Masked robbers target Windsor Castle

<p>Two masked men have targeted Windsor Castle and took off with two vehicles that were stored in a barn.</p> <p>The men used a stolen truck to break through a security gate at night and then scaled a two-metre fence to gain entry into the royal grounds. </p> <p>According to reports by <em>The Sun</em>, King Charles and Queen Camilla were not at Windsor at the time, but it is believed Prince William and his family were residing in Adelaide Cottage, part of the Windsor Castle estate.</p> <p>The cottage is five minutes away from where the break-in occurred, and the family are regularly seen using the wrecked gate, the nearest exit to their home.</p> <p>Local police were called to a report of a burglary on Crown Estate land in Windsor, west of London, just before midnight on October 13th.</p> <p>“Offenders entered a farm building and made off with a black Isuzu pick-up and a red quad bike. They then made off towards the Old Windsor/Datchet area,” Thames Valley Police told the newspaper.</p> <p>“No arrests have been made at this stage and an investigation is ongoing.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Legal

Hollywood legend targeted on the street in unprovoked attack

<p>During an increase in unprovoked attacks in New York City, a Hollywood A-lister has been targeted in broad daylight. </p> <p>Actor Steve Buscemi was strolling through Kips Bay in mid-town Manhattan last Wednesday when a man walked up and struck the actor in an attack just before midday.</p> <p>The attack on the 66-year-old star is one of the latest unprovoked assaults in the five boroughs, law enforcement sources told <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/05/12/us-news/boardwalk-empire-star-steve-buscemi-attacked-by-rock-wielding-maniac-in-nyc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The New York Post</em></a>.</p> <p>The actor, who starred in <em>Fargo</em> and <em>Boardwalk Empire</em>, suffered swelling to his face and left eye and was taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment.</p> <p>His attacker fled the scene and is still at large, according to police. </p> <p>“Steve Buscemi was assaulted in Mid-Town Manhattan, another victim of a random act of violence in the city,” Buscemi’s publicist said in a statement to <em>The Post</em>.</p> <p>“He is OK and appreciates everyone’s well wishes, though incredibly sad for everyone that this has happened to while also walking the streets of New York.”</p> <p>A worker in the area who witnessed part of the assault told the publication, “I saw he was with a woman, and then through the corner of the window I saw him trip and fall backwards.”</p> <p>“He right away got up and ran in the opposite direction. I didn’t see who hit him."</p> <p>“It worries me for when we close because we close at 11 and it can get scary around that time,” said the woman.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock / NYCPD</em></p>

Legal

Can I actually target areas to lose fat, like my belly?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nick-fuller-219993">Nick Fuller</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Spend some time scrolling social media and you’re all-but-guaranteed to see an ad promising to help you with targeted fat loss. These ads promote a concept known as “spot reduction”, claiming you can burn fat in a specific body area, usually the belly, with specially designed exercises or workouts.</p> <p>It’s also common to see ads touting special diets, pills and supplements that will blast fat in targeted areas. These ads – which often feature impressive before and after photos taken weeks apart – can seem believable.</p> <p>Unfortunately, spot reduction is another weight-loss myth. It’s simply not possible to target the location of fat loss. Here’s why.</p> <h2>1. Our bodies are hardwired to access and burn all our fat stores for energy</h2> <p>To understand why spot reduction is a myth, it’s important to understand how body fat is stored and used.</p> <p>The fat stored in our bodies takes the form of triglycerides, which are a type of lipid or fat molecule we can use for energy. Around 95% of the dietary fats <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/triglycerides">we consume are triglycerides</a>, and when we eat, our bodies also convert any unused energy consumed into triglycerides.</p> <p>Triglycerides are stored in special fat cells called adipocytes, and they’re released into our bloodstream and transported to adipose tissue – tissue we more commonly refer to as body fat.</p> <p>This body fat is found all over our bodies, but it’s primarily stored as subcutaneous fat under our skin and as visceral fat around our internal organs.</p> <p>These fat stores serve as a vital energy reserve, with our bodies mobilising to access stored triglycerides to provide energy during periods of prolonged exercise. We also draw on these reserves when we’re dieting and fasting.</p> <p>However, contrary to what many spot-reduction ads would have us think, our muscles can’t directly access and burn specific fat stores when we exercise.</p> <p>Instead, they use a process called lipolysis to convert triglycerides into free fatty acids and a compound called glycerol, which then travels to our muscles via our bloodstream.</p> <p>As a result, the fat stores we’re using for energy when we exercise come from everywhere in our bodies – not just the areas we’re targeting for fat loss.</p> <p>Research reinforces how our bodies burn fat when we exercise, confirming spot reduction is a weight-loss myth. This includes a randomised <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25766455/">12-week clinical trial</a> which found no greater improvement in reducing belly fat between people who undertook an abdominal resistance program in addition to changes in diet compared to those in the diet-only group.</p> <p>Further, <a href="https://www.termedia.pl/A-proposed-model-to-test-the-hypothesis-of-exerciseinduced-localized-fat-reduction-spot-reduction-including-a-systematic-review-with-meta-analysis,129,45538,0,1.html">a 2021 meta-analysis</a> of 13 studies involving more than 1,100 participants found that localised muscle training had no effect on localised fat deposits. That is, exercising a specific part of the body did not reduce fat in that part of the body.</p> <p><a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/7/3845">Studies</a> purporting to show spot-reduction benefits have small numbers of participants with results that aren’t clinically meaningful.</p> <h2>2. Our bodies decide where we store fat and where we lose it from first</h2> <p>Factors outside of our control influence the areas and order in which our bodies store and lose fat, namely:</p> <ul> <li> <p>our genes. Just as DNA prescribes whether we’re short or tall, genetics plays a significant role in how our fat stores are managed. Research shows our genes can account for <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24632736/">60% of where fat is distributed</a>. So, if your mum tends to store and lose weight from her face first, there’s a good chance you will, too</p> </li> <li> <p>our gender. Our bodies, by nature, have distinct fat storage characteristics <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11706283/">driven by our gender</a>, including females having more fat mass than males. This is primarily because the female body is designed to hold fat reserves to support pregnancy and nursing, with women tending to lose weight from their face, calves and arms first because they impact childbearing the least, while holding onto fat stored around the hips, thighs and buttocks</p> </li> <li> <p>our age. The ageing process triggers changes in muscle mass, metabolism, and hormone levels, which can impact where and how quickly fat is lost. Post-menopausal <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-menopause-making-me-put-on-weight-no-but-its-complicated-198308">women</a> and middle-aged <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/sex-differences-in-fat-storage-fat-metabolism-and-the-health-risks-from-obesity-possible-evolutionary-origins/00950AD6710FB3D0414B13EAA67D4327">men</a> tend to store visceral fat around the midsection and find it a stubborn place to shift fat from.</p> </li> </ul> <h2>3. Over-the-counter pills and supplements cannot effectively target fat loss</h2> <p>Most advertising for these pills and dietary supplements – including products claiming to be “the best way to lose belly fat” – will also proudly claim their product’s results are backed by “clinical trials” and “scientific evidence”.</p> <p>But the reality is a host of independent studies don’t support these claims.</p> <p>This includes two recent studies by the University of Sydney that examined data from more than 120 placebo-controlled trials of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31984610/">herbal</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33976376/">dietary</a> supplements. None of the supplements examined provided a clinically meaningful reduction in body weight among overweight or obese people.</p> <h2>The bottom line</h2> <p>Spot reduction is a myth – we can’t control where our bodies lose fat. But we can achieve the results we’re seeking in specific areas by targeting overall fat loss.</p> <p>While you may not lose the weight in a specific spot when exercising, all physical activity helps to burn body fat and preserve muscle mass. This will lead to a change in your body shape over time and it will also help you with long-term weight management.</p> <p>This is because your metabolic rate – how much energy you burn at rest – is determined by how much muscle and fat you carry. As muscle is more metabolically active than fat (meaning it burns more energy than fat), a person with a higher muscle mass will have a faster metabolic rate than someone of the same body weight with a higher fat mass.</p> <p>Successfully losing fat long term comes down to losing weight in small, manageable chunks you can sustain – periods of weight loss, followed by periods of weight maintenance, and so on, until you achieve your goal weight.</p> <p>It also requires gradual changes to your lifestyle (diet, exercise and sleep) to ensure you form habits that last a lifetime.</p> <p><em>At the Boden Group, Charles Perkins Centre, we are studying the science of obesity and running clinical trials for weight loss. You can <a href="https://redcap.sydney.edu.au/surveys/?s=RKTXPPPHKY">register here</a> to express your interest.</em><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/205203/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nick-fuller-219993"><em>Nick Fuller</em></a><em>, Charles Perkins Centre Research Program Leader, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-i-actually-target-areas-to-lose-fat-like-my-belly-205203">original article</a>.</em></p>

