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Paris makes controversial Olympics decision

<p>The mayor of Paris has caused an uproar amongst locals are announcing plans to keep the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower indefinitely. </p> <p>In an interview with Ouest-France, Mayor Anne Hidalgo said the iconic landmark will be keeping the Olympic symbol after the conclusion of the summer Games. </p> <p>“The decision is up to me, and I have the agreement of the IOC [International Olympic Committee]. So yes, they [the rings] will stay on the Eiffel Tower,” she said. </p> <p>The giant Olympic rings, measuring 29 meters wide and 15 meters high, were installed on the Eiffel Tower ahead of the Paris Olympics, which began on July 26th, and were set to be dismantled after the Paralympic Games draw to a close on September 8th. </p> <p>However, Hidalgo is pushing to keep them in place permanently, albeit in a lighter version, replacing the current 30-tonne structure.</p> <p>The plan has drawn mixed reactions from Parisians, with many slamming the idea and calling out the "defiling" of the iconic French landmark. </p> <p>“It’s a historic monument, why defile it with rings? It was good for the Olympics, but now it’s over, we can move on. Maybe we should remove them and return the Eiffel Tower to how it was before,” one local told French publication <em>France Bleu</em>.</p> <p>Descendant of the Eiffel Tower designer Gustave Eiffel even chimed in on the debate, as a family statement read, "It does not seem appropriate to us that the Eiffel Tower, which has become the symbol of Paris and the whole of France since its construction 135 years ago, has the symbol of an outside organisation added to it in a permanent way, whatever its prestige."</p> <p>The SOS Paris group, which campaigns to protect Paris's landmarks and environment, added, "The Eiffel Tower has a history of 135 years and surpasses a sports and media event of 17 days," while the chairman of the association Friends of the Champs de Mars, the park around the Eiffel Tower, said the idea "needed to be the subject of a wider consultation".</p> <p>However, some people were in favour of the rings remaining on the Eiffel Tower, as one local told the publication, “The Eiffel Tower is very beautiful, the rings add colour. It’s very nice to see it like this.” </p> <p><em>Image credits: Aimee Dilger/SOPA Images/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Man arrested for climbing Eiffel Tower before closing ceremony

<p>A British man has been arrested after climbing the Eiffel Tower just hours before the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics was due to commence. </p> <p>Shocked onlookers were horrified when they spotted the shirtless man scaling the 330m structure with no harness, as he stood on top of the blue Olympic ring before continuing his dangerous ascent.</p> <p>Incredible footage of the dangerous stunt, which was posted to X, shows him reaching halfway up the giant landmark with just a bag of chalk to help him, as he was not supported by any ropes or harnesses. </p> <p>Other videos shows the free climber being taken away in handcuffs by French police as tourists looked on from the viewing platform.</p> <p>The Paris Prosecutor’s office confirmed to <em>The Sun</em> the man was British and has been charged with endangering others and intrusion into a historic or cultural site.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">someone was trying to climb up Eiffel Tower after the Olympics, he was detained by police shortly after 💀<a href="https://t.co/m1oRWsKYeX">pic.twitter.com/m1oRWsKYeX</a></p> <p>— ryan 🤿 (@scubaryan_) <a href="https://twitter.com/scubaryan_/status/1822685874691444924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p>A Paris police spokesman said: “At 2.45pm, an individual was seen climbing the Eiffel Tower. The police immediately intervened and arrested the individual.”</p> <p>According to spectators, the man could be heard saying “bloody warm, innit” as he was led away by police. </p> <p>Security officials quickly cordoned off the Eiffel Tower as they evacuated the site at around 3pm, as those inside were briefly locked up on the second floor, before they were allowed to leave around 30 minutes later once the man had been escorted from the area.</p> <p>Specialist climbing police were sent up the tower after it was cleared to check for any suspicious or unusual activity.</p> <p>Tourists queuing up for the landmark were left unaware of the ongoing situation and were left frustrated after they were told to leave.</p> <p>One social media user posted on X: “Just waited in line for so long to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower but someone is trying to climb it so they just shut the whole thing down. Super.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: X (Twitter)</em></p>

Legal

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Avril Lavigne shows off massive engagement ring in Paris

<p dir="ltr"><em>He was a sk8er boi she said YES</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Canadian rocker Avril Lavigne has shown off her huge and absolutely stunning engagement ring. </p> <p dir="ltr">After just one year of dating, Derek Ryan Smith who goes by the name Mod Sun, got down on one knee in Paris in front of the Eiffel Tower and proposed. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Oui! Je t’aime pour toujours. Dimanche. 27. Mars. 2022,” Avril wrote in a series of heartwarming photos of the proposal. </p> <p dir="ltr">A simple translation from French, Avril’s message reads “Yes! I love you forever” along with the date.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mod Sun went a step further and wrote a loving message to his now fiancée also sharing sweet snaps of the treasured moment. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The day we met I knew you were the one. Together forever til our days are done,” his message began.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I had a dream where I proposed in paris. I pulled out a ring + asked you to wear it. I was on one knee as I looked in your eyes. </p> <p dir="ltr">“You’re too beautiful for my words to describe. I grabbed your hand + took one last breath…I said “will you marry me?” + she said “yes”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I love you Avril.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The endearing photos show the loved-up couple kissing, smiling at one another, as well as Avril showing off the heart-shaped engagement ring which glows on her left finger. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

