltr">Scientists say that reducing stress could stave off grey hair, and it is hoped drugs could be developed to further prevent the unwanted process. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Beauty & Style

Woman buys ad in newspaper to call out cheating partner

<p dir="ltr">A furious woman who was cheated on by her partner has taken out a whole page of the local newspaper to call him out. </p> <p dir="ltr">Jenny from Queensland purchased one page from the Mackay and Whitsunday Life paper with her cheating partner’s credit card page. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Dear Steve, I hope you’re happy with her,” the message on page 4 read. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Now the whole town will know what a filthy cheater you are. From Jenny.</p> <p dir="ltr">“PS. I bought this ad using your credit card.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The newspaper said they have received several messages from locals asking who Steve and Jenny are but they have kept quiet about it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We do NOT know who Steve is, but apparently he’s been very very bad,” the newspaper said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We won’t be revealing any details about Jenny.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite writing that she used Steve’s credit card for the ad, the newspaper confirmed they have not yet charged the card. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We have not charged the credit card in question.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The ad made its way to social media with many commending Jenny for calling out her cheating partner. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Jenny sounds like someone I want to be friends with,” someone wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Not all heroines wear capes. Jenny is my new favourite person,” another commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Sucks to be Steve,” another wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Facebook</em></p>

Relationships

Olivia Newton-John’s daughter shares never seen before footage

<p dir="ltr">Olivia Newton-John's daughter has shared a beautiful behind-the-scenes video of a duet she did with her mother.</p> <p dir="ltr">Chloe Rose Lattanzi shared the video to Instagram of her and her mum singing <em>Window In The Wall </em>at Olivia’s home studio.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 36-year-old could be seen smiling at her mother as the pair hugged, smiled and began to sing the beautiful song.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You are my lighthouse mama. My safe place. My heart space. It has been my honor and continues to be my honor to be your baby and best friend,” Chloe wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You are an angel on earth and everyone touched by you has been blessed. I love you forever my life giver, my teacher, my mama.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The song was released in January 2021 and at the time Olivia knew it was one that she wanted to sing with her daughter.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve always enjoyed singing duets more than singing on my own, and when I first heard this song, I knew immediately that I wanted to sing it with my daughter Chloe,” she previously said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The lyrics and melody really resonated with me, and I hoped Chloe would feel the same way – and luckily, she did!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Chloe at the time also knew it was a song she wanted to perform with her mother when she played it for her.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When my mom played the song for me I knew I wanted to record it, not only because it was with my mom but, I felt the lyrics and message might help people see things from another perspective,” Chloe said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We are all part of the same human race and if we listen to each other, respect each other and love each other - for both our likenesses and our differences - we might just understand each other a lot more.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChC-Nr8j1_w/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChC-Nr8j1_w/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Chloe Lattanzi (@chloelattanziofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The heartwarming behind-the-scenes video comes following the devastating news of Olivia’s death on Monday at her home in California.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 73-year-old fought her breast cancer diagnosis for 30 years but unfortunately succumbed to it.</p> <p dir="ltr">The news of <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/honouring-dame-olivia-newton-john" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Olivia’s passing was announced by her husband</a> John Easterling on Instagram via his late wife’s account, and included an appeal to continue her good works in the field of cancer research:</p> <p dir="ltr">“Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends. We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in her memory to the @onjfoundation."</p> <p dir="ltr">Her daughter Chloe also shared a <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/no-words-emotional-images-from-olivia-newton-john-s-daughter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">series of heartwarming photos</a> upon the news breaking as celebrities and fans alike offered their condolences.</p> <p dir="ltr">The family have also accepted a state funeral from Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

Finance

How to find lost super

<p>Boost your superannuation fast by tracking down lost funds. Here’s a few simple steps to help make it easy.</p> <p>If you’ve had a few jobs over the years or changed your name or address, you may have money floating out there in long forgotten super accounts. According to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), there are a total of just over six million lost and ATO-held accounts totalling over $18.2 billion. That’s a lot of unclaimed money.</p> <p><strong>Start the search</strong><br />Finding lost and unclaimed super is simple. The ATO’s SuperSeeker is a free site dedicated to helping you find lost super. You can search for super online, by phone or by sending the ATO a paper form with personal details, such as name, date of birth and tax file number.</p> <p>You will need to register to use the ATO’s online services, including the SuperSeeker website, which is also a security measure to protect the personal information displayed and to make sure the person enquiring about lost super funds in your name is actually you.</p> <p>The tax office will then provide you with the name and contact details of any super fund, retirement savings account or eligible rollover fund that has super it believes is linked to you.</p> <p>The online super search tool will not only locate lost super, but will find any ATO-held super in your name. This is funds the government, your super fund or your employer have provided to the tax office on your behalf because they couldn’t find a super account to transfer the money to.</p> <p><strong>You’ve been reunited with your super, now what?</strong><br />If you find yourself the fortunate recipient of lost super funds, you can use SuperSeeker to initiate an online transfer of your money to another fund. This usually occurs within three working days. You can also contact the super fund and give them your new details, but this may take slightly longer.</p> <p><strong>Put it all in the one account</strong><br />Once you’ve found lost funds, take the opportunity to combine all of your money into the one account. This will not only save on administration fees, but you’ll be able to focus all of your energy on growing the one super balance if you’re still contributing to it. Be aware of outgoing fund exit fees and of any insurance you may have in one of the super accounts you want to close.</p> <p>While you may think you don’t have any lost super out there, it’s worth a search, especially when it involves billions in lost funds.</p>

