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"What were their parents thinking?!" Teacher releases list of hilarious student names

<p>In a world where coming up with a standard name seems about as trendy as using a landline phone, parents are unleashing their inner creativity by bestowing upon their offspring names that sound like they were created during a fever dream.</p> <p>We are clearly smack bang in the middle of the era of "Name your child after a random object you find in the pantry" – and teachers are the unsung heroes bravely navigating the choppy waters of these monikers. Specifically, how to spell (and pronounce) them properly.</p> <p>Now, let's not pretend this phenomenon is fresh off the naming press. Celebrities have been gifting their kids with names that could pass as WiFi passwords for donks. It was just a matter of time before the masses caught onto the fad like a catchy tune you can't unhear. But spare a thought for those noble educators who are more baffled than a cat watching a magic trick when confronted with these labels during roll call.</p> <p>Enter one valiant and anonymous teacher, armed with a class register that reads like a cryptic crossword puzzle. She unveiled her list of quirky names on the modern-day town square, aka Facebook, explaining that she merely gave the enrolment list a "blink and you'll miss it" glance. Because let's face it, no one has time to decode this kindergarten code on a Tuesday morning.</p> <p>So, brace yourself, because the highlights of this peculiar parade include names like Jaxen (apparently the 'x' gives it that extra pizzazz) and Aliyah, which sounds like a harmonious collision of Aladdin and Elijah. But the true gems are still to come.</p> <p>Hold onto your hats, for there's a Syakyra in the house! It's pronounced like "Shakira", because why make life easy when you can transform spelling into an extreme sport? Also on the roster of eccentricities are Rhydah, Presillar, Christisarah (which sounds like someone sneezed while naming their child), Anjewel'Lea (because apostrophes are the new vowels), and Biar Biar – quite possibly the sound of someone giving up mid-naming.</p> <p>The list goes on, unveiling Deklyn, Alarna (Is this a name or an exotic spice?), Aaryah (a name that looks like a typo in progress), Maz (likely short for Mazel Tov), Angel-Lee (a tribute to both celestial beings and two first names), and Karleb (a rebel in the world of traditional spelling).</p> <p>Social media users eagerly devoured this buffet of bewildering baby names, chiming in with their own comedic relief. One humorist quipped that some parents should enrol themselves in school, presumably for a crash course in 'Name Your Kid Without Making Them the Butt of Jokes.'</p> <p>Another jester added, "This really is tragic, at least none of them will get bullied because they're all so bad lol." A self-proclaimed comedian jibed, "These parents really aren't thinking it through."</p> <p>Yet amid the chuckles and facepalms, some thought the names were about as wild as a cup of herbal tea. One wise soul pointed out that among the chaos were rather mundane names like Diamond, Aliyah, Jaylene, Porsha, and Aalijah. Apparently, normality is now measured against the Syakyras of the world.</p> <p>Meanwhile, teachers everywhere collectively sighed in sympathy as they remembered their own quirky classroom encounters. One recounted an encounter with a "J'ley" (pronounced like Jaylee), a name that's the linguistic equivalent of a Rubik's Cube.</p> <p>A pupil named Pistol also made an appearance – because what kid doesn't want a name that guarantees zero playground conflicts? And lest we forget, a friend's teacher had the honour of teaching A'Blessyn. It's like the alphabet gipped, and the resulting letters spelled "Bless this child with an unforgettable name."</p> <p>However, the chaos isn't limited to the classroom. It's infiltrated even the most intimate corners of existence. Enter Reddit, where an expectant British dad took to the digital confessional to seek advice on his partner's fantastical name choices for their impending bundle of joy.</p> <p>The British bloke confessed that he'd prefer his offspring not be mistaken for an experimental rocket launch or a motor oil brand. He's opting for classic dignity, imagining a world where his kid doesn't have to explain why their name sounds like a weather forecast for Mercury. Meanwhile, the partner, a visionary in the field of avant-garde nomenclature, has pitched names like Fennix (for the spelling-challenged phoenix), Park (because nature reserves are inspiring, apparently), and Diesel (coming soon to a gas station near you).</p> <p>And so, as teachers practice their tongue-twister warm-ups and parents wage a war of wits over naming rights, we bid adieu to a world where names like John and Sarah were once considered bold.</p> <p>The age of the bewildering baby name is upon us, and the only certainty is that there's a whole generation of kids out there ready to conquer the world with names that defy both pronunciation and reason.</p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Family & Pets

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“A lesson learned”: Uni student lands herself in an overdue book nightmare

