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

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. Carey’s song All I Want For Christmas Is You has long been a staple of December, and has sold over 10 million copies since its 1994 release. However, Andy Stone, lead vocalist of Vince Vance and the Valiants, claims Carey infringed on his copyright. 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>. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w8HWHd0EYJA?si=IdW0GIKXEQBJqaO_" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> 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. Stone went on to claim that Carey and her team “undoubtedly” had access to his version of All I Want For Christmas is You due to its “wide commercial and cultural success.” 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. “Carey has capitalised on the success of her infringing work,” Stone’s complaint alleged. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yXQViqx6GMY?si=Exrq9M0AA2u5XRpB" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> “All I Want For Christmas is You has become a ubiquitous part of popular culture, and Carey’s name has become synonymous with the season.” Stone first sued Carey over the copyright issue in June 2022 in a Louisiana court before dropping the claim five months later. Image credits: Getty Images

Legal

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

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. The video shows a sleeping newborn in a crib in a hospital's nursery, while an adult covers the baby boy in $100 bills. 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. 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. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Man covers his new born baby with hundreds 😳 <a href="https://t.co/AFEYajIY6N">pic.twitter.com/AFEYajIY6N</a> — Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyLoud/status/1650660162930196485?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2023</a></blockquote> People took to Twitter to show their outrage at the germs, with one person saying, "Bro just created a bacteria blanket for a newborn." 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." 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." 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. 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." Another wrote, "An unusual way to wish prosperity to the newborn but again different stroke for different folks!" Image credits: Twitter

Family & Pets

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

Traveling during major holidays like Thanksgiving can be expensive, since so many people want to see their friends and families, wherever they might be. 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>. 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. <h2>Americans return to the skies</h2> The day before Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days to travel in the U.S. 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. The surge in demand, along with significantly higher jet fuel costs, are key factors in leading to more expensive air fares. 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. <h2>Frequent flying 101</h2> <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. 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. 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. 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. 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>. 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>. <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. <h2>How frequent flyer miles compare</h2> 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>. 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. 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. <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. That wasn’t what we found. 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. 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. 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. <h2>The best day to fly</h2> 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. 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. Image credits: Getty Images 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>.

Travel Tips

Meghan Markle's million-dollar giveaway

Meghan Markle has announced a $1 million giveaway to women in need. The project is the first of its kind for Meghan and Prince Harry, in partnership with their Archewell Foundation and the duchess' podcast Archetypes. Meghan said she was inspired by the "two things" that bring her joy: "supporting women, and the spirit of giving". 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). The project was inspired by Archetypes, Meghan's podcast series on Spotify which explores stereotypes and labels that hold women back. In a statement, Meghan said, "Two things that bring me great joy are supporting women and the spirit of giving." "With the return of Archetypes, Archewell Foundation and VING have come together to create the perfect combination of these loves." "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." "I'm very proud of this partnership and the good we hope to see come from it." 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. 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. Image credits: Getty Images

Family & Pets

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

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. 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 <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/19570621/jane-park-lottery-pleas-money-strangers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a>. “The lottery should come with a health warning similar to smoking or drinking,” she said. “I understand they can’t make winning sound awful but they have a responsibility to not mislead the public.” 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. 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. “The adverts should be aired later in the evening and advertising should be out of the way from children,” she said, “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. “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. “How it wasn’t held to the same legislation as gambling from the beginning baffles me.” 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. “It may be parents with terminally-ill children or needing life-changing surgery. Uni students want me to pay for their education,” she explained. “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.” 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. “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. “I know that is directly because of the attention I brought to the subject. “Part one of my mission was to have the age range increased, part two is to try and make advertising the lottery more truthful.” 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. “I’m proud that I have invested my money wisely and nine years later I’m still living a good life,” she said. “It just feels like people are waiting for the day I become broke and homeless, but I won’t let that happen.” 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. “The National Lottery is regulated by the Gambling Commission and we will not hesitate to act further if we consider it necessary,” they said. Image: @janeparkx (Instagram)