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How the Eiffel Tower grew six metres this year

<p dir="ltr">The Eiffel Tower has grown a whopping six metres in just one day, after a new communications antenna was attached to the top by a team of engineers.</p> <p dir="ltr">The digital radio antenna was taken to the top of the Iron Lady by helicopter and fixed on, taking the looming structure from 324 metres to 330 metres tall, as reported by the <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/the-eiffel-tower-grows-even-higher-thanks-to-new-antenna/VPMOIA7FBPLYDS2S6S63BE3H7Y/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a></em>.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-96312ded-7fff-7b9e-5a5b-77cbc3a8d53b"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Though it may seem like a minor event to tourists, Jean-François Martins, the Eiffel Tower company’s president, said it was a historic moment in the tower’s 133-year history.</p> <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/CbIesarMOXL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/CbIesarMOXL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Tour Eiffel (@toureiffelofficielle)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“It’s a historical moment this morning because the Eiffel Tower is getting higher, which is not so common,” Mr Martins told the Associated Press.</p> <p dir="ltr">“From the invention of the radio at the beginning of the 20th century to right now, decades after decades, the Eiffel Tower has been a partner for all the radio technology.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-eb85e943-7fff-9532-fd9e-955519d87e29"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">But when the Eiffel Tower was first inaugurated in 1889 - when it was just 312 metres high - it wasn’t a hub for tourists or meant to be a permanent attraction.</p> <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/CbLDZ0uoP_Q/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/CbLDZ0uoP_Q/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Tour Eiffel (@toureiffelofficielle)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Originally built as a main attraction at the 1889 Paris World’s Fair, the structure caused controversy in the art world and was meant to be taken down after 20 years.</p> <p dir="ltr">As Parisians began to welcome its bold design, its creator, Gustave Eiffel, saved it from deconstruction by making it an enormous antenna for wireless broadcasting.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the Eiffel Tower’s <a href="https://www.toureiffel.paris/en/the-monument/eiffel-tower-and-science" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>, the structure’s creator intended for it to be a hub for science, with barometers, anemometers, lightning conductors and even a meteorology office added to it on the day it was inaugurated.</p> <p dir="ltr">Now, it also broadcasts 45 TV channels and 32 radio stations across the region, thanks to its various emitters and installations.</p> <p dir="ltr">Visitors can also see the names of 72 French scientists engraved on the tower, including the chemist Henry Louis Le Chatelier (the namesake of a principle of thermodynamics) and Léon Foucault (who was credited with naming the gyroscope and demonstrating how the Earth rotates).</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f75a0536-7fff-afc0-3b45-08076a8c7c19"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @toureiffelofficielle (Instagram)</em></p>

Technology

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World’s tallest athlete towering in Tokyo

<p>The world’s tallest athlete Morteza Mehrzad, who competes sitting down, is 246cm tall and he’s part of the Iranian men’s sitting volleyball team which is on track for back-to-back gold medals at the Paralympics.</p> <p>The middle-eastern nation has dominated the sport for decades — winning six of the past eight gold medals in the men’s game — but it’s the addition of Mehrzad which has made the team even more unbeatable.</p> <p>The 33-year-old is the second tallest man alive and the tallest Paralympian in history.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.12648221343875px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843639/tallest-athlete-2-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/3b9a155aa6764bbe9dc77eaf510d451a" /></p> <p>In a sport where players with a variety of ailments sit down and try to get the ball over the net which is approximately 1.15m off the floor, it’s very easy for Mehrzad.</p> <p>Iran will meet the sport’s other powerhouse Bosnia Herzegovina in the semi-finals on Thursday night in a rematch of the gold medal game in Rio four years ago.</p> <p>On that occasion, Mehrzad made the difference and Iran won the medal.</p> <p><strong>Iran’s coach asked Mehrzad to join</strong></p> <p>Iran’s coach Hadi Rezaeigarkani saw Mehrzad on a TV program about physical disorders and got in contact with him, asking him to join the team.</p> <p>He took up the sport nine years ago and made his international debut in 2016 and immediately started winning awards. He’s only improved, continuing to dominate at the Paralympics.</p> <p>Even sitting down, when Mehrzad raises his right arm, it reaches a height of 1.93 metres. When spiking — the term used to describe a forceful attacking shot to get the ball over the net — he can get his dominant hand up to 2.3m in the air.</p> <p><strong>It’s not all good news for the Iranian sports star</strong></p> <p>While it’s easy to see why Mehrzad would be happy with his progress, it isn’t all good news for the Iranian superstar.</p> <p>He suffers from acromegaly - a medical condition which arises from the brain’s pituitary gland producing too much growth hormone after the body’s growth plates have closed. By the age of 16 he was already over 1.9m tall.</p> <p>Mehrzad rarely stands up though because he seriously injured his pelvis in a bike accident as a teenager, meaning he now spends significant amounts of time either on crutches or in a wheelchair.</p> <p>His right leg has stopped growing and it’s about 15cm shorter than his left. The sad reality is that while he’s helping his teammates to win and bringing recognition to his country in Tokyo at the moment, his condition does not bode well for his long term future.</p> <p>A spokesperson for his team said: “His health is not going well. His health is currently declining because he’s getting taller. I think he’s still growing. The first time we saw him he could walk better but now he has to walk with crutches.”</p> <p>But now is a time for Mehrzad and his team to focus on the positives. Iran has won six gold medals and two silvers across the past eight Paralympics, and with Mehrzad’s help, it looks likely they’ll be heading home from these Games with some more medals as well.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Body