Body

Kmart and Target join forces to create mega discount stores

Jimmy Barnes' wife targeted by pickpockets

<p>While Jimmy Barnes and his wife Jane travel around Europe enjoying summer on the other side of the world, they have encountered an all too common travel blunder. </p> <p>Jimmy took to Instagram while the pair were in Greece to share that his wife had been targeted by pickpockets. </p> <p>The 67-year-old rockstar shared that Jane had been robbed while on their holiday, losing her phone and money to audacious thieves.</p> <p>Jimmy shared a photo of Jane showing off her replacement phone, sharing what had transpired on their trip. </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/CuUMhmAhA0L/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuUMhmAhA0L/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jimmy Barnes (@jimmybarnesofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“A bit of a travel update... [Jane's] phone and some euros got pinched out of her bag," he wrote</p> <p>“The good news... it’s all insured."</p> <p>“While she lost all her photos, her favourites are posted on socials."</p> <p>“She’s back in action with new phone and an eSIM, thanks to our high tech family and help back home."</p> <p>“All’s well that ends well,” he concluded his post. </p> <p>Fans flocked to the comment section to share that they were sorry to hear about the incident. </p> <p>“Glad to hear all is ok and Jane up and running with new phone,” one fan wrote.</p> <p>“Not a nice experience, but good family there to help and support. Enjoy the rest of your holiday!”</p> <p>Barnes’ previous post announced that they had arrived in Greece and had enjoyed a stunning night view of the Acropolis.</p> <p>Ironically, there were many comments on the post warning the couple about professional pickpockets operating in Greece. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Legal

Backlash to new kids clothing line sees Target lose billions

<p dir="ltr">Target has lost billions in market valuation as its Pride-themed kids line continues to face backlash.</p> <p dir="ltr">Target shares were trading at $160.96 (A$246.18) a share, which means their market valuation was roughly around $74.3 billion (A$113 billion)</p> <p dir="ltr">The Minneapolis-based retailer’s stock value dropped drastically following the calls to boycott their “PRIDE” collection, at just $138.93 (A$212) a share as of Friday, which is a 14 per cent drop in value to around $64.2 billion (A$98 billion) , according to The New York Times.</p> <p dir="ltr">This roughly translates to a $10.1 billion (A$15 billion) loss in valuation.</p> <p dir="ltr">The plummet is the retailer's lowest stock price in nearly three years, and the last time any company’s stock plummeted this intensely was in 2022 after the stocks equalised during the pandemic.</p> <p dir="ltr">Target has since moved its Pride section away from the front of the store in some Southern states, following displays being knocked over by protesters, who also confronted the workers.</p> <p dir="ltr">They also said they would remove items from the collection but didn’t specify which ones.</p> <p dir="ltr">Some of the clothes receiving backlash were the rainbow-themed children’s clothing, and a “tuck-friendly” swimsuit for trans women, who have not yet had their gender-affirming surgeries, to conceal their genitalia.</p> <p dir="ltr">Target CEO Brian Cornell has defended the LBGTQ-friendly clothing line and has said that selling them was “the right thing for society.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Money & Banking

New censorship target for "sensitivity readers"

<p>Enid Blyton is known around the world, across all generations, as the author behind the children’s classics <em>The Magic Faraway Tree</em>, <em>The Adventures of the Wishing Tree</em>, <em>Noddy</em>, and <em>The Famous Five</em>. </p> <p>And now, the late Blyton is also known as the latest author to face edits and rewrites at the hands of her publisher, Hodder Children’s Books. They have confirmed that they will be carrying out the work to remove “offensive terms” as part of their “ongoing process”. </p> <p>Such changes have made the news already in 2023 - people had a lot to say about proposed edits to Roald Dahl’s books. Edits like those to Dahl’s work, dubbed by critics as “woke”, see publishers rewriting older texts after feedback from sensitivity readers, and removing certain terms that are deemed to be offensive to modern audiences. </p> <p>According to a report by <em>The Australian</em>, an audiobook version of one of <em>The Famous Five</em> books, a collection of short stories, has undergone edits to remove the words “idiot”, “a**”, and “shut up”.</p> <p>One story sees cousins Julian, Dick, George, Anne, and their canine companion Timmy, investigate lights on the island - Kirrin Island - by George’s home. In a bid to get their adventure started, George wakes her cousin Anne, and Anne tells her “oh George, don’t be an a**.”</p> <p>In the new edition, Anne simply says “oh George.” </p> <p>Meanwhile, in the original text, Anne’s big brother - and George’s cousin - Julian, at one point tells George to “shut up” and “be sensible”. Now, Julian only tells her “George, be sensible.” </p> <p>Additionally, two other instances of characters being told “don’t be an idiot” have been removed.</p> <p>Those particular phrases still feature in a Hodder Children’s Books e-book version of the text, though “a**” remains unseen, substituted in this case with “idiot”. </p> <p>The publishing house previously faced backlash in 2010 when they put out “contemporary” adaptations of Blyton’s books, replacing the likes of “headmistress” with “teacher”.</p> <p>These revisions were seemingly put to rest when Hodder Children’s Books declared that they weren’t working. </p> <p>“The feedback we have had six years on shows that the love for The Famous Five remains intact, and changing mother to mummy, pullover to jumper, was not required,” Anne McNeil, their publishing director, explained to The Guardian in 2016. “We want Enid Blyton’s legacy to go on. Millions of readers have learned to read with her.”</p> <p>However, as a 2023 statement reads, the publisher’s parent company - Hachette UK - consider the edit of Blyton’s books to be an “ongoing process”, as part of their “intention to keep Enid Blyton’s books and stories at the heart of every childhood, as they have been for generations.” </p> <p>“To do so, we work to ensure that there are no offensive terms in the books - changing words where the definition is unclear in context and therefore the usage is confusing, and where words have been used in an inappropriate or offensive sense - while retaining the original language as far as is possible,” a spokesperson for the company said. “This enables a very wide international audience of children to enjoy the books, while also understanding that they were written and set in the past.</p> <p>“In new editions, we do not change language for the sake of modernising it. We retain old-fashioned terms such as ‘bathing-suit’ and references to pre-decimal currency. The books’ period setting is part of their charm and is enjoyed by readers of all ages.</p> <p>“Any historic changes previously made to new editions, which come under the category of ‘modernisation’ in this context, have been or are being restored to the original text at the point of reprint.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Legal

