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Police appeal for information after baby seal shot

Authorities have offered up a reward of $20,000 USD ($29,000 AUD) in exchange for information after a baby seal was shot dead on a beach in Southern California. The fatally wounded male sea lion was discovered on August 7th between two lifeguard stations at Bolsa Chica State Beach in Orange County, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The animal was estimated to be just two years old and died the day after it was found, with an examination revealing the seal had a gunshot wound to the back, according to a statement from NOAA. The agency said its law enforcement division was offering the reward "for information leading to a civil penalty or criminal conviction" in connection with the shooting, as the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits harassing, hunting, capturing or killing sea lions and other marine mammals. Violators can face criminal penalties, fines, and the forfeiture of any vessel involved in the incident. NOAA spokesperson Michael Milstein told <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/10/10/sea-lion-shot-california-beach-noaa-reward-offered/75605210007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USA TODAY</a> that the agency hopes "the reward offer will help encourage someone who may have seen something or heard something unusual to let us know to help us identify a suspect in this case." "We do get sea lions regularly that have been shot but this animal was still alive when found, so the wound was fresh and it was on a public beach, which hopefully increases the odds that someone knows something about what happened," Milstein added. Image credits: NOAA

Legal

The enduring appeal of Friends, and why so many of us feel we’ve lost a personal friend in Matthew Perry

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/adam-gerace-325968">Adam Gerace</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a> The <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/videos/world/friends-star-matthew-perry-dies-aged-54/cloatn0ae00ea0jqbpdz0h8td">death of Matthew Perry</a>, best known for his role as Chandler Bing in the television series Friends, has seen an outpouring of grief from fans and the Hollywood community. His passing at age 54 has shocked both those who admired his acting work, as well as those who followed his efforts to bring awareness to <a href="https://people.com/tv/matthew-perry-opens-up-about-addiction-new-memoir/">the pains of addiction</a>. Tributes to Perry have understandably focused on his star-making turn on the incredibly popular television sitcom. Scenes, catchphrases, and his character’s lines have been lovingly repurposed across the internet to memorialise the gifted actor. Meanwhile, many viewers have situated their <a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/friends-fans-mourn-matthew-perry-new-york-apartment-1235772520/">recollections</a> of Perry and the series within the context of their own experiences. Viewers who came of age, or were the characters’ ages during the show’s original run, have reminisced about what the work of Perry and his co-stars meant to them at formative times in their lives. Newer viewers have similarly shared how important the series has been to them – their relationship with the show often beginning long after production ended. For many, Friends was the television equivalent of the soundtrack to their lives. To appreciate the staying power of the series for original and <a href="https://www.etonline.com/streaming-friends-how-a-90s-sitcom-became-gen-zs-new-favorite-show-132624">newer viewers alike</a> almost 30 years since it debuted, we need to consider what functions television viewing serves and the bonds we form with its characters. <h2>Enduring appeal</h2> Part of Friends’ popularity lies in its timing. The show premiered in 1994, a period when network television was still dominant. By its end a decade later, while the power of the big television networks had <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/08838150701820924">eroded</a>, the series had maintained <a href="https://www.ratingsryan.com/2022/09/friends-nbc-ratings-recap.html">an average</a> of more than 20 million viewers each season. The 2004 finale brought in a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/08/arts/friends-finale-s-audience-is-the-fourth-biggest-ever.html">record-breaking</a> 52.5 million viewers in the United States. The series then entered repeats around the world. It hasn’t left our screens since. The late 90s and early 2000s have sometimes been referred to as the end of monoculture. While a <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/12/17/21024439/monoculture-algorithm-netflix-spotify">contested and controversial idea</a> because of, among other concerns, who was included and excluded on our screens, monoculture meant we watched <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/bestmusic2012/2012/12/21/167836852/the-year-in-pop-charts-return-of-the-monoculture">many of the same things</a>. One of the most popular shows of its era, Friends brought people together. It was a show we watched with our families or friends, spoke about the next day with colleagues, and it provided a common connection. It allowed bonding with real friends as much as fictional ones. Friends did not only reflect style of the time; it also frequently created it. Jennifer Aniston’s haircut, coined “<a href="https://www.bustle.com/style/the-rachel-haircut">The Rachel</a>”, or Perry’s lovable smart-alecky cadence, typified with Chandler’s catchphrase of “Could I be any more…”, were endlessly imitated. I know I attempted to replicate Chandler’s <a href="https://www.gq.com.au/style/celebrity/unexpectedly-great-fashion-inspiration-courtesy-of-friends/image-gallery/f55ac75cc180e31c462525da961295fc">sweater vests</a> and light blue denim look. Participation provided viewers <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5931.2011.00866.x">a sense</a> of identity. As people enter their 30s and 40s, they often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0208595">gravitate</a> towards the memories made during their formative adolescent and young adult years. So perhaps it’s no surprise Friends endures for original viewers as it represents – and was a part of – their lives at this important time. <h2>Likeable characters</h2> Television and other fictional media meet our needs for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.2009.01368.x">both</a> pleasure and extracting meaning. We get excited, entertained and moved by television. As part of this, we bond with fictional characters. We cannot help but <a href="https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327825MCS0403_01">empathise</a> with them. A series like Friends with its characters and their combinations of breakups, makeups and other mishaps allowed us to safely use our empathy muscles to cheer on and sometimes commiserate with the group of six. It helped that each character was flawed but inherently likeable. Fictional characters also allow us to <a href="https://theconversation.com/neighbours-vs-friends-we-found-out-which-beloved-show-fans-mourned-more-when-it-ended-212843">experience lifestyles</a> we might not otherwise. In the case of Friends, who didn’t want to live in a rent-controlled apartment like Monica’s, or regularly meet their supportive and funny pals for coffee at Central Perk? As a teen, I imagined such a world for myself in the not-too-distant future. Younger generations might be more aware of how out-of-reach that lifestyle was, or find the show’s <a href="https://ew.com/tv/jennifer-aniston-friends-offensive-new-generation/">humour sometimes dated</a>. But the idea of what the friends’ lifestyle represented – possibility, freedom, a chosen family – evidently still holds appeal. <h2>Fictional relationships, but real sadness</h2> In forming relationships with fictional characters, we form bonds with the performers who bring them to life. The lines between character and creator become blurry, both because of the knowledge about actors’ lives celebrity culture affords us, but also because their characters seem so real. When the actors pass away, we <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.06.042">feel real grief</a>. It’s important for fans of Matthew Perry to <a href="https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/why-with-all-the-sht-happening-in-the-world-its-still-okay-to-grieve-a-celebritys-death/">acknowledge</a> their loss. Even though his character is fictional, and you didn’t know him personally, you can still feel sad. Watching the series may be difficult right now. With time, it will become easier. Matthew Perry wanted <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/matthew-perry-death-addiction-alcoholism-drugs-b2437980.html">his legacy</a> to be awareness of addiction and the help he provided to people struggling with this disorder. Hopefully what will be felt now, alongside collective sadness, is an empathy for those facing addiction. That may be the power of television, and of a character named Chandler, and the actor who brought him to life, who many considered their friend.<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/216626/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/adam-gerace-325968">Adam Gerace</a>, Senior Lecturer and Head of Course - Positive Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-enduring-appeal-of-friends-and-why-so-many-of-us-feel-weve-lost-a-personal-friend-in-matthew-perry-216626">original article</a>.

