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Rare coin hidden for decades to fetch eye-watering sum

<p>Three sisters from the US who inherited a dime coin kept it in a bank vault for more than 40 years, and while they know it had some value, they didn't know just how much until a few years ago. </p> <p>The rare coin, struck by the US Mint in San Francisco in 1975, could be worth more than $US500,000 ($748,000), according to Ian Russell, president of GreatCollections, the auction house selling the coin. </p> <p>What makes the coin depicting President Franklin D. Roosevelt so valuable is that it is just one of two coins missing the "S" mint mark for San Francisco. </p> <p>The other dime sold for  $US682,000 (over $1 million) at a 2019 auction and then again months later to a private collector. </p> <p>While avid coin collectors have known about the existence of these two extraordinarily rare coins, their whereabouts had remained a mystery since the late 1970s. </p> <p>“They were hidden for decades,” Russell said.</p> <p>“Most major collectors and dealers have never seen one.”</p> <p>The three sisters from Ohio, who want to remain anonymous,  inherited one of the two dimes after the recent death of their of their brother, Russell said. </p> <p>They told Russell that their brother and mother bought the first error coin discovered in 1978 for $27,225, which would amount to roughly $135,000 today.</p> <p>Their parents, who ran a dairy farm, saw the coin as a financial safety net, and it was only until last year that one of the sisters saw the coin first-hand. </p> <p>Russell also said that their brother had reached out to him about seven years ago and told him about the coin, but he too kept it a secret. </p> <p>When Russell told one of the sisters about the potential value of the coin, she told him: “is that really possible?”. </p> <p>The coin, known as the “1975 ‘no S’ proof dime,” will be displayed at a coin show beginning on Wednesday in Tampa, Florida, and before <a href="https://www.greatcollections.com/Coin/1655587" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the auction</a> closes late next month, Russell said.</p> <p>The current highest bidder has offered $US250,000 ($374,000).</p> <p><em>Images: Great Collections/ Professional Coin Grading Services</em></p>

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Mariah Carey slapped with multi-million dollar lawsuit over hit festive song

<p dir="ltr">Mariah Carey is facing a multi-million dollar lawsuit over her hit festive song, as another musician has come forward claiming she plagiarised an original work.</p> <p dir="ltr">Carey’s song <em>All I Want For Christmas Is You</em> has long been a staple of December, and has sold over 10 million copies since its 1994 release. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, Andy Stone, lead vocalist of Vince Vance and the Valiants, claims Carey infringed on his copyright. </p> <p dir="ltr">Stone co-wrote a song, which has the same title as Carey’s smash hit, in 1989 to which he claims Carey and her team of copying his song’s “compositional structure,” according to the complaint obtained by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/mariah-carey-facing-20-million-lawsuit-over-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-you" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News Digital</a>.</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w8HWHd0EYJA?si=IdW0GIKXEQBJqaO_" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">The court documents state that Carey “directly” copied lyrics from Stone’s 1989 hit and “approximately 50 per cent” of the song is copyright infringement.</p> <p dir="ltr">Stone went on to claim that Carey and her team “undoubtedly” had access to his version of <em>All I Want For Christmas is You</em> due to its “wide commercial and cultural success.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Stone’s track charted on Billboard for years, with the band even performing the track at the White House in 1994 - the same year Carey’s festive song was released. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Carey has capitalised on the success of her infringing work,” Stone’s complaint alleged. </p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yXQViqx6GMY?si=Exrq9M0AA2u5XRpB" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">“<em>All I Want For Christmas is You</em> has become a ubiquitous part of popular culture, and Carey’s name has become synonymous with the season.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Stone first sued Carey over the copyright issue in June 2022 in a Louisiana court before dropping the claim five months later. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Bees have appeared on coins for millennia, hinting at an age-old link between sweetness and value