"We're offering plenty": Kiwis targeted for job no Aussies want

<p>A Perth mining company has resorted to looking for workers from New Zealand after Aussies have continued to turn down roles that offer up to an enticing $300,000 salary per year – and that's for roughly six months of work in any standard 12 months.</p> <p>As a result, Mineral Resources has launched a brand new advertising campaign, geared up to attract Kiwi tradies, guaranteeing “a great pay packet”.</p> <p>“We’re offering plenty,” Mineral Resources CEO Mike Grey told NZ programme AM.</p> <p>“The incentives are amazing, and I have no doubt that our salaries double [New Zealand salaries]; in some examples, they triple.”</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/ClX7JZZv16i/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/ClX7JZZv16i/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Mineral Resources (@mineral_resources)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The mining business is on the hunt for new workers to fill a range of roles including: construction, mining, operations, unskilled labour and administration.</p> <p>The firm is also recruiting higher-paying roles such as mining engineers.</p> <p>One of the highest paying jobs on offer is for construction supervisors and superintendents who can earn up to $300,000 a year.</p> <p>Workers will be required to work on a fly-in, fly-out basis. They would be flying out of New Zealand to work the mines in Perth, with roughly half of the workforce only working for six months per year.</p> <p>It’s not the first time Australian mines have struggled to find workers for highly-paid roles. Earlier in 2022, mining services firm Thiess offered new staff members a $10,000 sign-on bonus and a $5000 bonus for a successful referral.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Money & Banking

Restaurant owner praised for hiring policy that targets "oldies"

<p dir="ltr">Like many in the hospitality business, Barry Iddles was struggling to find staff to fill shifts at his restaurant 360Q in Queenscliff when he was struck by inspiration.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 67-year-old decided to put the call out to “oldies”, adding an invitation to retirees to come and work at his waterfront venue on the back of his winter postcards.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We sent out 42,000,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr"> “I put, ‘We’re recruiting – juniors, come and learn the skills of hospitality. Millennials, come and show us what you can do. And seniors and retirees, come back to the workforce for one or two shifts per week.’</p> <p dir="ltr">“I sent it out by mail and off we went. We had a great response.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He stressed that potential employees didn’t need a resume or hospitality experience and could just come in for a chat.</p> <p dir="ltr">Now, Iddles has 12 staff working for him aged over 50, including former nurses and healthcare workers, a mechanic, small business owner and florist.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We've got two 74-year-olds, a 70-year-old, and then we've got [people aged] 57, 60, 64, 66 and 67," Mr Iddles said.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ee34f340-7fff-b24e-62b4-35aa29306b6d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">"There is a labour shortage and a labour crisis, [but] I don't have one. I have five too many staff at the moment. And I could actually open another venue to keep them all gainfully employed."</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/CgNZSgSvoqP/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgNZSgSvoqP/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Barry Iddles (@barryiddles)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Iddles said most of his older staff at the 150-seat restaurant, which also includes outdoor dining and an upstairs function venue, work during functions and that there has been a major benefit to both older and junior workers working alongside each other.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s amazing, the interaction is absolutely incredible,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s good for their life skills – the oldest have got a great work ethic.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Since his story was shared by the <em><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-15/defying-ageism-older-workers-fill-gaps-in-workforce/101651806" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a></em> on Tuesday, Iddles said his phone has been ringing non-stop and his hiring practice went viral.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Everyone wants to talk about hiring old people,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">One of Iddles’ employees, 67-year-old Kenton Savage, told the <em>ABC </em>he wanted to retire after selling his distribution business - but his plans went awry when it went bankrupt during the pandemic.</p> <p dir="ltr">Without super and amidst rising living costs, Savage and his wife had no choice but to find jobs.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The pension just didn't pay enough. So I looked around for a job and Barry was hiring," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I think it just keeps me fit and healthy and happy. Being able to get out and about, it's really been good for me," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">73-year-old Susan Borton, another employee, said she applied to boost her confidence and contribute.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Covid made a lot of people depressed,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And I know amongst the older ones, we’re all saying we’re actually finding it quite difficult to get out and about again. [Working] makes me feel better. And I love putting in, I love contributing.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The Council for Older Australians chief executive Ian Yates praised Iddles for his hiring practice.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Many older people will have experienced a lot of knock backs and not being taken seriously as prospective employees,” he told the <em>ABC</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The labour market is so tight, that employers are being forced to look at channels and groups that they wouldn’t normally look at, including older Australians.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking to <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/queenscliff-restaurant-360q-sees-huge-response-after-inviting-oldies-to-come-and-work/news-story/7e08f752c17bc86dd109581ef602b4c5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em>, Iddles said others should adopt his policy too, and that it applies to both young and old.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Age discrimination can be quite bad, at both ends of the spectrum,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If I’ve got a 15-year-old coming for a job I’ll give them a job immediately. Too many people go, you’ve got no experience. But they actually want to work.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s a great mix to have [employees ranging] from 15 to 75.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-83c437d2-7fff-df48-0cde-4b6e9ca845b2"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Facebook</em></p>