An X-Files expert on the show’s enduring appeal – 30 years on

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bethan-jones-1345648">Bethan Jones</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-york-1344">University of York</a> On September 10 1993 the pilot episode of The X-Files aired. Thirty years later to the day, I was at a <a href="https://www.twincities.com/2023/04/17/moa-30th-anniversary-x-files-convention/">convention centre in Minneapolis</a> with 500 other fans and the show’s creator, Chris Carter, celebrating its legacy. Ostensibly a show about aliens, The X-Files swiftly became part of the cultural lexicon and remains there to this day. In part its success was down to the chemistry of its two leads – David Duchovny, who played FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder and Gillian Anderson, who played FBI Special Agent Dana Scully. After all, it was the X-Files fandom that invented the term <a href="https://www.vox.com/2016/6/7/11858680/fandom-glossary-fanfiction-explained">“shipping”</a> (rooting for characters to get together romantically). But, as I argue in my new book, <a href="https://www.tuckerdspress.com/product-page/the-x-files-the-truth-is-still-out-there">The Truth Is Still Out There: Thirty Years of The X-Files</a>, what really made the series successful was its ability to tap into contemporary cultural moments and ask us to really think about the times we’re living in. When the series began in 1993, the US was still grappling with the effects of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Watergate-Scandal">Watergate</a> and the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Vietnam-War">Vietnam war</a>, but concerns were also rising about the approaching millennium and the economic and cultural divisions within US society. It also coincided with Bill Clinton becoming president – marking the end of more than a decade of Republican leadership. It’s little surprise that fears about immigration, globalisation, national identity and technology emerged and were adopted – and sometimes foreshadowed – by The X-Files’ writers. Several episodes throughout the first nine seasons dealt with artificial technology, for example, and <a href="https://x-files.fandom.com/wiki/Eve">Eve</a>, an episode in season one about clones, came four years before the birth of <a href="https://dolly.roslin.ed.ac.uk/facts/the-life-of-dolly/index.html">Dolly the Sheep</a>. Critical theorist Douglas Kellner <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/432310?casa_token=44PnlIC58_oAAAAA%3AyDF-53m8WsQCfec-VrVjlF8nav_Q2y24s9ldHo7bFPUvAwUrbcieUZoEk7DZe6R3Mma-WcaUNskkC4CR4baLoAHz7EdFEqcAONLgeI4SiU85I-LPIjNk">argued in 1994</a> that The X-Files “generated distrust toward established authority, representing institutions of government and the established order as highly flawed, even complicit in the worst crimes and evil imaginable”. Though I’d argue it was less that the show generated this distrust and more that it leveraged the growing number of reports about the government’s secretive activities to inspire its storylines. As the public became more aware of the government’s role in – and surveillance of – public life, so too The X-Files considered the ways in which technology could be used as a means of control. In the season three episode <a href="https://x-files.fandom.com/wiki/Wetwired">Wetwired</a>, for example, a device attached to a telephone pole emits signals that tap into people’s paranoid delusions and lead them to kill. And in the season six episode, <a href="https://x-files.fandom.com/wiki/S.R._819">SR 819</a>, a character’s circulatory system fails because he has been infected with nanotechnology controlled by a remote device belonging to a shadow government. These themes reflected growing concerns about government agencies using technology to both spy on and influence the public. <h2>The X-Files’ enduring appeal</h2> During my X-Files research, carried out with viewers after a revival was announced in 2015, it became clear that the show has remained part of the cultural lexicon. As one fan explained: “The cultural context of conspiracy theories has changed since the beginning of X-Files. Nowadays, every pseudoscience documentary uses similar soundtrack and narrative.” Of course, the X-Files didn’t invent conspiracy theories, but as one of the show’s writers and producers, Jim Wong, <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/how-x-files-brought-conspiracy-theories-into-mainstream-culture">points out</a>, it did “tap into something that was more or less hidden in the beginning when we were doing it”. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-P-07yN806A?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>The trailer for The X-Files revival.</figcaption></figure> The focus on the rise of the alt-right, disinformation and fake news in seasons 10 and 11 seemed like a logical angle from which to approach the changing cultural context the revival came into. Carter and his co-writers dove straight in to what Guardian critic <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2016/feb/09/your-government-lies-why-the-x-files-revival-is-just-right-for-our-climate-of-extreme-scepticism">Mark Lawson calls</a> “a new era of governmental paranoia and public scepticism”, fuelled by the 2008 financial crisis, the fall out of the war on terror and scores of political scandals. Season 10 saw the introduction of a right-wing internet talk show host who argues that 9/11 was a “false flag operation” and that the mainstream liberal media lie to Americans about life, liberty and the right to bear arms. The parallels to conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones and Glenn Beck were obvious. Carter’s incorporation of topics like surveillance, governments’ misuse of power and methods of social control meant that seasons ten and 11 were very much situated in the contemporary moment. This is perhaps most obvious in the season 11 episode, <a href="https://x-files.fandom.com/wiki/The_Lost_Art_of_Forehead_Sweat">The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat</a>, which deals with the disinformation of the Trump era head on. The episode’s protagonist, Dr. They, tells Mulder that “no one can tell the difference anymore between what’s real and what’s fake”. While The X-Files’ search for the truth in the 1990s may have ultimately been a philosophical endeavour, in the 21st century it is a commentary on how emotion and belief can be more influential than objective facts. Watching the show again while researching my book, I was struck by how it was dated predominantly by its lack of technology, rather than the ideas it expresses. In the second season episode <a href="https://x-files.fandom.com/wiki/Ascension">Ascension</a>, Mulder pulls a phone book off a shelf in his search for Scully – now we’d use Google. But in other aspects the show remains as relevant today as it was in the 1990s, encouraging us to think about the big questions relating to faith, authority and truth. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bethan-jones-1345648">Bethan Jones</a>, Research Associate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-york-1344">University of York</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/an-x-files-expert-on-the-shows-enduring-appeal-30-years-on-213610">original article</a>.

Prince Andrew to appeal loss of another royal perk

Prince Andrew has lost another costly royal perk in the wake of his various controversies, but his appeal against it may spark ire among Brits struggling with a cost-of-living crisis. The former royal has been told he will no longer be granted taxpayer-funded armed guards from next month, nearly a year after he was stripped of his titles and duties after his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein was publicised. Unlike titles and duties, security for the royal family is determined by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, including the Home Office, Metropolitan Police and palace officials. According to The Sun, insider sources said Andrew has written to the Home Office and Met Police over losing his security detail. ''He is going to write to the Home Office and the Met Police to complain about losing his taxpayer-funded security,'' the source told the outlet. Currently, Andrew is escorted by police guards whenever he leaves the grounds of Windsor, with the escort estimated to cost taxpayers up to three million pounds ($NZ 5.8 million) a year. With the UK facing a cost-of-living crisis and skyrocketing bills this winter, there is speculation that Andrew’s complaints may cause more negative reactions towards him. ''He doesn't seem to understand that he's in disgrace and people don't want to hear from him anymore - especially him with his begging bowl,” a Labour MP said, as reported by Express UK. The latest loss comes after the 62-year-old was told to stop using His Royal Highness and his royal military titles in January, with his royal patronages also returned to the late Queen. In the following months, Andrew settled a lawsuit launched against him by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager. With the ultimate decision surrounding his security detail lying with Home Secretary Suella Braverman and given his recent controversies, it seems unlikely that Andrew’s appeal will be a success. Image: Getty Images

