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Terminally-ill rugby player carried across marathon finish line by his best mate

There wasn’t a dry eye in the crowd when best friends Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield crossed the finish line of the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon. The two Leeds Rhinos players have been raising money and awareness for people with Motor Neurone Disease since Burrow’s 2019 diagnosis, with the two raising an impressive total in the millions. And now, the pair have raised spirits and warmed hearts with Sinfield’s act at the end of their Leeds race, when he picked Burrow up from his chair and carried him over the finishing line. Before that, Sinfield had been pushing Burrow’s chair for 26.2 miles (42.2 km). The moment was met with cheering and applause as the wo concluded their marathon just after the 4 hour 22 minute mark, both from those who were there to witness it in person and from those who saw footage later when it circulated online. One Twitter user even went on to dub Burrow an “absolute gem of a human”, while another was certain that they were a “pair of absolute heroes”. “What a mate! Unbelievable in a world full of cr*p at the moment there are some genuinely lovely moments. These lads have been into battle together on the pitch for club and country,” one wrote. “It’s choked me up, I’m not going to lie.” “A bunch of legends,” someone else declared. “I’ve properly welled up watching this, this is what friendship is, to the ends of the earth and back.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Beautiful. Kevin Sinfield carried Rob Burrow over the finish line at the end of the first Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon 🥹 <a href="https://t.co/JFdd9XGgV4">pic.twitter.com/JFdd9XGgV4</a> — BBC Sport (@BBCSport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCSport/status/1657736670458916865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2023</a></blockquote> Prior to the event, Sinfield had spoken about the race to The Sun, and its 12,500 reported participants, as well as the thousands lining the streets to watch, and what it meant to be undertaking the marathon together. “Even if it was just Rob and I, we’d have a great time,” he said, “there’s no better way to do it than with your mate. The fact people want to share in it and do their own little bit is incredible. “This will be with mates, for mates and alongside mates, absolutely. Look across the world at big cities where marathons are run, there’s nothing like this. “We’ve not done any training. We ran a 10km together last July and that’s part of the challenge, doing something neither of us have done before. The unknown adds to the fun of it. “He’s in a custom-made chair but it could be a bumpy ride. I’ll try and find him the safest, comfiest route but if there are hills, there are hills. If it rains, it rains.” And as Burrow himself said to The Guardian, when asked about the seven marathons in seven days that Sinfield had run on behalf of Burrow, his family, and their fight against MND, “we all need a friend like Kevin.” Images: Getty

Caring

Kelsey Grammer's sweet tribute to beloved fallen cast mate

Kelsey Grammer has paid tribute to his beloved friend and former Cheers co-star, who passed away from cancer at age 71. Grammer appeared on The Rachel Ray Show, describing Alley as “radiant”. “I loved Kirstie,” he said. “She was always beautiful. She just had that thing about her. She was a radiant human being and that came through her.” "She knew how to love. She was so honest in her emotions all the time.” Grammer even revealed that he once "got in trouble with the law", and Kirstie was one of the only people who really supported him. “She showed up,” he said. "She was one of the only ones who really showed up to be supportive and that was magnificent. She always made me laugh. Everything she did made me giggle. The first time I went to her house there were lemurs living on the property and I thought, only in Kirstie world.” One of the last times he was supposed to see her was at a book signing for a friend, but Grammer revealed she did not end up attending. "Kirstie was noticeably missing and about a week later she was gone," he said. The Rachel Ray Show host responded that she was also fond of Alley, "I'm just blessed that I even knew her and I'm thrilled that you shared some of those thoughts with us. Thank you, my friend.” She told Grammer. Kirstie Alley passed away from pancreatic cancer in December 2022. The <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/kirstie-alley-dies-at-age-71" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news of her death</a> was announced on Twitter by her children, Lillie and True Parker. Image credit: Getty