Retirement Life

Three arguments why Just Stop Oil was right to target Van Gogh’s Sunflowers

<p>Waves of controversy were sparked recently when the Just Stop Oil activists <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/oil-protest-van-gogh-sunflower-soup-intl-scli-gbr/index.html">threw tomato soup</a> over Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London. Although the painting was behind glass <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/14/just-stop-oil-activists-throw-soup-at-van-goghs-sunflowers">so not damaged</a>, politicians were quick to condemn their “<a href="https://twitter.com/JamesCleverly/status/1581327788388163584?s=20&amp;t=ACNnBMBQN9UNL-cxoRhrVg">attention-seeking</a>” vandalism while media commentators proclaimed that the act had “<a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewMarr9/status/1580879221656006656?s=20&amp;t=ACNnBMBQN9UNL-cxoRhrVg">lost them</a>” to the cause. </p> <p>It is perhaps with some poetic timing that I’ve just started a project that is an oral history of the <a href="https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/research-and-teaching/departments-and-schools/geography/oral-history-of-the-environmental-movement-project/">environmental movements in the UK</a>. The aim is to contribute to a greater understanding and wider public awareness of the variety of modes of engagement with environmental issues.</p> <p>This tactic was certainly a provocative act and Van Gogh’s work is undoubtedly some of the most important artwork of modern times. However, many of these commentaries on Just Stop Oil’s actions simply just don’t hold up. </p> <p>The main critiques of the activist stunt are that it <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/10/14/just-stop-oils-van-gogh-soup-stunt-sparks-criticism-alienating-strategy">alienates people</a> who are sympathetic to the climate cause by attacking a much-loved and important piece of art. That it smacks of <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-too-middle-class-heres-how-to-fix-that-123231">middle-class activism</a> and is overly performative. And, finally, that it has required “<a href="https://currentlyhq.com/personal/we-need-more-climate-protests-just-not-performative-ones/">explanation</a>”, which if you have to do, you’re losing.</p> <p>While there is some truth to these critiques, I don’t buy them.</p> <p>Rather than wade further into the quagmire of social media debate, here is a breakdown of the three arguments and explanations of why I think that this kind of provocative activism deserves our unwavering support.</p> <h2>1. Art is an extension of corporate power</h2> <p>First off, museums and art galleries have long been used by fossil fuel companies for the purposes of <a href="https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745335889/artwash/">artwashing</a> – the ethically acceptable process of funding art and culture to smooth over their very unethical corporate practices. Some of the more conscientious institutions (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/oct/19/shells-ends-national-gallery-sponsorship-to-delight-of-campaigners">including</a> <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/c3ab1b10-ee06-4fac-abe9-1a1e4dcef39f">The National Gallery</a>) have <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/bp-ends-tate-sponsorship-2017-447041#:%7E:text=Tate%20was%20forced%20to%20disclose,year%20between%201990%20and%202006.">cut ties</a>with any sponsorship from oil companies, but others have <a href="https://www.channel4.com/news/revealed-science-museum-signed-gagging-clause-with-exhibition-sponsor-shell">doubled down</a> on it.</p> <p>Art itself, through the <a href="https://qz.com/513625/the-new-reserve-currency-for-the-worlds-rich-is-not-actually-currency/">networks of global trading</a>, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-02/how-do-the-rich-avoid-taxes-billionaires-use-this-art-strategy?leadSource=uverify%20wall">tax avoidance</a> and the creation of <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/9783956796227/">freeports</a> (huge walled complexes where art is stored away from prying eyes and tax collectors), has become <a href="https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745338248/art-after-money-money-after-art/">totally intertwined</a> with global corporate and fossil fuel capitalism. Corporations plough money into art institutions and art pieces themselves because it buys them validity in the eyes of the public. Art becomes a shield for their more nefarious planet-destroying practices.</p> <p>But the art should never be considered above, or separate from, the capitalist content behind it. Millions of treasured pieces of art are now under the purview of corporate power and have <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/147192/modern-art-serves-rich">become windows</a> – beautiful windows no doubt, but still windows – into the shady practices of global capital and <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JMLC-01-2021-0002/full/html?casa_token=HAd9Kr6jD2kAAAAA:37GtlbaQIbxeoQOtXExK2-OKjvog5kYNaEv94Jwy_MF1ssCHNztVGBofMoPYjqp-NMkKE5PYOPklW_nmDBelpT8QQpgo6cEAmp_vF_Ydv6DNIL8h1Q">international tax avoidance</a>. As hard as it is to stomach sometimes, art pieces, in this way, become extensions of corporate power and hence are legitimate targets of climate activism.</p> <h2>2. Fighting class oppression and climate change is the same</h2> <p>The second critique, often coming from the left, accuses climate activism of being inherently middle-class. Groups, they argue, are populated by white people and the “mess” they create (be that with soup on paintings or <a href="https://twitter.com/Taj_Ali1/status/1581332937475207169?s=20&amp;t=4ELyikRjs5qmUWZuNYYl6g">milk on supermarket floors</a>) is often cleared up by working-class cleaning staff. </p> <p>There is truth in these arguments, which are often missing from the justification of these activist practices. However, taking a more holistic approach, social and economic justice is a fundamental pillar of climate justice – you cannot have <a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/oureconomy/cop26-tackling-climate-breakdown-and-delivering-economic-justice-must-go-hand-in-hand/">one without the other</a>. The Just Stop Oil activists who defaced the Van Gogh recognised these arguments in part when <a href="https://twitter.com/JustStop_Oil/status/1580883249228046336?s=20&amp;t=x0HvtkQci8bXDeUjY0EFQw">they said</a> that many people “can’t afford to even buy and heat soup because of the energy crisis”.</p> <p>“Solving” the climate crisis demands total system change. As <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-strikes-greta-thunberg-calls-for-system-change-not-climate-change-heres-what-that-could-look-like-112891">Greta Thunberg</a> and other prominent voices have constantly said. Capitalism will not solve the problem, it only makes it worse. Capitalism has the oppression of the working class as its core engine. So, fighting against the changing climate means also fighting capitalism’s class (and indeed, racial, gendered and ableist) imbalance. The two are, and need to continue to be, one.</p> <h2>3. Direct action is important</h2> <p>Finally, some people have wheeled out the phrase “if you’re explaining yourself, you’re losing”. Again, there is a kernel of truth to that, but the severity of the climate catastrophe needs no further explanation. </p> <p>Explaining is not the point of direct action. If you need to be “won over” by the argument, then you’re clearly not doing enough. </p> <p>Just Stop Oil’s action with soup on Sunflowers was to symbolise that we’re attacking something we love. The level of ire at those symbolically ruining – remember, it was behind glass so has not be destroyed – a precious art piece should be given a million-fold to those who are actually ruining our precious planet.</p> <p>Direct climate action will only increase as the situation worsens and our governments continue to actively make things worse with new mines, fracking and new <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/oct/07/uk-offers-new-north-sea-oil-and-gas-licences-despite-climate-concerns">oil drilling contracts</a>. <a href="https://www.versobooks.com/books/3665-how-to-blow-up-a-pipeline">Destroying pipelines</a>, <a href="https://www.insider.com/laver-cup-climate-change-activist-sets-his-arm-on-fire-on-court-2022-9">demanding an end to private jets</a> and other direct action against fossil fuel burning infrastructures are important acts in this regard. They highlight how art is also part of that infrastructure and is therefore equally vital.</p> <p>The current crop of climate activists –- Just Stop Oil, Extinction Rebellion, Insulate Britain etc – will forge their own path because that is what activists need to do to make their points heard. But for all the reasons outlined above, understanding the history (and their successes and failures) will be important to help build a coherent, united and effective climate movement. </p> <p>That cohesive movement will need art yes, but not as a conduit for the very capitalist vehicles that are destroying our beautiful planet. As Van Gogh himself said, "…it is not the language of painters but the language of nature which one should listen to, the feeling for the things themselves, for reality is more important than the feeling for pictures."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/three-arguments-why-just-stop-oil-was-right-to-target-van-goghs-sunflowers-192661" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Art

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s home targetted by intruders