Money & Banking

Chris Dawson tries to overturn guilty verdict ahead of tell-all interview

Chris Dawson has lodged the paperwork to begin the process of overturning his guilty conviction for the murder of his wife Lynette 40 years ago. The 74-year-old has spent the last five weeks in Sydney's Silverwater Jail, as he awaits his sentencing day in court on November 11. Despite the high-profile case producing a guilty verdict, Dawson has always maintained his innocence over the disappearance of Lynette, whose body still hasn't been found. Sources told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11279117/Chris-Dawson-lodges-appeal-against-conviction-murdering-wife-Lynette-daughter-breaks-silence.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail Australia</a> last month that Dawson's legal team had recently lodged a notice of intention to appeal with the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal. Nine News also reported on Tuesday night the paperwork flagging Dawson's intention to appeal his conviction has now been formally submitted, as the network prepares to air an interview with one of his daughters. Shanelle Dawson is preparing to open up about growing up without her mother, along with the torment and confusion that arose form her disappearance in a tell-all interview with 60 Minutes. Shanelle, who was just four years old when her mum Lynette vanished in 1982, said she was always told by her father that her mother left because she didn't love her and her other sisters. "I feel a lot of rage and anger towards him," Shanelle says in the 60 Minutes preview. "It was manipulative and gaslighting us." "Whatever he said or threatened me kept me quiet for the next 40 years." Image credits: Getty Images / 60 Minutes

Legal

Fresh heartache as Oatlands killer wins appeal

The drunk and drugged driver who ran over a group of children in Sydney’s north-west over two years ago has had his sentenced reduced on appeal. The Abdallah siblings Antony, Sienna and Angelina and their cousin Veronique Sakr died in February 2020 when Samuel Davidson ran them over on a footpath as they were walking to get ice cream. He pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of the four children, as well as a raft of other charges. He was sentenced to a maximum of 28 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 21 years. Following an appeal, the maximum sentence was reduced by eight years taking it to 20 years, with a non-parole period of 15 years. Making him eligible for parole in January 2035. At the time of his initial sentence, Judge James Bennett said Davidson’s dangerous and aggressive driving showed a complete lack of care and concern for the safety of others. “The magnitude of the tragedy extended to the unimaginable” said Judge Bennett. Image: Instagram

Legal

“Bizarre” Home and Away impersonator loses court appeal

Content warning: This article includes mentions of suicide. A female ‘catfish’ who impersonated a Home and Away star to attract women online and was found guilty of stalking has failed in her bid to overturn her conviction. Lydia Abdelmalek was found guilty of six counts of stalking three years ago after she impersonated Lincoln Lewis, the star who played Geoff Campbell in the popular soap. Though she first launched her appeal in 2019, the guilty verdict was upheld in Victoria’s County Court on May 26, as reported by <a href="https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7754837/home-and-away-catfish-loses-court-appeal/?cs=14231" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Canberra Times</a>. “I find the appellant was responsible for the stalking behaviour,” Judge Claire Quin told the court. Judge Quin described the case as “bizarre” and rejected evidence presented by Ms Abdelmalek. “I found her account confusing, deliberate and that she was deliberately evasive,” Judge Quin said. “Her account does not make sense.” The court also heard that a phone seized from Ms Abdelmalak’s home during the appeal in relation to another case contained “incriminating” evidence against her, according to the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-26/lydia-abdelmalek-lincoln-lewis-catfish-appeal/101099416" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a>. The court heard that the phone contained a wealth of material that “supported the accounts provided by the victims”, including hundreds of texts and pictures sent to the women she stalked, intimate photos, and Mr Lewis’ real voicemail. “Much of this material was not available at the time of the Magistrates’ hearing,” Judge Quin said. “The enormity of this behaviour could not be over exaggerated.” Ms Abdelmalek impersonated the TV star and used other aliases to stalk seven people over a four-year period starting from May 2011, in what one victim called “sick mind games”. One of Ms Abdelmalek’s victims who died by suicide wrote a statement prior to her death where she outlined the trauma she experienced from being tricked into believing the actor was in love with her. She said she felt tortured for the “sick fascination, perverse pleasure and unhealthy satisfaction” of her tormentor. Another victim said she went from being the life of the party to a recluse after what the sentencing magistrate described as a “calculated and cruel” offence. If you are experiencing a personal crisis or thinking about suicide, you can call Lifeline 131 114 or beyondblue 1300 224 636 or visit <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lifeline.org.au</a> or <a href="https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/national-help-lines-and-websites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beyondblue.org.au</a>. Image: Heidelberg Magistrates Court

Legal

Oatlands killer appeals severity of sentence

The drug and alcohol-riddled driver who killed four children after crashing into them on their way to the local shops has launched an appeal to decrease the severity of his sentence. On Monday, Samuel Davidson appealed the minimum 21-year sentence he was given for the manslaughter of Veronique Sakr, 11, and her cousins, siblings Antony, 13, Angelina, 12, and Sienna Abdallah, 8, when they were struck by his car as they walked to get ice cream near Oatlands golf course in February 2020. When the accident occurred, Davidson was under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and driving erratically before he mounted the footpath and struck the group of children. Davidson pled guilty to a host of charges around the deaths in October 2020, and was sentenced in April 2021. Davidson had no criminal history before the accident, a point his barrister Stephen Odgers used in Monday’s appeal to argue that his sentence was unreasonable. He also argued that Davidson’s diagnosis of ADHD, which he said made him prone to reckless behaviour, was not properly considered by the sentencing judge. At the time he was sentenced, Davidson was 30 years old and is not set to be released until he is at least 51. “That is a crushing sentence,” Odgers said. The parents of the Abdallah children were not present at the appeal hearing, however Veronique’s mother Bridget Sakr was in attendance at the court. “Our sentence is for the rest of our lives. Our suffering is every day,” she said. Bridget Sakr’s husband David Mackenzie said on Monday that the sentence sent an important message. “There are no comparable cases to our case, sadly,” Mackenzie said. “That’s why our case is so important. Because it sets a benchmark.” Image credits: Instagram / 7News