Retirement Income

Readers Respond: What is the most unprofessional thing a doctor has said to you?

<p dir="ltr">When you go to your family doctor or specialist the last thing you’d expect is something unprofessional being said. </p> <p dir="ltr">But unfortunately, it appears to be more common than we think and it is unacceptable. </p> <p dir="ltr">We asked our readers to shed some light on some of the unprofessional comments they’ve received from doctors and they are nothing but shocking.</p> <p dir="ltr">Check them out below.</p> <p dir="ltr">Julie Lancashire - At 90 years my mum got her pacemaker replaced after 10 years and the doctor saying he didn't expect he'd be doing it again. She's now 93 and counting!</p> <p dir="ltr">Carole Meyer - I was patted on the head and told I didn’t need to know how many stitches I had after giving birth.</p> <p dir="ltr">Rosalea Mifsud - I asked our doctor of 35 years if my husband could have Legionnaires' disease as he was extremely ill after opening the potting mix. Instead of swabbing or testing urine, his reply was “I don’t know as I have never had a patient with it”. My husband was ill for 2 months, but never diagnosed. He had a blood test which showed he had a virus.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jean Ahmet - My husband had a large operation to remove cancer. When he went for a check up a year later the registrar said to him “see you next year if you are still around”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Terrie Giancola - My husband was told he was considered “not viable” for surgery for liver cancer by a surgeon at a large public hospital in Melbourne, “go home enjoy what time you have left you won’t feel any pain”. Twenty-two years later after successful surgery at a large private hospital we both still remember the callousness of that comment.</p> <p dir="ltr">Margaret Gauld - Asking me what I was thinking about during an internal examination.</p> <p dir="ltr">Elizabeth Mcdowell - Went through years of pain and one day called into the hospital. The doctor checking me said l was faking the pain and wasting his time. Two more years of excruciating pain I saw a specialist who took my gallbladder out. He said it was full of puss and was very infected. Been fine ever since. </p> <p dir="ltr">Liz Wood - I was told to get pregnant and that would fix all my problems. Only thing was I had been told two weeks before having an operation for a burst cyst on my ovaries. I was then told I would not be able to have children. I reported the doctor for his insensitive comments. He had not read my case history.</p> <p dir="ltr">Vicki Pritchard - If you weren’t so overweight it wouldn’t have hurt as much! I fell down the cement stairs. I was in PAIN.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sue Schultz - Your baby shouldn't have died…but you are not the only one that has lost a baby!!!! I was just shattered.</p> <p dir="ltr">Share any unprofessional comments you’ve received <a href="https://www.facebook.com/oversixtys/posts/pfbid02mknfZ3Fau8mcQJTfvsECja1BikMLbghX6MCBhC9XhYPN4Vb35zrirSf6N7W8vL6fl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Legal