<p dir="ltr">Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s California mansion has been the target of intruders twice in just two weeks.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Sussexes were inside their $14 million mansion in the town of Montecito with their children Archie, three, and Lilibet, one when the alarm went off. </p> <p dir="ltr">Santa Barbara Police arrived at the home on May 19 at 5:44pm following reports of a trespasser. </p> <p dir="ltr">Then 12 days later on May 31 at 3.21pm, the alarm was once again triggered, just hours before the Sussexes were due to leave for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. </p> <p dir="ltr">Police attended the home once again and reported the incidents as trespassing, property crimes and “suspicious circumstances” by police. </p> <p dir="ltr">Their mansion has been broken into a total of six times in 14 months. </p> <p dir="ltr">It comes as Prince Harry won a case to sue the Home Office who cut his police protection after he left the Royal Family. </p> <p dir="ltr">Shaeed Fatima QC, who is representing Harry in court, said the Prince believes the Queen’s private secretary, Sir Edward Young “should not have been involved” in the decision. </p> <p dir="ltr">The couple have had to hire ex-President Barack Obama's former bodyguard Christopher Sanchez and Michael Jackson's former security chief Alberto Alvarez to keep them safe. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty/Sotheby's International Realty</em></p>

Legal

“Target on his back”: Ben Roberts-Smith’s spectacular closing remarks

<p dir="ltr">After 100 days of <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/key-witness-arrested-in-ben-roberts-smith-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testimony</a>, cross-examination, and dissection of <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/multiple-bombshells-dropped-in-ben-roberts-smith-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">evidence</a>, Ben Robert-Smith’s defamation trial is at the beginning of the end.</p> <p dir="ltr">Lawyers representing the veteran began their closing submissions by accusing <em>The Age</em>, <em>The Sydney Morning Herald</em>, <em>The Canberra Times</em>, and three journalists of embarking on a “sustained campaign” to falsely portray him as a war criminal, bully and domestic abuser.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Mr Roberts-Smith was an exceptional soldier; highly organised, disciplined, a leader, resourceful and extraordinarily brave,” his barrister, Arthus Moses SC, told the Federal Court on Monday.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He did not seek, nor did he want any recognition for performing his duties as a member of the Australian Defence Force. What he did not expect is, having been awarded the Victoria Cross, he would have a target on his back.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Moses told Justice Anthony Besanko, who has been overseeing the proceedings, that the trial had been called “a great many things”, including the “trial of the century”, a “proxy war-crimes trial” and an “attack” on press freedom.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It is none of these,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This has been a case about how Mr Roberts-Smith, the most decorated Australian soldier, and a man with a high reputation for courage, skill and decency in soldiering, had that reputation destroyed by the respondents.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The articles, published in mid-2018, claimed that Mr Roberts-Smith killed or was complicit in the killing of six unarmed prisoners during his deployment in Afghanistan with the SAS.</p> <p dir="ltr">It was alleged he also bullied other soldiers and physically abused a woman he was having an affair with.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Victoria Cross recipient has emphatically denied all allegations, while the newspapers have relied on a truth defence during the trial, calling dozens of current and former SAS soldiers to testify.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Moses began his address by denouncing the conduct of the Nine newspapers, claiming they refused to back down from errors in their stories and taking aim at the evidence provided by three of their witnesses: Person 7, Person 14, and Andrew Hastie, a former soldier-turned politician.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The publications of the respondents were based on rumour, hearsay and contradictory accounts from former colleagues who were, some, jealous, and/or obsessed with Mr Roberts-Smith,” Mr Moses said, adding that Mr Hastie was “obsessed” with Mr Roberts-Smith but failed to provide evidence to support the murder claims.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Hastie, who served with Mr Roberts-Smith briefly in 2012, was called to testify about a mission in Syahchow and claims that the veteran soldier had ordered a junior soldier, referred to as Person 66, to execute an Afghan captive during the mission.</p> <p dir="ltr">The MP told the court he was at Syahchow that day and saw a dead body with an AK-47 rifle, and that Person 66 looked uncharacteristically uneasy.</p> <p dir="ltr">He claimed that Mr Roberts-Smith walked past and said, “Just a couple more dead c***s”.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, Person 66 refused to testify about the mission on the grounds of self-incrimination.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Moses claimed there was no evidence to support Nine’s claim of murder, and that the “sensationalist” stories came from bitter and jealous SAS insiders who wanted to take Mr Roberts-Smith down.</p> <p dir="ltr">"What is apparent is that both journalists (Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters) have mounted a sustained campaign to unfairly create a belief that Mr Roberts-Smith had committed war crimes in Afghanistan, including during the course of these proceedings," he said.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-49c8da02-7fff-5dad-8a44-7edea12667de"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Each side has been allocated four days for a closing address.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

News

"Evil white supremacists" target baby Archie

<p dir="ltr">"Evil white supremacists" have targetted Prince Harry and Meghan’s son Archie saying he should be “put down”, a court has heard.</p> <p dir="ltr">Christopher Gibbons, 38, and Tyrone Patten-Walsh, 34, thought it was okay to voice their sickening thoughts on their radio show <em>Black Wolf Radio</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Known for encouraging acts of extreme right-wing terrorism, the pair despise mixed race relationships and have used the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as examples of their hate.</p> <p dir="ltr">Kingston Crown Court heard that Gibbons called three-year-old Archie an “abomination that should be put down”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The pair then said Prince Harry needs to be “prosecuted” and ”judicially killed for treason” simply for being married to Meghan.</p> <p dir="ltr">Prosecutor Anne Whyte QC told the court that Gibbons and Patten-Walsh “are dedicated and unapologetic white supremacists” who ”hold extreme right-wing views”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They thought that if they used the format of a radio show, as good as in plain sight, they could pass off their venture as the legitimate exercise of their freedom of speech,” she said, <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/18814646/harry-and-meghans-archie-targeted-white-supremacist-terror-podcast/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a> reported.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In fact what they were doing was using language designed to encourage others to commit acts of extreme right-wing terrorism against the sections of society that these defendants hated.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Their talk show has been riddled with their white supremacy and hate toward other people.</p> <p dir="ltr">The court heard about the pair allegedly endorsing the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016.</p> <p dir="ltr">They also spoke highly of Australian terrorist Brent Tarrant’s rampage which saw 51 Muslims killed at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 2017 Manchester Arena suicide bomb attack which saw 22 innocent people killed were called “sluts”, with Patten-Walksh allegedly saying their screams is what “pleases me”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“...because I hate those people. And it‘s a sign of masculine, even though it was done by a sand n*****, masculine terror against women.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The jury also heard they regularly make anti-Semitic remarks and describe black and Asian men as rapists.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Legal