News

Court 'approves' young boy's appeal to adopt teddies

The Family Court of Western Australia has granted a seven-year-old boy approval to adopt several teddy bears, in a gesture described as “humanity at its best”. After writing a letter to the court, the young boy received a sweet yet official-looking response, complete with a reference to the fictitious International Teddy Act of 1908 and a description of the adoptees as “a hug of teddy’s”. “In the matter of Mr Denham, Baby Denham, Brown Bear, Bamboo, Special Teddy Jnr and Tiny,” the unofficial court order <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/good-news/family-court-gives-sevenyearold-boy-approval-to-adopt-teddies-in-heartwarming-letter-exchange/news-story/acbf28abee7da98ed1c794731b61b71c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read</a>. “Before a Teddy in Chambers. “Application having being [sic] made under the International Teddy Act 1908 for an adoption order in relation to a hug of teddy’s known as Mr Denham, Baby Denham, Brown Bear, Bamboo, Special Teddy Jnr and Tiny who reside in … Western Australia. “It is ordered that the said Mr Denham, Baby Denham, Brown Bear, Bamboo, Special Teddy Jnr and Tiny be adopted by (the boy) to be treated lovingly as child and teddies.” <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/court-teddy-adoption.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="768" /> The Family Court’s order was shared on social media. Image: Twitter A photo of the court order was shared on social media by the boy’s uncle, Dr Stephen Bright, prompting dozens of responses. “Not sure how many similar requests they get, but this seemed to go above and beyond. Thank you,” he wrote on the since-deleted post. Many shared how the story brought a “tear to the eye”. “That is absolutely adorable, your nephew must be so happy! Such a beautiful, yet simple gesture, definitely put a smile on my face and a tear to the eye,” one person shared. In a follow-up post, Dr Bright <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/stephenjbright/status/1495448183614283778" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>: “I don’t usually post personal stuff on Twitter, though I’m glad I did share this as it seems to have touched so many people. It’s nice to be able to pay it forward.” Some dubbed the gesture as an example of “humanity at its best”, while others shared their well wishes for the boy and his teddies. “It’s lovely. These warm and kind actions show humanity at its best. We need this in our lives,” one person wrote. “Sometimes it’s good to start my day with a happy cry. Thank you for sharing,” another said. “This reminds me to have faith in humanity, both in adults and the next generation. My best to your nephew, his teddies and family.” Image: Getty Images

Legal

Australian government appeals ruling protecting Aboriginals from deportation

The Australian government has made an appeal against a High Court decision that Aboriginal Australians can’t be aliens, claiming the decision threatens to confer “political sovereignty on Aboriginal societies”.Lawyers for the government made the claim in an appeal against the Love and Thoms decision, which bars the deportation of Indigenous non-citizens. They claim that the ruling threatened the position that Aboriginal sovereignty did not survive the colonisation of Australia.<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/law/2022/feb/01/aboriginal-spiritual-connection-to-land-no-bar-to-deportation-morrison-government-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a> reports that the submissions, lodged on Friday, also contain arguments that the spiritual connection Aboriginal Australians have with the land doesn’t create a “special relationship” to the commonwealth.What is the Love and Thoms decision?In February 2020, four out of the seven judges ruled that Aboriginal Australians were not aliens under the Australian constitution and couldn’t be deported, prompting the release of New Zealand-born man Brendan Thoms from detention.Thoms and Papua New Guinea-born Daniel Love, who both have one Indigenous parent, had their visas cancelled and faced deportation from Australia after serving time in prison.Lawyers for the two men, with support from the state of Victoria, argued that the government can’t deport Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders even if they don’t hold Australian citizenship.In separate judgements, justices Virginia Bell, Geoffrey Nettle, Michelle Gordon and James Edelman made the ruling based on the three-part test established by the Mabo native title cases that assess a person’s claim to be Aboriginal based on their biological descent, self-identification, and recognition by a traditional group.By April 2021, nine people were released from immigration detention as a result of the ruling, with Guardian Australia revealing the government was seeking to overturn the decision in October of the same year.Why is the government appealing the decision?In November 2021, the federal court ordered for the release of Shayne Montgomery, a New Zealand citizen whose visa was revoked by former home affairs minister Peter Dutton after he was convicted of a non-violent aggravated burglary in 2018. The court ruled that Mr Dutton “failed to give any degree of consideration” to Mr Montgomery’s claims of Aboriginality. Though he wasn’t biologically descended from an Aboriginal person, the court said it was “not reasonable” to conclude Mr Montgomery was not Aboriginal since he was culturally adopted by the Mununjali people in Queensland.In an appeal against that ruling, the federal government is now asking that the federal court overrule Love and Thoms.With the retirement of two of the four judges who originally made the decision, assistant attorney general Amanda Stoker has noted in a 2020 research paper that a challenge to the decision could see it get reconsidered by the new bench.In October, immigration minister Alex Hawke <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/nov/19/judge-orders-new-zealand-man-who-had-visa-revoked-by-peter-dutton-to-be-freed-from-detention" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the government had “no intent to deport an Aboriginal from Australia”, despite making an appeal alongside home affairs minister Karen Andrews to restore their power to do so.He said the case was about “a complex question of law, it’s not about an opinion of the government, and it has to be tested and resolved”.“That’s what the government is doing. Of course, there is no intent to deport an Aboriginal from Australia, ever.”Kristina Kenneally, the shadow home affairs minister, has said Labor “respects the decision of the high court” in Love and Thoms, and that the government should “abide by the ruling”.The matter is yet to be listed for a hearing.Image: Getty Images

Legal

"Just let him play": Novak's mother makes personal appeal

Novak Djokovic’s mother has claimed her son was unaware that he was Covid-positive while appearing at public events last month, despite court documents revealing he had a positive PCR test. Upon his arrival in Melbourne last week, the tennis star told Border Force officials he was exempt from mandatory vaccination rules because he had tested positive to COVID-19 on December 16. However, photos have emerged of the Serbian attending various functions without a mask after that date, <a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/djokovic-press-conference-shut-down-after-probing-question" target="_blank">prompting questions</a> as to whether he attended them knowing he was positive. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> An honor to receive my very own Serbian stamp. Thank you to my generous country for this rare gift! I’m humbled!! Excited to share we’ll partner with the Serbian National Postal Service on <a href="https://twitter.com/novakfoundation?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@novakfoundation</a> projects for every child to have the opportunity to attend preschool 🙏🏼 <a href="https://t.co/Ww8Zma95NU">pic.twitter.com/Ww8Zma95NU</a> — Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) <a href="https://twitter.com/DjokerNole/status/1471843717271150592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2021</a></blockquote> Speaking to <a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/sunrise/on-the-show/novak-djokovics-mum-reveals-twist-in-tennis-stars-visa-battle-with-australian-government-c-5272119" target="_blank">Sunrise</a> on Wednesday, his mother Dijana said her son “didn’t know” he was infected when the photos were taken. “He didn’t know, probably, he didn’t know because when he realised he was positive then he (went) to isolation,” she said. Ms Djokovic continued, expressing her worry over her son’s chances at next week’s Australian Open and admitting that she had been struggling to sleep. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> "He didn’t know because when he realised he was positive then he go to isolation" Novak Djokovic's mum Dijana claims the tennis champion wasn't aware he was infected with COVID-19 when he was photographed out and about last month. <a href="https://t.co/qi3SpiOlqn">pic.twitter.com/qi3SpiOlqn</a> — Sunrise (@sunriseon7) <a href="https://twitter.com/sunriseon7/status/1481010385709039618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2022</a></blockquote> “I realise this is not over yet and we are all praying that he will stay,” she said. “Don’t throw him out, he is a tennis player, he is not a politician, he is not a criminal, he is not a murderer, he’s just a tennis player, the best in the world, just let him play. “He came to Australia to play and to win the Australian Open, this is his goal.” Ms Djokovic’s comments come as her son continues to be investigated by the federal government, with officials looking to determine whether he made <a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/new-visa-twist-as-more-novak-accusations-emerge" target="_blank">false claims on his entry form</a>. The world No.1 told authorities he hadn’t been vaccinated due to his recent COVID-19 infection, and filled out a form confirming he had not travelled in the 14 days prior to his flight to Australia. However, he was filmed playing tennis in the Serbian capital of Belgrade on Christmas Day and training in Spain on December 31 and within the first few days of the new year. Though Djokovic <a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/round-1-goes-to-novak-as-ugly-scenes-unfold-on-melbourne-streets" target="_blank">won his case</a> against the government over his visa cancellation, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke can use his personal powers to revoke his visa again and is expected to make a decision this week. Ms Djokovic said Minister Hawke’s ability to decide whether her son stays or leaves is “unfair”. “I cannot understand how one man can make this decision,” Dijana said. As for Djokovic’s controversial views on vaccination, Dijana said he has “his own philosophy on life” and that no one can “pursue or pressure” him to get the jab. “I don’t know what the problem is if he doesn’t want to get vaccinated - that is his choice,” she said. “Each person on this world has the opportunity to make this choice, this is like human rights.” Ms Djokovic also criticised “silly” rules preventing players from competing at the Australian Open if they are unvaccinated, unless they have a medical exemption. “I don’t understand this law that only if you’re vaccinated you can play,” she continued. “It’s not that I’m against vaccination, of course I’m not, but if you’re vaccinated, it’s not that you’re protected from the coronavirus. “Lots of people who have two or three vaccines get ill. “Are they afraid he’s going to cough on the court? It’s silly.” Image: Sunrise / @djokernole (Instagram)