Money & Banking

Alleged multi-million dollar Picasso found during drug raid

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. 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. “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. 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. The Iraqi Ministry of Interior has also yet to share if any other notable artworks or cultural artefacts were discovered during the raids. Colonel Sobhi said that the raid was part of a larger country-wide crackdown on the illicit drug trade that began earlier this year. 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”. Image credits: Getty Images

Art

Million-dollar home sold with squatter living in the basement

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. According to public records, the five-bedroom, four-bathroom house sold for $A1.1m ($US805,000) to an unnamed buyer on April 15th. 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.” “NO ACCESS to see lower level,” the listing added. 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”. 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. “800k for 5 bd, 4 ba and your own serial killer,” a user commented. “Is the basement haunted? Feels like the basement is haunted,” another wrote. 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”. “So he offered her the basement, but then she never left. And she does not pay rent,” Rodgers-Rickert added. 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”. 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. Image credits: Zillow

Real Estate

Million-dollar reward offered 20 years after woman disappeared

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. 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. 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. <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&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="638" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> The increase was announced by the NSW Government and NSW Police Force, in a move that has been welcomed by Ms Haigh’s family. 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. “Any information would help, please contact police,” she said. “Amer had a kind, warm, loving soul. She would help anyone she can if she needed help. “Her son never got to know or grow up with his caring, loving mum. “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.” <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/04/haigh-relatives.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Amber Haigh’s sister (left) and mother (right) shared a video message urging anyone with information to come forward. Image: NSW Police (Hightail) 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. Detective Superintendent and Homicide Squad Commander Danny Doherty told <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>police believed Ms Haigh was met with foul play but were yet to find enough evidence to prosecute. “But, to date, we have been unable to find enough evidence to prosecute anyone over her disappearance,” he said. “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.” 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>. Image: NSW Police (Hightail)

Caring

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

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. 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 <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>. 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. “We really don’t want to go”, Elizabeth said. “Money ain’t everything,” Herman added. 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. “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.” <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/04/google-maps-georgia.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Herman and Elizabeth Thacker have lived in the home since they built it in 1953. Image: Google Maps 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. Elizabeth, his wife of 64 years, is still living in their home. 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. 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 <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/augusta-nationals-makes-a-200-million-land-grab-11554897600" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wall Street Journal</a>, including a smaller property the Thackers owned across the street. They eventually sold their second home to the glub for a hefty $1.2 million. “They called us over there for the first time and made us an offer,” Herman said in the 2016 interview. “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.” Image: NJ.com

Real Estate

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

An estate dubbed Chateau Jardin Perfume has taken a price cut after being on the market since mid 2021.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.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.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”.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.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.“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.Along with the glamourous finishings, the home features vivid colours and patterns like fuschia and leopard print throughout.Originally, the interior and exterior furniture and furnishings - except the artwork - were included with the home.With the relisting of the home, Mr Curtain told <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> 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.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.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.The fairytale atmosphere is made complete with the stunning pool featuring a mosaic tile rose on the bottom, as well as with a series of stone paths and twinkling lights.Images: Domain