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Would you climb a 47-metre tower for a free car lease? In Norway, you can

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At 47 metres high, the tallest free-standing climbing tower in the world has opened in Norway, and car company Ford’s new campaign has brought it additional attention.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After opening in June this year, professional climbers were invited to try and reach the top of the tower, with the fastest climber taking home a free two-year lease on a Ford Explorer PHEV.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The company even crane-lifted their newest model onto the top of the tower, sitting on top of a special platform that supports the weight of the plug-in hybrid car.</span></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/p/CR8cy0XgSIy/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CR8cy0XgSIy/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Ford Norge (@fordnorge)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ford’s Explore New Heights challenge saw 14 climbers compete after successfully completing a qualifying test.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing the footage to their Instagram page, Ford eventually found a winner.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the clip, many of the climbers can be seen losing their grip and combating the jumps and obstacles designed by champion climber Martin Mobråten.</span></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/p/CSG0pIUAPUZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSG0pIUAPUZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Ford Norge (@fordnorge)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Eventually, Leo Ketil B</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">ø</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">e, 21, managed to score the free lease with a time of three minutes and 33 seconds.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Any who made it to the top alongside Leo were rewarded with breathtaking views across the Skagerrak, a strait running between Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Visit Norway</span></em></p>

International Travel

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Boy climbs UK's tallest mountain after being told he’d never walking again

<p><span>A seven-year-old boy with cerebral palsy has overcome huge adversity after climbing Britain’s tallest mountain for charity, even though his parents were told he’d never walk again. </span><br /><br /><span>Caeden Thomson, from Corby, Northamptonshire, was born 12 weeks premature, and has undergone intense physiotherapy to walk again. </span><br /><br /><span>Despite doctors' claims that he would never properly take his first steps, Caeden nor his family gave up. </span><br /><br /><span>On his JustGiving page, his mother Lisa said he wanted to be able to "give something back", because "he was so lucky for all the things he has had in his life".</span><br /><br /><span>At just seven, he hiked the 1,345 metres to the top of Ben Nevis in the Highlands on Saturday, and managed to raise more than £8,000 for his local NHS trust and disability equality charity, Scope.</span><br /><br /><span>The group began to make their way up the massive mountain at 9am. </span><br /><br /><span>Together, they would reach the summit at 5.30pm, before returning to the bottom five hours later.</span><br /><br /><span>Caeden said: "My body hurts a lot but I'm OK. It was really, really hard.</span><br /><br /><span>"I felt sick and exhausted at the top, and I felt exhausted but happy at the bottom!"</span><br /><br /><span>His mum says her son is "an absolute legend". </span><br /><br /><span>To say it was a “massive challenge” was an understatement for the group, who said it was “much, much harder than any of us expected".</span><br /><br /><span>She said: "There were many hard times along the way. From three-quarters of the way up, the pathway is just massive boulders and very hard to climb, and even at the top we didn't think he would make it down.</span><br /><br /><span>"There were danger areas where carrying was very difficult, so Caeden did have to walk down a lot of it too.</span><br /><br /><span>"The temperature dropped hugely and many climbers said they were turning back. But we made it!</span><br /><br /><span>"We are all super-proud of him, he deserves a medal.</span><br /><br /><span>"Last night no-one could move or celebrate, so today we are resting up and will celebrate tonight.</span><br /><br /><span>"We all love Caeden so much and can't believe his passion for getting to the top."</span></p>

Caring

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Surprising holiday photos that can land you in trouble