Caring

“Two of my best mates gone”: Rod Stewart opens up on double tragedy

Rod Stewart is in mourning after the loss of his two brothers just months apart. On Friday, the singer posted a short but sweet tribute on Instagram to his brother Bob, who passed away last November, just two months after the passing of his eldest brother Don. Sharing a photo of the program from Bob's funeral service at Islington Burial Chapel in London, he wrote, "I said Farewell to my Brother Bob today, with his coffin draped in a Rangers flag (life long Glasgow Rangers fan)." "We loved our game days up in Scotland together, " he wrote, reminiscing on their sweet memories together. Bob passed at the age of 87, just a day short from his 88th birthday. "Now he joins Brother Don, rest in peace boys. Two of my best mates gone within just a few months." <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnEx0ufN7b0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnEx0ufN7b0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sir Rod Stewart (@sirrodstewart)</a> </div> </blockquote> Several family members also expressed their love in the comments, with his wife and TV star Penny Lancaster sharing an inside joke, writing, "I loved that he called me Pencil instead of Pen." His daughter, Ruby Stewart, commented with a simple dove emoji, commonly used to symbolise peace, freedom, or love. In December, the British singer announced on Instagram that he was mourning the loss of his two brothers. “It’s with great sadness that I announce the loss of my brother Bob last night, who joins my brother Don on the great football pitch in the sky,” he captioned, with an image of a candle flame and the words “Rest in Peace”. The British singer is the youngest of five children, surviving his brothers along with two of his sisters, Mary and Peggy. Image Credits: Getty

Family & Pets

Meet the Aussie mates that are helping refugees flee war-torn Ukraine

Two Australian friends have been praised online for travelling into war-torn Ukraine and helping families flee to Poland in their minivan. Daniel Russell and Roger Scott, who have been living in Poland for the last eight years, have been doing regular trips to the Ukrainian border to drive families to safety, while documenting their efforts online. Together the pair have made several trip into the dangerous war zone, and have helped over two dozen people to safety so far. "Hectic day. Rejected at the border for the first time... Collected a lovely mum and two kids freezing in the bleak lines and drove them over [the border] in three hours to a better world," Mr Russell wrote on Facebook. Daniel added that refugees can wait anywhere from six hours to 24 hours to find transport to another country, all while waiting out in the open of a harsh European winter. "Gave the kids a ball which distracted them for a short moment and maybe they briefly forgot about this horrific scene kids should never have to witness," he said. Daniel went on to say that after his last trip, the battery in his minivan died, and was anxious to make it back to help the next wave of refugees. He said, "Trying to get back over the border tomorrow and drop all the fundraiser equipment to the needy and pick up a some weary refugees when Roger arrives with a new chariot in the morning to rescue my sorry a**." The UNHCR estimates more than three million refugees have already fled Ukraine since Russia launched a brutal unprovoked invasion on February 24th. Mr Russell and Mr Scott have launched a <a href="https://chuffed.org/project/help-get-ukrainian-refugees-out-of-ukraine?fbclid=IwAR1DfErMrHAUWLCHZBA2WEwG2napoLaBhxJ6FsvMxBrWT9jc5C_WbvrqU5k" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">fundraising campaign</a> to buy vital supplies for civilians in Lviv in Ukraine's west who are fleeing to the border. "Our main purpose is to use the money gathered and deliver the needed items directly into the palms of the Ukrainians, we have total transparency and we have also delivered equipment to the Ukrainian Territorial Forces in Lviv." Image credits: Facebook