Real Estate

Ellen DeGeneres’ multimillion-dollar property portfolio REVEALED

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. During DeGeneres’ 17-year run on The Ellen Show, the duo have built a portfolio of properties <a rel="noopener" href="https://nypost.com/article/a-look-inside-all-of-ellen-degeneres-homes/" target="_blank">reportedly</a> worth $630 million or $NZD 670 million ($USD 450 million) that has been separate from her TV earnings. 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). Here is a run-down of the pair’s <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> property portfolio, past and present. Current: Rancho San Leandro <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7847122/ellen1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/62e5da2f557b4e40900739d2e958d091" /> Image: Zillow 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. 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. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7847121/ellen2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/84b0747e696d437a8a1b4f1eef64d89c" /> Image: Zillow 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. 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. Current: Dennis Miller’s Cape Dutch compound 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. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7847120/ellen3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/72815ea69d334591bb78208ee7834462" /> Image: Slim Paley (Instagram) 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. According to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dirt.com/entertainers/performers/dennis-miller-house-montecito-1203349300/" target="_blank">Dirt</a>, a 9,000-square-foot mansion also sits on the property, and has been built in the South African Cape Dutch architectural style. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7847119/ellen4.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c96d19fe59f24363a2bbadab4c08cce7" /> Image: Slim Paley (Instagram) 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. Sold 2021: Adam Levine’s former Beverly Hills home <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7847118/ellen5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f0cf3d21553a40e3b66cdd6279b448a8" /> Image: Mansion Global 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). <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7847117/ellen6.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f44deb50ddb94b42899035edd8d6f414" /> Image: Mansion Global 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. Sold 2020: Ariana Grande’s English Tudor mansion 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. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7847116/ellen7.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ef239d4f762a44dcbf575092550a6590" /> Image: Realtor.com According to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/ellen-degeneres-and-portia-de-rossi-flipping-montecito-california-home-214527" target="_blank">Mansion Global</a>, this home was the first they bought with the intention of renovating and selling without living in it. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7847115/ellen8.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c590d8ade7814bdcb0ffa55e3d4dc309" /> Image: Realtor.com 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. Image: @portiaderossi (Instagram)

Real Estate

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

In a deal that’s almost too good to be true, a four-bedroom Sydney house is free to a good home. 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. The home, listed on Facebook and <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/cronulla/other-real-estate/house-for-removal-free-/1288343408" target="_blank">Gumtree</a>, is sure to gain some interest as property prices continue to skyrocket across the city. 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. In comparison, the new homeowners will only need to pay to remove the home - which can cost <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">around $70,000</a> on top of reconnection to services and plaster setting at the new site. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> 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> — Lucy Thackray (@LucyThack) <a href="https://twitter.com/LucyThack/status/1482281605163286530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2022</a></blockquote> 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. Homes have been known to sell without the land they stand on, with the home used as the set for The Castle selling for $40,000 at auction in 2017 as a relocatable home. 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. 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. Images: @LucyThack (Twitter), Gumtree

Real Estate

How two Adelaide mates were inspired by their pets to create a multi-million dollar business

In 2019, tradie Jye de Zylva noticed this pet kelpie was out of sorts. His dog was significantly stressed, and sometimes even missing, when his owner would return home each day from the job site. Jye teamed up with his mate and entrepreneur Davie Fogarty, and the pair created an innovative line of dog beds aimed at calming anxiety and stress in their furry friends. The 26-year-olds founded Pupnaps, which is the first of its kind and is largely inspired by a unique circular design. “The first design we settled on was one that kind of emulates a dog curling up in their mother’s womb,” Jye told NCA NewsWire. “It’s a really common way for dogs to sleep and it gives them comfort.” The company saw a flood of success and regularly surpasses $1million in monthly sales from selling 4,000 beds a week. Jye said the success of the company took them both by surprise. “It took us probably six to seven months and we did our first million-dollar month, which was really exciting in terms of the success and what it meant.” He said, “It was something that I didn't really expect in my wildest dreams; coming from being a chippie only six or eight months before that.” The Pupnaps line included four different dog beds: the original dog calming bed, as well as an orthopaedic memory foam bed, an orthopaedic floor rug and a calming furniture couch. Jye is a firm believer that the success of the company was aided by the pandemic, and pets having increased anxiety after their owners returned to offices for work. “Anxiety can really impact a dog’s quality of life, not to mention the guilt and fear that owners have whenever they need to leave their pets alone,” Mr de Zylva said. “It’s really rewarding to create a product that has been successful but also one that is helping dogs and their owners to live better lives.” Image credits: Instagram @pupnapsofficial