Alex Jones to pay eye-watering sum in damages

<p dir="ltr">Alex Jones, the host of far-right radio show InfoWars, has been ordered to pay a total of $US 49.3 million ($AUD 70.51 million) in damages for falsely claiming the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax.</p> <p dir="ltr">A Texas jury ruled that Jones pay $45.2 million in punitive damages, after awarding $4.1 million in compensatory damages the previous day, per <em><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62444302" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC News</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jones has repeatedly claimed that the shooting at Sandy Hook primary school, Connecticut, where 20 children and adults were killed was a “hoax” carried out by actors who opposed the Second Amendment right to bear firearms.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nail Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, the plaintiffs in the case and whose son died in the shooting, asked the court for $150 million, claiming they endured harassment and emotional distress as a result of his misinformation.</p> <p dir="ltr">Heslin told the court that Jones’ falsehoods had made his life “hell” and led to harassment and death threats from people who believed he had lied about his son’s death.</p> <p dir="ltr">The $4.1 million in compensatory damages were issued on Thursday to cover the actual costs incurred by the plaintiffs as a result of Jones’ defamation, including the private security they hired out of fear a Jones supporter may attack them during the trial.</p> <p dir="ltr">The following day’s $45.2 million are meant to deter Jones from repeating his offence.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We ask that you send a very, very simple message and that is: Stop Alex Jones,” a lawyer for the parents said in court on Friday.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Stop the monetisation of misinformation and lies. Please.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Lawyers representing Heslin and Lewis accused Jones of trying to hide evidence, arguing that he committed perjury by denying having sent any messages about the shooting - with one attorney revealing that Jones’ legal representative accidentally sent them two years of Jones’ text messages.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Did you know 12 days ago your attorneys messed up and sent me an entire digital copy of your entire cell phone with every text message you’ve sent for the past two years?” said attorney Mark Bankston, according to HuffPost.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And when informed did not take any steps to identify it as privilege?”</p> <p dir="ltr">"If I was mistaken, I was mistaken, you've got the text messages right there," Jones said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite his long-held position that the shooting was fake, Jones acknowledged that it was “100 percent real” in court.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I unintentionally took part in things that did hurt these people’s feelings, and I’m sorry for that,” Jones said.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the radio host has continued to use his media platform to claim the case was rigged against him, with his InfoWars depicting a judge being consumed by flames.</p> <p dir="ltr">During his brief appearance in court, Jones was rebuked several times by the judge for lying under oath, including one moment where he was told: “This is not your show.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The trial is one of three brought against Jones by family members of the Sandy Hook victims, and comes after he has lost a series of defamation cases filed by parents by default after he failed to produce documents or testimony.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, this is the first trial where a jury agreed to award financial damages.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-71a17443-7fff-4a6b-001a-e0fe0b49116b"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Money & Banking

“People are going to die”: Over 1000 uncared for after council aged care services end

<p dir="ltr">More than 1000 elderly residents on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula have been left without care after the local council stopped providing care services and made more than 110 staff redundant.</p> <p dir="ltr">In July, private aged care service providers took over the care of more than 3500 residents who had previously been cared for by the council, with 2063 people transferred to Mecwacare and 1554 to Bolton Clarke, per <em><a href="https://www.watoday.com.au/national/victoria/nobody-s-checked-i-m-alive-more-than-1000-stranded-as-council-retreats-from-aged-care-20220808-p5b81l.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WA Today</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Aimee Bonfield, a spokeswoman for Bolton Clarke, said “essential services” were being provided for 300 residents, with services starting or scheduled for another 200.</p> <p dir="ltr">“All remaining clients have been contacted and we remain in touch on a regular basis to update on progress and to address any immediate needs,” she said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Bolton Clarke has a strong track record of understanding local needs and supporting wellbeing and independence for older people on the Mornington Peninsula.”</p> <p dir="ltr">But, at least 1000 residents have been left without care, including Barbara Rimington, who has a fused back from spinal surgery and has undergone surgery for lung cancer and was receiving assistance with cleaning from the council.</p> <p dir="ltr">Since Bolton Clarke took over on July 1, the 77-year-old said she hasn’t received any care and is “one of the luckier ones” because she is still relatively independent.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The council said they are monitoring,” she said. “Pig’s arse they are. Nobody has contacted me to see if I am still alive.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Rimington said she was worried for others who needed help with shopping, since there are limited delivery options available on the peninsula.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Are any of these people eating?” she said. “People are going to die. Some people are totally isolated. It’s an indictment on the whole of society.”</p> <p dir="ltr">89-year-old Michael Nolan said he and his wife, 85, were left in the lurch by Mecawacare and haven’t received care for more than a month.</p> <p dir="ltr">The council used to provide assistance to Nolan once a fortnight, helping with cleaning and tasks around the home, such as checking smoke alarms, changing light bulbs, and changing bed sheets.</p> <p dir="ltr">“[Mecwacare] has been on the job since July 1 and nothing is happening,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We have to try and do the cleaning ourselves and we tackle it a little bit at a time, but it takes us days and days to do because I can’t bend down, otherwise I fall over.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Mecwacare has had months and months to prepare for this. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It is typical of the former federal government, they want to give everything over to private enterprise.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Anthony Marsh, the mayor of Mornington Peninsula, said the council decided to “transition” away from using its own staff to prepare for the federal government’s open-market system, and that the council had no say in the providers that would replace them.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The peninsula had no provider other than council delivering these services and we needed to ensure our residents had choice and the advantage of a competitive market environment,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We did not get a say in the appointment of new providers; that was done by the federal government.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Marsh said the council was assured by both providers and the government that essential services would continue from July 1, and that an offer to keep some staff on “to help with the transition” was turned down.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The welfare of our older residents is a major priority for council, and we will continue to advocate to the federal government to make sure older people receive the support they need to remain independent and involved in the community,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">A government spokesman said the government was “continually reviewing” the transition and selection process for councils that chose to exit the Commonwealth home support program and was aware of the situation on Mornington Peninsula.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e0887fa8-7fff-732a-46d4-1c85b94eac52"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“The department is aware of the transition of clients from Mornington Peninsula Shire council to Mecwacare and Bolton Clarke and is actively working with My Aged Care and the providers on outstanding transition issues,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