<p>On holidays people tend to take photos of everything that they see, from old rustic buildings and narrow streets, to food at a restaurant and the view of city lights. But there are some photos in particular that can get you in trouble with the law.</p> <p>A British tourist in Egypt was arrested over mobile phone footage of the airport which happened to capture a military helicopter in the background.</p> <p>Muhammed Fathi Abulkasem, 19, from Manchester was arrested and charged with collecting intelligence on the Egyptian military, reported the Associated Press.</p> <p>The teenager innocently filmed the landing of his flight, which showed a helicopter in the background. Taking unauthorised photos or videos of military facilities, equipment or personnel is illegal in Egypt.</p> <p>“We all have one of those landing videos on our phones,” his cousin Shareen Nawaz from the UK told AP.</p> <p>“They shouldn’t have military helicopters in public spaces if this is what will happen.”</p> <p>Many countries have outlawed the photographing or filming of military related materials, equipment and personnel. The strictness of these laws are related to the country’s level of secrecy.</p> <p>More seemingly innocent photographs can also land tourists in hot water from places of worship, airports, museums and galleries, bridges, tunnels and railway stations – and even shopping centres and buildings.</p> <p>These all seem like normal things a tourist would capture on camera – but taking snaps of these places could be illegal without you even knowing it.</p> <p>The most surprising things people can’t take pictures of include some of the most famous photographs in the world, such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris at night.</p> <p>The reason being, under European copyright law, works are protected for the lifetime of the artist, plus an additional 70 years. The tower’s designer, Gustave Eiffel, died in 1923 and the building entered the public domain 10 years later.</p> <p>Although the lights weren’t installed until 1985 by Pierre Bideau and are an artwork, they are still protected under European copyright law.</p> <p>Therefore, taking photos of the Eiffel Tower with the lights off isn’t breaking the law, although at night when the lights are flashing and dazzling over the city, it could get you in trouble with the law.</p> <p>Tokyo’s most famous night bar location in Golden Gai in the centre of the Shinjuku district is an iconic spot jam-packed with around 200 miniature bars with a labyrinth of really narrow alleys winding through the block.</p> <p>Signs throughout the district warn tourists of the banning of photographs.</p> <p>The Sistine Chapel in Rome also forbids photographs, although not for the reasons you may assume. The Sistine Chapel contains the famous artworks of Michelangelo and Cosimo Rosselli.</p> <p>People assume the reason is that the flash could damage the artwork, and although it is a concern for the longevity of the priceless art, that’s not the primary reason.</p> <p>A Japanese TV company owns the exclusive rights to these famous artworks. It attained these rights when they helped fund a major restoration project. The TV corporation offered US$4.2 million to spend on restoration in exchange for the exclusive rights to photograph and film the restored art. The company produced many documentaries and art books from the deal.</p> <p>The photo ban extends from buildings, artwork and iconic landmarks to animals. In particular, Chinese pandas. This ban comes after tourists have attempted to get dangerously close to the endangered creatures.</p> <p>In an attempt to maintain safety for tourists and the pandas, animal groups encouraged the ban.</p> <p>The tightly controlled and regulated country of North Korea consists of many photography bans, which extend to almost everything.</p> <p>Getty Images photographer Carl Court spent a week in the country documenting people’s daily life. Court explained the things he was an wasn’t allowed to photograph.</p> <p>The biggest rule for his photos included having to capture only full-frame images of Kim II-sung and Kim Jong-il statues and iconography.</p> <p>“You can’t crop the feet off the statues. You can’t cut a bit of the corner off,” Court said.</p> <p>Tourists are only allowed to enter the country if they are with a state-approved travel group that closely monitors where they go and what they see.</p> <p>Electronics and mobile phones may be searched by Korean authorities at any time.</p>

Travel Trouble

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The tiny Denmark town building Western Europe's tallest skyscraper

<p><span>When it comes to tall buildings in Europe, most people will generally think of towers in London, Frankfurt or Madrid. However, a plan has been announced to build one of the continent’s tallest skyscrapers in a small rural Denmark town instead.</span></p> <p><span>Brande, a town of just 7,000 people on Denmark’s rural Jutland Peninsula, is set to house a 320-metre skyscraper that will serve as the headquarters for fast-fashion giant Bestseller. </span></p> <p><span>Designed by architectural studio Dorte Mandrup, the Bestseller Tower will be the tallest building in western Europe, beating out London’s The Shard by about 10 metres.</span></p> <p><span>“It will be a landmark that places Brande on the map, but it will also function as an architectural attraction benefitting hotel guests, students and other users of the building,” said Anders Holch Povlse, Bestseller’s owner and Denmark’s richest man.</span></p> <p><span>Last month, the local council in Brande voted to move forward with the tower project. According to the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/apr/01/like-the-eye-of-sauron-western-europes-tallest-building-planned-for-tiny-danish-town-brande-bestseller"><em>Guardian</em></a>, most locals have supported the initiative from the clothing company – which was founded in the small town – to build the soaring structure over the flat rural landscape. Upon completion, the high-rise will be visible from 60km away.</span></p> <p><span>“There really is no opposition,” said Anders Udengaard, local politician and longstanding Bestseller critic. “But for most people looking at a project like this being built in a community as small as this is, it does seem rather insane, doesn’t it?”</span></p> <p><span>If anything, resistance against the project seemed to come from the country’s urban residents. “Such a big building will make the world claustrophobically small,” said Trine Kammer of Aarhus, Denmark’s second most populous urban region. “Why do I have to be reminded of Bestseller when I’m walking by myself in a quiet wood?”</span></p> <p><span>Danish satire website Rokokoposten has also likened the proposed building to the villainous Tower of Sauron from <em>Lord of the Rings</em>.</span></p> <p><span><a href="https://www.designboom.com/architecture/bestseller-tower-brande-skyscraper-denmark-dorte-mandrup-04-04-2019/"><em>Designboom</em></a> reported that the construction project is set to break ground this year with completion expected to take place in 2023.</span></p> <p>Have you ever visited Denmark? What was the highlight for you? Tell us in the comments below.</p>