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/adrian-dyer-387798">Adrian Dyer</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em></p> <p>In 2022, the Royal Australian Mint issued a $2 coin decorated with honeybees. Around 2,400 years earlier, a mint in the kingdom of Macedon had the same idea, creating a silver obol coin with a bee stamped on one side.</p> <p>Over the centuries between these two events, currency demonstrating a symbolic link between honey and money is surprisingly common.</p> <p>In a recent study in <a href="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/assets.mmxgroup.com.au/ACR/Bee+Article.pdf">Australian Coin Review</a>, I trace the bee through numismatic history – and suggest a scientific reason why our brains might naturally draw a connection between the melliferous insects and the abstract idea of value.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536400/original/file-20230709-15-2u5ywn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536400/original/file-20230709-15-2u5ywn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536400/original/file-20230709-15-2u5ywn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536400/original/file-20230709-15-2u5ywn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536400/original/file-20230709-15-2u5ywn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536400/original/file-20230709-15-2u5ywn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536400/original/file-20230709-15-2u5ywn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A Royal Australian Mint 2022 two-dollar coin representing 200 years since the introduction of the honeybee to Australia.</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>What is currency and why is it important?</h2> <p>Money is a store of value, and can act as a medium of exchange for goods or services. Currency is a physical manifestation of money, so coins are a durable representation of value.</p> <p>Coins have had central role in many communities to enable efficient trade since ancient times. Their durability makes them important time capsules.</p> <p>Ancient Malta was famous for its honey. The modern 3 Mils coin (<a href="https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces1775.html">1972-81</a>) celebrates this history with images of a bee and honeycomb. According to the information card issued with the coin set,</p> <blockquote> <p>A bee and honeycomb are shown on the 3 Mils coin, symbolising the fact that honey was used as currency in Ancient Malta.</p> </blockquote> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536403/original/file-20230709-23-drk2lj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536403/original/file-20230709-23-drk2lj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=582&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536403/original/file-20230709-23-drk2lj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=582&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536403/original/file-20230709-23-drk2lj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=582&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536403/original/file-20230709-23-drk2lj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=732&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536403/original/file-20230709-23-drk2lj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=732&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536403/original/file-20230709-23-drk2lj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=732&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A circulating 3 Mils coin from Malta showing a honeybee on honeycomb.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>In ancient Greece, bees were used on some of the earliest coins made in Europe. A silver Greek obol coin minted in Macedon between 412 BCE and 350 BCE, now housed in the British Museum, shows a bee on one side of the coin.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536411/original/file-20230709-182252-v4evxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536411/original/file-20230709-182252-v4evxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=293&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536411/original/file-20230709-182252-v4evxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=293&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536411/original/file-20230709-182252-v4evxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=293&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536411/original/file-20230709-182252-v4evxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=368&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536411/original/file-20230709-182252-v4evxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=368&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536411/original/file-20230709-182252-v4evxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=368&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">An ancient obol from Macedon, dated between 412 BCE and 350 BCE, shows a bee one side.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>Bees also feature on coins minted elsewhere in the ancient Greek world, such as a bronze coin minted in Ephesus dated between 202 BCE and 133 BCE.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536407/original/file-20230709-27-a2jvo3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536407/original/file-20230709-27-a2jvo3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=546&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536407/original/file-20230709-27-a2jvo3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=546&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536407/original/file-20230709-27-a2jvo3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=546&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536407/original/file-20230709-27-a2jvo3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=686&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536407/original/file-20230709-27-a2jvo3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=686&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536407/original/file-20230709-27-a2jvo3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=686&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A bronze coin minted in Ephesus, dated between 202BCE and 133BCE, featuring a honeybee.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>The use of bees on ancient coins extended for many centuries including widely circulated bronze coins, and new varieties <a href="https://coinweek.com/bee-all-that-you-can-bee-honeybees-on-ancient-coins/">continue to be discovered</a>.</p> <h2>Why we might like bees on coins</h2> <p>Why have bees appeared so often on coins? One approach to this question comes from the field of neuro-aesthetics, which seeks to understand our tastes by understanding the basic brain processes that underpin aesthetic appreciation.</p> <p>From this perspective, it seems likely the sweet taste of honey – which indicates the large amount of sugar it delivers – promotes positive neural activity <a href="https://brill.com/view/journals/artp/10/1/article-p1_2.xml">associated with bees and honey</a>.</p> <p>Indeed, primatologist Jane Goodall once proposed that obtaining high-calorie nutrition from bee honey may have been <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0066185668800032">an important step</a> in the cognitive development of primates.</p> <p>Our brain may thus be pre-adapted to liking bees due to their association with the sweet taste of honey. Early usage of bees on coins may have been a functional illustration of the link between a known value (honey) and a new form of currency: coins as money.</p> <h2>The bee on modern coins</h2> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536393/original/file-20230709-17-jywq3f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536393/original/file-20230709-17-jywq3f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=588&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536393/original/file-20230709-17-jywq3f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=588&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536393/original/file-20230709-17-jywq3f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=588&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536393/original/file-20230709-17-jywq3f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=738&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536393/original/file-20230709-17-jywq3f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=738&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536393/original/file-20230709-17-jywq3f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=738&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A 1920 Italian bronze ten-centesimi coin featuring featuring an Italian honeybee on a flower.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>The use of bees as a design feature has persisted from ancient to modern times. A honeybee visiting a flower is shown on a series of ten-centesimi bronze coins issued in Italy from <a href="https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces1960.html">1919 to 1937</a>.</p> <p>(As an aside, the world’s last stock of pure Italian honeybees is found in Australia, on Kangaroo Island, which was declared a sanctuary for Ligurian bees by an <a href="https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/home/historical-numbered-as-made-acts/1885/0342-Lingurian-Bees-Act-No-342-of-48-and-49-Vic,-1885.pdf">act of parliament</a> in 1885.)</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536416/original/file-20230709-15-60yst8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536416/original/file-20230709-15-60yst8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=586&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536416/original/file-20230709-15-60yst8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=586&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536416/original/file-20230709-15-60yst8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=586&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536416/original/file-20230709-15-60yst8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=737&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536416/original/file-20230709-15-60yst8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=737&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536416/original/file-20230709-15-60yst8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=737&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A coin from Tonga showing 20 honeybees emerging from a hive.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>More recently, a 20-seniti coin from the Pacific nation of Tonga shows 20 honeybees flying out of a hive. This coin was part of a series initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to promote sustainable agricultural and cultural development around the world.</p> <p>Bees are relevant here because their pollinating efforts contribute to about one-third of the food required to feed the world, with a value in excess of <a href="https://zenodo.org/record/2616458">US$200 billion per year</a>, and they are threatened by climate change and other environmental factors.</p> <h2>Bees on coins, today and tomorrow</h2> <p>Public awareness of bees and environmental sustainability may well be factors in the current interest in bee coins. The diversity of countries using bees as a design feature over the entire history of coins suggests people have valued the relationship with bees as essential to our own prosperity for a long time.</p> <p>In Australia, the 2022 honeybee $2 coin is part of a series developed by the <a href="https://www.ramint.gov.au/about-mint">Royal Australian Mint</a>. In 2019, the Perth Mint in Western Australia also released coins and stamps celebrating native bees.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536405/original/file-20230709-15-iditcb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536405/original/file-20230709-15-iditcb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=373&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536405/original/file-20230709-15-iditcb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=373&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536405/original/file-20230709-15-iditcb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=373&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536405/original/file-20230709-15-iditcb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=469&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536405/original/file-20230709-15-iditcb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=469&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536405/original/file-20230709-15-iditcb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=469&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Australian native bee coin and stamps released in 2019 by the Perth Mint.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>Despite the decline of cash, bee coins still appear to be going strong. The buzzing companions of human society are likely to be an important subject for coin design for as long as coins continue to be used.<!-- 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;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208912/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><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/adrian-dyer-387798">Adrian Dyer</a>, Associate Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Australian Royal Mint / NZ Post Collectables</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/bees-have-appeared-on-coins-for-millennia-hinting-at-an-age-old-link-between-sweetness-and-value-208912">original article</a>.</em></p>

Money & Banking

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The Devil Wears Prada iconic townhouse up for grabs

<p dir="ltr">This multi million-dollar house is nothing short of iconic.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Upper East Side townhouse where fictional magazine editor Miranda Priestly resided in David Frankel’s groundbreaking film The Devil Wears Prada has hit the market.</p> <p dir="ltr">Unsurprisingly, the home of the glamorous Runway editor-in-chief, rumoured to be based on Vogue’s Anna Wintour is priced at an eye-watering $40 million. </p> <p dir="ltr">Fans of the beloved 2006 film are sure to recognise the seven-bedroom, six-level home’s grand entrance and spiral staircase as Anne Hathaway’s character Andrea Sachs delivered a mock-up of Runway magazines to Meryl Streep’s character, Priestly in the film. </p> <p dir="ltr">But the infamous staircase also appears on the set of another fictional Upper East Side world.</p> <p dir="ltr">The stairwell briefly appears in the teen drama Gossip Girl’s final episode, for the wedding of Penn Badgley's character Dan and Blake Lively's Serena.</p> <p dir="ltr">Modlin Group boss Adam D. Modlin holds the listing for the neo-Italian renaissance-style limestone and marble townhouse, which last sold in 2003 for $8.8 million.</p> <p dir="ltr">The home was originally built in 1907 by architect Stanford White and was renovated in 2005 with a tasteful interior design by Diamond Barrata.</p> <p dir="ltr">The top floor of the breathtaking abode includes a custom-built basketball court, as well as a terrace with a spa.</p> <p dir="ltr">Adding to the 129 East 73rd St home’s A-list status, it’s just across the road from American journalist and political activist Gloria Steinem’s NYC pad.<span id="docs-internal-guid-94252d77-7fff-d9d4-58a6-3cd7cc758958"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Instagram/Realestate.com.au</em></p>