Entertainment

Steve Martin's big career news

<p dir="ltr">With a career spanning more than five decades, Hollywood veteran Steve Martin has said he’s “not going to seek” any more acting work.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 76-year-old film and TV star said he might be considering retirement after he wraps filming on the upcoming third season of his Hulu series, <em>Only Murders In The Building</em>, co-starring Martin Short and Selena Gomez.</p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking to <em><a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/steve-martin-career-retirement-only-murders-in-the-building-1235195571/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hollywood Reporter</a></em>, Martin said it was becoming difficult to stay in the game at this point in his career.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There’s a time in your career when people are dying to see you … Now is the time in my career when I’m the one who’s got to show up,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When this television show [<em>Only Murders In The Building</em>] is done, I’m not going to seek others. I’m not going to seek other movies. I don’t want to do cameos. This is, weirdly, it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The star, who has been nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor (Comedy) at this year’s awards for his work on<em> Only Murders In The Building</em>, started out in stand-up comedy. Martin made his name in the 1960s for his writing work on <em>The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour</em>, before becoming a host on <em>Saturday Night Live.</em></p> <p dir="ltr">After retiring from comedy, Martin transitioned to the big screen in the 80s, starring in hit films such as <em>Three Amigos, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Father of the Bride, Pink Panther</em>, and <em>Cheaper By The Dozen</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Martin has earned himself five Grammys, an Emmy, and an Honorary Academy Award, meaning he only needs to score a Tony award to achieve the prestigious EGOT status.</p> <p dir="ltr">In his personal life, Martin became a father for the first time at the age of 67, welcoming a daughter with his wife of 15 years, Anne Stringfield.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though he says he won’t be looking for more acting work, Martin hasn’t retired just yet.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My wife keeps saying, “You always say you’re going to retire and then you always come up with something’ … I’m not really interested in retiring,” Martin added.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m not. But I would just work a little less. Maybe.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ee6894dc-7fff-1200-680e-60f02a9a7b9f"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Movies

Readers respond: What song would you want to be played at your funeral and why?

<p>When it comes to music at funerals, everyone has different opinions on what they want their final song to be.</p> <p>Whether it's an emotional ballad, a moving piece of classical music, or a party anthem for the theatrics, our readers told us what song they would like to send them off.</p> <p>Here's what they said. </p> <p><strong>Margaret Thea Meek</strong> - <em>On the Wings of an Eagle</em> by Russell Morris. I have the most wonderful memory, as a teenager, of travelling to Manly with my friends and while on the ferry, this beautiful song was playing while the sun shone and the breeze played on my face and hair.</p> <p>I love it as much today as I did all those years ago and the lyrics say it all for me personally.</p> <p><strong>Hentie Jacobs</strong> - So many comes to mind, but now at the age of 72 with all the aches and pains that old ages gives us and we must unwillingly accept, maybe <em>I Want To Break Free</em> by Queen. </p> <p><strong>Beverley Asmus</strong> - <em>Bridge over Troubled Waters </em>so my boys will think of it when times are tough and I’m not there in person.</p> <p><strong>Justin Wood</strong> - <em>Disco Inferno</em> by the Trammps as the coffin slides away to the flames!</p> <p><strong>Peta Lowe</strong> - <em>Forever Young</em> by Rod Stewart because of the message</p> <p><strong>Jo Boucher </strong>- <em>Somewhere Over the Rainbow</em> by Billy Thorpe. Always touched me when he sang it.</p> <p><strong>Meg Joisce</strong> - <em>Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again</em> by The Angels.</p> <p><strong>Sharyn Finter</strong> - I don't want a funeral, I want my friends to party like we did when I was alive to the music I love.</p> <p><strong>Julia Santos</strong> - I would like people to do the chicken dance or the <em>Macarena</em> at my funeral. I won't care but the guests might as well have fun.</p> <p><strong>Dianne Bentley</strong> - <em>Hallelujah</em> chorus, because I will be there singing it in Heaven.</p> <p><strong>Heather Maree</strong> - <em>Always Look on the Bright Side of Life</em> from <em>Life of Brian</em>. I want to go out on a laugh.</p> <p><strong>Sue Tomlinson</strong> - <em>Another One Bites the Dust</em>. When I said to my granddaughter that it was my choice, she was horrified but I said I just want you all to smile.</p> <p><strong>Kerri Borg</strong> - My funeral is going to be a music festival, I have to many favourites, and you are going to hear them all! </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Music