Targeting shooters: technology that can isolate the location of gunshots

<p>Inexpensive microphone arrays deployed in urban settings can be used to pinpoint the location of gunshots and help police respond instantly to the scene of crimes, scientists say.</p> <p>The process works by recognising that a gunshot produces two distinct sounds: the muzzle blast, and the supersonic shockwave that follows it. Luisa Still of Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Germany, told a meeting of the <a href="https://acousticalsociety.org/asa-meetings/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Acoustical Society of America in Denver, Colorado</a>, this week that by using those two signals – in a process akin to that by which seismologists track seismic waves from earthquakes – police departments armed with the right equipment could pinpoint the location of the shot within seconds.</p> <p>It’s not as straightforward as it sounds. In an urban environment, buildings and other structures can reflect, refract or absorb sound waves, causing the sounds of the shot to come at the microphones from any number of directions.</p> <p>But it turns out, Still says, that it only takes two such sensor arrays to locate the source of a gunshot — and a good computer can do so very quickly.</p> <p>In tests, her team began on a rifle range, where they confirmed that a pair of such microphone arrays could indeed determine the location of the shooter to a high degree of accuracy.</p> <p>They then moved to an urban environment, where they repeated the experiment, though in this case the shooter was replaced with a propane gas cannon of the type used by farmers to scare away crop-eating birds.</p> <p>Again, two microphone arrays were all that were needed to zero in on the source of the “shot”.</p> <p>Not that this can work anywhere, any time. Still’s signal-location algorithms require maps of the surrounding buildings, the walls of which might affect the sound and, in extreme cases, create “blind spots” if microphone arrays aren’t properly deployed.</p> <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p192812-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> </div> </div> <p>She also notes that research is ongoing as to whether it is better to put microphones at ground level or atop neighbouring buildings. There’s also continuing research around how many might be needed in complex urban cores, where there are a lot of buildings of varying height and echo patterns can become very convoluted. “We still need to evaluate [that],” she says.</p> <p>There’s also the need to weed out noises that sound like gunshots, such as firecrackers, car-engine backfires and anything else that makes a sudden bang. “We are working on classification methods,” Still says, noting that these involve computerised “deep learning” methods that can be trained to distinguish such sounds.</p> <p>Could similar sensors be deployed within a school building in order to locate a school shooter even more quickly that is currently possible? Still was asked. </p> <p>“Oh, yeah,” she said. “I think that would be applicable.” Though she noted that it might also be acoustically “very challenging” to put into practice.</p> <p>Later that same day, 19 school children and two adults were killed in Uvalde, Texas, in America’s worst grade-school shooting in nearly a decade.  </p> <p>Would the death toll have been lower if gunshot sensors such as Still’s were widely deployed? Who knows? But it was one of the most stunningly prescient scientific presentations imaginable, because she spoke less than an hour before the Uvalde gunman opened fire. It was far too late for her research to be able to deflect the tragedy that was about to unfold, but close enough to it to underscore the urgency of what she was doing.</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=192812&amp;title=Targeting+shooters%3A+technology+that+can+isolate+the+location+of+gunshots" width="1" height="1" /></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/technology-isolate-location-gunshots/" 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/richard-a-lovett" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Richard A Lovett</a>. Richard A Lovett is a Portland, Oregon-based science writer and science fiction author. He is a frequent contributor to Cosmos.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> </div>

Technology

Scammers target flood victims in new low

<p dir="ltr">In the aftermath of the floods that have devastated much of northern NSW and Queensland, those affected have something else to worry about - scammers.</p> <p dir="ltr">As Aussies begin to rebuild their homes and businesses, many are filing insurance claims.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c2c3bdc9-7fff-9886-2c93-8fe7954d3572"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">But, reports have begun to emerge of scammers trying to take advantage of flood victims by posing as insurance providers.</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/CavpKLzhHqI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CavpKLzhHqI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Ali King MP (@aliforpumicestone)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Ali King, the MP of Pumicestone in Queensland, said she received a text from an alleged scammer who claimed they would help with her insurance claim after the floods.</p> <p dir="ltr">The only problem was that she didn’t make a claim.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I got a text today from someone assigned to help me with my insurance claim. I don’t have an insurance claim,” she said on Instagram.</p> <p dir="ltr">Stephen Jones, the MP for Whitlam, also took to social media, using King’s tweet to warn those who may become victims of scammers on top of the floods.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-deefd467-7fff-c7da-1b06-0d27bc8f81ff"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“We’ve seen the best of Australia in the huge outpouring of support for those affected by these devastating floods,” he wrote.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thanks <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenJonesMP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StephenJonesMP</a> - we need better laws to deal with these grubs. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/auspol?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#auspol</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QLDFloods2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QLDFloods2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/FD2vjI9pxg">https://t.co/FD2vjI9pxg</a></p> <p>— Ali King MP (@AliKingLabor) <a href="https://twitter.com/AliKingLabor/status/1501017186537975813?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“But scammers posing as insurance agents are looking to exploit people trying to pick up the pieces of their lives.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Look out for suspicious messages and phone calls. Share information with your communities so they know what to watch out for.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Working together we can stop these scammers from taking advantage of yet another tragedy.”</p> <p dir="ltr">A spokesperson for the ACC told <em><a href="https://7news.com.au/technology/scammers-posing-as-insurance-providers-target-flood-victims--c-5961535" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a></em> that they were yet to see reports of the scams, but still urged Aussies to remain cautious.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the ACCC, here are several things people can do to protect themselves from scams: </p> <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Don’t click on hyperlinks in texts, social media messages or emails, even if it appears to come from a trusted source</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Never reply to unsolicited messages asking for personal or financial details</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">To determine if a contact is legitimate, look them up through an independent source such as a phone book or online search</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Never send money or personal information, such as credit card details, to anyone you don’t know or trust</p> </li> </ul> <p dir="ltr">If you believe you have fallen victim to a scam, contact your bank and consider lodging a complaint with the <a href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.afca.org.au%2F&amp;data=04%7C01%7CSuWoolley%40seven.com.au%7Cc6008f2b54f04dd1bfb008d9df928a4c%7Cb359291241554399b790752c894d2935%7C0%7C0%7C637786642752505908%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0&amp;sdata=34rdRdW3WEJ0j6pj0PBqVm4Ixxy91pCjrwwk7LQSoME%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian Financial Complaints Authority</a> if you’re not satisfied with the bank’s response.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-b6aeeb2b-7fff-ee91-d153-74beb6345dcf"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Technology

Australia and New Zealand targeted by Russia’s sanctions

<p dir="ltr">As the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters its second week, Moscow has <a href="https://www.news.com.au/world/europe/russia-to-sanction-australia-after-unfriendly-response-to-ukraine-invasion/news-story/07c493ede696d2067d5d312b2c8def2f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hit back</a> against Western countries for taking “unfriendly actions against Russia” - including Australia and New Zealand.</p> <p dir="ltr">Russian officials have drawn up a list of countries they plan to sanction in response to the punitive economic sanctions Western countries announced in protest of the invasion.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to a decree published on the government’s website on Monday night, the list of sanctioned countries includes: Australia, Albania, Andorra, Great Britain (including Jersey), the British Virgin Islands, Iceland, Canada, Liechtenstein, Micronesia, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, San Marino, North Macedonia, Singapore, the US, Taiwan, Ukraine, Montenegro, Switzerland, Japan, and EU member states.</p> <p dir="ltr">As a result of the sanctions every country on the list placed on Russia, the country’s stock market and the rouble plunged in value - with one rouble worth 1.1 New Zealand cents as of Tuesday.</p> <p dir="ltr">With Russia’s new sanctions, Russian business dealings involving Australia and other countries on the list will now require special government authorisation from the Commission for Control over Foreign Investments.</p> <p dir="ltr">The rules also mean that Russian citizens, companies and the state itself that have foreign exchange obligations to creditors from the list will be able to pay them in roubles.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the new decree is a temporary measure and only valid to payments exceeding 10 million roubles (around $105,379).</p> <p dir="ltr">Australian institutions and companies wanting to sell holdings in Russian companies are likely to be impacted by the changes, including Australia’s Future Fund - which currently has $200 million in holdings - as well as the NSW state government and Australian superannuation funds.</p> <p dir="ltr">Putin has previously said the sanctions the West has placed on Russia are “akin to a declaration of war”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But thank God it has not come to that,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has accused Russia of engaging in months of aggression and intimidation in the lead-up to the attack, and has warned that sanctions would continue to ramp up.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Together with the international community, we are banding together … to condemn these outrageous acts in the strongest possible terms,” Mr Morrison said.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-81f418ed-7fff-bef1-aab7-6ee1f5069d72"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“We must ensure there is a cost for this violent, unacceptable, and egregious behaviour.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