Movies

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Million dollar baby! Video of newborn covered in money sparks outrage

<p>The bizarre moment a new father covered his newborn child in $100 bills has gone viral, sending social media into a frenzy over the strange act. </p> <p>The video shows a sleeping newborn in a crib in a hospital's nursery, while an adult covers the baby boy in $100 bills. </p> <p>Despite a blanket covering the baby's body, many were quick to point out just how many germs and bacteria live on cash notes, with many worried about the child picking up an infection from the dirty money. </p> <p>According to <a href="https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1914560_1914558_1914544,00.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">TIME</a>, paper money can reportedly carry more germs than a household toilet - and hundreds of species of microorganisms can live on the cash for days. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Man covers his new born baby with hundreds 😳 <a href="https://t.co/AFEYajIY6N">pic.twitter.com/AFEYajIY6N</a></p> <p>— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyLoud/status/1650660162930196485?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>People took to Twitter to show their outrage at the germs, with one person saying, "Bro just created a bacteria blanket for a newborn."</p> <p>Another shared the same sentiment, writing, "Unless those are brand new bills straight from the bank, he just covered his baby in a blanket of germs."</p> <p>Another person said, "Very very unhygienic I hope baby doesn't get sick..." while a fourth added, "Money is full of pathogens, I wouldn't compromise the baby's health."</p> <p>Others cut the happy parent some slack, saying it was a strange decision to shower the baby with money, but said they could understand the person's excitement over the bundle of joy. </p> <p>One person said, "Probably a proud first-time father and isn't thinking about how ridiculous this is. Down the line he'll show his baby the picture and they'll have a good laugh out of it."</p> <p>Another wrote, "An unusual way to wish prosperity to the newborn but again different stroke for different folks!"</p> <p><em>Image credits: Twitter</em></p>

Family & Pets

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When’s the best time to use frequent flyer miles to book flights? Two economists crunched the numbers on maximizing their dollar value

<p>Traveling during major holidays like Thanksgiving can be expensive, since so many people want to see their friends and families, wherever they might be.</p> <p>It’s especially hard this year with <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CPIAUCSL">inflation soaring</a> at the fastest pace since the early 1980s. Airline fares <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CUSR0000SETG01#0">were up 43% in October</a> from a year earlier – only a <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.t02.htm">handful of categories increased by more</a>.</p> <p>One way to ease the blow to your wallet or purse is by using frequent flyer miles. While there’s <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/2733384">quite a bit</a> of research on when is the <a href="https://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/215872">best time to use cash</a> to buy flights, <a href="https://www.bu.edu/questrom/profile/huseyin-karaca/">we wondered</a> – as travel lovers – if there’s an optimal time to use miles. So with the help of <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HikpvLqt_M8OfXrCXta4rm76Z_JreLJt/view">our research assistant</a>, we investigated this question, with a focus on flights over the Thanksgiving holiday.</p> <h2>Americans return to the skies</h2> <p>The day before Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days to travel in the U.S.</p> <p>Before the COVID-19 pandemic upended travel, the Transportation Security Administration <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput">screened 2.6 million people</a> on Thanksgiving eve of 2019, just shy of the 2.9 million record. While the number plunged in 2020 as demand dropped, it picked up to 2.3 million last year and <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/this-thanksgiving-is-expected-to-be-one-of-the-busiest-for-travel-in-decades-11668532148">is expected to return</a> to pre-COVID-19 levels this year.</p> <p>The surge in demand, along with significantly higher jet fuel costs, are key factors in leading to more expensive air fares.</p> <p>To offset these higher costs, <a href="https://newsroom.wf.com/English/news-releases/news-release-details/2022/New-Study-Americans-Lean-Into-Credit-Card-Rewards-to-Offset-Rising-Costs--Including-Travel/default.aspx">many consumers</a> may turn to frequent flyer miles – whether accumulated from other travel or from credit cards – to avoid forking over so much cash.</p> <h2>Frequent flying 101</h2> <p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10253866.2015.1096095">Frequent flyer mile programs started</a> in the late 1970s after the <a href="https://www.faa.gov/about/history/brief_history">federal government stopped regulating</a> airfares. Before the change, fares, routes and schedules for all domestic flights were set by the federal Civil Aeronautics Board.</p> <p>Besides slashing fares, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Travel/airline-frequent-flyer-miles-30-years/story?id=13616082">airlines reacted by creating frequent flyer programs</a>. Texas International Airlines, which ultimately merged with United, and Western Airlines, which later joined Delta, were among the first to institute frequent flyer programs.</p> <p>In a particular airline’s frequent flyer program, you earn miles when you fly with that airline. Many people get miles by using their credit cards as well. These accumulated miles can then be redeemed for free air travel.</p> <p>Frequent flyer programs were designed to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/02634509810199535">build customer loyalty</a>, as they provide a rebate to regular passengers. They are also <a href="https://hbr.org/1995/05/do-rewards-really-create-loyalty">meant to lock travelers</a> into a particular airline – since they have a strong incentive to only fly with that carrier.</p> <p>One downside is that many business flyers go out of their way to use their preferred airline, <a href="https://www.informs.org/About-INFORMS/News-Room/Press-Releases/Study-Finds-that-Frequent-Flyer-Programs-Increase-Cost-of-Business-Travel">which boosts their company’s travel costs</a>.</p> <p>And although airlines use frequent flyer programs to increase customer goodwill, they frequently <a href="https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/united-airlines-loyalty-program-status-update">change the rules and rewards</a>, which often <a href="https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/delta-just-announced-a-change-that-will-make-people-very-mad-its-actually-a-brilliant-move.html">frustrates customers</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/2733384">Researchers have looked</a> at the <a href="https://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/215872">optimal time to buy</a> airplane <a href="https://doi.org/10.1057/s41272-019-00193-7">tickets</a> with cash. In general, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2022/08/31/best-time-to-book-a-cheap-flight/?sh=23fdd1e72ebc">they have found prices</a> tend to dip anywhere from two months to three weeks before the travel dates. Prices are highest for those who want to book their flights very early, to lock it in, and last-minute travelers booking just before their departure dates.</p> <h2>How frequent flyer miles compare</h2> <p>To see when’s the best time to book with miles, we looked at <a href="https://www.oag.com/busiest-routes-right-now">one of the busiest routes in the U.S.</a> – New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX). Each month, airlines have over a quarter of a million seats flying direct on that route. There are about 30 nonstop flights a day, run by <a href="https://www.aa.com/en-us/flights-from-new-york-to-los-angeles">three</a> <a href="https://www.delta.com/us/en/flight-deals/united-states-flights/flights-to-los-angeles">different</a> <a href="https://www.jetblue.com/destinations/los-angeles-california-flights">airlines</a>.</p> <p>Starting about three months before Thanksgiving, we collected weekly data from the online booking sites of these three airlines. We tracked the frequent flyer miles needed as well as the price for every coach flight scheduled to take place within one week of Thanksgiving.</p> <p>As miles are not interchangeable between airlines in general, we needed an alternative measure for more direct comparison between different airlines. So we calculated how much a frequent flyer mile is worth by dividing the number of frequent flyer miles needed by the ticket price. We then compared the dollar worth of 1,000 miles, depending on the airline, when the booking was made and the flight date.</p> <p><a href="http://businessmacroeconomics.com/">Economic theory</a> tells us that when there is lots of competition and the product is almost identical, competition should result in all businesses charging roughly the same price.</p> <p>That wasn’t what we found.</p> <p>In mid-October, Delta was asking 69,000 miles to fly the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. American Airlines was only asking 33,000 miles for roughly the same flight. This means if you have a <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/select/best-travel-credit-cards/">general travel rewards credit card</a> that lets you use miles on different airlines, it pays to shop around.</p> <p>Just because an airline has a high price in miles doesn’t mean the price will not come down. At the start of November, Delta wanted 69,000 miles to fly at dinnertime on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. A week later the airline cut the price to 53,000 miles. A week after that, it was down to 36,500 miles, a price drop of almost 50% in two weeks.</p> <p>While in general the earlier you book, the better, booking too early can cost you. We found the best time to spend your frequent flyer miles for Thanksgiving travel was to book during the first week of October, which was about eight weeks out. In early October, 1,000 frequent flyer miles were worth over $14 in airfare. The last week of October, about four weeks before Thanksgiving, those same miles were only worth shy of $12.</p> <h2>The best day to fly</h2> <p>As for what is the best day on which to travel to get the most from your miles, there are two answers. On the Monday before Thanksgiving, your miles are typically worth the most, on average $15 per 1,000 miles. This is in sharp contrast to $11 for the day before Thanksgiving. However, flying Thanksgiving Day itself had required the lowest average number of miles, about 27,000 miles.</p> <p>If you haven’t booked flights yet, you may be too late to find the best value in frequent flyer miles. However, while we are still gathering and analyzing data, these tips look like they will hold up for future holidays.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/whens-the-best-time-to-use-frequent-flyer-miles-to-book-flights-two-economists-crunched-the-numbers-on-maximizing-their-dollar-value-194893" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Travel Tips