Meet Australia’s newest and youngest Chaser

<p dir="ltr">There is a new <em>Chaser</em> on the block and she is not here to play nicely. </p> <p dir="ltr">Enter Mara Lejins, only 27, and Australia’s youngest Chaser on popular TV show <em>The Chase</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">One look and you’d actually think she’s Elle Woods from Legally Blonde thanks to her blonde hair and pink outfit. </p> <p dir="ltr">But don’t underestimate the innocent look as she has been dubbed The Smiling Assassin. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I only smile when I’m trying to take down contestants - that’s why I’m always smiling,” she says with a grin.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Smiling Assassin joins the top guns on the show - Goliath, The Governess, The Beast, The Shark, The Super Nerd and The Tiger Mum - who have long been putting contestants in their place in the competition. </p> <p dir="ltr">Host Larry Emdur told <em>The Morning Show</em> that people are fooled by Mara’s looks and when she attacks it’s “impressive”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She’s so disarming,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“She comes out, ‘oh doesn’t she look lovely’, and then BANG, she is across everything.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In a funny twist of events, Mara appeared in the show’s spinoff series <em>Beat The Chasers</em> in 2020 where she won a huge $58,000. </p> <p dir="ltr">Before that, she appeared as a contestant on <em>The Chase</em> in 2017 where she earned a whopping $20,000 for her team.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Seven</em></p>