Technology

First winner of million-dollar vaccination lotto

In the US state of Ohio, first, you get a COVID-19 shot, then you get a shot at US$1 million ($1.29 million). And then, if you're 22-year-old Abbigal Bugenske, you scream so loudly your parents think you're crying when you find out you're the state's first Vax-a-Millionaire. The mechanical engineer was driving to her family's home in suburban Cleveland when she took a call about the good news from state Governor Mike DeWine. A short moment later she was at her parents' house screaming. She described becoming the first winner of Ohio's $1 million Vax-a-Million incentive prize as "a whirlwind" during a news conference on Thursday morning (Friday morning AEST). "It absolutely has not processed yet. I am still digesting it — and I like to say that it feels like this is happening to a different person. I cannot believe it." The 2020 Michigan State University graduate hopes to donate to charities and purchase a car, but then invest most of the money and has no plans to quit her job. Mr DeWine, a Republican, announced the program on May 12 to boost lagging vaccination rates. "I know that some may say, 'DeWine, you're crazy! This million-dollar drawing idea of yours is a waste of money,'" the governor said when he announced the incentive. But with the vaccine now readily available, the real waste, "is a life lost to COVID-19," the Governor said.

Money & Banking

Bette Midler finally finds buyer for multi-million-dollar penthouse

Bette Midler and her husband, Martin von Haselberg, have been able to offload their Manhattan penthouse after it was on the market for more than a year. While the agreed-upon price still remains a mystery – anything close to Ms. Midler’s ask would make it the largest closing price in Manhattan since COVID-19 began. The pre-war co-op at 1125 Fifth Avenue has been in possession of Midler and von Haselberg sine the 1990s. With views overlooking Central Park, the reservoir, and the Manhattan skyline – it is no wonder why the 14-room penthouse dominated the property industry. The home has six bedrooms and occupies three floors of the Carnegie Hill building, along with an enchanting, landscaped terrace. Not only does the future buyer get to come to an expansive home in the heart of NYC, but they get to do so with their own private elevator. Filled with 1920s charm, the home still takes on its traditional Neo-Renaissance style, while still keeping up with the modern-contemporary design with all the bells and whistles to match. A 70-foot-long entertaining space with a double-sized living room, a dining room and an eat-in kitchen are all magnificent features of the home.

Real Estate

Million-dollar painting deemed almost worthless

One guest on BBC's Antiques Roadshow was left deflated on the show after they learnt a portrait thought to be an original Lely painting was almost worth nothing. The visitor appeared on the show with one of the experts, to find out the true value of the artefact that had been passed down through his family. He revealed the artwork was purchased in an auction in the 1850s, before it was placed in the home of the current owner - having been passed down through the family. The piece was believed to have been painted by the popular artist Sir Peter Lely, who was around in the 1600s. However the expert had to break the news that the piece was not an original and most likely a copy painted in the 19th century - two centuries after Lely's paintings. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837079/painting-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/34b3a7c3aa9d45c993f2bf049755e4c2" /> It featured all the parts of a painting by this artist, even documented as one of his works in an auction catalogue from the time it was purchased. The show expert says it was obviously not original - but if it had been; it would be worth around a million dollars. However, due to the artwork likely being a dupe, he said the it’s value dropped down dramatically to almost nothing. He explained: "The question is, is it by Lely? The catalogue of 1845 you've just shown me says Lely doesn't it, quite clearly. But in those days they had somewhat a looser interpretation of the trade description act, if it indeed ever existed. "The thing about Lely, the great portrait painter that he was, is that when he died he left hundreds of unfinished portraits and versions of portraits already done. "His students and studio assistants finished them really quickly, and sold them all so that his entire estate including his collection of old masters made something like £30,00 in the 17th century, which was a massive amount of money. He was so popular. "It effectively flooded the market with versions of his pictures done by lesser hands, the question is, is it one of those?" The expert went on to reveal what the portrait could really be worth. "The secret here is not to look too closely I’m afraid, you can tell I’m softening you up for a bit of a blow,” he said. "Sorry but I think, I’m afraid, this is a shadow of a dream. It's not even by a studio assistant. I think it's a much later copy. "Something about the reduced scale, of course it should be massive, makes it look more domestic. Something about the frankly Victorian idea of a 17th century frame, it's been copied. "And the colours are slightly gaudier than you’d expect, a little bit of clunkiness in the drawing of the hand, and then put on top of that this brown finish which is quite deliberately antiquing it, I think what we're looking at is a 19th century copy." The expert went on to say despite the guest’s disappointments that if it was an “original Lely, it would be pretty well around a million pounds.” "But as it is, it's probably worth around I don't know, £600. I'm sorry to let you down."