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Meghan Markle's million-dollar giveaway

<p>Meghan Markle has announced a $1 million giveaway to women in need.</p> <p>The project is the first of its kind for Meghan and Prince Harry, in partnership with their Archewell Foundation and the duchess' podcast Archetypes.</p> <p>Meghan said she was inspired by the "two things" that bring her joy: "supporting women, and the spirit of giving".</p> <p>The Archewell Foundation is partnering with the Ving project, which gives young people the chance to surprise someone in need with a $1,000 cheque ($1500 AUD).</p> <p>The project was inspired by <em>Archetypes</em>, Meghan's podcast series on Spotify which explores stereotypes and labels that hold women back.</p> <p>In a statement, Meghan said, "Two things that bring me great joy are supporting women and the spirit of giving."</p> <p>"With the return of <em>Archetypes</em>, Archewell Foundation and VING have come together to create the perfect combination of these loves."</p> <p>"By donating $1 million in grants to women in need, our hope is not to only provide support where it may be felt deepest, but also empower young adults to embrace the gift of giving at an early age."</p> <p>"I'm very proud of this partnership and the good we hope to see come from it."</p> <p>Teenagers aged between the age of 14 and 18 are being urged to nominate a woman in their life who has inspired them and defied life's hardships, and explain the reasons behind their nomination.</p> <p>Nominees must be adult US residents, non-extended or immediate family members and in need of financial assistance to be eligible for the cash prize.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

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7th century gold coins found hidden in wall

<p dir="ltr">A collection of coins have been found concealed in a wall at a nature reserve in what has been described as an "extremely significant archaeological find".</p> <p dir="ltr">During an excavation at the Hermon Stream (Banias) in Israel, archaeologists found 44 gold coins dating back to the 7th century.</p> <p dir="ltr">Weighing in at about 170g, experts estimate that the hoard was hidden during the Muslim conquest in 635 CE.</p> <p dir="ltr">They say the discovery sheds light on this significant moment in history which saw the end of the Byzantine rule in the area.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We can imagine the owner concealing his fortune in the threat of war, hoping to return one day to retrieve his property," Yoav Lerer, the director of the excavation, told the <em><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-63122180" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a></em>.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e2de019e-7fff-f560-1b33-b05e0737cf0b"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">"In retrospect, we know that he was less fortunate."</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/ancient-coins1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr">Numismatic (currency) expert Dr Gabriela Bijovsky of the Israel Antiquities Authority said some of the coins were minted by Emperor Phocas (602-610 CE), while the majority were of his successor, Emperor Heraclius, with the latest coins the latter minted dating back to 635 CE.</p> <p dir="ltr">Eli Escusido, the director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said it was a significant find and that the public could soon see the coins for themselves.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The coin hoard is an extremely significant archaeological find as it dates back to an important transitional period in the history of the city of Banias and the entire region of the Levant," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The Israel Antiquities Authority, together with the National Parks Authority, will work together to exhibit the treasure to the public."</p> <p dir="ltr">Along with the coins, Israeli authorities said the excavation also uncovered remains of buildings and bronze coins, as well as water channels and pipes.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-1fc84529-7fff-21de-638e-0c0babadf54e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Israel Antiquities Authority (Facebook)</em></p>

Money & Banking

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King Charles III's new coin effigy finally unveiled