<p dir="ltr">A university graduate student received the shock of her academic career when an email arrived in her inbox to inform her she owed her school’s library a whopping $11,900 in overdue book fines. </p> <p dir="ltr">Hannah took to TikTok to share her story, posting a snippet of the horror email, and the news that her library account had amassed a debt of “$11,9000 owed for 119 lost books”. The books had been declared lost, though Hannah was quick to note that she was “still using” each of them, and had every intention of returning them once she was finished with her studies. </p> <p dir="ltr">To drive home the fact that the books were not missing, and instead safely in her scholarly possession, Hannah panned around the various piles of tomes stacked around her home, with a caption reading “the books aren’t lost, I’m just hoarding them until I finish my dissertation.” </p> <p dir="ltr">The email itself explained the books were marked as lost in the library’s system if they exceeded 30 days overdue, and that there was a flat rate of $100 per book in such instances. And according to the library, it was up to each patron to renew their books, and that Hannah “received overdue notices on the following dates prompting you to renew your library books before they are declared lost.”</p> <p dir="ltr">As she explained to <em>The Daily Dot</em>, she had checked out her collection three years prior while she’d been preparing for exams, and confirmed that she had received four reminders to either renew or return the books, but she’d put it off each time. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Then I got the automatic email,” she added, “saying all of the books were marked as lost and my account was charged $100 per book.” </p> <p dir="ltr">Hannah’s woe drew a mixed response from her audience, with some surprised that her library had even let her withdraw that many books in the first place, others unable to wrap their heads around the fact she could have let her situation get so bad, and many quick to defend the librarian, who they declared had only been doing her job. </p> <p dir="ltr">“My library only lets me check out 5 books at a time,” one wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That’s why keeping library books past their due date is considered stealing,” another said, to which Hannah responded to promise her lesson had been learned. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Only 30 days over due??? Damn give a lil more time,” said one, with Hannah informing them that she’d had the books for years by that point. </p> <p dir="ltr">It wasn’t all bad for the budding scholar though, with Hannah explaining in another comment that “it was hunky dory”, as the library had waived her fees as soon as she’d responded to them, and that she’d been allowed to keep all 119 for an additional year. </p> <p dir="ltr">And, as she told another follower, “I’ve never replied to an email faster.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Books

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Misdiagnosed student learns she has incurable cancer

<p dir="ltr">A young woman who suffered from severe pains was told it was due to her excessive drinking – when actually she had an incurable form of cancer.</p> <p dir="ltr">Georgia Ford would occasionally cough up blood, lose her breath easily and struggle to walk or exercise – but was told it was because of how much alcohol she drank.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 20-year-old was given stomach-lining tablets but over time her condition worsened - this time with weight loss and back pain.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Originally the GP said the sickness was acid reflux from the amount that I was drinking because I was a student,” Georgia told Kennedy News.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, when the law student came back from holiday she limited her drinking. But the pains persisted.</p> <p dir="ltr">She kept going back and forth with her doctor, who told Georgia that the pains she was feeling were all in her head due to anxiety. </p> <p dir="ltr">“They basically said that this was all in my head and I wasn’t ill at all. I said ‘I fail to believe that I’m having this many severe symptoms and it’s all in my head’.</p> <p dir="ltr">For almost a year-and-a-half Georgia searched for answers as to why she was feeling the way she was.</p> <p dir="ltr">It was only in November 2021, after Georgia booked a private appointment, that she was diagnosed with papillary renal cell carcinoma – a rare and aggressive form of kidney cancer.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was just so shocked. Just any hope I had of it maybe being something else, it was just the most sinking feeling to be told basically the worst-case scenario and I was just so disappointed in everything,” she said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Honestly it’s not been the same since that; that one moment has literally changed my life.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Doctors explained to the young student that the cancer had started off in her kidneys and spread to her lungs, liver, lymph nodes and bones.</p> <p dir="ltr">And it was then they told the aspiring lawyer that her condition was incurable, forcing her to accept that this is her life now.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s just like this overwhelming sadness that just fills you at the time,” she explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">Since the shocking diagnosis, Georgia has begun immunotherapy, which involves taking medication every day and having an intravenous drip every two weeks. </p> <p dir="ltr">She is always required to take portable oxygen tanks when she goes out, and when it’s time to sleep she requires an oxygen pipe to help her breathe. </p> <p dir="ltr">Doctors say this treatment will help Georgia’s cancer shrink to the point of having a “normal life” as much as possible. </p> <p dir="ltr">A <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/fightagainstprcc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page has been set up to help Georgia with her treatments. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: 7News/GoFundMe</em></p>

Body

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Teens won’t take climate change case to High Court