With Batgirl cancelled here are 5 other films we will never get to see

<p>Batgirl has become the latest film to be added to a growing list of movies we will never get to see. The US$90 million film had been shot and largely edited, but now the whole thing will be consigned to the cutting room floor.</p> <p>Warner Brothers CEO David Zaslav <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/batgirl-david-zaslav-warner-bros-discovery-1235333681/">stated</a> the decision to cancel the film was due to a redirection of the company strategic vision – a discouraging, but often used corporate rationale when Hollywood studios believe they will make a better financial return on a film by <a href="https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2020/06/how-hollywood-studios-manage-to-officially-lose-money-on-movies-that-make-a-billion-dollars/">writing it off</a> as a loss instead of releasing it .</p> <p>Batgirl isn’t the first film to be scrapped in the history of the movie business.</p> <p>Infamous examples include Terry Gilliam’s <a href="https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/interviews/terry-gilliam-on-set-man-who-killed-don-quixote-adaptation-jonathan-pryce-adam-driver">The Man Who Killed Don Quixote</a> and Alejandro Jodorowsky’s plan for a <a href="https://www.openculture.com/2016/10/14-hour-epic-film-dune-that-alejandro-jodorowsky-never-made.html">14-hour version of Dune</a>.</p> <p>Here are five other films that didn’t make it onto our screens … at least not yet.</p> <h2>1. Superman Lives</h2> <p>Starring Nicholas Cage as the “man of steel”, Superman Lives also met its untimely end at Warner Brothers.</p> <p>Kevin Smith (of <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109445/">Clerks</a> fame) was commissioned to rewrite a Superman script in the mid-90s.</p> <p>It seemed to be doomed from the beginning with producer Jon Peters <a href="https://www.denofgeek.com/comics/the-big-screen-superman-reboots-that-almost-happened/">reportedly suggesting</a> this Superman shouldn’t fly or wear his famous suit. Smith then got ousted from the project once Tim Burton signed on to direct, with Burton insisting on making his own version of the story.</p> <p>Three drafts later and with a budget that had almost doubled to around <a href="https://www.looper.com/11884/superman-lives-never-made/">US$200 million</a> the studio put the film on hold.</p> <p>Both Burton and Cage eventually pulled out of the project, although <a href="https://comicbook.com/dc/news/nic-cage-says-superman-lives-best-superman-movies/">Cage stated</a> this Superman film would have been the best one ever.</p> <h2>2. Revenge of the Jedi</h2> <p>Imagine if Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi opened with a family of Ewoks sitting silently in a retro lounge room, or a scene where Jabba the Hutt and Bib Fortuna merge bodies in a grotesque sarlacc pit accident.</p> <p>This is what could have been if Revenge of the Jedi were made.</p> <p>Both David Lynch and David Cronenberg were listed as potential directors for the third instalment of George Lucas’ saga.</p> <p><a href="https://www.benningtonreview.org/adam-golaski">Some accounts</a> of the story suggest Lynch turned it down to do Dune, while Cronenberg cited his <a href="https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2458516/that-time-david-cronenberg-turned-down-directing-star-wars-return-of-the-jedi">youthful arrogance</a> and lack of interest in doing other people’s material.</p> <p>Richard Marquand went on to direct the retitled film, so we are left to wonder what surreal nightmare it could have been.</p> <h2>3. Uncle Tom’s Fairy Tales</h2> <p>This 1968 film, directed by then film student Penelope Spheeris (Wayne’s World) and starring Richard Pryor, told the story of a wealthy white man abducted and put on trial by the Black Panthers for all the racial crimes that occurred throughout US history.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/70NrVDBxdKY?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>With the film near complete, Pryor and his then wife, Shelley Bonus, got into a heated argument where she reportedly accused him of being more interested in the film than in her. Pryor responded by <a href="https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/a25720/richard-pryor-furious-cool-excerpt-1113/">destroying</a> the only negative of the film .</p> <p>Fragments of the film remained, which Spheeris screened at a 2005 retrospective tribute to Pryor. The fragments became the <a href="https://shadowandact.com/uncle-toms-fairy-tales-the-secret-never-released-richard-pryor-movie">subject of a lawsuit</a> filed by Pryor’s seventh wife, Jennifer Lee, arguing Spheeris and Pryor’s daughter had together stolen the negative.</p> <p>As of 2021, the lawsuit was <a href="https://www.filmink.com.au/unsung-auteurs-penelope-spheeris/">still pending</a>.</p> <h2>4. Who Killed Bambi?</h2> <p>Named after their song Who Killed Bambi?, the Sex Pistols were the subject of a feature film set for release in 1978. Written by Roger Ebert and directed by Russ Meyer, the film was to be a vehicle for the Pistols to break through into the US market.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZpPIcwIV46U?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Fox Studios <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/sex-pistols-versus-soft-porn-king-killed-bambi-movie-dead-arrival/">shut down production</a> after the first day of shooting, with executives and Fox shareholder, Princess Grace of Monaco, concerned about making another Meyer sexploitation film. There were also issues with a lack of funding and infighting between the band, filmmakers and band manager, Malcolm McLaren.</p> <p>The film was no more, but the screenplay can still be found <a href="https://www.rogerebert.com/roger-ebert/who-killed-bambi-a-screenplay">on Ebert’s website</a>.</p> <h2>5. 100 Years</h2> <p>Robert Rodriguez’s 100 Years makes the list for a different reason. Intriguingly, the film has a planned release date of 2115 – 100 years after its completion.</p> <p>Perhaps not so intriguingly the film <a href="https://www.indiewire.com/2016/05/john-malkovich-robert-rodriguezs-film-100-years-will-be-displayed-at-cannes-before-2115-release-291273/">is said</a> to have been “inspired by the century of careful craftsmanship it takes to create each decanter of Louis XIII Cognac” – making it seem more like a marketing gimmick than an experiment in exhibition.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NqMKrFFvR00?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>The only copy of the physical film was displayed in a custom made safe at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, due to open automatically on November 18 2115.</p> <p>Written by and starring John Malkovich, the film imagines Earth in 100 years. Secrecy surrounds further details on the film’s story and whether the filmmakers’ have predicted an authentic vision of the futureWe can safely assume cognac will make a cameo, but most of us will never know. </p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sian-mitchell-1063942">Sian Mitchell</a>, Lecturer, Film, Television and Animation, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a></em></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation.</a> Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/never-made-destroyed-in-a-locked-safe-for-100-years-with-batgirl-cancelled-here-are-5-other-films-we-will-never-get-to-see-188232">original article</a>.</p>

Movies

Property

Hugh Jackman snaps up penthouse for eye-watering price

<p dir="ltr">Hugh Jackman has snapped up a show stopping penthouse in New York City’s Chelsea neighbourhood, just two months after listing a deluxe triplex in Manhattan.</p> <p dir="ltr">The <em>Greatest Showman</em> star bought the four-bedroom condo for $US 21.12 million ($AUD 29.86 million) after it was initially <a href="https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/100-11th-Ave-Ph-A_New-York_NY_10011_M91893-97530" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listed</a> late last year for $US 25 million ($AUD 35.35 million), according to the <em><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/hugh-jackman-buys-new-york-city-penthouse-for-21-125-million-11659973523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wall Street Journal</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 434-square-metre apartment boasts city and river views through 14 floor-to-ceiling windows, a stainless steel kitchen with a glass breakfast bar, and space for a music room, with a piano already set-up.</p> <p dir="ltr">Each of the bedrooms, tucked away at one end of the apartment, include stunning views, with the main bedroom featuring three exposures with views stretching from the Hudson River to the Empire State Building.</p> <p dir="ltr">When it comes to outdoor spaces, the apartment includes a terrace and loggia on the main floor, as well as a sprawling roof terrace including an outdoor kitchen, several dining and lounge areas and views of the Hudson River.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-85902c90-7fff-813a-2cf9-1c49e359a1c7"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Housed at the top of a famed building designed by Jean Nouvel, the condo comes with access to an 70-foot lap pool, a fitness centre with a sauna, concierge services and a full-time doorman.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdGK7zbu4UZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdGK7zbu4UZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by @thehughjackman</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Jackman’s luxe new purchase comes after he and his wife, Debora Lee Furness, listed their home in the West Village neighbourhood for a hefty $US 38.9 million ($AUD 55 million).</p> <p dir="ltr">The 1000-square-metre apartment, which featured in a clip of Jackman practising sitting in tails ahead of the Met Gala on his social media in May, has since been taken off the market.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f91d2139-7fff-2c1a-d19b-00627c051af2"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: @thehughjackman (Instagram) / Realtor.com</em></p>