International Travel

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Adele looks unrecognisable

<p>She may have one of the most incredible voices in the world – and a staggering 15 Grammy awards under her belt – but Adele certainly isn’t like other stars. The always-down-to-earth singer visited disadvantaged kids at London’s IntoUniversity over the weekend, ditching the make-up and opting for a fresh-faced look.</p> <p><span><img width="500" height="373" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/40417/image__500x373.jpg" alt="Image_ (404)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></span></p> <p>The “Hello” singer posed for selfies and spoke with survivors, who clearly couldn’t be happier to see her.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">More photos of <a href="https://twitter.com/Adele">@Adele</a> at <a href="https://twitter.com/IntoUniversity">@IntoUniversity</a> <a href="https://t.co/n0TWpRymSJ">pic.twitter.com/n0TWpRymSJ</a></p> — Adele Now (@AdeleNowuk) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdeleNowuk/status/891109332288516098">July 29, 2017</a></blockquote> <p>It’s not the first time proud Londoner Adele has shown her support for survivors of the Grenfell inferno. In June, <a href="/finance/insurance/2017/06/adele-has-tea-with-grenfell-tower-firefighters/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">she visited the brave firefighters</span></strong></a> who risked their lives battling the blaze, sitting down with them for a cuppa and a chat.</p> <p>As if we could love her any more!</p>

Music

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How to skip the line at the Eiffel Tower (and other famous landmarks)

<p>Don’t let your experience be ruined by a line! Here’s how to avoid them.</p> <p><strong>Buy your tickets online</strong></p> <p>Don’t make the mistake of just turning up and joining the line. Go to the official website (toureiffel.paris) up to two months in advance, choose your half hour time slot between 9am and 930pm, and book your ticket for just €15. Beware of other third party sites that will try to sell you these same tickets at a big markup.</p> <p><strong>Join a tour</strong></p> <p>Even if you’re not a tour kind of person, now is a good time to get onboard. Many private tour companies will let you skip the queue as part of your package. Plus you’ll get the added bonus of an expert guide to give you all the inside info on the tower itself.</p> <p><strong>Get a Paris Passlib</strong></p> <p>The Paris Convention and Visitor Bureau has recently launched a special tourist pass that covers entry to lots of the city’s best attractions for one flat fee. You can book a one-, three- or five-day Paris Passlib and get entry to museums and galleries, plus a bus tour and one-hour boat ride. For an extra €15 you can add a fast track Eiffel Tower ticket.</p> <p><strong>Have a meal</strong></p> <p>Did you know there are two restaurants inside the Eiffel Tower? The casual 58 Tour Eiffel is on the first level and the formal Le Jules Verne is on the second level, and both have separate entrance lines from the main tower. A set lunch at 58 Tour Eiffel starts from €42.50 per person and includes a starter, main course and dessert served ‘picnic style’ in a basket, plus a beer or wine – all with a side of stunning views. If you want to splash out, head to Le Jules Verne for an unforgettable lunch or dinner that will set you back around €200.</p> <p><strong>Take the stairs</strong></p> <p>Feeling fit? There’s hardly ever a line for the stairs at the Eiffel Tower so you can make your way up to the first and second level under your own steam. It’s 330 steps to the first level and 670 to the second, and then you can buy a ticket to the top from the short lines there. A stair ticket only costs €7 and attendants never check tickets on the way down, so you can catch a ride back to earth on the elevators.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Last Fri, I was 1 of 700 ppl lucky to zip line at 90km/h, gliding along the 800m-long wire fr the iconic Eiffel Tower <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/smashperrier?src=hash">#smashperrier</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris?src=hash">#Paris</a> <a href="https://t.co/PLC85alSIg">pic.twitter.com/PLC85alSIg</a></p> — Hanis Zainul (@nizzkee) <a href="https://twitter.com/nizzkee/status/875552747659165697">June 16, 2017</a></blockquote> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <p><strong>And for other attractions?</strong></p> <p>A lot of these tips will work for popular spots like the Louvre, Musee D’Orsay and Notre Dame. Buy a special Paris Passlib with fast track entry, join a guided tour or hire a private guide, or look for alternative entrances that aren’t as popular. Good luck!</p>