<p dir="ltr">The eight students who won, then lost their court case to make the Australian government protect children from climate change have confirmed they won’t take the case again in court, but have claimed public shaming of the coalition as a moral victory.</p> <p dir="ltr">After winning their case last year, the decision that Environment Minister Susan Ley had a duty of care to children from future harm caused by climate change <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/finance/legal/why-doesn-t-the-government-have-a-duty-of-care-to-children-s-futures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was overturned</a> in Federal Court in March.</p> <p dir="ltr">The judges’ official reasons included that Ms Ley wasn’t required to protect people from climate change under federal environment laws.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-5b70fe92-7fff-edc1-e2c1-bf7ad2d9593d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">They also said there was insufficient closeness and directness between Ms Ley’s actions and the risk of harm to the students, and that her decisions only had a tiny contribution to the overall risk of climate change.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">This morning me and my co-litigants announced our decision not to appeal the Federal Court’s decision to overturn the “duty of care.” I’ve got no elegant articulate passionate words left in me. Someone go ask Sussan Ley her thoughts please</p> <p>— anjali (@anjsharmaaa) <a href="https://twitter.com/anjsharmaaa/status/1513766846365040642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The students have since confirmed that taking the case to the High Court was out of the question for several reasons, including cost, as reported by <em><a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/students-claim-moral-win-climate-015609947.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo!News</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a joint statement, the students criticised Ms Ley’s use of taxpayer money to pay for the legal fight against teens calling for protection from the harms of fossil fuel consumption.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We urge the environment minister, and by extension, all members of parliament and candidates, to listen to the voices of young people … who are begging for more comprehensive action on climate change and urgent action to reduce carbon emissions,” they said.</p> <p dir="ltr">They also hope voters will remember the debacle when they vote at the upcoming Federal Election.</p> <p dir="ltr">Anjali Sharma, one of the students involved who will turn 18 days before the election, said she will feel a deep sense of satisfaction when she gets to vote for the first time.</p> <p dir="ltr">“For me, ticking that box is going to be a feeling that my voice is finally being heard, and not actively ignored,” she told AAP.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-1ecee6ed-7fff-13da-a494-4ea530f54be4"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

Legal

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Why you do NOT ask your students what they think of you

<p>“I told them they couldn’t say ‘nothing’ and they delivered.”</p> <p>Those were the words from a Year 3 teacher who has revealed online that she asked her students what they would change about her – and the results were nothing short of savage.</p> <p>TikTok user Alex Jean shared the results in an hilarious video in which many of the kids went straight after her looks.</p> <blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@grade3withms.e/video/7079120207637335342" data-video-id="7079120207637335342"> <section><a title="@grade3withms.e" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@grade3withms.e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@grade3withms.e</a> Thank you @missnormansmiddles for this idea that humbled me very quickly 😅😅 <a title="teacher" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/teacher" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#teacher</a> <a title="teacherlife" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/teacherlife" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#teacherlife</a> <a title="teachers" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/teachers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#teachers</a> <a title="teachertiktok" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/teachertiktok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#teachertiktok</a> <a title="teachertok" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/teachertok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#teachertok</a> <a title="teacheroftiktok" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/teacheroftiktok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#teacheroftiktok</a> <a title="students" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/students" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#students</a> <a title="whatwouldyou" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/whatwouldyou" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#whatwouldyou</a> <a title="♬ Originalton - AnnenMayKantereit" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Originalton-7076464112204614406" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ Originalton - AnnenMayKantereit</a></section> </blockquote> <p>First up, one of the kids told her “one eyebrow is skinny and the other is fat” and another said she “tucks all her shirts in.”</p> <p>A third child also slammed her appearance and said “you smile a lot and it looks like your eyes are closed”. Another found her mannerisms annoying and said she “blinks too much”.</p> <p>One child took issue with her teaching style, and said “you make us do a lot of work”.</p> <p>However, one of the children was sweet with their answer, saying the only thing they’d change is that she won’t be their teacher next year.</p> <p>Many people found the video adorable, with one viewer commenting: “the eyebrows one made me laugh. children are so funny”.</p> <p>Another joked: “I’d be there consciously trying to blink less.”</p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Students stunned as wild fight erupts outside school

<p dir="ltr">A violent altercation between two men erupted outside a school in Melbourne as students were being picked up by their parents.</p> <p dir="ltr">Shocked students from Melton Secondary College in the state’s west, watched on in horror as two motorists began throwing punches at each other in the middle of the road on Tuesday afternoon.</p> <p dir="ltr">Disturbing footage shows a shirtless man grabbing a pole off the floor before allegedly forcing it through the ute window while children were inside.</p> <p dir="ltr">The man allegedly appears to repeatedly force the pole in the window as victims inside could be seen moving their heads to avoid being hit.</p> <p dir="ltr">The driver of the ute attempts to jump out but his door is kicked shut by the attacker, but eventually he makes it out.</p> <p dir="ltr">He charges at the alleged attacker, both of them throwing punches at each other as the altercation spilled in the middle of the street forcing children and their parents to run away.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police arrived and arrested the 21-year-old Melton man and he was subsequently charged.</p> <p dir="ltr">'Police have been told a man stepped out onto Coburns Road near High Street just before 3.30pm,' Victoria Police said in a statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">'It is believed the man smashed the windscreen of a car causing three other cars to collide nose to tail.'</p> <p dir="ltr">'The driver of the damaged car got out of the vehicle and was involved in a physical altercation with the offender.'</p> <p dir="ltr">Warning: Confronting footage <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/man-charged-over-alleged-melton-road-rage-attack-outside-melbourne-school/1be1cdf6-449d-4fe7-b365-86e3811676ed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine</em></p>

News

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Furious backlash after school offers shapewear to female students