<p>The first coins to feature the effigy of King Charles III have been unveiled.</p> <p>The Royal Mint in the UK released the first look at the official effigy of the new monarch on Friday, announcing the coins will start to circulate in the coming months.</p> <p>The design was personally approved by the King himself and was sculpted by Martin Jennings. It will appear on commemorative 50 pence pieces and on the five pound note.</p> <p>Chief executive officer of The Royal Mint, Anne Jessopp said they were honoured to keep the effigy tradition going for more than 1000 years.</p> <p>“The Royal Mint has been trusted to make coins bearing the monarch’s effigy for over 1,100 years and we are proud to continue this tradition into the reign of King Charles III. Although technology has progressed, we continue to honour British craftsmanship passed down through the centuries,” Ms Jessopp said.</p> <p>“Her Late Majesty ruled with heart and devotion for 70 years, and this memorial collection commemorates her remarkable legacy as Britain’s longest-serving monarch.</p> <p>"To ensure everyone can hold a piece of history in their hand, the 50p will also enter circulation in the UK.”</p> <p><em>Read more: The Royal Mint</em></p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"> </p>

Money & Banking

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Genius idea for leftover foreign coins

<p>Anyone who’s travelled knows how annoying it is to come home with a handful of foreign change.  But it seems as though there’s a solution.</p> <p>An Irish company called <a href="http://www.coindrum.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Coindrum</span></em></strong></a> is hoping to get rid of this lose change by creating a service that will collect this money at airports, where it can be exchanges for vouchers.</p> <p>The vouchers can then be spent at the airport.</p> <p>Coindrum has been successfully trialled at Dublin Airport, with some passengers reportedly depositing up to €300 in coins when taking advantage of the new service.</p> <p>The great advantage is Coindrum not only gives you the full value of the coins you deposit, but throws in a bonus 10 per cent on top, which is a significant mark up!</p> <p>The idea has proven popular not just with visitors who are heading back to countries where they’ve been using different currencies, but also with locals looking to offload their own euro coins.</p> <p>Based on the initial success Coindrum has plants to expand to major airports around the world, and has secured quite a sizeable $US 2 million in its latest round of funding.</p> <p>Coindrum chief executive Lukas Decker told Lonely Planet, “Travellers are currently getting stuck with their leftover coins when they are departing the currency area, so Coindrum offers a simple solution to this inconvenience. Instead of your change turning into dead weight, you get to buy something you love with it. Coindrum should and will be in every international hub airport worldwide as it offers a simple solution to a common problem.”</p> <p>Not only did Coindrum significantly boost shopping levels at Dublin Airport, it also cut down on pedestrian traffic with people spending less time fumbling around with coins at security checks.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p> <p> </p>

Travel Tips

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Incredible teenage boy cracks coded coin in hours, but he isn’t the first

<p dir="ltr">Within hours of its release to the general public, a 14-year-old boy had cracked the codes hidden on <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/coins-covered-in-coded-clues-will-test-your-spy-skills" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a coin released by an Australian intelligence agency</a> - but some had solved them days earlier, due to an unusual legal rule.</p> <p dir="ltr">A 50-cent coin celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) was released last Thursday containing four levels of codes with hidden messages.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, the puzzles were already being discussed online ten days earlier, with some codes already being solved by August 20.</p> <p dir="ltr">This was due to requirements on the Australian Government to include the characters featured on the coin in legislation, available online, before the coin was made available to purchase on September 1.</p> <p dir="ltr">As well as a celebration of the agency’s history, it’s hoped the coin will act as a kind of recruitment drive and attempt to raise the profile of the ASD among the general public, with the agency planning to recruit another 1,900 people over the next decade as part of a $9.9 billion expansion. </p> <p dir="ltr">Dr Richard Bean, a research fellow at the University of Queensland who solved the coin’s puzzles within two hours of getting his hands on it, said the move was about attracting those interested in a career with the ASD.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The kind of people who would sit down and solve this kind of code on the coin, they're the kind of people the ASD wants to attract — innovative thinkers to solve difficult problems in cryptography in both an offensive and defensive sense," Dr Bean said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"So solving other nation's codes and protecting Australian government communications security.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's about attracting the right candidates and putting the ASD in their mind, instead of having to go out in traditional recruitment channels."</p> <p dir="ltr">But let’s go back to our teenage whiz kid.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though the Tasmanian boy’s identity hasn’t been revealed, it’s clear he has talent and instinct according to Distinguished Professor Willy Susilo, who also directs the Institute of Cybersecurity and Cryptology at the University of Wollongong.</p> <p dir="ltr">“[What] is very important is actually not about whether you can crack the code or not, [what] is important is the thinking behind it, how to solve this kind of puzzle,” he told the <em><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-05/how-to-solve-spy-australian-signals-directorate-50-cent-coin/101405266" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“To me, I think to get a person who, especially in this case, is 14 years old, can crack the code within just one or two hours is actually incredible in my opinion.</p> <p dir="ltr">"That really is the kind of skill needed in the Australian Signals Directorate." </p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3c09a93f-7fff-0213-b8af-6fb92c5ceeed"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: ASD</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Woman shares why she planned to sue after winning multi-million dollar jackpot

<p dir="ltr">A UK woman who won over a million dollars through the lottery has described it as a “twisted fairytale” rather than a dream come true.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jane Park, who won the £1 million Euromillions lottery in 2013, said winning big isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, revealing that she has been blackmailed and threatened with violence ever since, per <em><a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/19570621/jane-park-lottery-pleas-money-strangers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The lottery should come with a health warning similar to smoking or drinking,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I understand they can’t make winning sound awful but they have a responsibility to not mislead the public.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After threatening to sue Camelot, the company that sold her the fateful ticket when she was just 17, prompted changes preventing those under 18 from having a gamble, she said the change doesn’t go far enough.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Park also wants ads for the game to be aired later at night - rather than during time slots that kids will be watching - and thinks that Lotto chiefs shouldn’t wait until someone wins to warn players of what’s in store.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The adverts should be aired later in the evening and advertising should be out of the way from children,” she said,</p> <p dir="ltr">“It sounds silly but children dream of either being famous or winning the lottery, and if it wasn’t so glamorised maybe there would be more ambition rather than gambling.</p> <p dir="ltr">“People always refer to the lottery as ‘playing the lottery’, but it’s not ‘playing’, it’s just plain gambling, apart from picking some number there is no game element to it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“How it wasn’t held to the same legislation as gambling from the beginning baffles me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Park revealed that she is bombarded with pleas for help in the form of cash from strangers and that she’s even proposed to on a weekly basis.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It may be parents with terminally-ill children or needing life-changing surgery. Uni students want me to pay for their education,” she explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I also get a lot of marriage proposals, I’d say I get at least one a week. It’s not from anyone interested in me, it’s from people interested in the money.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The Edinburgh native has previously spoken about her fight to increase the age limit, which she had planned to take to court until her cause became the subject of media attention.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was prepared to go to court to get my argument known, but the media attention it received got my point heard by the right people and I didn’t need to go that far in the end,” she explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I know that is directly because of the attention I brought to the subject.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Part one of my mission was to have the age range increased, part two is to try and make advertising the lottery more truthful.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She added that it’s “wrong” that the lotto is glamorised as “dream come true money”, when in reality she described it more as a “twisted fairytale” where strangers ask about her bank balance daily.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m proud that I have invested my money wisely and nine years later I’m still living a good life,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It just feels like people are waiting for the day I become broke and homeless, but I won’t let that happen.”</p> <p dir="ltr">A spokesperson for the Department of Media Culture and Sport said the law was changed so that only those over the age of 18 could take part in the National Lottery, up from the previous minimum age of 16.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The National Lottery is regulated by the Gambling Commission and we will not hesitate to act further if we consider it necessary,” they said.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ecf45aca-7fff-7df7-9cbc-ec78fdfc4615"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @janeparkx (Instagram)</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Alleged multi-million dollar Picasso found during drug raid