Travel Tips

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Adele has tea with Grenfell Tower firefighters

<p>She’s proven herself to be one of the humblest stars in the music world, and on Monday, the always-down-to-earth Adele made a touching gesture to thank the firefighters who worked tirelessly to save lives during the Grenfell Tower inferno.</p> <p>“She just turned up at the station and knocked on the window and said she has some cakes for us,” station manager Ben King told the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40339241" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">BBC</span></strong></a>. “So we opened the door to her and then she took her sunglasses off and said, ‘Hi, I’m Adele’. Everyone was so shocked.</p> <p>“She came in, came up to the mess and had a cup of tea with the watch and then she joined us for the minute’s silence.”</p> <p>In a post on Facebook, firefighter Rob Petty described the singer as a “lovely girl, genuinely grounded and interested and humbled.”</p> <p>The “Hello” singer was one of the first famous figures to visit victims at the site of the blaze, comforting survivors at a vigil held the day after the fire.</p> <p>To see the sweet photos from her visit to Chelsea Fire Station, flick through the gallery above.</p> <p><em>Image credit: London Fire Brigade/Facebook.</em></p>

Insurance

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Heartbreaking Fathers’ Day tributes flood in for Grenfell fire victims

<p>After a horror few months for Britons – Londoners in particularly – the community has come together over the Fathers’ Day weekend in support of the victims, families and survivors of the most recent tragedy, <a href="/finance/insurance/2017/06/london-tower-inferno-what-we-know/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">the inferno at Grenfell Tower</span></strong></a>.</p> <p>Hundreds of mourners gathered for a memorial service near the charred tower yesterday, honouring the dead with prayers, songs, and a minute of silence. The hero firefighters who risked their lives to fight the terrifying blaze were also honoured with applause and a standing ovation from attendees.</p> <p>There were emotional scenes at the site of the tragedy as children bid farewell to the fathers they’ll never see again, leaving flowers and heartbreaking messages. One read, “To dad, love you loads, never forget you, RIP. Love, your son Lee.” Another, left for a deceased 65-year-old granddad, promised, “This will never be forgotten.”</p> <p>Survivors and families of the victims have also been comforted by visits from a few very special guests – the Queen and Duke of Cambridge. Her Majesty described the incident as “one of the most terrible things I have ever seen,” while Prince William broke royal protocol and comforted one victim with a hug, vowing to make a return visit to the community. To see the touching photo, along with more images from the memorial, flip through the gallery above.</p> <p>The death toll currently stands at 58, though authorities expect this to rise even higher. Eighteen survivors remain in hospital, including nine who are still in critical care.</p>

Family & Pets

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Young sisters miraculously found in same hospital after London blaze

<p>The family of 8-year-old Malek and 6-year-old Tamzin Belkadi feared the worst when the sisters were reported missing after the <a href="/finance/insurance/2017/06/london-tower-inferno-what-we-know/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">terrifying inferno</span></strong></a> which engulfed London’s Grenfell Tower on Wednesday morning.</p> <p>24 hours later, they have finally been located and identified – miraculously in the same hospital. One of the girls is reportedly sedated and the other is in a coma. One of the girls was said to be “screaming” as she went into hospital. Their parents, Farah Hamdan and Omar Belkadi, along with their baby sister, are still unaccounted for.</p> <p>Adel Chaoui, Farah’s cousin, has criticised authorities for using the same protocols they would if the disaster had been a terrorist incident. There needs to be separate protocol for civil disasters. That’s what’s going wrong here,” he told <strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/15/police-keeping-us-dark-missing-relatives-family-lost-6-month/" target="_blank" title="www.telegraph.co.uk">The Telegraph</a></span></em></strong>. “They’re still treating everyone as suspects.”</p> <p>“The hospitals had no idea who these children were – they didn’t even realise they were related.”</p> <p>Meanwhile, the first victim of the confirmed 17 dead (though there are reports the number could rise above 100) has been formally identified. Mohammad Alhajali, just 23 years old, was a Syrian refugee studying in the UK. He was trapped inside the building with his brother, Omar, and was unable to escape due to the overwhelming smoke.</p> <p>“He sent a message to family in Syria in his final moments just saying, ‘The fire is here now, goodbye,’” a family friend told the <em>Telegraph</em>. Alhajali’s friends have taken to social media to share photos of their lost loved one, describing him as a “beautiful soul”.</p> <p>His brother is believed to have made it out of the tower and is now recovering in hospital.</p>

Insurance

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London tower inferno: what we know so far