Caring

Māori tribe tells anti-vax protestors to stop using the Ka Mate haka

Anti-vaccine protestors in New Zealand have adopted the Ka Mate haka and begun performing it at their rallies, and one Māori tribe has now told them in no uncertain terms to stop. The Ka Mate is a Māori haka composed around 1820 by Te Rauparaha, war leader of the Ngāti Toa tribe, and is the haka performed by the All Blacks at international rugby test matches. In response to it being co-opted by anti-vax protestors, the Ngāti Toa tribe has released a statement telling them they do not have the tribe’s support or permission to perform the dance. "We do not support their position and we do not want our tupuna [ancestors] or our iwi [tribe] associated with their messages. Our message to protesters who wish to use Ka Mate is to use a different haka. We do not endorse the use of Ka Mate for this purpose." New Zealand has one of the lowest COVID-19 rates in the world, but has struggled to fight off the highly infectious Delta variant this year, forcing Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to move from her previous strategy of elimination through lockdowns to living with the virus with higher vaccination rates. She has set a goal of vaccinating 90 per cent of those eligible before ending lockdowns entirely, and so far, about 81 per cent of the eligible population has received two doses of the vaccine. Anti-vaxxers and the far-right have responded negatively to newly introduced vaccine mandates, and took to the streets in several cities around New Zealand last week in protest. Protestors were seen marching through Christchurch and Wellington bearing pro-Trump flags, New Zealand flags, English flags, and signs featuring Nazi swastikas. Some protestors bore signs making reference to QAnon, while some scrawled threats onto tennis balls and lobbed them at members of the press. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Lots of balls thrown into the forecourt with messages. Mood of the protest has changed a bit too - lot of people up in our face saying we will get what’s coming to us etc <a href="https://t.co/gPD4oRAMu5">pic.twitter.com/gPD4oRAMu5</a> — henry cooke (@henrycooke) <a href="https://twitter.com/henrycooke/status/1457861367810064387?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2021</a></blockquote> Following the introduction of vaccine mandates, Monday was the deadline for all education, disability, and health sector workers in New Zealand to have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Image: Sanka Vidanagama/AFP via Getty Images

Legal

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

“Dedicate this to dad”: A group of mates lucky $500,000 Melbourne Cup win

A group of mates will be counting their blessings after winning $500,000 by backing Vow and declaring months ago they would be victorious in the Melbourne Cup. The incredible moment they realised they had won an eye watering amount was recorded on video. 39-year-old Alex Xerri made a number of bets starting from June when Vow and Declare were at huge odds. Thankfully this bet paid off in the end, and won him $320,000 on Tuesday, as well as an extra $200,000 by his friends who followed his hot tip. The video was shot by his friend Jimmy Hoyne, and showed the group’s excitement when the gelding surged home and snatched up the Melbourne Cup. The moment felt bittersweet for Mr Xerri who’s father Paul, 81, passed away a month ago, before he had the chance to collect $40,000 from bets he also made on the winning horse. “It was difficult, I was really sad that he never got to watch the Cup and share in the excitement and happiness,” he told Daily Mail Australia. “He always backed my judgement and I know he's proud of me. It was a very touching and emotional moment. “I have to dedicate this to dad.” <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FJimmyHoyne%2Fvideos%2F2536730216403887%2F&show_text=0&width=267" width="267" height="476" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> Xerri said he and his dad hopefully placed their first bets on June 8 after watching Vow and Declare come second in the Queensland Derby. Just two weeks later, the racehorse won the Tattersall's Cup, however they then had to wait months to see it would compete again at the Turnbull Stakes on October 5. However, in a turn of tragic events, Paul suddenly died from an unexpected heart attack the morning of the race, a month before the Melbourne Cup would commence. Xerri said a eulogy delivered at his funeral expressed how excited Paul was to put his bets to the ultimate test. “The speech said how he was really excited about a horse that will run in the Melbourne Cup, and last few months of his life that's what he was really looking for,” he said. The winning son said his father would continue to place bets on the horses despite being told to stop. “We went through his wallet and he had all his bet slips printed and A4 sheet of paper,” he explained. “He believed it would happen, he'd never won that sort of money in his life and we were talking about what we would do if it won.” Mr Xerri said he became convinced Vow and Declare could win the Melbourne Cup after it won an 1,800m race on Oaks Day in 2018. Paul listened to the advice of renowned horse trainer Danny O'Brien, who talked up his horse's abilities. “He said it was an elite staying prospect and everything it was doing suggested it could run the Cup's distance,” he recalled. “I thought from then it was a potential Melbourne Cup champion.” Xerri placed more bets in following months after initially placing $100 for the horses to win at 201/1 and $900 to place at 51/1 at the Queensland Derby. He placed more bets in following months and convinced 25 friends to get on board and place their own bets on the same horses. The gamble earned him about $320,000 in winnings by Tuesday’s race, and his friends $200,000 between them. Mr Hoyne's video showed the five friends getting progressively more excited as Vow and Declare entered the final straight on the tail of the leader and gradually wore down the margin. When Vow and Declare crossed the line first, the room erupted. “I have never felt a rush like that in my life... words cannot explain,” the friend who filmed the scene said. “Such a big day for the family man been riding this horse for over a year and to see it come true - unbelievable.” Xerri said there was a lot of anticipation leading up to the race as he knew he and others had cash riding on the result. “I was nervous, my legs were jelly. I'd told so many for so long and they'd put money on it just because I said to,” he said.