"Utter disgrace": Online trolls target Cleo Smith's parents

<p><span>As the search for Cleo Smith exceeds its second week</span>, her distraught parents have been the target of online trolls. </p> <p>According to Western Australia Police, Cleo's mum Ellie Smith and stepdad Jake Gliddon have been "nothing but helpful" during the investigation, and have been ruled out as suspects. </p> <p>Despite a public statement from police saying they believe Cleo's parents are innocent, vile accusations have been sent to the family online. </p> <p>The majority of comments left on Ellie's page have been filled with hope and support for Cleo to be found. </p> <p>However, Jake's Facebook has become a stomping ground for sick trolls to voice their accusations against the couple. </p> <p>Other users have been reporting the comments, but many of them have stayed on the page and are now days old. </p> <p>Commenters have accused them of withholding information from the police, while others have said the couple should be subject to a polygraph test to "clear your names".</p> <p>Shockingly, one person suggested the couple did not look sad enough during media appearances, which is the same criticism Lindy Chamberlain received during the media search for Azaria.</p> <p>Other comments including the sickening suggestion that Ellie and Jake may have intentionally harmed Cleo. </p> <p><span>A family friend, who did not wish to be named, branded the comments an “utter disgrace”.</span></p> <p><span>“Most of the Facebook comments are being made by parents themselves and I think that’s disgusting,” he told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/cleo-smith/cleo-smith-search-parents-ellie-smith-and-jake-gliddon-target-of-sickening-online-trolls-ng-b882056362z" target="_blank">Perth Now</a>. </span></p> <p>“Just imagine if it happened to them and they had to read all these horrible comments during undoubtedly the hardest time of their lives."</p> <p>“The police have cleared Jake and Ellie from being suspects. I have known them for years and I can tell you they are the best people I know and my heart aches for them.”</p> <p>He went on to say the trolls who are just "sitting behind their keyboards" should stop the negative and hurtful comments, adding there was "no right way to act when your child is stolen from you".</p> <p><em>Image credit: 7News</em></p>

Family & Pets

How the hyper-violent Squid Game has crept into digital content targeting young children

<p>The dystopian South Korean horror series Squid Game has become <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/netflix-adds-more-users-than-it-predicted-boosted-by-squid-game-11634674211#:%7E:text=In%20its%20letter%20to%20investors,in%2094%20countries%2C%20it%20said.">Netflix’s most watched </a>TV series, but it <a href="https://www.gamesradar.com/au/squid-game-phone-number-edit-netflix/">is quickly becoming as controversial as it is popular</a>.</p> <p>The latest controversy to arise around Squid Game, which is rated MA15+ in Australia, relates to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/10/18/kids-playing-squid-game/">the interest it has sparked amongst young children</a>. This includes <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/education/children-as-young-as-six-mimicking-squid-game-in-playground-school-warns-20211014-p58zxx.html">warnings from an Australian school that children as young</a> as six are recreating games featured in the dark and gory hit show.</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/oct/17/english-council-urges-parents-not-to-allow-children-to-watch-squid-game">A council in Southern England</a> recently sent an email to parents urging them to “be vigilant” after receiving reports “young people are copying games and violence” from the show. In Australia, similar warnings have been issued by educators in <a href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/sydney-primary-school-issues-warning-to-parents-over-netflixs-squid-game-series-c-4235374">Sydney</a> and <a href="https://thewest.com.au/stories/alarming-squid-game-warning-send-to-wa-schools/">Western Australia</a>.</p> <p>In Squid Game, characters compete for a cash prize by participating in challenges that augment classic Korean children’s games, with the “losers” being killed at the end of each round. Further emphasising the show’s twisted take on child’s play, these games are staged in highly stylised arenas, such as an adult scale children’s playground. After each challenge, these traditional children’s play spaces tend to be left soaked in blood and littered with piles of corpses.</p> <h2>Squid Game on TikTok and YouTube</h2> <p>While the recent warnings urge parents not to let their children watch Squid Game, young children’s awareness of the violent show more likely relates to its pervasive presence on social media, which has extended to viral content on TikTok and YouTube, popular with teenagers and children. The show is certainly a craze within children’s digital cultures.</p> <p>A number of successful channels on YouTube Kids (designed for viewers under 12) have capitalised on the Squid Game trend. This YouTube content includes “<a href="https://www.youtubekids.com/watch?v=sWi-EVi6H1U">How to Draw Squid Game</a>” character videos, and Squid Game themed <a href="https://www.youtubekids.com/watch?v=IRICggaHLT8">gameplay videos</a> from online videogame Roblox.</p> <p>This videogame, which is <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/21/21333431/roblox-over-half-of-us-kids-playing-virtual-parties-fortnite">popular with kids,</a> enables users to program games and share them with other users.</p> <p><iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ltV_lT1SLdo?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>Squid Game has become<a href="https://www.polygon.com/22700182/squid-game-roblox-netflix-show"> a very common theme </a>in these user programmed Roblox games. Many Squid Game Roblox videos <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltV_lT1SLdo">have hundreds of thousands</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_9TsVKYPp8">even millions of views</a>.</p> <p>On both the kids’ and main version of YouTube, videos aimed at children feature people (often children) playing these Squid Game inspired games in Roblox, with the “Red Light, Green Light” challenge emerging <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNfHAn8PGPM">as a particularly popular trend</a>. This challenge is also a trend on TikTok, with people emulating the game in a vast variety of <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@theblondejon/video/7012080679378849029?is_from_webapp=v1&amp;q=red%20light%20green%20light%20squid%20game&amp;t=1634792841564">real life settings</a> and in videogames <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@oldtime101/video/7014485706940648710?is_from_webapp=v1&amp;q=red%20light%20green%20light%20squid%20game&amp;t=1634792841564">Roblox</a> and <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@chrisreksu/video/7016787344397257990?is_from_webapp=v1&amp;q=red%20light%20green%20light%20squid%20game%20minecraft&amp;t=1634793021421">Minecraft. </a></p> <p><iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KNfHAn8PGPM?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>The “Red Light, Green Light” scene has become one of Squid Game’s most widely shared moments: the giant animatronic doll that acts as a deadly motion sensor in this game has been heavily meme-ified. This doll often features in video thumbnails for Squid Game-related children’s YouTube content.</p> <p>Most of these kids’ YouTube videos are quite innocuous by themselves. However, they show how Squid Game has crept into digital content explicitly targeting young children.</p> <h2>Murky boundaries</h2> <p>Given Squid Game’s bright, childish aesthetics and focus on playground games, it is perhaps not surprising that viral online content about the show appeals to children. But the boundaries between adult and child-oriented content online have always been murky.</p> <p>YouTube has been at the centre of a number of controversies regarding <a href="https://medium.com/@jamesbridle/something-is-wrong-on-the-internet-c39c471271d2">inappropriate content aimed at children</a>. TikTok has faced similar controversies related to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56815480">children’s safety on the app </a>and problematic content being watched by children, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/oct/08/revealed-anti-vaccine-tiktok-videos-viewed-children-as-young-as-nine-covid">such as anti-vaccine videos.</a> Tik Tok allows full access to the app to children aged over 13 but reports show children much younger are using it: alongside YouTube, TikTok is currently facing <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/technology/577537-tiktok-youtube-snapchat-executives-to-testify-at-senate-hearing-on-kids">a US Senate hearing on kids’ safety</a>.</p> <p>After a historic fine of US$170 million (A$227 million) was imposed on YouTube by the US Federal Trade Commission in 2019, sweeping changes were introduced to make the distinction between adult and children’s content clearer on the platform. For instance, creators must now inform YouTube if their content is for children and machine-learning is used to identify videos that <a href="https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/an-update-on-kids/">clearly target young audiences.</a></p> <p>Despite these changes, YouTube remains a very different beast to broadcast television, and content popular with children on both the main and children’s version of the platform often differs markedly from kids’ TV.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427666/original/file-20211021-14-1xrpoic.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427666/original/file-20211021-14-1xrpoic.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="Still from Squid Game" /></a></p> <p>Children’s YouTube content that riffs on Squid Game characters and scenes continues a longstanding trend of <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-an-age-of-elsa-spider-man-romantic-mash-ups-how-to-monitor-youtubes-childrens-content-123088">“mash-up” content for children on the platform</a>.</p> <p>Like Squid Game content, “mash-up” videos harness trending themes, search terms, and characters – often featuring popular characters in thumbnail imagery and video titles.</p> <p>Adult anxieties about Squid Game’s malign influence on children build on earlier concerns about this “mash-up” content, but also about children’s interaction with the web more generally.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427664/original/file-20211021-27-100x57m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427664/original/file-20211021-27-100x57m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /></a><br />The rising global panic about children’s participation in Squid Game challenges echoes the “Momo” phenomenon of 2018 and 2019. In this case, a photo of a sinister figure that became associated with the moniker “Momo” went viral online (the photo was actually of a Japanese sculpture).</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/momo-challenge-shows-how-even-experts-are-falling-for-digital-hoaxes-112782">An international news cycle</a> emerged about “Momo”, claiming the creature was appearing in children’s content on YouTube and encouraging kids to participate in deadly games and challenges.</p> <p>As is now occurring in relation to Squid Game, in Australia and beyond <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-01/momo-challenge-sparks-warning-from-online-safety-watchdog/10861080">official warnings were issued to parents</a> about the “Momo Challenge”, advising them to be vigilant. It soon became clear the “Momo Challenge” was most likely <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47393510">a viral hoax</a>.</p> <p>Momo embodied parents’ worst fears about the dangers of children’s internet use. Concerns about Squid Game’s influence on children have a similar tenor: these fears may not be a response to actual dangers, but a manifestation of our discomfort with how easily adult-oriented media can seep into online content aimed at young children.</p> <p>The unruly tentacles of Squid Game’s inter-generational appeal show how streaming media challenges existing conceptions of “child-appropriate” content.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/170209/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-balanzategui-814024">Jessica Balanzategui</a>, Senior Lecturer in Cinema and Screen Studies, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></em></span></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/how-the-hyper-violent-squid-game-has-crept-into-digital-content-targeting-young-children-170209">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: Netflix</em></p>