<p>Early yesterday morning in London, residents of North Kensington’s Grenfell Tower awoke to what authorities are referring to as the worst residential fire in decades. Flames engulfed the 24-storey building, which is home to between 400 and 600 people.</p> <p>Now, nearly 24 hours later, parts of the tower are still ablaze and the death toll stands at 12 people – though this number is sadly expected to rise. 68 others have been taken to hospitals around the city, 18 of whom remain critical.</p> <p>Stories are emerging of incredible acts of heroism as well as horrifying acts of desperation. Witnesses have described a <a href="http://www.news.com.au/world/europe/witnesses-describe-horror-of-grenfell-tower-building-inferno-in-north-kensington/news-story/14c9e6a667f386d2e2bfcb826fec78d6" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">baby being thrown out of a window</span></strong></a> to safety, while one resident — a mother of two — who documented the fire via a live video on Facebook while trapped in her apartment <a href="http://www.news.com.au/world/europe/mother-posts-harrowing-videos-before-flames-engulf-tower/news-story/488ca5e1321541ceeebedfcfbc92d04e" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">has not been heard from</span></strong></a> since.</p> <p>As the community comes to terms with the horrifying inferno and the lives it has claimed, questions are now being raised as to whether the blaze could have been avoided. The Grenfell Action Group has slammed management for its failure to provide adequate fire training, advice and supplies. One long-time resident described the fire as a “mass murder”, claiming he and his neighbours had complained about the tower’s safety for years.</p> <p>The building had recently undergone an $11 million refurbishment to modernise its exterior, and Rydon construction, the group behind the renovations, has stated that all the new cladding and windows “met all required building control, fire regulation, and health and safety standards.”</p> <p>In what has been a horror few weeks for the UK, and London in particular, once again, the community has rallied around those affected by the tragic events. The Kensington and Chelsea council has been inundated with donations of food and supplies, and celebrities have also come out with offers of food and shelter.</p> <p>Jamie Oliver took to Instagram to invite those affected to his nearby Jamie’s Italian restaurant, where they’ll receive free shelter, food and drink. Lily Allen also offered to take victims into her own home and provide them with beds and tea.</p> <p>Others, including former <em>Top Gear</em> host Jeremy Clarkson, New Zealand supermodel Rachel Hunter, singer Rita Ora and many more have also offered their love and support.</p> <p><em>Video c<span>redit: Twitter/Natalie_Oxford via Storyful.</span></em></p>

Insurance

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DIY cubic planter tower

<p>Cool cacti and symmetric succulents are good choices for small pots and as easy-care indoor plants. They need little water and their chunky structural shapes are striking.</p> <p><strong>What you need:</strong></p> <ul> <li>9 pots – the ones used here come from EziBuy and are made of an artificial polymer cement</li> <li>Concrete primer (or similar)</li> <li>Masking tape</li> <li>Paint brush and small roller set</li> <li>Test pots in your choosen colours – we used Resene 'Black', 'White', 'Copper Fire', 'Bullion' and 'Silver Aluminium' and the relevant undercoats for each of the metallics.</li> <li>Concrete sealer (available in flat, satin or gloss)</li> <li>6 plastic pots of a suitable size for your plants</li> </ul> <p><strong>Method:</strong></p> <p><strong>Step 1:</strong> Mask the painted areas in your chosen design. </p> <p><strong>Step 2:</strong> The correct undercoat will depend on the composition of your pots (eg: For cement-based pots, use a concrete primer) </p> <p>Apply the undercoat using a small roller or brush, allow to dry. </p> <p><strong>Step 3:</strong> Top coat with your chosen colours. I used masking tape to create the striped effect.</p> <p><strong>Step 4:</strong> Allow to dry, carefully remove the masking tape. Coat with sealer to provide a more durable finish. </p> <p><em>Written by Rosie Hughes. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a></em>. <strong>Image credit: Rosie Hughes/Stuff.co.nz.</strong></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/home-garden/2017/01/diy-sprays-to-protect-your-roses-from-aphids/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>3 DIY sprays to protect your roses from aphids</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/12/how-overflowing-waste-affects-you-and-the-environment/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>How overflowing waste affects you and the environment</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/12/organic-gardening-myths/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>5 myths about organic gardening</strong></em></span></a></p>

Home & Garden

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This family was treated to a night in the Eiffel Tower