<p><em>Image: Facebook/Getty</em></p> <p>A Mississippi middle school has offered body-slimming shapewear to female students this month, leading to furious backlash.</p> <p>Southaven Middle School in northern Mississippi sent a letter home to parents of teen and tween girls, educating on the issue of negative body image.</p> <p>The letter concluded with an offer from the school's counselors to provide shapewear — a foundation garment that's used alter a person's body shape. This offer was made to any of the students, aged 10 to 14, whose parents agreed to it.</p> <p>The letter was shared on social media by mom Ashley Heun, who said that she was 'beyond p***ed.'</p> <p>'This is what was sent home with my 8th-grade daughter,' Heun, whose daughter Caroline attends the school, wrote on Facebook.</p> <p>The memo is headed with the nonsensical title 'Why Do Girls Suffer from Body Image?' — which should more accurately say suffer from 'bad' or 'negative' body image.</p> <p>The memo goes on to discuss how 'social and cultural experiences' create a 'desire to adhere to an "ideal" body shape,' and how girls are 'more likely than boys to have negative body image.'</p> <p>While the memo is mostly thoughtful, noting that 'women in the United States feel pressured to measure up to strict and unrealistic social and cultural beauty ideals,' it also asserts that girls with a positive body image are more likely to have good self esteem, physical health and mental health — and it offers a surprising way of supporting that.</p> <p>'We, the counsellors of Southaven Middle School, would like to have an opportunity to offer some healthy literature to your daughter on maintaining a positive body image.</p> <p>'We are also providing girls with shapewear, bras, and other health products if applicable.'</p>

Body

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Students’ removal of Queen’s photo causes ire

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Students in the UK have caused a stir after voting to remove a photograph of the Queen from their university common room.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Postgraduate students at Magdalen College, Oxford, voted to take down the print, with minutes from the meeting noting that “for some students depictions of the monarch and the British monarchy represent recent colonial history.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The move drew criticism from UK Education secretary Gavin Williamson, who tweeted: “Oxford university students removing a picture of the Queen is simply absurd. She is the head of state and a symbol of what is best about the UK. During her long reign she has worked tirelessly to promote British values of tolerance, inclusivity and respect around the world.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a swift response, Dinah Rose, the president of Magdalen College, defended the decision and wrote: “Here are some facts about Magdalen College and HM the Queen. The Middle Common Room is an organisation of graduate students. They don’t represent the College. A few years ago, in 2013 they bought a print of the Queen to decorate their common room.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“They recently voted to take it down. Both of these decisions are their own to take, not the College’s. Magdalen strongly supports free speech and political debate and the MCR’s right to autonomy.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She added: “Being a student is about more than studying. It’s about exploring and debating ideas. It’s sometimes about provoking the older generation. Looks like that isn’t so hard to do these days.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rose also said the print would be safely stored in the event the students vote to put the print up once more.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Matthew Katzman, Magdalen’s MCR president, told the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Daily Telegraph</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">: “It has been taken down. It was decided to leave the common room neutral. That was what this was about. The college will have plenty of depictions of various things but the common room is meant to be a space for all to feel welcome.” </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Magdalen College, Theroyalfamily / Instagram</span></em></p>

Art

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University students jailed after finding KFC loophole

<p>A group of Chinese university students have been sentenced to up to two and a half years in jail after they found a loophole to receive AUD $40,000 worth of KFC.</p> <p>The university students from east China’s Jiangsu Province scammed KFC through their mobile apps,<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202105/1223171.shtml" target="_blank">the<span> </span><em>Global Times</em><span> </span>reports.</a></p> <p>The group obtained free KFC meals and made profits by reselling it.</p> <p>In total, the fast food giant had economic losses equating to 200,000 yuan ($40,000).</p> <p>One student discovered that through his WeChat account, he could get meals and coupons without fronting up the money.</p> <p>The young person would sell coupons as well as meals to make a profit.</p> <p>He would also order meals for himself.</p> <p>In the time period between April and October 2018, his dealings led for the company to lose over 58,000 yuan ($11,000).</p> <p>The other students that were part of the elaborate scam had losses that ranged from 8,900 yuan ($1700) to 47,000 yuan ($9400) each.</p> <p>The court ruled the main instigator, whose last name is Xu, would be given a two-and-a-half-year jail sentence, along with a 6000 yuan ($1200) fine.</p> <p>They were charged for “crimes of fraud and imparting criminal methods”.</p> <p>The other four scammers were sentenced from 15 months to two years in jail.</p> <p>They were also fined between 1000 yuan ($200) and 4000 yuan ($800).</p>

Legal

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Zoom class captures terrifying moment student was held hostage