Caring

Why some animals are able to pause their own pregnancies

Putting your pregnancy on pause until the time is right to give birth sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel, but for many mammals what’s known as “embryonic diapause” is an essential part of raising their young. Although scientists have known since the 1850s that some animals have this ability, it is only now becoming clear how it could teach us valuable lessons about human pregnancy, stem cells, and cancer. Which animals can do this? More than 130 species of mammal can pause their pregnancies. The pause can last anywhere between a couple of days and 11 months. In most species (except some bats, who do it a little later) this happens when the embryo is a tiny ball of about 80 cells, before it attaches to the uterus. It’s not just a single group of mammals, either. Various species seem to have developed the ability as needed to reproduce more successfully. Most carnivores can pause their pregnancies, including all bears and most seals, but so can many rodents, deer, armadillos, and anteaters. More than a third of the species that take a breather during gestation are from Australia, including some possums and all but three species of kangaroo and wallaby. The record-holder for pregnancy pause time is the tammar wallaby, which has been studied extensively for its ability to put embryos on hold for up to 11 months. Why pause pregnancy? The main advantage to pausing pregnancy is that it separates mating and birth. There are two main ways in which animals do this. The first way is to mate soon after giving birth, to have a backup pregnancy in case something happens to the newborn young. The stress of lactating triggers a pause that lasts during suckling, and the pregnancy restarts once the young leave. The second way is to pause every pregnancy until the time is right (usually depending on the season). For example, minks mate around the start of March but put the embryos on pause until after the spring equinox (March 21), when the days are growing longer in their northern hemisphere homes. This ensures that the young are born in spring when conditions improve, and not in winter. The tammar wallaby combines these two methods (suckling in the first half of the year, short days in the second) to pause for almost a year and give birth in January. This ensures the young leave the pouch the following spring instead of in the middle of a hot Australian summer. What can we learn from diapause? Diapause was first identified in 1854 after hunters in Europe noticed that pregnancy in roe deer seemed to last a lot longer than normal. Since then scientists have been fascinated by this process and it has helped us understand more about basic reproductive processes in all mammals. But it took until 1950 before our knowledge of pregnancy had increased enough so that we could confirm what the hunters had observed 100 years earlier. But how the process worked at the molecular level is still a mystery. Until recently, there seemed to be no connection between which species used it and which didn’t and there didn’t seem to be a unifying mechanism for how pregnancy was paused. Even the hormones controlling diapause are different between mammal groups. However, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.140074bm">research</a> now suggests that regardless of what hormones affect the uterus, the molecular signalling between the uterus and the embryo is conserved, at least between the mouse, mink and tammar wallaby. Furthermore, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0033027">researchers in Poland</a> paused embryos from sheep (a non-diapause species) by transferring them into a mouse uterus and then back into the sheep with no ill effects. This indicates the potential for diapause could lie in all mammals, including humans. So when can I pause my pregnancy? It’s unlikely that pausing pregnancy will become the norm in humans. For starters, you’d have to know you were pregnant within five days of conceiving to match the time when most species start diapause. Understanding how mammals pause their pregnancies does have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5949116/">significant implications</a> for our understanding of how to make healthy embryos. The time when the embryo enters into diapause is the same time in IVF when an embryo is transferred into the uterus. Diapause could help us improve how we grow embryos in culture or how to recognise which is the “best” embryo to transfer. Diapause could also help create better stem cells and find new cancer treatments. The <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/292154a0">first stem cells</a> ever isolated by scientists came from a mouse embryo in diapause, when the cell cycle of the embryo is arrested. Stem cells are also <a href="https://www.cell.com/developmental-cell/fulltext/S1534-5807(15)00658-9">remarkably similar</a> to a diapaused embryo. So understanding how diapause works at the molecular level could lead to new therapies to halt cell division or to identify markers for tumour stem cells, which are thought to be <a href="https://stemcellres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/scrt13">responsible for metastasis</a> in cancer.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/125635/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jane-fenelon-594114">Jane Fenelon</a>, Research fellow in monotreme and marsupial reproduction and development, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-melbourne-722">University of Melbourne</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/some-animals-pause-their-own-pregnancies-but-how-they-do-it-is-still-a-mystery-125635">original article</a>.