News

Shocking twist after parents make public appeal to find missing daughter

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> The parents of a missing teenager have been charged with her murder after they appealed for help to find her. Bernadetta Walker was reported missing 7 weeks ago by her 37-year-old mum, Sarah and 57-year-old father Scott from their home in the east of England. Police declared that detectives would be pursuing the case as a "no body" investigation as they continued their search for the 17-year-old who was last seen by her parents on July 18th. Ms Walker asked the public for help in distributing flyers and claimed she “couldn’t eat or sleep properly”, saying that she hoped her daughter was “hiding” at a friend’s home. “I know my baby girl wouldn't be out in the open. She's scared of being out in the dark alone, that's what makes me think she's at a friend's house,” she said, according to The Sun. Bernadette’s dad also appealed for help, writing on Facebook: “You can imagine how much we are both worried. We miss you. We need to know that you're safe. We love you.” Police have said that "significant progress" has been made in the investigation, but they are yet to find the missing teenager. “Therefore our plea is for anyone who has information on what has happened to her, or where she might be, to get in touch as a matter of urgency,” Policing Peterborough wrote to Facebook. Photo credits: Facebook </div> </div> </div>

Legal

How to increase the curb appeal of your home in a weekend

Whether your goal is to add value to your home to sell, or you’re just looking to get your home entertainment-ready for summer, there are three DIY projects you can complete in a weekend that will greatly increase the curb appeal of your home. 1. Repaint concrete exteriors Painting an unsightly or worn concrete pathway, landing or wall is one of the most dramatic (and easy) home improvements you can make. With a little prep and some specialty concrete paint you can avoid the pricey task of having to replace the concrete and have it looking like new again. Remember <ul> <li>PREPARATION IS KEY. Remove any lose concrete with a scraper, wire brush or sandpaper then scrub the surface clean with a strong detergent and stiff bristle broom and hose off with clean water. This will stop your paint from lifting and ensure long lasting results. Don’t skip this step!  </li> <li>ROUGHT IT UP. In order for your surface to really grip the paint, you need to make sure the surface is rough (it should feel like 180 grit sandpaper). If the surface is smooth, prep with White Knight Ultra Pave Concrete Etcher. If your surface is already fairly rough you can skip this step.  </li> <li>TIME TO PAINT. Using a roller and tray, first start on the large areas. Using White Knight Ultra Pave Quick Dry, start by painting the far corner and then work backwards so you don’t paint yourself into a corner. If you didn’t use a concrete etcher, I recommend thinning the first coat of paint with 20% water to help with adhesion. Your concrete area will be touch-dry in 30 minutes and ready to be recoated in two hours.</li> </ul> 2. Paint the front door Painting your front door and even your shutters is another easy way to improve the exterior of your home and help to leave a lasting impression. Remember <ul> <li>KNOW YOUR ENVIRONMENT. Select a hardwearing concrete paint such as Ultra Pave which is designed to withstand Australia’s harsh climate.  </li> <li>DARE TO BE DIFFERENT. Remember, paint isn’t permanent so have fun with it. Try a strong contrast colour for maximum visual impact. Think red against a white frame and brick wall, bright yellow against navy, or deep blue on white.  </li> </ul> 3. Landscape Last but certainly not least, a little bit of landscaping can do wonders to improve the curb appeal of your home. Remember <ul> <li>ADD SOME COLOUR A vibrant flower bed can lift the feel of any home.</li> </ul> This is a guest post by Dale Vine, former Block contestant and <a href="http://www.whiteknightpaints.com.au/">White Knight </a>Ambassador. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.handyman.net.au/how-increase-curb-appeal-your-home-weekend">Handyman</a>.

Home & Garden

4 things you're doing to your home that real estate agents wouldn't

Every day, real estate agents come upon cringe-worthy things homeowners have done to their homes. Leopard-print fabric wallpaper in the bedroom – yep. DIY electrical repairs – shockingly true. Sure, it’s your castle, and you can decorate or DIY to your heart’s content, as well as skip certain projects you just don’t think are important. But there are some smart reasons why real estate agents wouldn’t do the following things to their own homes. 1. Ignoring kerb appeal You worked for months on the interior of your home, and now that it’s Instagram-worthy, you’re too tired and uninspired to care about the shabby lawn and cracked walkway. Shake off the sawdust and swap out your tool belt for some gardening tools. “It pays to hire a professional to get some advice to ‘stage’ your yard, too,” says real estate broker Kelly Parks. “A bonus is that while you live there, you will also love it.” 2. Planting trees too close to the house Leafy trees, flowering bushes and colourful perennials instantly add a welcoming and homey touch to that all-important kerb appeal, but if you plant trees too close to the house, you might regret it down the road. Trees with long root systems can uproot the ground and your budget, and large limbs can fall on the roof or damage siding. “Roots over time can damage underground plumbing, foundation and driveways,” explains realtor Maya Madison. “It may look nice at first, but when you go to sell it in a few years, those roots will cause very expensive damage.” 3. Over-customising A house is transformed into a home-sweet-home when you add personal touches, but if you’re thinking about selling your house down the road, you might want to rethink going all-in with your favourite motif. Broker Melanie Everett loves animal prints, but she’s not going to wallpaper her house with it. “I opted to buy some beautiful pillows instead,” she says. “Plus, I can take these with me to my next home, and I don’t have to worry about overwhelming a potential buyer.” 4. Hiring non-licenced contractors It’s probably not a big deal to DIY a loose floorboard or hire your cousin to install a ceiling fan, but when it comes to the major housing components like plumbing and electrical, you should hire licensed, bonded contractors and possibly get permits. “This is very important because real estate agents know the value of being able to say that a licensed contractor or expert did the work,” says Parks. “This gives a potential buyer peace of mind, knowing that things are right, and the same is true when they go to sell the house later.” Source: <a href="https://www.rd.com/home/things-real-estate-agents-wouldnt-do/">RD.com</a> Written by Lisa Marie Conklin. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/diy-tips/13-things-youre-doing-to-your-home-that-real-estate-agents-wouldnt">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN93V">here’s our best subscription offer.</a>