<p>The Eiffel Tower is a must-see for many tourists visiting Paris but for one British family this week it also became their home for the night.</p> <p>Michelle Stevenson won an overnight stay at the famed landmark in a contest organised by vacation rental website HomeAway in which participants were asked: "What would you do if the HomeAway Eiffel Tower apartment was all yours for a night?"</p> <p>The mother of two autistic sons was among four winners treated to a night in the ephemeral luxury apartment on the structure's first floor with sweeping views of the French capital and a tour through passages closed to the public.</p> <p>"It was for them really because they're fascinated by the Eiffel Tower, the structure and the lights," Stevenson said, referring to her sons.</p> <p>"Being autistic, I think the lights is just the big wow factor for them...It's just something that they'll never do again."</p> <p>To see the apartment they’ll be staying in, check out the video above. Have you ever been to the Eiffel Tower? What’s your favourite part of Paris?</p> <p>Let us know in the comments.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/05/10-breathtaking-restored-images-of-iconic-world-landmarks/" target="_blank"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">10 breathtaking restored images of iconic world landmarks</span></strong></em></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/06/10-photos-immortalise-the-disappearing-cafes-of-paris/"><strong><em><span>10 photos immortalise the disappearing cafes of Paris</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/04/secret-apartment-eiffel-tower-paris/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The secret apartment at the top of the Eiffel Tower</strong></em></span></a></p>

International Travel

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Dubai's Burj Khalifa builder plans even taller viewing tower

<p>Dubai is reaching for the sky once again, with the developer of the world's tallest building vowing Sunday to build an even taller tower bedecked with rotating balconies and elevated landscaping inspired by the mythical hanging gardens of Babylon.</p> <p>The government-backed company behind the project, Emaar Properties, hopes the new tower will entice a fresh wave of view-seeking homeowners even as it raises numerous other promised skyscrapers and repairs a prominent one gutted by fire on New Year's Eve.</p> <p>Company Chairman Mohamed Alabbar said the new observation tower would be "a notch" taller than the 828-metre Burj Khalifa. Just how much taller he wouldn't say.</p> <p>Unlike the Burj Khalifa, the new US$1 billion (AU$1.46 billion) tower will not be a traditional skyscraper but more of a cable-supported spire containing "garden" observation decks graced with trees and other greenery. Emaar says it will also contain a boutique hotel, restaurants and glass balconies that rotate outside the wall of the tower.</p> <p>The structure's design means it is unlikely to be widely recognised as a taller "building" than the Burj Khalifa even if it surpasses it in height.</p> <p>The Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, for example, says at least 50 percent of a structure's height must contain usable floor area for it to be considered in its ranking of the world's tallest buildings. That typically disqualifies telecommunications and observation towers that have only a small number of floors.</p> <p>It and the Burj Khalifa could also be surpassed by a skyscraper being built in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, that promises to rise more than 1 kilometre high.</p> <p>The new Dubai tower will be the centrepiece of a new 6 square-kilometre development on the edge of the Dubai Creek, near a protected wildlife sanctuary that regularly attracts flamingoes and other water birds.</p> <p>Alabbar likened the structure, designed by Spanish-Swiss architect Santiago Calatrava Valls, to a 21st-century Eiffel Tower that can act as a magnet not just for tourists but also for property buyers willing to pay a premium for nearby apartments with a view. It is due to open by the time Dubai hosts the World Expo in 2020.</p> <p>"Many ... of our customers would like to have that view. And if you ask me what is the financial model, that is the financial model," he said.</p> <p>Emaar followed a similar strategy when it raised the Burj Khalifa, which opened in 2010. The silvery skyscraper is flanked by fancy low and high-rise apartment complexes, some of which are still being built, as well as hotels, restaurants and one of the world's biggest shopping malls.</p> <p><img width="499" height="280" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/24781/big-tower-in-text_499x280.jpg" alt="Big Tower In Text"/></p> <p>The area is also home to The Address Downtown, a 63-story luxury hotel built by Emaar that went up in flames on New Year's Eve.</p> <p>Dubai police have blamed exposed wiring for sparking the blaze. Outside experts say the type of cladding used to sheath the building was likely a factor in fuelling that fire and several others that have engulfed skyscrapers in the United Arab Emirates.</p> <p>Emirati authorities have ordered a nationwide safety survey of existing buildings and promised to tighten regulations in the wake of the fire.</p> <p>Asked about fire risks Sunday, Alabbar said it was important to learn from the accidents but suggested there are limits to how much builders can do.</p> <p>"Safety rules are good, but can you really eliminate all risk? I don't think human beings are able to eliminate all risk," he told reporters. "Risks are there as long as we are progressing ... These things do happen, and you have to go and fix them and make sure if they happen, they happen to a minimum."</p> <p>Not long after the plan was revealed, Emaar Properties announced its group chief executive officer, Abdulla Lahej, had quit.</p> <p>Lahej's responsibilities were being handled by Amit Jain, group chief operating officer, Emaar said in a statement, without elaborating further.</p> <p>What do you make of this move to make the world’s biggest tower? Do you think they should be applauded for their ambition, or more realistic? Share your thoughts in the comments.</p> <p><em>First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/03/qatar-airways-longest-flight-world/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Qatar Airways announces the world's new longest flight</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2015/12/largest-flower-garden-in-the-world/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">14 images from the world’s largest flower garden</span></strong></em></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2015/12/10-tallest-buildings-in-the-world/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The new tallest building in the world</strong></em></span></a></p>

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