Real Estate

Scotty Cam joins in on Block challenge

<p dir="ltr">In a series first, Scotty Cam will be both hosting and taking part in <em>The Block</em>, having been tasked with renovating a 154-year-old country retreat.</p> <p dir="ltr">Season 18 of<em> The Block</em> will see Cam tackle a “weatherboard House” built in 1866 by Scottish immigrant Joseph McGeorge.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, the 59-year-old had a headstart on this season’s contestants, starting to make over the home - which has been desolate for 25 years and left “falling to bits” - three months before the contestants.</p> <p dir="ltr">As the teams work on their houses each week, Cam will continue to renovate his property and even be included in the room reveals.</p> <p dir="ltr">So far, Cam has completed three rooms, including a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchenette, though the exterior of the property is covered in scaffolding and the exterior walls, roof and verandah have been ripped apart.</p> <p dir="ltr">The formerly drab and aged bedroom has been given a modern country vibe, with navy blue panelling on the walls and a bed frame panelled with rattan.<br />Cam continued the navy theme into the bathroom, transforming the grimy room with its pink sink and sky blue tiles into a spacious area with a grey tiled splashback, more navy wood panelling, a free-standing bath and a spacious shower separated by a glass screen.</p> <p dir="ltr">As for the kitchenette, the dirt-filled room still had remains of old kitchen utensils on the tables and a barren oven cavity which was transformed in a modern space with navy furniture and decor, beige wall panelling, timber floorboards, under-cabinet lighting, a bar fridge under the new bench, and new cabinetry.</p> <p dir="ltr">It was revealed that Cam would be picking up renovating tools during the show last year, and his progress comes amid stellar ratings following the <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/don-t-waste-my-time-elle-ferguson-and-joel-patfull-face-heat-on-the-block" target="_blank" rel="noopener">controversial departure of Elle Ferguson and Joel Patfull</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The engaged couple left after being on-set for just two days, after Patfull’s mother was hospitalised following a fall, though Cam <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/property/real-estate/scott-cam-speaks-from-the-heart-about-block-stars-abrupt-exit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described their behaviour</a> as “p*** poor” and “un-Australian”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-096eca6b-7fff-5525-42a9-60c6be89aa31"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Nine</em></p>