<p dir="ltr">Authorities in Iraq claim to have unearthed an original Picasso painting “worth millions of dollars” during a routine drug raid in the Diyala, a central province east of Baghdad.</p> <p dir="ltr">The alleged Picasso was in the possession of three suspects who were arrested for their alleged involvement in the trade and transport of narcotics, authorities said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A painting belonging to the international painter Picasso was seized in their possession,” the director of the anti-narcotics media office, Colonel Bilal Sobhi, said in a statement to the Iraqi News Agency.</p> <p dir="ltr">Images of the artwork and details of its condition have not been disclosed, and according to the National, the painting has yet to be authenticated. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Iraqi Ministry of Interior has also yet to share if any other notable artworks or cultural artefacts were discovered during the raids.</p> <p dir="ltr">Colonel Sobhi said that the raid was part of a larger country-wide crackdown on the illicit drug trade that began earlier this year. </p> <p dir="ltr">Since the operation began, authorities claim they have arrested 1,300 suspects and seized “44kg of narcotic substances” as well as “37kg of stimulants, including crystal”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Art

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Million-dollar home sold with squatter living in the basement

<p dir="ltr">A house in the US state of Virginia has sold for way above the asking price, despite coming with a stranger living in the basement. </p> <p dir="ltr">According to public records, the five-bedroom, four-bathroom house sold for $A1.1m ($US805,000) to an unnamed buyer on April 15th. </p> <p dir="ltr">The <a href="https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3709-Prado-Pl-Fairfax-VA-22031/51836844_zpid/">online listing</a> quickly went viral, after it noted that putting an offer in on the home required  “an acknowledgement that home will convey with a person(s) living in lower level with no lease in place.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“NO ACCESS to see lower level,” the listing added.</p> <p dir="ltr">Just days after the home was listed, an Instagram account called Zillow Gone Wild posted about the bizarre listing, noting that it came with “a specific clause in the purchase price”. </p> <p dir="ltr">The post racked up over 35,000 likes and comments from users speculating about the identity of the basement tenant and poking fun at the unusual circumstances of the sale.</p> <p dir="ltr">“800k for 5 bd, 4 ba and your own serial killer,” a user commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Is the basement haunted? Feels like the basement is haunted,” another wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Before the sale closed, the listing agent told the <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/04/14/virginia-man-selling-home-after-squatter-refuses-to-leave/">New York Post</a> that the seller of the home was an elderly man who was sick in the hospital and had offered the basement dweller a place to stay three years ago after she cleaned his home and “convinced him that she needed a place to stay”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So he offered her the basement, but then she never left. And she does not pay rent,” Rodgers-Rickert added.</p> <p dir="ltr">The agent told the publication that the man’s family was hoping to sell the home before he died because he didn’t have a will and they didn’t have the money to hire a lawyer to work on the eviction of the “tenant”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Rodgers-Rickert declined to comment to NBC News on the circumstances of the seller or the basement dweller following the sale of the house to a new owner. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Zillow</em></p>

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Couple flip coin to see which surname they will take

<p dir="ltr">A very fair-minded couple decided that they would flip a coin in the middle of their wedding ceremony in order to see whose surname they would take on.</p> <p dir="ltr">Pearl Lee, 28, and Collin Hansen, 25, got married in March and it was only a few months prior to the wedding that they realised they were both the last to carry their respective family’s surnames. </p> <p dir="ltr">The pair didn’t want to argue about the decision, and so instead they decided to leave it to fate on the day of the wedding.</p> <p dir="ltr">Come the wedding ceremony, the celebrant duly flipped a coin …. hailing Collin as the very lucky winner, and officially making them Mr and Mrs Hansen. </p> <p dir="ltr">A video was shared to <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@diaryofasolotraveler/video/7079776982254226734" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> showing the coin flip, with many sharing their own experiences when it came to taking a surname. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I know a couple whose families had a paintball match to decide! Winning side determined the last name,” someone wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I wanted a random name but they said no. I’m Fischer, he’s Peeples. We got the green light to combine and change our names to fishpeople though,” another revealed.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My maiden name is Back, my husband is Stolhand, I wanted us to be the backhands. He said no,” another shared.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Relationships

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Million-dollar reward offered 20 years after woman disappeared

<p dir="ltr">Two decades after she disappeared, authorities have increased a reward of $1 million for information relating to the whereabouts of missing NSW woman Amber Haigh.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Haigh vanished on June 5, 2002, and was reported missing on June 19 after she didn’t return to her Kingsvale home where she lived with her six-month-old son and a married couple.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-60d548c7-7fff-8689-2430-fd8ad5e1bbf8"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">According to a statement from NSW Police, they were told the married couple dropped Ms Haigh off at Campbelltown train station on Wednesday 5, as she had planned to travel to Mt Druitt to visit her hospitalised father.</p> <p><iframe style="overflow: hidden; border: initial none initial;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fnswpoliceforce%2Fposts%2F366441632194929&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="638" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">The increase was announced by the NSW Government and NSW Police Force, in a move that has been welcomed by Ms Haigh’s family.</p> <p dir="ltr">Rosalind Wright, Ms Haigh’s mother, said she “knows in her heart she (Amber) would never have left her son” while Ms Haigh’s sister, Melissa Millar-Hodder, has urged anyone with information to come forward.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Any information would help, please contact police,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Amer had a kind, warm, loving soul. She would help anyone she can if she needed help.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Her son never got to know or grow up with his caring, loving mum.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a58e8558-7fff-a5c0-585e-4cd05fae1fc1"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“This impact this has had is feeling incomplete, feeling lost. Not knowing where she is and what happened to Amber, not even to lay her to rest, or pick up the phone or give her hugs one last time; that has been taken away from us.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/04/haigh-relatives.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Amber Haigh’s sister (left) and mother (right) shared a video message urging anyone with information to come forward. Image: NSW Police (Hightail)</em></p> <p dir="ltr">After a 2011 Coronial Inquest found Ms Haigh to be deceased as a result of homicide or other misadventure, a formal review of the case was conducted in 2020 resulted in the investigation re-commencing under Strike Force Villamar II.</p> <p dir="ltr">Detective Superintendent and Homicide Squad Commander Danny Doherty told <em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/amber-haigh-reward-of-1-million-offered-20-years-after-nsw-woman-suspiciously-disappeared/2439461c-ea78-44fc-a052-8ed3237acf85" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News </a></em>police believed Ms Haigh was met with foul play but were yet to find enough evidence to prosecute.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But, to date, we have been unable to find enough evidence to prosecute anyone over her disappearance,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Police can only expect breakthroughs in these sorts of cases with the help of the public, so please, do what is right and come forward.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Anyone with information that could assist Strike Force Villamar II investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or <a href="https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au./" target="_blank" rel="noopener">online</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-91f906c0-7fff-cf6c-7f0a-5daf7937a3de"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: NSW Police (Hightail)</em></p>