Art

Great-grandparents sell multimillion-dollar penthouse to help COVID-19 research

An elderly couple in Queensland have decided to donate the proceeds of their multimillion dollar seaside penthouse in order to help researchers develop a vaccine for COVID-19. Keith and Glenda Drake, both in their 80s, decided to auction off their two-storey penthouse on the Sunshine Coast and want to assist in the search for a cure. The couple moved from the penthouse to an acreage property with their 57-year-old son Neville who requires round-the-clock care as he lives with quadriplegia cerebral palsy. Keith said that the penthouse was earning rental income but decided as long as they have enough income to look after their son’s needs, the money could be put to better use. "We have enough, we know what we need for Neville and his condition, and the rest of our family," he said to <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-24/couple-donate-penthouse-proceeds-to-coronavirus-research/12177108?pfmredir=sm" target="_blank">ABC</a>. "We won't live forever, we're in our 80s … so I said to Glenda, 'Let's do it' and she said, 'Yes!'. "I understood the significance of this pandemic, I realised how serious it was, and thought the laboratories must really be needing some money to do what they've got to do. "Without them coming up with a remedy we could be stuck with this thing for a long time." The couple had already donated $100,000 to the cause but felt the money “wouldn’t get them very far” and decided to add their proceeds from the penthouse to the donation. The funds will go towards expanding national trials, testing the effectiveness of two drugs in the treatment of COVID-19 and other medical research projects. "I couldn't do what they do [medical staff] and that to me is of greater significance than what we are doing," Mr Drake said. "Giving a material thing is not as valuable as the time and energy put in by these medical people. "Those people doing the work — carers, people fighting fires — those are the wonderful people who deserve accolades, not people like us who have just been lucky in business." The funds will go to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (HBWH) Foundation Coronavirus Action Fund, and chief executive Simone Garske said that the family are “incredibly generous”. "The funds from the sale of the property will allow research projects, such as clinical trials, to occur and be expanded when necessary, so we get answers faster," she said.

Real Estate

He's back! Billion-dollar actor returns to the big screen after two decades

After a decades-long hiatus, Rick Moranis will be returning to acting for the live-action version of the Disney classic "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids". Moranis became one of the most in-demand comic actors of the 1980s and 1990s after blowing up on the Canadian sketch series SCTV. He went on to star in 1984’s “Ghostbusters” and its 1989 sequel, Mel Brooks’ 1987 “Star Wars” spoof “Spaceballs,” the 1978 cinematic version of the stage musical "Little Shop of Horrors", Ron Howard’s 1989 ensemble dramedy “Parenthood,” and the 1994 live-action “The Flintstones” remake. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8fb5xdHrrJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8fb5xdHrrJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by E! News (@enews)</a> on Feb 12, 2020 at 7:00pm PST </div> </blockquote> Altogether, his films have earned an incredible $1 billion at the domestic box office, not adjusting for inflation. Since 1997, however, Moranis has worked sporadically, doing voice-over work (2003’s “Brother Bear,” a 2018 episode of “The Goldbergs”) as well as a couple comedy albums, after stepping away from acting to raise his children in the wake of his wife’s death from cancer. In this, his triumphant return, the sequel to the 1989 blockbuster "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" will see Moranis return to his role as Wayne Szalinski - the bizarre and quirky scientist who accidentally shrunk his children, along with his neighbour's kids, then went on to accidentally make his toddler enormous in 1992’s "Honey, I Blew Up the Kid". He eventually came back in 1997 for the sequel "Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves!" – one of Moranis’ last major works on camera. In the new movie, "Shrunk", Josh Gad will play Szalinski’s son, who will go on to unsurprisingly shrink his family. The original director, Joe Johnston, is returning to make the sequel, with Todd Rosenberg writing the script.