<p><span>An online Zoom class captured the terrifying moment a young woman was held hostage in a home invasion.</span><br /><br /><span>The scary ordeal took place during a live English lesson that was being broadcast during Zoom due to the strict coronavirus restrictions placed on citizens in the State of Durango, northwest of Mexico City.</span><br /><br /><span>The horrifying footage showed Ariana Sofia Hernandez Aldama on the left hand side of her screen with her hands tied and her face covered.</span><br /><br /><span>Throughout the video Ms Aldama remains motionless so as not to egg on the intruder.</span><br /><br /><span>Her fellow classmates watched on as the man moved silently in the background wearing a baseball hat.</span><br /><br /><span>The man lowers the camera so his movements can no longer be recorded.</span><br /><br /><span>The suspect then allegedly stole a set of keys from inside Ms Aldama’s home and used them to steal a car.</span><br /><br /><span>A number of the girl’s horrified classmates contacted emergency services to report the crime but by the time anyone arrived at Ms Aldama’s house, the attacker had already fled in the stolen vehicle.</span><br /><br /><span>While Ms Aldama was physically unharmed, there is no doubt she will be haunted forever by the incident and has undergone counselling to help recover from the invasion.</span><br /><br /><span>The Durango Prosecutor's Office reported the alleged perpetrator has been identified, and they are working to find his whereabouts.</span><br /><br /><span>The authorities also maintained that the vehicle stolen by the assailant has already been recovered.</span></p>

Legal

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High school student apologises to Prince Harry for “cuddling” Duchess Meghan

<p>A British high school student made news around the world after he hugged the Duchess of Sussex during the royal’s visit to a school on Friday.</p> <p>Now 16-year-old Aker Okoye has apologised to Prince Harry for embracing his wife.</p> <p>Okoye, head boy at Robert Clack School in east London, came up on stage after Duchess Meghan invited a “brave young man” to volunteer to discuss the importance of International Women’s Day, which is celebrated on March 8.</p> <p>Okoye leaned in for a kiss on the cheek before telling his classmates, “She really is beautiful, innit.”</p> <p>The Duchess gave him a hug after he made his comments about the day. “Incredible confidence, don’t you all agree,” she said after Okoye left the stage.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/B9eqhs3J2uP/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><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/tv/B9eqhs3J2uP/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">The Duchess of Sussex visited Robert Clack School, to celebrate the women of the future, and also highlight the important role men and boys play in International Women’s Day. The Duchess asked a young student to come on stage and share his perspective on the importance of the day, and whilst much attention has been focused on his initial comment, what he shared beyond that was compelling and true. Please watch the full video and tag a man in your life, and have him share what #IWD means to him</a></p> <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/sussexroyal/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> The Duke and Duchess of Sussex</a> (@sussexroyal) on Mar 8, 2020 at 9:23am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>In a written letter to the Duke of Sussex published on <em>The Sun</em>, Okoye said he hoped his actions weren’t out of line.</p> <p>“I hope you didn’t mind me cuddling your wife,” he wrote, noting he was “just overwhelmed and shocked to see her arrive at my school”.</p> <p>Okoye said it was “a pleasure to hear [Meghan’s] speech and to speak in front of her as well. She is truly inspirational”.</p> <p>In an interview with <em>Good Morning Britain</em>, the student told host Piers Morgan: “It was one of those moments which I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”</p> <p>The Duchess’ surprise visit to the school was her last solo official engagement as a senior royal before she and Harry step down on March 31.</p>

Beauty & Style

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Australian student shares update from inside Wuhan amid coronavirus outbreak

<p>A university student has shared what life under lockdown in Wuhan was like amidst the coronavirus outbreak.</p> <p>Australian National University student Helen Chen has been unable to leave the city of 11 million people after she travelled in to celebrate Chinese New Year with her family.</p> <p>Speaking in a video distributed by Reuters, Chen said she has not left her parents’ apartment since around a week ago.</p> <p>“There is literally no one outside. It’s pretty scary,” she said.</p> <p>“The last time I went out was probably a week ago, I think.</p> <p>“I wore a mask, most people were wearing masks and when my parents went out this morning to do groceries they wore masks as well.</p> <p>“I made sure that they brought hand sanitiser and they wore gloves just to be extra careful.”</p> <p>Chen said she was keeping busy by doing her university assignments while her father watched the Australian Open on TV.</p> <p>She also noted the ways people had responded to the outbreak.</p> <p>“Times like this sometimes bring out the worst in people as I have seen a lot of comments online but there are also good people around,” she said.</p> <p>“A lot of people are donating food and people are volunteering to drive doctors and nurses around … Sometimes we forget that there are just wonderful people out there who are willing to put themselves at risk of infection, and possibly even death, to help others.”</p> <p>In a <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.facebook.com/helecx/posts/3198588340156167" target="_blank">Facebook post</a> shared on Tuesday, Chen shared another update on life in the city.</p> <p>“We have enough fresh produce at home for a couple days since my parents went out again yesterday morning on a grocery run,” she wrote.</p> <p>“Most smaller neighbourhood supermarkets are closed but bigger designated supermarkets are open and the apparently the [government] is making sure they get multiple deliveries every day and prices are kept as per normal.</p> <p>“We’re more or less living our life like how we normally would, apart from the anxieties of infection and not being able to go out. But it’s all pretty mild stuff compared to what people directly involved are feeling. I do acknowledge I am speaking from a place of privilege, and my personal experience might not be the perfect reflection of the situation in Wuhan.”</p> <p>Chen also addressed the seemingly racist comments on social media which laid the blame on Chinese people for forgoing health and safety concerns. “I’ve seen reports of incidents where selfish individuals have knowingly put others in danger,” she wrote.</p> <p>“But again, it’s unfair to insist that they are an accurate reflection of Chinese people in general. Most of us are doing our part by respecting the quarantine, staying home, wearing masks when we really do have to go out, and donating in any way we are able to.”</p> <p>The coronavirus has so far taken more than 120 lives and infected more than 5,900 people in China.</p>