Family & Pets

20kg mating pythons crash through Queensland couple’s ceiling

It’s snake breeding season in Cairns, North Queensland, Australia and a local couple got the shock of their lives as two massive pythons crashed through their ceiling whilst mating. The pair looked up to see the ceiling flex and crack under the weight of the two pythons, who are estimated to be about 20kg each. The pair managed to slither into the couple’s home via the roof. The size of the pythons and the rigorous activity was too much for the ceiling and the pythons crashed onto the floor. Matt Hagan and Jason Legg of Cairns Snake Catchers were called into the home. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fcairnssnakecatcher%2Fposts%2F2369206379992662&width=500" width="500" height="795" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe> “Extracting this dynamic duo was no easy feat and ultimately resulted in the ceiling giving way as these snakes made a particularly dramatic entry into the office!” the snake catchers wrote on Facebook on Sunday. “If you are lucky enough to host a scrub python party in your roof space this breeding season (end of July to late September) it can get pretty wild as males fight each other to impress females,” they warned. “Occasionally these interactions can result in strange smells wafting through different rooms, and even structural damage to your house in the form or ceiling stains or cracks.”

Home & Garden

“We’re not mates”: Rod Stewart speaks out about 50-year feud with Elton John

The long-running feud between Sir Elton John and Rod Stewart has followed the duo as they’ve grown their careers for the last half of a century. Although it was initially tongue-in-cheek, this no longer appears to be the case according to a recent interview in <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/9180298/rod-stewart-penny-lancaster-sex-kids-great/" target="_blank">The Sun</a>. When Rod Stewart was asked about his thoughts on Elton John’s 300-date farewell tour, he didn’t hold back. “I certainly won’t do 300 dates and then retire. I’ll just fade away like the old soldier I am,” he admitted. When the interviewer inquired as to whether or not Elton and Rod have been in touch, Rod replied bluntly: “No, we’re not mates any more. We don’t talk to each other.” However, it wasn’t always this way. The pair have bantered on and off for the last 50 years. In many ways, the duo are chalk and cheese. With Elton being extravagant and prone to tantrums, Rod is a bit more laidback and a bit cheap. The pair did share a love of football as well as a competitive streak, which is what kept the feud going for so long. The pair have snipped at each other over a variety of things, including Elton’s weight. "I really seriously think he (Elton) has got to lose a little bit of weight. He's looking really large," quipped Rod "He always has a go about my nose and hair, so we just bitch every now and then," Rod admitted to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/inside-rod-stewart-and-elton-johns-hilarious-50yea/3369998/" target="_blank">The Morning Bulletin</a>. The pair used to insist that this was their way of showing affection, especially with Elton explaining that he and Rod were “cut from the same cloth”. "We try and publicise the fact that we always have a go at each other in the papers, but in fact we do that for reasons only known to us, really. We're actually very good friends," said Elton. However, that no longer appears to be the case. It seems though that Rod wouldn’t mind following in the footsteps of Elton and his late close friend Freddie Mercury in the form of a biopic being made about his music and life. <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/BsYaJudhZ2R/" 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/BsYaJudhZ2R/" target="_blank">Congratulations to Rami Malek & all those behind Bohemian Rhapsody on their #GoldenGlobe win. You brought the energy, love, and light of the magnetic Freddie Mercury to the big screen in a glorious film worthy of Queen.</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/sirrodstewart/" target="_blank"> Sir Rod Stewart</a> (@sirrodstewart) on Jan 8, 2019 at 9:07am PST </div> </blockquote> When Rod was asked whether or not he could bear to watch himself on screen, he quickly replied: “Oh, are you kidding? My ego? I’d love it. Me and my two youngest sons went to see Bohemian Rhapsody. "My boys were saying, ‘Dad, I can play you when you were eight’ and ‘I’ll play you when you were 13’.”