Caring

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Elderly couple turn down million-dollar offer to buy their home

<p dir="ltr">An elderly couple has had a seemingly endless amount of money thrown at them by The Augusta National Club, which hosts the annual Masters Tournament, but they have continued to refuse to sell their long-held home.</p> <p dir="ltr">Herman and Elizabeth Thacker first built their home in Augusta, Georgia, in 1959, and have watched as the homes in their neighbourhood have been bought out and turned into a free car park across from the golf club over the last 10 years, according to the <em><a href="https://nypost.com/2022/04/12/owner-of-holdout-house-on-masters-golf-course-shun-1m-offer-to-leave/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a>.</em></p> <p dir="ltr">In a 2016 interview with <a href="https://www.nj.com/golf/2016/04/masters_2016_the_house_that_au.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NJ.com</a>, the Thackers said their modest home was where they hoped to live out their final days.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We really don’t want to go”, Elizabeth said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Money ain’t everything,” Herman added.</p> <p dir="ltr">Whenever a representative from the golf club came by to make an offer, including up to $1 million offers, the pair always invited him inside.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-8b8bc719-7fff-4063-fdaa-45a86009bec1"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“He’ll come by here every so often and he’ll say, ‘Just want to let you know we’re still interested in your property’,” Herman said. “And we’ll tell him the same thing again.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/04/google-maps-georgia.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Herman and Elizabeth Thacker have lived in the home since they built it in 1953. Image: Google Maps</em></p> <p dir="ltr">For Herman, the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home he’d lived in for more than 65 years was where he took his final breaths. The golf fan passed away in 2019 at age 86.</p> <p dir="ltr">Elizabeth, his wife of 64 years, is still living in their home.</p> <p dir="ltr">Over the years, the couple raised their two children in the home, and their family has since grown to include five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren who all manage to squeeze in when they visit for the holidays.</p> <p dir="ltr">Over the last 20 years, the golf club has spent more than $200 million purchasing over 100 properties that span a whopping 270 acres, according to the <em><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/augusta-nationals-makes-a-200-million-land-grab-11554897600" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wall Street Journal</a></em>, including a smaller property the Thackers owned across the street.</p> <p dir="ltr">They eventually sold their second home to the glub for a hefty $1.2 million.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They called us over there for the first time and made us an offer,” Herman said in the 2016 interview.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I asked him: ‘Is that your bottom line?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘Well, we’ll see you then’, and we got up and walked out. It wasn’t long before he was calling back over here, wanting to know if he could talk to us again.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c9f13199-7fff-6172-3383-41414b6396b0"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: NJ.com</em></p>

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“Fairytale” chateau re-listed with million-dollar discount

<p dir="ltr">An estate dubbed Chateau Jardin Perfume has taken a price cut after being on the market since mid 2021.</p><p dir="ltr">The chateau-inspired mansion was first listed for $8 and $8.8 million, and has been <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/sassafras-vic-3787-2017057790" target="_blank" rel="noopener">relisted</a> with a price guide between $5.7 and $6.2 million.</p><p dir="ltr">Located in the town of Sassafras in Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges, the home has been renovated and filled with French chandeliers, Italian porcelain floors, custom statues, and an imported staircase.</p><p dir="ltr">The three-bedroom, three-bathroom house sits on 2600 square metres and has been described as a “fairytale”, “off-the-charts” and a “palace in the sky”.</p><p dir="ltr">Its current owners first bought the home in 2016 for $2.66 million, when it was marketed as “Beauxbatons Manor”, referencing the French wizardry school in the Harry Potter books.</p><p dir="ltr">After completing a swift, multimillion-dollar renovation, Peninsula Sotheby’s International says it has become the kind of home you’d find in the Hollywood Hills.</p><p dir="ltr">“When you look at the colouring of the decor, the splashes of pink, the outdoor furniture, which is all from LA, the Rolls-Royce in the garage, it is very Hollywood Hills, even with the aspect over Melbourne city which is typical of what you would see in LA,” agent Rob Curtain said.</p><p dir="ltr">Along with the glamourous finishings, the home features vivid colours and patterns like fuschia and leopard print throughout.</p><p dir="ltr">Originally, the interior and exterior furniture and furnishings - except the artwork - were included with the home.</p><p dir="ltr">With the relisting of the home, Mr Curtain told <em><a href="https://www.nine.com.au/property/news/fairytale-mansion-dandenong-ranges-for-sale/aef16231-7655-4cee-85a5-351dbc618f47" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Domain</a> </em>that the price would be readjusted accordingly if the prospective buyer didn’t wish to buy the fixtures and fittings - which may explain the new, reduced price.</p><p dir="ltr">Other luxe features include two separate master wings, a six-car garage, a “gold-class” theatre room with space for eight people, and an opulent cigar room.</p><p dir="ltr">The extensive renovations also saw the grounds undergo a major transformation, with the 2400-square-metre grounds undergoing extensive landscaping to create gardens filled with roses, camelias, gardenias, tulips, freesias, hyacinth, jasmine and Mexican orange blossom.</p><p dir="ltr">The fairytale atmosphere is made complete with the stunning pool featuring a mosaic tile rose on the bottom, as we</p><p dir="ltr">ll as with a series of stone paths and twinkling lights.</p><p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Domain</em></p>