Home & Garden

What drives the appeal of 'Passion of the Christ' and other films on the life of Jesus

Church isn’t the only place people go to learn about Jesus. At the beginning of Lent, 15 years ago, devout evangelical Christians did not go to church to have ashes marked on their foreheads. Rather, they thronged to theaters to <a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/march/100.100.html">watch</a> a decidedly Catholic film to begin the Lenten season. That film was Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” which would go on to gross over US$600 million globally. It brought to screen a vivid portrayal of the last few hours of the life of Jesus and even today many can readily recall the brutality of those depictions. The film also stirred up a number of <a href="https://www.firstthings.com/article/2004/06/the-passions-passionate-despisers">cultural clashes</a> and raised questions about Christian anti-Semitism and what seemed to be a <a href="https://www.chron.com/g00/entertainment/movies/article/Will-a-recut-Passion-still-stir-debate-1568750.php?i10c.ua=1&i10c.encReferrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8%3d&i10c.dv=22">glorification</a> of violence. This wasn’t the only film to bring Jesus to cinema in such a powerful way. There have, in fact, been hundreds of films about Jesus produced around the world for over 100 years. These films have prompted devotion and missionary outreach, just as they have challenged viewers’ assumptions of who the figure of Jesus really was. <h2>From still images to moving images</h2> For the last two decades, I have researched the <a href="https://cup.columbia.edu/book/religion-and-film/9780231176750">portrayal of religious figures on screen</a>. I have also looked at the ways in which <a href="http://theconversation.com/when-do-moviegoers-become-pilgrims-81016">audiences</a> make their own spiritual meanings through the images of film. <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520286955/the-forge-of-vision">Images of Jesus</a>, or the Virgin Mary, have long been part of the <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Image_as_Insight.html?id=lrpLAwAAQBAJ">Christian tradition</a>. From amulets to icons, paintings to sculptures, Christianity incorporates a rich visual history, so perhaps it is not surprising that cinema has become a vital medium to display the life of Jesus. Inventors of cinematic technologies, such as <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151913/">Thomas Edison</a> and the <a href="http://www.acinemahistory.com/2016/04/la-passion-1898-passion.html">Lumière brothers</a>, were among the first to bring Jesus’s life to the big screen at the end of the 19th century. Hollywood continued to cash in on Christian audiences all through the 20th century. In 1912, Sidney Olcott’s <a href="http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6aaafe24">“From the Manger to the Cross”</a> became the first feature length film to offer a full account of the life of Christ. Fifteen years later, crowds flocked to see Cecil B. DeMille’s <a href="https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/10078">“The King of Kings”</a>, demonstrating the power of a big budget and a well-known director. Writing about DeMille’s film some years later, film historian Charles Musser <a href="https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/900-the-king-of-kings">commented</a> how the film evoked “Christ’s charisma” through “a mesmerizing repertoire of special effects, lighting and editing.” In Hollywood’s portrayal, Jesus was a white, European man. In Nicholas Ray’s 1961 film, <a href="https://catalog.afi.com/Film/20301-KING-OF-KINGS?sid=b96a394a-6a48-4f41-b7a4-6d05b5042fc3&sr=3.1776974&cp=1&pos=0">“King of Kings”</a> Jeffrey Hunter made a deep impression on his audience in the role of Jesus with his piercing blue eyes. Four years later, George Stevens’s <a href="https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/22336">“The Greatest Story Ever Told”</a>, cast the white Swedish actor Max von Sydow in the lead role. In all these films, evidence of Jesus’s <a href="https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1853&context=jrf">Jewish identity</a> was toned down. Social or political messages found in the gospels – such as the political charge of a “kingdom of God” – were smoothed over. Jesus was portrayed as a spiritual savior figure while avoiding many of the socio-political controversies. This was, as Biblical studies scholar Adele Reinhartz <a href="http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195146967.001.0001/acprof-9780195146967">put it</a>, not Jesus of Nazareth, but the creation of a “Jesus of Hollywood.” <h2>Global moral instruction</h2> Many of these films were useful for Christian <a href="https://brill.com/view/journals/exch/33/4/article-p310_2.xml">missionary work</a>. An <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=k-KOCMRN1yYC&pg=PA116&lpg=PA116&dq=%22destined+to+be+more+far-reaching+than+the+Bible+in+telling+the+story+of+the+Saviour%22&source=bl&ots=qfNYKdafRF&sig=ACfU3U1thBDr3oVzabJSRUbpLHjMhCtMZA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiZ">advertisement for Olcott’s film</a>, for example, stated how it was “destined to be more far-reaching than the Bible in telling the story of the Savior.” Indeed, as media scholars <a href="https://www.vwu.edu/academics/majors/communication/meet-the-faculty.php?person=tlindvall">Terry Lindvall</a> and <a href="https://www.regent.edu/faculty/m-a-andrew-c-quicke/">Andrew Quicke</a> have <a href="https://nyupress.org/books/9780814753248/">noted</a>, many Christian leaders throughout the 20th century utilized the power of film for moral instruction and conversion. A 1979 film, known as <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/cros.12121">“The Jesus Film”</a>, went on to become the most <a href="https://religionnews.com/2017/12/20/jesus-film-project-premieres-1500th-translation-of-jesus/">watched</a> film in history. The film was a relatively straightforward depiction of the life of Jesus, taken mainly from the gospel of Luke. The film was translated into 1,500 languages and shown in cities and remote villages around the world. <h2>The global Jesus</h2> But, as <a href="https://www.firstthings.com/article/2006/12/believing-in-the-global-south">majority Christian population shifted</a> from Europe and North America to Sub-Saharan Africa, South America, and South Asia, so did portrayals of Jesus: they came to reflect local cultures and ethnicities. In the 2006 South African film <a href="https://www.sheffieldphoenix.com/showbook.asp?bkid=232">“Son of Man”</a>, for example, Jesus, his mother and disciples are all black, and the setting is a contemporary, though fictionalized, South Africa. The film employed traditional art forms of dance and music that retold the Jesus story in ways that would appeal to a South African audience. It was the same with a Telugu film, <a href="https://brill.com/view/journals/exch/36/1/article-p41_3.xml">“Karunamayudu” (Ocean of Mercy)</a>, released in 1978. The style resembles a long tradition of Hindu devotional and mythological films and Jesus could easily be seen as part of the pantheon of Hindu deities. For the past four decades in southern India and beyond, villagers have gathered in front of makeshift outdoor theaters to watch this film. With over 100 million viewers, it has become a <a href="https://brill.com/view/journals/exch/41/2/article-p120_3.xml">tool for Christian evangelism</a>. Other films have responded to and reflected local conditions in Latin America. The Cuban film “<a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1212065?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents">The Last Supper</a>,” from 1976, offered a vision of a Jesus that is on the side of the enslaved and oppressed, mirroring Latin American movements in <a href="https://library.brown.edu/create/modernlatinamerica/chapters/chapter-15-culture-and-society/essays-on-culture-and-society/liberation-theology-in-latin-america/">Liberation Theology</a>. Growing out of the Cold War, and led by radical Latin American priests, Liberation Theology worked in local communities to promote socio-economic justice. Meanwhile, the appeal of some of these films can also be gauged from how they continue to be watched year after year. The 1986 Mexican film, “La vida de nuestro señor Jesucristo,” for example, is broadcast on the Spanish-language television station Univision during Easter week every year. <h2>The power of film</h2> Throughout history, Jesus has taken on the appearance and behavior of one cultural group after another, some claiming him as their own, others rejecting certain versions of him. As the scholar of religion <a href="https://dornsife.usc.edu/cf/faculty-and-staff/faculty.cfm?pid=1003260">Richard Wightman Fox</a> puts it in his <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/9780060628741/jesus-in-america/">book “Jesus in America: Personal Savior, Cultural Hero, National Obsession:”</a> “His incarnation guaranteed that each later culture would grasp him anew for each would have a different view of what it means to be human.” Cinema allows people in new places and times to grasp Jesus “anew,” and create what I have <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Representing_Religion_in_World_Cinema.html?id=tQGc8oHH5fkC">called</a> a “georeligious aesthetic.” Films, especially those about Jesus, in their movement across the globe, can alter the religious practices and beliefs of people they come into contact with. While the church and the Bible provide particular versions of Jesus, films provide even more – new images that can prompt controversy, but also devotion. Written by S. Brent Rodriguez-Plate, Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Cinema and Media Studies, by special appointment, Hamilton College. Republished with permission of <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/what-drives-the-appeal-of-passion-of-the-christ-and-other-films-on-the-life-of-jesus-110691" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. <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/110691/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />

Movies

Trump’s big blow: Federal appeals court rules in favour of Twitter critics

A federal appeals court has ruled that US President Donald Trump cannot legally block users on Twitter based on their political differences with him. This affirms a lower court decision. The three-judge panel agreed with last year’s ruling by a federal judge that Trump was using “viewpoint discrimination”, which is in violation of the constitutional rights of people with opposing views. According to <a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/social/trump-cant-block-twitter-critics-federal-appeals-court-rules/news-story/fb2294bc60fa3fe2d97378945c2ed8f7">news.com.au</a>, the court sidestepped the question of the president’s free speech rights under the Constitution's First Amendment on a privately-owned internet platform. However, the court affirmed that Trump has created a public forum for official White House business. “The First Amendment does not permit a public official who utilises a social media account for all manner of official purposes to exclude persons from an otherwise-open online dialogue because they expressed views with which the official disagrees,” the judges wrote in a 29-page opinion. Trump’s legal response is that he’s not acting in his official capacity when he blocks users, but the court disagreed. “The president and multiple members of his administration have described his use of the account as official,” the appeals court ruling said. “We conclude that the evidence of the official nature of the account is overwhelming. We also conclude that once the president has chosen a platform and opened up its interactive space to millions of users and participants, he may not selectively exclude those whose views he disagrees with.”

Technology

The universal appeal of Uluru

An immense land iceberg in a sea of sand swirls, Uluru appears almost out of nowhere as we fly over central Australia. But nowhere is a relative term. This landscape may look dry and empty, a marbled carpet of ochre and scrub, but historically and culturally, it's dripping in wealth. The Anangu people have been living here in the middle of our nation for 30,000 years. Their population is seven times older than Egypt's pyramids. But even in their earliest years, Uluru was ancient. Uluru is estimated to be around 600 million years old, a surviving nub of an early mountain range that was created when big crustal blocks came together to form Australia. Today, the rock really is like an iceberg. It rises 348 metres above the plain and has a circumference of 9.4 kilometres, but its vast majority, almost 2.5km worth, is underground. This bizarre monolith is one of the most photogenic land forms in the world. The 250,000 people who visit from around the world each year soak up its striking forms and textures, marvel at its size and wow over its glowing red hues at sunset and sunrise. For the Anangu people, though, Uluru is a living place. Their compass, their soul. "We navigate ourselves around Uluru. It is part of us," says Anangu elder Sammy Wilson. "Without it, we would be lost." In the 80s, Uluru and its surrounding land was handed back to its traditional owners (albeit on a 99-year lease). Since then, the Anangu have tightened accessibility so as to preserve their culture. Thirty years ago, Uluru was about conquering. Many tourists climbed the rock, marvelling over the desert view from the summit. These days, its traditional owners discourage climbing. For many tourists, it's now more about selfies from a distance. In fact it's nearly impossible to get a photo at any of the viewing platforms without catching a selfie-stick in shot. It's a funny struggle between two cultures: tourists, endeavouring to drag Uluru into the 20th century and beyond, and the indigenous, who are trying to preserve its ancient significance. Each side's conflicting visions of the rock send a clear message: Uluru can be all things to all people. Wilson takes us on a bushwalking tour of the rock to teach us what Uluru means to the Anangu people. We hear all about Tjukurpa, a wide term depicting culture and soul. The region's dot paintings and wooden craft, the inma (traditional dances), the body painting, the storytelling and the gathering of bush tucker - it's all Tjukurpa. Anangu consider 30 to 40 per cent of the rock to be sacred sites. Wilson points them out to us from a distance, while explaining how creation beings have left their marks on the rock's surface. As we contemplate what Uluru means to the Anangu, a willy wagtail swoops down to bath in the rock's biggest freshwater pond. He clings to the rock wall, waiting for the right moment to immerse himself in the crisp water. To him, Uluru is a different kind of life force. After the bushwalk, park ranger Monica Quan checks our pictures. There are strict rules about what you can and can't photograph. Sacred sites cannot be captured in detail. Thankfully, we can keep our pics. We ask Quan what happens at these sacred places. "We don't really know," she says. "As non-Anangu, we aren't told much. And for me to relay the wrong information would be akin to stealing a car." Such is the sacred power of Tjukurpa. It's importance here cannot be underestimated, but its deeper knowledge is held close. What is open to everyone here, however, is the sky. At night, out here in the desert, it sparkles. Visitors to Uluru today are more likely to book a dining experience under the stars than a rock climb. Our Sounds of Silence dinner offers us superb food at candlelit tables, with blankets to keep us warm and a fire to facilitate hearty chats with local elders. Before dessert, we enjoy a laser tour of the night sky and swoon at the moon's craters through a telescope. The next morning the sun throws yellow rays over the desert floor, illuminating the desert oaks and prickly spinifex studded across the red sand. Uluru looms over us, its face red-gold to the sun. After spending time talking with the Anangu, we ponder its power. Tourists at the sunrise lookout snap wildly. Compared to this ancient rock, we're all infants, even the Anangu, and this world is our cradle. Uluru holds significance beyond human understanding. It holds Anangu stories of creation and is a spiritual compass. It has sacred boulders you can't take photos of. It has freshwater ponds that double as bird baths. It's a tourist goldmine. It's an outback signpost. It's the dead centre of the red centre. By its very nature, Uluru is all things to all things, and it'll go on being so long after we've gone. What’s your favourite thing about Uluru? Written by Caroline Berdon and Michael Wayne. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>.