Music

Tiny turtle mating ritual grounds planes at JFK

A flight being delayed due to weather or a mechanical fault isn’t exactly out of the stretch of our imagination. But a group of amorous turtles crossing the runway? But that’s exactly the case at New York’s John F. Kennedy airport where tiny turtles from the nearby Jamaica Bay attempt to cross the runway to lay their eggs in the sand. As you can see in the video above, it’s quite the event. Several attempts have been made to prevent turtles accessing the runways, but somehow they manage to find a way. In fact last year almost 163 of the little creatures managed to gain access to airport territory at the major international hub. To learn more about this ritual, check out the video above. Don’t you just love turtles? What’s your favourite type of animal? Let us know in the comments. Video credit: YouTube / ABC News Related links: <a href="/travel/international/2016/03/experience-turtle-nesting-season-in-northern-territory/">Experience turtle nesting season in NT</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/02/albino-turtle-found-in-australia/">Rare albino turtle found in Australia</a> <a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/07/turtle-falls-out-of-luggage-on-jetstar-flight/">Turtle falls out of luggage on Jetstar flight</a>

International Travel

Bearded dragon and cat are unlikely best mates

Unlikely friendships in the animal kingdom are common features of the internet, but this has to be one of the weirdest one’s we’ve seen yet. Baby the cat and Charles the bearded dragon have become the best of friends. 20-year-old Cheyenne March was apprehensive to introduce her two pets to each other, however, they fell in love instantly. The two animals sleep cuddling each other, “guard” their home together, go outside together for little strolls, watch birds together from the window, and even stare down our postman as a duo You have to see the photos to believe it! Scroll through the gallery above. Do you have a couple of pets with an unlikely bond? Let us know in the comments below. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2014/09/the-benefits-of-having-a-pet/">Why having a pet is SO good for you</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/01/photos-of-animals-hitchhiking/">Hilarious photos of animals hitchhiking</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/11/how-to-help-your-pet-conquer-their-phobias/">How to help your pet conquer their phobias</a>

News

Blind goat finds caring soul mate

Marica was born blind in the Spring of 2015 at a goat meat farm. The farm owner wasn’t interested in caring for a special needs animal, and what followed was a decision that saved Marcia’s life. A neighbour contacted Farm Sanctuary – an animal advocacy group that provides homes for unwanted or abused farm animals – and the organisation was able to give Marcia a place to romp and roam at its location in Orland, California. But being blind made Marica anxious and scared when she was alone. It wasn’t realistic for a human caretaker to be with her 24 hours a day. That’s why staff was so excited in July when they rescued Maurice, a kid they suspected would be the perfect pal for Marcia. Upon meeting, it was love at first sight, with Maurice helping Marcia get around and functioning as her “seeing-eye goat.” The video above shows just how dee their bond is. Source: animalsoffarmsanctuary.com Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/09/dogs-make-the-best-companions/">8 reasons why dogs are the bee’s knees</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/08/signs-your-pet-is-sick/">10 signs your pet is sick</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/11/cats-are-like-psychopaths-gallery/">11 ways cats are like “psychopaths”</a>