Travel Trouble

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A teacher’s beautiful decision for 14-year-old student with down syndrome

<p>A teacher has made a beautiful gesture for a 14-year-old boy with down syndrome.</p> <p>Kerry Bremer, 52, first met Jake Manning when he was just 14 years old, along with his mother Jean four years ago after the family moved to Massachusetts from Florida, US.</p> <p>Sadly Jean had breast cancer and worried about the fate of her only son.</p> <p>“He’s just so lovable,” Bremer told<span> </span><em>Boston 25 News</em><span> </span>about the student.</p> <p>“He loves everyone, and he’s so smart and funny. He is very funny.”</p> <p>Bremer was Jake's teacher at CASE Collaborative School in Concord, Massachusetts when he and his family just moved to the state.</p> <p>After Jean expressed worry about what would happen to him if she were to pass away, which resulted in Kerry offering up to adopt sweet Jake who she admitted she “fell in love with” instantly.</p> <p>“I called his mom and I said, ‘I might be overstepping here, I’m really sorry if I am but just in case, if you need to have some backup for Jake my family would be willing to be his guardians,’ and she said, ‘I’m going to sleep better tonight than I have in a very long time,’” Bremer explained. </p> <p>“I knew he would a need a home and there was no way I wouldn't open ours to him.”</p> <p>Kerry and her husband already have three children: Kristen, 21, Jonathan, 19, and Kaitlyn, 16. </p> <p>On November 13, Jake’s mother, Jean, sadly passed away from cancer, and swiftly moved into Bremer’s home full-time.</p> <p>“He needed us and quite honestly obviously we needed him,” Bremer said.</p> <p>“He’s fit in so perfect here.”</p>

Caring

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Duchess Meghan’s heartfelt letters to students

<p>The Duchess of Sussex is an avid note-writer since before she married into British royalty and even Hollywood fame. </p> <p>It appears while becoming a member of one of the world’s most recognisable families has been a life altering change in a myriad of ways, there is one thing the Duchess will never let go of - and that is her habit of sending letters. </p> <p>The royal mother of one has left a classroom of students overjoyed after it was realised she had sent them personal notes. </p> <p>A year 3-4 class at Woodlands Community Primary School in Birkenhead, Mereyside were put to the task of writing letters addressed to the Duchess, as part of their unit on Black History Month. </p> <p>A number of the pupils received thankful notes from the royal after posting to the Duchess. </p> <p>"Imagine our excitement when we received personal letters back from Buckingham Palace!" the school wrote on Twitter, along with a picture of the happy students. </p> <p>The Buckingham Palace correspondence staffer Claudia Spens wrote an introductory letter to the teacher of the class, whose students took time to write to the royal. </p> <p>"I am writing to thank you for your recent letter and enclosures in connection with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's visit to Birkenhead, Merseyside in January," Spens wrote.</p> <p>"Their Royal Highnesses very much enjoyed their visit to Birkenhead and greatly appreciated the warm welcome they received. I am so glad that the children were able to meet The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.</p> <p>"I would be grateful if you could pass the enclosed envelopes to each child that wrote a lovely letter to Her Royal Highness."</p> <p>While it didn’t look like the letters were penned by hand, the Duchess is famous for her distinctive handwriting and has spoken about her love for a personally written note. </p> <p>Even before she established herself as a well known actress, the royal worked as a freelance calligrapher. </p> <p>"Amongst the throwback things that I love ... what trumps all is my love of writing (and receiving) a handwritten note," Meghan once wrote on her lifestyle blog<span> </span><em>The Tig.</em></p> <p>"I think handwritten notes are a lost art form. </p> <p>“The idea of someone taking the time to put pen to paper is really special."</p>

Beauty & Style

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Student’s 65-million-year-old extremely rare find