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Ellen DeGeneres’ multimillion-dollar property portfolio REVEALED

<p dir="ltr">Ellen DeGeneres and her partner Portia de Rossi have a well-known passion for property, and have made a reputation as some of the most prolific buyers and sellers of South Californian homes.</p> <p dir="ltr">During DeGeneres’ 17-year run on<span> </span><em>The Ellen Show</em>, the duo have built a portfolio of properties<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://nypost.com/article/a-look-inside-all-of-ellen-degeneres-homes/" target="_blank">reportedly</a><span> </span>worth $630 million or $NZD 670 million ($USD 450 million) that has been separate from her TV earnings.</p> <p dir="ltr">Currently, DeGeneres and de Rossi own the Rancho San Leandro and Dennis Miller homes, both in Santa Barbara, California, and worth a total $90 million ($NZD 96 million).</p> <p dir="ltr">Here is a run-down of the pair’s<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/a-timeline-of-ellen-degeneres-and-portia-de-rossis-600-million-property-portfolio-1114593/" target="_blank">extensive</a><span> </span>property portfolio, past and present.</p> <p><strong>Current: Rancho San Leandro</strong></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7847122/ellen1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/62e5da2f557b4e40900739d2e958d091" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Zillow</em></p> <p dir="ltr">After initially buying the Montecito home for $US 7.2 million in 2017 and selling it for $USD 11 million a year later, the pair eventually bought it back for a whopping $AU 20 or $NZ 21 million ($US 14.3 million) - almost double what they first bought it for.</p> <p dir="ltr">The property, which dates back to the 1800s, features two homes - one of which is one of the oldest and most authentic adobe homes in California.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7847121/ellen2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/84b0747e696d437a8a1b4f1eef64d89c" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Zillow</em></p> <p dir="ltr">The adobe home has a single master bedroom with its own ensuite, as well as two bathrooms, a kitchen, breakfast room, and subterranean wine cellar.</p> <p dir="ltr">The second ‘Monterrey’ house is slightly larger with three bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms, a dining area, formal library, gym, and terrace with a fireplace.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Current: Dennis Miller’s Cape Dutch compound</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">If you thought $20 million was a lot for a house, the $AU 70 or $NZ 74 million ($US 49 million) Ellen dropped on this private compound will leave you gobsmacked.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7847120/ellen3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/72815ea69d334591bb78208ee7834462" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Slim Paley (Instagram)</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Though the number of bedrooms and bathrooms on the 4.3-acre estate is unknown due to its private listing, we do know that it features a guest house, infinity pool, pool house and a barn.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dirt.com/entertainers/performers/dennis-miller-house-montecito-1203349300/" target="_blank"><em>Dirt</em></a>, a 9,000-square-foot mansion also sits on the property, and has been built in the South African Cape Dutch architectural style.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7847119/ellen4.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c96d19fe59f24363a2bbadab4c08cce7" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Slim Paley (Instagram)</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Outside, the buildings surround a lily pond complete with fish and a rowboat, and there are walkways, organic vegetable gardens, and hidden outdoor seating areas the couple is sure to enjoy.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Sold 2021: Adam Levine’s former Beverly Hills home</strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7847118/ellen5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f0cf3d21553a40e3b66cdd6279b448a8" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Mansion Global</em></p> <p dir="ltr">DeGeneres and de Rossi sold the 1930s home, formerly belonging to popstar Adam Levine, in early 2021 for $AUD 66 or $NZD 70 million ($US 47 million).</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7847117/ellen6.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f44deb50ddb94b42899035edd8d6f414" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Mansion Global</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Despite selling it for $US 6.5 million below their initial asking price, the couple still made a tidy $US 2 million profit on the two-storey, five bedroom, five bathroom home.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Sold 2020: Ariana Grande’s English Tudor mansion</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Originally two barns built in Surrey in the 1770s and brought to the US in the 1980s, the home is a legitimate English Tudor property that the couple intended to flip for a profit.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7847116/ellen7.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ef239d4f762a44dcbf575092550a6590" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Realtor.com</em></p> <p dir="ltr">According to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/ellen-degeneres-and-portia-de-rossi-flipping-montecito-california-home-214527" target="_blank"><em>Mansion Global</em></a>, this home was the first they bought with the intention of renovating and selling without living in it.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7847115/ellen8.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c590d8ade7814bdcb0ffa55e3d4dc309" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Realtor.com</em></p> <p dir="ltr">After their handiwork was complete, the pair sold the home to Ariana Grande for $AU 9.5 million or $NZ 10.1 million ($US 6.75 million) in 2020, making a $US 3.15 million profit.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @portiaderossi (Instagram)</em></p>

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Free to good home: The house that costs zero dollars but comes with a catch

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a deal that’s almost too good to be true, a four-bedroom Sydney house is free to a good home. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But, it comes with a catch: its new owners will need to remove it from the property and find a new patch of land to transport it to.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The home, listed on Facebook and </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/cronulla/other-real-estate/house-for-removal-free-/1288343408" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gumtree</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, is sure to gain some interest as property prices continue to skyrocket across the city.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In Kirrawee in Sydney’s south, where the home is currently located, the median house price reached $1.3 million in the year ending last September, coming at an 18.2 percent increase on prices from the year prior.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In comparison, the new homeowners will only need to pay to remove the home - which can cost </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/four-bedroom-house-offered-free-with-just-one-catch-20220117-p59oru.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">around $70,000</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on top of reconnection to services and plaster setting at the new site.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Not your usual Facebook marketplace item! Free house - you only need to pay for removal and transport! How does that work out financially? Is that something anyone’s had experience with? Excuse me for being fascinated by any concept that isn’t COVID and/or Djokovic 😂 🏡 <a href="https://t.co/ugD9keuSLV">pic.twitter.com/ugD9keuSLV</a></p> — Lucy Thackray (@LucyThack) <a href="https://twitter.com/LucyThack/status/1482281605163286530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2022</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">According to the ad, which has since been shared on Twitter, the home is about 60 years old and comes with two bathrooms, two living spaces, a modern kitchen and a laundry.</p> <p dir="ltr">Homes have been known to sell without the land they stand on, with the home used as the set for<span> </span><em>The Castle</em><span> </span>selling for $40,000 at auction in 2017 as a relocatable home.</p> <p dir="ltr">In 2018, another house-only sale made headlines when it was listed for just $5,000 - a much cheaper option compared to the $25,000 it may have cost to demolish.</p> <p dir="ltr">As for the Kirrawee house, the deadline to clear the site is at the end of February, with the home able to be picked up at the start of March.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: @LucyThack (Twitter), Gumtree</em></p>

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