Movies

Million dollar men: Elton John and Chris Hemsworth's huge bushfire pledges

Celebrities are putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to donating to bushfire relief that’s ravaging Australia. Elton John received a standing ovation at his concert as he pledged to donate $1 million for Australia’s bushfire relief efforts. “There are people out there who have lost their lives trying to save homes. There are people who have lost their lives and their homes,” he said <a rel="noopener" href="https://twitter.com/BrittA2211/status/1214516183023542272" target="_blank">to the crowd</a>. “And lastly there’s the plight of the animals. A loss of their habitat that frankly is on a biblical scale, and heart-breaking. Therefore, tonight I will be pledging one million dollars to support the bushfire relief fund.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> Elton John just donated one million dollars to the bushfire relief <a href="https://t.co/Ld2i0t9n98">pic.twitter.com/Ld2i0t9n98</a> — Britt (@BrittA2211) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrittA2211/status/1214516183023542272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">7 January 2020</a></blockquote> He matched Marvel star Chris Hemsworth donation of $1 million, as Hemsworth encouraged his 38.9 million followers on Instagram to dig deep and help in any way that they can. “We’re still in the thick of it here with plenty of challenging times ahead and still to come. So, what we need is your support and your donations,” the father of three said in a video. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B7AG8XHp-wQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B7AG8XHp-wQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Chris Hemsworth (@chrishemsworth)</a> on Jan 6, 2020 at 6:34pm PST </div> </blockquote> Kylie Minogue made headlines for donating $500,000 to the bushfire relief and said that the devastation in Australia is “heartbreaking”. “As a family, we’ve donated $500,000 towards the immediate firefighting efforts and the ongoing support which will be required,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “Big or small, from near or far, any support will help those affected by the devastating bushfires.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6-EYf-gnCy/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6-EYf-gnCy/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Last year I had the incredible opportunity of visiting some of the many beautiful places in my homeland for the first time. Returning home to such devastation throughout much of the country is heartbreaking. As a family, we’ve donated $500,000 towards the immediate firefighting efforts and the ongoing support which will be required. Big or small, from near or far, any support will help those affected by the devastating bushfires. With love, The Minogue Family. @redcrossau @nswrfs @cfavic @sa_countryfireservice @wireswildliferescue #Australia</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/kylieminogue/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Kylie Minogue</a> (@kylieminogue) on Jan 5, 2020 at 11:28pm PST </div> </blockquote> Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban were one of the first celebrities to donate to bushfire relief, as they donated $500,000 after spending Christmas in Sydney with their daughters. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B66mowFpyI9/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B66mowFpyI9/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Our family’s support, thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by the fires all over Australia. We are donating $500,000 to the Rural Fire Services who are all doing and giving so much right now.</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/nicolekidman/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Nicole Kidman</a> (@nicolekidman) on Jan 4, 2020 at 3:10pm PST </div> </blockquote> Aussie favourite Pink also donated $500,000 “directly to the local fire services that are battling so hard on the frontlines.” The singer wrote she is “totally devastated watching what is happening in Australia right now with the horrific bushfires. My heart goes out to our friends and family in Oz”. However, the campaign that has caught the most attention is run by comedian Celeste Barber, as her campaign has currently raised $45 million for the Trustee for the NSW Rural Fire Service and Brigades Donation Fund. The fund is managed by a group of trustees, according to SBS, who have significant experience with the NSW RFS. "The purpose of the trust is to make available to brigades the ability to accept tax-deductible donations, both in person and online, with as little administrative burden as possible," its <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/95062/NSW-RFS-and-Brigade-Donations-Fund-DGR-Trustees-Annual-Report-2017-2018-....PDF" target="_blank">most recent annual report says</a>. "It was established and is operated solely for the purpose of supporting the volunteer-based fire and emergency service activities of the brigades." The NSW RFS said that they are focusing on the ongoing bush fire emergency before even thinking about spending the money. They said in a statement to SBS: "The NSW RFS is focused on the ongoing bush fire emergency that continues to affect communities across NSW. We are continuing work to slow the spread of fires, establish containment lines, conduct building impact assessments and return residents to their communities as soon as possible," a spokesperson said. "It's important that our members, who know what's best for their brigades and communities, have a say in the use of donated funds." "Once the bush fire emergency eases, the NSW RFS will work with senior volunteers and brigades to ensure donated funds are used for the greatest benefit of our members and their communities." OverSixty, its parent company and its owners are donating a total of $200,000 to the Vinnie’s Bushfire Appeal. We have also pledged an additional $100,000 of product to help all those affected by the bushfire crisis. We would love you to support too! Head to the <a href="https://donate.vinnies.org.au/appeals-nsw/vinnies-nsw-bushfire-appeal-nsw">Vinnie's website</a> to donate!