TV

New vaccine trial targets 2000-year-old virus

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The researchers behind the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine have started a new trial to treat a much older disease: the plague.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the phase-one trial, scientists at the University of Oxford will be testing a new vaccine for the ancient virus on at least 40 healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 55.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new vaccine, which uses the same technology as the AstraZeneca jab, is being trialled to check how well the body recognises and learns how to fight the plague after vaccination.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though the virus hasn’t been seen in most of the world since the Black Death swept through Europe in the 14th century, there are still cases in some rural areas of Africa, Asia and America.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Between 2010 and 2015, 3,248 cases of the plague were reported globally, including 584 deaths.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSJQK9CLXF5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSJQK9CLXF5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Oxford Vaccine Group (@oxford_vaccinegroup)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Just two years later, </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2021-07-26-phase-i-trial-begins-new-vaccine-against-plague" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">an epidemic</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in Madagascar saw 2,119 suspected cases and 171 deaths over several months.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With many of the regions at risk of outbreaks being in remote locations, a vaccine could be a new way to protect these communities.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Larissa, 26, studies genetics at the University of Oxford and is one of the participants who hopes she can help save lives by getting the jab.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843432/_119964702_capture.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/faa0b5599bbf49738fdbc2a4e0278892" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Oxford University</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’m lucky enough to live in a time where vaccines are being developed,” Larissa said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“And so, when I saw that there was a study aiming at developing a vaccine against a disease that’s been around for 2000 years and has killed millions and millions of people, I didn’t hesitate, I just wanted to do my bit.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When asked if she was worried about side effects, Larissa said she wasn’t “too concerned”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The vaccine that’s being assessed today is using the same platform as the Covid vaccine, which has literally been administered to millions of people around the world.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Like the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, the plague vaccine uses a weakened version of adenovirus - a common-cold virus from chimpanzees - that has been genetically altered so people do not get infected.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The vaccine does not contain plague bacterium, meaning recipients of the jab cannot contract the plague.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Instead, the adenovirus has additional genes that make proteins from </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yersinia pestis</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the plague bacterium.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With these added genes, the vaccine should be able to teach the immune systems of recipients how to fend off a real infection of the plague if it needs to.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This technique could also be used against other diseases, according to the researchers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We’ve already done clinical trials using similar technology against a bacterium, meningitis B, and a virus, Zika,” Dr Maheshi Ramasamy, the senior clinical researcher of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But we’re also looking to develop vaccines against new and emerging diseases such as Lassa fever or the Marburg virus.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The plague vaccine trial is expected to run for at least a year.</span></p>

Body

Cruise line targets “offensive” clothing for passengers

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Carnival Cruise Lines are issuing a new ban on clothing that might be considered “offensive”. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The announcement made in late 2019 has sparked a heated debate on whether regulating clothing worn infringes on “free speech rights” or if it is even enforceable. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Carnival's brand ambassador and senior cruise director, John Heald, released details about the addition to Carnival's dress code on his popular Facebook page, revealing it was added to the FAQ section of Carnival's website "in the past few days."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The section reads: "All guests are expected to ensure their clothing and accessories are respectful to fellow guests. Specifically, items worn during the cruise should not contain any message that may be considered offensive or contain nudity, profanity, sexual innuendo/suggestions. In addition, clothing/accessories should not promote negative ethnic or racial commentary, or hatred or violence in any form."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen said the change to clothing regulations came "after some incidents were reported in the media about other travel sectors where customers were wearing clothing with very threatening messages."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The reports "started a discussion about how we were prepared to handle such a situation and the need for clarification to both guests and crew."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Carnival spokesman Gulliksen said that while the line’s crew members are "not onboard to be the clothing or expression police," staff members will still go out of their way to "look out for guests wearing clothes with inappropriate images or language and ask them to change as needed.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"We will evaluate situations on a case-by-case basis and take appropriate steps as necessary."</span></p>

Cruising