Real Estate

Experts warn new homes aren’t future-proof

<p dir="ltr">With thousands of new homes being built across <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/industry/building-and-construction/building-activity-australia/latest-release" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia</a> and <a href="https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/building-consents-issued-april-2022/#:~:text=Key%20facts,the%20year%20ended%20April%202021." target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Zealand</a>, industry experts have raised concerns that they are already outdated.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a world of pandemics, working from home, and climate change, experts say these new homes aren’t fit for purpose now, let alone for whatever the future holds.</p> <p dir="ltr">Electric vehicle charging stations, multi-split air conditioners, double-glazed windows and built-in 5G technology top the list of features that could help achieve this, according to Peter Li, general manager of Sydney-based apartment marketing agency Plus Agency.</p> <p dir="ltr">Li told the <em><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/what-are-the-top-ways-to-future-proof-your-home-and-increase-its-value-20220729-p5b5nw.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sydney Morning Herald </a></em>that multi-split air conditioners, where air isn’t circulated throughout an apartment block or even a single unit, is particularly crucial in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You basically have your own air within your own property but also within separate rooms. So if someone gets COVID, and they’re isolating in the master room, the other bedrooms won’t be affected,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">With a growing market for electric vehicles, Li said charging stations in homes are also key.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If you compare to Asian countries, a lot of Australian apartment building blocks don’t even have electric vehicle charging stations,” he added.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Even though we are pushing green energy, the buildings don’t come with electric car charging stations, how green is that?”</p> <p dir="ltr">Li noted that adding these features when homes are first being built will also be cheaper than years down the track, with most of the infrastructure being provided by telcos and electric vehicle companies.</p> <p dir="ltr">Andy Marlow, an architect and the director of sustainable architecture firm Envirotecture, said a majority of new homes are also “baking in” carbon emissions from the energy used to build and the energy produced to run the home, which Marlow said contributes to emissions and creates health problems.</p> <p dir="ltr">“These buildings are not fit for purpose now, and they are definitely not fit for purpose in the future,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When you build something that is substandard, which is basically our entire housing stock, it is very unlikely somebody will fix that soon.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Marlow said the key to building future-proofed homes lies in building comfortable dwellings with good insulation, good quality air, and reliable ventilation, and that existing products like double-glazed windows that address these issues should become standard.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Single glazing is just crap. Science shows us that single glazing will get condensation on it, it’s just physics,” he said, adding that this leads to mould and asthma.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Everything has been solved, every technical problem has been fixed. There’s a wonderful bit of evidence out of California, where they mandated double glazing and within nine months it was cheaper than single glazing.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Wealth over shelter</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Professor Alan March, an expert in urban planning at the University of Melbourne School of Design, explained that the problem stems from the perception of the property market as a vehicle for creating wealth rather than providing shelter.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The land value and the overall value is so inflated that people are not so interested in the interior and actual benefit they receive from the structure itself as to secure the number, the numeric value, and so that changes the nature of the housing market towards wealth building, or just avoidance of renting,” March said.</p> <p dir="ltr">One feature he said is key for Australian housing is resistance and adaptability to heat waves through natural ventilation and the ability to retrofit cooling systems or integrate battery-powered solar panels.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though building codes could change to allow for the construction of homes that suit the country’s varying climates, March said recent Covid-induced financial challenges have meant the building and construction industry are and will remain conservative.</p> <p dir="ltr">With Covid looking to be an ongoing challenge the world will face alongside increasing effects of climate change, here’s hoping that can change before it’s too late. </p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-22b064c9-7fff-87bf-6bc4-1b85e7f7e781"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Real Estate

Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! ABBA’s Florida mansion hits the market

<p dir="ltr">A mansion built specifically for ABBA is up for sale, and its new owners will also walk away with a collection of memorabilia, recording equipment, cassettes, and even a stereo that once belonged to the iconic Swedish pop band - as long as they can afford the $US 3.9 million ($AUD 5.59 million) price tag.</p> <p dir="ltr">The sprawling home was designed by the stars themselves in the style of a Swedish longhouse and built in 1982 - just before the band officially broke up.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bandmates Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad were believed to have lived in the house until 1986, when it was purchased by an unnamed couple who lived there until they passed away earlier this year.</p> <p dir="ltr">Even after all these years, the band’s recording equipment and tapes remain completely untouched inside the home.</p> <p dir="ltr">Lisa Farmer, the listing agent with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, revealed that the architect who worked with the band to design their home had no idea that the two Swedish couples were actually the people behind <em>Waterloo </em>and <em>Dancing Queen</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We found the architect and spoke to him on the phone. He said he was in a trailer on the site before the home was built with both couples, all four members of the band, face to face, designing the home,” Farmer said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“At the time, he didn't realise it was ABBA until a few days later when he got a call from a reporter in London who apparently got wind of it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He said he met with two Swedish couples and that's how he found out it was ABBA.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Farmer added that it was “super cool” that there were things left behind from the band that were never even used.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There's some stereo equipment that the people who bought the house never even used,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It's in this one area where [ABBA] might have done some recording. There's an actual ABBA cassette that was left inside the cassette player.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The six-bedroom home on the island of Tierra Verde features a “community space with two-storey vaulted ceilings” according to the <a href="https://www.sothebysrealty.com/eng/sales/detail/180-l-3357-7xnejq/873-2nd-avenue-s-south-bay-st-pete-pinellas-point-tierra-verde-fl-33715" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listing</a>, as well as two identical wings on each side, complete with a master suite, loft area, and two bedrooms with jack-and-jill bathrooms.</p> <p dir="ltr">Recent upgrades include a new roof with skylights, battery-ready solar panels, renovated guest baths, and a fresh coat of paint.</p> <p dir="ltr">'[The band] specifically requested a Swedish longhouse design. It's got a really neat central, common living area that's big and open with a really nice stone fireplace,” Farmer said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What's kind of unique is that the two wings on both sides of the house are exactly identical and symmetrical.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The layout of the home is pretty special and just makes for a great house for somebody who would like to entertain or has a big family.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b898f197-7fff-fd60-62e7-5de8234a0133"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images / Sotheby’s International Realty</em></p>

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