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Married couple at the centre of bizarre billion-dollar drug bust

A recently married couple from Melbourne alongside an IT worker have been arrested and charged with running a customs importing business which dealt with over $1 billion worth of 1.6 tonnes of ice and heroin. It is the nation’s largest uncovered methamphetamine haul. Rachel Annette Cachia and Donovan Mark Rodrigues, both 37, have been described as “trusted insiders” in the customs industry and advised clients on the logistics of importing and exporting goods through their independently owned business. However, the couple have suffered a violent fall from grace as they may be met with life imprisonment if convicted over the seizure of 1.6 tonnes of ice and heroin found hidden inside speakers being shipped to Melbourne in April 2019. On social media, the couple showed off their lavish lifestyle, including holidays with their two young children and luxury sports cars. Alongside Ms Cachia and Mr Rodrigues is Bayside IT worker Stephen Mizzi, 38, who has also been charged after the Australian Federal Police raided properties in the Melbourne suburbs of Darley, Sunshine West, Brooklyn, Elwood and Murrumbeena. All three individuals are to face numerous charges of importing illicit drugs. Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Neil Gaughan alleged the couple were "middle to high up" in the drug operation. "We feel to a certain extent that they’ve been used," he said. "They [allegedly] used their positions of trust to circumvent the border control. It will be alleged that two of the three suspects charged are trusted industry insiders." Australian Border Forces uncovered the drugs after they asked for sea cargo sipped from Bangkok, Thailand to be inspected at a container examination facility, in April. Officers spotted “anomalies” inside the speakers after an X-ray and took them apart in result. They found numerous packages containing methamphetamine and heroin that had been vacuum-packed and stuffed inside the speakers. Court documents allege that Mr Rodrigues and Ms Cachia had begun dealing with proceeds of crime in December 2016. Then, between June 2017 and July this year, the couple allegedly began arranging the movement of goods without authorisation through ports on numerous occasions between West Melbourne and Brooklyn. By December 2018, it’s alleged that Mr Mizzi joined in on the drug operation with the plan to help ship heroin and ice to Australia. Mr Mizzi has also been additionally charged with dishonestly obtaining identification information from a mobile phone in April this year. The trio faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday, where lawyers said it was the first time in custody for both men and that Mr Mizzi had a "blood pressure issue". Liliana Dubroja, the lawyer representing Ms Cachia, requested a nurse assess her client due to kidney and mental health concerns. Commonwealth prosecutor Jamey Ellis said police required extra time to compile their brief of evidence due to the extensive number of phone taps. "There is a significant amount of listening device and telephone material," he said. The trio was remanded in custody to face court again on May 7. They have not applied for bail.

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