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A college student with a slight obsession with dinosaurs has made the dig of a lifetime. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Harrison Duran, a biology student from Dakota was on a palaeontology dig in southwestern North Dakota in the United States, when he unearthed a partial Triceratops skull.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Harrison paired up with an expert excavator Michael Kjelland and together they underwent a two-week search at Hell Creek Formation - a site known for dinosaur fossils. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The duo were attempting to find plant fossils and on day four into their dig, were left shocked at their significant find. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I can't quite express my excitement in that moment when we uncovered the skull," Mr Duran told his </span><a href="https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2019/undergrad-discovers-triceratops-skull-paleontology-dig-north-dakota"><span style="font-weight: 400;">college website UC Merced</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, on Wednesday.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">23-year-old Harrison found the fossil himself - it was turned upside down with its left horn partially exposed, and surrounded by fossils. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I've been obsessed with dinosaurs since I was a kid, so it was a pretty big deal," Mr Duran said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They named the dinosaur found as Alice - after the owner of the land. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Alice was meticulously stabilised with glue, plastered up and removed from a location she called home for over 65 million years,” the </span><a href="https://www.fossilexcavators.com/alice"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fossil Excavations website</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> read.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The duo will now spend the next few months researching the rare fossil and preparing Alice for public showings. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"It's such a rare opportunity to showcase something like this, and I'd like to share it with the campus community," he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alice’s location will be kept top secret to protect potential further finds. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"There have been people in the past who have stolen dinosaur bones," Professor Kjelland told </span><a href="http://www.cnn.com.au"><span style="font-weight: 400;">CNN.</span></a></p>

Retirement Life

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Can you solve this math problem for primary students?

<p>A homework question that was intended for an 8-year-old has left parents clueless.</p> <p>The question, which was shared on parenting website <a href="https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3245037-Can-someone-help-with-this-KS2-homework?messages=100&amp;pg=1#prettyPhoto" target="_blank"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mumsnet</span></em></strong></a>, asks students to solve a riddle that involves working out what time various lighthouses will shine their lights.</p> <p>The answer is achieved by working out the common multiples between the schedules of the lighthouses.</p> <p>Can you solve the homework riddle?</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="650" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7818287/1_500x650.jpg" alt="1 (136)"/></p> <p>The question has been criticised as being “ridiculous” for primary students to answer. </p> <p>The puzzle reads, “On the coast there are three lighthouses. The first light shines for 3 seconds then it is off for three seconds. The second light shines for 4 seconds then it is off for 4 seconds. The third light shines for 5 seconds then it is off for 5 seconds. All three lights have just come on together.</p> <p>“When is the first time that all three of the lights will be off together?</p> <p>“When is the next time that all three lights will come on at exactly the same moment?”</p> <p>The math question left parents baffled but they eventually arrived at the same answer that the lights would be off together at six seconds, and they would come on together at 120 seconds.</p> <p>Parents found that the problem was easiest worked out by finding the time they were off and then finding out when they were off at the same time.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="289" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7818288/2_500x289.jpg" alt="2 (78)"/></p> <p>The first light house comes on every 6 seconds, the second every 8 and the third every 10, so you have to work out the lowest number that can be divided by all those numbers – which is 120.</p> <p>The question frustrated many parents by the level of difficulty being given to students in Year 4.</p> <p>“That is a ridiculous question and I'm only here to learn something,” one wrote.</p> <p>Did you solve the problem? Let us know in the comments below.</p>

Mind

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7-year-old student shocks teacher with heartbreaking letter to Santa

<p>A first-grade teacher in Texas was shocked and saddened by a letter written by one of her students to Santa.</p> <p>The teacher, Ruth Espiricueta, asked her students to write a letter with one thing they want and one thing they need this Christmas.</p> <p>It was designed to help them learn the difference between needs and wants, but Ms Espiricueta was shocked by some of the letters she read later that day.</p> <p>The teacher shared one letter that really affected her on Facebook. It read:</p> <p>“Dear Santa Claus, I have [been] good this day. This Christmas I would like a ball and a food. I need a [blanket],” the girl had written.</p> <p>Ms Espiricueta shared a photo of the letter, writing, “As a teacher it breaks my heart when I hear them ask for things that we sometimes take for granted.”</p> <p>The teacher was not expecting her students to ask for such basic needs as food and warmth.</p> <p>Speaking with the child the next day about the letter, the young student explained that she would like a ball to share with her brother, and some eggs for their family to eat.</p> <p>In an interview with <em>ABC News</em>, Ms Espiricueta explained, "Some of my students were not even excited about Christmas because they know that their parents can not afford to buy a Christmas tree or gifts for them.”</p> <p>The revelation has prompted the teacher to start a donation drive to collect 720 blankets for students in need. ABC News reports that they have already collected 616.</p> <p>Have you been affected by hardship at Christmas time? Did anyone reach out to you? Share your story with us in the comments.</p>

News

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“I’m Madeleine McCann”: University student claims she is missing toddler