News

Porirua man will split $15m Lotto win with his mate to honour a long-standing pact

Porirua's new Lotto multi-millionaire will split his $15 million winnings with his best friend after they made a pact years ago they would share a win. "I'm going to tell my mate that $7.5m is his. But I'm keeping that extra $250,000 – I think that's fair," the winner said. "I can't wait to tell him – we want to share the joy with this win and we know that this will absolutely make his family's Christmas, as well as ours." The man flew up to Lotto's head office in Auckland on Thursday morning to present his winning ticket, which he bought from Eastside Four Square & Lotto in Porirua East. As well as winning the first ever Wednesday Powerball jackpot, pocketing $15m, he also won another $250,000 from Lotto First Division. "I'm going to have a great Christmas celebration with the family. This is going to be a great surprise for everyone – it's be the best Secret Santa ever," said the man, who declined to give details about himself. He said he would "definitely keep working" and planned to share the money with friends and family "and finally buy the car of my dreams that I've been thinking about for the past 20 years". The huge windfall felt "weird, really weird", he said. "A win of this size is life changing for anyone. It just gives us so much opportunity. "It still hasn't sunk in. "I actually won a couple hundred dollars a few weeks ago, so I wasn't expecting to win anything again for a while. I got a real surprise." He always picked the same Lotto numbers so when he checked the draw on his computer on Wednesday night, he immediately knew he had won something when he recognised his numbers. "We were sitting on the couch, when he started making funny noises and I thought something was wrong," the winner's daughter said. "Then he told me to get his wallet and we checked his Lotto ticket together. We all just looked at each other and then started screaming and jumping and hugging each other – a bit of a winning dance. We were so excited." The Lotto shop's owner, Dipak Dubariya, had been confident the winner would turn out to be a local because all his customers were from the Porirua East area. "People are smiling and talking about the win," he said on Thursday morning. "Porirua is not known for being a wealthy area and this will make the winner's life." Dubariya, who bought the store nine months ago, said he was delighted to have sold the winning ticket. "It's the first big win I've sold and it feels great. I am going to put a big sign outside and hopefully will get to make more people's lives better." Porirua mayor Nick Leggett said locals started texting him soon after Wednesday evening's draw about the exciting win. He did not know who had won, but was keen to find out. "I'm really hoping it's someone who deserves to win and hopefully they will have a great Christmas." While Porirua East was a mixed area socio-economically, he said it was very wealthy in terms of community heart. Only two months ago, a Porirua woman, who remained anonymous, claimed $1m with a Lotto First Division ticket. She only discovered her win when she had her lucky ticket checked at her local store, the Waitangirua Four Square, not far from where Wednesday's $15m was won. At the time, she said she planned to celebrate by taking her family to Australia for Christmas. Porirua East city councillor Izzy Ford knew the million-dollar winning family, and said they had been very deserving winners. "They are a family who gives a lot to the community." Written by Neil Ratley and Deidre Mussen. First appeared on <a href="http://www.Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>. Related links: <a href="/news/news/2015/12/polar-bear-sleeps-with-stuffed-animal/">Baby polar bear makes cutest noises while sleeping with stuffed animal</a> <a href="/news/news/2015/12/google-releases-top-search-terms-2015/">Google releases list of top searched-for questions for 2015</a> <a href="/news/news/2015/12/royal-christmas-card-released/">Prince Charles and Camilla celebrate 10 years of marriage with royal Christmas card</a>

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Porirua man will split $15m Lotto win with his mate to honour a long-standing pact