International Travel

Longer world cruises gaining appeal with travellers

For some people, it's not enough to cruise the world for months at a time. They want to do it over and over. Ask retirees Garry Gourley and Wanda Britt, who sailed off last week on a 115-day voyage from Port Everglades, slated to visit five continents and more than 45 ports. That was the day after they returned from a 16-day holiday cruise to the southern Caribbean. And while on that cruise, they booked an extended cruise next year because the cabin category they wanted was selling out. The Colorado Springs couple are among a growing legion of people who are taking off on so-called "world cruises," spending tens of thousands of dollars to sail the world for three months or more, many leaving this month from Port Everglades and PortMiami. The cruisers say they relish the friendships they form during weeks at sea as well as the chance to visit far-flung destinations without schlepping through airports and packing and unpacking. Travel agents say world cruisers tend to be affluent people in their 70s and 80s with the time and money to take long trips, although more people in their 60s are catching on. "Our world cruise business is up across the board," said Annie Scrivanich, senior vice president of Seattle-based Cruise Specialists. World cruise sales have increased at least 15 percent from the previous year, she said - and about 10 percent among solo travellers. "Everyone is getting into the world cruise business," Scrivanich said. A Cruise Lines International Association survey last January showed that 37 percent of 434 travel agents had seen an increase in bookings of 14- to 100-day cruises. Gourley, a retired US. Air Force flight engineer who also worked at the United Nations, said he and Britt had heard so many good reviews about world cruises that they decided to try it. They left last week on Holland America Line's ms Amsterdam cruise ship. "We're most looking forward to seeing New Zealand and Australia," Gourley said during a send-off hosted by his travel agency, Cruise Specialists. For Florida retirees Tom and Ann Simonsen - also sailing on the 1,380-passenger Amsterdam - part of the appeal of the world cruise is the people they meet and become friends with on these long cruises. "The age group is correct," said Tom Simonsen, a retired doctor from Sun City Center who also enjoys onboard activities such as lectures, movies, art classes and entertainment. "The (ship) staff is really nice, and we've developed a lot of friendships." The Simonsens are on their fourth world cruise with Holland America. Also departing last week from Port Everglades was Silversea Cruises' Silver Whisper, a 382-passenger ship headed for a 115-day cruise to 51 destinations in 31 countries. Oceania Cruises 684-passenger Insignia left PortMiami last week on a 180-day trip bound for 92 ports. And Princess Cruises' Pacific Princess ship left Fort Lauderdale on a 111-day world cruise visiting 35 destinations in 26 countries. Ocala resident Jean MacLean, 68, was wooed back for her third world cruise with Holland America because the Amsterdam's global voyage had stops planned in several countries she hadn't been before. "Petra (in Jordan) - it's a bucket list destination for me. Also Oman and Israel," MacLean said. "I'm really looking forward to that." MacLean, a solo traveller, also has enjoyed meeting people from diverse backgrounds on these cruises, many of whom have become good friends. "We have a little bit of everyone on board - doctors, lawyers, even a cowgirl," MacLean said. That cowgirl - back for her second world cruise - is Wendy Westrate, 71, of Denver, who spent more than 30 years on a Montana ranch branding cattle among other chores. Westrate was introduced to cruising by her late aunt. "She got me into cruising, and I took to it like duck to water," Westrate said. "She left me an annuity to travel the world." Of the new places she gets to visit, besides the scenery, she most enjoys seeing how the local people live and behave, Westrate said. Cruise Specialists also books passengers on world cruises operated by Oceania, Crystal, Cunard, Silversea, Princess, Regent Seven Seas and Azamara Club cruise lines. Azamara will make its foray in March 2018 with a 102-day voyage on Azamara Journey from Sydney to London that will include 61 ports in 29 countries. Regent is returning to the niche after a six-year hiatus with a 128-night voyage from Miami on its 490-passenger Seven Seas Navigator departing Jan. 5, 2017. The luxury ship will visit six continents, 31 countries and more than 60 ports. "We booked more than 70 percent of the 2017 Regent world cruise on the first day bookings opened," said Jason Lasecki, senior director of public relations for Oceania and Regent. Regent opened reservations for its 2017 world cruise on July 15, with early bookings starting at $54,999 per person double occupancy. Fares for Amsterdam's 115-day world cruise started at NZ$30480 per person double occupancy. By comparison, prices for a seven-day Holland America Eastern Caribbean cruise on ms Westerdam departing Fort Lauderdale on Jan. 23 now start at US$699 per person for an ocean view cabin. Although definitely pricier than the seven-day cruise mainstay, early booking discounts, free airfare, all-inclusive rates and other incentives can make world cruises a good deal for travellers looking to see several destinations in one trip. That's what Coral Springs resident Trisha Porretti discovered when she started researching airfare about two years ago for a trip to Australia and New Zealand to celebrate her 60th birthday. After adding up the airfares to cities in both countries, she decided that for a few thousand dollars more, the Amsterdam world cruise was more economical considering the number of places she'd get to see. "Down Under - it's been on my bucket list," said Porretti, who'll celebrate her birthday this week at sea with longtime friend Sharon Masterson of Villas, N.J. For Porretti, the world cruise came as a birthday gift from her late mother after she wrapped up duties as executor of her estate. "People say it's going to be life-changing," a teary-eyed Porretti said last week before setting sail, excited yet emotional about leaving behind her family, including her husband, Frank Kurz, and her dog, Elvis. "It's kind of like the unknown," added Masterson, who also joined Porretti in Paris for her 50th birthday. "It's going to be an adventure." Written Arlene Satchell. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz.</a> Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/cruising/2016/02/diary-of-a-cruise-rookie/">Diary of a cruise rookie</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/cruising/2016/02/gastro-outbreak-on-sydney-cruise-ship/">158 passengers struck with gastro on cruise ship docked in Sydney</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/cruising/2016/02/romantic-destinations-for-your-next-cruise/">10 romantic destinations for your next cruise</a>

Cruising

Study finds mirrors make junk food less appealing

Ever wished there was a way you could stop snacking on unhealthy food? Well, the mirror, mirror on the wall might be the key. A new study by the University of Central Florida has found a bizarre but real solution to binging. Researchers asked 185 students to choose between a chocolate cake or fruit salad, then eat it in a room with a mirror. Those who ate the cake in front of a mirror reported the cake was less tasty, and in turn ate less compared to those who ate it in a room without mirrors. While it might seem like a strange result, researchers believe it could offer a solution to manage binge eating. Lead researcher Ata Jami explains mirrors force us to analyse ourselves and our activities. “A glance in the mirror tells people more than just about their physical appearance. It enables them to view themselves objectively and helps them to judge themselves and their behaviours in a same way that they judge others,” he said in a statement. He believes mirrors cause us to compare ourselves against social standards. When we do something that is perceived as shameful or embarrassing, we shy away from mirrors. Therefore, overeating in a room with a mirror makes the snacker more aware of their discomfort, and effects the perceived tastiness, or reward of the food. Researchers believe their findings can easily be applied to everyday life. They suggest placing a mirror in eating areas, like a dining room or kitchen. It may well be the simple solution you need to curb your unhealthy snack habits. Related links: <a href="/health/body/2015/12/7-common-lies-about-fat/">7 common lies about fat</a> <a href="/health/body/2015/12/bloating-food/">The best and worst foods for bloating</a> <a href="/health/body/2015/11/what-your-food-cravings-mean/">What your body’s cravings really mean</a>

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The universal appeal of Uluru

Longer world cruises gaining appeal with travellers

Study finds mirrors make junk food less appealing