<p>A British university student has claimed she is missing toddler Madeleine McCann after pointing out a few similarities.</p> <p>Harriet Brookes’ bold claims showed photos of brown spots on her eye and leg as evidence she is the long-lost child who vanished in mysterious circumstances in 2007.</p> <p>Positing information from Wikipedia and pictures of the three-year-old Maddie, Brookes said that she, like Maddie, she had a brown spot on her iris, <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4997769/uni-student-claims-she-is-madeleine-mccann-and-shows-off-distinctive-brown-spot-on-her-eye-as-evidence/">The Sun</a> reported.</p> <p>She told her friends: “Right guys. I don’t usually believe in conspiracy theories but honestly I think I’m Madeleine McCann.”</p> <p>One responded: “I f***ing give up.”</p> <p><img width="404" height="620" src="http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/e80f36aede38c856b09b2ca68b2fd280" alt="A post from Harriet Brookes joking that she is Madeleine McCann has gone viral." style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>She then posted a picture of her eye and leg calling them “Exhibit A” and “Exhibit B”.</p> <p>Screenshots of the group message were posted on Twitter by Brookes’ friend and have since gone viral.</p> <p><img width="383" height="591" src="http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/6e30ab81eded726a14bd4913d7697902" alt="A post from Harriet Brookes joking that she is Madeleine McCann has gone viral." style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>However, the student in question has now claimed the messages with her friends were a joke, telling <a href="https://thetab.com/uk/kings/2017/11/25/this-leeds-student-thinks-shes-maddie-mccann-and-everyone-on-twitter-is-shook-18183">The Tab</a> that she “just sent it for a joke”.</p> <p>“I’m loving reading people’s reactions. I feel like so many people are taking it seriously,” she said.</p> <p>Madeleine disappeared while on a family holiday in Portugal in 2007 when she was just three-years-old.</p>

Technology

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I’ve hosted over 90 international students in retirement

<p>Bill Visser, 75, was first introduced to exchange students at the age of eight in Holland. The exchange students were from Indonesia and his eyes opened to a new culture (and delicious foods) he had never known before.</p> <p>Later in life, with a passion to meet new people and discover their cultures, Bill opened a Homestay for international students after moving to New Zealand.</p> <p>“I was very successful and could work when I wanted. When I was fatigued, I could rest a while,” Bill remarks.   </p> <p>Now, Bill has been hosting international students for over 20 years and has had around 90 students walk through his door.</p> <p>Over60 spoke to Bill to find out what has made him continue to host students over the past two decades.</p> <p><strong>The flexible supplementary income adds up</strong></p> <p>Although the financial aspect isn’t his motivation, Bill’s flexible income from hosting students allows him to pursue his hobbies when has the time.  “Financially, you can do more but sometimes you are too busy,” he says.</p> <p>Bill’s work routine allows him to pursue his hobbies of acting and when he lived in China for two years, he appeared in multiple films, series and advertisements.</p> <p>Hosting students can be time consuming but when Bill gets a new student, he enjoys taking them out on tours of New Zealand to get a glimpse of the country. He also leaves each of the students with a special memory when they leave his homestay to go back to their own countries. Bill organises for them to plant a tree in his garden so there will always be a way to remember each student. </p> <p>“For everyone I’ve planted a tree. We dig a hole and they put it in and we write their name next to it. So, every year I take a look and take a picture and send it to them,” Bill says.</p> <p><strong>You get to learn about other cultures</strong></p> <p>Bill loves to research the cultures of each student who comes to stay with him. “Different cultures widen the horizon,” he expresses.  “What is normal in their own country is not normal here.”</p> <p>Bill recalls his first student from Korea who still writes to Bill and refers to him as “papa”.</p> <p>“My first student was big, tall Korean guy and he told me his story. He had spent 10 months in New Zealand to learn business.”</p> <p>Bill remembers the day the student was discouraged because no one he encountered in New Zealand understood his culture. That’s when Bill decided to research the foods that were popular in New Zealand so he could surprise the student with them. </p> <p>“I looked into what Korean food was important and learned basic things about their culture. I learned that they sleep on the floor.”</p> <p>“Now 22 years later, he still writes to me, he still calls me papa. He is the CEO of a large international company and when I see him on the TV I’m standing up and putting my hands on my chest and my shirt and I say, ‘Look, that’s my Korean son.’”</p> <p><strong>Making life-long friends</strong></p> <p>“Because I lived in different countries, I can understand feeling a foreigner. When you are in another country, the whole thing is different. You don’t have the friends, you don’t always know who you can trust. Sometimes it can be difficult,” Bill explained.</p> <p>Bill gets excited that he has the opportunity to learn off his students when they stay and is encouraged when he makes an impact on their lives.</p> <p>Bill recalls the time a 19-year-old Malaysian student stayed with him. One day she came to Bill and asked to chat with him as she was confused about what to do with her life.</p> <p>“So, I told her a little bit about my life and then said, ‘You can make up your mind whether you can do the same or something similar.’”</p> <p>Bill asked the student what had made her journey to New Zealand and leave her single mum. The student explained that she wanted to learn English but her desire was forcing her mum to work extensive hours, scrubbing floors to raise the funds.</p> <p>Bill talked through different plans with the student and then suggested to her to go back to her country and study English in a university there. She followed his suggestion and is now an English teacher in her country.</p> <p>Bill reflects on the students who have walked into his homestay with fondness and credits his homestay as filling a void in his previously “empty life”.</p> <p>Have you ever hosted an exchange student before? Tell us about your experience in the comments below. </p>

Retirement Life